Atletico Madrid attacker Antoine Griezmann scored twice as Atletico Madrid beat Marseille 3-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday night, and Manchester United fans have urged their club to sign the France international, rated at £90m by Transfermarkt.
The 27-year-old lined up alongside Diego Costa up top for the La Liga outfit, and he played a huge part in them winning the trophy with a goal in either half – taking his tally for the season to 29 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions, including 15 assists.
While Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho has Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku available to him, the fact that Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford look to have fallen slightly out of favour suggest he could be in the market for another forward during the close season.
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Man United supporters, who have predicted what the 2017/18 campaign holds for Timothy Fosu-Mensah, were quick to have their say on Griezmann’s latest display via social media, and while one said “swap him for Martial”, another described him as the “perfect Mourinho striker”.
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According to reports in The Mirror, Leeds United are one of the clubs leading the chase to sign in-form Peterborough United striker Jack Marriott during the January transfer window.
The League One star has caught the attention of a number of clubs higher up the English Football League pyramid following an impressive campaign for the Posh, and The Mirror says the Yorkshire outfit are now keen to bring the £3m-rated attacker to Elland Road this month to boost their promotion push.
The Whites sold Chris Wood to Burnley during the summer but are yet to find a real replacement, with loanee Pierre-Michel Lasogga struggling for form and fitness, Calen Ekuban missing almost the entire campaign through injury and with Kemar Roofe often being played there despite not being an out-and-out striker.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United lie 13th in the Premier League table but they are only two points above the relegation zone, with their goal tally of 20 goals in 22 top flight matches certainly a cause for concern in their bid to avoid the drop.
Manager Rafa Benitez will be keen to add to his squad before the window slams shut on January 31, and bringing Marriott to St James’ Park could prove to be a shrewd move.
Here are three reasons Newcastle must hijack Leeds’ bid to sign the 23-year-old…
Goals
Soccer Football – FA Cup Third Round – Aston Villa vs Peterborough United – Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain – January 6, 2018 Peterborough United’s Jack Marriott celebrates scoring their first goal Action Images/John Clifton
With 20 goals in their 22 Premier League matches – and with four of those coming from centre-backs Jamaal Lascelles and Ciaran Clark and seven coming from the striking trio of Dwight Gayle, Joselu and Aleksandar Mitrovic – it is clear to see that Newcastle need a new centre-forward this month.
While Marriott may not be the recognised name that the fans would want to see being brought in, there is no doubt that he is a goalscorer and full of confidence right now.
The 23-year-old has scored 23 goals in 36 appearances for Peterborough this term – Harry Kane is the only Englishman that has more than that tally – and he was also prolific for Luton Town previously, netting 28 goals in 54 starts.
Potential
Considering he has never played above League One level it would be something of a risk to sign Marriott, but as we have seen with the likes of Dele Alli, Rickie Lambert and even Gayle in the past, there are plenty of players that have proven that it is possible to make the step up and succeed.
The 23-year-old has shown his quality in front of goal for Peterborough this season, and he looks to have a real bright future in the game with plenty of time to develop and improve his game.
Newcastle could give him that opportunity to shine in the Premier League, and having seen how he has performed this season you wouldn’t bet against the striker taking it with both hands.
Price tag
With a proposed Newcastle United takeover seemingly no closer to completion, Rafa Benitez may well be working with a reduced transfer budget this month.
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If that is the case then the Spaniard could be keeping tabs on the prolific Marriott, who could be available for around £3m according to The Mirror, although the fact that Peterborough held out for £5.5m when they sold Britt Assombalonga to Nottingham Forest in 2014 casts some doubt over that figure.
The 23-year-old would certainly be attainable for the Premier League side in a month which is known to be notoriously difficult to secure the targets you want by convincing clubs to sell for reasonable prices.
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?
Southampton came from behind to claim their first Premier League win of the season and heap further misery on Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert.
Defeats in their opening four games had left the Saints rock bottom and, after conceding 14 goals in that time, Nigel Adkins took drastic steps dropping club captain Kelvin Davis in favour of debutant Paulo Gazzaniga. £12 million record signing Gaston Ramirez was also handed a first start alongside fellow new recruit Maya Yoshida as rung the chances following last weeks 6-1 mauling at Arsenal.
Ramirez, in particular, started off brightly for the home side and played in Rickie Lambert down the right for the striker to blaze over the bar while Adam Lallana’s ambitious overhead kick was comfortably saved by Brad Guzan.
The visitors hadn’t created much going forward with Barry Bannan’s volley from Stephen Ireland’s cross the closes they came until Darren Bent gave them the lead in the 36th minute, tapping in Ireland’s mis-hit shot after Southampton failed to clear their lines.
Bent forced Gazzaniga into a smart save just after the break before Christian Benteke passed up a glorious chance to double Villa’s advantage five minutes after the break, heading over Bannan’s corner when well placed. It would come back to haunt the Belgium international eight minutes later as Lambert controlled a driven Lallana cross to lash the ball past Guzan.
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The pendulum was now swinging in the home sides direction and Nathaniel Clyne put them in front just after the hour, finishing cooly after a neat interchange with Ramirez, before Jason Puncheon rifled home from six-yards to make it 3-1. Lambert then rounded off an excellent second half display dispatching an injury time penalty after Guzan had fouled Emmanuel Mayuka to lift the Saints off the foot of the table.
Tottenham Hotspur are prepared to meet Borussia Dortmund’s £40m asking price for Christian Pulisic, according to Calcio Insider.
What’s the word?
The 19-year-old has understandably caught the eye of many clubs over the past two seasons after breaking into the Dortmund side.
Pulisic started 35 games in all competitions this season, and came off the bench in a further nine.
During that time, the midfielder, who has been capped 20 times by the USA national team, has scored four goals and created six assists.
Liverpool have long been linked with Pulisic, but according to Calcio Insider, Tottenham have now entered the race and are willing to pay the £40m price tag to Dortmund.
Do Spurs need him?
Mauricio Pochettino already has a well-equipped side to challenge for honours, but after falling short yet again this season, the team need to continue improving.
For that to happen, new additions must be made, and the midfield could do with some work, particularly considering that Mousa Dembele’s future remains uncertain.
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Pulisic has predominantly played on the right of attack this season, but he has also been positioned on the right side of midfield, as well as centrally and on the left.
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If the American was to join Tottenham, then Pochettino would certainly have the option to use him in a variety of positions on the pitch.
On top of that, the manager has a track record of helping young players thrive, so Pulisic could fit right in.
Arsenal’s 2017 ended on a frustrating low note on New Year’s Eve with the Gunners failing to beat West Bromwich Albion in the English Premier League.
After a difficult 80 or so minutes, all three points looked like heading Arsenal’s way after Alexis Sanchez’s free-kick was diverted into the back of the net by James McLean, however a late penalty call gave Jay Rodriguez the chance to convert, which he did to secure a 1-1 scoreline for the Baggies.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger was left fuming with the decision to award the penalty for handball, even accusing referee Mike Dean of not even seeing the incident before blowing his whistle.
Even West Brom manager Alan Pardew admitted that Arsenal were unlucky to see the spot kick awarded.
Arsenal fans couldn’t believe the decision either, with many believing that the decision was all about Mike Dean’s desire to make the game about himself. Some have even called on him to retire or be banned from officiating Arsenal matches.
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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?
Michael Owen has officially been given the green light to play for Stoke City, after the Premier League confirmed the player’s registration. The Guardian reports.
It gives Owen the chance to re-ignite his career in the Potteries and move on from his stop-start time at Manchester United, following his release by the club at the end of last season.
The 32-year-old made 52 appearances in three seasons at Old Trafford, scoring 17 goals- the most notable coming as a last-minute winner to beat Manchester City in a dramatic 4-3 derby victory.
He previously played for Liverpool, Real Madrid and Newcastle, as well as making 89 caps for England and scoring 40 goals for his country.
He is Tony Pulis’ seventh summer signing, with the arrivals of Jamie Ness, Geoff Cameron, Michael Kightly, Maurice Edu, Charlie Adam and Steven Nzonzi.
Owen was clearly delighted with the move after stating on twitter: “It’s official! Deal done. I’m a Stoke player. Can’t wait to get going.”
The deal was completed on Tuesday, but the club had to wait until the following day for the deal to be approved by the Premier League.
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This caused doubts as to whether Owen would be able to play for Stoke after the Potters had already submitted their 25-man squad, but they were allowed to include him as the relevant paperwork was submitted in time for the player to be signed as a free agent.
A Premier League statement read: “The Premier League board has confirmed to Stoke City the registration of Michael Owen. Consequently he can be included in their 25-man playing squad.”
The gap in quality between Liverpool’s starting front three and their reserves is staggering – it is hard to think of a greater discrepancy in the Premier League – but Dominic Solanke stands the best chance of bridging that gap.
The Englishman, valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt, is doubtless a bright prospect, full of desire to improve after finding gametime limited at Chelsea.
Yet, he still has work to do in order to convince the Reds’ fans that he will eventually become a viable backup to Roberto Firmino as Liverpool’s first-choice frontman.
A large part of that is down to how he has lacked cutting edge in front of goal, as well as how his physical approach appears to contrast with Klopp’s high-tempo demands – yet having a genuine alternative is always a useful weapon.
Solanke showed what he could do in Sunday’s final day stroll against Brighton, an afternoon when the Reds made a mockery of any pressure to run out 4-0 winners and the frontman got his maiden Liverpool goal.
He also contributed more than just his strike, with three key passes and two dribbles to suggest that maybe he can offer a more rounded option to Klopp than his bulk and tender years may suggest.
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His passing was also sound as Solanke did all he could to prove he could be a viable option next term, or maybe off the bench in the Champions League final…
As Southampton continue their meteoric rise, with one foot in the door of the Europa League, it is still remarkable to think about just what Ronaldo Koeman and the club have achieved after repeatedly losing their best players. Touted as relegation-fodder last year, the South Coast side enjoyed a fantastic campaign after blending some astute buys and excellent youth prospects into the team. Despite losing Nathaniel Clyne and Toby Alderwield this year, the Saints looked in good shape against Vitesse Arnhem in their European qualifier – they won 3-0.
Rather than placing their hopes for the new season on an incoming transfer, a man who missed all of last season could well have the biggest impact. Jay Rodriguez is closing in on a return to first-team action, having missed the entirety of last season. Cruelly injured with the 2014 World Cup on the horizon, the former Burnley star had only recently broken into the Three Lions camp after a string of stellar performances on the South Coast. During March 2014, he scored five goals in four matches, taking his tally up to 15 with a month and a half of the season left. Then he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament against Manchester City.
Though he did not play against Vitesse, the goal-getter has looked sharp in pre-season. A brace netted against Red Bull Leipzig, followed by another against Dutch outfit KVV Quick 1920 has led a return of four strikes in four pre-season appearances. Not bad for a player returning from a year out.
Rodriguez himself has expressed his eagerness to pull on a Three Lions shirt once more: “as a player you always want to play at international level”, he told The Mirror, “I want to try and become the player I was.” His steely determination could help create a nice headache for England boss Roy Hodgson, who can currently field a number of different striking options. The Saint, however, is perhaps the most natural wide-forward available to him, a lethal mix of a winger and a front man.
Before pulling on all the all-white of England, the Southampton man must get back to his best Premier League form. Despite an excellent season last year, the Saints tailed off towards the end of the campaign and finished well below the Champions League spots they had thrillingly chased for a prolonged period. Italian star Graziano Pelle, who was excellent for the side, seemed to lose his goal scoring touch after the Christmas pile up and Shane Long failed to provide any real consistency.
Rodriguez offers goals from wide positions, and if he can rekindle the ‘bromance’ he enjoyed with Adam Lallana with current Saints schemer Dusan Tadic, there will be much to cheer on the South Coast. If he can take some of the burden away from his Italian strike partner, perhaps Koeman’s side can sustain a more substantial challenge in their constant quest to improve.
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With Southampton’s foray into Europe, strength in depth becomes vital. New signing Juanmi and last season’s revelation Sadio Mane provide competition in the final third, but ‘J-Rod’ has proven quality. Having recently signed a new deal, reportedly keeping the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham at bay, Jay Rodriguez’could prove to be a ‘lightning rod’ for his side.