Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky has set his sights on earning regular first-team football and helping the Londoners qualify for next season’s Champions League.
The Czech Republic international has missed much of the current campaign with an Achilles injury, but has returned to the first-team in recent weeks.
His fitness woes have limited him to just nine appearances across all competitions and no Premier League starts.
But, Rosicky is optimistic that he can play regularly between now and the end of the season, and is hopeful that manager Arsene Wenger will put his faith in him:
“Naturally, I would like to play more often, that’s for sure,” he is quoted by Sky Sports via CTK.
“I feel very well, the results in fitness tests were the same as they were in previous seasons when I played regularly.
“When the coach picks me, I go along with all the tactical tasks and I think I have nothing to be ashamed of.
“It’s the manager’s team and I fully respect his decisions. I cannot do anything else other than train properly and wait for a chance.”
The 32-year-old went on to say that the club’s European fate is much more important than his desire to perform regularly:
“The team has had problems so there’s no space or time to complain that someone is not playing. To me, personally, the most important thing is that the club which I love finishes in a position where we can compete in the Champions League.”
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.
Rosicky has endured an injury-plagued spell in North London since his 2006 arrival from Borussia Dortmund.
He has managed just over 100 appearances in the red shirt, but has struggled to fulfil the potential he had as a youngster
Aston Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov, who is continuing his treatment for leukemia, has confirmed his retirement from football.
The 33-year-old former Bulgaria international was diagnosed with acute leukemia in March 2012 which meant he had to suspend his football career to have treatment.
However, Petrov, who is now in remission, has issued a statement on the Villa website to reveal that he is ‘with a heavy heart’ announcing his retirement from the game as he plans to ’embrace new challenges’ by setting up a foundation to help address issues people are faced with when they are diagnosed with leukemia.
He also thanked the people who treated him, including Professor David Lunch at University College London Hospital and Professor Charlie Craddock, Sandeep Nagra and all of the nurses at University Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
The former CSKA Sofia and Celtic star added in his statement: “I wish to thank the fans of Aston Villa and the Villa chairman, Randy Lerner, chief executive Paul Faulkner and manager Paul Lambert, also the fans of Celtic, the Bulgarian fans and fans of football all over the world who have helped me through the past year with their incredible displays of support and with their personal, moving messages.
“I would also like to thank all of the managers I have worked under and all of the team-mates I have played alongside. I loved playing football with all of you and you will always remain in my heart.”
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.
UEFA have appointed David Gill to chair their licensing committee under the new Financial Fair Play, sparking a debate about the position of a current Manchester United board member and the quite clear conflict of interest it raises.
Of course it’s a conflict of interest, but such is the way that football works that you’re always likely to come across situations like this. UEFA may be questioned for their decision to offer Gill a level of power over clubs who breach the rules laid out by Financial Fair Play, but to do that would also indirectly question Gill’s integrity, assuming that he’d simply go out of his way to clear Manchester United’s path of their nearest rivals.
Manchester United are one of the clubs to advocate a limit on spending, where they were also backed by the majority of Premier League and European clubs. The problem of this appointment, however, is that there is access to the accounts of domestic and European rivals. The matter shouldn’t be that Gill will blindly swing the hammer and show his continued allegiance to United, but rather that his position can work in their favour.
[cat_link cat=”premiership” type=”list”]
For that it’s understandable why clubs like Chelsea or Manchester City would be fearful or at least mindful of Gill’s new position. But regardless of whether the power holder has ties to Manchester United or not, they’ll still come down firm on those who fail to balance the books. At least that’s what we’re led to believe. You’re either cynical or a realist if you believe FFP is coming into place to keep the rich at the top. Malaga were battling to attain a license to compete in Europe next season, Rayo Vallecano too, yet you’d be stretched to imagine any of the big or money-making clubs facing such struggles.
Isn’t it also best for UEFA to appoint someone for this role who does hold a good working knowledge of the game? Gill will retain a position on the board at Manchester United and as such is on the frontlines to deal with the matters of his new position accordingly. The issue here, or the lack of one, is that only clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea will speak out on this matter. They are the clubs compressing 15 or 20 years of build into three or four and they have shown a continued willingness to spend heavily in a time of economic recession.
Where is Bayern Munich? Adding to that, where is Manchester United in this debate? It doesn’t matter whether Gill is one of their own, shouldn’t they also be mindful of possible fines and bans due to their own history of lavish spend? Bayern and United, and many others, are not comparable to PSG, Chelsea and Monaco. It doesn’t really need further explanation, such has been their status at the top of the European game for decades.
You’d also like to assume that Gill will come down hard on United if they’re found to be in breach of UEFA rulings. Those who will go on to laugh off that assumption should probably be mindful of the idea that United may go all out to ensure they don’t fall foul of the rules in place. Their approaching sponsorship deals will give them the ability to continue spending as they please. The bigger conflict of interest is in the sponsorships aligned with Manchester City.
Yet it furthers the whole issue on whether these new rulings are simply in place to keep the best teams at the top and almost unrivalled. Monaco, Manchester City and up until recently Malaga had to dip into the pockets of outside investors in order to make up ground in league competition. That can’t happen now.
What if QPR decide they want to continue spending their way out of trouble? UEFA won’t allow it. They want to encourage organic building in football, something which can take at least a decade to achieve, all the while masking their true goal in the game which sees a maintaining of the equilibrium. At least that’s the cynical view.
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.
How will David Gill’s position with UEFA play out across England?
Blackburn Rovers defender Scott Dann has Fulham, Swansea and Everton chasing him this summer, according to Sky Sports.
Dann is a key man for Rovers but the club are willing to listen to offers for any big money players after spending big last summer and showing little reward.
The strikeforce of Jordan Rhodes and Leon Best cost over £10million and a bottom half finish and three different managers showed little reward for that.
Fulham boss Martin Jol is still in for a defender to complete his squad after spending most of his summer improving his attacking options with Darren Bent the latest signing.
Swansea boss Michael Laudrup will move for Dann if Arsenal follow up their interest in City defender Ashley Williams with a big money bid in the coming weeks.
Dann played for Rovers last night but a number of scouts were at the game with just 17 days to go until the end of the transfer window.
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.
Roberto Soldado’s struggles in the Premier League are a good representation of Tottenham as a whole this season: high spend, plenty of promise, but failing to hit the ground running. For most, a lesson learnt.
It’s still hard to believe that Andre Villas-Boas has refused to set up his team to get the best out of the single player who has a record of goals and who is capable of taking on a lot of the burden left by Gareth Bale. Roberto Soldado isn’t a poor player by any means, but any player, no matter their quality, can look like a waste at near £30 million if his team aren’t interested in playing to his strengths.
Just following his signing back in August, I said that this was Tottenham’s priority in the way of players in the squad. Soldado may not be the most talented – he isn’t – but he’s the calibre of striker the team have been in search of for many years.
Maybe there is a case to be made that Villas-Boas is looking to a more “complete” team with players not shackled down by individual assignments or positions; basically something which heightens the movement of a group of players who are more than capable of roaming and contributing in multiple areas of the pitch.
We’ve seen similar tactical approaches elsewhere in Europe. Atletico Madrid relied heavily upon Radamel Falcao in the Colombian’s first season with the club and into his second. But midway through, Diego Simeone found ways to enhance the contribution of Arda Turan, Koke and vitally Diego Costa. The team were no longer set up to work for Falcao with the focus switched elsewhere.
Similarly, Spurs have midfield players who want to get themselves on the score sheet and are capable of advancing into the box. It’s not a team who are playing for a poacher – at least it doesn’t appear that way.
So why buy Soldado if this was to be Villas-Boas’ plan all along? We praised the team work of the manager, Daniel Levy and Franco Baldini, but there are some inconsistencies to what we’re seeing on the pitch now to what we saw in the unity of this past summer.
Soldado isn’t a world-class striker; I’ve been over that before when comparing him and Alvaro Negredo, who incidentally I also don’t quite class in that bracket yet.
But as said, Soldado is a poacher with good movement. He’ll make intelligent runs in the final third but his game is heavily reliant on the service from others. Valencia as individuals over the past few seasons were hardly high class following the departures of David Silva and David Villa; Juan Mata is obviously an exception. However, the team became focused on the scoring ability of Soldado. As a unit, they would win possession and find ways to exploit their best source of goals.
Soldado isn’t a striker who takes shots from outside the box, nor will he pick up the ball in midfield and drive towards goal in the way players like Luis Suarez and Wayne Rooney can. And it’s telling: he isn’t doing anything because he has nothing to work with – or at least extremely little.
And that returns to the point about him falling short of the world-class tag. You generally give players like Edinson Cavani or Falcao – two world-class finishers – one chance and they’ll take it. Soldado often needed a handful of opportunities before he found the net; though his conversion has improved as of last season.
He received a call up to the Spanish national team because he was deemed another option in attack but also because he was deemed good enough. He’s scored while on international duty, taking advantage of the myriad creative outlets from midfield. Tellingly, in his hat-trick game against Venezuela, he could have had five. But that’s his wastefulness coming to the fore.
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.
Tottenham, under this set up, will go nowhere. Fortunately they have a good defensive foundation and have benefitted from solitary goals seeing them up the league table. But it’s not a long-term commitment. For Tottenham, anything around £30 million for a 28-year-old is a huge outlay, especially when dealing with a player who has to adapt to a new league and who has never played outside of his previous league.
But by knowingly reducing the outcome for success – and especially where there is a real opportunity to see Soldado flourish – questions will continue to be asked about the wider scale of the issue at Spurs.
In the build up to this week’s FA Cup third round fixtures, I spoke to former Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City striker Michael Owen about his thoughts on some of this weekend’s cup ties. We focused on the matches which will be aired live on BT Sport.
Blackburn Rovers v Manchester City – Saturday 4th January, 12pm, BT Sport 1
In recent years, City have had a pretty decent record against Rovers. Winning 6 of the last 9 matches, you need to go back to 2007 for when City last lost to Blackburn. So, will City be going into the game full of confidence or will they be fearful of Blackburn as we have seen so many upsets in the early stages of an FA Cup run?
“Well, I think that it really depends on the team that goes out on Saturday. They have got such a strong squad at the moment, and it will be interesting to see if Manuel Pellegrini puts this game high up in his priority list. However, I do feel that Blackburn are in a very sticky period at the moment and I’m not quite sure whether their form is the best going into a match like this. So I think overall that it’s a nice pitch to play on and I see a City victory.”
Man City have scored 85 goals so far this season in all competitions and we’re only at the start of January. But we saw against Crystal Palace last week that City struggled to break Palace down as they played some second team players: Do you think that Pellegrini will put out his strongest side possible to avoid an upset?
“Well, I’m not sure on his strongest side as he is one of those managers that doesn’t rotate often. When you do have a squad which is the size of City’s where you’ve got so many world class players, you’ve got to give some players a bit of playing time. I think the FA Cup is an ideal opportunity for the likes of James Milner who hasn’t been starting recently, players like that who have been on the fringe of things for City this season. So I still think they’ll be a very strong side against Blackburn; even though they only scored 1 goal against Palace last weekend. City score goals for fun and Blackburn aren’t the same side of what they a couple of years ago.”
So, overall, how do you see the game going yourself? Shock or no shock?
“No shock. I think it will be Blackburn Rovers 1-3 Manchester City.”
Derby County v Chelsea – Sunday 5th January, 1.30pm, BT Sport 1
Derby are going strong in the Championship (fourth in the table …two points off an automatic promotion place) Should Mourinho be wary of this when they go to Pride Park on Sunday? Despite Derby having an atrocious record against the Blues? Derby last defeated Chelsea in 1999.
“This is one of those games where you see Derby get pulled out the hat and their at home you think, “Home tie against an inform Championship side? I want to avoid them.” Steve McClaren has done a fabulous job since taking over; he has really turned things around there. And even though they are facing Chelsea, Derby has got a great chance of winning. It will be interesting to see which team Mourinho does put out for this tie, but regardless to what side he does put out, Derby will definitely make a game of it and it should be a cracking game to watch. There is more chance of an upset happening in this cup tie than the Blackburn vs Man City game.”
Now Michael, you’ve worked with Steve McClaren when he was England manager; how would he go into a game like this? He’s won 10 of his first 14 games since taking over from Nigel Clough in the autumn which has propelled Derby up the table, so Derby fans may be going into the game with optimism that they could win. However, Chelsea have won the FA Cup 4 times in the last 7 season. How would he prepare his players for a massive game like this?
“Well, he doesn’t need to ramp up the enthusiasm anymore when facing a side like Chelsea. I think the Derby players will be full of confidence and self belief, as they’ll be really looking forward to the game. What McClaren has done since taking over is quite remarkable; he is certainly one of the best coaches I’ve worked under as I was very fortunate to work him in the England squad. He’s also had a couple of poor spells (most notably at Wolfsburg and Nottingham Forest), but he’s also had some fantastic spells as a manager; when he got Middlesbrough to the UEFA Cup final back in 2006, what he is doing now at Derby, when he was assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Man United and of course when he won the title in Holland. He’s got a fantastic pedigree despite not having the longest managerial careers. So, I think his side will give Chelsea a good fight on Sunday.”
How crucial is it for Mourinho to ensure that his men do not get complacent? Although Chelsea may be the strong favourites going into this game, we have seen for instance Liverpool losing to Oldham 3-2 last year; is complacency a key factor for a giant killing?
“Well, when you see the position that Derby are in and when you’re playing away from home, you can’t get complacent. I think Mourinho will tell his players that as soon as they arrive at the ground that complacency isn’t an option. I don’t think Chelsea will get complacent on Sunday but if they do, it will be very foolish of Chelsea as Derby are a good side with very good players.”
When Derby last played Chelsea, they lost 6-1. This was when they were last in the Premier League when they accumulated just 11 points. However, do statistics matter in a cup match?
“No, not at all. We’ve seen recently that Tottenham hadn’t beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford since 1989, and now Tottenham have beaten United at Old Trafford for the last two seasons. Derby has got a completely different team from 2008 and they’re in a better position. Yes, they’re not in the Premier League but their sky high in the Championship and they would prefer that than being bottom of the Premier League with the lowest amount of points. And the fact they’re nearly top in the Championship will boost their confidence levels for when they do play Chelsea.”
So, overall, how do you see the game going yourself? Shock or no shock?
“Derby will scare Chelsea, but I think the Blues will just edge it. Derby County 1-2 Chelsea.”
Manchester Utd v Swansea City – Sunday 5th January, 4.15pm, BT Sport 1
Now to one of your former clubs Michael. Do you think that Moyes will be looking at the FA Cup along with the League Cup as the best chances for him to win some silverware this season?
“Yes, 100%. He desperately wants to win something; he doesn’t want his first season at Man United to end trophyless after taking over from Sir Alex Ferguson. He’ll be looking at both cup completions as his best bet to win a trophy this season due to their disappointing league run. I don’t think Moyes will rest too many players against Swansea as he really needs the victory. I feel a backlash here for Swansea because despite losing to Spurs on Wednesday, United had won six on the bounce and had shown great team spirit. So I think it will be a bad time to play United as they really want to go out and win.”
After the defeat to Spurs on Wednesday and with some big names being injured such as RVP and Phil Jones, don’t you think it will be risky if he were to start with his strongest side against Swansea and risk MORE injuries. Or do you think he’ll give fringe players such as Wilfred Zaha, Anderson, Alex Buttner, and the Da Silva twins starts as they need to prove a point at United?
“Well if United were doing well in the league, he would have made a number of changes to give some of the fringe player’s game time. However, in the situation that they are in, Moyes can’t afford to lose another match especially in the cup, so he’ll more than likely start with his strongest team, bar to a couple of changes.”
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.
How important is to for United to avoid a slip on Sunday? Because if they were to get a draw against Swansea, it will cause a fixture pile up due to their league cup commitments which will lead to fatigue. And David Moyes needs all the luck he can possible get at the moment.
“I suppose so, but then again everyone who is connected with United would rather get a draw than a defeat. Manchester United are well equipped to fixture pile ups as we’ve seen in the past. They’ve got a very big squad so they can always rotate and these players are paid to play in the Premier League, Champions League, FA and League Cup so a fixture pile up won’t really be a problem for United. You can also say the same about Swansea: They’ll most probably play the same amount of games as United this season due to their Europa League commitments, but then their squad is nothing compared to United’s as they lack depth and quality. So a fixture pile up could be an issue, but United will be able to deal with it.”
So, overall, how do you see the game going yourself? Shock or no shock?
“No shock for me. Manchester United 3-0 Swansea City.”
Now Michael, you won the FA Cup as a player in 2001 with Liverpool, I remember it very well because I’m an Arsenal fan! Did you feel there is a difference when you play in a cup match to when you play in a league match? Or did they just feel the same?
“Well I think there is a little difference, because at the back of your mind you know it is a one off. You also have that thought where one little mistake and you’re out but if you lose in a league game, you’ve got 37 matches to rectify that mistake. There is also that feeling amongst the players when on the pitch, as you’re more careful with your passes and long balls as one mistake could knock you out. It’s a very unique cup which all players enjoy playing in.”
BT Sport will be showing up to 25 live games including the final from this season’s FA Cup with Budweiser. BT Sport is free with BT broadband, to find out more visit www.btsport.com
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has accused Arjen Robben of “making more” of the incident that led to Wojciech Szczesny’s red card, which “killed the game”.
Although the penalty following Szczesny’s sending off was missed, Bayern Munich went on to win 2-0 at the Emirates in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League last 16.
The goalkeeper seemed to have clipped Robben after the Dutchman beat him to the ball, but Wenger was clearly unhappy with Robben’s reaction.
“Our keeper went genuinely for the ball, he touched Robben, who made certainly more of it, and I told him,” Wenger told BBC. “It killed the game completely.”
“He (Robben) has enough experience to know to make more of it.
“Overall I thought Bayern made a lot of every single contact, we are not used to that in England.
“There were fouls given today that usually are not given in the Premier League, but it’s different rules and we have to accept it.
“The game was, until then, top quality, and in the second half it was boring for neutral people. It was one-way traffic.”
Bayern Munich were then able to take control of the game as they took advantage of the extra man, scoring through Toni Kroos and Thomas Muller to give the Germans a big advantage going into the second leg.
It could have all been very different had Mesut Ozil not missed a penalty awarded early in the game. The German playmaker hit a weak shot which was easily saved by Manuel Neuer and looked to have affected his confidence.
“I think it affected Mesut, he was still shaking his head five or 10 minutes after that,” said Wenger.
“It had a huge impact on his performance. Confidence is your petrol in the team, it gives you the desire to play.”
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 Gunners will hope to get back on track in the Premier League, hosting Sunderland this weekend.
The summer transfer window is yet to open, but with reports in the papers suggesting Luis Suarez is happy to stay at Liverpool, no business will be more well-received by the club than the sentiments he has been quoted as saying.
Turn the clock back just less than a year and speculation had emerged surrounding Luis Suarez’s future. The Uruguayan striker was in bang in the middle of a 10-game domestic ban, and all the noises coming from his camp – himself and his agent likewise – was that he was unsettled and that he was keen to move on to greener pastures, i.e. a club that could offer Champions League football.
Nearly 12 months on and the future looks brighter for Suarez and Liverpool.
“Don’t worry, nothing is going to happen to me. I’m very happy here and my family is happy here. If we could win the Premier League and bring the trophy home it would be incredible, a dream come true.”
And why would Suarez be considering elsewhere right now? He has just recently collected the PFA Player of the Season award, having amassed a total of 30 goals and 12 assists in the Premier League. He’s destined to be awarded the Golden Boot, and has a serious chance of collecting a Premier League winner’s medal. He’s a key part of a young, talented, and maturing side, with a progressive manager, challenging up at the top of the Premier League for the first time in years. It could hardly be more exciting for Liverpool right now, and with Suarez in tow, the outlook is even more positive.
Rumours that Real Madrid are planning a big-money move for Suarez are unlikely to tempt Liverpool, but the potential to unsettle Suarez in noteworthy. A player of his quality can’t be content at a club languishing down below the Champions League spots. But with Liverpool’s progression, and Suarez’s contribution to the cause, keeping a player of his calibre isn’t quite as taxing.
In Suarez, Liverpool have one of the very top players in the world. He is arguably one of only four or five who could even consider themselves to have reached a standard anywhere near comparable to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He already earns big money – his recent contract extension took his earnings to over £100k per week – and he has carved out a niche in a side which allows him the freedom to express himself on the field. He has the faith of the club and the fans, and is at a club chasing major honours.
No matter how much is spent at Anfield in the summer, no piece of business they do will be better music to their ears than Suarez’s happiness. The type of talismanic ability he possesses isn’t readily available, and no replacement can be guaranteed to touch on what the Uruguayan has achieved for Liverpool this season.
Tottenham’s shambles in the last summer transfer window showed the devastating effect the loss of one key player can have. No matter how much quality they brought in to accommodate for Gareth Bale’s departure, they haven’t found a mixture that can make up for what he brought to the side.
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.
Competing on multiple fronts next season will require Suarez to be at his fiery, most rampant best. Ensuring Suarez is happy will keep Liverpool happy, and vice versa. The relationship is currently two-way between the club and player. As long as it stays that way, it could flower into something far more beautiful than it already has become.
Tottenham must stop selling their big name players if they are to fulfil their top four ambitions, according to their former star, Micky Hazard.
Spurs have made a habit of offloading top performers at their peak in recent seasons, with Gareth Bale having left to sign for Real Madrid in a world record £87m deal last summer.
The Welshman is latest in a long line of players to have exited White Hart Lane for a large fee, following the likes of Luka Modric, Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Carrick.
WANT MORE? >> Tottenham transfer news | Latest transfer news
Hugo Lloris recently signed a new contract quelling fears that he would become the next to head away from north London, but with Michel Vorm having been since signed there is still talk of the Frenchman going to Paris Saint-Germain.
Mauricio Pochettino was drafted in with the aim of getting Tottenham back into the top four, and Hazard believes that the Lilywhites will only have a chance of achieving this aim if they stop offloading key players:
“Lloris has just signed a new contract, so I hope the club will keep hold of him for at least another year.” He told talkSPORT. “But, as we found with Bale, if he wants to leave he will do.
“Bale behaved in the same manner, he signed a five-year deal and then we got £87million for him from Real Madrid, so if the same happens with Lloris then fine. But I hope he stays because he’s absolutely top draw, Lloris is the key for Spurs.
“One of the problems the club has had in recent years is that we’ve let all our best players go. If we had been able to keep hold of the likes of Bale, Modric and Berbatov we could have qualified for the Champions League and maybe even challenged for the Premier League.
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.
“It’s a problem the club has to address, we can’t keep letting our top players go because they always go on to be successful somewhere else.”
The big question on everyone’s mind is whether Liverpool can continue their previous season form which saw them finish second place in the English Premier League without the services of prolific striker Luis Suarez.
However, after his sale, Brendan Rodgers has reinforced the club which quite a large number of new faces as he looks to continue to build his perfect squad.
With planning for next window already said to have begun, here are SIX transfers the Reds could complete when the January market reopens.
[ffc-gallery]
CLICK ON CHRISTOPH KRAMER TO SEE THE FULL LIST
[/ffc-gallery]
Dani Alves
//www.youtube.com/embed/DSZmTJ_NFuI
Name: Dani Alves
Age: 31
Position: Right Back
Nationality: Brazilian
Club: Barcelona
Price: £10 – £15 million
News of Dani Alves making a switch from Barcelona to the Premier League has recently been circulating the media with Liverpool and Manchester United rumoured to be preparing a bid.
Regarded as one of the world’s best right back, Alves has had huge success in the La Liga with many trophy-filled years. Not normally known for his defensive game, he is very devastating in the attacking side with his ability to dribble, shoot, and cross from anywhere along the right flanks.
Antonio Candreva
//www.youtube.com/embed/PPTrhWQVpIA
Name: Antonio Candreva
Age: 27
Position: Right Wing
Nationality: Italy
Club: Lazio
Price: £18 – £24 million
With Liverpool opting to play down the flanks, the addition of Antonio Candreva will only make them stronger. Squad depth is a key asset to any side having to compete in the Champions League as well as in the domestic league and competitions.
Candreva is known for his ability to dribble the ball with pace along the wings and hopefully build a relationship with fellow countryman Mario Balotelli who can convert his crosses into goals.
Marco Reus
//www.youtube.com/embed/rlYrndbblKk
Name: Marco Reus
Age: 25
Position: Left Wing
Nationality: Germany
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Price: £19.8 million (summer release clause)
Although Marco Reus has picked up yet another lengthy injury, a host of clubs will still be trying to take advantage of his £19.8 million release clause that will be triggered next summer therefore Dortmund may need to sell him or offer him a new contact.
Liverpool had already negotiated a move to bring him to Anfield, but it was said that his ankle injury halted any big money moves. The German club will need to do all they can do make sure he is back to full fitness or risk seeing a huge drop in his market value ahead of the summer.
Xherdan Shaqiri
//www.youtube.com/embed/tvXakNsBBSQ
Name: Xherdan Shaqiri
Age: 22
Position: Right Wing
Nationality: Switzerland
Club: Bayern Munich
Price: £15 – £20 million
Another winger that Liverpool has been tracking throughout the summer is Xherdan Shaqiri, someone who could add even more depth along the flanks. His pace and physical ability would be a perfect fit for the Premier League with many believing the move would have taken place.
With the Reds still said to be monitoring the player, it is high likely that they will continue their spending to try and land the Swiss attacker. His role at Bayern Munich is also quite limited given their world class forward line, adding to the chance that he could make a switch to the England.
Christoph Kramer
//www.youtube.com/embed/uYPQbZJaAII
Name: Christoph Kramer
Age: 23
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.
Position: Defensive Midfield
Nationality: Germany
Club: Borussia Mochengladbach (on loan from Bayer Leverkusen)
Price: £8 – £13 million
Liverpool have already signed a defensive midfielder in Emre Can, but could decide to add yet another player to the role after being linked with a move for Christoph Kramer. His move to Anfield could spell the start of a huge battle in the deeper midfield role to play alongside club captain Steven Gerrard.
Having already represented the German national team with an appearance in the World Cup finals against Argentina, he seems to be able to excel under large amounts of pressure as he is said to have become the heart of his team’s midfield.
Martin Odegaard
//www.youtube.com/embed/-8d1yoqryTU
Name: Martin Odegaard
Age: 15
Position: Attacking Midfield
Nationality: Norway
Club: Stromsgodset
Price: £10 – £12 million
Liverpool were prepared to make a £10 million offer to try and sign Martin Odegaard from Norwegian club Stromsgodset on deadline day, but to no avail. He has already made 11 appearances, scoring three despite being only 15 years old.
Odegaard was also called up to make his Norway national team debut recently, picking up large interest from many of Europe’s elite clubs including Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Barcelona.