Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini has admitted that he would be open to a move away from Merseyside, but will be happy to stay at the club if no offers come in for him.
The Belgium international has been praised of late for excellent performances in the Premier League and for his nation, and as such Chelsea and Real Madrid are thought to be monitoring the £20 million-rated man.
Fellaini has confirmed that he is unaware of any offers for him as yet but is ambitious to play in Europe.
“If I have got to go, I will go, if not, I repeat, I am at Everton,” he told Belgian radio station RTBF, translated to English by Sky Sports.
“I am ambitious; I want to play in the Champions League or in the Europa League. Last season we finished seventh with Everton, and we were not able to qualify us for Europe, which was a shame.
“If an ambitious club comes in for me? Why not, just to gain experience but I’m on vacation right now, I do not give [speculation] too much attention.
“Every year they say I’ll be transferred to the left or right. But I’m still at Everton.
“If it comes, I take, if it does not come, I stay at Everton, where I am happy, and where I still have a four-year contract.
“Everything goes fast in football. You can be transferred tomorrow, as you can be in one or two years. For now, I’m on vacation, I try to arrive fresh at the start of next season. If there are any concrete offers yet? If this is the case, I am not aware.
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“They talked about me in Chelsea? If I had to go there, I would have several friends – Hazard, Lukaku, De Bruyne, Courtois … There are many Belgians! It’s good for the national team,” he concluded.
Sergio Aguero’s move to Manchester City is edging closer to completion and I couldn’t be happier. No I am not a Manchester City fan but in Aguero I think City are acquiring one of the most exciting talents in world football and he looks set to grace England’s top tier next season. Like most wonderkids from Argentina he carries huge expectation with him whether he goes but whilst City line him up to be the next Carlos Tevez, can Aguero go on and be better than the man he is replacing?
Aguero, or El Kun, has been plying his trade with Atletico Madrid in Spain’s La Liga for a number of years and like his former teammate Fernando Torres, he also now looks set to test his talents in England. Despite the attacking wealth at City’s disposal, the possible departure of captain Carlos Tevez has obviously left Roberto Mancini needing a replacement. And in Aguero you are getting that like-for-like replacement that the departure of Tevez would require.
Both Argentine internationals are small in build (both around 5ft 7in) and not your conventional target frontmen. At 23 Aguero is four years younger than Tevez, allowing Aguero time to develop and adapt to the English league. When Tevez arrived in City he had experience of the Premier League with West Ham and Manchester United but Aguero may take slightly longer to settle at City than Tevez. If the quoted £38million figure is correct then City are also doing a good deal business wise if they can sell off Tevez for a higher amount.
But what about goals? The success of Tevez at City came down to his fantastic goal scoring record and ability to change a game. With Aguero City have the same attributes. Aguero has scored 121 goals in 280 appearances for club and country (compared to Tevez’s 151 in 361). Aguero also matched Tevez’s 20 goals in their domestic leagues last season.
Another attribute so crucial to City’s success last season was Tevez’s ability to create a moment out of nothing. Aguero’s skill, pace, fast feet and eye for goal means he has similar quality. He has the frightening ability to take on and beat defenders with the upmost ease. Premier League defenders may be relieved to read about Tevez’s probable departure but with Aguero they will have little to time to relax.
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But there are ways in which the two differ. Tevez’s inability to stay at a club longer than a couple of years has been very unsettling. He clearly wants to leave and there is no doubt that this very public desire to move on has affected the club, players and manager in some way. Aguero joined Madrid aged 18 back in 2006. After understandably taking time to settle in a new country, Aguero went on to have a huge impact in La Liga. He has been on the radar of the European elite for many years and despite obvious interest in his services, he has shown a loyalty to the club that developed him beyond what many would have expected. Aguero seems keen to join City and that is crucial for Mancini. But one thing that may be lost in replacing Aguero with Tevez is Tevez’s ability to influence the team. Tevez’s played an integral role on the pitch last season in rallying the City players to victories with his endless work ethic and leadership skills. Aguero won’t offer the same presence but it will be up to City’s more senior players to take up that particular void left by Tevez.
Despite City’s obvious intentions to replace Tevez with Aguero, there is still a slim chance that both could be playing at the same club next season. The saga that is Tevez’s transfer looks far from completion whilst Aguero is nearing his move to Manchester. I do expect Tevez to still leave, with City maybe more willing to do business after signing a suitable replacement but it would be an interesting situation if both were at City come the start of the season.
The loss of Carlos Tevez will always be a blow to City after his influential time with the club but in Aguero, they have the best replacement possible to continue their aim of reaching the very top of world football.
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Robbie Keane’s proposed move to Birmingham City has hit a snag after the Irish striker reportedly demanded a wage increase.
Spurs accepted a £6 million approach for the striker from Birmingham City on Friday and the deal seemed set to go through in the days following. However, Keane’s desire to increase his current £65,000 a-week salary means that the move could now be at risk of collapsing.
The snag is likely to be frustrating to both teams involved in the deal. Tottenham are desperate to bring in a new striker in January and getting Keane off of the wage bill, plus any money earned from the sale, would help in funding a move for potential targets Andy Carroll or Luis Suarez. Birmingham too are keen to add striking talents to their ranks and with a move for Rangers forward Kenny Miller falling through, the expected arrival of Keane would have been a big boost for the club.
Keane’s only goal this season came in a League Cup encounter with Arsenal and he has found his first team action severely limited since the start of the season. Keane is behind Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko in the pecking order at Spurs and, despite his reported wage demands, is likely to be moving to be moving on before the window shuts.
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Tottenham are weighing up a move for Brazil international striker Leandro Damiao, and may well opt to try and sign him over other attacking targets this summer, according to Mirror Football.
The Internacional forward has impressed for club and country, and the north London club sent chief scout Ian Bloomfield to South America to watch the hitman in action over the weekend.
Harry Redknapp’s men missed out on Champions League football for next season after Chelsea won this term’s tournament on Saturday, which could have a major bearing on the club’s transfer policy this summer.
With Emmanuel Adebayor’s loan spell finished and the African returning to Manchester City, Spurs have a gap to fill in attack.
The Togolese marksman’s wages are thought to be a stumbling block for the White Hart Lane outfit, whilst an inflated transfer fee for Marseille’s Loic Remy is also a barrier.
However, Spurs may opt to try to sign Damiao, who is being monitored by a raft of European sides and is valued around the £15 million mark.
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The recent influx of new faces at Liverpool this summer has simultaneously served to reignite optimism amongst the club’s fans and place doubts over the futures of several members of the playing personnel.
Among the players rumoured to have the Anfield axe hanging above his head is forgotten man Alberto Aquilani. Aquilani, a marquee signing two summers ago, has returned to Merseyside after Juventus failed to stump up the fee needed to turn his loan deal into a permanent one.
The player’s agent Franco Zavaglia has dampened speculation that his client will be the next player to follow Paul Konchesky out of the club. Speaking to milannews.it, he said: “The possibility of seeing Alberto back in the Italian championship is very small at the moment. At the moment I believe Aquilani will be wearing the Liverpool shirt next season.”
The former Roma man featured in both of Liverpool’s pre-season friendlies last week, and turned in a particularly noteworthy performance in the second half of the side’s 6-3 win over a Malaysian All-Star XI on Saturday. Indeed his display was deemed to be so impressive that it prompted a complimentary tweet from club owner John W. Henry, who said: “One missing link last year: Acquilani. Put the ball near Ngog and the goal and it’s going in. Too much talk of them somewhere else.”
Whilst pre-season friendlies against vastly inferior opposition are seldom the barometer of a team or player’s quality, Aquilani’s contributions sought to reassure the club’s management of his undoubted ability and class. Many, including the player himself, will be hoping that these recent performances and Henry’s ringing endorsement will prove to be catalysts for a revival in his Anfield fortunes.
A successful transition to life in the Premier League is an accomplishment that has eluded some of the continent’s most distinguished footballers. The high-profile examples of Andriy Shevchenko and Juan Sebastián Verón illustrate how hard adapting to English football can be. Aquilani’s initial introduction to the Premier League was made even harder by several aggravating factors.
The midfielder arrived at Anfield carrying an injury, and may have forced his recovery in order to hasten his return to first-team action. Aquilani’s return from injury also coincided with a dismal run for the Reds, which included an ignominious early Champions League exit. Most tellingly, many erroneously saw Aquilani as a direct replacement for the much-loved and much-missed Xabi Alonso, despite earlier suggestions by then manager Rafa Benitez that the two were very different players.
Speaking after the Italian’s arrival, Benitez said: “Alberto is a player who has quality, game intelligence and can pass the ball quickly. He can play more offensive than Alonso did in the final third, and he has more accuracy in his final pass.”
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After enjoying a sustained run in the team towards the end of 2009/10, Aquilani actually ended the season with the best assists per minute rate of any player plying their trade in Europe’s top five leagues, vindicating Benitez’s earlier assertion.
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Since replacing Roy Hodgson, Kenny Dalglish has emphatically demonstrated his mastery of man-management and motivation. Glen Johnson and Martin Skrtel were two notable beneficiaries of the Scot’s return, whilst youngsters John Flanagan and Jay Spearing can also attribute their first-team ascensions and subsequent success to the faith of Dalglish. Should he stay, Alberto Aquilani could be the next player to reap the rewards of a little bit of King Kenny confidence.
Do you see an Anfield future for Alberto Aquilani? Let me know below or on twitter at www.twitter.com/zarifrasul
Continuing our look into the foreign wags that put the Premier League ones to shame…
Bernardo Corradi, as Man City fans will testify, is a pretty unremarkable footballer who is currently plying his trade with Serie A side Udinese; however the same certainly cannot be said of the experienced striker’s other half, the beautiful Elena Santarelli.
Miss Santarelli is a model and TV personality in her native Italy and I’m sure you’ll agree by flicking through the gallery that she more that puts the Premier League WAGs firmly in the shade.
While Mr Corradi currently does little than warm the bench at Udinese these days, I’m certain Bernardo must take a lot of comfort knowing the little lady he has waiting at home for him.
Click on Miss Santarelli below to see her in all her glory
Both Tottenham and Arsenal are set to go head-to-head for the services of Sochaux midfielder, Marvin Martin.
The 24-year-old, who has made it into the final 23-man France squad for Euro 2012, has indicated he may be ready to move abroad and talkSPORT believe the North London rivals are both set to make their moves.
Martin, who scored twice on his début for Les Bleus last year, told France Football that enquiries have already been made for his signature, but that there was no rush to move before the European Championships.
“I’m ready to go play overseas, but I have not made a decision about my future,” said the diminutive midfielder.
“I know there has been contact but I’m 100 per cent focused on France and the Euros.
“I do not know if something can be done before the Euros. If not, we will wait and see how things develop.”
It is believed that Borussia Dortmund, Valencia and Fenerbahçe are also interested in Martin, but it appears that they may have to wait until after Euro 2012 before making any moves.
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Martin has made 143 appearances for Sochaux since coming through their youth ranks, scoring 11 goals in his four seasons there.
The arrivals of Ashley Young and Phil Jones so far this summer have proved that United are willing to spend big to retain their Premiership crown next season and secure title number 20.
While they undoubtedly want to win more titles next year, the signings at Old Trafford this summer bode well for the future, to put United in good stead when Sir Alex Ferguson leaves the club.
Is that what Fergie is doing then this summer then – focusing on the next generation of United’s team and cementing his legacy so the team can continue to perform at such a high level when he retires?
Last season Ferguson finally achieved his ultimate goal by beating Liverpool’s record of 18 league titles, winning United’s 19th league title and the 12th Premiership title of his illustrious reign. But Ferguson will be 70 in December, and realistically he won’t be around forever.
With Ferguson gone, there is a chance that United could struggle without him, Sir Alex is the best and most successful manager in the world – and any manager would struggle to even try and emulate his success at Old Trafford.
But by signing young players with high potential, Ferguson is giving United a solid core of young talent to build around in the future. With Paul Scholes’ and Gary Neville’s retirement the “old guard” and the legendary class of 1992 are all but gone. Ryan Giggs is the only remnant of that great batch so Ferguson is now signing players and blooding in talent that will form that next great dynasty for the club.
That’s what United’s policy of signing young players under 25 is all about. Players that can come in, develop and contribute for years. If they don’t make the grade, they at least have a high re-sale value, so United don’t lose out financially.
If you look at United’s most recent signings, it points to Fergie building a legacy at the club, so they have a good side when he steps down. The vast majority –Nani, Valencia, Smalling, Chicarito, Ronaldo, Rooney, Carrick, Hargreaves, Anderson, Evra, Vidic – all were 25 or younger when they signed for United and yet to reach their peak as players. I can only think of a few players over the last few years – Edwin Van der Sar, Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen – that were the exception to the rule.
The arrivals of Ashley Young and Phil Jones are just continuing this trend. Young is 25 and Jones is 19; both players haven’t reached their peak yet and have great potential to be a big part of United’s plans for the next few years.
They will help establish a legacy for Ferguson as creates a solid core of young, exciting talent for his successor. United have a host of players are all still 25 or younger; Rooney, Valencia, Nani, the Da Silva twins and Chris Smalling are all young and will continue to get better.
And with the likes of Ryan Tunnicliffe, Ravel Morrison, Will Keane, Paul Pogba, Kiko Macheda, Danny Wellbeck and Tom Cleverley on the fringes of the first team and ready to contribute next season in some capacity, Ferguson is simply creating a new generation of young players who are familiar with each other, have played together for a while and can excel together, just like the golden generation of Beckham, Scholes, Giggs and the Nevilles nearly 20 years ago.
And that’s why I ultimately can’t see United signing Wesley Sneidjer this summer. The Dutch playmaker is 27 and is in the prime of his career, and is without doubt a world-class player. While I would love to see Sneidjer in a United shirt, I can’t see Ferguson willing to spend the £40m+ it would take to sign him from Inter Milan, when they would likely not be able to recoup that money in a few years time.
Obviously, there are exceptions (Berbatov being the main example), but a new keeper is a more pressing and important matter this summer (even in that case we are looking at youth in Spain’s David De Gea).
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It would be more likely for United to give Anderson or someone a bigger chance to fill the void left by Scholes, or promote a player from the reserves to come in and contribute next season.
What do you think? Is Sir Alex building his final dynasty?
Article courtesy of Tom Jinks from The Busby Way
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Harry Redknapp could be excused for thinking there is some sort of curse against him as Tom Huddlestone’s injury setback makes it 11 first team players on the sidelines for the Tottenham boss. Huddlestone is out for three months as he has an operation on a long standing ankle problem.
Elsewhere the Glazers look to pay off PIK loan, Nasri criticises Ancelotti’s squad and Di Canio is ready to answer West Ham’s SOS.
Glazer family to pay off £220m PIK loan – Guardian
Nasri criticises Ancelotti’s Chelsea squad – Daily Telegraph
Comolli claims no Hodgson threat – Sky Sports
Di Canio ready to answer Hammers SOS – Mirror
Huddlestone out for three months – Daily Telegraph
Wenger hit by Afellay snub – Sun
Hodgson eyes up Fanni as Johnson replacement – Mirror
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Cap on agents’ fees may save clubs £60m – Guardian
Theo: My Gun-ho pals for England – Sun
Carroll honoured by England call – Daily Telegraph
Tottenham captain Ledley King has rejected claims that his side are in crisis, and is determined to have a strong end to the season.
Spurs were sitting pretty in third place with a ten-point advantage earlier in the year, but defeats to Arsenal, Manchester United, Everton and Norwich over the last two months has seen the Gunners overtake them in the top four.
Despite an unexpected defeat to the Canaries on Monday, King believes that Harry Redknapp’s men can end the season well.
“We will have to look at a few things and have a few words and try to move on from there,” he told The Guardian.
“I think that the earlier we kind of have a speak together about it, the better it will be. The only thing that needs to be said is that we need to stick together at this time, keep going until the end of the season and keep working hard for each other. There is not a crisis in any way.
“It’s up to the senior lads to lift the spirits of the rest of the lads and keep them there. It has been a long season and there are some tired legs but we have to keep pushing.
“We have top players. We have lost to Norwich but we have another big game that we have to get up for,” he concluded.
Spurs face London rivals Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final this Sunday.
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