Summary: Liverpool’s ambitions of qualifying for Europe next season took a hit after they were held to a goalless draw by Reading at the Madjeski Stadium.
The point was Nigel Adkins’ first as Royals boss but wasn’t enough to lift them off the bottom of the Premier League table even after they survived a 26-shot onslaught from the visitors. They owe a huge debt of gratitude to goalkeeper Alex McCarthy, who repelled everything the Reds threw at him.
After an impeccably served minutes silence mark the 24th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster was followed by a lacklustre opening that was punctuated by Chris Gunter’s headed goal line clearance to deny Luis Suarez.
Liverpool inability to covert chances into goals visibly irked manager Brendan Rodgers on his return to Berkshire but there was nothing he could do with McCarthy in such inspired form. A point blank stop to deny Daniel Sturridge mid-way through the first half was the pick of a string of top drawer saves that capped off a frustrating afternoon for the visitors.
Nigel Adkins post-match…”We created enough chances to win a couple of games. We are very disappointed we didn’t win. Their goalkeeper was outstanding and on another day the goals go in. I can’t ask anything more of the players except that we should have been a wee bit more clinical.”
Brendan Rodgers post-match…”It is three games I have been in charge at Reading now and once again our attitude and application was top drawer. First 15 minutes they had good possession but our players have kept us in the game and we have had a great opportunity with Noel Hunt late on and Pepe Reina has made a great save.”
Good day for?…Alex McCarthy: While the defence in front of him wilted as the game went on McCarthy was a one man blockade between the sticks for Reading with his save count running high into double figures. Arguably the goalkeeping performance of the season to date.
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Bad day for?…Luis Suarez: This was a rare goalless afternoon in Liverpool colours for Suarez who did everything but put the ball in the net and was thwarted by Reading keeper McCarthy on numerous occasions. A reminder that he is actually human!
Fabricio Coloccini has refused to pledge his future to Newcastle but says he is fully committed to the club’s relegation battle.
The Argentinian international made it clear he wanted to leave St James’ Park and return to his homeland in the January transfer window but Alan Pardew convinced him to stay until the end of the season.
Coloccini then picked up a back injury that has kept him on the sidelines for weeks and the influential defender has only just returned to action. There have been suggestions that Coloccini’s mind is not on his game but the player has hit back and says his commitment to the club cannot be questioned.
The defender is refusing to say what the future holds but is determined to help keep the club in the Premier League.
“I heard that I wouldn’t play because I wanted to leave and that I don’t give 100%,” Coloccini revealed.
“I don’t like to speak to the press too much because I’m like that.
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“I try to speak on the pitch and I think on the pitch I can do the things well but I always give 100%. I love playing football. I don’t think about what happens in my future – I just want to play.”
QPR chairman Tony Fernandes has opened the door for a return for Joey Barton although he wants to stay in France.
The midfielder slammed the current crop of Loftus Road players following the club’s relegation to the Championship last weekend for what he perceived was a lacklustre approach to survival and has always maintained that he would like to stay in France.
There is no agreement in place with Ligue 1 club Marseille to turn the loan into a permanent deal and Fernandes is thinking the former Manchester City midfielder could be an asset in the second tier of English football.
“If Joey and Marseille want (the transfer), then we will talk. However, he is a QPR player, and is contracted to QPR,” he said on QPR Player.
“He helped Newcastle out (of the Championship). Some would say we lacked his fighting spirit in the midfield.
“Marseille have got to put an offer in. Joey is under contract and Joey would be a very useful player for Queens Park Rangers.
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“That has to be a financial deal which would have to be worked out if he wants to go to Marseille, but as far as I am concerned he is a QPR player and in the summer will come back.”
Swansea boss Michael Laudrup is expected to stick with the same side that were beaten by Manchester United, despite doubts lingering over Michu’s hamstring. Goalkeeper Michel Vorm and midfielder Ki Sung-Yeung are absent.
Fulham are expected to have Kieron Richardson fit as they head to south Wales with no fresh injury worries. Steve Sidwell sits out the final match of a four-game ban.
Michael Laudrup… “That’s a problem isn’t it — how can you better this? It’s nearly impossible. That is the only downside of this season — that is it almost impossible to do better. You always have to try to find a mark, and a mark for this club, with the lowest budget in the Premier League, is to try to consolidate in mid-table. I know it sounds a little bit arrogant for a club with our budget to try to do that.”
Martin Jol…”I signed an option and that is a long time ago, ages ago. For me, there is no difference. It is not something from the last 48 hours as [the speculation] happened before. If people make up a little story and I speak about new players coming in, of course you need a little bit of money. They associate us with the chairman and he has to give us the funds, but we are a healthy club. We will try to get some players in so there is no story.”
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Match Statistic: 11 of the 14 Premier League goals Dimitar Berbatov has scored this season have come before half-time.
Last night’s 3-0 victory over Fenerbahce in the Champions League reinstalled Arsenal supporters’ faith in the Gunners first team, but a strong contingent of the Emirates faithful are still baying for blood as they seek accountability for a summer of immense disappointment on the transfer front.
After last weekend’s shock home defeat to Aston Villa, kicking off the North London outfit’s Premier League campaign in a rather unspectacular fashion, the Arsenal Supporters Trust wrote a letter to the board, stating that extending Arsene Wenger’s contract at this time would be ‘inappropriate’ due to the Gunners gaffer’s inability to improve the squad in the transfer market.
But if the Frenchman’s future is to be determined by this summer’s actions alone, I suggest the AST turn their attentions to Chief Executive and transfer head honcho Ivan Gazidis, rather than Wenger himself. The South African has continually failed to replace the market expertise of David Dein since taking the reins in 2009, and in the current transfer window alone, Gazidis’ practices have been riddled with grave errors.
The power structure at the Emirates has always been open to debate, with the common consensus in the media being that Wenger maintains a tight grip and final say in all departments. But it’s no secret that the Arsenal manager’s biggest weakness is in the transfer market, and thus, the responsibility to provide inside knowledge, expertise, instigate and entertain negotiations, and generally advice Wenger on the do’s and dont’s of the modern market rests firmly on the Chief exec’s shoulders.
Although the French coach’s misguided valuations have obviously played a role in Arsenal’s inability to sign a single player this summer – excluding 20 –year-old Yaya Sanogo, who joins the Gunners on a bosman move from Ligue 2 outfit Auxerre – it’s Gazidis’ mistakes that has led the North Londoners to the situation they currently find themselves in, where damage limitation is now the main priority as we close in on deadline day.
The first blunder from Gazidis came before the transfer window even officially opened. In a Q&A session with Arsenal supporters that conveniently coincided with the Gunners’ season tickets going on sale, the 48-year-old took the opportunity to not only inform but boast about the club’s summer war chest. No figure was officially given, but the South African implied an unprecedented kitty to spend on new recruits, telling supports of an ‘escalation of financial firepower’ at the Emirates, whilst the tabloids had been reporting estimations in excess of £70million for some time.
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In effect, Gazidis announced to the world, the media and every European club that Arsenal planned on spending big this summer. So is it any surprise that almost every club they’ve tried to negotiate with in the current transfer window has tried to squeeze every penny out of them? Real Madrid requested £35million for Gonzalo Higuain, safe in the knowledge the Gunners could afford the Argentine’s fee and then some, whilst Liverpool chief John W Henry laughed off a £40million plus £1 bid for Luis Suarez on twitter, well aware that the North London outfit could be held to ransom for potentially £30million more if they were that intent on signing the Reds talisman.
Telling every competitor you’ve got more money than sense isn’t the best of ideas in any industry, but in the world of football, you’d assume it would be lesson no.1 of the ‘Transfer negotiations for Dummies’ handbook. And even without the fictitious guide, recent examples of Chelsea and Manchester City having to overspend on signings due to their healthy financial situation being well known should have struck a chord with Gazidis.
To look at Arsenal’s summer disappointments chronologically, the subject of Gazidis’ first failure was Atletico Madrid’s David Villa. The Spain national team all-time leading goalscorer was available to the Gunners for just €2.3million as his contract began winding down at Barcelona, according to journalist and regular La Liga pundit Guillem Balague, but Gazidis’ slow progress in chasing down the long-term Arsenal target, who had been on Wenger’s radar for the best part of a year, allowed the Madrid outfit to swoop in, with Villa explaining to reporters upon signing for Atletico; “We had a move to the Premier in mind but then Atletico appeared and within three days all my personal terms had been agreed.” The striker proved he’s not yet past his sell-by date last night by scoring a volley against his former employers in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup.
Then came the ill-fated pursuit of former Real Madrid man Gonzalo Higuain, where once again, failing to act quickly enough was Gazidis’ gravest error. The Argentine was ripe for the picking; a forward with a proven track record in La Liga, the Champions League and internationally, available at a £23million fee that would break Arsenal’s current record transfer fee of £16million for Santi Cazorla but still leave plenty left in the summer kitty, and the perfect candidate to remedy the Gunners’ shallow strike force concerns.
There were even reports that Higuain had ventured down to London to negotiate a contract, but whilst Arsenal’s transfer department, headed by Gazidis, debated with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez over the issue of a few million pounds, Napoli arrived late on the scene with a £35million bid. According to BBC sport reporter David Ornstein, Arsenal’s hesitation, despite having agreed personal terms with the Argentina international, was due to their prioritisation of Luis Suarez over Higuain.
But the Liverpool forward’s self-declared availability had been known for some time, with his initial statement of discontent at Anfield coming before the opening fixtures of the Confederations Cup, and it doesn’t take a transfer expert to realise the basic logic in going after your transfer targets in priority order.
And Arsenal fans will be all the more disappointed knowing in hindsight that the Gunners’ £40million plus a quid bid proved to be a complete waste of time, which Gazidis should have seen coming, especially if Wenger didn’t. Perhaps he would have if he was actually anywhere near Anfield, London or England at the time, rather than doing his business from the back of Arsenal’s tour bus on their pre-season escapades in Asia.
Whether the South-African was misinformed over the clause in the Uruguayan’s contract remains unclear, but that symbolic extra £1, triggering a contract stipulation that the Reds must inform the player and consider any bid over £40million, left the Gunners looking cheap and naive rather than ambitious; unwilling to pay Suarez’s full value, but willing enough to make a bid that would never be accepted, and therefore might as well have been offered in monopoly money.
And with Radamel Falcao joining Monaco for £51million this summer, Edinson Cavani moving to PSG for a similar fee and Tottenham’s Gareth Bale discussed with valuations of £80million to £100million, the now infamous £40million and a quid bid, Arsenal’s record transfer offer to date, already looks horrendously outdated.
After the Suarez fiasco came the hunt for Luiz Gustavo – a player that represented the idealic balance between Arsenal’s passing philosophy and their desperate need for a more physical and defensively assured element in midfield. Yet somehow, the Brazilian, despite being labelled as a transfer target by Arsene Wenger himself, was allowed to slip out of the Gunners grasp to sign for Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg, who didn’t even qualify for a Europa league spot last term.
Once again, where was Gazidis amid this furore? Was he unable to convince Gustavo that it would be of great benefit to his club and international career to join a Champions League outfit rather than a middle-order German side? Did he not offer the defensive midfielder a competitive enough salary? Or even if negotiations never got that far, is it not his job to keep Arsenal targets from the hands of other clubs by whatever means possible?
But as Gary Neville pointed out on this week’s episode of Monday Night football, the Gunners don’t tap-up players and they don’t bend the rules – another one of Gazidis’ fatal flaws in comparison to his Premier League counterparts.
And the transfer gaffs didn’t stop there. Nothing suggests panic-buying more than making an undervalued and out-of-the-blue £10million bid for Yohan Cabaye just days after losing 3-1 to Aston Villa, and nothing suggests intelligence less than bidding for Newcastle’s single top-quality talent the eve of their match against Manchester City, who at least in theory are one of Arsenal’s closest divisional rivals.
The Frenchman didn’t play due to his ‘head being turned’ as Alan Pardew put it, and the Magpies lost 4-0. Maybe Cabaye couldn’t have provided a win single handed, but the Magpies had a far better chance of taking points from the Citizens with the midfielder on the pitch, or at least stop them from opening their Premier League account with a +4 goal difference from their first game.
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Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that any of these instances are Gazidis’ doing alone, and it’s quite clear that he and Wenger work together on transfers. But for a Chief Executive, the Arsenal honcho has made a series of grave errors, that you wouldn’t catch Tottenham’s Daniel Levy or Manchester United’s Ed Woodward making.
Admitting Arsenal’s unprecedented finance in June made the Gunners’ summer a poisoned escapade from the start, but to add insult to injury, Gazidis has continually failed in providing Wenger the right expertise or any transfer nous whatsoever, amid a transfer window that was always going to be a serious turning point one way or the other in the North London outfit’s immediate future.
There was no strategy from the offset, persistent naivety and hesitation throughout, and a complete failure on Gazidis’ part to provide Arsenal with any sort of cutting edge over their divisional rivals in the transfer market. At no point has Gazidis acted like a competent Chief Executive, a transfer honcho, or even a credible businessman, and at no point has he atoned for Wenger’s weaknesses in the transfer market. To put it simply, the South African hasn’t done what he’s paid to do this summer.
If the Emirates faithful need a head on a platter to provide closure on what has been a summer of immense disappointment for the Gunners, it should be Ivan Gazidis’, not Arsene Wenger’s.
Is Ivan Gazidis to blame for Arsenal’s poor summer?
Arsenal’s loss at home to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League can be told one of two ways.
The first is that Arsene Wenger’s side failed their first big test of the season and are not quite the title contenders many billed them as. Up until this point in the campaign, they’ve played no big teams domestically – none whatsoever – and only Napoli, who are a very good Italian side, came to the Emirates and were made to look average.
The other – and this one I feel is more accurate – is that Arsenal went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in Europe and were narrowly beaten.
There is no argument that Arsenal were outclassed by the Germans, because that wasn’t the case. Yes, Dortmund may have been in control for much of the game – remember, possession doesn’t always equate to dominance – but had it not been for a mentality to go out and take all three points, Arsenal probably would be sitting on seven points in the group at this stage instead of six. And what exactly is the problem with that? You know, gambling to win.
I already wrote, as recently as last week, that a loss or a setback to Arsenal’s good run of form would mean very little. Nothing in the bigger picture has changed since Monday, or even Tuesday morning. The point isn’t that Arsenal need to go all out, spending big to bring in trophies – that’s not what the fans are saying. The fundamental thing about this football club is that there is improvement – and thus far, based on what has happened in the transfer market and the development of those in house, there has been dramatic improvement.
The loss to Dortmund could have gone either way. Had Arsenal won, not a whole lot would have been said about Jurgen Klopp’s side. They’re still one of the very best in Europe and the envy of most clubs. But this doesn’t change the fact that Arsenal are still capable of going head-to-head with the other big teams in the Premier League. It would also be accurate to say that Dortmund are a better side that any of the teams Arsenal are going to face in English football this season.
To talk of improvements once again, the atmosphere at the club is hugely important. I’m not worried for Arsenal going into the next month of fixtures because the atmosphere has been lifted significantly. Those people who questioned whether Arsenal actually needed Mesut Ozil clearly don’t have a clue about the workings and needs of the club. The team needed a player of his type to add to and improve the level of football; the club needed a player of his stature to lift the mood and act as a marker for the shift in ambition and intent.
Where over recent years a loss of this type – or any loss, really – would have played a role in the following few weeks, this feels different. There’s an acceptance because everyone has to lose in sports. But Arsenal didn’t lose by three or four goals as they have done in the past in Europe. They were also not outplayed by any means. Dortmund may have been in control, but Arsenal definitely gave them a game. And remember, this is a team who went to the Champions League final a few months ago, so there can be absolutely no dismissal of the quality of Klopp’s side.
The mentality for this weekend against Crystal Palace hasn’t changed too much, if at all. The feeling inside the dressing room and around the club is that Arsenal will win. Had it been a year ago and following a loss, there would have been nerves and reservations about all three points from sets of the supporters. But that’s not the case now.
This Arsenal side are still good enough to match the best the Premier League can throw at them at this time. Why? Two reasons: Arsenal are very good, and the other teams in the league are not massively impressive. If Arsenal are likely to slip up at any point over the coming month, the exact same can be said for any of the other big teams. Remember, Manchester United played Chelsea and Liverpool back-to-back and only secured a point. How many will look to the fact that they were dire for both games? How many will acknowledge that Arsenal are playing the right brand of football, whatever the outcome of the coming games?
As has been said countless times already, Arsenal’s problems will stem from a lack of depth in important areas of the pitch, not a lack of quality. No Mathieu Flamini or replacement saw spaces for Dortmund to exploit. No Theo Walcott or replacement saw a lack of pace to Arsenal’s game.
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What remains intact and quite safe, though, is the mentality at the club. The loss to Dortmund won’t have as much of an effect on the team as it would have done in previous seasons.
Will Arsenal bounce back from the loss to Dortmund?
Johan Djourou has dropped a not so subtle hint that he wishes to leave Arsenal in the summer, in favour of a permanent switch to Bundesliga side Hamburg, according to the Express.
The 27-year-old has been on loan in Germany since January 2013, after finding first team opportunities hard to come by at the Emirates.
Despite coming through the youth ranks at Arsenal, and being considered a ‘homegrown player’ Djourou found first team chances limited under Arsene Wenger, and has been playing regularly at Hamburg since his loan switch.
There had been talk of a possible return to north London, with right back Bacary Sagna looking likely to depart when his contract expires at the end of the season.
But the Swiss international has reiterated his desire to stay in Germany.
“I know the coach, I love the club, I love the city. HSV (Hamburg) is incredible,” Djourou told German paper Bild.”The club has so much potential. We have to go way up.
“The fans are great. The mood is different than in England. If all goes well and the club also want to, I would stay.”
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After another average performance at home, Newcastle fans are starting to turn against manager Alan Pardew but is it really all his fault?
Mike Ashley has made error after error in charge of the Toon and although supporters also want him to leave, the view from the outside is that more pressure is being put on boss Pardew who is already overachieving with the squad he has.
Even thinking back to Andy Carroll, Alan Pardew seems to have players sold without his consent and even after guiding the club to the Europa League people are not convinced.
Here are three reasons why Newcastle should stick by their man.
Able to succeed on small budget
At every club he has been at, Alan Pardew has had to work on a tight budget and that is something some people may forget.
It was 13 months ago that Pardew signed a number of players, all relatively bargains for foreign players who he could now sell at an inflated price if he or Ashley decided.
He has had players such as Andy Carroll, Demba Ba and Yohan Cabaye sold without his consent yet he still has the team in the top half and competing.
Ability to persuade players to sign
The majority of Newcastle’s signings over the past few years have been highly rates, sought-after players that have chosen to join Newcastle.
Admittedly the size of the club and its history may have had effect, but the likes of Loic Remy, Moussa Sissoko and Mathieu Debuchy had plenty of other clubs looking at them but Pardew was a big force behind them joining the Toon.
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Pardew had the same effect at other clubs signing the likes of Teddy Sheringham, Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano when at West Ham and this shouldn’t be underestimated.
Whether it is an official account or not, a tweet posted this afternoon under the handle @SolCampbell_74 receive a less than kind response from many Tottenham Hotspur fans, much to the delight of Arsenal supporters.
Rather than skirt around the topic of the England defender’s controversial switch from White Harte Lane to Highbury on a free transfer in 2001, the account posted a rather inflammatory comment.
Football fans on Twitter have been debating the authenticity of account with many understandably believing it to be a fake. Without the “blue tick”, they are more than likely correct. But that didn’t stop Spurs fans responding less than favourably.
Obviously the above tweets are a selection of the more “mild” replies. Whilst one half of North London was fuming, the other was delighted. Gunners fans revelled in the jealousy and hostility of their Tottenham counterparts.
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Even if it is a fake, the episode should leave Sol Campbell in no doubt about his status amongst the Spurs fans. A visit to White Hart Lane in the near future may not be advisable.
When the Luis Suarez deal to Barcelona is confirmed, there should be little doubt left about Alexis Sanchez’s availability to Arsenal, with the club reportedly ready to pay £25 million for the Chilean international.
Liverpool understandably wanted Alexis as part of the deal that would send Suarez to Catalonia, but the player is said to favour a move to north London with Arsenal. The 25-year-old would very much be considered Arsene Wenger’s marquee forward signing of the summer.
In addition, the club are looking to tie up a deal for Newcastle’s Mathieu Debuchy as Bacary Sagna’s replacement at right-back.
The former Lille full-back has performed well since moving to the Premier League and has been France’s first choice at this World Cup.
Following Alexis and Debuchy’s signings at the Emirates, here are six players who could follow them to north London.
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Click on Sami Khedira to start the gallery
Football – Germany v Portugal – FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 – Group G – Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil – 16/6/14Germany’s Sami Khedira in action with Portugal’s Raul Meireles (R)Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Paul ChildsLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
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Loic Remy
Football – Newcastle United v Cardiff City – Barclays Premier League – St James’ Park – 13/14 – 3/5/14Loic Remy – Newcastle United Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Lee SmithEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
It always looked to be either Carlos Vela or Loic Remy, and now with Arsenal having wiped their hands with the Mexican, Remy looks to be at the head of the list to join Arsenal later this summer.
The French international was heavily linked with a move to north London prior to the World Cup, and while talk hasn’t been as feverish as it once was, there haven’t been too many denials from the club or player, if any.
Remy, reportedly available for just under £10 million, would be a fine addition for Arsenal, though only if he is supported by another forward like Alexis Sanchez. In tandem, Remy and Alexis would considerably boost Arsenal’s chances at landing the Premier League title in the near future.
Sami Khedira
Football – Germany v Portugal – FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 – Group G – Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil – 16/6/14Germany’s Sami Khedira in action with Portugal’s Raul Meireles (R)Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Paul ChildsLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
If Toni Kroos ends up at Real Madrid this summer, Sami Khedira will almost certainly be considered surplus to requirements. The German international has one year remaining on his current contract with the Spanish side and was previously said to be available for around £16 million.
Khedira’s all-action style makes him an interesting target for Arsenal, who need someone to help protect the back four. Khedira has generally excelled playing alongside Xabi Alonso at the Bernabeu, while his lengthy injury layoff last season hasn’t altered opinion of the German – he’s still considered hugely important by national team coach Joachim Low.
Khedira may not be the out-and-out defensive midfielder that Arsenal need, but he’d nevertheless be a big help to the team. And for a fee that could very well be less than £20 million, it’s something the club should seriously consider this summer.
Morgan Schneiderlin
Football – Southampton v Norwich City – Barclays Premier League – St Mary’s Stadium – 13/14 – 15/3/14Morgan Schneiderlin – Southampton Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Paul ChildsEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Morgan Schneiderlin is one of a small handful of defensive midfielders Arsenal are looking at, and possibly the easiest to land this summer.
If reports are to be believed, Southampton are holding out for a fee of £20 million. For a 24-year-old full international who knows the Premier League well, Schneiderlin would easily justify that sum.
He’s been deemed the missing piece of the puzzle at Arsenal, who have suffered from a lack of defensive quality in midfield with heavy losses away to title rivals last season. Schneiderlin may not be enough to prevent defeats on his own, but he should put a stop to such damaging scorelines.
Victor Valdes
Football – Manchester City v FC Barcelona – UEFA Champions League Second Round First Leg – Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England – 13/14 – 18/2/14Victor Valdes – FC Barcelona Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl RecineEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
The future looks extremely uncertain for Victor Valdes. The former Barcelona goalkeeper looked to be on his way to Monaco this summer after running down his contract at the Camp Nou, but the injury he suffered towards the end of last season has seen the Ligue 1 giants rescind their offer for the Spanish international.
Valdes certainly won’t be fit for the start of next season, such is the severity of his knee injury. But despite what some may think of him – that he had an easy ride as goalkeeper of one of the game’s most dominant teams – he’s a world-class ‘keeper that would immeasurably improve any side.
Arsenal may not want to disrupt the further development of Wojciech Szczesny, but the Polish international will benefit greatly from Valdes’ presence.
The Spanish international would come at a large price wage-wise, but he’d be a very good investment, and certain to be an incredible asset both on and off the pitch.
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Antoine Griezmann
Football – Ecuador v France – FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 – Group E – Estadio do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 25/6/14France’s Antoine Griezmann (L) in action against Ecuador’s Frickson ErazoMandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl RecineLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Antoine Griezmann has been in and out of the French side at the World Cup, often rotating with Olivier Giroud for a place on the left of the team’s attack. But Griezmann, following on from another good season with Real Sociedad, has played well whenever given time on the pitch in Brazil.
What has struck many is the forward’s ability in the air, despite being of stature that wouldn’t suggest he’d be comfortable with aerial duels. His scoring record in Spain last season, 16 goals, would make him a fine addition to the Arsenal team next term. He’s very much the natural winger the club are in need of.
Arturo Vidal
Football – Juventus v SL Benfica – UEFA Europa League Semi Final Second Leg – Juventus Stadium, Turin, Italy – 13/14 – 1/5/14 Juventus’ Arturo Vidal (L) and Benfica’s Nicholas Gaitan in actionMandatory Credit: Action Images / Peter CziborraEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Arturo Vidal has emerged as recent surprise target for Arsenal, with the club likely wanting to use the potential Alexis Sanchez deal to entice Vidal to north London.
It’s easy to see why the club would want to move for the Juventus midfielder: he’s one of Europe’s absolute best and can occupy a number of roles. The question is whether he and Aaron Ramsey are too similar? Both defensively very good and vital to their teams’ attacks.
It’s not to say Vidal wouldn’t be a sensational signing for Arsenal and a real signal of intent, but perhaps someone who is a specialist at defensive midfielder foremost would be a better target.