This week saw the fifth signing of the summer so far, with Richard Chaplow joining the club after a two-year-deal after being released by Southampton.
Chaplow signed on loan at the Den late last season and was massively influential in our slight up-turn in form before the F.A. Cup semi final, and turning out to be the form that kept us up.
The central midfielder will provide the vital competition in midfield which last season we desperately craved. Players started to take it easy, Trotter would be his usual self – plus KJ would love to play defenders in the middle of the park.
Quietly but surely, Lomas is starting to build his own squad, and a decent one at that. We are looking at signing players with Championship experience, rather then lower league players on a punt, or whichever player is flavour of the month at Bournemouth.
Stephen Bywater was the first recruit to the Lomas era. He’s a good second choice goalkeeper to have, but I don’t see him ousting David Forde for the number one jersey, but if Forde did leave for whatever reason, Bywater isn’t a bad replacement.
Jermaine Easter was the next arrival, yes he wasn’t a Lomas signing, but he’s a decent player to have on a one year contract. Last season when we were in dire straights, he seemed to be the only player that had the slightest bit of composure when on the ball, he would be a good option off the bench.
The main target for this summer was always about adding to the strike-force and Lomas has done that massively already with the re-signing of Steve Morison on a year loan. He may have been left in the wilderness somewhat with Leeds, but if he can replicate his debut Championship season form, we can maybe look slightly higher then survival.
Also Lee Martin coming in on a one year deal from Ipswich could be a shrewd move too, a left winger who can also play in the centre. Lomas knows what positions need to be filled, and is working to do quickly.
Lomas was always going to have to make massive changes with the playing personnel at the club, and he seems to know this. He has even brought in a series of different trialists.
Some of these could end up signing contracts and being decent additions to the squad, such as Nicky Shorey and John Pantsil. But some do seem like him doing his mates a favour, does anyone want to see Marlon Harewood come into the club?
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Two goals in 32 at Barnsley and then released at the end of the season, I’d rather have Tampax Tyson or Even Rob Hulse (The Pulse) back at the club, yes Harewood is that bad a choice…
Whatever happens in the opening season with Lomas at the helm, it proves to be a very exciting one…
Whilst some professional footballers battle their whole career against injuries others spend their playing days met by chants of ‘who ate all the pies’. We pay homage to some of the game’s larger characters.
Wayne Rooney
A world class striker, but the England superstar has battled against the image of being a fat lad from Liverpool.
This week Alex Ferguson again questioned Rooney’s conditioning, admitting that the Manchester United forward’s body type means that he faces an uphill struggle to keep his weight under control.
Whilst both Ronaldo and Diego Maradona looked (enlarged) shadows of their former selves as they piled on the pounds at the twilight of their career. Rooney’s stocky build and sublime skills surely merits him to be crowned as the world’s greatest ever fat footballer.
Andy Reid
Something of a folk hero at Nottingham Forest, the portly midfielder has been mocked for his weight throughout his career.
During his first spell at the City Ground, fans used to chant ‘you fat bastard’ at the Irishman, whose chunky size hasn’t stopped him carving out a solid career for himself.
Whilst at Charlton, manager Les Reed called him one of the fittest players in the squad, and referred to his build as similar to that of Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskas .
Since his return to Forest, Reid has trimmed down slightly, but will be mostly fondly remembered for as ‘Fat Andy Reid’.
Mido
Dubbed ‘Supersize Mido’ during a FA Cup game for Middlesbrough against Mansfield in 2008, the Egyptian striker failed to manage his weight after being sidelined for three months with a stress fracture to the pubic bone.
As a series of injuries reduced Mido’s playing time, his waistline increased and the striker was eventually fined by Middlesbrough after missing the first two weeks of pre-season training for the 2008/09 season.
Mido was then shipped out on a series of loan moves before he finally left Middlesbrough in 2011, joining Egyptian side Zamalek. His return to his homeland was an unhappy one as he struggled again with weight and fitness issues.
In June 2012 Mido joined Barnsley on a free transfer.
Adriano
A real powerhouse in his younger days, the former Inter Milan striker has packed on the pounds as a life of partying got in the way of life as a professional footballer.
The striker was dropped from the Brazil squad in 2006 after the coach Dunga called on Adriano to “change his behaviour”.
In 2007 Roberto Mancini dropped the Brazilian after he failed to turn up to training after a heavy night out on the town. He was eventually let go by Inter at the end of the 2009 season.
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In 2012 he was let go by Corinthians for his lack of interest, and he returned to his first club Flamengo for the third time on a pay-by-play basis.
Jeroen Verhoeven
Although he may be the least well known of the fat footballers on the list, the porky former Ajax reserve team keeper deserves a mention.
He may have only featured three times in three years at the Amsterdam Arena, yet he was warmly received by the home crowd who shouted ‘Pizza’ every time the 16st shot stopper touched the ball in a game against ADO Den Haag during the 2010/11 season.
Currently a free agent Verhoeven is likely to interest any sides hoping to plug a leaky defence.
With the Champions League final over two weeks away, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has time to assess his options with regards to team selection.
The Merseyside outfit have delighted with their attractive attacking displays, but in the last few games, something has been missing.
Klopp’s men have lacked urgency, and their once clinical touch in the final third has been non-existent in recent Premier League matches against Stoke City and Chelsea, which ended in a goalless draw and defeat respectively.
With the top-four race going to the wire, Liverpool know that they need to beat Brighton on the final day of the campaign in order to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Of course if they fail to do so, they have the opportunity of securing their place by winning the final on May 26.
The Merseyside outfit will be underdogs heading into the contest as they take on Real Madrid, who are hoping to win their third consecutive trophy in the competition.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt – has been first-choice right-back in recent weeks, and he hugely impressed in the quarter-final tie against Manchester City.
However, in the second leg of the semi-final against Roma, the 19-year-old showed his age and struggled to cope at times.
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Given that Liverpool will be up against world-class elite when they face Madrid in Kiev, we asked you whether Klopp should stick with Alexander-Arnold or turn to experienced Nathaniel Clyne.
The right-back has started just two matches this season, and judging by the results, the fans are keeping faith with Alexander-Arnold, but only marginally.
Newcastle United have been largely inconsistent in terms of league positions in recent seasons, having finished as high as fifth in 2012, as low as sixteenth the following season before a comfortable mid table spot after that. Your primary aim this season is to build on this with qualification for the Europa League.
The board explain that your success will mostly be judged in the league, and ensuring you can lead the team to a top seven finish is the target. Qualification can be met through cup competitions; however this may not be enough to satisfy their criteria if you fail to live up to expectations in the league.
To help you do this, the board allocate you an initial transfer budget of £14.5m to strengthen the squad with a wage budget of just over £1,108,000 per week.
In terms of domestic cup competitions; the board suggest they would love a cup run and therefore your target of reaching the round of 16 is the minimum aim.
The Squad
Who you should build your team around…
One of Newcastle’s main assets is their goalkeeper Tim Krul and he is already one of the best players at the club, meaning he is someone who you should be looking to keep hold of.
He is a great shot stopper and has the potential to reach a rating of 84 that would ensure he becomes of the Premier League’s top keepers in the near future. His performance will be key to any hopes of securing European football.
Ahead of the Dutchman Fabricio Coloccini is the real leader of the team; club captain and the highest rated player at the club. He may not have youth on his side, but he is by far your strongest defender who is good in the air and in the tackle. Given the lack of strength in this department, the centre back should be one of the first names on the teamsheet.
Remy Cabella is perhaps the most exciting player at the club, and acts as a real attacking threat as someone who can operate in an attacking midfield role or out wide.
He has great attributes in terms of pace, dribbling, passing and shooting making him an important player to the team and someone who will contribute plenty of goals and assists throughout the season. He is one star you have to ensure makes the team on a regular basis.
Three players you should sign…
Newcastle do lack quality options in a number of areas and so ensuring you have enough cover for these positions should be the aim during the first transfer window. Danny Ings is a decent signing as a back up striker to Cisse, and can be bought from Burnley for £6.5m.
He has the potential to reach a rating of 79, and with plenty of pace is a useful man to have at your disposal from the start so his signing is recommended.
The signing of Victor Wanyama from Southampton for £5m also represents a real bargain and will provide much needed depth in the centre of the park. His stamina and strength are his primary assets ensuring you can count on him to win a number of tackles over the course of a game. He too can reach a rating of around 79, and therefore marks as a decent purchase.
Singing a new centre half is imperative when you take over at Newcastle, and it’s advised you get in a ready made Premier League defender in Chris Smalling who can slot straight into the first team alongside Coloccini. The United man can be signed for £7m, even though the Red Devils value him at £10.5m and will become an instant hit given his quality. His speed is a great weapon, and with potential to reach a rating of 81 means he represents real value for money.
Three players who you should sell…
Jonas Gutierrez has just 12 months left on his contract, and having passed 30-years-of-age is someone who should be looking to move of the wage bill. He won’t be your first choice left midfielder, and given the younger options that can cover this position when Gouffran is not available, it’s advised you cash in on him while you can. QPR bid £1.9m for his services which was more than enough for the offer to be accepted.
QPR also signed another squad member who had limited use in the first team; Vurnon Anita. The defensive midfielder has plenty of names ahead of him in the pecking order, and so selling him for £2.6m was an easy decision.
A lack of depth at centre half means it could be a risk selling Mike Williamson, but the chance to recoup £1.6m for an ageing defender who lacks pace could be worth taking. He will be the fourth choice and therefore shouldn’t be needed, so selling him to Chievo helped raised funds for a better option in this area. It could be worth bringing in a centre back on loan just in case to cover his departure.
Youngsters…
In terms of youth; Newcastle look set for a bright future in terms of attacking talent with Ayoze Perez, Adam Armstrong and Adam Campbell all potential first choice strikers at St James’ Park.
Perez will be closest to the first team squad in your first season with an initial rating of 67 meaning you should be giving him some game time during the first campaign. The 20-year-old has the potential to reach a rating of 78, meaning his value is sure to rise over the next few years.
Adam Armstrong is a centre forward who has the potential to become a leading player in the Premier League. He starts off rated just 62 when you take over, but has the potential for a huge amount of development and can reach an impressive 81 rating that will make him a valuable asset to the Magpies in the future.
And finally Adam Campbell is another player who looks set to follow a similar path as Armstrong and can also make it into the 80s in terms of overall rating. The young striker has plenty of pace and over time can become a leading goal scorer for the Geordies making him one to keep an eye on.
Tactics
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Newcastle’s default formation of 4-4-1-1 is worth sticking with at first and the one you should proceed with to cater for your best players.
In goal it’s an obvious choice with Krul the first choice while a back for of Janmaat, Coloccini, Smalling and Santon a solid looking defence that should bring plenty of clean sheets. Santon begins the season on loan at Inter Milan, but he should really first choice for the Magpies and so it’s worth recalling him for £480,000 as soon as you takeover.
Sissoko and Tiote are the best options in the centre of the midfield, while new signing Wanyama along with Anita and Colback ensure you have decent options when rotating the squad.
Out wide Cabella and Gouffran are the best bet, with Obertan and Ameobi good players to have on the bench given their ability to open up a game with their pace.
De Jong is most effective just behind the striker and will be the crucial link when attacking, while Cisse is a great first choice striker that has the ability to net plenty of goals during the season. Ings and Riviere also provide you with decent options upfront and can help fire you to a European place.
Travelling to Nottingham Forest games, walking along Trent Bridge, you can see people with earphones fixed into their ears; they could be listening to music – or they could be listening to Robin Chipperfield, Colin Fray and John McGovern on the radio airwaves.
They play a key role in the lives of a Forest fan, home and abroad.
Since Billy Davies returned in February, he’s been a noticeable absentee in the post-match interview sector on BBC Radio Nottingham. Many believe he holds grudges, but why, supporters can only speculate.
Under the stewardship of the previous board, Billy Davies often complained he wasn’t given enough funds to fulfil his job requirements at the club. He made it clear to the board and fans alike, via the platform of the radio and newspapers. Nothing twisted by those who questioned, but simply taking the passionate words he spoke, and discussing to great length.
Because Fawaz Al-Hasawi was in a position of vulnerability when re-appointing Billy Davies, it seems the fiery Scotsman has all the power he craved. With backing from the board, he’s now able to fulfil his job requirements. But rather than brush the past under the carpet, it’s apparent Billy seeks revenge.
Billy, once the man who complained about not being given the tools to complete his job, is now halting others around him from doing their job to an acceptable level. In an era where great levels of communication were promised, the club could be cutting off a vital weekly source for fans across the world.
With Fawaz openly admitting he’s attempting to agree a deal with Al Jazeera to broadcast all of Forest’s home games, it looks as if the club are targeting a new bulk of fans in the Middle East. Whilst this may be important in terms of profit, Forest can’t be allowed to lose sight of the most integral part of a football club – the real fans.
The ones that have ploughed money into the club for many years, and may still be attending. Or alternatively due to financial reasons, aren’t able to attend.
Following months of positive headlines surrounding the club, the decision to avoid the local media may come back to bite them. When the national headlines quieten down, and the Wayne Rooney saga comes to an end, there will be a point when those in high authority at the national newspapers are seeking stories. With this move, Forest could make themselves an easy target.
Billy Davies may thrive on the attention of his enemies, driving him to success. Fawaz Al-Hasawi however, in the dark January month that saw him wave goodbye to two managers, gave the impression that the headlines were tough for him to take. Fawaz is often quoted discussing the “pride and honour” he has being in charge of such a great club. That must take a dent you would imagine, if a cloud of negative headlines surrounded the club again.
It could be the case that Forest are slow getting around to signing a contract with Radio Nottingham. Whatever the situation, it needs to be resolved very soon.
Nottingham Forest need to ensure they don’t become the North Korea of football, or the lottery winner that’s forgotten their roots. Billy Davies needs to learn that the spontaneity in his answers are what connects him to the fans, not the scripted and predictable nature currently being served up.
Listening to the radio is often the first stage to becoming a weekly supporter. The connection through the airwaves soon becomes an addiction, and before they know it, they’re walking over Trent Bridge going to their first game. If that disappears, so could a new generation of fans.
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http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/nffcbbcradionottingham/ – Sign the petition to keep Radio Nottingham
According to reports in the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds United attacker midfielder Pablo Hernandez, rated at £1.8m by Transfermarkt, is set to sign a new two-year deal with the club, ending speculation over his future.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Spaniard’s contract with the Yorkshire outfit was due to expire this summer and there had been much talk about whether he was going to stay at Elland Road or not in recent weeks.
However, now the Yorkshire Evening Post is reporting that the 33-year-old is set to commit his future to the Whites for another two years until 2020, which should be a huge boost for manager Paul Heckingbottom and the passionate supporters, who pleaded with the club on Twitter earlier this month to ensure he stayed.
The Yorkshire Evening Post adds that the popular attacking midfielder is set to win the club’s Player of the Year award after their last Championship game of the season against Queens Park Rangers next month.
How has Hernandez done this season?
He has been one of the few bright sparks in what has been a largely disappointing campaign in which Leeds have once again fallen short in the race for promotion to the Premier League.
The Spaniard has scored seven goals in 40 Championship appearances – and nine in 42 outings in all competitions – while he has shown his creative ability by assisting 10 more.
While he is coming to the latter stages of his career, Hernandez’s stats continue to prove what a huge impact he is making – and can still make – at this level.
[ad_pod ]
How good is this news for Leeds?
It is really brilliant news.
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The fans of the Yorkshire outfit would have been worried that they could be set to lose one of their most influential players in the final third, and they will certainly need him as they look to be involved in the promotion race against next season.
Hernandez’s experience will continue to prove to be vital both on and off the pitch, while the fact that they have moved to tie him down shows the club’s ambition for the future.
They will just be hoping age doesn’t catch up with him and that he continues to be a regular fixture in the XI next term.
A ‘money-grabbing 20 year-old’ is exactly how Raheem Sterling doesn’t want to be seen and a ‘money-grabbing 20 year-old’ is exactly how Raheem Sterling is currently perceived to be.
It’s a big summer for the youngster and a big summer for the clubs around him. After a disappointing season, Sterling is being thrown ceaselessly around the rumour mill. Manchester City are serious bidders it seems, offering Liverpool £40m and may have to raise it to £50m to obtain the England winger’s services.
It’s a big summer for both of those clubs, too. Liverpool need to have a team that will hit the ground running next season. They’re opening fixtures are almost unfairly tough and without Champions League football, they can’t bring in the quality they might require for an assault on the title or even 4th place. They’re a young team and if the pressure of defeats and media speculation gets to them early they might crumble. Manager Brendan Rodgers could pay the price for that.
City are in something of a similar position. They need a good start too, because of disappointment last year. It’s for the feel-good factor around the club, but also because losing a few games could put pressure on manager Manuel Pellegrini. Add that to the fact City are trying to buy only homegrown talent and they will need to answer some sceptics early on if they’re to keep the press and the boo boys off their backs.
And then there’s Sterling. An epic tug-of-war between Manchester and Liverpool for the services of a Londoner. And we can’t forget that Sterling is a Londoner, with no links to Liverpool other than the fact that he now plays there. Surely we can’t make him play the loyalty card at a club where he’s spent only three years.
Why can’t we all calm down about Raheem Sterling? The ‘this is what has become of our modern game’ line is wearing dangerously thin – Sterling has told us that he’s not turning down £100k per week because it’s too low, but because he wants to win trophies. Whether you believe him or not is up to you, but before you call him a liar, look at why he’s saying it.
Sterling is now part of Liverpool’s history, he played in the team that so nearly won its first Premier League title, he gained his first England caps playing for the Reds. In 20 years, once his career is done and dusted there’ll still be that link to Liverpool, and perhaps a multitude of Liverpool fans will never forgive him. He certainly won’t feel the love Steven Gerrard felt as he left Anfield.
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But then Gerrard is Liverpool through and through – he’s the ghost of Christmas future for Sterling.
Gerrard’s career has been a stellar one, he’s won two FA Cups, three League Cups, a UEFA Cup and lifted the Champions League trophy in Istanbul. He’s been one of the best players of the Premier League era and he’s captained his country at a World Cup.
If that’s what you have to look forward to, it’s not awful. Except the great thing about being 20 is that you don’t have to be anything. Sterling looks at the club he’s playing for and wonders when the trophies will arrive. And when they do, will he win what Gerrard did, or will he win more?
Why shouldn’t Sterling have a different English role model? Frank Lampard: three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups, a Europa League and a Champions League. Paul Scholes: 11 (eleven) Premier League titles, three FA Cups, two League Cups, two Champions Leagues. Equally you could say John Terry, Ashley Cole, Ryan Giggs (not English of course, but you get the point) – all of those players have won so much more than Gerrard and it’s not because they were better players. It’s because they played for teams that won things.
And that wasn’t Gerrard’s mission in football. His mission was to captain his boyhood team, and he did that. He captained his country. But the trophy haul just isn’t what it could have been. It isn’t what a player as gifted as Gerrard deserved.
And that spooks Sterling.
What if, in 15 or 20 years of giving his all at Liverpool, without a Premier League winners medal to show for it, Raheem gets an emotional send-off from the Kop? Will those FA Cups and century of England caps be enough? Or will the young Jamaican-born England international think that’s disappointing? Fans of other clubs gleefully mock Gerrard’s slip, his trophy haul and the fact that his final few games at Liverpool were an unmitigated disaster. Is that what Sterling wants?
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Any marriage has hopes and dreams for the future, any relationship needs to be entered into with both partners looking to strive for the same life goals – or at least to help the other person along the way to theirs. What does he see when he sees his future with Liverpool? No Champions League, probably no chance of winning the Premier League next season, manager’s job uncertain?
Sterling has a choice to make, and Liverpool fans might not like it, but that’s the direction the club has taken over the last 20 years. It’s still one of the biggest clubs in England and indeed in Europe, but until it can deliver the trophies that a club like that should then players are always going to be attracted by the bright lights elsewhere.
You can’t expect loyalty from a youngster who just wants to win trophies, and you certainly can’t expect it from someone who’s only been at your club for three years. If Liverpool want to keep him they should get started on building a team that’s going to challenge for the Premier League and the Champions League year after year.
Until then, the ghost of Gerrard will haunt the new batches of young players walking through the door.
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is hoping to bring Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan to Old Trafford this summer, according to the Express.
Gundogan has been an unsung hero for the German side this season as they reach to Champions League final at Wembley where they will face fellow Bundesliga club Bayern Munich.
The £17million rated central midfield man would be the second Dortmund ace to leave the club this summer after Mario Gotze confirmed his move to Bayern Munich last week.
United are keen to add quality to their central midfield role to partner the impressive Michael Carrick after the likes of Tom Cleverley, Paul Scholes and Phil Jones have failed to hit form leaving Wayne Rooney to be the deepest of the four midfielders on numerous occasions this term.
“It is not reprehensible to answer such questions (of a future career in England or Spain) with ‘yes’,” Gundogan told Sport Bild.
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“Everyone has a childhood dream on what he would like to achieve one day and my dream always was to play in England or Spain.”
After Loris Karius was promoted as Liverpool’s first-choice goalkeeper at the start of 2018, questions were raised about whether or not the club will strengthen in that area in the summer.
Simon Mignolet has failed to convince every fan that he is worthy of the position, and it seems that manager Jurgen Klopp feels the same way as he opted to demote the Belgian earlier in the season.
Numerous names have been banded about in the media about potential new goalkeepers that could arrive at Anfield this summer, and Atletico Madrid stopper Jan Oblak has been one of them.
At the start of the month, a report in Mi Otra Liga claimed that Liverpool and Arsenal are both interested in signing the 25-year-old, who is valued at £63m by Transfermarkt.
After witnessing Oblak’s impressive performance for Atletico in Thursday night’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the first leg of the Europa League semi-finals, Liverpool fans are even more convinced that their club should swoop for the Slovenien.
Interestingly, our recent poll showed that a large number of Liverpool supporters want to keep faith with Karius next season.
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Amid a purple end to a promising campaign in which Arsenal could finish second in the Premier League and retain the FA Cup for another year, Gunners fans are full of optimism in anticipation for next season.
If the north Londoners start it in the same manner they’ve finished the current one, they could well launch their first real title bid for the best part of a decade.
Summer signings are still required to strengthen both the starting Xi and the squad – but the prevailing concern is that Arsene Wenger won’t end up making them.
After all, we’re talking about a manager who let the £13million acquisition of Sylvain Wiltord in 2000 remain the club’s record transfer fee for the next eight and a half years, who prefers youthful signings to proven ones and who has spent the last few summers adding to Arsenal’s attacking options, despite their troubles at the back.
So with that in mind, here’s FIVE signings Wenger should be making this summer to transform his side into genuine title contenders, but probably won’t…
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PETR CECH
Although David Ospina has performed well since taking the No.1 mantle from Wojceich Szczesny to claim seven clean sheets in 14 Premier League appearances, Arsenal still need an upgrade between the sticks.
And there will be no superior option available to them this summer than Chelsea’s Petr Cech; a goalkeeper boasting four Premier League titles, the 2012 Champions League title and 332 appearances as Chelsea’s No.1.
At 32 years of age, the Czech international is firmly within his prime with arguably another decade left ahead of him, as a ‘keeper whose world-class positioning has always taken priority over his agility.
He’d add a much-needed sense of calmness to Arsenal’s defence and he’s easily one of the most experienced goalkeepers in the Premier League – only truly surpassed by golden oldies Tim Howard, Shay Given, Steve Harper and Brad Friedel.
But Arsene Wenger has already ruled the Gunners out of the race for the £10million-rated goalkeeper’s signature. “I believe in the goalkeepers I have,” said the Arsenal boss earlier this month – as reported by Sky Sports News.
“I believe that Wojciech Szczesny is a very good goalkeeper and David Ospina has come in and done a fantastic job. You look at the numbers in the Premier League and who is top of all the goalkeepers and you will see it is Ospina.”
MATS HUMMELS
Since winning the World Cup with Germany last summer, Per Mertesacker’s performance levels have undoubtedly dropped. Now 30 years of age and always plagued by his lack of pace, the centre-back’s limited recovery speed will only become an increasing problem for the Gunners over the next few years.
A long-term replacement is in order and in terms of readily available centre-backs in the coming window, Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels stands head and shoulders above the rest.
He blends the aerial dominance of a 6 foot 4 frame and exceptional reading of the game with the Franz Beckenbauer-esque ability to join or instigate attacks from deep positions – making him a perfect addition to the Gunners’ brand of attacking build-from-the-back football.
And the 26 year-old is almost certain to leave Westfalen this summer, following a campaign in which Dortmund have failed to qualify for the Champions League and resultantly parted with iconic manager Jurgen Klopp.
But once again, Wenger has dismissed the notion of signing the German international this summer.
“Four is enough,” said Wenger in regards to centre-backs Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Calum Chambers and Gabirel Paulista, as reported by The Express. “Debuchy can play there, Monreal can play there, so you can say we are not out to buy a central defender.”
Javi Martinez
An optimistic suggestion perhaps, but Bayern Munich battering ram Javi Martinez represents everything the Gunners currently lack in the middle of the park.
The Spain international measures in at 6 foot 3 and is so reliable defensively he’s often filled in at centre-back for both club and country. He’d be the perfect signing to contest the physical dominance of Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic and Manchester City’s Yaya Toure on a bi-seasonal basis.
The 26 year-old is also blessed with all the technical quality you’d expect from a Spain international playing for a tiki-taka-inspired Pep Guardiola side.
And despite not receiving too many inches in the tabloids’ transfer rumour columns recently, he could be interested in leaving the Allianz Arena this summer, having slumped down the pecking order somewhat since Guardiola’s arrival.
He’d likely cost a figure upwards of £30million, but if there’s one signing that can singlehandedly make the Gunners title contenders once again, it’s probably Martinez.
Unfortunately, however, something tells me Wenger won’t even test the waters this summer.
MORGAN SCHNEIDERLIN
A Martinez alternative Arsenal have been relentlessly linked with in the tabloids, the Gunners need more mettle in midfield and Morgan Schneiderlin is one of the most formidable enforcers in the Premier League.
This season, for example, the Frenchman has averaged the second-most tackles per-match of any Premier League player, and his double-screening alongside Victor Wanyama has undoubtedly contributed to Southampton boasting the division’s second-healthiest goals conceded column.
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Manager Ronald Koeman has even admitted the 25 year-old could force a move away from St. Mary’s this summer but the recent rise of Francis Coquelin could stand in the way.
The young Frenchman has been in fantastic form since his loan spell at Charlton Athletic in the first half of the season. Arsene Wenger has never been fond of ousting young players for the sake of more costly, experienced personnel.
KARIM BENZEMA
According to reports from Mirror Football this morning, Real Madrid could cash in on front-man Karim Benzema this summer.
The France international would be perfect for Arsenal and especially their lone striker role; he’s a big-and-burley, old fashioned centre-forward, measuring in at 6 foot 2, and has made a career out of scoring goals whilst bringing Real Madrid’s other talents – particularly Cristiano Ronaldo – into the game as much as possible.
Furthermore, now 27 years of age and having spent the last six years in Ronaldo’s shadow, Benzema still has a point to prove if he wants to be remembered as one of the top strikers of his generation – rather than just a sideshow to Los Blancos’ more coveted names.
His £40million price-tag should be within Arsenal’s financial reach. But Arsene Wenger has always maintained his faith in Olivier Giroud, which has been further justified by the Frenchman’s return of 14 goals in just 23 Premier League appearances this season.
Rather than considering an upgrade in the final third, the Gunners boss has instead insisted Theo Walcott is ready to play regularly at centre-forward and reminded fans Lukas Podolski, Yaya Sanogo and Joel Campbell will be returning to the Emirates from loan spells this summer.