According to reports in The Mirror, West Ham United target and Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin is the subject of a £12m bid from La Liga side Valencia.
What’s the word, then?
Well, The Mirror reported earlier on Monday that the Irons were keen on the Frenchman as manager David Moyes has made bringing a new central midfielder to the club during the January transfer window a priority.
However, a report by The Mirror later on Monday says that Valencia have made an offer of £12m for the 26-year-old, who was left out of the Gunners squad as his side were beaten 4-2 by Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup at the City Ground on Sunday.
The report adds that Coquelin is keen to move on to get more game time and get his career back on track, with Wenger confirming on Tuesday that an exit is a “possibility”.
How has Coquelin done this season?
He has struggled to get regular minutes on the pitch.
The Frenchman has fallen down the pecking order with Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka often preferred in the centre of the pitch, with Jack Wilshere also seemingly in favour once again in recent weeks.
The 26-year-old has made 13 appearances in all competitions, although he has only featured for a total of 155 minutes across seven outings in the Premier League and was hampered by a hamstring injury earlier in the campaign.
Would he be a good signing for West Ham?
Well, the Frenchman never seems to have really impressed with Arsenal and certainly isn’t a fans’ favourite, and it still seems unclear what his best position actually is.
While Wenger sees him as a defensive midfielder, he often seems to lack the discipline to play in that role as he always appears to be looking to run forward rather than hold his position.
That said, he has plenty of Premier League experience and has also featured in the Champions League, and he obviously has plenty of quality if he has done that, and could prove to be a shrewd buy for the Irons.
Will they get him?
It’s difficult to say.
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.
While West Ham may be interested in Coquelin and a potential £12m price tag, the Frenchman may not be Moyes’ first-choice midfield target, and if that is the case then Valencia may have something of a free run at getting the 26-year-old.
According to reports in The Times, Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino is eyeing a third January signing as he still wants to bring a centre-back to the club before the January transfer window slams shut on Wednesday.
What’s the word, then?
Well, Saints have already strengthened in attack with the club-record addition of Guido Carrillo from Monaco last week, while Pellegrino is also looking to tie up a big-money move for Spartak Moscow forward Quincy Promes.
It seemed as though Carrillo and a forward like the Netherlands international were going to be the only arrivals at St Mary’s this month despite the £75m departure of Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool at the start of the month, however it appears that a central defender is also on the list, according to The Times.
The south coast outfit were loosely linked with Swansea City defender Alfie Mawson earlier in January, and while the Welsh club would be unlikely to sell him to a direct relegation rival, they would also demand a huge fee for the 24-year-old.
Do Southampton need a new centre-back?
When you lose a player as good as Van Dijk is from your team, it would seem like a no-brainer to replace him.
While Wesley Hoedt, Maya Yoshida and Jack Stephens – who scored his first goal for the club in the 1-0 win against Watford in the fourth round of the FA Cup at St Mary’s on Saturday – have done well, the latter duo in particular have struggled from an aerial point of view against the likes of Harry Kane, Christian Benteke and Laurent Depoitre in recent weeks.
Saints certainly look to be missing that dominant centre-half, and it will be interesting to see if they make any progress on a deal before the close of play on Wednesday.
Who could they target?
Saints are more likely to look abroad rather than the Premier League you would think given most of their recent transfer business, and Christopher Jullien of Toulouse and Salif Sane at Hannover 96 would certainly be two players that would fit the mould of what the south coast outfit are looking for, given that their expertise is in winning aerial duels.
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 was a surprisingly weak display from Harry Kane at Anfield, and yet it was one which proved his importance nonetheless.
Having missed a penalty which looked like it could have been a winner, Liverpool went up the other end and punished him – looking to have scored the clincher themselves. But that’s only to misunderstand the character Tottenham Hotspur have in their team and, probably, the weakness of Liverpool’s defence, even with Virgil van Dijk taking his place within it.
Harry Kane, having missed a couple of chances and generally looked out of the game for large swathes of it, still managed five shots – though two of those were penalties – and one equalising goal.
That last-minute penalty to take his own Premier League goals tally up to 100 was a pressure strike for all sorts of reasons, but the mental strength alone needed to step up and bury a pressure spot kick after missing one just minutes earlier is worthy of serious respect.
But a dispassionate analysis of Kane’s game has to take into account more than just that penalty. Over the entire game, he amassed fewer touches than any other player to start the game, including goalkeepers, and with just six completed passes, he was more of a liability than a threat for the majority of the time.
Spurs managed to come away with a draw at Anfield in a game they may well have won if Kane had been on better form throughout, and although a potential slump in performances is inevitable for a player who has been at such a high level for so long, this would be the absolute worst time for Tottenham to have to struggle without him.
With Arsenal coming up this weekend and Juventus in the Champions League on the horizon, Spurs will have to hope that Kane’s pressure penalty was the moment to jolt their star striker back into form again.
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.
Either way, it shows that even an off-form Kane could still decide the biggest game in the league last weekend.
When Paul Pogba doesn’t perform, you can be sure that there will be one point raised above all others: his price tag.
If you’re the world’s most expensive player, you probably expect that. And indeed, even after Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Philippe Coutinho have surpassed the fee paid for Manchester United’s Frenchman, Pogba still remains his club’s record signing and still has to justify the outlay spent on him.
Plenty of others have received it, too. Across Manchester, John Stones got it last year, whilst it’s been a particularly effective stick with which to beat Eliaquim Mangala, now loaned to Everton instead of being trusted at City.
Modern football doesn’t tend to worry too much about the wellbeing of its players, in truth. From the pressure of the game to the few days’ rest between massive fixtures, footballers are often seen as machines, not men, their vast salaries seen as adequate recompense for their fatigue and other problems.
That might well be fair enough. They are indeed paid extremely handsomely, and perhaps it is sufficient in order to turn footballers into the modern day equivalent of dancing monkeys.
It wasn’t always that way.
When a young Jimmy Greaves moved from Chelsea to AC Milan in 1961, he found it hard to settle. After just 14 games – and a very respectable nine goals – he wanted to come home: and both his old club Chelsea and Tottenham were interested.
In the end, it was Spurs who won his signature. The north London side had won the double the previous season under Bill Nicholson and were one of the biggest clubs in the country, and indeed they could afford to make him the most expensive player in the history of English football.
The fee paid for him, though, was £99,999, a British record, for sure, but a single, solitary pound short of making Greaves the first £100,000 player, something which would certainly have made headlines all over the country. But instead of piling that sort of pressure onto their new signing, Spurs stopped short in their bid.
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.
Perhaps it’s too far to talk about Nicholson’s Spurs thinking solely about their player’s wellbeing. In reality, they probably felt the pressure would lead to bad performances and as such may well have been a perfectly selfish ploy. If so, it worked – Greaves went on to become the club’s top scorer.
But perhaps Paul Pogba, Manchester United and indeed modern football can learn from that.
When Pogba moved, people did talk about the pressure of the price tag, and they did wonder if it would inhibit his performances. But at the same time, did the club take that into consideration? And in an age when both Manchester clubs as well as plenty of other elite teams around the Premier League and Europe are only going to increase their spending, it seems like a relevant lesson – should clubs take that into account more when negotiating prices for their players?
Mohamed Diame claimed that ‘little things can make the difference’ when discussing his improved form for Newcastle United in recent weeks.
Diame struggled for consistency in the early months of the 2017-18 campaign, with the midfielder often left out of Newcastle’s starting XI by head coach Rafael Benitez.
The 30-year-old has been impressive for the Magpies since the turn of the year, however, playing the full 90 minutes in five of the club’s last six Premier League matches.
Diame netted his second Premier League goal of the season in the 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace earlier this month, before putting in a fine performance in the 1-0 victory over Manchester United on February 11.
The midfielder, who is valued at £4.5m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has said that the ‘little things’ have made a huge difference in his upturn in form.
Diame told Newcastle’s official website:
“Little things – but little things can make the difference, like checking what I eat and working harder at training.
“I always listen to the manager, what he is asking me, but there are some details that you have to look after yourself.”
Newcastle have only lost once in the Premier League since the turn of the year, with that form moving them into 13th position in the table.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
That said, Benitez’s side, who will travel to Bournemouth this weekend, are only two points clear of the relegation zone in England’s top flight.
According to reports in Italian media outlet Corriere dello Sport, Southampton striker Manolo Gabbiadini could be set for a return to Serie A in the summer with Bologna with the club said to be in talks with Saints over a potential deal.
What’s the word, then?
Well, Corriere dello Sport says that Bologna were keen to sign the 26-year-old attacker during the January transfer window with their forward Simone Verdi being linked with Napoli, but neither move happened.
However, Corriere dello Sport says that the Serie A outfit are still interested in recruiting the Italy international this summer, and they are set to hold talks with his agent Silvio Pagliari in the next few weeks.
The report adds that Gabbiadini is keen to return to his home nation and wanted a move in January, but his €2.5m-a-year (£2.25m) contract would be out of their reach, while they say Saints could demand between €12-€15m (£10.7m-£13.4m) for his services.
How has Gabbiadini done this season?
The Italy international looked as though he was going to be a Southampton hero when he scored six goals in his first four appearances for the club just over a year ago, but he has only scored four times in 35 matches in all competitions since then.
The 26-year-old has fallen behind the likes of Charlie Austin, Shane Long and new boy Guido Carrillo in the pecking order at St Mary’s this term, making only one Premier League start since December 16.
[ad_pod ]
Scoring a last-gasp equaliser in the 1-1 draw against Burnley last month wasn’t enough to see him get a starting spot against Stoke City last weekend – much to the bemusement of the fans – but the south coast outfit will still be hoping he can rediscover his previous goalscoring form in their battle to beat the drop.
What should Southampton do with Gabbiadini this summer?
For whatever reason things don’t appear to be working out for Gabbiadini, and he looks to be a player that is more suited to having another play up top alongside him.
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.
Given that Saints favour a 4-2-3-1 system, they would be better off cashing in on the 26-year-old this summer in the interest of both parties, whether they stay up or are relegated to the Championship.
It remains to be seen whether a move to Bologna will happen however, given the financial implications of any deal.
Tony Pulis was sacked by Stoke City in 2013, with the Potters established in the Premier League and having never really been in any grave danger of returning to the Championship.
Former Fulham manager Mark Hughes was seen as the man to usher in a new, more expansive style at the Britannia Stadium (now the Bet365 Stadium) while also retaining the steel that Pulis had instilled.
The no-nonsense Welshman might not have been the most obvious choice to bring passing football to the Potteries but the feeling was that Stoke had reached their ceiling under Pulis.
They were a secure, mid-table club playing a rudimentary style of football associated with underdogs. With hindsight, we’re now able to see how the Hughes era would play out.
The bedding in period while Hughes implemented his ideas did not put Stoke in immediate danger but after three straight seasons of finishing ninth, ending last season in 13th place was a precursor for what was to come this time around.
Hughes was dismissed in January with the Potters in the relegation zone. His reign came to be characterised by excuses, lavish spending and ultimately, a style of play that was not much more attractive but had a flimsy defence at its heart.
Moreover, the Bet365 was no longer the cauldron it was under Pulis, most notably when the big boys came to town. Tottenham and Manchester City have enjoyed easy, heavy wins at Stoke in recent years and Pep Guardiola’s Citizens will pitch up there on Monday night expecting another.
Having put seven past Hughes’ Potters at the Etihad earlier in the season, City have shown Stoke just how good they are first-hand already this term.
We all know by now how good City can be but no team in the Premier League has surrendered quite as meekly as Stoke did in the face of their blistering attack.
That defence put together by Pulis has been decimated, with workmanlike defenders such as Robert Huth replaced by internationals such as Bruno Martins-Indi but it has only served to create a defensive unit that wilts when placed under extreme pressure as opposed to digging in.
That brings us back to Pulis’ approach in the games against the top sides, particularly at home. Stoke were dogged, resilient and defended deep but they also maximised every opportunity they could to cause problems.
No matter how unfashionable – using long throw-ins, long diagonals and almost every set-piece – Pulis was determined to get his side to use their minority share of the ball to hurt their illustrious opponents.
That contrasts with how many Premier League sides have rolled over and played for a point this season against the top six but it is also a far cry from the soulless, flimsy Stoke side Hughes left when he was eventually sacked this season.
In their quest to modernise, to progress their style of football and to keep the ball on the ground more, Stoke lost a lot of attacking thrust and the ability to fashion something as minor as a throw-in or a goal kick into a chance to unsettle their opponents.
The Pulis big-club blueprint was well-established by the end of his reign and it brought about what is surely the most memorable moment of Stoke’s ten-year tenure in the top flight.
That moment is Peter Crouch’s staggering volley against City, in March 2012. It is the essence of Pulis-ball and reminds us all that, while the pursuit of an attractive, fluid, modern passing game is a noble one, there can be beauty in simplicity.
A long diagonal is aimed forwards by Asmir Begovic, towards Crouch, who has peeled off towards the right-hand corner of the penalty box, easily outjumping Gareth Barry to flick the ball towards Jermaine Pennant.
As Barry hauls himself from the canvas with the look of a man who is unsure what has just happened to him, but showing no real appetite to sprint back in and react – the kind of complacency Stoke’s simple, full-blooded style was perfectly suited to exploiting – Pennant nods the ball back to Crouch.
Now, neither Barry nor Joe Hart in goal could have foreseen what happened next. Nobody in the stadium could have and Crouch probably didn’t either, but it was the culmination of a move that summed up Stoke at that time.
Football – Stoke City v Manchester City Barclays Premier League – The Britannia Stadium – 24/3/12 Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini and Stoke manager Tony Pulis (L) clash on the touchline Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl Recine Livepic EDITORIAL 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.
The thing about Crouch is that for a big man, he wasn’t that good in the air. He’s already done the part he’s less comfortable with by winning the header. His first touch is sublime, and the ball drops, begging to be volleyed.
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.
Obviously, a lanky leg is unfurled to do just that. Every single one of us would have tried it and a large part of Crouch’s enduring appeal is that he seems just like every single one of us.
Joe Hart, at this stage England’s undisputed number one goalkeeper, has no chance with the swooping, dipping volley that ends up in his bottom right-hand corner. City beat Stoke 1-0 in the previous season’s FA Cup final but Crouchy has just secured a degree of revenge in the sweetest possible way to send the Britannia wild.
A goal of undoubted quality and skill – a memorable moment in the Premier League’s 25-year story – has punctuated Stoke’s dogged, resolute style and Pulis is on the touchline absolutely loving it.
That basic style got them into the Europa League, where they had been narrowly eliminated by Valencia the previous month and for all Stoke’s subsequent attempts to evolve, they didn’t even get close to returning under Hughes.
As Paul Lambert searches for a way to take down Guardiola’s outstanding City 2017-18 vintage, he could do a lot worse than use Pulis’ blueprint – and hope one of his more fashionable, creative talents adds the stardust even half as well as Crouch did.
Things are going from bad to worse for Sunderland, and fans have been reacting to the rumours that Jonny Williams was involved in a fight at a nightclub on Saturday night.
There comes a point for football fans where disappointment is replaced with acceptance, and acceptance becomes humour. Sunderland fans are well beyond that point now, after their side continued their horror home form on Saturday.
Chris Coleman’s side lost 2-0 to Preston North End at the Stadium of Light, but that wasn’t the only bad news this weekend.
[ad_pod ]
Darron Gibson was suspended by the club for an incident that happened on Saturday morning; the 30 year-old crashed his car in a residential area and was arrested on suspicion of driving over the legal alcohol limit.
As if the defeat and news about Gibson wasn’t bad enough, rumours are spreading on Twitter that the injured Jonny Williams was involved in an incident in a nightclub in Kent. Williams has taken considerable flak from fans for his lack of involvement due to injuries this season, and fans have taken to Twitter to laugh at the current state of their club.
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.
Just when Manchester City appeared almost invincible, another tough game at Anfield – this time resulting in a 3-0 defeat – has brought them crashing back down to earth.
And if that wasn’t a sobering enough experience, the Premier League’s champions in waiting must now prepare for one of the most eagerly anticipated Manchester derbies in generations, one that will see them clinch the English crown with a win over historic rivals Manchester United.
Amid what has undoubtedly been the least certain few days in City’s otherwise immaculate 2017/18 season, Pep Guardiola will have found himself trying to find the right answers to some crucial questions. Here are four of the most important…
Which game takes priority?
Guardiola has never been one for prioritising games, especially when they’re as important as a Manchester derby and a Champions League quarter-final. He’ll expect and feel this City side is good enough to achieve the right results and produce strong performances in both. Yet, the fact of the matter is that City don’t need to win Saturday’s game – this season’s title is a mere formality, and they’ll have six more chances to get themselves over the line.
In contrast, City only have one opportunity to still make the semi-finals of this season’s Champions League, and it will require a huge performance over Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium to reverse the three-goal deficit. So, should Guardiola spare his resources for Tuesday’s second leg, or risk it all for a historic win over United?
Back to what City do best?
The last two games have seen surprising tactical experimentation from a team that has been so relentless when using 4-3-3 on the most-part this season. City used a 3-5-2 setup to outmanoeuvre Everton at Goodison Park, resulting in a 3-1 win, while the formation used at Anfield was almost a mix between 3-4-3 and 4-5-1 with Aymeric Laporte part full-back and part centre-half.
That’s perhaps due to Sergio Aguero’s absence – Gabriel Jesus needs far more support in close proximity – and the quality Liverpool boast in attack. But in the safe surroundings of the Etihad Stadium and after such a huge loss, surely it’s time for City to return to the system they know best. Then again, Guardiola might have a trick or two under his sleeve.
Is it worth risking Aguero?
For all the talk of Jesus replacing Aguero earlier in the season, the Brazilian’s performance in the 3-0 defeat to Liverpool showed just how far away he still is from replicating the levels of the Argentine assassin. Aguero was forced to sit out the midweek clash with injury and it remains to be seen whether he’ll be available for the Manchester derby.
But even if he is, Guardiola must decide whether the risk of starting a key forward with notorious injury problems is really worth it, bearing in mind City don’t need to win this game and face Liverpool on Tuesday. It could well be the difference between victory and defeat for City – Aguero often only needs one chance to score in this calibre of game – but there are more battles ahead.
Which centre-backs can best handle Romelu Lukaku?
City failed to handle the incredible speed of Liverpool’s attack in midweek but Manchester United pose a different kind of threat through Romelu Lukaku. The Belgium international is quick off the mark as well, but also boasts power and dominance in the air.
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.
More pertinently, he’s enjoying something of a purple patch at the moment – scoring four in United’s last six league games and netting or assisting in his last seven outings across all competitions, including a goal for Belgium. City, meanwhile, have kept only one clean sheet in their last four, using all four of their centre-back options in that time, so it’s vital Guardiola chooses the right personnel to contain the United front-man.
Vincent Kompany and Nicolas Otamendi seem the obvious options, but perhaps City need a covering defender to partner one of those two.
Manchester City’s 3-1 win against Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday means that, as has been on the cards for weeks, they have the opportunity to clinch the Premier League title at home to local rivals Manchester United on Saturday.
The dramatic 2012 title win sealed by Sergio Aguero looked at the time as if it could not be topped but for some City fans, beating the Red Devils at the Etihad would surpass even the elation of that day.
It could be a miserable afternoon for Jose Mourinho and his side so he has moved to soften the blow pre-emptively by stating that his side are deservedly second in the Premier League table.
That was likely intended as a jibe at Liverpool and Tottenham, who are below United in the table but are much more feted by the media.
However, United fans are not impressed that finishing second, especially when they are so far behind leaders City, is an achievement these days and we’ve taken a closer look at the best of the reaction…