Southampton are interested in signing young Stevenage defender Ben Wilmot, but Tottenham Hotspur are confident of nabbing his signature, according to The Mirror.
What’s the latest?
The 18-year-old has seemingly attracted the attention of elite clubs in England due to his performances on the pitch.
The teenager has been among the first-team substitutes at Stevenage for 10 games, but he made his league debut at the weekend.
The Mirror claims that Southampton are interested in striking a deal, but Tottenham may have beaten them to the punch.
It is believed that the North London outfit are confident of wrapping up a deal worth £850,000.
Is this a blow for Southampton?
Clubs should always be mindful when it comes to recruiting young talent, and the Saints look as though they will miss out on a promising player.
However, in this moment, Mauricio Pellegrino should be eyeing players that can make an instant impact.
The coastal club are struggling in the Premier League this season given that they have not won a game since November.
As it stands, Southampton are now just one point above the relegation zone following Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Watford.
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The team need to strengthen their defence following the sale of Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool, but they should be shopping around for established stars, not youngsters fresh from their debuts.
The club also need to focus on bringing in an attacking player who can improve the team’s current goal tally of 23 in the league.
Assuming both managers see the merit in selecting a strong team for this game, which would put the winners within touching distance of Wembley and the Capital One Cup final, there are some fascinating head to head clashes to be relished.
Walcott v Cahill/Luiz
Whichever defender is designated to watch over Theo Walcott it may be more a question of pace rather than football ability that will prove crucial.
Cahill is arguably the player who will read Walcott’s game better than Luiz and that may just counter the striker’s blistering speed, but there is another factor and one that may just tip the scales back in favour of the Arsenal man.
Walcott`s speed gives him that extra time to assess which side of a defender to attack. He can go left or right and in the time it takes for a defender to turn, perhaps on to his less comfortable side, Theo is in on goal.
Also the ability to run directly at a defender with the ball at his feet gives Walcott a big advantage when driving into the penalty area. Back-pedalling defenders who know they will be risking a penalty-winning lunge if they allow Theo to make it as far as the 18-yard area are more prone to a dodgy decision. In that respect Chelsea supporters will be hoping that Cahill will be assigned the marking job and not their Brazilian hot head.
Cahill reads the game better than Luiz but the Brazilian is more combative. Either way if Theo Walcott is on song, like he was against Reading in last season’s Capital One Cup when he netted a hat-trick, then Arsenal will go through
Torres v Mertesacker
Crystal ball time now and when The Special One comes to writing out his team selection he may just opt to make this clash Ba versus Mertesacker. Not based on football ability because, with all due respect to the former Newcastle striker, Torres ticks far more boxes in the ability department. But as this is a cup-tie, and a one-off to boot, the one box that Ba out ticks his Spanish team mate, if indeed Fernando even has half a tick, is appetite.
Since his halcyon days at Liverpool Torres has allowed a discernable drop in his application to the task in hand. If things don`t go well for him, very early in a game, he disappears inside himself and is neither use nor ornament. Whether that occurs because he misses a goal chance, misplaces a pass or miscues ball control or gets wacked by a physical challenge he then becomes a passenger. However, the Spaniard looked back to his best in Round 3 of the Capital One Cup against Swindon, when he scored and provided a delightful assist.
Ba on the other hand, even if he is not having the best of games, will still chase and harass. He will run after a lost cause as willingly as he will contest any physical challenge and whilst Torres will show finesse in front of goal Ba has a hunger for goals the Spaniard seems reluctant to display, if he has a hunger at all.
Maybe Jose will hedge his bets and start with Fernando and if it becomes a case of Fernando`s hideaway throw Ba on as an impact substitute.
It`s almost a given who the German centre back would rather face, and that would be the man with World Cup and European Championship medals.
Wilshere v Lampard
A real, man against boy scenario in the maelstrom of the midfield battle on which progress will hinge.
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It will be fascinating to see the two England men go head to head and because of Wilshere`s lack of match fitness against Lampard’s ageing (though it doesn`t show) legs it could be a more even contest than it should be considering their relative ages.
If you were to attempt to quantify both players on the basis of skill set it would be a very close call though Lampard`s phenomenal scoring record is something that Wilshere, with years ahead of him, can only dream of.
So, if it is such a close call what will be decisive? It could be that age-old (pun intended) question of experience.
Lampard knows, like London buses, that when things break down another chance comes along. His mind set accepts that failure is transient and not permanent. The inexperienced Wilshere does tend to let such blips affect his temperament and consequently his game.
Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud insists he was pleased with his performance despite failing to score for the Gunners at his former club Montpellier on Tuesday night, according to Sky Sports.
The 25-year-old joined Arsenal from the French champions for £12 million in the summer, but has yet to score his first goal in five attempts so far this season.
Giroud says he was just glad to return to Montpellier, “I tried not to really think about the context of the match. I was just so happy to come back here, even if I didn’t score.” The Frenchmen added, “I had a decisive assist in our first goal and I was quite satisfied with my own performance.”
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Giroud also said he was delighted with the start his new Arsenal side have made to the campaign, “We won and now we are in a good position. We remain undefeated and that is perfect for us.”
Dejan Lovren has certainly not had it easy at Liverpool since his move from Southampton in 2014.
The defender has struggled for consistency at the back, and as a result has faced intense criticism from fans.
Nevertheless, the Croatian has soldiered on and now seems to be first-choice centre-back to partner Virgil van Dijk.
The impact that the Dutchman has had since his arrival from Southampton in January should not be downplayed.
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The 26-year-old has organised the back line and his confidence has spread throughout the team, particularly Lovren.
Despite his notable improvements, the defender is still prone to mistakes and in recent matches has switched off at times.
However, Lovren will likely get the nod from manager Jurgen Klopp to start alongside Van Dijk in the Champions League final against Real Madrid in Kiev on Saturday.
In an interesting interview with Robbie Fowler for The Mirror, Klopp gave a frank assessment of his centre-back, and explained why he substituted him 25 minutes into a clash against Tottenham Hotspur.
The German coach went on to say how he regards Lovren as world class.
“I took Dejan off after 25 minutes and I didn’t speak to him afterwards. But then a few days later I saw him waiting for my talk, so I said, come in. ‘You took me off after 20 minutes’. Because you were bad.
“But I said to him – maybe this was the decisive moment when he got it – I think he’s a world class centre half, 100%. Yes with weakness, concentration can happen from time to time, could be harder here, whatever. But he is a world class centre half, otherwise he would not be here any more.”
Liverpool fans have so often been quick to criticise Lovren – valued at £15.3m by Transfermarkt, but it seems that the majority have made a very quick turnaround.
Card
Card
Card
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According to reports in The Mirror, Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata, who is rated at €30m (approximately £26.7m) according to Transfermarkt, is a summer target for Serie A giants Inter Milan.
What’s the word, then?
Well, The Mirror says that Inter are watching developments on the 29-year-old’s future closely as the Spaniard’s contract is due to run out at the end of the season, with the Red Devils having the option of extending the deal by a further 12 months.
The Mirror says that the attacking midfielder will want to be sure he will continue to be a key part of the first-team picture at Old Trafford before committing his future to the club though, and that could be in doubt due to United’s interest in Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil.
If he is allowed to leave in the summer, the report adds that Inter are ready to bring the Spain international to Italy.
How has Mata done this season?
Despite previous concerns over his relationship with Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese boss sold him during the duo’s time at Chelsea, the 29-year-old has been something of a regular fixture in the United side since the start of the previous campaign.
This term, the Spaniard has scored three goals and provided a further four assists in 22 appearances in all competitions, although he has often played out on the right flank rather than in his preferred No 10 position.
Will United look to keep him?
It’s difficult to say.
While Mata is undoubtedly an experienced and reliable performer, he will be 30 in April and the Red Devils may look to move him on during the summer in order to make way for new signings.
Mourinho will be looking for players that can make more of an impact in the final third than the likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and the Spain international have this term, and it could see the former Chelsea man make his Old Trafford exit.
Would he want to stay?
If Mata wants to carry on playing in the Premier League and feels he will continue to be a regular for United then there is no reason for him to go, but if his relationship with Mourinho is more strained behind the scenes and he fancies a new challenge, then he may choose to go to Italy in a league that would probably be more suited to his style of play.
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To the delight of Tottenham fans, the Lilywhites have spent the summer bringing some of Europe’s hottest young footballing prodigies to White Hart Lane.
Funded by Gareth Bale’s Real Madrid mega deal, Daniel Levy and Franco Baldini secured the signings of Ajax starlet Christian Eriksen, the most promising Romanian of his generation, Vlad Chiriches, and Argentine wonder-kid Erik Lamela, all of whom are touted to become the biggest things since Wham, sliced bread and Zinedine Zidane respectively.
But it wasn’t long ago that the talk of the Tottenham town was centred around a different prodigy from the continent – 22-year-old German international Lewis Holtby. The midfielder joined Spurs in January for a nominal fee and was predicted to be an instant success, but nine months down the line and a summer of monumental change later, the chances of a Spurs supporter talking up Holtby’s ability at the start of the 2013/2014 campaign are incredibly slim.
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In fact, if you quizzed a Tottenham enthusiast on how the young German is getting on at his relatively new dwellings, the conversation would probably go a little like this;
“How’s that Lewis Holtby getting on?”
“Lewis who?”
“Holtby, you know, that young playmaking midfielder tipped to become the biggest thing since the Spice girls.”
“Hmm…Young playmaking midfielder… do you mean Christian Eriksen?”
Whatever happened to Lewis Holtby? Once tipped to take the Premier League by storm, the Bundesliga protégé rarely featured in pre-season for the Lilywhites, and hasn’t been involved in any of their opening three domestic fixtures. Following the arrival of an illustrious young and talented cast at White Hart Lane this summer, it seems he’s become old news wrapped around yesterday’s chips.
It’s all the more surprising considering the urgency and haste Daniel Levy showed in getting the Spurs starlet to North London. After an incredibly successful eighteen months in the Schalke first team, there was a great furore over getting Holtby to the Premier League in January as his contract with the German outfit began to wind down.
Levy pipped his divisional rivals to the post by signing the attacking midfielder on a pre-contract agreement that would see him arrive in the summer. But sensing that the Lilywhites couldn’t wait another six months for a player of Holtby’s quality, the Tottenham chief offered Schalke £1.75million to let their star midfielder leave early. Granted, it’s a nominal fee, but Levy isn’t one to throw money away for the sheer thrill of it; something must have convinced him that the German was worth every penny, perhaps the promising record of ten goals in 55 league outings for Schalke.
Eleven Premier League appearances later however, with nothing to show for them except for a lot of hard graft in and around the final third, Holtby seems further away from the Spurs first team than he did when he was still in the German top flight, having made one token outing in a Europa League play-off against Dinamo Tbilisi so far this season.
The Lilywhites have been here before when it comes to wonder-kids that haven’t lived up to their billing. Wayne Routledge was considered the future of England’s flanks when he signed for Spurs in 2005, before making just five appearances in three seasons at White Hart Lane and going the next six years of his career without a Premier League goal.
John Bostock was purchased for £700k in 2008 on the back of just five promising first team outings for Crystal Palace, and ended up joining Royal Antwerp under the bosman ruling this summer having not made a single senior appearance for the North Londoners.
But you’d argue the situation was much different with Holtby. For one, he’s not yet another overhyped English youngster to generate a reputation for himself as the future of the national game without ever kicking a football.
And secondly, he’s been causing waves for some time; eight goals in 31 appearances for Alemannia Aachen in the German second tier as an 18 year-old in 2008 earned the midfielder his Schalke move, and he’s racked up 14 goals and 24 caps for the Germany U21s since 2009. Holtby’s even made three appearances for the German seniors, and back in his native land is discussed in the same breath as Julian Draxler, Andre Schurrle, and Ilkay Gundogan.
So what did happen to Lewis Holtby, who now can’t even get a place on the Tottenham bench? We’ll it seems he first became the victim of his own hype – absolutely no output from his 11 inaugural Premier League appearances hardly lived up to the youngster’s preceding reputation for netting aesthetic efforts from midfield. And now, he’s fallen foul of a change in trend at White Hart Lane, triggered by Gareth Bale’s record-breaking departure.
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Once the fashionable protégé for Andre Villas-Boas to throw on in relatively important fixtures to show off Tottenham’s future potential, that right now goes to the far more expensive Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela, whom, unluckily for Holtby, happen to play in the exact same attacking midfield berth.
Managers aren’t meant to let such material issues affect their decision making, but the German international now has £40million’s worth of new, exciting, flavour-of-the-month talent to contend with, not that he seemed to be in the Portuguese’s plans before the attacking duo’s arrival towards the end of the summer transfer window.
In eight days time, Holtby turns 23, which is the kind of age when critics begin intensely analysing whether or not you’ll live up to your potential. For his time in England at least, there’s not a lot of evidence to go on, but there will be few Premier League pundits suggesting the German has a bright future ahead of him at White Hart Lane. At this point, he seems destined to slip into the background in North London.
Internacional president Giovanni Luigi insists the club will not let Leandro Damiao leave unless his buyout clause is met amid rumours linking him with a move to Manchester United.
The Brazil international striker was heavily linked with Tottenham during the summer transfer window but Internacional have claimed they turned down an offer from the White Hart Lane club because it did not match their valuation. Luigi has previously revealed the youngster has a €60m (£47m) buyout clause in his deal at Inter, where he is contracted until 2016.
It is also believed Damiao was offered to Liverpool on loan but the deal was considered too expensive by the Merseysiders. Since then, speculation has surfaced that United are targeting a January swoop for the 23-year-old, who starred for his country at the Olympics, finishing the tournament as top scorer with six goals.
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Luigi says Internacional will stand firm on their valuation if United do come knocking and is adamant the Premier League giants must speak directly to the Brazilian club. He told Zero Hora:
“We aren’t talking about a small team. We are talking about Internacional. They (Manchester United) have to talk with Internacional, not with the player. If Manchester United came here today, I would ask them to pay his buyout fee. They have to know that Internacional are a big club. Now, Leandro Damiao only leaves if the buyout fee is paid.”
The search for West Ham United’s new manager seems set to continue after reported target, Paulo Fonseca, signed a new two year contract with his current club, Shaktar Donetsk.
Fonseca has had success managing the Ukrainian side since his arrival in May 2016.
In his first campaign he led the side to a domestic treble and this season he helped Shaktar navigate themselves out of difficult group – that included Manchester City, Napoli, and Feyernoord – to qualify for the Champions League last 16.
The former Braga boss has been linked with the managerial vacancy at Everton as well as in East London and according to reports in the London Evening Standard, Fonseca met with West Ham co-owner David Sullivan earlier this week to discuss the role.
The Hammers are on the hunt for a new manager after David Moyes’s left the club.
After the dismissal, West Ham joint-chairman David Sullivan, issued a statement to supporters.
“We feel that it is right to move in a different direction. We aim to appoint a high-calibre figure who we feel will lead the club into an exciting future for our loyal supporters within the next 10 days.”
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Irons fans have been very active on Twitter as they speculate on the identity of this ‘high-calibre figure’ with former City boss, Manuel Pellegrini, and current Newcastle manager, Rafa Benitez the top picks.
Back towards the beginning of this ever uncertain 2015 summer transfer window, it was almost being taken as a known fact that Chile’s Arturo Vidal would be signing for Arsenal in the run up to the new season, despite the clear lack of concrete evidence backing up such a claim.
Several news outlets from far and wide were reporting of the close nature of the deal, suggesting that some real transfer-fuelled excitement was just waiting around the corner for Gunners fans with the 2015/16 season fast approaching.
However, as is usually the case within the false-rumour ridden summer transfer period, no such move eventually took place for Arsene Wenger’s side – with the ever formidable Bayern Munich looking increasingly likely to step in where Arsenal seemingly failed to assert themselves.
So then, with the former Bayer Leverkusen man supposedly set on making a dramatic return to the Bundesliga this summer – have the Emirates faithful become the victims of yet another frustrating summer transfer saga recently – or was the high profile signing of Arturo Vidal actually a rather unnecessary move that Arsenal were better off avoiding in the run up to the new campaign anyway?
Whilst Arsene Wenger has traditionally remained somewhat conservative with his club’s resources throughout the years, perhaps it’s fair to suggest that even if Arsenal had paid way over the odds for Vidal this summer, the Emirates faithful would have largely still been overjoyed by the news. Sometimes biting the bullet and getting the cheque-book out becomes a distinct requirement for signing top stars in the modern era.
When it comes to breaking up play effectively in the middle of the park, determining a clear foot-hold for his side through his aggressive nature amongst the opposition, and possessing an impressive – yet albeit rather understated – ability to score fine goals from outside the box, Arturo Vidal proves to be a winner time and time again.
The Chilean international has also become well liked within Serie A thanks to his admirable never-say-die attitude and boundless energy throughout each 90 minutes. Such a vast array of skills were successfully put on offer for the world to see throughout this summer’s Copa America tournament – where Vidal’s Chile took the competition by storm and eventually lifted the trophy.
Perhaps it’s then fair to say that Arsenal could have well done with someone like Arturo Vidal across the coming season. Wenger certainly needs another ball winner to partner Francis Coquelin in his midfield if the Gunners are to prove successful, and without someone of the ‘Vidal mould’ among the ranks at the Emirates next term, the North Londoners could well find themselves struggling when the injuries inevitably hit Arsenal’s squad mid-way through 2015/16.
Bayern Munich have therefore done well to land the current Juventus man this summer. The combative midfielder will certainly prove an adequate replacement for Bastian Schweinsteiger going into the new season – whose ageing nature somewhat devalues his overall ability at this current stage.
However, such a situation is simply not that cut and dry for Arsenal this summer, despite the clear need to bolster the Gunners’ ranks ahead of the new campaign.
Whilst Arturo Vidal would have certainly brought his fair share to the table at the Emirates next term, his distinctive box-to-box nature is simply an area of Arsenal’s game that doesn’t really need much cover.
The Gunners already have several key players ready and willing to take up such a position – and although the likes of Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla may not fill the role perfectly for Arsene Wenger, their presence in the middle of the park should be more than enough for the Emirates faithful to remain satisfied. Arsenal quite frankly don’t require another player like Vidal ahead of the new campaign.
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The Gunners could ultimately do with another defensive midfielder throughout the 2015/16 season, however, someone who plays in a similar fashion to the recently emerged Francis Coquelin at the Emirates would be preferable. A brave, no-nonsense tackler, with a predominantly defensive mind-set is just the player Wenger needs if he doesn’t want to witness another capitulation mid-way through the season next term. The likes of William Carvalho and Lars Bender could potentially do a better job for the Gunners with all things considered.
Therefore, whilst Bayern Munich have seemingly impressed many by reportedly landing Arturo Vidal this summer, Arsenal haven’t done themselves an injustice by not shelling out the cash for the South American’s services in the run up to the 2015/16 season. Money doesn’t grow on trees at the Emirates after all…
Arsenal are looking at two Ligue 1 starlets this summer, according to the Express.
French manager Wenger is looking to bring Clement Grenier and Serge Aurier to the Premier League this transfer window.
Grenier recently hinted that he could be leaving Lyon this summer, whilst away on international duty with France, saying: “We will see about my future after the internationals, during my vacation.”
The midfielder scored 7 goals for the Ligue 1 side last season, as Lyon finished 3rd in the league table. The 22-year-old is a strong dribbler and passer, and has been tipped to easily fit into Wenger’s system at the Emirates.
The French manager likened the midfielder to Samir Nasri, which suggested that the Gunners would bid for Grenier:
“His intelligence of play pleases me. He has interesting qualities. He reminds me of Nasri.” said Wenger.
Meanwhile, right-back Aurier could also be moving to the Emirates, after the Ivory Coast international ‘tweeted’ a picture of himself wearing an Arsenal shirt whilst on holiday.
The 20-year-old, who scored once for Toulouse last season, is being tipped as a replacement for current Gunners right-back Bacaray Sagna. The French defender has been heavily linked with a move away from the Emirates, with Monaco reportedly interested in the defender.
Would Grenier do well at Arsenal? Should Wenger sign Aurier?
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