What kind of transfer window will it be at all if Ed Woodward doesn’t end up eying the acquisition of another world-class star? What if United don’t make a statement and bring another big name to what can only be described as a circus of them now? We’re being sarcastic of course.
So, despite his “world-class” buys producing bittersweet results in recent years, Woodward’s fame-hungry eyes have seemingly glown up with Antoine Griezmann’s recent availability.
Indeed, according to reports from the Independent late last week, the Red Devils are aiming to snatch away the French superstar from Barcelona’s hands and sign him. While this is could mostly be a ploy to increase Griezmann’s value, United’s lavish financial state cannot be underestimated. It’s quite possible a deal goes through, but it won’t solve United’s problems at all.
More recently, talkSPORT pundit (via the Express) Tony Cascarino backed the potential addition, which just seems so far from what the club actually need.
As a matter of fact, their problems could be amplified with this potential transfer. Granted Paul Pogba might well stay with his best friend’s arrival, but the real issues won’t really get fixed. For one, Griezmann simply isn’t suited that well to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s system. He just isn’t the winger the Norwegian is reportedly (as per the Sun) craving for, nor is that creative outlet to get their pacy forwards firing.
The Norwegian will have to create a number 10 or second striker role for him, changing his formation. Stupid, stupid stuff.
However, for Woodward, Griezmann’s the perfect marketing project. Indeed, he’s associated with many brands and is extremely popular around the world. Indeed, the commercial revenue around him would surely be monumental.
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However, United’s development will remain static even after his potential arrival. The Red Devils won’t be able to spend much on reinforcing other roles if they splash everything out on Griezmann either, only adding to the problem. Frankly, the recurring nightmare could continue over next season if Woodward aims for another marquee signing over fixing the real problems plaguing Manchester United.
United fans, do you think Griezmann’s signing can fix the attacking problems? Join the discussion by commenting below…
Under Mark Hughes before his dismissal last December, Southampton looked in real danger of going down.
Thanks to Ralph Hasenhuttl, though, the south coast club managed to turn things around. An ex-Saint, however, is not getting too carried away and believes his former side have got to do much better next season.
“Now it’s a case of building and having a realistic expectation,” Kevin Keegan told the Daily Echo. “If you are Southampton, you are not going to finish in the top-six very easily, but you are certainly capable of finish from seventh down to 14th.”
This is a Southampton side with some very good players. As Keegan has pointed out, they have it in them to do way better than a 16th-place finish.
After losing some big names summer after summer, a decline was inevitable, leaving Hasenhuttl’s squad needing some urgent surgery.
The former RB Leipzig manager, for example, could do with a new No.9. But when you look elsewhere, he certainly has some decent options.
The likes of Nathan Redmond, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Mario Lemina, to name a few players, all bring a lot to the table.
Build on that, and Hasenhuttl could take Southampton far next season, may be even close to where Ronald Koeman and Mauricio Pochettino once had them.
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For the 51-year-old, the foundation is certainly there and it is now just about building on it, in the words of Keegan.
Southampton fans, can you see your club finishing in the top half of the table next season? Let us know in the comment section below!
According to the Daily Star, Liverpool are amongst a number of top Premier League clubs interested in signing Leicester City star James Maddison, who enjoyed a wonderful debut campaign in the top-flight.
The report states that Manchester United, Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool have all enquired about the Englishman’s availability this summer, but with the Foxes under no pressure to sell, Maddison’s valuation stands at £60m.
You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…
That figure is three times what Leicester paid for the 22-year-old last summer when they parted with £20m to sign the attacking midfielder from Norwich, and it looks to have been a shrewd investment.
Maddison scored seven goals and recorded seven assists last season, whilst he also created the most chances in the Premier League to truly announce himself at the top level of English football – his form led to a call-up to the England team.
So, would the former Coventry academy graduate be a good fit at Anfield? Football FanCast’s writers have their say…
Luke Glanville
“I think the thing that many people forget is that Maddison has only been a Premier League player for one season. Yes, he looks to be a real talent, but we need to see if he can produce consistently over two to three seasons in the top flight first. Maddison is not yet the finished article and in my opinion, wouldn’t fit in at any top-six club at the moment, let alone Liverpool.”
Harry Sherlock
“James Maddison would be a great fit at any top-six club. He’s just got the kind of talent that makes him attractive to any potential suitor. He’d fit right in at Liverpool as he’d be able to supplement the ferocious talents of the front three, while adding some dynamism to the club’s midfield. That is perhaps their one weak spot, with Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Naby Keita not the most dynamic, creative trio. Adding Maddison in would be like adding cream to strawberries; it makes all the sense in the world.”
Charles Jones
“Maddison is undoubtedly an incredible player, but Liverpool may be the only club in the top six where he doesn’t quite fit in. Klopp has just won the Champions League and finished the Premier League season with 97 points using a midfield made up of three less creative players. Maddison is at his best when playing as a number 10 and at the moment there isn’t room for a player in his mould in the Liverpool XI.”
Football.London journalist James Benge has written an article on who should be the next permanent Arsenal captain after current skipper Laurent Koscielny.
What’s he said, then?
Koscielny’s contract at the Emirates Stadium is due to run out at the end of next season and at the ripe old age of 33 and becoming more and more injury prone, he may not be offered a new one.
In that case, a new full-time captain would need to be appointed in north London to follow in the Frenchman’s footsteps and one would feel that it has to be a member of Unai Emery’s current squad.
Picking out Spanish right-back Hector Bellerin as the man for the job, here’s what Benge had to say:
“The man to lead Arsenal into that new era, then, is Hector Bellerin.”
Absolutely right
On this occasion, Benge has got one of his bold claims correct although a large portion of Gooners tended to disagree with him on the brave call.
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The Gunners need a fresh, youthful face to help usher in the Emery era, which began last summer and didn’t enjoy the best of first seasons. Bellerin is certainly that.
The 24-year-old has been at the club long enough now to know it inside-out having joined as a teenager, so that’s not an issue. Bellerin is also fantastic role model on and off the pitch for the millions of young Arsenal fans, and it would be hard to see him not doing a wonderful job as skipper at the Emirates.
Tanguy Ndombele is one of Tottenham Hotspur’s mooted summer targets with recent reports claiming they have tabled a club-record £60m bid and, on the surface, it looks like a mouthwatering signing.
A full France international with a major pedigree in Ligue 1, the central midfielder has developed into one of the most sought-after players in world football.
Both Manchester United and Manchester City have been linked with big-money moves and it appears almost certain that he will depart the French club this summer; Jean-Michel Aulas, the club’s president, has confirmed he is in negotiations with clubs to sell him.
That was said last summer, too, with Spurs and City both reported, per RMC via TalkSport, to have failed with bids to entice him away.
But how good is he, really, and how has he grown as a player since making his first-team breakthrough at Lyon?
In terms of attributes, Ndombele belies the usual “pace and power” stereotype that is so often associated with young, black footballers.
While he is quick, he has a deftness of touch that takes him past defenders and is also a thoughtful distributor of the ball. He moves it well and is always looking to take up positions in which he can affect the game, be it defensively or offensively.
He is, at his base, a hybrid midfielder, one who is equally adept at breaking up play and recycling possession as he is at taking the ball on the run and quickly picking a pass or unleashing a shot.
He is exceptional at picking the ball up on the turn, too, and spinning away from his man, a la Mousa Dembele in his prime.
And yet, in 2015/16, he was playing for Amiens’ reserve team, in France’s fifth division.
It has been a meteoric rise and along that journey, he has been a model of consistency.
Indeed, in 2016/17, he made his breakthrough into the club’s first-team and laid on seven assists in 30 games in Ligue 2. He also scored twice.
These performances came about at a time when the club did not really know how to use him; throughout the campaign he played in central midfield, attacking midfield, on the right of midfield and at right-back.
He was first loaned to Lyon in 2017/18, with the club securing an option to sign him on a permanent basis should they so wish. In 35 Ligue 1 games, he took to top-flight French football like a duck to water and again laid on seven assists, while nailing down a place in the club’s starting XI.
The following season, the deal having been made permanent, he made one less appearance but still registered seven league assists.
This is not a goalscoring midfielder by any means, as he has scored just one Ligue 1 goal for Lyon in his two seasons at the club.
But he is perhaps exactly what Mauricio Pochettino needs in the centre of midfield.
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This is a player who is yet to be burned out by the pressure of a lengthy career at a young age; he is 22 and has played just 130 first-team games at club level. Dele Alli, by comparison, is a year older and has played 272 first-team matches.
Ndombele is fresh as a daisy, then, and all the signs point to a career marked by longevity, such is his playing style.
He is not a full-throttle midfielder, instead choosing to make his bursts forward only when he sees a gap, in a manner not too dissimilar to Moussa Sissoko.
There is more poise and elegance to the way Ndombele plays, however, and it is not hard to see why major clubs are fawning over him.
He has emerged as perhaps the best young central midfielder in Europe in recent years.
Spurs should pull out all the stops to get this deal over the line.
According to Sky Sports, Crystal Palace have rejected a bid worth up to £50m from Manchester United for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, although the report also states that the Eagles would accept the same fee up front, with the Red Devils currently offering an initial £35m plus £15m in add-ons.
If this discrepancy is to be the final obstacle between the player and a switch to Old Trafford, then it seems possible that the 21-year-old will leave Selhurst Park this summer. However, there is no doubt he will be sorely missed, even at that price.
On the chalkboard
Palace’s number 29 is likely to only get better and – especially considering the premium placed on young, English talents these days – he could command a greater fee even after just one more season of top flight football with the SE7 outfit.
On the other hand, the 6 ft talent has just one full season of Premier League action under his belt and full-backs, generally speaking, are amongst the more replaceable players in any team. Palace would arguably be more than justified, then, in snapping United’s hand off if they do indeed come back with £50m upfront.
So why would Wan-Bissaka’s departure be felt so much at Selhurst Park?
A significantly weaker right side
With £50m in the bank, Palace could easily sign a solid right-back and then have some to spare, but rarely can full-backs get fans on their feet if they’re not whipping in inch-perfect crosses or firing home long-range efforts – Wan-Bissaka is a key exception.
The academy graduate’s timing in his tackle and sheer determination to get back and snuff out danger has made him a fan favourite amongst the Selhurst Park faithful, while also making the Eagles’ right side near impenetrable.
Are Crystal Palace right to slap a £100m valuation on Wilfried Zaha’s head? Check out the video below to see why they are…
Last season, Wan-Bissaka averaged 3.7 tackles and 2.4 interceptions per game. To illustrate how impressive that is, he ranked in the top ten of all Premier League players on both fronts. The local lad was also dribbled past just 0.3 times per game in 2018/19 – the least in his position for players who have made more than 15 appearances.
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It’s pretty safe to assume then, barring some incredible scouting, that Palace will struggle to replace that level of solidity this summer – a level of solidity that has the club rating Wan-Bissaka at £50m. And for a team whose survival last term very much owed to a mean defensive record, ranking sixth for clean sheets, losing such a reliable presence could have a very big effect. It chips away at Palace’s greatest strength, Wilfried Zaha’s talismanic performances excepting.
£50m is a lot of money for a team like Palace, but that doesn’t mean they’d be better off in Wan-Bissaka’s absence.
Tottenham Hotspur are on the verge of signing Jack Clarke from Leeds United, with Sky Sports reporting that the teenager has passed a medical ahead of an £8.5m switch.
Clarke made his first-team breakthrough under Marcelo Bielsa in 2018/19, making a total of 25 appearances, scoring two goals and registering two assists.
The London Evening Standard report that he will be given the chance to earn a first-team berth under Mauricio Pochettino next season instead of being sent out on loan, with Spurs looking to strengthen a squad that reached the Champions League final and finished in the Premier League top-four.
But what exactly are the experts saying about the youngster, and is he likely to make a significant impact at Spurs?
Alfie Burns – Football League World Editorial Assistant
A die-hard Leeds fan, Football League World editorial assistant Alfie Burns gives Football FanCast the lowdown on Clarke…
“Clarke broke onto the scene late in 2018 for Leeds, with the Elland Road academy graduate bringing a fearless edge to the Whites’ attacking play heading towards the Christmas period.
“The 18-year-old’s ability to beat a man and counterattack gave Leeds’ attack a different dimension, and his impact over the months of December and January was particularly impressive, with goals and assists coming regularly in big games like Aston Villa away and Derby County at home.
“However, his form dipped following illness and a collapse at Middlesbrough, with Clarke never rediscovering the spark that made him such a hit at the turn of the year. In my eyes, that’s why Tottenham aren’t paying big bucks for the teenager and Leeds are letting him go for a rather modest fee.
“I’ve got my doubts about the immediate impact Clarke can have in a Tottenham shirt, but you’ve got to look at what Mauricio Pochettino has done in the past with players, with Dele Alli the prime example of an EFL talent flourishing under his management.
“For that reason I’m expecting Clarke to be a hit in North London, even if that takes 12-18 months. Pochettino will have to restore his confidence following his illness and drop in form, but in many ways that will make the move even more intriguing to watch.”
There’s relatively high praise here from a Football League specialist who watches Clarke week in, week out.
It will be interesting to see whether the teen can overcome his dip but it may actually endear him all the more to Pochettino; it’s rare for youngsters to take such a hit so early in their career, so if he can bounce back, he may see his stock rise even further.
Noel Whelan – Former Leeds United player
Speaking to Football Insider amid reports that Leeds were set to demand £20m for Clarke…
“Leeds have overpriced the young man from what I hear,” he told Football Insider. “They want £20million for him and he’s not worth that. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
“£12million is a lot of money, but £20million is overpricing a player. You have to be sensible with a player’s valuation. He still has a long way to go.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’d love him to stay at Leeds and progress as a player, but we will see if that happens.”
It now appears that a deal has been struck at around £8.5m but, even so, Whelan was probably right.
But then, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t; Leeds don’t want to lose a promising youngster on the cheap, nor do they want to completely scare away bidders when the money could feasibly be reinvested and actually help to improve the squad.
Clarke could well be worth the money in the coming months, particularly if he hits the ground running in the early stages of his Spurs career.
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Marcelo Bielsa – Leeds United manager
Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post after Clarke inspired a second-half comeback against Aston Villa, with Leeds winning 3-2 in dramatic circumstances after falling 2-0 behind.
“When I started to look at his skills I didn’t imagine that he could make the difference as he’s making the difference now. As with every young player, I think he can improve a lot. He has to confirm his level and show what he is capable of.
“We know that a feature of any big player is to maintain the same level of performance. He’s a young player and we have to manage his playing time. That’s my opinion. If we build an image which exaggerates his capabilities, instead of helping him we will be hurting him.”
Bielsa has trodden carefully around Clarke thus far and he started just four games in the Championship.
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His view on him, though, is an interesting one; perhaps Clarke is a player who can merely turn it on when he’s on the pitch, instead of putting it in during training every week.
That Bielsa was surprised at his success suggests the hypothesis might be correct, and it will be intriguing to see if he can also shock Mauricio Pochettino with the scale of his impact.
Lots of Everton fans have been reacting to some outgoing transfer news, as Brendan Galloway looks set to leave the club on a permanent basis this summer.
According to Football Insider, the Toffees left-back is in “advanced talks” with Championship newcomers Luton Town.
The report claims Marco Silva has given the green light for the move, and that the player will leave on a free transfer despite having a year left on his contract.
And fans on Twitter have been left feeling disappointed that the youngster did not live up to his potential at Goodison, although most are wishing him the best with the move as well.
Indeed, the 23 year-old looked set to become one of a long line of English youngsters to break into the Toffees first-team when he joined the club aged just 18, but has featured only 21 times for the senior side and hasn’t exactly impressed out on loan either.
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You can tell just from the Twitter reactions just how highly fans had rated the youngster, and you can find some of the best of those reactions down below…
West Ham United fans have been sent into frenzied excitement by a cryptic update from Ex-West Ham United Employee.
The club confirmed the sale of unsettled forward Marko Arnautovic to Chinese club Shanghai SIPG on Monday morning.
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But Ex, the Hammers insider, posted a gif on Twitter shortly afterwards showing the words “positive vibes”.
And a number of supporters believe that it could relate to transfer activity; Football FanCast understands that the club remain in talks with La Liga club Celta Vigo over a possible deal for Maxi Gomez this summer.
You can read more on this and other top stories via our West Ham United News page.
The Uruguay international has a £45m release clause in his contract but he has also been heavily linked with a possible move to Valencia.
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And supporters are hopeful that the slightly ambiguous tweet hints that the club may have beaten off the competition to complete a deal for the striker.
Ayoze Perez joins Leicester City from Newcastle United in one of the most surprising deals of the summer to date.
The £30m fee spent by Leicester is questionable considering it’s fair to ask what they’ve actually bought for that price.
That’s not a question of Perez’s ability, as the diminutive playmaker has shown over many years at Newcastle that he possesses both the quality and grit to succeed at Premier League level.
No, the doubts arise more in search of the answer to an even more pertinent question: what are they signing him for?
While boasted qualities that eluded the majority of his less technically gifted teammates, the lingering question that has hung over the Spaniard has always concerned where he fits into the attack.
And with that, it’s difficult to understand why Brendan Rodgers has opted to spend such a huge sum of money to bring him to the King Power Stadium.
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The forward has played a variety of different positions, from right to left wing, number 10, second striker and even as a number 9. There’s no doubt he’s got the attributes to succeed in any of these roles, but Leicester are a side who boast tremendous and, crucially, young talent that you’d assume a progressive manager like Rodgers would want to exploit and develop.
Harvey Barnes, James Maddison, Demarai Gray, Mark Albrighton and potentially Youri Tielemans – should he return to Leicester in a reported £40m deal – could be in contention to occupy the starting three spots behind a striker, most likely Jamie Vardy, so it’s difficult to envisage where Perez fits into the squad.
Perhaps he will merely be a squad player but, given the size of his price-tag, it seems that he will be much more than a body to bolster squad depth.
With that said, it might be time for Jamie Vardy to look over his shoulder in fear of his place in the starting XI rather than to watch his teammate thread a through ball into his path.
Soccer Football – Premier League – Leicester City v Arsenal – King Power Stadium, Leicester, Britain – April 28, 2019 Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers, Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy and James Maddison celebrate after the match Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single clu
Vardy has typically thrived in a counter-attacking side.
This isn’t a criticism of his ability on the ball, nor his final product or creativity, it’s simply fitting of his finest attributes – his pace and goal scoring instinct.
He thrives when running in behind and exploiting space, running directly at goal, the sort of thing he did relentlessly under Claudio Ranieri. The way Rodgers likes to play, however, won’t necessarily allow for this to happen.
Naturally, it’s pertinent to acknowledge that the Northern Irish manager enabled Vardy to rediscover his form shortly after he replaced Claude Puel. Spaces were suddenly prised open for the lightning-quick forward to exploit and he scored 10 goals in 11 Premier League games to finish the 2018/19 season.
But at 32 years old Vardy is moving towards the back end of his career and a contingency plan is needed to prepare for life after the Foxes legend, one which Perez may well be at the centre of.
Rodgers has been renowned throughout his managerial career in the top flight for playing short, incisive and attractive football.
He led Swansea to the Premier League with it and immediately caught the eye with his brave style, one which was later lauded by Luis Suarez, per Sports Mole, after he accepted the Liverpool job: “They always tried to play football with short-pass combinations and didn’t care what zone of the field they were at.”
He came agonisingly close to winning the Premier League with Liverpool and won a double treble with Celtic while adhering to his possession-based principles. He appears to believe in this approach and is refining it with every year that goes by.
Vardy doesn’t fit the remit as well as the former Newcastle star, which could see the fresh recruit adopting a centre-forward role in the side, where he can carry his team up the pitch, dribble past players, hold up the ball, create and score.
Perez can combine with midfield options effectively as well, and his stats suggest he enjoys this side of the game. Last season he proved to be far more involved with overall team play, registering 779 league passes compared to Vardy’s 416, and averaging 21.05 passes per game to the Englishman’s 12.24.
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Perez also completed more key passes per game on average with 1.2, while the former non-league star completed just 0.9. This has been achieved despite playing in a team finishing lower in the table.
The stats points towards a fundamental stylistic difference between the two players, one which will at least offer Rodgers a fresh option in attack.
“It reminds me of a bus seat!” – Watch a damning verdict on Chelsea’s new kit in the video below…
Yes, Perez’s position in attacking midfield certainly contributed to the Newcastle man’s involvement in build-up play, but his side were also adopting a very pragmatic style under Benitez, so it can’t all be explained by positional differences.
Quite frankly, the Spaniard has a very different way of helping his team up the pitch.
Who knows, the two forwards may form a great partnership, and with Leicester in a rebuilding phase, there are certainly times when Vardy’s fantastic strike rate, pace and hunger will be required, but the club’s long-term future under Rodgers looks set to champion neat and complete players like Perez, Maddison and, if Leicester fans’ dreams are turned into reality, Tielemans as well.
It’s hard to see how the Spaniard will displace some of Leicester’s finest young talents, but with Vardy ageing – though showing little sign of it – perhaps this signing adds a weapon to Rodgers’ armoury that could see the veteran phased out.