It is shaping up to be a very busy January transfer window for Everton.
Toffees boss Sam Allardyce has been extremely open with the fact that he wants to bring at least a couple of players to Goodison Park this month.
One of those currently being linked with a move to Everton is Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, who has made 16 Premier League appearances this season.
There is no doubting that Shelvey is a wonderful passer of the ball – among the best in the Premier League – but it is another question entirely whether the midfielder can be trusted.
The 25-year-old, who is valued at £9m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has already picked up a couple of red cards this season, and he is really struggling to shake the image that currently surrounds him.
A move to Merseyside could well see Shelvey thrive, but the Everton supporters are not convinced. Indeed, when the transfer rumour was brought to light, there were a large number that said ‘no thanks’ to the deal.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes that Luis Suarez will shun rumoured interest from some of European football’s biggest sides to pen a new contract at Anfield.
The Uruguayan hit-man was expected to leave Merseyside over the summer after openly chasing a switch to Real Madrid.
Despite citing a lack of Champions League football and media treatment as reasons that he could not stay with the Reds, the club held firm to keep the controversial forward.
He has since made an excellent start to the season, netting 17 goals in 11 games, and appears to be enjoying life with Liverpool once again.
Rodgers’ side are expected to offer him a bumper contract to extend his stay at the club in the coming weeks and end mounting speculation of a January move, and the Northern Irishman believes the 26-year-old will sign:
“I’ve got every confidence that that will be the case.” He told the Liverpool Echo when asked if his thinks Suarez will extend his deal.
“He and I talk about the present. We speak about the improvements in his game and how he can become better in the future.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt. I think he himself feels he’s progressed here as a player.
“No matter how good you are and whether you’re 26 or 32, like Steven Gerrard was when I came in here, if you want to become a better player and feel you are improving and see the club progressing, then you are happy.
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.
“And at this moment in time I don’t think he can be any happier. I think he is at the happiest point he has been.
“He is a player we want to keep here and build the team around over the coming years. I just think he is in a good place and long may it continue.”
James McFadden is desperate to secure a contract with Sunderland after being taken on a week-long trial with the Wearsiders.
The Scotland international has been without a club since his release from Everton in the summer and is eager to join Martin O’Neill’s revolution at the Stadium of Light.
His agent Rob Segal spoke to The Journal, “He is training with Sunderland at the moment and hopefully he will join them if that’s an option.
“It is a great club but I don’t know where we stand at the moment.”
McFadden would offer cover to Sunderland’s improved attack, offering back up to Louis Saha and Steven Flecther whilst also putting pressure on the Black Cats in wide areas. Throughout his career the 29 year old has been competent out on left wing, and currently James McClean is the only orthodox left-winger on Wearside.
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.
A key player for Birmingham City McFadden has struggled to play football since a knee problem left him unavailable for most of 2011. A year long stint at Everton, for the 2011/2012 season followed his release from City. The season saw the Scot rarely used with David Moyes preferring Nikica Jelavic and Royston Drenthe in McFadden’s best position.
Tottenham’s 1-0 win over Newcastle on Wednesday night will hardly be remembered as a contest of relentless entertainment, but it provided Victor Wanyama the platform to remind suitors the power and control he can bring to the engine room ahead of a potential summer exit from the north London club.
That’s what The Daily Mail speculated at the end of last month and it’s tough to ignore the evidence. While the Kenyan international spent the first half of the season sidelined through injury, there’s hardly been a concerted effort from Mauricio Pochettino to integrate him back towards the almost integral status he held in Tottenham’s starting XI last term.
Indeed, Wednesday’s clash with Newcastle marked just a seventh Premier League start of the season for Wanyama, and it was largely forced by Eric Dier’s absence due to illness. Nonetheless, the ring rust barely showed and the powerful midfielder finished the match with the most interceptions and dribbles to his name of any Spurs player, while completing 89% of his passes and weighing in defensively with two tackles and five clearances.
With Wanyama’s future up in the air, we asked Arsenal fans last week whether they’d back a controversial summer swoop for the Tottenham anchorman and after a night in which the two north London clubs picked up two incredibly different results, it’s not hard to understand why 68% of Gunners fans would be in favour of a deal.
Whereas Wanyama played a huge part in Tottenham’s clean sheet against Newcastle, despite Pochettino’s side suffering an obvious slump in form of late, an Arsenal midfield containing Alex Iwobi, Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka failed to provide adequate protection for the back four in a 3-1 loss to Leicester City.
And for all the talk of drastic changes needed at Arsenal, an incredibly simple one could make all the difference. Having lacked power, discipline and defensive nous in midfield for so long under Arsene Wenger, a swoop for Wanyama could quickly solve a lot of the first team’s most immediate problems.
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.
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has hinted that Paul Pogba will eventually become the club’s captain on a permanent basis.
Michael Carrick is currently United’s skipper, but the midfielder has only made one appearance for the English giants this season, and is widely expired to retire next summer.
Antonio Valencia has held the armband in Carrick’s absence, but the full-back has missed United’s last two Premier League games with a hamstring problem.
Pogba, who is valued at £67.5m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has stepped forward to captain the team against Leicester City and Burnley, and Mourinho has suggested that the 24-year-old will ultimately settle into that role on a full-time basis.
Mourinho told reporters:
“Against Leicester we felt that it could be an extra motivation for him and that was it, there was no special decision.
“But maybe, because he’s a young guy and made in the club academy, he has the conditions to be captain in the future.”
United are currently 12 points behind Manchester City in the Premier League table after drawing their last two in the league against Leicester and Burnley.
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.
Mourinho’s side, who have been widely criticised in recent weeks, will finish 2017 with a home game against Southampton this weekend.
Ravel Morrison is part of the ever-growing stream of young talents to slip through the clutches of the academy at Manchester United. A wild child with undoubted ability, he ended his tumultuous apprenticeship with the Premier League club by joining West Ham for an initial fee of less than £1million back in 2012.
Few have ever doubted the abilities of the young Englishman, but many have been quick to point out his many unsavoury traits that have seen his career so far be littered with disappointments. Domestic abuse, homophobic tweets and witness intimidation; it has been a bumpy ride in the career of the 20-year-old midfielder so far.
When asked about why he left United, former assistant Mike Phelan had the following to say:
“It was something going on between his ears.”
[cat_link cat=”premiership” type=”list”]
This underlines the issue for Morrison, a man with incredible ability who just needs to get his head down and apply himself. With his United career firmly behind him now, it is definitely time for Sam Allardyce to get the very best out of this precocious young talent.
Maybe we are already starting to see signs of this resurgence already. 3 goals in just 5 starts, he has added a creative element to a West Ham midfield that has been somewhat bereft of it in recent times. His footballing style mirrors his enigmatic personality, rarely adopting a fixed position he has been able to float in and out during matches.
Morrison is flourishing in the role that Allardyce has afforded him, and his keenness to be involved as much as possible during games is refreshing. Rightly criticised for perhaps over-playing instead of looking for a teammate, Allardyce does still have a lot of work on his hands to continue Morrison’s development. Some may argue that if Fergie couldn’t tame the boy then who can? Few are better at instilling the traditional English footballing ethics into youngsters than ‘Big Sam’ and he couldn’t really be at a better place than West Ham right now.
A club celebrated as the ‘Academy of Football’ and rightly so in my opinion, West Ham will offer Morrison first team opportunities going forward at the standard required for his development. His off field debacles have become less and less prominent as his football has begun now to finally do the talking. This may finally be the young Englishman’s coming of age.
West Ham aren’t the only ones who believe that the Englishman has turned a corner, selection by new boss Gareth Southgate for the England u-21s is a clear sign that many in the game now think Morrison has changed. Upcoming friendlies against San Marino and Lithuania will be a good barometer of where the youngster is at with his game.
Joining up with Southgate will do the midfielder no harm either. Widely regarded as one of the best coaches in England, his insight will be invaluable for Morrison as he looks to accelerate his progress.
It is important to remember the boy is still 20; it is unlikely that his rise to prominence will be immediate. In fact it is probably best for his own sake that he is treated in a more cautious way than he was during his ‘wonderkid’ days at Manchester United. Caught up in his own ego, Allardyce will be keen to ensure that no repeat is made.
If West Ham play their cards right they may well have the next Paul Scholes on their hands. A difficult balancing act that both fans of West Ham and England will be keen to see working out. We so painfully lack creative English midfielders and someone like Morrison needs to be cherished rather than barracked.
It is difficult to tell if Morrison has really changed, but evidently progress is being made. This is potentially the biggest year of his footballing life coming up as he is gifted a second opportunity to prove his worth.
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.
I have faith in both Allardyce and the club as a whole that this can work. For the sake of our national game it is probably something we should all be hoping for.
Liverpool owner John W Henry has written an open letter to the club’s fans, explaining the side’s transfer strategy and rejecting claims that the side have failed in the recent window.
The Reds did not bring in a new striker before the end of August, leading to frustration from the Anfield faithful given that Fabio Borini and Luis Suarez are the only two remaining forwards at the club.
However Henry has defended the Merseyside club’s stance.
“I am as disappointed as anyone connected with Liverpool Football Club that we were unable to add further to our strike force in this summer transfer window, but that was not through any lack of desire or effort on the part of all of those involved,” he said in an open letter to the fans, published in Sky Sports.
“They pushed hard in the final days of the transfer window on a number of forward targets and it is unfortunate that on this occasion we were unable to conclude acceptable deals to bring those targets in.
“A summer window which brought in three young, but significantly talented starters in Joe Allen, Nuri Sahin and Fabio Borini as well as two exciting young potential stars of the future – Samed Yesil and Oussama Assaidi – could hardly be deemed a failure as we build for the future.
“Nor should anyone minimise the importance of keeping our best players during this window. We successfully retained Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel and Luis Suarez. We greatly appreciate their faith and belief in the club. And we successfully negotiated new, long-term contracts with Luis and with Martin.
“The transfer policy was not about cutting costs. It was – and will be in the future – about getting maximum value for what is spent so that we can build quality and depth.
“Spending is not merely about buying talent. Our ambitions do not lie in cementing a mid-table place with expensive, short-term quick fixes that will only contribute for a couple of years.
“Our emphasis will be on developing our own players using the skills of an increasingly impressive coaching team. Much thought and investment already have gone into developing a self-sustaining pool of youngsters imbued in the club’s traditions.
“We are still in the process of reversing the errors of previous regimes. It will not happen overnight. It has been compounded by our own mistakes in a difficult first two years of ownership. It has been a harsh education, but make no mistake, the club is healthier today than when we took over.
“Finally, I can say with authority that our ownership is not about profit. Contrary to popular opinion, owners rarely get involved in sports in order to generate cash.
“They generally get involved with a club in order to compete and work for the benefit of their club. It’s often difficult. In our case we work every day in order to generate revenues to improve the club.
“We have only one driving ambition at Liverpool and that is the quest to win the Premier League playing the kind of football our supporters want to see.
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.
“That will only occur if we do absolutely the right things to build the club in a way that makes sense for supporters, for us and for those who will follow us.
“We will deliver what every long-term supporter of Liverpool Football Club aches for,”the American concluded.
Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy continued his fine run of form in his side’s crucial 1-0 victory against Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium on Tuesday night, and Liverpool should look to sign the 28-year-old stopper instead of Stoke City’s Jack Butland.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Merseyside outfit have been linked with a move for the England international in recent weeks as Jurgen Klopp looks to bring in more competition for Loris Karius between the sticks, and The Telegraph says that the Potters will demand £40m for the 25-year-old despite the club’s relegation to the Championship on Saturday.
Butland may well be in demand from a number of Premier League clubs this summer, but the Reds perhaps should turn their attentions to McCarthy instead, who has been a hero in Saints’ battle against the drop and has earned rave reviews from the supporters for his displays – he kept a clean sheet and made a couple of brilliant saves in the win against Swansea which left them on the verge of preserving their top flight status.
How has McCarthy done this season?
The 28-year-old hadn’t even made a single appearance for the club this term until December 30, when he replaced Fraser Forster in the XI for the trip to Manchester United following a 5-2 loss against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Boxing Day.
The stopper kept a clean sheet at Old Trafford and has been an ever-present since, pulling off brilliant saves and commanding his area as the team has taken seven points from the last nine available in the Premier League.
Why should Liverpool sign him?
There are a number of reasons.
Firstly, McCarthy is showing just how good a goalkeeper he is right now, with his saves from Ryan Fraser, Leighton Baines and Jordan Ayew in the last three games respectively absolutely top class.
The 28-year-old will be pushing for an England spot in the future if this form continues, and it would be difficult to argue that there is much between him and Butland right now.
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.
Meanwhile, if there is any truth to the story that Stoke want £40m for their goalkeeper, Liverpool would be much better opting for McCarthy instead if they want to save some money, with the Saints man currently having just a year left on his contract.
The transfer window has only just officially opened and free spending Manchester City have wasted no time in closing in on their first big money signing.
The Telegraph are reporting that City are ready to bid £50m for Wolfsburg’s attacking midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. £50m for De Bruyne?! Have they lost the plot?
This news comes just days after the FFP restrictions troubling the club were lifted now that City have met all the financial targets set by UEFA.
The Belgium international impressed for Wolfsburg last season – scoring 10 goals and providing twenty assists in the Bundesliga – and has become a vital part of the side at the Volkswagen Arena since his Chelsea exit in 2014.
Any move for the player would raise a number of questions, however, and there are several important issues City need to take into account before lodging any kind of bid for the player.
Here are FOUR reasons this is a move to avoid, especially with Raheem Sterling also a £50m target.
[interaction id=“none”]
Premier League Failure
De Bruyne has already experienced life in the Premier League in a short lived spell at champions Chelsea. He signed for the club in for £6.8m back in 2012 from Belgian side Genk with a reputation as a top talent.
Life in English football didn’t work out all for the player, though, with the midfielder featuring only a handful of times after failing to make any kind of impact under manager Jose Mourinho.
Jose cut his losses and sold the player to Wolfsburg for £20m in 2014, hinting that he may not be suited to the English game.
Homegrown Nightmare
City are already facing a major problem this summer, and that should be the focus of attention instead of signing De Bruyne.
The club are severely lacking homegrown talent for their first-team squad next season, with just Joe Hart and defender Gael Clichy meeting the specification.
The Citizens have been heavily linked with a number of English players including Raheem Sterling, Jack Wilshere and Fabian Delph and should be concentrating their efforts on bringing in talented Englishmen to avoid any more potential penalties for rule breaching.
Silva A Cut Above
Should the player complete a move to the Etihad Stadium, he is likely to try to command a central attacking midfielder role. This is not an easy task for anyone.
David Silva has well and truly made the position his own, consistently producing incredible performances in a City shirt.
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.
Silva is the key man at the club and the player is involved in every attack, weighing in with plenty of goals and assists, and has developed a wonderful relationship with Sergio Aguero.
It is certain that De Bruyne would have to adapt his game to fit around the Spaniard, If he wanted to make any kind of impact at the club.
Held To Ransom
City would be crazy to pay £50m for the 24 year old Belgian. When you compare the deal to that of other players in his position you can see just how ridiculous the price is.
Eden Hazard moved to Stamford Bridge for £32m, and he is arguably the best player in the Premier League at this moment in time. There are plenty more examples all over the division, too – Juan Mata joined Manchester United for £37m and Alexis Sanchez joined Arsenal for £35m.
There is little doubt those players are all better than De Bruyne and prove it makes little sense for City to invest so much in a player that is nowhere near the highest standard.
Jose Mourinho has been appointed Chelsea manager and the decision on who will be the new Manchester City boss is expected to equally surprise few people, with the appointment of Manuel Pellegrini expected within a matter of days. Both clubs have sky high expectations of their men, but is the desperation for control from the owners at the Etihad and Stamford Bridge going to handicap their men at the helm?
Mourinho walks into a situation where Abramovich has almost certainly looked to conduct his own business before the Portuguese maestro re-emerged in West London. The negotiations to bring in Andre Schurrle from Bayer Leverkusen are an ominous for the former Real Madrid boss, as the Russian owner looks set to once again meddle in affairs.
There is a sigh of disapproval from supporters when the owners try and play football manager in real life, but the Blues fans have come to accept the need their owner has to be the centre of attention. Jose Mourinho may have been successful in his last stint at Stamford Bridge but such is the fickle nature of football that he comes back to the Premier League on the back foot. One mediocre season and several Spanish press fall outs last campaign means that Abramovich is holding the cards, in what is set to become yet another awkward marriage of personalities. They say never go back into bed with your ex and Mourinho could find out why his last stint ended in such a messy divorce.
In Manchester there is a similar desire for Khaldoon Al Mubarak and Sheikh Mansour to send out a message that they are in charge at Man City. When they appointed Roberto Mancini, there was an awareness that Man City were on the cusp of greatness but they still hadn’t reached the pinnacle of the Premier League. They needed the magic touches and World Class players added to the nucleus of a strong squad to really force themselves into contention.
There was an initial patience with Mancini, but as soon as the Premier League was achieved, greed took over. There was an acute awareness from the owners that they had built a squad full of superb footballers and at the end of last campaign they decided they no longer had to appease the temperament of their passionate Italian boss. They require a head coach who has far less control than Mancini did. The insistence of the former Inter Milan boss upon his own medical treatments and his clear disregard for future planning, as well as his soft spot for the erratic Mario Balotelli, was never in line with the common sense approach that they want to form at the Etihad.
This is not a slight on the managerial abilities of Mourinho or Pellegrini. The Premier League is becoming far more results and business inclined. The opportunity these two managers will have to stamp their personality on their sides will be based upon whether they achieve their objectives. There is no room for mitigating factors and whilst both managers have demonstrated their poise and skill to earn themselves the hot seats at their respective new clubs, this has become irrelevant. The players are far more savvy of their position than they once were, and you have to wonder if either La Liga boss can achieve cohesion at their clubs. Mourinho has freely admitted that the ethics of the modern footballer has changed as they have no respect for authority.
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.
Jose Mourinho especially, is a manager who feels it is pivotal to win over his dressing room and have emotional connections with his players Can he achieve this once more at Chelsea? Will the players have such beaming confidence in their manager if they suffer yet another tricky November?. As the current Premier League manager list illustrates, not one manager is 100% safe in their job. Arsene Wenger is in an extremely tenuous position despite being the longest serving manager the league has to offer, this is a dangerous sign for any manager that enters the pressure cooker of the Premier League.
The heat has been raised a few notches with the TV money increasing once again and there has to be a concern that the pendulum has swung in favour of a new business model, which has no place for a long term managerial strategy. The stakes are so high that it would be no shock if Man City and Chelsea have rotated their managers before the season is out. There will be very little sympathy for either boss, because of the huge opportunity they will have to win the Premier League and the astronomical contracts they will be given from their employers in the hope they succeed. Do they really have a chance?