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.
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.
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.
[ad_pod ]
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?
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 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.
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON POCHETTINO TO REVEAL ALL
[/ffc-gallery]
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.
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 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.
Arsenal’s Emmanuel Frimpong has rejected claims he will be shown the exit door at the Emirates in January, but will be going out on loan in the near future. It is believed Championship side Wolves are considering a loan bid for the defensive midfielder to replace suspended captain Karl Henry.
Frimpong, who has been at Arsenal since he was nine years old, broke into the first-team last season and was sent on loan to Wolves to help the West Midlands club in their failed efforts to avoid relegation from the Premier League. The midfielder’s spell at Molineux was short-lived however following a serious knee injury in February.
Since returning from the sidelines, Frimpong has made two appearances in the Capital One Cup for the Gunners but has failed to claim a place in Arsene Wenger’s starting XI despite the sale of Alex Song in the summer. Mirror Football claims the Ghanaian will be ousted in January, but Frimpong has denied he plans on leaving, and rejected the notion that he is in the last year of his contract.
The 20-year-old tweeted late last night: “Subject to rumours am not leaving afc I am positive of going on loan this week which am really excited about and I am fully committed to afc.
“And am not in my last year or looking to be sold just to clear matters thank you and going on loan to get games and cum back to arsenal.”
It is believed the midfielder, who was capped six times for England U17s but has pledged his international alliegence to Ghana, will now return to Molineux in what will be his second loan spell for the club.
Wolves boss Stale Solbakken is hoping the Arsenal man can fill in for Karl Henry, who is serving a three match ban following a red card against Brighton on Saturday.
“We’ve discussed him [Frimpong] and he has a relationship with Wolverhampton, but it’s also important he’s 100 per cent fit when he comes here and is ready, so we don’t lose a month,” said Solbakken.
“I can’t say I know in detail about his fitness because he hasn’t played many games.
“We’re monitoring the situation. But I don’t want to underestimate the players here either. It’s a balance. We’re not panicking over the situation with Karl.
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.
“If we sign someone, it’s important it’s someone with other qualities,” he added.
Tottenham fans have been debating moves for a Toby Alderweireld replacement, and it seems they’d much rather do their shopping abroad.
Although recent reports suggest Manchester United’s interest in Alderweireld has died down, it seems like only a matter of time before the big Belgian departs North London.
Alderweireld is ageing and injury prone, so while a fully fit version of the defender is a huge figure to lose, Spurs could turn his probable exit into a good thing if they replace him quickly and smartly.
One name that has been mentioned a lot as a replacement is Matthijs de Ligt, who was superb for Ajax last season.
The young centre back is sensational with the ball at his feet, and is expected to form a dominant partnership for the Netherlands alongside Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk in the coming years.
While the links to de Ligt have gone quiet in recent weeks, Jamaal Lascelles has come to the forefront as a possible target.
The Newcastle captain had an incredible season up north, and will consider himself very unlucky not to be at the World Cup.
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.
Fans would clearly much prefer a move for de Ligt though, who is valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, as over two thirds voted for the Dutchman.
A few months ago, the prospect of losing Alexis Sanchez would have been a dreaded thought for Arsenal fans.
In January, the will-he-won’t-he saga came to an end when the Chile international joined Manchester United.
Arsenal did not miss out entirely, though, as the club secured the signature of Henrikh Mkhitaryan in a swap deal.
The Armenian international struggled to hold down a regular spot in Jose Mourinho’s team at Old Trafford.
Mkhitaryan showed glimpses of quality, but he failed to convince the manager to make him one of the first names on the teamsheet.
Since moving to the Emirates, the winger has made four appearances in all competitions, including two Premier League starts.
The 29-year-old has created four assists so far, three of which came in a convincing 5-1 rout over Everton.
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.
Following Thursday night’s 3-0 victory over Ostersunds in the Europa League, the fans voted Mkhitaryan Man of the Match.
On Twitter, some claimed that the Armenian is better for them than Sanchez was.
George Boateng believes that his once team-mate Ronald Koeman will be able to attract the players Southampton need after losing star names.
The Saints will be without captain Adam Lallana and star striker Rickie Lambert next season with both players set to line up for Liverpool, while teenage prodigy Luke Shaw will also no longer be on the South Coast after joining Manchester United.
To make matter worse, defender Dejan Lovren and star midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin may also leave, which would give the Dutchman a difficult task to build on the success of last season.
WANT MORE? >> Southampton transfer news | Latest transfer news
But Boateng – who played alongside Koeman at Feyenoord – feels that the 51-year-old has the pulling power to attract top names to the club to replace exiting stars:
“I always knew Ronald would be a great manager,” he told talkSPORT. “He’s done a tremendous job at Feyenoord over the past few seasons with a limited budget, but it will be a tough job for him at Southampton.
“The good thing about him is that he is very international, he played for Barcelona and managed Valencia in Spain, he’s managed at Benfica in Portugal and also at Ajax and Feyenoord in Holland.
“His pedigree is right up there and his international awareness of players in very good.
“What Southampton should also be happy about is that he can get players who are now playing at the World Cup, he can attract those names to the club.
“And I’m sure that, with the right funds, he will find and sign the right players for Southampton.
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.
“He’s a very clever, and astute guy and I have faith he’ll do well in the Premier League.”
Koeman may end up with a budget of close to £100m with key first-team players exiting.
Brendan Rodgers has defended his decision to drop several first team players for Liverpool FC’s trip to Anzhi Makhachkala tonight.
The Kop boss has left the likes of Luis Suarez, Steven Gerrard, Nuri Sahin and Martin Skrtel at home and replaced them with young players such as Dani Pacheco, Danny Wilson, Conor Coady, Jon Flanagan and Adam Morgan.
But Rodgers believes his 19-man group in Moscow have enough to make it three wins from four in Europa League Group A and put one foot in the Round of 32.
He told Liverpool’s official website: “I have the utmost respect for Anzhi, but because our squad is very thin in numbers and we have a lot of games and young players, I have had to look at the games and which I can chance the squad around in.
“But if you look at the games in this competition, we’ve played three and won two games and have changed the squad around.
“We have a good squad here that we feel can get a result and then we can prepare them for this weekend’s massive league game [away to Chelsea].”
Liverpool won the reverse fixture 1-0 courtesy of a Stewart Downing finish two weeks ago, and Rodgers is confident his side can come away with another win under their belts.
“I respect how difficult this game is going to be, but we always play to win,” he added.
“Every game we play, we go out with the mentality to win the game – but, of course, you can’t always win. So if you can’t win, you don’t want to lose it. If that gets us a point, then great and we’ll move onto the next game.”
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.
Rangers fans can’t wait for the new season and to see Alfredo Morelos in action under Steven Gerrard after the new Light Blues boss stated his desire to keep the Colombian at Ibrox this summer.
As reported by The Daily Mail, Gerrard sees Morelos as having a big role to play at the club next term, despite speculation that clubs from France, Turkey and China are all interested in his services.
Morelos scored 18 goals in his debut season after Pedro Caixinha signed him from HJK Helsinki last summer, but drew criticism towards the end of the campaign for a perceived bad attitude and a couple of bad misses in big matches against Celtic.
Fans believe he has what it takes to shine under Gerrard though, believing that the Liverpool legend can inspire the best of his form with his latest confidence boosting comments.
Still just 22 years of age, there’s no doubt that Morelos has plenty of potential and it’ll be interesting to see if he can become more clinical in front of goal next term.
Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts on Gerrard’s latest comments…
With domestic and European action thick and fast this time of year, it’s easy to forget the World Cup in Russia is just around the corner. We’re now on a countdown to the 2018 edition of international football’s top tournament and Gareth Southgate has some huge decisions to make before he drafts his England squad.
Perhaps the biggest regards central midfield. Eric Dier and Jordan Henderson are consistent and disciplined, but lack the technical quality and creativity other countries naturally boast in their engine room.
That suggests there’s at least one spot up for grabs in England’s midfield, should a player prove themselves to be an adept dictator of possession between now and the end of the season.
Jonjo Shelvey is no stranger to the England scene and although he doesn’t appear to be key figure in Southgate’s plans at the moment, he did show what he can offer the Three Lions against Manchester United on Sunday – combining quality in possession with real grittiness off the ball.
With that in mind, we recently asked Newcastle fans whether Shelvey will make England’s World Cup squad and although the majority who took part in our poll voted no, 42% expect the six-cap international to be involved in Russia.
Who else would you include in England’s midfield ranks, Newcastle fans? Let us know by commenting 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.