Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen is the latest foreign player to express his desire to move to the English Premier League, according to The Sun.
The Tottenham Hotspur target has a contract which runs until the end of 2013 but the Dutch defender has said he has no intentions of extending his contract, “I am still under contract until June 2013, but I have no intention in extending my contract, said the Dutchman.
The Ajax captain is wanted by a host of Premier League teams such as Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United. Vertonghen has not shied away from the prospect of moving to England to ply his trade, and with so many teams lining up for his signature you can understand his enthusiasm. “I hope to continue my career at a good Premier League club where I can stay for many seasons” he added.
The Dutchman admits he will miss his time at Ajax but says he looks forward to experience life in the UK, “I will miss Ajax and I do not plan to sell my house in Amsterdam. But I want to get to know England and the unique atmosphere of its stadia.”
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Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are ready to start a bidding war to sign Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko, according to The Daily Mail.
The Bosnia international is said to be frustrated at being part of a squad rotation system at the Etihad Stadium, and with Mario Balotelli, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero all competing for a place in attack, Dzeko is keen for more regular first-team football.
It is believed that Roberto Mancini would like to keep Dzeko, but is willing to listen to offers for the forward as he does not want to keep an unhappy player at the club.
Dzeko is well-known in Germany due to his spell with Wolfsburg, and the Bundesliga’s top two teams are set to battle it out for his signature.
Bayern are said to have the means to meet City’s £20 million price tag, but champions Dortmund are also keen.
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Earlier this week, Paul Jewell announced that Michael Chopra will be spending three weeks at a health farm in California as part of the striker’s pre-season preparations.
Jewell believes that this should help Chopra’s fitness and give him the best chance of starting next season in fine form. Views on Chopra vary amongst Ipswich fans and this was clear to see when hearing/reading how they reacted to this story.
Generally, the reaction was sensible and positive with most fans mentioning how they hope the health farm will help Chopra hit the ground running next season. However, a few fans aren’t as fond of the former Cardiff City striker and used the story as an opportunity to slate him for the problems he has had during his time at Ipswich. It is strange to hear that a clubs top goal scorer could be such an unpopular figure, especially as consistent goal scorers are so hard to come by in The Championship.
At the start of the season everyone at Ipswich considered the signing of Chopra fantastic news. It has been a long time since Ipswich have had a striker with a proven record at this level so it was great to see that the club had snatched a player who could potentially score 20 goals in a season.
Chopra’s popularity rose even higher when he scored twice in the opening game away at Bristol City but somewhere along the line this popularity plummeted. In October news came out that 28 year old striker had been suffering from a gambling addiction; admitting to losing up to £20,000 a day and probably having lost more than £2 million over a few years. Since then Chopra has been facing an uphill battle to win over the Ipswich fans and he took a while to get going again after this set back.
As the season progressed he had a few stints without scoring and a few bursts of form where he bagged plenty of goals, so it has been a mixed season for Chopra. Although, considering the problems he has had the Ipswich striker has had a good season as he has scored 14 goals with an inconsistent team behind him, also making him the clubs top goal scorer.
It is hard to label Chopra as either a hero or a villain for Ipswich. You could argue that the striker has been a massive burden on the club by bringing his problems into the dressing room and even needing the club to loan him money to pay his gambling debts.
The team’s performance this season was always going to depend a lot on Chopra’s form as he was being used as a lone striker; so the problems he had obviously had some affect on the team. However, the club and the management were all well aware of Chopra’s gambling problems before he was brought to the club so they knew what they were getting themselves in for.
You could even go as far to argue the exact opposite; that Chopra has been a hero for Ipswich this season as without his goals the club may have finished a lot closer to the relegation zone. Still, the most common assessment of Chopra that I have heard amongst Ipswich fans is that they feel he should have scored more this season and they hope he will next season once his gambling problems are further behind him. This is a fair assessment and one I think the Newcastle-born striker would be content with hearing.
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Nobody can deny that he has the potential to be the 20 goal a season man that Ipswich want him to be. Any negativity aimed towards Chopra from the fans has usually stemmed from the frustration that he hasn’t been that man so far.
The truth is that if he had scored 20-30 goals this season even the most negative Ipswich fan would have forgotten about Chopra’s gambling problems. The one certainty is that Chopra should be judged from now on by his performances on the pitch alone and if he can put his problems behind him then he will be a key player next season.
Inter will offer central defender Andrea Ranocchia as part of a deal to try and sign Aleksandar Kolarov, according to The Sun.
The Serbian left-back has fallen out of favour at the Etihad Stadium since the arrival of Gael Clichy last summer, and as such he is keen to move clubs to find regular first-team football.
Juventus are reported to have made a loan move to sign the full-back this week, but Roberto Mancini’s men have rejected this as they look to sell the fringe player.
Inter are also interested in the eastern European defender, but are keen to reduce the transfer fee they would pay for Kolarov.
With Mancini looking to sign an extra central defender this summer as cover to Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott, Ranocchia has emerged as a potential target.
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The Serie A side are thought to be ready to offer Ranocchia as part of the deal to bring Kolarov to San Siro, and there have been initial discussion between the clubs over the swap deal.
Tottenham are ready to offer their vacant managerial role to Andre Villas Boas, according to The Guardian.
The north London club are in the market for a new head coach after dismissing Harry Redknapp last week, and are thought to have met with the ex-Chelsea trainer on Friday and Saturday.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is thought to want a young, motivated manager to lead the side forward, and has also taken David Moyes, Roberto Martinez and Laurent Blanc into consideration.
Despite this, Villas Boas has emerged as the favourite for the position, and will be offered the role in coming days.
One of the pre-requisites to the Portuguese trainer accepting the position is assurances over the future of key playmaker Luka Modric, who Villas Boas tried to sign for Chelsea last summer.
Whether Modric leaves or stays Villas Boas is expected to have a considerable transfer kitty to spend this summer however, and will be charged with delivering Champions League football to the White Hart Lane side.
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Alan Pardew’s outstanding job of changing the fortunes of a team in a dead-end cycle and into a real competitor for a European finish in the Premier League has been great to watch. Even more so has been his insistence on bringing in players who can implement a much more attacking and impressive display on the pitch. The short-lived Premier League career in Newcastle of Andy Carroll might have left many fans with a feeling of great confusion and frustration at the direction of the club, but the work of Pardew to move the supporters and the club past that initial and necessary phase has amounted to a tremendous stamp on the Premier League.
Many Premier League fans should look to neighbouring France and the successes of the “lesser” clubs financially in recent seasons, or even the varying number of champions in Germany who, barring Bayern Munich, have assembled title-winning sides from transfer activity that could hardly be described as extravagant. But what about the Premier League? Is modern English football condemned to be in the hands of those who are financially equipped to spend their way to the top? Are Europe’s most impressive and desirable talents only available for figures upwards of £20 million?
The revolution at Newcastle certainly had something to say about all of that. The acquisitions by Pardew hardly caused much of a stir across Europe, but perhaps that helped. They have quietly and impressively assembled a group of players able to excite a football city and keep the crowds St James’ Park wanting more.
But it would be a tremendous shame if there was indeed a glass ceiling preventing Newcastle from catapulting themselves past Europa League football. It would absolutely be a stain on the Premier League if there were long term indications that the only way to succeed is if clubs spent heavily and unnecessarily.
The supreme talent of Yohan Cabaye deserves more than just a barely noticed display on Europe’s second stage. The attacking display and togetherness of Newcastle’s strikers Papiss Cisse and Demba Ba is one of the most impressive strike partnerships in the Premier League. And, importantly, the side’s best talent all have age on their side. With a few more shrewd moves in the transfer market and the need to keep their star players, is there much stopping a talented group of players working in harmony?
The powerful clubs ahead of Newcastle in the league would have something to say about an outsider trying to gatecrash the top four. But if last season were an indication of where the Premier League is headed, the top four may be up for grabs to more than just the usual suspects.
It’s worth noting that many clubs who make waves in sports do not just appear from out of nowhere, rather they’ve spent the recent preceding years assembling a squad capable of achieving results which may not be as far out of reach as many think.
What is good to see from Newcastle is that Alan Pardew has brought a great deal of stability to the club. There is also very little noise coming from players expressing a need to leave and establish themselves at a bigger club. Sure one or two may leave, but there is a necessity to address the financial aspect of running a successful club. As disheartening as it may be if Demba Ba, for example, were to leave, there is surely enough faith in Pardew to replace the striker and his goals.
At this stage, Newcastle are missing very few pieces across the team to sustain an assault on the top four in the Premier League. But, unlike many other nations in Europe, England has more than one club capable of financially out-muscling Newcastle in any aspect, as well as another group of clubs who have the history of finishing above them on a consistent basis.
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The perceived glass ceiling may exist for clubs like Newcastle, who are strict with their financial commitments to players and who do understand the need to sell in order to move forward. But again, wouldn’t that just be damning to the Premier League?
What Newcastle can be proud of, however, is that they have manoeuvred themselves into the elite group of teams who are must-see on a weekly basis. Their current setup may not amount to much in terms of a genuine title-challenge with much more powerful clubs standing in their way, but the club are contributing greatly to the overall product of the Premier League. Newcastle are undoubtedly one of the front-runners for quality and excitement in English football.
As August approaches and the summer transfer window gets into full swing, fans attention turns to their beloved clubs and the merits of their latest recruitment policy. It’s an exciting time for supporters as they debate the strengths and weakness of their squads and analyse new signings with meticulous detail.
Amidst the tension and drama of incoming players and preseason preparations, there are also a number of forgotten players whose futures are shrouded with uncertainty. From recently promoted rookies looking to take the first step in their fledgling careers to expensive youngsters yet to fully realise their potential, every Premier League team has a handful of players eager for first team football to aid their development.
Not only are aspiring players keen for more regular action but teams are also looking to streamline their squads ahead of FIFA’s impending Financial Fair Play rules and as such many players are available on temporary deals. The precarious nature of sustaining a profitable business means there’s an increased focus on clubs reducing wage bills and spending with their means.
With that in mind it’s time to take a look at the 15 Premier League players in desperate need of a loan move to further their careers.
Click on Ross Barkley to unveil the 15
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QPR look set to clinch the signing of former Inter Milan goalkeeper Julio Cesar before the close of the transfer window, but this deal is just the latest in a long line of stop-gap, short-term transfers that could harm the club further down the line, as boss Mark Hughes continues to gamble with their financial future.
A few facts to bring you – QPR were the only club last season not to hand a single start to a player under the age of 21. Of their current 32-man squad, 19 of them are over the age of 30. The average age, factoring in the signing of the Brazilian goalkeeper, of their nine summer transfers comes in at 28.5 years of age. This is far from planning for the future, rather simply trying to avoid the drop before he moves on to bigger and better things.
Stability is the name of the game this season, and on the face of it, you can’t really question any of the summer deals that Hughes has gone for as they all boast knowledge of the Premier League and have been successful elsewhere during their respective careers, but dig a little deeper and nearly all of them are fraught with problems.
The Junior Hoilett capture represented something of a transfer coup as he’d been linked with bigger clubs since January last season, while Samba Diakite did reasonably well during a loan spell which has since been made permanent, but these are the only two deals that you would qualify as ‘good business’ so far.
The rest of the players, however, have either not been first-choice at their clubs for some time, have been playing at a lower standard, or have been involved in clubs which have been battling for their survival. The likes of Andrew Johnson, Ryan Nelsen, Park Ji-Sung and Fabio were all far from regulars in their respective sides last year, while Robert Green played in the Championship and Hoilett was battling the drop all last term.
There’s gelling as a new side, which is no mean task in itself, then you also have to factor in that many of them will not be familiar in recent times with being guaranteed starters week-in, week-out, while others will have to get used to being back in that crucial winning habit again – that’s a lot of minor problems to overcome in a season such as this.
Hughes is clearly banking on experience as being the key to stability this season, but it appears as if he’s gone way too far the other way, and the back four still looks extremely ropey on paper and in practice, while the pursuit of Julio Cesar smacks of desperation and a lack of faith in a fellow summer signing Robert Green after a couple of admittedly shaky performances.
Nothing typifies the short-term trap that they’ve fallen into more than their pursuit of the chunky goalkeeper, and he’s the second number one that Hughes will have signed inside three months. This is not a revolving door policy, more a 100mph merry-go-round, during which any player can be sacrificed on a mere whim.
In all honesty, I couldn’t really tell you what their starting eleven is at the moment and while Park Ji-Sung is a perfectly decent player, naming his as captain seems like an odd move – does he lead by example? Is he vociferous leader on the pitch? The answer is that he’s probably neither and the side does look like it’s lacking in both leadership and direction at the moment.
Also, Park has never really played to the best of his ability in a two-man central midfield while in England, and has more often than not been part of a three-man midfield while being given a specific tactical job to do for the sake of the rest of the side – the role he’s been asked to perform so far must have been somewhat alien to him. His midfield partnership alongside Diakite, particularly at the expense of Alejandro Faurlin, looks very strange to boot and hasn’t really worked so far, with the Swansea performance the most obvious example of such, as both just seemed to go missing in the second half.
You also have to factor in that players like Julio Cesar, Jose Bosingwa and Djibril Cisse and Bobby Zamora did not come cheap in terms of wages and instead of battle-hardened experience, you have a side full of OAP’s looking for one final big payday before they retire. Given the age issue throughout the whole squad, it’s entirely conceivable that the majority of the first eleven will need replacing within two years, which will come at a great expense to owner Tony Fernandes and could unsettle their progress further down the line again.
In key areas, right down the spine of the side, there appears to be little cohesion or understanding about what Hughes’ vision is. A centre-back partnership of Clint Hill and Anton Ferdinand is simply not good enough for the top flight, and while he may be seeking to add a player here before the window closes, with both Michael Dawson and Ricardo Carvalho (another ageing player at 34 years of age who played very little last season on a short-sighted loan deal) linked, you have to question why that wasn’t a priority from the outset at the beginning of the summer.
The main accusation often levelled at Hughes during his time at Manchester City was that his approach to the transfer market was scattergun at best and he was really very wasteful with the resources that he had at his disposal. He resembled a kid in a candy shop, or somebody going on an ill-judged spending spree on Football Manager, with no real thought given to how these signings would adapt, into what system they would go and how much of a role they would play. For every Vincent Kompany there was a Roque Santa Cruz and for every Carlos Tevez, there was a Wayne Bridge and very few of his signings remain key players at the club now under Roberto Mancini.
It seems as if, with a sizeable budget compared to his fellow potential lower mid-table rivals, that he’s been done little more than tried to ensure that the club don’t go down this season. This in itself is a reasonable expectation, but the flawed and somewhat bizarre approach to transfers leaves a lot to be desired and the majority are little more than expensive stop-gap purchases.
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Many tipped the Hoops’ for a top-ten finish this season prior to the campaign kicking off, but with such an heavy influx of new faces, the side will take time to gel. Hughes has shown himself in the past to be a more than capable operator in the Premier League, but the moves so far this summer all point to a dampening of expectations and a lack of ambition, precisely at a time when the club should be looking up the table, excited about the future after last term’s escape.
The plan so far of banking on experience to help the club consolidate is something of a gamble and the repercussions if it goes wrong are potentially catastrophic financially, while for Hughes’ sake and the amount that he has personally staked on this policy being a resounding success, it could be a career-defining next few months, with his reputation certainly on the line.
England and Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has expressed his excitement towards the future of the England midfield after a 5-0 win in Moldova.
Tom Cleverley and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain stood out as boys reforming into men as the game went on, and Lampard clearly feels that this England team has potential.
The in-form Chelsea midfielder scored twice for his country in a comfortable win at Moldova that is certain to prove any doubters wrong over his own personal selection. Lampard played alongside Gerrard in a mythical paring that was deemed impossible by former managers, and the two combined well to allow the youngsters to enjoy the occasion that Lampard and Gerrard thrived in.
“They’re brilliant; of course they’re good enough. Tom is a pleasure to play with and with him being at such a young age, he’s going to be right in the middle of the team for years to come,” Lampard told the Daily Mirror.
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“Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was brilliant. He lit up the first half and it’s great to see players like that coming through,” he added.
Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal will continue to challenge at the top for many years to come, despite struggling to compete with the financial resources of Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, The Daily Mail reports.
Gunners fans have often been left frustrated with the lack of activity in the transfer market in recent years, especially as key players seem to leave every year with the promise of greater wages and better prospects of winning trophies.
But Wenger believes they will be rewarded for their careful spending, insisting that the big-spending of their rivals could come back to haunt them.
The Financial Fair Play rules are coming into force, meaning clubs are now restricted on how much of a loss they can make each season.
“We are run in a very responsible way. We make a profit every year and I think that’s where nearly everybody is struggling in Europe. We find ourselves in the situation of Germany in Europe.
“They ignored it until now, but finally we see that they are getting concerned,” Wenger said.
Arsenal fans may take some comfort from being in a stable financial situation, but they will not be happy to see their former star players succeeding elsewhere, especially now that Robin van Persie has made a cracking start to his time at Manchester United.
Wenger admits it was difficult to watch van Persie scoring for their bitter rivals and noted how disappointed he was to lose a player of such quality.
“It felt a bit strange. I was thinking, ‘He has the wrong shirt on. Why does he jump around like that in that shirt?’ Deep down I knew but I didn’t like it too much.”
Arsenal have invested in the likes of Santi Cazorla, Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud to help fill the goal-scoring berth left by Van Persie.
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After two goalless matches, the North Londoners finally broke their duck to beat Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield, with Cazorla and Podolski scoring their first goals for the club.
Wenger however, still believes he has enough firepower to challenge for the title: “The aim is to win the title. I’m the first to be disappointed if it doesn’t happen. But we have a fantastic squad with fantastic quality and I think it’ll work out.”