Manchester United boss David Moyes pulled the plug on an £18million move for Benfica defender Ezequiel Garay to Old Trafford, according to the Argentine, reports the Daily Mail.
Moyes’ predecessor, Sir Alex Ferguson, was a keen admirer of Garay, and it was taken for granted that the defender would move to Manchester as Fergie went about strengthening the back-four.
The formerly reliable pair of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic are both growing old and appear to be unable to play a long series of consecutive games. The emerging talents of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have shown signs of solidity, but the youngsters have failed to provide the champions with consistency.
Garay himself thought his time in Portugal was up, but claims Moyes was unwilling to pay Benfica’s asking price.
“I believed I was going to join Manchester United in the summer. The deal was nearly closed but finally Benfica did not accept the offer,” he said.
“I believe the exit of Ferguson has influenced the deal.”
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A possible explanation for Moyes’ reluctance to splash money on the defender is that he has identified the midfield as his team’s weak link. Despite struggling to bring in new arrivals in the summer, there are increasing reports suggesting that the Red Devils will spend big come January.
However, it seems Garay will not appear in the Premier League, as Barcelona are inclined to bring him in as a replacement for the ageing Carlos Puyol.
Liverpool’s Kolo Toure has been the Premier League’s laughing stock for some time now, but last night he took his comedy value to a completely new level.
The Red’s 3-2 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage, which put them within four points of league leaders Chelsea, should have been the major talking point of the evening’s Premier League fixtures.
But instead, in true Kolo Toure fashion, it was the Ivorian defender who stole the headlines with two moments of madness.
Firstly, he sliced a clearance in to his own net to give Fulham a 1-0 lead. Then he somehow managed to take out referee Phil Dowd in what has to be the most bizarre incident seen on a football pitch for some time.
In the words of Miley Cyrus, he came in like a wrecking ball…
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When you think about the World Cup you automatically think of the best players in the world, competing against each other on the world’s biggest stage.
But there’ll be one notable absence in Brazil this summer, with Real Madrid and Wales’ Gareth Bale sitting out and watching almost all of his team mates from the comfort of his sofa in his luxury villa in Madrid.
The chances of Wales reaching a World Cup soon are slim, but that doesn’t stop the former Tottenham midfielder dreaming of representing his country at a World Cup finals at some point in his career.
“For any footballer, they would love to play at the World Cup finals and obviously it’s not going to happen for me!” Bale said.
“But it’s obviously a massive goal of mine and of the whole team and something we’re trying to achieve soon.
“Every player wants to win trophies and for me that’s the first thing I want to do, and to be able to qualify and play in the World Cup… realistically I don’t think we’d win it but it would be great just to be there to experience it and create history for our country.”
And Bale believes Wales have a chance of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, particularly with other top class talents in the side like Aaron Ramsey and Ben Davies.
“We’ve got a great group of young players coming through at the moment and we’ve all been together for quite a few years now,” he added.
“So we’re learning all the time and working hard together and hopefully we can get that little bit of luck with injuries and stuff so we can keep getting everyone out on the pitch.
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“It’s exciting times and hopefully we can do the job on the pitch.”
//www.youtube.com/embed/Z8A20FmW4yY
EA SPORTS 2014 FIFA World Cup is OUT NOW on Xbox 360 and PS3. Watch Gareth Bale’s World Cup Dream at http://www.ea.com/uk/gareth-bale-world-cup-dream
Depending on which British transfer nonsense publication you personally veer towards, either Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United or Manchester City are poised to sign Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
But amalgamating together the general consensus of the tabloids, it appears the Spain international’s most plausible options this summer are the Blues and the Red Devils, with both Premier League clubs in need of a top quality playmaker.
Likewise, you can understand why Barcelona might want to sell. In the new age of Financial Fair Play, nobody is indispensible, and although Fabregas’ obvious talent is undoubted, he’s failed to command a regular role in the starting XI since swapping North London for his Catalonian homeland in summer 2011.
So a Nou Camp departure and a Premier League return both look incredibly likely for the 27 year-old this summer, once the small issue of retaining Spain’s status as world champions is taken care of in Brazil. The only question remains is who should Fabregas choose? A Red Devils side caught in unpredictable transition, or a Chelsea outfit looking to improve and evolve under Jose Mourinho?
Having been courted by Manchester United for well over two years now, the natural pick would be Old Trafford. Indeed, regardless of who mans the Carrington helm, there appears to be a popular opinion in Manchester that Fabregas is the rightful successor to Paul Scholes that United have been desperately searching for over the past two summers.
WANT MORE? >> Chelsea transfer news | Man United transfer news
With the Red Devils’ engine room in complete disarray, the Spaniard’s mixture of fluid playmaking and regular contribution in the final third could be the perfect remedy; Fabregas averaged six goals and 14 assists per Premier League campaign during his final five years at Arsenal and has subsequently produced a similar level of output in La Liga, whilst comparatively, Marouane Fellaini, Tom Cleverley, Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick have found just two goals and one assist between them this year.
Furthermore, with Louis van Gaal reinventing the Red Devils from the ground up, Fabregas has the opportunity to become a real hero at Old Trafford with an embedded role in the first team – at Chelsea on the other hand, he would always be just one of many cogs in a well-oiled machine.
But in order to subscribe to that theory, you’d have to ignore the obvious risk of moving to Manchester United at this exact time. Although there are certainly worse managers to put your entire faith in than van Gaal, that is exactly what the Spaniard will have to do – the footballing equivalent of a leap of faith.
Right now, United are five or six players short of returning to their former dominance and although their new manager has been tasked with the challenge of reclaiming the Premier League title next season, in my opinion it will most likely take the majority of his three-year contract to do so.
Chelsea, on the other hand, are a team on the verge of completion. Jose Mourinho recently revealed that he plans to make just two major signings this summer – one being £32million striker Diego Costa, and the other assumedly being Cesc Fabregas. The Blues fell slightly short on the domestic and European fronts this season but adding a striker and a deep-lying playmaker to their roster should in effect complete the Chelsea jigsaw, barring a few depth-adding purchases here and there – such as Atletico Madrid’s bosman-bound Tiago.
Should both of these requisites be met in the transfer market, then in my opinion at least, the West Londoners are more than ready to start challenging effectively for silverware. At 27 years of age, this will undoubtedly make Stamford Bridge a more appealing option for the Spain international. Rather than being the first brick in a long building process at Old Trafford, he could be Chelsea’s ultimate addition.
WANT MORE? >> Chelsea transfer news | Man United transfer news
But joining the Blues would take refining Fabregas’ game somewhat. Although I lay firm in the assumption that Jose Mourinho will look to evolve Chelsea’s style of play next season into something more expansive and commendable, at the heart of it will still be the Portuguese’s defensively organised, staunchly disciplined philosophical beliefs.
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Even if the Barcelona playmaker were to compete with Oscar for the No.10 role, his current average of 1.3 tackles per match will have to improve – comparatively, the Brazilian has averaged 2 challenges per fixture this term.
Not that Fabregas is incapable of doing so – during his Arsenal days he put in a number of gritty, determined and hard-working performances, especially when deployed in deep midfield. But he would never reach the hero status that he could for Manchester United; Mourinho has chopped and changed his starting XIs endlessly this year, and Fabregas will be seen by the Chelsea boss as an addition to the squad rather than addition to the first XI. Perhaps rightly so.
So which path should the former Arsenal star choose? One offering the opportunity to be his own man, play more freely in a manner more accustomed to his natural style, but presenting the very realistic risk of limited silverware. The other boasting a greater likelihood of trophies, at least in the short term, but requiring a slight yet significant change of character.
Fortunately, it’s not for me to decide Fabregas’ immediate transfer fate. But, in my opinion, a move to Manchester United would symbolise the Spaniard following his heart. Moving to Chelsea on the other hand, would be following his head.
We’re down to the last few weeks of this summer’s transfer window, and while many teams have concluded their business early, there are still a few players that managers believe are the missing piece to their tactical jigsaw.
Last season we saw Man United boss David Moyes make a last minute panic buy for former player Marouane Fellaini, and it proved to be a massive flop.
For Liverpool, they will mainly need to fill the hole left by Luis Suarez, but should really take their time in considering their options before making a last minute purchase.
Here are SIX PANIC BUYS Liverpool should avoid this summer.
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON MARIO BALOTELLI TO SEE THE FULL LIST!
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Mario Balotelli
The AC Milan star hasn’t had the best of years with the Serie A giants, finishing an underwhelming 8th place in the Italian top flight.
And after another unimpressive World Cup, the former Manchester City star has been linked with a move back to the Premier League with Liverpool a mooted option.
Like Suarez himself, Balotelli is never far away from the limelight but unlike the feisty Uruguayan, ‘Super Mario’ is not yet the finished article that will score 30+ league goals for the Reds.
He is more trouble than he is worth… which is around £20million.
Thomas Vermaelen
Liverpool fans are a bit disappointed that Danish defender Daniel Agger is set to leave the club this summer, but they should avoid purchasing an almost like-for-like replacement.
Thomas Vermaelen is on the same boat as Agger… but at Arsenal. The Belgian is looking to leave the Emirates after an injury-plagued campaign last season… and it would be a mistake for Rodgers to bring Vermaelen to Liverpool.
With Mamadou Sakho, Martin Skrtel, Dejan Lovren, and Kolo Toure all already vying for a starting berth, Vermaelen will find it even tougher to break into the first team compared to Arsenal.
Jay Rodriguez
It is quite clear that Liverpool are desperately seeking a striker to ease the loss of Suarez, but it would be unwise to sign their FOURTH Southampton player in Jay Rodriguez.
Rodriguez definitely has the ability to score goals (15 league goals last season), but what the Reds require at the moment is a player capable of producing a goal out of nothing… a player that will step up in the big games in the league as well as in Europe.
Rodriguez is also not a pure striker, mostly cutting in from the wings and in the end will fight for a place with the likes of Lazar Markovic, Raheem Sterling, and Adam Lallana.
Dani Alves
The Barcelona ace is set to depart the Nou Camp this summer, and Liverpool has been rumoured to be a possible destination.
But with the loan signing of Javier Manquillo, Brendan Rodgers will not need to splash the cash on the Brazilian who is no longer in the prime of his career.
Glen Johnson may have had a poor campaign last year (as well as an extremely bad pre-season tour), but given Manquillo’s presence we could see the rebirth of the Englishman to make the right-back position his own.
And if Glen continues to disappoint, then Manquillo looks very capable of taking over.
Mauro Icardi
Mauro Icardi is the traditional number-9 striker, looking for balls into the box and usually an adept finisher. A former Barcelona youngster, the Argentine now plies his trade with Inter Milan scoring nine goals in only 23 appearances.
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And although Icardi is a natural goalscorer, the 21-year-old has the capability to create chances as well… and would fit Liverpool’s system quite nicely.
However Icardi’s £17million price tag is not worth the gamble for Rodgers, as the money can be spent on a more prolific and experienced hitman… especially with the Champions League on the horizon.
Wilfried Bony
Although there is no doubting Wilfried Bony’s goal-scoring abilities, the 25-goal Ivorian is not the player that suits Brendan Rodgers high pressing system.
Bony prefers to receive the ball and hold it up, waiting to lay it off for his team-mates with his back to goal.
The Swansea star fits the perfect possession based team, but without the ball Bony is not the man to put pressure on the opponents’ defenders… something Luis Suarez did extremely well last season.
If Rodgers cannot find himself a suitable replacement for Suarez, he may as well keep Fabio Borini. The Italian may not be as talented as the Uruguayan, but he will chase every ball and chip in with the goals as well.
It was all going so well. Me, playing as Arsenal, enjoying a one-nil lead, albeit to a rather fortuitous goal. But I could sense the momentum had changed, my brow moist, my palms so slippery I was having difficulty stopping the controller from squirting out of my grasp.
That was when Larry, self-proclaimed Super-tech of rising Indie rock band Catfish and the Bottlemen and best friend of lead singer Van McCann, staged a three-goal comeback in the last fifteen minutes with his beloved Chelsea.
The FIFA gods were mocking me for their daily entertainment. Heart-broken, I muttered ‘good game’ and shook Larry’s hand. But by the end of the formalities, I began to count my blessings; at least this interview wouldn’t have to start with an official public apology – common FIFA etiquette for any defeat by a five-goal-or-more margin.
I was catching up with Catfish and the Bottlemen at the FIFA 15 Soundtrack Event, held in a swanky London office. The Wales-based band made it onto the popular video-game’s soundtrack this year, a true badge of honour for their front-man Van, a FIFA enthusiast and avid Manchester United supporter.
But we’ll come onto that later. First I had to enquire into the band’s sensational rise since the start of the year. In 2014, they’ve had three singles, all premiered by Radio 1’s Zane Lowe, welcomed a new band member in guitarist Elaine Bond, signed a deal with Island Records and now their debut album, The Balcony, hits shelves on September 15th. So my first question to Van was simple;
Have you been able to keep up with the Rock ‘n’ Roll pace of it all?
It’s been hectic. We’re all getting about two hours of sleep every night, it’s been like that for the last two years. It’s mental but it’s exciting.
More importantly, have you been able to keep up with the football at the same time?
It’s really hard to. We always miss games because we’re travelling. We have to check up at the airports and stuff. I’ve not really seen much of the start of the season; I’ve seen the first two Manchester United games, which I wish I hadn’t, and that’s it really. It’s hard to keep on top of it.
How was the album-making process? I hear some of it was composed in a Bed and Breakfast?
Yeah, pretty much all of it. We live in the back of a B&B, it’s class. From the ages of about 17 to 21 I just wrote, wrote and wrote, so when it came to doing the album we had a hundred-odd songs to pick from. At the label everyone went ‘take the first twenty songs, we’ll use them straight away’. So it was kind of spontaneous really. I think the album is class, the tunes are perfect in terms of capturing 17-year-old to 20 year-old life.
What about working in the studio, you know, like normal bands?
We didn’t really write anything in the studio. We changed a few things but everything was pretty much done and we wrapped it up in about three-and-a-half weeks. I don’t like being in the studio. I don’t like being in the same place for too long – unless there’s FIFA – so we kind of just smashed through it as quickly as we could and made sure everything was honest.
And how was linking up with Jim Abbiss (producer of Adele, Arctic Monkeys, Editors, the Kooks)? He’s already got quite a CV.
He’s a beast. Me and him clashed big time but in a way that just got the best out of us. He used to tell me things I didn’t want to hear and me the same to him, but always productively. We’d just fight our way through songs, but it was class because he wanted to put his stamp on it and I didn’t want to lose my identity within it, so it worked really well.
Where did the album name, The Balcony, come from?
It kept coming up throughout my life. I remember reading a poetry book when I was a kid by TS Elliot and I stopped at a poem called The Balcony. I don’t know why but it made me read it. To me it screams enormity, it feels like you’re looking over a beautiful city. When I wrote Cocoon, I went to New York and stayed with these girls in their apartment. I used to go up on the roof every night to write lyrics, overlooking the whole of New York, and I just thought, ‘the Balcony is a mint place’.
Are there any tracks yet to be released we should be particularly listening out for?
There’s a track called Hourglass which is the slow song on the album, and that’s the only song I’ve ever had to chase. Normally they take as long to write as they do to listen to, like three or four minutes, but that one took me a few weeks to get. It’s all one take; the guitar is slightly out of tune and it’s all not quite right but it’s in the middle of the album and it takes you off on one.
And there’s a tour coming up to support the album, where are you guys playing?
Everywhere. We’re going to America in two weeks for a month, then we come back for the first half of the UK tour which has sold out and in the middle we’re going to Europe before coming back for the second half of the UK tour, which is also sold out. So, everywhere man!
Is touring and performing live the band’s biggest strength? You guys seem to do a lot of it.
Big time. I never got into the band to sell albums or singles or get rich or famous. It was all about playing live and filling venues, seeing people go crazy and sing along.I used to watch gigs to my dad, I used to be in that crowd, so now it’s just an amazing feeling. To think ‘I could be the puppet master of this’ – it’s always just made loads of sense to me.
Everything we’ve done is to sell out gigs. I don’t know if our album will even chart because we’re still a cult band, but the gigs, we’re playing 1,500 capacities and selling them out in two weeks. The live shows are on a massive scale compared to where we’re at as a band. It’s all word-of-mouth, people are going because it’s a party.
As well as all that going on, you hit the festivals this year, Leeds, Reading, Latitude, Ibiza Rocks and Bestival to name a few. Did you develop a favourite festival by the end?
Leeds. We played Reading the night before and it was absolutely class. It set the bar really high, and we were over all the questions like ‘how many people are going to turn up? How many people know us? Are people going ping stuff at us?’ Then we played the gig at Leeds and it was just mental, everybody was buzzing. There was a moment, everyone was there – all our management and the label – all crying and that. It was a nice feeling.
So amid this exceptionally busy 2014, have you found time to play FIFA?
Any day off I play FIFA. My girlfriend lives in Scotland and she came down for a weekend, the only weekend we get off, but I pretty much cancelled on her because I wanted to play FIFA all day. It was grim, I felt so bad, but sometimes you need to.
Rate your FIFA obsession out of 10…
10. Well, nine because we can’t get to it enough. We don’t have it put into the dressing rooms but if we could, we would. Only me and Larry play it religiously though – when we get home we play it all night.
Who’s the best FIFA player in the band?
VAN: Me.
And the worst?
VAN: Bondy, our new guitar player. He’s so crap man, he’s terrible.
How about the worst loser?
I’m pretty bad when we’re about to go on tour. Larry gets all like “you don’t want you as the loser and me as champ for the whole tour”. I’ll beat him all day but in the last game he’ll beat me, so for the whole month we’re on tour he’ll be sitting on his bunk grinning like “what’s it’s like not being champ?”
And of course, the reason we’re here today – your single ‘Cocoon’ made it onto the new FIFA 15 soundtrack. How did it all come about?
We Tweeted FIFA asking if they could get us on the soundtrack. I don’t think bands appreciate it enough; when it comes out I’ll put a FIFA logo on our drum kit! I’ve never seen a band say ‘thank you, we’re on the FIFA soundtrack, go buy it’, so I said to the band we should promote it like mad. I Tweeted FIFA, and then our fans started getting involved, trying to trend the hashtag #getcatfishonfifa, so FIFA picked up and listened.
I’m more excited about that than anything; any tour, any album. That’s our childhood dream. It was massive for us growing up.
So our readers know what to listen out for, if Catfish and the Bottlemen’s sound was any footballer, past or present, who would it be?
Danny Welbeck. I love Danny Welbeck. Because he’s just a normal lad – he’s not a superstar – but he plays at the biggest clubs in the world. Everyone says ‘what’s Danny Welbeck doing there?’ and I think that’s what our band is like.
And how would you define Larry’s role in the band set-up? Would Super-Roadie be an accurate description?
He calls himself Supertech. I call him ‘Rock the Rider thief’ because he always used to come in and steal all our food and drink. But he’s just my mate. One night he said “pass me that guitar, I’ll carry it to the van,” and the next night it was “pass me your guitar, I’ll put it in the case,” and the next night it was “I’ll tune your guitar tonight.” It developed like that, until a point where I’m passing him guitars, he’s stringing them and giving them straight back to me.
We only started paying him two weeks ago – he’s worked for free for the last couple of years. We decided to give him a job instead of getting a guitar tech, because he worked his arse off and learned it all. He just became really good it at. You should see him at festivals bossing meat-head 40 year-old roadies around!
“Now onto the serious stuff,” I said to Van, an avid Manchester United fan, whilst trying to subtlety alter my posture as if we were both on Football Focus. What do you make of Louis van Gaal?
Well, his face looks like it’s pressed up against a window. He’s not been [at United] long enough to tell, but clearly his record is unreal. I just think he needs to get used to the team. It was left in a poor state and there’s this whole black cloud over him already but I think we’ll end up really high this season. We’ve got some good players.
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And Wayne Rooney as captain, the right choice for you?
I don’t think so. I don’t like him – he gets a cob on. For me he’s lost his childish side. He’s lost the reason why you play football in the first place, and he plays like a player now, not like Wayne Rooney. I think he’d be better in midfield, pinging balls about like Pirlo.
Who would you have named instead?
There’s no real strong candidates. I’d take Phil Jones; he looks like a leader, he’s aggressive, he clearly cares about playing football, but he’s not going to play week-in-week-out. He’s not quite there yet. But I’d still say Phil Jones, if they made him a first choice centre-back.
The Red Devils have spent a ridiculous £150million this summer, also known as 4.3 Andy Carrolls. Which signing stands out for you as someone who can make a real difference?
Falcao is meant to be insane isn’t he? I never judge a player until they come to the Premiership because it’s a completely different game. I like Luke Shaw, and I like the idea of Marcos Rojo, but I’ve not seen him play. I liked who we had already though; Adnan Januzaj is going to be a top player. Herrera looks like a talent too.
We’ll see. Falcao’s the obvious one but everyone thought Marouane Fellaini was going to be decent, everyone thought Ashley Young was going to be decent.
Where do you think you’ll finish this year?
I thought we were going to finish first until the start of the season; I really thought it would be one of those United moments. Top five I reckon. On paper I think we’ve got the best team in the Premiership but Chelsea are class at the moment, Manchester City are great, Arsenal are good too. I think Arsenal might win it – I might put a bet on that.
Who’s your favourite United player? Past or present?
Paul Scholes or Roy Keane. There’s no players like Keane anymore. Scholes though, he played all of his career with one eye didn’t he? (Paul Scholes has continually denied allegations that he’s partially blind, but famously suffered from recurring eye problems throughout his career) He’s nuts, Paul Scholes! Imagine what he could do with two eyes!
And finally, on FIFA, I’m known throughout the London borough of Bexley (and small parts of Greenwich and Lewisham) as the Emulsifier. What’s your FIFA nickname?
(Van calls into the other room to ask Larry for some advice, who is now trouncing another budding journalist at FIFA. A brief discussion takes place) ‘The wrong kid died’. Have you seen that film Walk Hard about Johnny Cash and his brother? His brother dies and his dad says ‘the wrong kid died’ because he was the best kid. So I always say, the wrong kid died, as if the best part of me died and you’re stuck with the crap one.
Catfish and the Bottlemen’s new single “Cocoon” features on the soundtrack of EA SPORTS FIFA 15.
The demo is available to download NOW via XBox Live and PlayStation Network. The band’s debut album, “The Balcony”, is available to download from iTunes.
Ledley King believes that Tottenham have little chance of breaking back into the top four and returning to the Champions League this season.
Spurs are seen as candidates alongside the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Everton to scrap it out for the final qualification spot for Europe’s top club competition, with new boss Mauricio Pochettino having been tasked with achieving the desired finish after succeeding Tim Sherwood.
Yet the Argentine has endured a tricky start to life in north London, with some impressive displays having been punctured by a heavy home loss to Liverpool as well as defeat at the hands of West Brom at White Hart Lane.
WANT MORE? >> Spurs transfer news | Latest transfer news
And with the strength of their competitors this term, King – who works as an ambassador at the club once marshalled the backline for – believes that it may be too “tough” for his side to break into the top four this time around:
“I think it is going to be tough [to finish in the top four this season].” He told talkSPORT.
“There’s going to be six or seven teams thinking they have got a chance of the top four. We are one of them, but a lot of things would have to go right for us this season.
“I think it will be difficult this season.”
But King is sure that Pochettino is the right man to lead the club to glory:
“It is going to take a little bit of time for him to get his thoughts and methods across, but we are confident he is the right man for the job,” he said.
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“I’m sure he will still want to bring in one or two players moving forward. He is still seeing who fits in with the style of play.”
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Despite claims from the player himself that he’s not looking to move and his close ties with Atletico Madrid, David de Gea has been consistently linked with Real Madrid over the course of the past few weeks.
The European champions are keen to snap up the Spaniard either in January or at the end of the season as they look to replace Iker Casillas, with a big money raid in the pipeline.
Manchester United are desperate to hold onto the stopper, but, like any wise football club, plans are said to be in place should he leave, with Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris now the prime candidate to step in. Would this deal make sense?
We think so, and here are FIVE reasons why…
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CLICK ON DE GEA TO REVEAL THE FIVE
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Potential profit…
Real Madrid are rumoured to be ready to pay around £30m for De Gea, while Lloris is available for £20m-£25m. United may not be in desperate need of cash, yet making a profit could be wise given that the club spent £150m over the summer – the highest total splashed by a team in one transfer window ever. The Frenchman is also unlikely to command wages greater than his potential predecessor, which makes the deal financially appealing, too.
Premier League experience
De Gea may not actually leave, but if he does, getting in a player that knows the Premier League could be vital. Although football is football in any country, the English game is more physically demanding than most nations’ offerings, which is often a problem for goalies. United’s current No. 1 himself struggled when he arrived in 2011, with opponents taking advantage of his wiry frame and lack of presence. The Red Devils won’t want to make the same mistake again.
Leader
As the captain of the French national side, Lloris knows a thing or two about being a big influence in the pitch. Les Bleus may not be the force they were at the turn of the millennium, yet their World Cup showing over the summer was impressive, and Lloris himself has the armband ahead of a host of top-class players. United need leadership at the back to help cut out silly errors, and a commanding ‘keeper could inspire confidence among the backline at Old Trafford.
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One of the best ‘sweeper keepers’ around
Ballon d’Or finalist Manuel Neuer is undoubtedly the best ‘front foot’ goalkeeper, but Lloris is not too far behind him. The Spurs man is adept at charging off his line to cut out through balls and smother opposition strikers, which allows his team to deploy a high backline. United may benefit from his presence, with dominating possession a trait the Red Devils have shown over the last 20 years, particularly at Old Trafford.
He is ready to leave Spurs
Lloris’ new contract last summer was, perhaps, a move made by player and club with a view to a switch this summer. Spurs want to maximise their profit, while the player himself is known to be keen on Champions League football. If United can finish in the top four they may have little trouble convincing Lloris to head away from White Hart Lane. However, PSG and Monaco are likely to be interested as well.
Barring Manchester City’s £28million acquisition of Wilfried Bony, the Premier League has remained fairly quiet this month, with the majority of clubs seemingly preferring to keep their hands wedged well within their pockets.
There’s still five days before the end of the January window however (deadline day coming on February 2nd) so there is a chance that the likes of Mauricio Pochettino could be tempted into dipping his toe into the choppy transfer waters.
So, with that in mind, here’s a list of FIVE targets known to be on Tottenham’s radar that the club could (and we reckon should) go after in the next week.
So without further ado…
MATTIA DESTRO
//www.youtube.com/embed/WsBaQTCBym8
Age: 23
Height: 5 foot 10
Position: Striker
Teams: Genoa, Siena, Roma, Italy
Honours: Coppa Italia finalist 2013, Serie A runner-up 2014
Interested clubs: Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, according to The Express, Tottenham and AC Milan, according to The Metro
Likely transfer fee: £15million, according to The Daily Star
The Lowdown
Despite Mauricio Pochettino recently labelling Harry Kane, Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado as ‘three great strikers’, the latter duo only netting thrice collectively in the Premier League this season, Tottenham will undoubtedly attempt to bolster their striking options this week if the right opportunity comes along.
And the latest reports have linked the north Londoners with Roma prospect Mattia Destro, who boasts a promising return of 23 goals in 52 Serie A appearances for the Stadio Olimipico outfit.
The 23 year-old is regarded as a particularly efficient striker, grabbing his goals despite limited clear cut opportunities at goal – this term, he’s bagged five goals from 22 attempts,with a shot accuracy of 67% – resulting in him picking up eight caps for the Azzurri since 2012.
With just 18 months left on Destro’s contract and Roma on the verge of signing Shaktar Donetsk star Luiz Adriano, it appears a number of Premier League clubs are keen to snap him up in a reduced deal.
Meanwhile, recent declarations from the versatile front-man, who has also featured on both flanks for Roma this season, regarding a lack of first team football and better opportunities abroad, suggest he’d be prepared to leave the Italian outfit this month.
Tottenham’s need for firepower is more desperate than most however, which could motivate them to do some business within the next few days. According to TalkSport, a swap deal involving Vlad Chiriches could be on the cards.
DANNY INGS
//www.youtube.com/embed/bldGyHxlW_0
Age: 22
Height: 5 foot 10
Position: Striker/No.10
Teams: Bournemouth, Burnley, England U21s
Honours: Championship Runner Up 2013/14, Championship Player of the Year 2013/14
Interested clubs: Tottenham and Liverpool according to The Express
Likely transfer fee: £5million according to Mirror Football, £10million according to Goal.com
The Lowdown
Another young striker alleged to have caught Tottenham’s transfer attention is Burnley prodigy Danny Ings – one of a batch of homegrown strikers that have surprisingly taken the Premier League by storm this season.
Indeed, it’s taken the 22 year-old some time to adapt to the top flight after firing the Turf Moor outfit to promotion from the Championship last season with 21 goals, but he now boasts seven strikes and three set-ups in his last 14 Premier League outings.
In addition to his composure and skill in front of goal, it’s Ings’ intelligence as a footballer that truly stands out. Diminutive mobility allows the England U21 to change the angle of play in an instant, whilst the effectiveness of Ings’ link-up play often results in him sitting just in front of the midfield in the No.10 role.
And most appealingly for Spurs, he isn’t accompanied by the audacious price-tag of your average Englishman. With just six months remaining on the striker’s contract, Burnley will be forced to sell this month if they’re approached with a sizable offer.
There’s still some dispute over valuations however, with Spurs reportedly preparing a £5million bid but Sean Dyche rating his star front-man at £10million.
ANDRE SCHURRLE
//www.youtube.com/embed/uPeOjkAc12I
Age: 24
Height: 6 foot
Position: Winger-forward
Teams: Mainz, Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea, Germany
Honours: World Cup 2014
Interested clubs: Liverpool, Tottenham and Wolfsburg, according to The Daily Star
Likely transfer fee: £30million, according to The Independent
The Lowdown
Mauricio Pochettino was relatively coy on Spurs’ reported interest in Andre Schurrle this week, but he also failed to rule out a move for Chelsea’s marginalised winger.
Indeed, it’s been a troubled campaign for the 24 year-old, seeing just 433 minutes in the Premier League – despite netting thrice – and finding himself hauled off at half time during his last two starts for the west London club.
Schurrle’s talent remains undoubted however, having bagged two goals at the World Cup and provided a tournament-winning assist to Mario Gotze, and he’d certainly address the current dearth of quality on Tottenham’s flanks.
But the Blues will only sell if the right bid comes along, despite their well-known interest in Fiorentina’s £26million man Juan Cuadrado, so whether any suitor is prepared to match their £30million valuation remains to be seen.
MEMPHIS DEPAY
//www.youtube.com/embed/rvO32HHfnl8
Age: 20
Height: 5 foot 10
Position: Winger
Teams: PSV, Netherlands
Honours: KNVB Cup 2012, World Cup 2014 third-place
Interested clubs: Manchester United and Tottenham, according to Mirror Football
Likely transfer fee: £15million, per Mirror Football once again
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The Lowdown
Another winger believed to be in Tottenham’s transfer crosshairs is PSV trailblazer Memphis Depay, who was also linked with a White Hart Lane move in the summer before extending his Philips Stadion contract by four years.
The 20 year-old has proved himself to be one of the Dutch division’s most destructive attacking forces over the last two seasons, amassing 23 goals and 12 assists in his last 47 league outings for PSV, whilst also averaging a whopping 5.1 shots per match.
Impressing likewise in a cameo role for the Netherlands at the World Cup, scoring against Australia and Chile in the group stages, Depay is tipped for a huge future and, particularly due to their shared free kick technique, is already drawing comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo.
His £15million valuation should be within Tottenham’s reach this month – but interest from Louis van Gaal’s Man United could prove problematic.
WINSTON REID
//www.youtube.com/embed/cKuwj7Bbxjw
Age: 26
Height: 6 foot 3
Position: Centre-Back
Teams: Midtjylland, West Ham, New Zealand
Honours: Championship Play-off winner 2012, Hammer of the Year 2013
Interested clubs: Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham, according to The Express
Likely transfer fee: £7million, according to Mirror Football, £20million according to Sam Allardyce
The Lowdown
The immediate fate of West Ham contract rebel Winston Reid has generated interest throughout the Premier League, with four clubs reportedly attempting to prize the New Zealand skipper away from Upton Park this January as his current deal enters its final six months.
Reid may not be the most progressive or graceful centre-back on the market this month, but what he lacks in technical quality is made up for with a masterful understanding of the nuts and bolts of the defensive trade – tackles, headers, clearances and interceptions.
He’s blessed with the awkward, elbowy frame of former Arsenal defender Martin Keown and would bring a new sense of resilient grittiness to Tottenham’s backline.
With his contract set to expire at the end of the campaign, the 26 year-old could be available for a knock down rate. The Hammers are currently playing hardball however and if the Lilywhites are prepared to wait until the end of the season, they can land Reid on a free transfer instead.
It could be a busy summer at Old Trafford with Louis van Gaal expected to make further changes to his squad as he gears up for a return to Champions League football (providing all goes to plan that is). With new arrivals as well as departures likely to be in the offing, it could be another exciting transfer window for Manchester United and their fans. And one player who may well pulling on the red jersey come August is Seamus Coleman.
Heavily linked with a move away from his current club Everton, it seems just a matter of when, not if he will leave Goodison Park in pursuit of Champions League football. Chelsea and Bayern Munich have both been rumoured to be interested in the Irish defender, yet United remain favourites to land the right back in a deal that could well be worth at least £20m. Regardless of the transfer however, if the club can agree a deal with Everton it would certainly be money well spent.
Coleman has established himself as arguably the best right back in the Premier League with his all-round game ensuring he is one of the first names on Roberto Martinez’s team sheet.
Not just a solid defender, it’s his attacking capabilities that have helped to draw the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs and it’s no wonder why. Plenty of pace, full of energy and comfortable on the ball, Coleman’s ability to get up and down the right wing make him a substantial threat to any opposing team, highlighted by his crossing capability and his composure in front of goal.
Having scored an impressive seven goals last season, Coleman has continued this form throughout this campaign netting another five goals. His latest opened the scoring in their 2-1 victory over QPR this weekend, and will surely be a contender for goal of the month as he found the top corner with a powerful yet well placed strike from what a difficult angle.
Having underperformed in the league this season and the realisation that there won’t be any European football at Goodison Park next season, it’s difficult to see them holding onto one of their key players if their valuation is met. And a player of his quality looks to be exactly what Manchester United require.
With their only recognised right-back Rafael suffering from injury problems for the past few months, Antonio Valencia has filled the position, something he has often done in his time at Old Trafford. Despite doing a more than satisfactory job whenever asked to, it’s still a position that leaves a question mark over; a possible weakness for opponents to exploit. Even when Rafael is back in the side, he can still prove somewhat of a liability at times.
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On the face of it Coleman would offer a marked improvement for both his attacking and defending prowess, and would slot right in to the style and system that Van Gaal likes to employ. He would no doubt rack up plenty of assists with deliveries from wide areas, and his ability to pop up with a goal would be welcomed given the lack of them currently provided by their full-backs.
The 26-year-old has proven he has what it takes to compete at the highest level week in week out, and it could be time for him to move on in order to reach his full potential. While Everton would demand a substantial fee for his signature, and rightly so, United should be willing to pay whatever it takes to secure a deal this summer for a player that would significantly improve their squad. And you can be sure if they don’t someone else will.