According to Sky Sports, Andres Lindegaard is having a medical at Carrington this afternoon. Aalesund chairman Bjarne Haagensen has revealed he is currently in England with Lindegaard’s agent, Henrik Hoff, to talk with United.
“Henrik and I are in place in Manchester,” Haagensen told TV2.
So if the deal goes through, we survey what Manchester United will be getting for the reported £3.5m fee.
The 26 year old shot stopper will come to Manchester United with very little experience. He has only been capped three times by Denmark, but has kept two clean sheets. As well as this the keeper has a presence in goal, standing at 6’4.
Lindegaard has been touted as the new Peter Schmeichel in the Danish press and few could argue with this. He is a strong commanding goalkeeper who has a presence in goal. The keeper has an excellent command of his area, with excellent handling skills, he will a huge success in English football. As well as this he is a superb shot stopper, well skilled in getting down low despite his height. Lindegaad is also a very agile goalkeeper. He is quick to get up from saves, demonstrating these skills against Portugal in a recent international.
Despite his apparent talent, Peter Schmeichel himself has criticised the goalkeeper. The ‘Great Dane’ has expressed his surprise in the transfer, claiming the goalkeeper is not good enough.
‘We are talking about Manchester United here.’
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‘You can look at young talent, you can look at young, good players. You don’t want that. You want someone who can go straight away and give performances in 80% of the games the No 1 keeper will play Manchester United.’
The worry is that Schmeichel works for Danish television and has watched the keeper for many years. Although United have sent out Eric Steele to watch Lindegaard, have United done enough homework on the goalkeeper? We will wait to see, but the Danish press have heaped a huge amount of praise on the goalkeeper. With every new signing, there is a worry that they wont make the grade but if he performs as he has for Denmark this season, the goalkeeper will have no problems settling in at Old Trafford.
Comment below on your thoughts on the new goalkeeper. Also, contact me on twitter
Not long ago the Premier League was an almost pre-determined list, with the usual suspects finishing in their predicted positions at the start of the campaign. Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool were labelled the ‘big four’, with the likes of Tottenham and Everton occupying the places just below the quartet. As you journeyed down the table, for much of the 38 games, the bottom five often consisted of the same names, sitting behind the remainder of the sides in mid-table obscurity.
However, the past couple of seasons have seen a shake-up when it comes to end result of the English season with the emergence of new title challengers, and teams joining the mix from the Championship proving that the leap isn’t as vast as feared. It looks increasingly likely that both Liverpool and Chelsea will miss out on Champions League football for next season due to the exploits of Tottenham or Newcastle, allied with the emergence of the Abu Dhabi backed Manchester City. The appearance of these sides, has been met with fear from managers who had become used to their almost guaranteed position in the upper echelons of the division, and are now looking over their shoulder at the ‘new kids on the block’ and the former occupiers attempting to re-establish themselves.
As well as the shifting dynamic in the top-flight, the reputation of Premier League sides in Europe has taken a hit, with Chelsea the only side to make it to the quarter-final stage of the Champions League. Over the past decade English sides have enjoyed large levels of success, with Liverpool claiming victory in 2005 and Manchester United beating national rivals Chelsea in 2008, but over the past few seasons the dynamic has shifted toward other continental nations, mainly Spain.
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As a result it’s believed that the summer spending by the upper level teams of the Premier League will once again be vast, as they all look to cement their status within their nation, and continent’s elite. There was a period of complacency on the part of some of the higher level sides in England during the course of the past few years, as teams allowed star men to move on, never really believing that those below them could emerge. Liverpool in particular have struggled with this, allied to financial difficulty, allowing Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano to depart, eliminating the spine of the promising 2007-08 team. As well as this Manchester United sanctioned the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo, albeit for a world record £80 million, as well as refusing to spend big money to keep Carlos Tevez from the clutches of local rivals Manchester City.
Moves such as these have seen a real drop in the quality at the upper end of the Premier League, shifting momentum away from the established forces, and handing a sense of optimism to the chasing pack. Due to this a summer of transfer activity is expected on the part of the United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, who have seen their cosy quartet blown apart. Red Devils’ chief executive, David Gill, has recently admitted that there will be comings and goings during the next window, hinting that the side are likely to spend big once more, after a relatively quite period of time in the transfer market. As well as the defending Champions, Arsenal have already made inroads to sign German international Lucas Podolski, while rumours surrounding wholesale changes, and a phasing out of the ‘old guard’ at Chelsea have gathered momentum throughout the season. It’s likely that Liverpool will once again spend big, with Kenny Dalglish keen to put the disappointing memories of this season behind him, while Manchester City will be linked to anybody who becomes available at a price of over £20 million, and Tottenham will be looking to build upon their recent upturn in fortunes.
Such actions show a sign of fear from the former ‘top sides’. Arsene Wenger has never been one to spend big and secure the signatures of proven players, yet this summer he could buck that trend, as he did during his deadline day flurry last season. The case of Manchester United is another fascinating one, as over a period of time their formidable squad gained an increasingly porous look. With the rumoured financial issues at the club, a big spend would hint at a genuine fear for their status as ‘top dogs’ after the emergence of their noisy neighbours.
The recent shift in the power dynamic at the upper end of the Premier League looks to finally be sinking in. This summer will once again be a busy one, with a spot in the top-four becoming ever more important.
What are your thoughts? Comment or follow @Alex_Hams to have your say
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One of the biggest doubts I have over the move for Jordan Henderson is about why we are prioritising central midfield when there are plenty of other areas that need strengthening. In my mind, maybe using as much as £20million (if David Ngog is not included in the deal) of our transfer budget, with perhaps £8million more on Charlie Adam , doesn’t seem to be at all logical when we are struggling in positions such as left back and on the wing.
I am prepared to put these doubts to the back of my mind because I trust in Kenny Dalglish ’s judgement. After all, who are we to question one of the greatest manager’s in the game and as he stated himself, he would only spend money on players who he believed could improve the squad. Obviously King Kenny believes that Henderson will do just that.
At just 20 years of age, Henderson certainly has a lot of potential, and what I have been able to gather from some Sunderland fans is that he is certainly Kenny’s style of player. Very composed on the ball, Henderson is very adept at passing under pressure and when tightly marked. Delivering crosses and putting through balls in tight spaces is something that would have attracted Kenny and Damien Comolli to Henderson as he would certainly fit in to the pass and move philosophy that the Reds will be playing under Dalglish.
However, it is important to emphasise that Henderson is nowhere near the finished article. Starting off as a winger who can expertly cross the ball, the young Englishman has found himself in more central positions as he has settled in Sunderland’s first team eleven. According to reports in the papers too, Kenny wants to bring Henderson to Liverpool as a central midfielder primarily.
No doubt, there will be other doubters, like me, about whether Henderson is the right fit for Liverpool . If he doesn’t get off to a good start there maybe fans who get on his back, like they did with Lucas, but like the Brazilian, I hope the youngster has the mental strength to fight through the difficult times and get through the other side as a very talented player
Part of the excitement about his move to Liverpool will be over how King Kenny can mould Henderson into a world class player. Dalglish has a fantastic record of cultivating young stars, and if he gets it right with Henderson, there is no doubting Liverpool’s central midfield future will be very secure after the retirement of Steven Gerrard.
Certainly there will be pressure on the youngster after such a big money move, but if he develops his game and keeps his head when things aren’t going his way, I have complete trust in Kenny that this move will work out the way it is intended. Is it blind faith? We will have to wait and see.
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Roy Hodgson believes Fernando Torres is back to his best after the Spain international scored both Liverpool's goals in the impressive 2-0 victory against league leaders Chelsea.
After making a disastrous start to the campaign, the Reds have now won four successive games in all competitions and have climbed to ninth in the table.
Hodgson said after the win:"I'm pleased with the all-round performance and I'm also pleased that Fernando Torres will get a lot of the plaudits.
"He's taken more than his fair share of criticism, some of which has been grossly exaggerated and certainly not fully deserved.
"Of course, when the team's not winning it's hard to defend these things but today he'll get a lot of plaudits and people will say he's back to his best. Let's hope that's the case but certainly today he was. He played very, very well.
"One always hopes that playing at this very high level that you've got that quality of player. Today we had the quality of Fernando Torres and that won us the game alongside a very disciplined and organised performance from the others.
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"I'll enjoy ninth but you can go back to 16th again with a couple of defeats. We've got to get ourselves going again for Wednesday (at Wigan).
"The squad is looking pretty small with the sickness and injuries we've picked up. It's a long season. It's 11 games in, so we're not even a third of the way through. I prefer in football to keep my feet on the ground."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Roberto Di Matteo has continued his excellent run as temporary Chelsea manager and made it four wins in all competitions with a 5-2 victory over Leicester in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.
The Stamford Bridge side rushed into a 2-0 lead, with Gary Cahill and Salomon Kalou scoring within the first 20 minutes.
Fernando Torres ended his goal-drought on 67 minutes to make it 3-0, before Jermaine Beckford give his side hope with a 78th-minute strike.
Torres scored again five minutes from the end, and Raul Meireles also found the net; Ben Marshall scored a second consolation goal for the Championship team.
Di Matteo hailed Torres’ performance after the game, stating that the Spaniard’s hard work had paid off.
“Every win gives the players confidence. You can see they have more confidence,” the Italian told Sky Sports.
“I thought Fernando had a terrific game, he fought very hard for the team and managed to score a couple of goals too. It’s wonderful for him.
“I have a lot of belief in him and the other players. He works so hard and in life if you do that you will get rewarded for it.
“I really wanted us to keep a clean sheet. We didn’t manage to do that but I’m very pleased with the performance.
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“I’m trying to get the players to perform as best they can but I’m very relaxed about it,” he admitted.
Sir Alex Ferguson praised his Manchester United team after they secured a 19th English Premier League title with a 1-1 draw at Blackburn.United had to come from behind at Ewood Park after an error from reserve goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak led to Brett Emerton’s opening goal in the 20th minute.
They looked to be heading for a costly shock defeat before Mexico international Javier Hernandez won a penalty after going down under a challenge from Rovers’ goalkeeper Paul Robinson.
Wayne Rooney lashed home the spot-kick to make it 1-1 with 17 minutes remaining and United saw out the closing exchanges to capture their fourth title in five seasons.
“It was a fantastic performance by the lads and the supporters and for everybody connected with the club, it’s a great day today,” Ferguson told Sky Sports.
“It wasn’t an easy game. We went 1-0 down having given them a bad goal but we kept on and we don’t give in. It looked like it was not going to be our day. We’ve always had it difficult here.”
“It is a local derby and they are fighting for their lives, looking for that point, but we kept going and that’s a good quality.”
Rooney admitted nerves threatened to get the better of him as referee Phil Dowd delayed in awarding the penalty while consulting with an assistant.
“I was terrified, the ref took a long time to give it,” Rooney said.
“I had to compose myself. I’d been practising all week.”
“After the year I’ve had, with the ups and downs, this is for the fans and the team,” he added, referring to a high-profile contract dispute and revelations of marital infidelity.
Rooney also managed a dig at Liverpool after United passed their record of 18 English league titles.
“For me personally, being an Everton fan, to win a 19th title is special,” he said.
A 0-0 draw away to Blackburn cost United dear last season as Chelsea captured the league title by one point.
They could only manage a draw again on Saturday, but this time it was enough, with centreback Rio Ferdinand satisfied by the team’s performance.
“We missed out last year by a point and it was here we pretty much lost the league so it was nice to come back here and get it done,” Ferdinand said.
“We gave away a soft goal but we persevered and got our rewards.”
“It’s a better league this year. Teams have been beating each other from the bottom to the top which makes it more exciting for the fans.”
Fulham shot-stopper Mark Schwarzer has admitted a move to Arsenal may still come to fruition in the future.
The veteran was expected to be captured by Gunners coach Arsene Wenger before the transfer window closed, but Cottagers chief Mark Hughes made it clear he didn't want his man to join their London rivals.
But the Australian has suggested a transfer could develop when the window re-opens in January.
"Who knows, we will have to wait and see," he said.
"I'm very happy at Fulham. The supporters have been unbelievable and I've enjoyed every minute. It's been a very hectic two months or so and the fans have been great to me. I am enjoying my football again.
"I think when you look at the opportunity that was in front of me, I don't think anyone can begrudge me exploring that opportunity.
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"The club actually asked me if I was interested in exploring the opportunity, and I was. I'm not getting any younger, unfortunately, and you always want to better yourself."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
New manager and a new start. Sunderland fans in the Transfer Tavern will be hoping that Jack Ross push the Black Cats back up the league next year.
Sunderland’s defence last season was among the worst in the Championship. The Black Cats must strengthen at the back if they are to secure promotion from League One. One player the club have been linked with recently is Shrewsbury’s Aristote Nsiala.
The Breakdown
The Sunderland Echo (h/t Chronicle Live) reports that Nsiala is on Sunderland’s radar. New boss, Jack Ross is keen to strengthen his defence following Paddy McNair’s departure and probable sale of Lamine Kone. Sunderland have been linked with Peterborough defender Jack Baldwin to help out at the back. A centre-back pairing of Nsiala and Baldwin would certainly improve the backline.
Nsiala was an integral part of the Shrewsbury side that defied the early season odds to go from relegation contenders to a side that only lost out in the League One play-off final. The 26-year-old has been a physically imposing defender at the back for the Shrews and has helped the club to two play-off finals which resulted in a promotion to League Two in 2016.
Due to his solid performances in the league last season, the defender has attracted interest from Championship sides. However, if Sunderland can bring the former Everton academy man on board, he may go some way in helping the Black Cats seal up their porous defence and finally reach the Championship after last year’s heartbreak.
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Barcelona could be about to make a summer move for unsettled Spurs defender Toby Alderweireld, according to reports, with the Belgian unwilling to resign with Tottenham unless they meet his mammoth £180,000 a week wage demands.
Alderweireld’s representatives are understood to be searching for a deal with the same kind of financial incentive as Liverpool signing Virgil Van Dijk, although the club are adamant that they will not pay any player over £100,000 a week.
With talks at an impasse, the only question now remaining is whether Spurs can afford to lose the domineering centre-half. The continued rise of Ben Davies and defensive reliability of Alderweireld’s compatriot Jan Vertonghen are cause for comfort for Daniel Levy and the Spurs board, after all.
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Moreover, there is a clause in the Belgian’s contract which will allow him to leave for just £25m in the summer of 2019 should no deal be agreed, so Spurs will want to offload the defender for as much money as possible if there is no deal before then.
Currently valued at £35m by transfermarkt,com, the 28-year-old may find himself sent packing from North London in the summer – but do Spurs fans think it’s high time for their club to cash in?
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The summer transfer window may have only just slammed shut but we at Football FanCast are already looking forward to its winter counterpart. And we believe Spurs will be among the busiest clubs in the Premier League during the January window.Tottenham were by no means anonymous in the market during the off-season, splashing out around £32million as they welcomed a new manager in Mauricio Pochettino, but the Lilywhites still have plenty of unfinished business in the January salesÂand a number of lingering issues that need to be resolved in the new year.So without further ado, here’s the FIVE transfer dilemmas the White Hart Lane boss needs to find solutions toÂwhen the market reopens.
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It could be worse Nando, you could be one of these guys…
If there’s one major flaw of Tottenham’s current squad, it’s undoubtedly the absence of a dependable goalscorer.
A strike-force of Emmanuel Adebayor, Harry Kane and Roberto Soldado have found just 19 league goals collectively since last summer, including a solitary one this season. It’s shown in the table too – only six clubs have netted less than Spurs’ seven since the start of the 2014/15 campaign.
In terms of budgeted stop-gap solutions, Schalke assassin Klaas-Jan Huntelaar remains the best option.
The Netherland international’s contribution to open play is infamously limited, and at 31 years of age he’s no spring chicken. But he boasts returns of 35 in 65 for Oranje and 93 in 143 for the Miners – including this strike in the Champions League against Chelsea last week:
Huntelaar’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season and although Schalke want him to sign a new deal, he’ll have to take a wage cut. That makes a January departure incredibly likely. A more long-term resolution could come in the form of Swansea front-man Wilfried Bony, who netted 16 times in his debut Premier League campaign last season. Here’s a look at some of the 25 year-old’s highlights: //www.youtube.com/embed/L_zt5akDKGs Mauricio Pochettino favoured powerful, old-fashioned centre-forwards at Southampton and the 6 foot Ivorian fits the bill perfectly. Bony allegedly comes with a £19million release clause and his slump in form this season suggests a slight disgruntlement in not leaving South Wales during the summer. But whether Daniel Levy would be prepared to sanction such a costly purchase in January remains to be seen.
Adding a left winger/forward
The left side of attack was a real problem for Spurs last season, with Nacer Chadli, Aaron Lennon, and Andros Townsend failing to make the role their own before it was passed to Christian Eriksen, who remains his most effective at No.10. The Lilywhites planned to address this in the summer with a swoop for Danny Welbeck and Franco Baldini’s failure to strike a deal for the former Manchester United star could reportedly cost him the job of Sporting Director at White Hart Lane, which shows how big an issue the vacancy on the left has become for Spurs. Chadli’s filled the void impressively so far this season, as shown below:
But an inconsistent dribbler and even weaker crosser, he can’t be considered a long-term solution out wide. The Lilywhites were linked with Southampton star Jay Rodriguez on deadline day and could be tempted to revive their interest in January:
The 25 year-old flourished under Mauricio Pochettino last season to finish up as the third top-scoring Englishman in the Premier League with 15 goals. Here’s a look at his campaign highlights:
//www.youtube.com/embed/e3adfleiWiE?rel=0
But the Saints launched a staunch public resistance to selling the England international in the summer, so Spurs may have to consider some alternatives.
Perhaps Marseille wideman Andre Ayew? He’s has emerged as Ligue 1’s most potent wideman over the last few seasons, amassing an impressive 49 goals and 16 assists in 166 appearances for L’OM, and a January move seems likely with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.
The Ghana international isn’t the most conventional winger but he’s strong defensively, versatile and a real threat in the final third. As viewable in the below video, he’s also outrageously good at heading:
//www.youtube.com/embed/0gIZogfsorU?rel=0
Decide the fates of fringe players
Fringe players are an inevitable part of every squad, but Tottenham have amassed quite a number over the past few years and it’s time to either get them more involved in the first team or move them on.
Moussa Dembele for example, has never quite hit the heights expected of him at White Hart Lane and he’s now being linked to Everton:
Spurs already boast decent depth in central midfield, so his departure won’t affect their first team plans too much. Likewise, £24million signing Roberto Soldado has never looked comfortable with the power and pace of the Premier League, and having featured only as a substitute thus far under Mauricio Pochettino, looks unlikely to replicate his scoring feats at Valencia any time soon. Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid have been linked and the time feels right to move the Spaniard on. That should free up some funds for Spurs to invest in a more dependable front-man. Then there’s Andros Townsend, once hailed as the future of English football after netting this wonder-strike past Montenegro last season: //www.youtube.com/embed/BAkOjFq1_Tc?rel=0 But the 23 year-old has continually struggled to evolve his game under the added pressure international football provides. Moving him on to a smaller club, or sorting out a loan stint until the end of the season, could do the winger a world of good.
Offloading the deadwood
In addition to a multitude of fringe players, there’s also a growing contingent in Tottenham’s squad that are simply surplus to requirements. For example, after signing Ben Davies from Swansea City this summer, Spurs now have five players capable of playing at left-back, including centre-half Jan Vertonghen. Two of these need to be moved on, namely Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Kyle Naughton. The former is a decent player and performed well on loan to QPR last season, providing a Man of the Match display against Charlton Athletic: //www.youtube.com/embed/2a3eNwANJTo?rel=0 But he’s now 30 years of age and appears to be only moving further away from the Tottenham starting XI. Likewise, Kyle Naughton’s versatility in being able to play on either defensive flank proved vital for the Lilywhites last season. But they now boast depth at No.2 and No.3, and the 25 year-old’s form has been questionable for some time. Here’s a look at his stats from last season:
Aaron Lennon too, although once a mainstay in the Spurs starting XI, was absolutely atrocious in terms of output last season, as shown below:
After nearly a decade in north London, his Tottenham tenure has probably run its course.
GRAB FABIAN SCHAR BEFORE ARSENAL DO
Tottenham are hardly light on bodies in defence, but if there’s one commonly mooted January target the Lilywhites must get their hands on, it’s undoubtedly Fabian Schar – before rivals Arsenal beat them to it.
As viewable below, statistically he was the best defender in the Champions League last season:
And the Swiss international’s World Cup performances weren’t too bad either, making eight interceptions during two outings at Brazil 2014.
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The 22 year-old comes with an interesting knack of scoring goals too, such as this incredible strike as a youngster at FC Wil…
He also takes set piece duties for Basel, and boasts a return of 3 in 8 for his country.
In short, Schar’s a fantastic talent, a ball-playing defender of the Jan Vertonghen mould. He’s been linked to Barcelona and Manchester United over the last few years, and if the Lilywhites don’t take up the opportunity to sign him in January, Arsenal or another top European club undoubtedly will.