While Arsene Wenger has often lamented the mid-season transfer window, he was forced to act in January this time around.
Doubts over Alexis Sanchez’s future resulted in a swap deal with Manchester United, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan moving the other way, and that seemed to trigger Arsenal’s interest in Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as well – who arrived in north London on January Deadline Day.
But some would argue neither player are as talented as Sanchez, while Arsenal’s business didn’t actually solve their long-standing problems in defence and at the base of midfield. At the same time, the Gunners handed a good addition to Chelsea in the form of Olivier Giroud, following Francis Coquelin and Theo Walcott out of the exit door.
So, with a net January outlay of £11.12million according to Transfermarkt, are you happy with your club’s efforts in the transfer market, Arsenal fans? Let us know by voting below…
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The post sparked outrage from supporters, who feel that he should be able to take criticism better than that given his status and the supporters’ willingness to pay money and back their team on a cold February evening.
Windass has been one of Rangers’ leading performers this season with 10 goals and eight assists in all competitions, but perhaps he needs to sharpen up his relationship with supporters going forward to avoid more controversy.
Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on it all…
Liverpool’s goalkeeping situation seems to have taken a twist, and the majority of supporters are not entirely happy about it.
The Liverpool Echo reports that the club are unlikely to move for Roma shot-stopper Alisson in the summer transfer window.
The 25-year-old has been one of the names touted in the media as a possible target for the Merseyside outfit, but the publication states that the situation has changed.
According to the report, manager Jurgen Klopp is happy with Loris Karius’s recent performances since taking over as number one from Simon Mignolet.
In addition, Roma are reportedly demanding £70m for Alisson, and given that the Serie A outfit wish they had asked for more money from Liverpool for Mohamed Salah last year, negotiations could be a problem.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Many Liverpool supporters are keen for the club to bring in a new world-class keeper in order to compete for titles, so this latest development has not been met with much joy.
With long-standing midfielder Michael Carrick set to retire in the summer and Marouane Fellaini coming to the end of his contract, Manchester United are looking at a six-man transfer shortlist to replace their potentially departing stars, according to The Daily Mail.
The six players that have been named as potential midfield newcomers are;
Jean Michael Seri, a tricky yet diminutive midfielder from Nice Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, a talented young Serbian in red hot form at Lazio Jorginho, a deep lying Brazilian playmaker at the forefront of Napoli’s Serie A dominance this year Toni Kroos, Real Madrid and Germany’s exceptional central midfielder Victor Wanyama, the bullish, defensively minded Tottenham star Willian, Chelsea’s in-form attacking midfielder
While some of these players on the shortlist would seem unlikely targets for Manchester United, there are one or two who have caught the eye on the European stage this season, no-one more so than Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
[ad_pod ]
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Upon hearing the shortlist, United fans took to Twitter and most were desperate to see the talented Serbian, who is valued at by £49.5 million by Transfermarkt, join the club…
Tottenham Hotspur are unbeaten in 17 matches in all competitions after comfortably beating Huddersfield Town 2-0 at Wembley in the English Premier League on Saturday.
It’s their longest unbeaten streak since 1967 and couldn’t be coming at a more perfect time with Juventus set to visit this week and the race to reach the top four in the top-flight heating up.
They never looked like losing Saturday’s match against the Terriers with Son Heung-min securing the win with a goal in each half, much to the delight of supporters.
Fans were also pleased to keep a clean sheet and see one of their heroes return after missing out on last week’s match against Crystal Palace.
Jan Vertonghen was a doubt for both the Huddersfield and Juventus match after suffering an ankle injury in training, but was in exceptional form on Saturday, looking set to lead the defence against the Italians too.
Rated at £25.2m by Transfermarkt, some supporters believe he’s not only the best defender at the club, but also the best in the entire league.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
They took to Twitter to enthuse about his performance against Huddersfield…
Everton fans have been reacting to the news that Gylfi Sigurdsson may be out for the rest of the season with knee ligament damage.
Sigurdsson appeared to sustain a serious knee injury in the 2-0 win against Brighton on Saturday, but continued playing anyway. In fact, the Icelandic international ran 11.11 kilometers in the match, despite getting the injury in the 23rd minute.
The Blues won the match 2-0 thanks to Cenk Tosun and a Gaëtan Bong own goal, but the result may feel insignificant if Sigurdsson is seriously hurt.
While the extent of the injury is not yet known, Sigurdsson was sent to see a specialist amid fears of serious ligament damage. The 28 year-old will definitely be out for the next couple of weeks, and there are even concerns about his availability for Iceland at the World Cup.
[ad_pod ]
Sigurdsson signed for Everton last summer, and is perhaps the one big money signing that has shown his class at times for the club. While he still has plenty of doubters at Goodison, most fans are gutted to hear the news that his season could be over.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
Newcastle United are reportedly lining up a summer move for unsettled Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw.
The Red Devils defender was substituted off at half-time in his side’s FA Cup quarter-final win against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday after failing to impress manager Jose Mourinho, who publicly criticised him – not for the first time – post-match.
Magpies manager Rafa Benitez tried to bring the 22-year-old to St James’ Park on a loan deal until the end of the season during the January transfer window as he looked to provide Paul Dummett with more competition at left-back, but a move failed to materialise as Mourinho held on to a player that had forced his way into the XI in December and through into 2018.
A summer exit may well be on the cards now however, although he may not be the only player making his exit from Old Trafford.
Goalkeeper Sergio Romero has once again had to settle to playing second fiddle to David De Gea between the sticks, and if he was to leave it would surely catch the attention of Benitez, who has endured all sorts of problems in the goalkeeper departments since he took the reins at St James’ Park – despite the success of January addition Martin Dubravka in recent weeks.
Here are three reasons Newcastle must forget Shaw and sign the Argentina international instead…
Romero joined Manchester United in the summer of 2015 but he has made just 37 appearances in all competitions for them since then, with six of those coming in the Premier League.
Considering he is an Argentina international who is now 31 years of age, the stopper will surely be thinking that he wants to play regularly again sooner rather than later, and he probably wouldn’t be short of offers if he did choose to leave the Red Devils.
Benitez has been looking for an established number one since the start of last summer’s transfer window, and there is no doubt that Romero could effectively fill the void.
While the Slovakia international has come in and impressed – especially in the 1-0 win against Manchester United at St James’ Park last month – and looks set to join the Magpies this summer following the end of his loan spell, few could argue that Romero wouldn’t be an upgrade on the 29-year-old.
The Argentina international has shown time and time again the qualities he has between the sticks and he has kept 24 clean sheets in 37 appearances for the Red Devils, conceding just 16 goals.
If Benitez wants more competition and quality in the goalkeeping areas then he should look to bring both to Tyneside, and let them fight it out for the number one jersey.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
With 138 appearances across the Eredivisie, Serie A and the Premier League – along with 93 caps for Argentine – it is clear to see that Romero is hugely experienced and could add so much quality and know-how to the Newcastle squad.
If the Magpies secure their top flight status for another year – something that will be looking very likely should they beat Huddersfield Town at St James’ Park on March 31 – Benitez will want to start the push for the top half of the table and eventually for Europe, and bringing players like the 31-year-old to Tyneside would only benefit the club in achieving those aims.
Jurgen Klopp rang the changes – five in all – to protect his squad for the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final tie against Manchester City when his side made the short trip to Goodison Park for the Merseyside derby.
The Reds are 3-0 up from the first fixture between the two sides but Klopp was in no mood to take any chances with the likes of Mo Salah and Andy Robertson not even included in the matchday squad.
The result was a 0-0 draw in which Liverpool dominated possession, especially in the second half, but struggled to make it count in terms of clear goalscoring chances.
One man who got the nod was Danny Ings, who has had rotten luck with injuries and was starting a Premier League match for the first time since Brendan Rodgers’ last game in charge, also at Goodison.
He looked understandably rusty but Liverpool fans were ruthless in their appraisal of the Englishman’s performance.
We’ve taken a closer look at some of the criticism aimed in the direction of the man valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt…
When Pep Guardiola was officially announced as the next Manchester City coach, the excitement among the blue fan-base swiftly escalated to fever pitch.
After all, this was a man who had re-designed modern football, orchestrating a template of imaginative possession and innovative tactical implementation at Camp Nou and Bayern Munich that was not only beautiful to behold but was astonishingly successful too. From 239 league games he had lost just 19 while his eight seasons in the technical area brought an unprecedented dominance of seven league titles and two Champions Leagues.
Yet impressive as this undoubtedly was, stats and facts do not do justice to what we witnessed with our own eyes: an adherence to style and artistry that scrambled the senses and brought a broad smile to neutrals and zealots alike.
Now, the architect responsible for altering our collective perception for what was humanly possible on a football pitch was coming to the Premier League and theoretically he could change everything we previously knew to be true.
Knew to be true and, to some, held too dear, and while Guardiola’s imminent arrival was welcomed by most – excited and fascinated by what the Spanish Grandmaster would bring to the party and how he’d fare against his arch nemesis Mourinho so recently installed across the city – others scoffed at the notion that a singular individual could have any meaningful impact on over a century’s worth of tradition and national identity.
The fact that Arsene Wenger had already arrived from oversees and remodelled our psyche from within nearly two decades earlier didn’t seem to register, and the stench of UKIP was strong in the air. Who did this cult messiah think he was coming over ‘ere and teaching us how to play the game we invented? Just wait until he encountered Stoke on a wet and windy Wednesday night.
The quintessentially British challenge of Stoke came just a week into Pep’s first season and City departed with a routine 4-1 win but this actually revealed very little about what we could expect from a coach City had pursued for several seasons to the extent of preparing an infrastructure of personnel to best accommodate him (see part one).
Those answers came in the next away fixture at Old Trafford that saw the debut of Claudio Bravo in nets while for the first time people began to properly take note of Guardiola’s strategy of centrally inverting his full-backs when in possession thus allowing his creative stock of midfielders to run amok in advanced areas.
It certainly worked that afternoon with City resplendent in the first half in particular, bamboozling United’s stolid shape with fluidity and impish movement. Yet though a derby win is always to be celebrated Bravo’s spill that directly led to a consolation goal was an ominous potent of what was to come while his sweeper-keepering (a proficiency at distribution that led to his securement in the first place with Joe Hart archly jettisoned) was precarious even for a manager who demanded bravery on the ball from his number ones.
As for the inverted full-backs, though they were instrumental that day and others that followed, Aleksander Kolorov was 31 and Bacary Sagna was 33. On the bench meanwhile were City’s other two full-backs Pablo Zabaleta and Gael Clichy with a combined age of 62.
Britain Soccer Football – Manchester United v Manchester City – Premier League – Old Trafford – 10/9/16General view outside the stadium before the match as Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola merchandise is soldAction Images via Reuters / Carl RecineLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publi
Even amidst the giddy wonderment of Guardiola’s first summer, City supporters had been exasperated by the club’s refusal to overhaul the defensive wide areas, especially as they were so fundamental to the manager’s aims.
In his previous season at Bayern, Rafinha boasted more assists than anyone else while the importance of Dani Alves to Barcelona’s beatific dominance simply cannot be over-stated. Yet here City were embarking on an exhilarating new era with exclusively vintage full-backs; servants who had done the club proud but were frankly battle-worn with their best days behind them. It simply made no sense.
Ultimately the decision was a costly one, with Pep spending much of the campaign resorting to compromise on his ambitious ideal, either repositioning midfielders into the full-back roles or formatting his side to compensate for their ageing legs. And all the while Bravo was proving himself to be a total liability.
We fast-forward to Goodison Park, January 2017, and a 4-0 deconstruction courtesy of a bellicose Everton that was unquestionably City and Guardiola’s nadir. The UKIPers were delighted that Sunday afternoon. British football had emphatically won out against an arrogant false deity who had dared try to conquer it and the stench of brown sauce and high self-regard was insufferable as the newspapers laid in with clear relish. The beast it seemed had killed beauty with the bluntest of instruments and take your pick here between endeavour and commitment but really they amount to the same thing.
We now know of course that this rationale was presumptive and entirely erroneous because if we fast-forward again to the present day we arrive at the imminent culmination of a season that has seen City bettered just twice in the league while amassing so many points and goals that a cornucopia of long-standing records are toppling on a weekly basis.
This has all been achieved through a defiant marrying of style to substance that has produced thrilling and picture-perfect football that has rarely failed to fall short of the fantastical. At times it has brought to mind Muhammad Ali – then Cassius Clay – showing the black-and-white boxing world of the early 60s that pugilism could be a great deal more than just two sluggers slugging it out. It can be sleek and breathtaking and enriching and adventurous and all while being unbeatable and the greatest.
Consequently the gloating think-pieces declaring that Guardiola must humbly adapt to the pashun and blood-n-thunder fare dished out on our battlefields are consigned to the archives with the writers responsible hoping that they never again see the light of day for fear of retrospective mockery.
Rival managers meanwhile have had their head spun in trying to find a solution to the exquisite formula that the Spaniard has enacted onto the Premier League. It is now unquestionably the English game that is bending to Pep’s will and in every possible sense it is huffing and puffing to catch up.
At the tail-end of last month Manchester City returned to Goodison Park and unleashed an early fusillade of pinball wizardry to romp to an unassailable lead and they did so from the get-go in order to conserve energy ahead of a pivotal – ultimately disastrous – week. In the second half they passed and passed and passed; a Ferrari idling in third gear and on the final whistle the home fans stayed and applauded off a special team. It had been a masterclass in game-management and organised excellence. It had been a privilege to behold.
So what on earth happened between those two visits to Merseyside 62 weeks apart? Many will cite the signing of Ederson Moraes in the summer of last year, a keeper who not only radiates confidence instead of doubt out to his defence but follows that up with a pinged pass to feet. Undeniably the Brazilian’s attributes have been a significant factor.
Soccer Football – Premier League – Chelsea vs Manchester City – Stamford Bridge, London, Britain – September 30, 2017 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola with Manchester City’s Ederson after the match REUTERS/Eddie Keogh 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 club/league/player publications. Please contact your acco
Many too will highlight the costly outlay on Benjamin Mendy, Kyle Walker and Danilo as the Blues revamped their full-back options and though there is also some truth to this it should be remembered that Mendy has been absent through a long-term cruciate ligament injury since September with Guardiola forced to re-imagine Fabian Delph and Aleksander Zinchenko in the left-back role. Danilo for his part has been the only flop from the squad of 2017/18.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
More than this, such application of simplicities suggests that City’s transformation took place between one season and another. In actual fact the renaissance occurred almost immediately after their Everton drubbing.
They say that the darkest hour comes before the dawn and this is certainly the case with Pep Guardiola and his complex and vaulted project in east Manchester. Just six days after they had come unstuck against the Toffees City battered Tottenham and were unfortunate to come away with only a draw. From there they lost only three more times across all competitions and regularly revelled in exhibitions of sublimity.
Perhaps Everton had been the ultimate wake-up call, eradicating any trace of complacency and leaving them with nowhere to go but forward on full throttle? Maybe the infectious energy of Gabriel Jesus’ introduction helped (thus creating a front three with an average age of 20), and maybe too several months of Jedi training had made Kevin De Bruyne’s movement instinctual by this point? Whatever the cause after being dismantled City had somehow put themselves back together swiftly and in better shape than ever before.
That summer the pundits insisted that the additions of Mendy and Walker would make City a very different beast. City fans agreed. After taking a short look at Ederson’s majestic distribution they said the same about him too. City fans agreed. Yet in their hearts Blues knew before then that something spectacular was on the near horizon. Why? Because they had already witnessed a four month prototype of what was to come.
Now read part three of this three-part series – The Reinvention >>
As reported by The Daily Mirror, Manchester United are interested in signing Leicester City defender Harry Maguire this summer.
What’s the story?
After another disappointing Premier League season at Old Trafford, the Red Devils are expected to be busy again in the transfer market this summer as they look to assemble a squad that Jose Mourinho can mould into title-challengers.
One area needing significant improvement is the centre of defence and it seems that the Portuguese manager is already assembling transfer targets in the position.
The Mirror report that United are interested in signing Leicester City’s Harry Maguire, with Mourinho said to be hugely impressed with his form for Leicester City this season.
The paper reckon he is rated at around £35m and that the Red Devils are lining up a summer bid to bring him to Manchester.
[ad_pod ]
Is he good enough?
It’s always difficult to know for certain if a player is ready to make the step up to one of the top six sides in the English Premier League, but Maguire is certainly one of the most impressive defenders outside of those clubs.
Helping Leicester to eight clean sheets this season, he’s helped deliver points against the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur with strong rearguard displays, also helping the Foxes draw against United themselves back in December with a goal.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
A strong tackler who is also comfortable playing the ball out from the back, he would fit in well to Man United’s system.
With the likes of Chris Smalling losing form and confidence at Old Trafford, bringing in fresh blood like Maguire wouldn’t be the worst idea, especially as he seems to be improving all the time at 25 years of age, rather than regressing.