Arsenal flop Andre Santos has revealed that he would like to make his loan move to Gremio a permanent transfer this summer.
The Brazilian full-back left the Gunners earlier this year, after a series of below par Premier League appearances pushed way down the pecking order under manager Arsene Wenger.
Injuries to the likes of Kieran Gibbs hinted that he could be set for an increased role during the latter half of the season, but the Gunners elected to swoop for Nacho Monreal, allowing Santos to return to his homeland.
Initially, the 30-year-old said that he would like to return to London to prove himself at Arsenal, but now he has had a change of heart, insisting that he would be more than happy to be a Gremio player on a permanent basis:
“I’ll do my best to win titles. I have won titles at every club I have played for.” He is quoted by Sky Sports via Zero Hora.
“The staff, board and the players have all made me feel very welcome. There is no doubt that I want to stay.”
Santos signed for Arsenal on a long-term contract on the deadline day of 2011’s summer transfer window, as Wenger set about addressing immediate concerns regarding his squad.
After forcing his way into the Brazilian national team, much was expected of the defender, but he failed to adapt to Premier League football.
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He had been linked with a switch to Turkey with Galatasaray, but a proposed move collapsed in January.
News coming out of Coventry City is once again of a controversial nature.
It has emerged this week that owners Sisu have taken Coventry City Council to court over their bailout of ACL. Events on the field are not much better as Coventry look to be ending the season with a bit of a whimper.
To start with we all know that Sisu and the Council are far from best friends and if we are being truthful have very little respect for one another. It is in fact quite an extraordinary relationship breakdown with the Council being the one’s who brought Sisu to the city and the club in the first place. Who would have thought it would ever reach this stage where both parties are at logger heads with each other.
ACL have in fact been caught in the middle of all this. Yes they have done wrong and they can’t deny this fact but over the past few months they have almost been a tool for the two sides to fight each other with.
First we saw Sisu withhold substantial amounts of rent from ACL which resulted in ACL going into financial difficulty. This was clearly not just a protest to the high rent but also a tactic to force the sale of the Ricoh in a cut price deal.
The council could see this and allowing the Ricoh to go into Sisu’s hands is not going to benefit the council in anyway. It is a constant stream of revenue for the council and one they are not willing to give up without a fight.
The most worrying thing about this whole situation is that the club itself seems to be at the back of every ones minds. It remains unclear as to who owns the football league golden share, player contracts and any sort of Ricoh deal now seems further away than it has ever been.
Another issue at the moment which is understandable with all the issues surrounding the Ricoh is that of season tickets. No information has come out of the club regarding season tickets for next year and it is once again us fans who are going to continue to suffer.
The longer all these issues go on the more concerned I get about next season. Personally I can’t see us mounting any sort of promotion challenge with all the continued disruption off the pitch. The summer is a vital part in the football world for every club with the majority of transfers taking place, this is the time when I see city falling behind other clubs.
Pressley has announced that Sunday will be the day when decisions are made on the future of current squad players. This is something that I am a little worried about. Yes we have a reasonably big squad and a couple could be allowed to leave but Pressley has hinted quite a may go.
With the club in the state it is and no sign of our transfer embargo being lifted our squad could be left threadbare at best. We have no idea what has been said to Pressley and I worry that he has been made empty promises for investment in the squad. We have had it before with Sisu and another troubled season could be on the cards. Successful one definitely seems like a long shot right now.
Whilst City’s off the field problems continue City have somewhat allowed the season to fizzle out. Since the 10 point deduction the manager and players alike were quick to make the point we are still as hungry to win as before. I think we were all naive if we thought that there wouldn’t be a slump come the end of the season.
The win against Doncaster just after the point’s deduction was a brilliant response from the players and gave us fans something to be happy about but since then city have failed to inspire. Three losses with one heavy loss and a draw in the last 4 games has been disappointing. Pressley has been chopping and changing the squad though in an attempt to assess his whole squad and this has clearly had some impact on the results.
A loss in our last home game though was the most disappointing. It has been a season of turmoil at the club and the players have given their all in an attempt to give us something to cheer about and it would have been nice to end on a high and give the players a good send off. We all know many of them won’t be here next season and it is just a shame really.
In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t actually matter but with one game to go before the season is officially over a final victory for our die hard away fans would be nice. Football has kind of been the distraction for us to get away from the off field problems but with the season coming to a close I fear weeks of depressing news will continue to come out of the club with no distraction for us fans.
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It has been a long slog of a season for everyone involved and I for one am glad that it is coming to an end. Let hope we can end on a high with a victory on against Notts County.
In recent years, Arsenal have lost out on copious opportunities to progress their starting XI via the transfer market. Arsene Wenger spent two years closely pursuing Phil Jagielka, but the Everton defender failed to reciprocate the Gunners gaffer’s interest, whilst Juan Mata was deemed too much of a risk following the expiration of a minimum release clause in his contract set at £18million, only for the Spaniard to sign for Chelsea not long after for just £5million more, and has since become one of the Premier League’s most prominent attacking midfielders.
Even this summer, the Gunners have already let the chance to sign David Villa pass by, as Spain’s all-time leading goal-scorer opts for a move to Atletico Madrid despite heavy interest from both sides of North London for most of last season, and additionally, QPR’s Julio Cesar, touted as quick fix between the sticks for Arsenal at an impressively low cost, has his heart set on signing for Napoli.
But no missed opportunity could be so detrimental to Arsenal’s cause as the failed Gonzalo Higuain deal, which appears to be slipping out of Wenger’s grasp by the day. A few weeks ago, there were reports that the Argentine was on his way to London to discuss contractual arrangements, but since, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has claimed that he is yet to receive an official bid, and even more recently, the tabloids have linked the Gunners’ strike target with a move to Napoli, like some sort of recurring Italian nightmare.
In more ways than one, it really is ‘Higuain or bust’ for Arsenal this summer, to paraphrase the soundbite that emerged from Jose Mourinho’s press conference yesterday as he continually pursues Wayne Rooney.
Unlike the Blues however, the current transfer window represents a cross-roads for the North Londoners, and so far, Wenger has been looking back towards the way he came, rather than envisaging the potential of alternative paths. The first team are in need of desperate improvement after years of constant stagnation, and with the Arsenal boss doing what he can to alleviate fans’ concerns by announcing a £70million summer kitty for new players earlier in the season – a striker, a defensive midfielder and a goalkeeper being the most required – many, including myself, expected some movement by now.
[cat_link cat=”Arsenal” type=”tower”]
We may still be only a few weeks into the transfer window, but the Manchester City blueprint for next season is already emerging following the acquisitions of Fernandinho, Jesus Navas and Alvaro Negredo (still yet to be officially confirmed), Chelsea have brought back their young cast of loanees, added to it with Andre Schurrle, and are now pursuing one of the Premier League’s most qualified forwards in Wayne Rooney, Manchester United have made bids for Leighton Baines and Cesc Fabregas, and even rivals Tottenham have spent £17million on Paulinho, a sum that betters Arsenal’s current transfer record by £1million.
The Gunners are seriously lagging behind their divisional counterparts, and the opportunity to catch up is rapidly passing them by. All of Europe’s leading strikers who are knowingly available have already jumped ship – Ramadel Falcao to Monaco, Edinson Cavani to PSG, Robert Lewandowski to Bayern Munich in a year’s time – and although all three always remained out Arsenal’s reach, they now have to compete with other continental clubs who missed out on the classy trio, for forwards of lesser stature.
Stevan Jovetic is in Manchester City’s crosshairs, with rumours of a £28million bid in the pipeline, Wayne Rooney is being continually courted by Jose Mourinho, whilst the likes of Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, Mario Gomez, Carlos Tevez, Fernando Llorente, David Villa and Wilfried Bony, who could all have seriously bolstered Arsenal’s strike force next season, have already been claimed by other clubs.
If the Higuain deal falls through, which it looks set to at this moment in time, there are few alternatives out there that don’t fall into the same category of quality as Olivier Giroud. Even Christian Benteke appears more likely to sign for Spurs than Arsenal due to his inflated price-tag, whilst even the most optimistic of Gunners fans will admit that the club’s pursuit of Luis Suarez is little more than a PR stunt to imply Arsenal are still capable of competing.
More than just a club in desperate need of a talented front man ahead of next season however and with few viable options on the horizon, the symbolic implications of Arsenal’s failure to sign Higuain are vast.
Despite having considerable finance available, in terms of transfer transactions and succeeding salaries, it will illustrate how Arsenal’s quick decline now makes a move to the Emirates a much less enticing prospect than it used to be. Ten years ago, the majority of players in Europe would have dreamed of a phone call from Arsene Wenger, but now the Gunners remain an option to consider rather than an offer too good to refuse, on par with the likes of Napoli, Atletico Madrid and Spurs.
It’s not necessarily about the club’s final league standings – although you can only attract a certain calibre of player at a certain point in their career if you can guarantee them Champions League football and little else – but more the fact Arsenal are a side moving backwards, or at best sideways, rather than forwards.
The integral question however, and why it’s simply ‘Higuain or bust’ this summer, is where do Arsenal go from here, should the Argentine opt for a switch elsewhere? Higuain has undoubted quality, being his country’s first choice striker despite heavy competition for places and also claiming a record of 122 goals and 46 assists in 266 appearances since moving to La Liga in January 2007, but he is still by description and reputation Real Madrid’s second string striker.
It shouldn’t be that difficult to lure him away from the Spanish sun upon the promise of a starring role at a Champions League club, and if the Gunners can’t manage to persuade Higuain with such a tempting carrot, it doesn’t suggest that other European standard players will come calling to the Emirates any time soon.
Similarly, the proposed £23million capture was meant to be a signal to the fans that the North London club was finally turning things around, and abandoning their fatally flawed transfer policy in the process. The Emirates faithful spent all season begging Arsene Wenger to make a marquee signing, and in trying and failing to do so, it’s difficult to suggest the next ten years of transactions in the transfer market will be any different from the decade previous, with the club continually rejecting top talent with big price tags for the sake of purchasing those deemed more cost-effective. The only difference now will be that Wenger’s approach of avoiding big names will be compulsory and forced, rather than voluntary or by design.
The Higuain deal really is boom or bust for the Gunners; it’s D-Day, it’s all or nothing, it’s the last throw of the dice with the family savings, the mortgage and the car bet on a double six.
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Bringing him to the Emirates not only suggests the North London outfit are finally moving in the right direction whilst also putting them in good stead to make up ground in the Premier League title race next season, but could also pave the way for signings of a similar calibre, with the Argentine as a beacon of progress and ambition for other continental stars to be attracted to.
But failing to do so spells a rather dim situation for the Gunners. Even with a £70million transfer fund, Europe’s elite remain uninterested, suggesting a negative stigmatism of stagnation and mediocrity attached to the club, rather than success. It’s hard to tell where Arsenal can go from here, should a Real Madrid rotation player, reportedly unhappy in the Spanish capital, turn them down, and it’s unlikely other footballers of European standard will opt to venture where Higuain would not. It could be the final nail in the coffin for Arsenal, condemning them to an eternal battle for fourth spot.
Is it a case of ‘Higuain or bust’ for Arsenal this summer?
It’s not often we get through a second round of the Capital One Cup without seeing a Football League minnow conquer a top-flight giant, but it appears normal service may have been resumed this year, with just newly promoted Crystal Palace being the only Premier League casualty of the round.
Ian Holloway’s Palace fell to League One Bristol City in a 2-1 loss at Ashton Gate to add more misery on their poor start to life back in the top flight. Goals from Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Scott Wagstaff secured City’s place in the third round for the first time in 10 years.
There were convincing wins for Aston Villa, Stoke City, Southampton, Norwich City, Sunderland and West Brom as superiority appeared to get the better of their lower league opponents.
Liverpool, perhaps the only ‘dead-certs for a convincing victory’ of the round, eventually managed to see off Notts County at Anfield after they squandered a two goal lead, forcing them to rely on extra-time goals from Daniel Sturridge and Jordan Henderson to prevent the tie from going to penalties.
Everton, Newcastle and Hull City all made hard work of their ties, though. The Toffees had to rely on Marouane Fellaini’s extra-time winner to edge past Stevenage 2-1 one, while a Robbie Brady goal in extra-time saw Hull victorious against League One side Leyton Orient. Newcastle endured a frustrating evening at Morecambe and, if it wasn’t for the Ameobi brothers popping up with a goal each in the final five minutes of normal time, boss Alan Pardew may have been left embarrassed.
Peterborough put a show on at London Road, thrashing fellow Championship side Reading 6-0, much to the delight of talkSPORT’s Adrian Durham who felt it neccessary to tell his listeners that teams can learn fom Peterborough’s style of football. Typical Durham.
Millwall continued their torrid start to life under former West Ham captain Steve Lomas as manager, going down 2-1 at the City Ground in extra-time. It appears even wearing their own kit can’t help them at the moment.
Harry Redknapp’s QPR suffered another early round defeat, their fourth consecutive loss to lower league position in this competition, this time losing 2-0 to League One side Swindon. Owner Tony Fernandes may want to get the cheque book out again after that showing. Reluctantly.
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Elsewhere, there were victories for Cardiff City, Watford, Burnley, Leicester, Derby County, Leeds, Huddersfield and West Ham, while Fulham, Tranmere and Birmingham all relied on the dreaded penalty shoot-out to beat Burton Albion, Bolton and Yeovil respectively.
It was only a few months ago that Arsenal appeared on the verge of capturing the talismanic Uruguayan. Now instead he is firing one Arsenal’s Premier League rivals to the very summit of the division.
Seemingly out of the door for much of the summer, did Arsenal miss a trick with their cautious approach to the whole saga?
Arsenal have been flying so far this season, playing a brand of attractive football synonymous with the North London club, it is perhaps a little difficult at this stage to pick holes in the Wenger master plan.
However, when you look at their squad compared to their close rivals, you do notice a worrying lack of depth, something that in my opinion will halt their charge to Premier League honours this season. The rigours of a congested winter fixture list with the potential for injury and fatigue will in my opinion expose the ‘gunners’ and prove how short they are on genuine strength in depth. The coming few weeks will be a test of their credentials, and I would be surprised to see them come out unscathed.
In midfield Arsenal are largely set, the concern though is their options up front. Aside from an on form Olivier Giroud, who do Arsenal really have? An unproven kid in Sanogo and a totally unconvincing Nicholas Bendtner, this isn’t the squad of title winners.
This is why I think Arsenal missed out through lack of ambition in the summer. Luis Suarez and his agent did their level best to manoeuvre themselves away from Anfield, and if it wasn’t for a lack of persistence on Arsenal’s part they may well have got their way. A bid of just over £40m was insufficient to prize the unsettled star from Liverpool, but surely Arsenal could have done more?
We have seen the way clubs and players wrangle in the market to get what they want, Arsenal though seem somewhat adverse to getting their hands dirty, something that may well haunt them come May.
Since returning from his ban Suarez has lit up the Premier League, 6 goals in 4 games have been testament to his sparkling partnership with Daniel Sturridge. Indeed if Liverpool are to return to former glories, their ability to hang on to the mercurial talents Luis Suarez must surely be a defining factor. Technically gifted and full of running, Suarez isn’t your typical front man. Comfortable playing off the striker or as one himself, he offers Liverpool versatility and more importantly unpredictability in the final third. It is for that exact reason that he is such a menace to opposition defences.
Arsenal’s criticisms have usually been about the lack of end product, often overplaying and overpassing much to the frustration of their fans. Suarez is able to do all that but also know exactly when to pull the trigger, the perfect link between the Arsenal midfield and Olivier Giroud you would have thought.
The inability to bring in shouldn’t surprise anyone though, and overtures towards a revival in interest I would imagine will be unfounded. Arsenal for all their hype continue to show a lack of ambition in the transfer market, and as soon as form slips I am sure many Arsenal fans will look back to their pursuit of Suarez as a potential turning point.
Until anything else happens the capture of Mesut Ozil is nothing more than an anomaly, bucking the trend of parsimony displayed by Wenger and Gazidis for a number of years. In the end money buys you trophies, the most successful clubs in European football have on the whole spent big and until Arsenal realise this I think they will continue to fall short of the mark.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but an Arsenal side with Luis Suarez in it not only a much stronger one, but in my opinion a title chasing one.
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Recent results may mask the need for investment, but when it comes down to it Arsenal will struggle to end their trophy drought this year and in the main this is down to a summer of cautious spending.
Passing up on the opportunity to sign one of the world’s best is criminal and something Arsenal will live to regret.
Should Arsenal have been more assertive with Suarez?
Back in the days of Sven Goran-Eriksson’s uninspiring tenure as England boss, where an above average performance was about as rare as an insightful remark from Andy Townsend, there was a general feeling that a home-grown successor would be the only way forward.
This view has it seems, been mirrored within ranks of the Irish FA, who handed their vacant national job to football’s newest odd-couple last week, appointing Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane to spearhead the country’s campaign for a place in Euro 2016.
It’s a fusion that few would have seen coming following the departure of Giovanni Trapattoni, with the apparently mild-mannered O’Neill almost the polar opposite of his new number two, in a duo that has already been labeled as ‘fire and ice’ among some areas of the press.
The pair took up preparations yesterday for their debut match in charge, and supporters will undoubtedly be keen to see the footballing ethos their side will adopt under their new management team.
What is for sure is that there will be no shortage of worthy influences on their respective styles. While O’Neill has carved out a very successful managerial career in his own right, Keane spent over a decade working with Sir Alex Ferguson, while both were playing members of Nottingham Forest sides managed by the late, great Brian Clough.
Fondly remembered for his biting wit and tactical genius, the legendary Clough won league titles and european cups, but was passed over for international management, an oversight that today sees his name often garnished by the phrase ‘the greatest manager England never had’.
It seems, though, that his style may yet find its place on the international stage through his former players. And, considering the good-but-not-great squad they will have at their disposal, the ability to induce world-class performances from lesser players, an attribute for which Clough was notorious, could be a key ingredient in any recipe for success.
And it will be this kind of quality that Keane and O’Neill, who do bear distinct attitudinal resemblances to Clough and his assistant Peter Taylor respectively, will be looking to emulate.
There is still, though, an element of a gamble for both the FAI and their new employees in this arrangement. Though not exactly make or break for O’Neill, his assistant Keane, renowned for his outspoken views, may find himself in something of a last-chance saloon in football management.
Failed stints in charge of Sunderland and Ipswich have left the stock of Ireland’s former captain at something of a low, and to flop at international level would make his odds of managing again very long indeed, confining him to the realm of great players who didn’t make great managers.
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The Irish FA meanwhile, though gutsy in their appointments which will go some way to reaffirming the national identity, will have to acknowledge the strong possibility of a ‘what were you thinking?’ reaction, should the upcoming EURO campaign sink rather than swim.
But it will be wistful thoughts of Clough that will be in the forefront of their minds as their chosen two embark upon a new era for the national side, with the aim, no doubt, of emulating the success and status of their former boss.
It’s a battle of wills, of supremacy off the field. Wayne Rooney to Chelsea (even with Juan Mata going the other way) has been told as an impossible story, one that apparently would seal Manchester United’s fate as a selling club who lack the mettle to stand up to a want-away player and his suitor at the other end of the table.
United can’t sell Rooney to Chelsea, or to anyone for that matter. Well why not? It’s not the death of a football club. United are holding onto a player who doesn’t want to be there, who looks far from performing a similar u-turn to that of 2010 and signing a new contract. He’s performing well when fit, but is there an interest in the player to remain at Old Trafford, to cement a place as one of the club’s all-time greats?
Jose Mourinho spoke of United having to sell Rooney abroad, but is that a likely outcome from this protracted story? Not only is it a question of who needs him – one that extends to who will pay that much in fees and wages for him – but also does the player himself want to leave England?
Is it really an act of surrender, of accepting a place in mediocrity in this current slide? Couldn’t it be argued that Manchester United look weak by hoping that a want-away player remains and somehow changes his mind on the notion of starting afresh somewhere else? What happens to the biggest club in England if the desperate act of needing to retain a star player also extends to the perception that they’re incapable of properly replacing him? It becomes more about simply strengthening a rival.
And that’s a completely pointless argument as it is. If not Rooney, Chelsea will buy another player to come in and strengthen their attack. At this point, Chelsea are already out of sight from United’s standpoint, if not in their overall performances then certainly in the depth and quality of their squad.
Direct rival means what? That their business directly impacts the other’s position in the league? United and Chelsea potentially play clubs from Europe an equal number of times than they play each other. Aren’t Real Madrid therefore technically a rival of United, whom they strengthened considerably when they sold Cristiano Ronaldo? The Portuguese has already bitten back at his old club, scoring twice against them in the Champions League last season.
Such is the way European football is played now that teams like Juventus, Bayern and Real Madrid are as much a rival as those in domestic leagues. Adding the word “direct” is a needless attempt at reinforcing an argument.
Manchester United need an overhaul, a mass of new faces, rather than just one or two. Rooney may be persuaded to stay, but how many more times do the club and David Moyes need to go through the motions of dealing with Rooney’s uncertain future?
The player is at his peak, he’s capable of world-class performances. Isn’t the smart move to sell now, rather than play this game of who looks the stronger of the two?
Much of the same goes for Chelsea, too. They don’t want Juan Mata. He’s too good to be a bit-part player. The difference is they can make do without him. They do, however, need Rooney, or at least a striker of his calibre, in the near future. A swap seems out of hand, but is actually the most sensible and rational conclusion to this.
Manchester United and Chelsea wouldn’t be the first to hold lofty statuses in the game and release a player to a rival. Barcelona have been down this road; Borussia Dortmund have now lost their two best players to Bayern Munich in the space of six months. Arsenal, Juventus, and so on.
If United do sell Rooney – and the current feeling is that one way or another he’ll leave the club – why are they not capable of replacing? David Moyes won’t surrender this season’s title race, nor will he yield to the suggestion that Manchester United have lost some of their gloss following Alex Ferguson’s retirement and their subsequent struggles in domestic competition.
If that’s the case, what’s preventing them from buying Edinson Cavani if he became available? Karim Benzema? Diego Costa? This battle of one-upmanship will eventually come to haunt the club.
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Dortmund, though you can understand their need to not lose both Mario Goetze and Robert Lewandowski in the same summer, have now foregone a transfer fee for a player who could fetch £40 million in today’s market. Where’s the sense in United doing the same, all for the sake of not being perceived to be a selling club, or however we decide to dress it up?
If United were smart, confident in their ability to recruit and not in the business of looking weak, they’d move Rooney on and concentrate on building a squad for the future. There’s absolutely no point in holding onto a player who doesn’t want to be there.
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Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini still believes that his side’s title hopes are alive after the weekend loss to Liverpool.
The Sky Blues slipped to a 3-2 defeat at Anfield to hand the momentum in the battle for the trophy to their table-topping rivals, who now know that if they win their remaining four games they will claim English football’s top prize.
City now trail the leaders by seven points, but with two ties in hand the gap can be closed significantly.
Liverpool still have to play second placed Chelsea, and if points are dropped by Brendan Rodgers’ men, then Pellegrini’s side will be seen as favourites.
One of the extra fixtures for City occurs this evening against Sunderland, and the Chilean feels they can keep up their claim for the crown with a three-point haul:
“I think the team knows perfectly what they have to do, we lost that game but we have still to play six games more and we will fight to the end to win the title.” He is quoted by Sky Sports.
“If we don’t do it, it is because Liverpool will win their four games, but I don’t think some things change after the game on Sunday,
“Of course, the fans believe that we can do it. And the two postponed games: if we win both we are just one point behind Liverpool.
“If you don’t believe when you’re just one point behind the leader, nobody can believe anything. We have had a very good season so far and we hope we finish the last six games in the same way.
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“The important thing is that we win our games. We can do nothing about the other teams but we can do a lot of things here.
“That is why I am sure the players know exactly what they have to do and we will try to start by winning one of the two games postponed so both teams, Chelsea and Liverpool, must feel we are only three or four points behind them with one game also to play at the end of the season.”
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Manchester United fans prayed last season for more creativity from their midfield, and they should look no further than Mateo Kovacic to supply an answer. Croatia’s 20-year-old playmaker is yet to be considered a key figure in the national setup, but having featured six times in World Cup qualifying at such a tender age, he is a player regarded very highly.
The Inter Milan midfielder has drawn comparisons with his fellow countryman, Luka Modric, in his style of play. His vision and range of passing is of the highest quality. Whether it’s in a deeper midfield role, or as a traditional ‘number 10’, Kovacic looks to dictate play and find pockets of space to turn and move in.
In Serie A last season, he provided four assists from a deeper role for Inter – which is more than all of United’s central midfielders combined in the Premier League. Whilst he boasted a 90 per cent pass completion statistic in his 32 games, it is his ability dribbling the ball in anywhere on the field which is most impressive. Kovacic completed an incredible 74 per cent of his take-ons, and in this aspect of his game he is not too dissimilar to Ross Barkley.
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Croatian coach, Niko Kovac, has the tantalising prospect of teaming Kovacic up with Modric and Sevilla’s Ivan Rakitic in Brazil. Whilst the trio may not be the most defensively-minded midfielders, they have the razor-sharp movement, and quick-witted abilities on the ball to tear into any defence.
Whether Kovacic is granted a starting berth or not during the World Cup, he will most definitely get his chance to shine. Kovacic’s positive, more penetrative style is something that United have lacked this season. He may lack experience, but if Louis van Gaal makes a swoop for Kovacic this summer, he could be on to a winner.
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Manchester United may have changed managers but problems still persist at Old Trafford, namely the Premier League side’s continual inability to recruit players of the highest standard.
Indeed, their 2-1 defeat to Swansea on the Premier League’s opening weekend proved that there’s still plenty of work to be done at Carrington before the end of the summer transfer window, which closes in just eleven days’ time.
With that in mind, being the lovely bunch we are at Football FanCast, we’ve created a list of the FIVE players that would complete Manchester United’s squad, should Ed Woodward be able to attain their signatures.
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON ANGEL DI MARIA TO REVEAL ALL
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DALEY BLIND
Manchester United’s roster is plagued with gaps, especially in midfield and defence. The situation calls for a bona fide utility man, and rather luckily, Louis van Gaal has just worked with one at the World Cup in the form of Netherlands international Daley Blind.
Following a Player of the Year award-winning campaign with Ajax, the 24 year-old finished Brazil 2014 with the second-most assists of any player, as detailed below:
That includes this sensational delivery to Robin van Persie against Spain:
Here’s a look at the Netherlands international’s stats from the tournament:
Impressive stuff. Blind featured almost exclusively as a left wing-back for Oranje, an area of the United squad that desperately requires bolstering. But he can feature at centre-back or in midfield too, as detailed below, and perhaps most importantly, shone under the 3-4-1-2 system Louis van Gaal has now brought to Old Trafford:
Rumours linking the son of Danny with a United switch have been persistent throughout the summer:
But we’re yet to see an official bid materialise yet, and interest from Barcelona could prove to be an issue.
ANGEL DI MARIA
As he informed the press earlier this month, Louis van Gaal’s decision to implement 3-4-1-2 at Manchester United is in part due to the fact the Red Devils currently have no high-quality wingers on the books.
In that regard, United’s priority choice should be Real Madrid wantaway Angel Di Maria, with confirmed reports this afternoon that he’s keen to leave the Bernabeu this summer:
A transition to a more central role saw the Argentina international lead La Liga’s scoring charts last season:
And he also claimed the Man of the Match award in the 2014 Champions League final. No doubt however, Di Maria is a potent force out wide, giving van Gaal some much-needed options in terms of formation. He finished the World Cup with the most successful dribbles of any player, as detailed below:
Here’s a look at the 26 year-old’s best goals and assists for Los Blancos: //www.youtube.com/embed/ggIHrkMUsMk?rel=0 It’s believed the European Champions expect a huge sum for their South American midfielder, potentially as much as £50million. Here’s how he compared to United’s widemen last season:
No contest.
JUAN CUADRADO
Another signing that would drastically increase Louis van Gaal’s tactical options is Fiorentina midfielder Juan Cuadrado. The Colombia international destroyed the Italian top flight last year and was in proficient form at the World Cup, as detailed below:
In fact, nobody at Brazil 2014 bettered his four assists, including this set-up to James Rodriguez:
But the real beauty of the 26 year-old is that he can adopt a multitude of positions, as detailed below:
His natural role is as a winger, but Cuadado was utilised in a variety of positions by the Italian side last season. He’s also often been tipped to become Dani Alves’ successor at Barcelona as an energetic and adventurous right-back.
That would see him slot into Louis van Gaal’s 3-4-1-2 rather nicely, whilst also addressing the United manager’s desperate need for added variety going forward.
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Recent speculation suggests the Red Devils are already pursuing the £32million-rated South American:
But Barcelona remain in the race, whilst Florence boss Vincenzo Montella has declared Cuadrado won’t be leaving this summer. Here’s a look at Cuadrado in action: //www.youtube.com/embed/lajEptHUxD0?rel=0
RON VLAAR
After saying goodbye to Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic at the end of last season, Manchester United’s backline is in desperate need of a natural leader. Rather tellingly, their oldest defender is now Johnny Evans, aged 26. And although he may not be the most talented defender to grace Old Trafford, or even the most talented defender Manchester United have looked at this summer, Aston Villa skipper Ron Vlaar could certainly do a job until higher quality reinforcements arrive. Concrete Ron is as tough as, well, concrete, and he knows the Premier League well, having helped the Villians stave off relegation for the last two seasons. The Netherlands international also produced incredible form at the World Cup, as the central defender in a back three under Louis van Gaal’s leadership. Here’s a look at his stats from the tournament:
The 29 year-old has already been linked with an Old Trafford switch this summer but he’s also on the radars of Tottenham and Southampton:
Here’s a look at the defender in action for Oranje: //www.youtube.com/embed/KElFlYKBcUY?rel=0
ARTURO VIDAL
It’s no secret that Manchester United are hot on the heels of Chile international Arturo Vidal, having allegedly agreed terms with the midfielder at the start of August. Rumours since have been less promising but for a multitude of reasons, the Juventus star is an essential signing for the Red Devils. Not least because his aggressive, relentless box-to-box style, as shown in the below stats, is exactly what United have lacked in midfield for the last few seasons:
That ability to contribute in both defence and attack, whilst possessing the stamina to compensate for a lack of numbers in midfield, will be vital for the Red Devils’ 3-4-1-2 plans. Coincidentally, the 26 year-old performed in that system to great success last season with Juventus and at the World Cup with Chile. Here’s a look at Vidal’s highlights from last term: //www.youtube.com/embed/r8iKLIacxxw?rel=0 As previously stated however, recent speculation suggests the £50million-rated midfielder is only moving further away from an Old Trafford switch: