As reported by The Daily Mail, Rangers are battling with Ligue 1 side Marseille for the signature of West Bromwich Albion prospect Tyler Roberts.
What’s the story?
Rangers have had a busy transfer window so far, signing the likes of Jamie Murphy and shipping out faltering summer signings such as Carlos Pena.
However, they’re also planning ahead to the summer and are eyeing a move for West Brom talent Tyler Roberts.
That’s according to The Daily Mail, who say the Light Blues have been watching his progress closely this season and are planning to scout him again next weekend.
However, they face competition from Ligue 1 outfit Marseille, who are also showing heavy interest in picking him up for a £300,000 compensation fee when his contract expires at the end of the season, say the paper.
Who is he?
Still just 18 years of age, Roberts already has over 50 professional appearances to his name after loan spells at League One sides Oxford United, Shrewsbury Town and currently Walsall.
This season he’s scored five goals in 15 league appearances for the Saddlers, also contributing four assists. That’s a fair record for a player so young and a potential that could be further enhanced with regular football at Ibrox.
With Kenny Miller injured, Eduardo Herrera flopping and Josh Windass not a natural striker, the Light Blues are lacking options and landing Roberts could give the squad a big boost.
It would also follow a similar signing model Celtic have employed in recent years, taking players like Moussa Dembele north of the border on compensation deals, only to see value rise to be sold on for a profit later on.
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It’s a model that could prove successful for Rangers too.
Newcastle are close to completing the signing of Dutch striker Luuk de Jong in a deal worth £8.5million, according to the Daily Mirror.
The Magpies have been chasing De Jong for a long time, and look finally set to get their man, after Dutch rivals Ajax and PSV were priced out of a move.
Borussia Monchengladbach are demanding £8.5million for the former FC Twente star, and will sanction the deal once they bring in a replacement.
De Jong has struggled to settle in Germany, and has barely featured this season.
The Bundesliga club wanted out of favour Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse as part of the deal, however the Senegal international wasn’t interested in a return to Germany.
Newcastle hope to have De Jong signed in time to make his debut at Norwich next Tuesday.
The clubs may look to push through an initial loan signing, with a view to the deal being made permanent in the summer, in order to ensure the transfer is successfully completed this month.
Monchegladbach will demand an initial £7million for the forward, with the rest being made up in add ons.
The total fee will still come to less than the £10million the Magpies offered FC Twente for the forward before his move to Germany.
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A free transfer that will cost £8m? Eh? Well Liverpool, according to the Daily Mail, may have to pay up to that for Danny Ings, despite the 22-year-old being out of contract soon.
Due to him being under the age of 24, the Reds will have to reimburse Burnley for their contribution to his development, while Spurs’ cheeky £12m offer may serve to increase the fee needed due to the figure they could have received.
Although a good player, 11 goals in his maiden Premier League campaign is impressive, such a figure for a largely unproven player is a bit of a risk. So, what could the Merseysiders do with the sum should they opt to use the funds in a different way?
Well, here are a few options…
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Bridge the gap for Mateo Kovacic…
Reports suggest Liverpool are willing to pay £12.9m for Kovacic, but with Inter Milan holding out for around £18m, there’s some gap to be bridged.
Taking the Ings money and putting it in the ‘Kovacic kitty’ would close the void between the sides, and allow Liverpool to get in a player to help ease the blow of losing Steven Gerrard.
Sign Yevhen Konoplyanka & Andre Ayew
With £8m in the kitty, moves for free duo Konoplyanka and Ayew could be funded.
The pair are set to be out of contract soon, so without fees the figure it could take to land Ings may be enough to pay off signing on bonuses and large chunks of the players’ salaries.
Okay, neither can play up front, but their additions would give strength in attacking midfield and free up funds to push for a genuine top class centre-forward.
Pay off Brendan Rodgers…
Pay off Rodgers and get in Jurgen Klopp? Sounds tempting, doesn’t it.
Although the Northern Irishman is safe at the minute, his end-of-season review with the club’s owners is looming large, and it’s entirely feasible that the outcome of the meetings could be enough to see the ex-Swansea man ushered out.
Sacking him would command a fee, but £8m would surely be enough to cover that and provide Klopp with a new challenge…
Fund a move for Carlos Tevez
Despite being out of Fenway Sports Group’s desired transfer zone, 31-year-old Tevez is a target for Liverpool, according to reports.
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The Argentine has little in the way of sell-on value, will command massive wages and sizable transfer fee, but getting him in would surely give the short-term boost the Reds need. Just a little more cash than is needed for Ings would likely be enough for the former Premier League champion.
Pay some of Mario Balotelli’s salary to get rid
Reports suggest that Balotelli is wanted by Sampdoria, but his massive £100,000-per-week salary is an issue for the Serie A side.
Although they’re believed to be open to the idea of paying a respectable fee, Liverpool may have to help fund the 24-year-old’s wages to get him off the books, which will command a bit of a fee.
So taking half the Ings figure and giving Divock Origi the nod when he comes back could clear up the Mario problem…
Had English football not been so overall dormant this year, with Manchester United comfortably winning the Premier League title and none of the top four significantly impacting upon the Champions League, you’d argue that the succession of retirements at Old Trafford from players past and present was an attempt by the Red Devils to steal someone else’s thunder.
Perhaps that is a rather cynical view, considering the members of the now famous class of ’92 have reached, and arguably surpassed their natural age of expiration as footballers, but this season will mark the final chapters in the on-pitch careers of David Beckham and Paul Scholes, with the possibility of Phil Neville joining them, in addition to Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure in the United dugout.
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It will be the end of an illustrious era for one of Europe’s biggest footballing institutions, with Ferguson and his boys claiming 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions League trophies. The Scot’s natural successor, his fellow countryman David Moyes, faces a tall order in terms of boots to fill, but will be desperately eager from the start of next season to continue the supply line of silverware to the Old Trafford trophy cabinet.
Although it will be titles upon which Moyes’ tenure is judged most, he will also be expected to continue the effective running of many other aspects of the club, most notably the scouting and development of youth players, in addition to the continuation of Manchester United as an institutional force in the world of football, as well as the world of commerce which accompanies it.
With the benefits of consistency and longevity always being the key at Old Trafford, and easily visible throughout the current season as United have stood firm whilst the other Premier League big boys have failed to maintain form, it begs the question as to whether the incoming United boss should keep the experience, knowledge and connection to the club provided by Paul Scholes and Phil Neville within the realms of Carrington, by making them part of his managerial staff and back room team.
The initial concern with former players moving into coaching, is whether or not they can transfer their abilities on the pitch into abilities in the dugout or on the training ground. Of course, technical attributes will have little bearing -unfortunately for Paul Scholes but rather luckily for Phil Neville- however, Moyes will be more interested in the two former United players bringing their ethos, determination, discipline and professionalism shown throughout their playing days to the practice pitches and backrooms at Carrington.
Both players have their respective backers to continue their football careers as coaches, with Moyes tipping the now former Everton captain to be a successful manager in the near future, whilst Ferguson already employed Scholes as a coach at Old Trafford during his first bout of retirement, and has often been linked with managerial vacancies at his favoured club Oldham throughout the twilight of his career.
Yet overall, the pair are clearly inexperienced when it comes to the world of management. Neville has accompanied his former boss at Goodison in the dugout on occasion towards the tail-end of the current campaign, leading to suggestions that he would become Moyes’ successor next season, but he is yet to undertake any official training ground responsibilities in any form, whilst Scholes has just a six month period of coaching at Carrington under his belt.
It’s a sharp contrast to the current berth of talents that make up Sir Alex Ferguson’s staff, Mike Phelan, Mick Phelan, Tony Strudwick, Rene Muelensteen, Eric Steele and Paul McGuiness for example, all of whom have a wealth of experience and took up roles with other clubs first, learning their trade the hard way rather than having the opportunity to work for one of Europe’s footballing superpowers handed to them following their retirement, in addition to many but not all attaining University degrees in their respective fields.
But then again, the potential hiring of Scholes and Neville would be no ordinary appointments; both were members of the class of ’92, the generation of academy talent that has gone on to underpin the vast majority of Sir Alex Ferguson’s successes, and have felt and witnessed more than anyone the benefits and integral nature of United’s youth system and the importance of an overall philosophy of determination to succeed.
Similarly, the former has made 718 appearances for the Red Devils, a feat only beaten by Bobby Charlton and Ryan Giggs, whilst the latter also turned out on 386 occasions for his boyhood club. Together, both have amassed a total of 125 international caps for England and have a collective total in terms of silverware of 17 Premier League titles, 6 FA Cups and 3 Champions League trophies. They not only carry with them the Ferguson mentality, but more importantly in terms of longevity, represent the English core that makes the Manchester United identity – an unquantifiable intrinsic value that is often regarded as being the key to long-term successes at Old Trafford.
On the other hand, with the key words regarding the transition between Ferguson’s and Moyes’ tenures being longevitiy, consistency and stability, there is something rather paradoxical about the notion of the former Toffees boss bringing in two new recruits to his coaching team. The potential appointments will come at the expense of some of the old heads, with Rene Muelensteen already considering stepping down, and the possibility that Moyes will ask Mike Phelan, currently the assistant at Old Trafford, to resign to make room for his own choice of right-hand man.
Losing these two influential figures will have a bigger effect in a negative sense in terms of the club’s legacy and continuation of progress behind the scenes in comparison to the effect Scholes and Neville could have in a positive sense. Furthermore, you feel that Moyes, who will surely go with a policy of evolution rather than revolution, would benefit more in terms of advice from the current Manchester staff, who’ve on the most part been at the club for a decade or longer, rather than two former players.
But as i’ve stated before, these are no regular former players. They live and breathe the ethos, philosophy and mentality of Manchester United as a football club, and the extension of their playing careers into their late 30’s is only further evidence of their level-headedness, undying professionalism and commitment to the game itself.
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Both are media-shy and have constantly avoided the whirlwind of the glitz and glamour of late-night call girls and heavy drinking sessions that lands modern players in the front pages of tabloids and red tops more often than the back, and if only a small amount of their talent and mentality were to rub off on the next batch of exciting Red Devils’ academy products, it will not be long before another class of ’92 comes to dominate the Premier League and the England national team.
In essence, they are perfect role models in many ways, on and off the pitch, and for that reason alone, David Moyes should strongly consider making them a part of the club next season. The appointment of former players has worked in the past for Sir Alex Ferguson – Bryan Robson and Steve McLaren to name a few – and there’s no reason it can’t continue to be a prosperous venture under his successor.
Although the outgoing Everton gaffer will be intent on making the transition between himself and Ferguson as subtle as possible, it is undoubtedly a new era at Manchester United, and he should use the opportunity for change to bring some fresh blood into the management staff. They could well go on to succeed Moyes in the distant future, and further continue United’s longevity in cultural, philosophical, and historical terms, in addition to prolonging their successes on the pitch.
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Anders Lindegaard appears to be on his way out of United this summer with West Ham still leading the chase for his signature.
The Danish goalkeeper was not in the matchday squad for last night’s 2-2 Premier League draw at Upton Park, sparking fresh rumours that he could be lining up for the Hammers next season.
West Ham were linked to Lindegaard back in March when it was reported in Denmark that they had enquired after him and his absence from the bench, when he was fit enough to sit there on Sunday, could be more than just coincidence.
David de Gea’s growing presence in goal has reduced the 29-year-old’s chances while reports that keeper coach Eric Steele is watching Brentford’s Simon Moore may indicate that his time at Old Trafford is up.
Lindegaard has not made a first-team appearance for United since December, when he was not at his best in a 4-3 win over Reading, and recently admitted that his situation is not ideal.
He said on his Betfair blog: “I’m not idiot – I am aware that my situation is not the ultimate dream scenario. But I do my very best every day to keep me as sharp as possible both for myself and for the team. When one day I do play again, it would be inexcusable not to have prepared myself in the best way as possible.”
Lindegaard has not played for Denmark in over two years and has lost his place in the squad to Leicester City’s Kasper Schmeichel.
This time last year Raheem Sterling was a young star who was bringing a fresh talent to the England side ahead of the World Cup in Brazil.
Fast forward 12 months and Sterling has once again been hitting the papers, but this time the stories all seem to be negative. The Liverpool winger has been making headlines because of his excessive contract negotiations at Anfield, as well as pictures showing him inhaling both nitrous oxide and smoking a shisha pipe.
Sadly, these negative stories have completely overshadowed the fact that the 20-year-old has been Liverpool’s standout player on the pitch.
Former England and Arsenal star, Sol Campbell has spoken out saying that Sterling has been too badly treated by sections of the media and it could destroy his career. He said: “He’s one of the most talented English players coming out of this country – Do not destroy him. Wake up. PFA, wake up, press wake up and protect this boy.”
All too often we hear stories of young stars, whether they be actors, singers or footballers, who found fame at a young age and have struggled to cope with the pressure. In 2007, Britney Spears suffered from a nervous breakdown and started shaving her head, Canadian pop-singer Justin Bieber has been arrested for numerous offences and now it seems Raheem Sterling has become the latest youngster who cannot handle the pressure of fame.
Savio Nsereko was once one Italy’s brightest prospects. At the age of 19 he made a big money move to East London to join West Ham United and everything went wrong from there. He was shipped back to Italy after only 10 games where he went AWOL. He hasn’t scored since he was a teenager and spent a stint in a Thai prison for faking a kidnapping in order to extort money from his family.
Whilst this is an extreme example of a young footballer who could not handle the pressures of fame, it is good as a warning. Every time we come round to the European Championships or the World Cup we complain that we do not give English talent enough support and Raheem Sterling is a clear example.
Many young footballers go through a spell of bad media attention – Wayne Rooney had it when he left Everton but it isn’t the way forward.
While he hasn’t been acting perfectly off the pitch, his performances on it haven’t changed. He is still showing the skill he possesses, having a better goal to match ratio than he did last season. This year he has scored 11 goals in the Premier League with seven assists and hasn’t been sent off all season. With a pass success rate of 80.5% it shows that amongst all the media hype about the 20-year-old his football has actually improved rather than got worse.
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Raheem Sterling is one of England’s brightest talents and he has become the latest media scapegoat. It is time to take a step back from the pitchforks and start giving him the support any youngster needs at that time in their life.
Daniel Sturridge is out of action… again. After injuring himself following a thigh problem sustained with England, the Liverpool striker was expected to make his long-awaited return this weekend against Crystal Palace. But he’s picked up another thigh issue and is set for ANOTHER spell on the sidelines.Without Sturridge the Reds have eight points from eight games this season, so some sort of plan to turn things around is a must for Brendan Rodgers. What can the Northern Irishman do?Well, here are a few ideas for him to ponder…[ffc-gallery]
CLICK ON STURRIDGE TO REVEAL THE FIVE
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Mario Balotelli in a front two
Balotelli has been a disaster so far for Liverpool. The Italian arrived with the hype of a Hollywood star, but has produced the result of a z-list celebrity at Anfield. Two goals – neither in the Premier League – are all ‘Super Mario’ has to boast about, yet there have been glimmers of what’s possible. His debut – during the 3-0 Spurs win – was, arguably, his most impressive showing, And during this game he was in a front two with Daniel Sturridge.
Balotelli himself has admitted that he’s better in a pair, with his unique playing style making him prone to drifting deep or wide, which leaves the Reds short of options in the box. Fabio Borini could be an effective stand-in partner for his compatriot, while Rickie Lambert would give a different option alongside Mario.
Use a false nine system
For part of the home loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League, Brendan Rodgers came over all football hipster by using a ‘false nine’ system. Raheem Sterling was deployed as the furthest forward attacker, providing the energy that Balotelli often fails to deliver.
With a wealth of tricky playmakers and wingers, Rodgers has plenty of options, and a fluid set-up could be wise against some opponents. However, the lack of a focal point may be detrimental. But hey, it can’t get much worse, right?
Give Rickie Lambert a chance
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Lambert looks more and more like a competition winner playing alongside his idols as each week passes. It’s quite sad to see the former Southampton idol struggling so much, but a run of games may bring back the clever target man we all saw on the South Coast. Mobility is a massive issue for the 32-year-old, but if he has support around him his intelligence and ability to pick out the right pass may be come to the fore.
Up the tempo
Liverpool last season were breakneck fast. Games could be over within 30 minutes – the Arsenal drubbing an example – with Brendan Rodgers’ side hassling, harrying and attacking with ferocious pace. Yet this seasons Reds are ponderous, building up slowly and feeding balls into the box from wide.
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Okay, playing quick football needs the right type of players, but, Balotelli aside, the Merseysiders have a wealth of decent and skilful stars who are adept and one touch football.
Plan for January
Sturridge is a great striker. But his injury record is woeful…
Building around a player who spends as much time on the treatment table as on the pitch is a flawed policy, so it may be time for Liverpool to get in a new talisman in January. There are plenty of strikers on the market, but a bit more foresight than was put into the Balotelli episode may be needed…
West Ham’s Aaron Cresswell is enjoying a successful season. His side got off to a strong start in the league, and Cresswell himself has been a strong addition to the Hammers. He has 29 league appearances under his belt, but is rarely mentioned by the media.
Cresswell also missed out on an opportunity to play for his country under Roy Hodgson.
Aaron Cresswell signed for West Ham from Ipswich in July 2014. He scored his first goal at Upton Park back in November. This goal was the difference between the home side and visiting Newcastle, with Cresswell being named Man of the Match for his winning performance.
Following this clash, West Ham boss Sam Allardyce referred to Aaron Cresswell as ‘Mr Dependable’. He has been a constant in his side despite the fact he had no experience in the Premier League before August. Yet as he is not one of the higher profile debutants, he has been overlooked over the last season.
When Roy Hodgson released his selections for the Euro 2016 qualifiers, Harry Kane getting his call up was big news – unsurprising, given his season – but Aaron Cresswell was omitted from the squad selection.
Talk had began of an England call up for the West Ham player earlier in the season but it amounted to nothing. Is this down to the side he plays for? Leighton Baines and Luke Shaw were included in the selection, despite the injury woes they have faced this season. But both play for clubs who are further up in the Premier League table.
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Hodgon’s side has come under scrutiny for potentially being chosen on their team’s merit, rather than individual performance.
Cresswell’s debut season has not gone completely unnoticed though. It is being speculated that Manchester City are monitoring the 25-year-old, with intentions to bring him to the Etihad in the summer transfer window.
Manchester City are looking to bring English talent to their side and Aaron Cresswell would be a great addition if he can maintain his momentum from this season. Or could he just be another Scott Sinclair, signed off the back of a good season yet ends up rotting on the substitutes bench?
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He may not be the biggest name in the league, but Cresswell has put in some great performances for a Premier League newbie. His exclusion from the England squad can be considered more of a reflection of the manager rather than the individual.
He has established himself in his club squad and received some great praise from his own boss. He is even tipped to be awarded Player of the Year for the Hammers. He may be underrated for now, but he won’t be for long.
Nurturing young players is about balance. They need to be allowed to work hard and play hard. But the most important balance to strike, especially for particularly talented youngsters whose clubs rely on them, is between experience and rest.
If anyone knows this, it is Mauricio Pochettino. Just look at all of the young players he has brought through the ranks during his time at Southampton and Tottenham. And now Pochettino fears that Harry Kane will face fatigue and a loss of form if he is to go to the U21 European Championships with Gareth Southgate’s England squad this summer.
It is physically taxing for any player to play a full season of league games, cup competitions (both domestic and European), and international games, let alone having to do all of this in a World Cup or European Championships year.
Yet this must all be balanced with the experience that young players get from playing as many games as possible. Especially if they are crucial to their club team, as responsibility at such a young age, coupled with lots of playing time, generally makes young players better when they are in their prime.
This is why lots of the current crop of England youngsters, including Harry Kane, need to go and represent their country this summer in order to progress as far as possible. This isn’t about winning the Euros. Far from it. It is just a very important chance to gain good experience.
Winning it might be a good thing for the country and for English football, but if it is, the goodness doesn’t come from the glory of winning. It would come from the taste of blood in the mouths of the young lions who will represent England in the future. As we are told time after time, winning is a habit.
So how should England balance this?
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After Raheem Sterling told Roy Hodgson he was tired, the youngster was left out of the England squad for the qualifier against Estonia in Tallinn in October. Brendan Rodgers later gave him a rest from Liverpool duty in January too.
Sterling has been criticised for this in some quarters, with some saying he should front-up and play for his country when asked, while others have been sympathetic and said that he should be given a break if tired. This shows how much we’re torn, and how no one knows the right answer.
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has also tried to take the pressure of mounting appearances off the shoulders of one of his England starlets, Ross Barkley, as Martinez has stated his desire to see Barkley left off the plane to the Czech Republic this summer.
Both merseyside managers, like Pochettino, were worried about burnout. And on balance, it does look like Barkley (injuries aside) and Sterling have played enough football over the last year to merit a break this summer. Even to the detriment, perhaps, of the Under-21 team.
Kane, however, is in a different position, even if Pochettino is worried about tiredness. This is actually about more than just tiredness. This is also about his progress at international level.
England’s chances in major tournaments over the next few years depend on players like Kane. Barkley, Sterling and Kane will likely all be playing a big part in the national side in just over a year’s time in the build up to Euro 2016 in France.
These youngsters need to find out what it’s like to be cooped up with 22 other young lads in a hotel room for 3 weeks, unable to do anything ‘fun’ lest the media jump on it. As though living in fear of a media backlash wasn’t conducive in itself to poor preparation.
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There is a difference in the developmental stages of Harry Kane and players like Sterling, Barkley and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, for example. These players have all played at a World Cup, and have all experienced the pressures and peculiarities of tournament football.
In this case, England can prioritise rest for these players. But for Harry Kane, Eric Dier, Jordon Ibe and many others, even though it’s only an Under-21 tournament, they still need to go in order to further their development.
A balance must be struck for the good of every party involved. But this doesn’t simply mean resting young players. It sometimes means giving them experience over and above club football.
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The sight of Manuel Pellegrini prowling the technical box, as opposed to Roberto Mancini in his blue and white scarf, will take a few games for City fans to get used to.
As usual at the Etihad though, the transfer window has seen a great deal of investment in the playing squad.
How Pellegrini gets the four new attackers integrated with the team he has inherited will be interesting to see.
If he gets it right, they could well be in title contention, and might even progress pass the group stages of the Champions League.
Players out: Wayne Bridge (Reading) Free, Jeremy Helan (Sheffield Wednesday) Undisclosed, Maicon (Roma) Undisclosed, Filippo Mancini (Released), Ryan McGivern (Hibernian) Free, Karim Rekik (PSV Eindhoven) Loan, Roque Santa Cruz (Malaga) Free, Carlos Tevez (Juventus) £12m, Kolo Toure (Liverpool) Free, Reece Wabara (Doncaster) Loan.
Player to watch: Edin Dzeko – Pellegrini has already stated he likes the forward Mancini preferred to use off the bench. And the Bosnian’s four goals in pre-season suggest he is raring to go in the Premier League, where there is no doubt he has the ability to score regularly.
Young player to watch: Stevan Jovetic – the 23-year-old was signed for £22million and was courted by a host of other European clubs before he decided to move to Manchester. He scored 13 goals in 34 games for Fiorentina last season, which is roughly a goal every three games. Should the Montenegrin find his feet in the Premier League he could certainly be starting games for City and he could certainly be causing problems for opponents.
Player needing to improve: Micah Richards – the powerful defender has undoubted ability. It is more his ability to stay injury-free that needs improving. If he can, he will provide great competition for Pablo Zabaleta and may even have the opportunity to move into the heart of City’s defence.
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