Tag Futebol

Earlier this week, Inter Milan agreed a £25million deal for Monaco midfielder Geoffery Kondogbia, as confirmed by BBC Sport, which should be of huge disappointment to Arsenal fans.

The Gunners midfield is calling out for a physical, defensive presence and the 6 foot 2 France international seemed like the perfect candidate through his strength, height and positional awareness.

Adding physicality to the engine room should still be one of Arsene Wenger’s leading priorities in the transfer market this summer, however, with it’s current lack of seemingly one of the biggest differences between the north London outfit and Premier League title holders Chelsea.

So being the ever-helpful bunch we are at Football Fancast, we’ve listed the FIVE midfielders the Emirates gaffer MUST target during the transfer window if the Gunners are to claim the English crown in the coming campaign.

Would signing one of these FIVE bring Arsenal closer to claiming next season’s Premier League title?

MORGAN SCHNIEDERLIN

He’s the go-to suggestion with good reason; through his mixture of height, strength, defensive awareness and consistency on the ball, Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin seems like the perfect remedy to Arsenal’s deficiencies in midfield.

And with the exception of Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic, there hasn’t been a more consistent enforcer in the Premier League over the last three campaigns, with the France international amassing a rather incredible 274 tackles and 270 interceptions in 95 top flight outings. That equates to 5.7 ball-winning actions per match.

The 6 foot 2 former Strasburg youngster is also tidy in possession, however, this term averaging the most passes per match – with a completion rate of 89% – of any player in the Southampton squad, suggesting he won’t look too out of place in a Gunners midfield that passes teams to death on a regular basis.

After almost forcing his way out of St. Mary’s last summer, Schneiderlin is near-certain to leave the south coast in the current transfer window. The Saints allegedly value him at £25million – but according to The Daily Mail, Arsene Wenger is reluctant to pay up.

WILLIAM CARVALHO

Arsenal have already launched a £28.5million bid for William Carvalho according to The Sun and it’s not hard to see why.

The Portugal international is rated as one of the most promising holding midfielders in Europe, measuring in at 6 foot 2, weighing in excess of 14 stone and famed for his simple-yet-effective playbreaking style.

The Sporting Lisbon star was a pivotal performer as the Portugal U21’s recorded a 1-0 victory over the Junior Lions at the European Championship last week and he’s clearly well above that level. He impressed in the Champions League earlier this season too, averaging 2.2 tackles, 1.8 interceptions and 1.8 successful aerial duels per match from six outings.

In terms of physicality, he represents exactly what the Gunners currently lack at the base of midfield. But if there’s one notable criticism, it’s that the 23 year-old limited technical ability could see him struggle in a Gunners side enthused by a tiki-taka philosophy.

Grzegorz Krychowiak

Grzegorz Krychowiak is already a notable fixture on the Arsenal radar with Arsene Wenger allegedly viewing him as a cheaper alternative to Morgan Schneiderlin.

The Poland international has been in sensational form since joining Sevilla from Reims via a €4.5million deal last summer, going on to average 3.3 tackles, 3 interceptions, 2.1 clearances and 3.4 successful aerial duels per match in La Liga in addition to helping Los Rojiblancos claim a second consecutive Europa League title.

He’s an old-fashioned screener – almost a third centre-back in front of the back four through his defensive qualities and physicality – and should plug up those gaps on the counter-attack that continually plagued Arsenal at the start of last season.

Krychowiak’s untested in the Premier League and the Champions League, but the rapidity in which the 25 year-old has upped his game for Sevilla suggests he could well adapt to the standards at Arsenal with relative ease.

His release clause is reported to stand at £23.5million.

Arturo Vidal

Due to the sudden rise of Francis Coquelin, the physical addition to Arsenal’s engine room doesn’t necessarily have to be a holding player. Juventus star Arturo Vidal – a classic goalscoring box-to-box – would also add some much-needed athleticism to the north London outfit’s midfield.

He’s emerged as one of the most complete centre-mids in world football since joining the Old Lady from Bayer Leverkusen in summer 2011, boasting power, pace, goals and that uniquely South American blend of trickery and tenacity.

Last season he bagged seven goals and four assists in 28 Serie A appearances whilst averaging 3.1 tackles per match and the Chile international has brought that form to the Copa America – barring his drink-driving scandal – claiming three strikes in three outings.

After winning four consecutive Serie A titles with Juve and reaching the 2015 Champions League final, the 28 year-old might be ready for a new challenge ahead of next season. Incidentally, he’s now into the final two terms of his Turin contract.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Earlier this month, however, club director Giuseppe Marotta claimed he expects Real Madrid to launch a bid for the former Colo-Colo youngster.

JAVI MARTINEZ

I’ve argued it before and I will do so again; Javi Martinez is a potential signing who could change everything for Arsenal, propelling them back to the promised land of regular Premier League titles.

That might seem a little overzealous but the Bayern Munich enforcer represents everything they lack in the middle of the park through his 6 foot 3 frame, bullish style and defensive qualities so almighty he’s often filled in at centre-back for both club and country.

Furthermore, the 26 year-old blessed with all the technical ability you’d expect from a Spain international plying his trade in a Pep Guardiola side – so in my opinion, there’s no doubt he can adapt to Arsenal’s definitive style of play.

Arsenal attempted to prize him away from the Allianz Arena last summer, according to The Telegraph, but they could find better luck in the current transfer window.

After all, Martinez has spent the majority of last season out injured and the Bavarians hardly struggled in his absence – in fact, they signed Mehdi Benatia and Xabi Alonso last summer precisely to fill his void.

Highly-rated throughout world football, however, Bayern could still command top dollar for the former Athletic Bilbao star.

This is already setting itself up to be one of those tedious transfer sagas that span the entirety of the summer window. This time, however, Arsenal won’t mind the seemingly endless wait if the end result is Cesc Fabregas back at the club.

Arsenal tried to justify the sale of Robin van Persie to Manchester United as “football reasons.” They still haven’t really cleared that one up. They’re fortunate, and quite clever, that they managed to land on a conclusion that leaves so many people bewildered that they could quietly slip out the door while their “football reasons” stewed among supporters.

I can’t really fathom the idea that too many good players can be detrimental. To add to that, it’s even more baffling why clubs wouldn’t acquire players with a specific skill set in order to properly execute a style of play.

Let’s be honest, Arsenal haven’t played that brand of football for a long time. It’s the style that Arsene Wenger introduced to Highbury and carried over to the Emirates that brought about so much admiration from supporters and neutrals. Yet it’s been back to basics for Arsenal this past season, relying on their defence to get them over the line and more or less abandoning the brand of football that was associated with Fabregas.

Can there really be a danger in bringing Fabregas back to Arsenal? Well, yes. The hope from supporters, naturally, would be that the player would just continue where he left off from the last time. The facts are that this current Arsenal squad – and let’s not forget those marquee signings the supporters have been promised – is vastly different from the one Fabregas left in 2011. The weight of importance has been shifted elsewhere in the team and compatriot Santi Cazorla takes up much of the creative responsibility on the pitch. Furthermore, following that round of contract renewals midway through this past season, it’s a club that have found their new flag bearer for the long-term future.

So why even bother to bring in Fabregas when the club look well-stocked for midfielders in that mould? Well again, you don’t pass up an opportunity to sign a player like Fabregas when he becomes available. It’s not too far off to say that the former Arsenal captain is a once-in-a-lifetime player. In fact that’s quite accurate.

Throwing Fabregas into the mix at the Emirates offers that depth of quality that the club have been lacking since the days at Highbury. For the first time, a matured Fabregas would have the supporting (or surrounding) cast that he’s been deserving of at Arsenal. It doesn’t matter what’s gone on at Barcelona: at Arsenal he could and should once again become the focal point of the team, with or without the armband.

But why is there so much questioning of this potential signing? If we’re going down this route with Fabregas and asking whether it could be detrimental to the other players in the team, isn’t that question equally valid for any other potential signing the club make? Oddly, it seems to take on that frustrating stance Wenger used to hold, the “I’d end up killing Denilson if I bought in another player,” approach. You don’t need that it sports. It’s completely counterproductive and makes no sense.

What should be explored here is the impact Fabregas would have on Wilshere. We’ve seen small glimpses at how well Wilshere, Cazorla and Mikel Arteta combine in the Arsenal midfield. It’s slight hints of the football that should be on display at the Emirates, not just because of the ticket prices but because it’s become an overwhelming trait of the football club. Barcelona buy players that fit into their ethos and complement their traditions, so why shouldn’t Arsenal do the same?

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

There’s a sense of continuity, irony and ignorance at those who seek to question the possibility of Fabregas back at Arsenal. It’s the same questioning that warred against his move to Barcelona in 2011, fuelled mostly by bitterness. The fact that much of what was expected eventually came to pass isn’t enough to merit a pat on the back; even with those questions as to where Fabregas would fit in at Barcelona, surely no one believed that what they were saying would actually play out.

But just like Barcelona, and just like Arsenal in 2003, there’s a reason why the north London club are looking at the same player 10 years on. It doesn’t need immediate vindication, it just needs a small group to believe that it’s right for the football club; the rest will follow.

[ffcvideo file=”Sports_Revolution_Episode_3″ type=”mp4″ image_type=”png”]

Two opposite ends of the transfer spectrum (sort of) but equally baffling considering the state of the economy across Europe. Wolves would have been the happiest team last week (again, sort of) as the rest of us watched two of their key players return to the Premier League following big transfer bids from Sunderland and West Ham. Now, the impact of Matt Jarvis moving from the Midlands down to London is not quite the same as Thiago Silva swapping Milan for Paris, but both transfer would have left many, many fans shaking their head in disbelief.

Lets keep in mind that the double figures and potentially rising to double figures deals for both Jarvis and Steven Fletcher are for players who were both relegated last season. Maybe those who sign off on the deals in England’s top-flight are a little scared or even lack a little knowledge of the footballing bargains away from England. Or maybe they just really fancied the players on offer at Wolves. I’m inclined to go for the first one.

Steven Fletcher was bought by Sunderland to get among the goals and help the club force it’s way up the Premier League table. 12 league goals is ok for a player of his calibre, but so much more could have been done with that big transfer fee than landing a player who wasn’t good enough to keep his side away from relegation.

Swansea have impressed me again this summer, but I’ll get onto them soon. Instead, Wigan were one of the teams to make use of good players in foreign leagues. I’m sure they weren’t the only club in England to notice the excellent form of Arouna Kone last year for Levante—a team who made headlines by finding their way to the top of the La Liga mountain for the first time in the club’s history. Helping to take them there and to a fairytale Europa League finish (they really were unlucky not to grab a Champions League spot) was the 15 goals of Arouna Kone, on loan from Sevilla.

If a fee around £3 million can get you—a club pushing for mid-table safety—15 goals and the assurances of a player in his prime, then why bother with the inflated transfer demands of English clubs? Wigan are evidently one of those clubs who need to sell to buy, and yet they were the ones to outsmart bigger clubs by landing a very good striker in the Ivory Coast international.

Fulham, like Newcastle in recent years, have also really impressed in the transfer market. Among another set of arrivals this summer was former Hamburg striker Mladen Petric. The Croatian isn’t a player who is going to win Manchester United the league title, but he is an absolute steal for a club like Fulham. Martin Jol needs results now, not in a few years when a young striker realises his potential. In Petric, the Fulham manager has an experienced goal scorer who knows how to find the net. Petric’s lack of a “prolific striker” tag was more than made up for by his arrival on a free transfer. A smart pick up and one that does deserve praise.

The situation is Spain is well-known to everybody—those clubs are in a financial mess. The nice weather and attractive football does help to sweep those unbelievable levels of debt under the carpet, but it’s only for a while. Premier League clubs need to start picking up on the vulnerability of many Spanish clubs and the real likelihood of a top bargain.

Spurs are a clubs who have been looking for a goalkeeper all summer, with Hugo Lloris reportedly topping their wish list. The club don’t have long term stability in Brad Friedel, while Heurelho Gomes simply can’t be trusted. But instead of wandering around trying to think of ways to force Lyon to lower their price, why not look to Villarreal’s situation and the chance for a bargain goalkeeper?

That ship has of course sailed as Diego Lopez joined Sevilla all the way at the beginning of the summer transfer window. The Andalusian club were quick to notice the state of Villarreal and their need for cash and rightly swooped to land Lopez at a great fee of just over 3 million euros. He’s not exactly grabbing the headlines as Lloris is, which is in part due to the fact he’s overshadowed by bigger names in Spain, but he’s more than capable of playing for a top side in England. Teams like Tottenham really could have landed a long term starter in goal for a very attractive price.

We’re always likely to touch on the transfer of Michu to Swansea (and the move for Jonathan De Guzman was also an excellent piece of business), but what were bigger clubs thinking when they let this gem of a player slip the net? There’s hardly a case for suggesting Michu couldn’t adapt to the Premier League from La Liga’s smallest Madrid-based club, as the player has already found his way onto the score sheet in his first two games for Michael Laudrup’s side.

Bigger clubs might have looked to the idea that a player like Michu represents to much of a risk to trust him with your ambitions for the season. But really, where is the risk when the player cost Swansea £2.5 million and grabbed 15 league goals last season? He wasn’t mentioned as a possible addition to the Spanish national side for his ability to cut oranges in perfectly measured and equal pieces of four. This is a player who could have really helped to add great depth to a side whose ambitions are beyond just mid-table.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Guillem Balague mentioned last week that many clubs in Spain are looking to sell their best players, including Alvaro Negredo at Sevilla. Balague said a fee around £15 million would force Sevilla to part ways with their striker, as I also suggested last week. Instead, Steven Fletcher of Scotland is preferred for a similar fee to Negredo of Spain.

Arsenal were smart in their capture of Santi Cazorla, capitalizing of Malaga’s situation, while Swansea and Wigan have also shown their eye for a good deal in Spain. There really is no excuse for English clubs continuing to overlook the excellent players available at teams like Real Betis, Sociedad and Bilbao. Until that changes, it will continue to be teams on the continent unearthing the bargains that are staring them in the face.

[ad_pod id=’dfp-mpu’ align=’right’]

According to reports, Everton are lining up a summer swoop for red hot Angers striker Karl Toko Ekambi.

What’s the word?

Everton are one of a number of clubs pursuing the striker sensation Ekambi, with Newcastle and Brighton also interested in bringing the Cameroon international to the Premier League.

Ekambi has scored 17 league goals in 34 appearances for Angers this season, an extremely impressive hit rate for a striker in a team that has only managed 39 goals as a whole.

The report claims the three Premier League clubs will battle it out for the £20million move, with Spanish side Villarreal also interested.

[ad_pod ]

Ekambi for Everton?

Valued at €12m (£10.5m) by Transfermarkt, Ekambi has been nothing short of sensational for Angers this season, adding five assists to his 17 goals.

The 25 year-old is direct and dangerous with the ball at his feet, and seems to have found a clinical touch in front of goal as he enters his prime.

Averaging 1.7 dribbles per game, 2.7 shots and 1.3 key passes, it is perhaps not surprising he has managed such impressive numbers in front of goal this season.

The pacey striker also has 17 Cameroon caps, in which has found the net twice.

While Ekambi is absolutely not the finish product, £20m for a player in the form he is in worth the risk, and his ability to play on the wing as well as up front would give Everton plenty of options.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Everton are much closer to the finished product of a squad than Brighton or Newcastle, so he would have a much better chance of hitting the ground running at Goodison.

If Gylfi Sigurdsson can find his creative form when he returns from injury Ekambi could be an instant hit on Merseyside, and form a super partnership with Cenk Tosun.

Everton fans, would you back a summer swoop for Ekambi? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

From the highs of 2013/14, Liverpool’s much-anticipated last campaign was one of disappointment. The loss of Luis Suarez last summer was a major blow, and even the £100m+ spend on the back of that deal garnered very little in the way of success. Big money arrivals flopped, Brendan Rodgers fell under pressure and the Champions League adventure ended before Christmas – not to mention the sixth-placed finish!

First up in 2015/26 Liverpool will get a chance to avenge that 6-1 final day drubbing with a trip to face Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium, which is sure to be a match Rodgers is pumped up for after the embarrassment suffered last time out.

Bournemouth, Arsenal and West Ham are then opponents, but the trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on September 12 appears to be a big one. Louis van Gaal’s men limped over the line into fourth at Liverpool’s expense last term, and with the Red Devils having claimed six points from the two teams’ meetings, revenge is sure to be on the agenda.

The first fixture of October throws up Merseyside derby bragging rights. A trip across Goodison Park is hardly ever a guarantee of points, but the Reds’ impressive record in recent local fixtures is encouraging.

The return clash against Manchester United comes straight after a home tie against Arsenal in the middle of January, which could be two games that have a major say on what’s at stake over the closing months of the campaign. Wins may tee up a top four, maybe even title challenge, while losses may burst the bubble.

Spurs at home in April, again, looks like it could have a big impact on the final table, with the two sides traditional rivals in the table – last time out Mario Balotelli’s on league goal of the season settled matters at Anfield.

August

8 – Stoke City (A)

15 – Bournemouth (H)

22 – Arsenal (A)

29 – West Ham United (H)

September

12 – Manchester United (A)

19 – Norwich City (H)

26 – Aston Villa (H)

October

3 – Everton (A)

17 – Tottenham Hotspur (A)

24 – Southampton (H)

31 – Chelsea (A)

November

7 – Crystal Palace (H)

21 – Manchester City (A)

28 – Swansea City (H)

December

5 – Newcastle United (A)

12 – West Bromwich Albion (H)

19 – Watford (A)

26 – Leicester City (H)

28 – Sunderland (A)

January

2 – West Ham United (A)

12 – Arsenal (H)

16 – Manchester United (H)

23 – Norwich City (A)

February

2 – Leicester City (A)

6 – Sunderland (H)

13 – Aston Villa (A)

27 – Everton (H)

March

1 – Manchester City (H)

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

5 – Crystal Palace (A)

12 – Chelsea (H)

19 – Southampton (A)

April

2 – Tottenham Hotspur (H)

9 – Stoke City (H)

16 – Bournemouth (A)

23 – Newcastle United (H)

30 – Swansea City (A)

May

7 – Watford (H)

15 – West Bromwich Albion (A)

[ad_pod id=’ffc-video’ align=’center’]

David Moyes enjoyed a fitting Goodison Park farewell as Kevin Mirallas’ brace earned Everton a routine win over West Ham.

The Toffees gave their departing manager an appropriate send-off before he takes over from Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in July and could have increased the winning margin had it not been for Hammers duo Jussi Jaaskelainen and James Collins.

In his 213th final home match Moyes saw his side start in scintiallting fashion and break the deadlock after only six minutes. It was fitting that three of his most trusted lieutenants were involved as Leighton Baines, Steven Pienaar and Marouane Fellaini combined to set up Mirallas, who guided a firm strike into the bottom corner from just inside the penalty area.

It took some steadfast defending from Collins and Jaaskelainen to deny the home side more goals as they kept out efforts from Fellaini and Victor Anichebe, prior to Kevin Nolan volleying narrowly wide at the other end in a rare attack for Sam Allardyce’s men.

Leon Osman fired wide after the break as Everton kept up their hunt for a second that came on the hour mark when Mirallas latched on to a well weighted pass from Darron Gibson and saw his shot loop in off Collins. Everton were in danger of running away with the game but couldn’t increase their goal tally as the Hammers shut up shop towards the end.

A largely anonymous Andy Carroll almost had the final say when he headed against the post from substitute Joe Cole’s cross but the day, inevitably, belonged to Moyes as he bid an emotional goodbye to the Goodison support.

David Moyes post-match…”There’s always a worry when you’re joining another club, but Everton fans were magnificent for me today. David Unsworth scored the first goal of my reign at Goodison 11 years ago after about 25 seconds. And I’m delighted I finished it off here with a win.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Sam Allardyce post-match…”I’m bitterly disappointed. It’s always difficult to play at Goodison Park and David Moyes’s record speaks for itself. I warned the players but they chose to take no notice. It left us with a bad performance.”

Man of the Match…Kevin Mirallas: Never stood still for a second all afternoon and pestered the West Ham back four to the point of tears. His brace also illustrated a cool head in front of goal. 

Flop of the Match…Mohamed Diame: After a season in which Diame has proved himself one of the Premier League’s most uncompromising of midfield enforcers, this limp display was wholly out of character. Deservedly hauled off at the break.

Leeds fans have been discussing the future of Pierre-Michel Lasogga, and it seems like a pretty even split amongst fans.

When Lasogga joined Leeds last summer, it seemed like the club had come as close as possible to replacing Chris Wood.

The German got off to an electrifying start at Elland Road, scoring two and assisting two on his debut, but things quickly turned sour for the big German.

After a thigh injury in November, Lasogga managed just two goals in eight league games on his return.

He did score three games in a row during February, but he hasn’t found the net since then and fans are growing tired of his languid style.

[ad_pod ]

The 26 year-old is of course only at the club on loan from Hamburg, and fans are debating whether they should make the move permanent.

On one hand, Lasogga clearly knows where the back of the net is, and he is a much better finisher than the likes of Caleb Ekuban and Jay-Roy Grot.

However, the German has been downright lazy in recent months, and there is just no place for that in a league as tough as the Championship.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

Everton youngster Ross Barkley enjoyed a terrific campaign last season and became an instrumental part of the side that narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification. Dubbed as England’s next big thing, there was plenty of hype surrounding the 21-year-old after some assured displays where he was a potent attacking threat scoring some brilliant goals. He looked destined for a very bright future.

Fast forward a year and things aren’t going quite as well for the England midfielder, who along with his team has struggled for form this season. Having failed to hold down a regular starting place in Roberto Martinez’s starting XI, he has scored just twice in 28 appearances. The Toffees have endured an extremely disappointing league campaign and find themselves down in 13th position, closer to the bottom three than the top four.

But despite a lacklustre season at Goodison Park, Barkley continues to be linked with a move away from Merseyside with reports connecting him to both Chelsea and Manchester City in a deal that could be worth a staggering £50million.

How much substance there is to these reports remains to be seen, but you feel if a sizeable bid of this sort of value came in during the summer both the club and player would find it hard to resist.

Yet despite the obvious attraction of a potential move to one of the giants of Premier League football with the prospect of league titles and Champions League football, at this stage in his career Barkley would be making a big mistake.

[ffc-gal cat=”everton” no=”5″]

At just 21, he still has plenty to do in order to develop into the world class talent that he could become one day. And at this moment in time he has at the best club possible in order to achieve this.

He just needs to look at the numerous examples of players that have shown bags of potential before moves to the likes Chelsea and Manchester City, where they then found their career going backwards as they sat on the bench week in week out. Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Scott Sinclair, Jack Rodwell…the list goes on.

It’s hard to see Barkley being able to force himself into the starting 11 of Chelsea or City for next season, and so when he could be playing regular for his current side, he would be watching from the sidelines at a crucial point in his career.

For now he should ignore any speculation of interest from elsewhere, as hard as it may be. Most importantly he needs to rediscover the form and confidence that he displayed in abundance last season and keep his head down and continue to work hard and improve at a club that will give him the opportunity to do so.

Providing he can do this, there’s no doubt he will get his move to one of the league’s top clubs. But he has to do this when the time is right and he’s performing on a consistent basis.

Quotes from the man himself this week have revealed Barkley feels his best position is as a striker, despite playing the majority of his career in an attacking midfield role. The youngster feels this is where he can have his greatest impact with the freedom to roam around, take players on, have shots and create chances. And having seen Barkley excel in these areas last season you can certainly see where he is coming from.

In light of these quotes, Martinez now has the perfect opportunity to help him realise Everton is where he needs to be to spend the next few seasons playing football. The Spaniard should give Barkley the role in the side he is craving and give him the opportunity to form a partnership with Lukaku in attack. The manager should build his side around the promising duo, giving Barkley the freedom to do what he does best and hopefully this well help Everton challenge for European qualification once again next season.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

By showing faith in Barkley in this way, it would surely help restore his confidence that has clearly been lacking at times this season, and we would then see the best of him on a weekly basis. Playing for his boyhood club in his favourite position regularly would certainly make him happy and allow for the necessary development and experience that he needs to reach the highest level.

However tempting it may be to move on, Barkley has to stay at Everton for at least another season and probably more. It’s the best thing for him in the long run and would be most beneficial to him and his football. Were he to complete a transfer in the coming months, he is in real danger of damaging his career before it has really got going.

[ad_pod id=’ffc-video’ align=’center’]

[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]

Antolin Alcaraz says everyone at Wigan is focused on staying in the Premier League despite an FA Cup semi-final on the horizon.

Latics head to Wembley on April 13 to face Millwall in the FA Cup semi-finals, but, of far more significance, with Roberto Martinez’s side currently in the bottom three, is Saturday’s visit of Norwich followed by a trip to QPR.

Alcaraz admits the players are looking forward to their Wembley date but is well aware there are some crucial league games to be played before then and everyone is focused on survival.

“We have Wembley to look forward to but for me the most important game is always the next one and that is Norwich City,” the Paraguay international told the Wigan Evening Post.

“We will worry about the FA Cup when it comes around next month.

“For now we must concentrate on the league because there are some important games coming up.

“We have shown in the last few games that we can win games in this league and we must keep that up if we are to move away from the bottom of the table.”

Alcaraz has only just returned to the side after more than six months out with a groin problem and he is looking to make up for lost time.

“My season only really started two weeks ago,” he said. “Everything before that I have forgotten about because it was not so good.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“Fortunately there is still time for me to make a difference – and I hope that is the case.”

[cat_link cat=”wigan-athletic” type=”grid”]

Anthony Martial’s Manchester United career has had its highs and lows since the attacker’s switch from Monaco in 2015.

The Frenchman is a big favourite within the club’s fanbase, but he is yet to fully convince manager Jose Mourinho.

The forward player is yet to cement a regular spot in the Red Devils team having been restricted to 16 Premier League games.

Martial has made a further 10 outings from the bench in the top flight, and so far this season has netted 11 goals and created seven assists in all competitions.

The lack of game time could become a crucial factor in the Frenchman’s future, with reports emerging that the 22-year-old is heading for the exit door.

According to RMC Sport, Martial has turned down a new contract offered to him at Old Trafford, which could potentially attract interest from other clubs.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Manchester City fans have been discussing whether the club should make a move for the attacker, despite the fact that he plays for their arch rivals.

Comment from discussion Ideal Signings This Summer?.Comment from discussion Ideal Signings This Summer?.Comment from discussion Ideal Signings This Summer?.Comment from discussion Ideal Signings This Summer?.Comment from discussion Ideal Signings This Summer?.

[ad_pod ]