Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu has suggested that he would reject a move to Barcelona due to the likely lack of game time, reports Goal.com.
What’s the word?
The 26-year-old developed as a youngster at the Barcelona academy but he struggled to secure a regular spot in the first team.
Eventually, the defence-minded player joined Chelsea in 2011 and then Southampton four years later.
Romeu’s current situation at St Mary’s is less than desirable as the coastal club are currently in the relegation zone, one point from safety.
Despite the predicament, it seems that the Spaniard would turn down a return to his former club.
The midfielder would have the opportunity to fight for La Liga titles and Champions League crowns, but instead he would rather play for a club where he gets regular minutes on the pitch.
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According to Goal.com, Romeu said:
“To go to a big club to be in the second tier [of players], I don’t know if I would accept it. I don’t enjoy [it], what I want is to play. I don’t think that at Barca I could have been a starting player, it’s like that and you have to be aware of the options that one has.”
Who could turn down Barcelona, though?
Most players, particularly those from Spain or South America would see playing for Barcelona or Real Madrid as the pinnacle.
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Romeu is well aware of the Catalan giants having spent time at the club’s academy, but it seems that his priorities are different.
The midfielder’s comments will be welcomed by Southampton fans given the current turmoil on the pitch.
Romeu’s stance indicates that he has no intention of walking away from the coastal club, of which he has made 29 appearances for in all competitions so far this season.
Arsenal have already made considerable headway in the transfer market this summer with the captures of former Newcastle defender Mathieu Debuchy and ex-Barcelona star Alexis Sanchez.
The north Londoners are expected to continue their free spending, as they line up a £15million bid for Mario Balotelli and target a holding midfielder, with their priority choice said to be Real Madrid’s Sami Khedira.
It was believed a deal was on the verge of being struck, but reports over the last few days have suggested the Germany World Cup winner’s wage demands will prevent a move from taking place, with Chelsea now emerging as a more likely transfer destination.
There are still a number of defensive midfield options on Arsene Wenger’s radar however, and thus, we discuss FIVE that would be more than adequate alternatives to the Los Blancos enforcer.
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LARS BENDER
The obvious alternative to Sami Khedira, in my opinion at least, is Germany team-mate Lars Bender, whom the Gunners were known to be courting last summer.
As shown below, the Bayer Leverkusen vice captain is a tackle machine:
And has developed an uncanny knack of scoring for his country, going on a run of three goals in six matches in 2013. Here’s one of his strikes against Ecuador…
//www.youtube.com/embed/mImRktE6dCs
The 25 year-old would certainly bring something different to Arsenal’s midfield:
He ranks pretty well against Arsenal’s other known defensive midfield targets too:
And recent speculation suggests the Gunners are already planning a swoop for Bender:
MORGAN SCHNEIDERLIN
Another well-documented Khedira alternative is Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin:
The France international has been a central factor in the Saints’ successes since their return to the Premier league in summer 2012. He netted five times in the 2012/13 campaign, and although failed to match that potency last season, remained in strong form, as detailed below:
That mixture of industriousness and tidiness on the ball will certainly impress Arsene Wenger, just as it earned the 24 year-old a spot in Didier Deschamps’ World Cup squad.
However, the word on the street is that Schneiderlin could reject the Gunners in favour of north London rivals Tottenham, where he would link up again with former Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino:
JAVI MARTINEZ
A midfield monolith measuring in at 6 foot 3 whilst also famed for his fluency on the ball, if it’s a physically imposing anchor Arsene Wenger is searching for this summer then he need look no further than Bayern Munich’s Javi Martinez.
The Spain international thoroughly impressed during his first season at the Allianz Arena, amassing 43 appearances in an integral role as the Barvians claimed the Bundesliga and Champions League titles.
And despite producing decent enough domestic form last season, as detailed below:
…the arrival of Pep Guardiola in summer 2013 subsequently saw his game-time reduced to just 18 league appearances last season, with the 25 year-old allegedly deemed too slow for the former Barcelona manager’s tica-taca philosophy.
The former Athletic Bilbao midfielder’s slump down the pecking order has triggered Arsenal’s interest, according to the Telegraph. Here’s his best moments thus far for the German champions:
//www.youtube.com/embed/UNwP_jfvzsg?rel=0
He can also play at centre-back, which is another major selling point amid rumours that Thomas Vermaelen could be on his way to Manchester United.
But originally sourced for a club-record £32million fee, Bayern won’t be prepared to sell at a loss. Furthermore, there are rumours the Spaniard could be on his way to Barcelona:
STEVEN N’ZONZI
A slightly out-of-the-box suggestion perhaps, but you can’t fault Steven N’Zonzi’s ambition, having handed in a transfer request for the second summer in a row at Stoke City:
There may be more lucrative and famous names on Arsene Wenger’s summer wishlist, but the 25 year-old has proved himself to be an effective force in the Premier League, having won the Player of the Season award at Blackburn, the Young Player of the Year award with the Potters and amassed 157 top flight appearances.
The Frenchman pops up with the occasional belter…
//www.youtube.com/embed/N3EHV2IINXo
And his quality on the ball, for a holding midfielder who measures in at 6 foot 4, often goes unaccredited, this clip being a perfect example:
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Likewise, he was vital for the Potters last season as they branched out from their attritional roots, as seen below:
N’Zonzi has been on the Emirates radar before, and rated at just £6million by transfermarkt.com, could prove to be an incredibly astute addition for the north Londoners.
IDRISSA GUEYE
A more risky option the Gunners are reportedly considering is a move for Lille midfielder Idrissa Gueye:
The 24 year-old may only measure in at 5 foot 9, but was in sensational form last season to make the most tackles per match of any Ligue 1 midfielder, as detailed below:
He furthermore dominated the French top flight’s passing charts:
Michael Turner’s first goal for Norwich denied Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert a win against his former club at Villa Park.
It was the first time Lambert had come up against the Canaries since moving to the West Midlands in the summer but was denied all three points by a spirited second half display from Chris Hughton’s men.
Lambert deflected any pre-match talk over the meeting with his erstwhile employers by dropping Darren Bent to the bench in favour of summer signing Benteke, who had only scored once for the club since joining from Genk.
But the Belgian international justified his selection in the 27th minute, controlling Brett Holman’s fizzed cross inside the Norwich penalty area before cooly slotting past John Ruddy to break the deadlock.
The goal came just moments after the visitors had gone close to taking the lead through Wes Hoolahan with the Republic of Ireland international shooting straight at Brad Guzan from six-yards after being played in by Grant Holt.
In an unusually rare occurrence the second half kicked off with three players bearing the surname Bennett, although that number was reduced on just six minutes after the restart as Villa’s Joe Bennett was sent off for an innocuous foul on namesake Elliott.
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Hoolahan was denied by Guzan again, seeing his half volley beaten away at the near post, following a neat interchange with Anthony Pilkington down the left, before the United States international saved brilliantly from Holt after he sprang clear of the Villa defence.
Norwich finally made their numerical advantage count as Turner headed home Robert Snodgrass’ cross to level for the away side but their efforts to find a winner were in vain.
Sunderland made their first summer signing on Thursday, and fans are absolutely loving the move for former Hearts defender Alim Öztürk.
Öztürk became the Black Cats’ first summer addition this week, after the Turkish youngster completed his medical on Thursday morning.
Öztürk has spent the last 18 months with Turkish side Boluspor, but was very impressive during his stint with Hearts.
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New Black Cats boss Jack Ross managed the development squad with the Scottish side, and obviously liked what he saw of the defender.
The former Turkish U21 international, who stands at 6 ft 3, was an absolute beast for Hearts, and was even appointed captain for a short period after he scored a simply incredible goal in the derby against Hibernian.
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He has been a regular in the team at Boluspor, and fans are delighted to have him as their first summer signing, perhaps partly because they were starting to get worried they were missing out on all their targets.
You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…
According to The Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur striker Fernando Llorente has hinted that he would like to rejoin Juventus ahead of the first leg of the two sides’ Champions League knockout tie in Turin on Tuesday, and the bad timing of the comments are likely to make Spurs fans go crazy.
The Spaniard scored 27 goals in 91 matches for the Serie A giants between 2014 and 2016 before joining Sevilla and then Swansea City, but he has found first-team starts hard to come by with the north London outfit and he was left out of the squad completely for the 1-0 derby win against Arsenal at Wembley on Saturday.
The 32-year-old has only scored two goals in 25 appearances in all competitions, with one of those coming in Europe’s elite club competition, and the club’s supporters have grown frustrated at the lack of impact he has made considering he is supposed to be Harry Kane’s back-up.
According to The Mirror, Llorente said: “Juve is a difficult place to leave. I left the Vinovo training ground crying.
“It’s only when you leave Juventus that you realise what you had. I miss it like crazy and would love to return.”
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Mauricio Pochettino’s men will be looking to pick up a positive result in Italy, but it remains to be seen whether Llorente will be included in the squad given he was left out of it against Arsenal, and whether his latest comments could mean he doesn’t make the 18.
Let nothing be said of the quality of the opposition. Over the past month, it didn’t matter if it was Chelsea, Swansea or Championship Wigan, Arsenal failed to move out of first gear early on, struggled for confidence and looked nothing of a side capable of producing sharp, attacking football.
The win at Hull on Sunday afternoon felt like something of a rebirth for Arsene Wenger’s team. Important pieces had been missing, absolutely vital pieces for this Arsenal team to operate and function in the style the manager and supporters expect. The returning combination of Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey were the key components of a 3-0 win, and one, in hindsight, that would be looked upon as routine.
And that’s what Arsenal need now. After what feels like and endless list of struggles and disasters since the team were battling for the Premier League title, Arsenal really just needed a straightforward win.
The importance of this restoration of confidence can’t be underlined. Arsenal have it all to play for between now until the end of the season. A trophy, finally something tangible to show for the effort the club have made in doing things the ‘right way.’ And European qualification, of which the importance is higher than that of the FA Cup – at least that’s the impression we’ve been given by the club over the years, either directly or indirectly.
What Arsenal have needed so desperately over these past six weeks or so, what Arsene Wenger has been absolutely in need of is fresh options. And that doesn’t just mean players who have had a couple of games off. The team has, for the most part, been the same for a long period. Arsenal needed something different, a different kind of player in Ramsey and a higher level of attacking intellect in Ozil. The result was there to see, not just in the final score but in the manner the score was attained.
Ramsey’s involvement in the midfield gave Arsenal the runner from deep they’ve been lacking. Pace or not, a genuine threat arriving from the midfield is vital to the way this team play. A lack of movement can hinder even the most gifted of No.10s, shown by the harsh and at times baffling criticism of Ozil in the past. At Hull, Arsenal had the movement and the threat.
The need for confidence in this Arsenal team has been spoken of time and again. What has lessened in recent years is the importance of leadership. Arsenal now have what are perceived to be experienced players, in fact they have them in abundance. But the team have very few leaders in the same sense that Cristiano Ronaldo is the leader at Real Madrid without actually wearing the captain’s armband.
At Arsenal, Ramsey has very much taken on that responsibility through his performances this season. He’s been the driving force in Arsenal’s midfield in the way Cesc Fabregas was in the past. It’s extremely easy for a team to be knocked off course without their one standout performer.
The Welshman scored one, set up another and indirectly assisted the third when his shot, saved by Steve Harper in the Hull goal, fell to Lukas Podolski for the German international to put away his second.
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The weariness of Arsenal’s players was telling in previous games, not just physically but mentally, too. The options available to Wenger now in Ramsey and Ozil has given everyone in the team that much-needed lift.
The game at Hull could have been another tricky affair, a potential slip up in the race for fourth. But the fresh minds of Arsenal’s returning stars ensured it was a comfortable dispatch. Arsenal look very much on course to being back to their best.
Newcastle centre-back Steven Taylor stoked the fires before the Tyne-Wear derby this weekend by claiming that not one Sunderland player would be able to make it into the Magpies starting eleven. The dogs amount of abuse he received during the game, which in a rich quirk saw him start on the bench himself, saw the Mackems fans show him exactly what they thought of that statement, but does he have a point?
Alan Pardew’s side have started the season in indifferent form claiming just ten points from their opening eight league games, while Sunderland sit three places lower with a game in hand and eight points from seven games. The derby game itself was a tenacious, passionate affair, as you might expect and the Cheick Tiote’s red card in the first half surely had an impact on the result.
The 26-year-old defender told the Daily Mail, with his tongue firmly in cheek on the subject if there were any of Martin O’Neill’s squad he would have wanted: “Not one player. That is the quality we possess. It is all very well having that but we have to go out and deliver. It is all right saying, ‘Yes, the teamsheet looks great’, but you have to perform.”
Let’s take a look at the options in both squads then and try to make some sort of objective starting eleven combining the two. First off, I don’t not support either of the teams involved, nor do I have an preferences or vested interest, so any claims of bias couldn’t be further wide of the mark if they tried.
Starting with the goalkeeper, we have two decent options to choose from in Simon Mignolet and Tim Krul – they’re both international goalkeeper in their own right for Belgium and Holland and both are fantastic shot-stoppers who could perhaps be a little bit better at dominating their area and coming to claim aerial balls into the box.
Last term Krul played in 38 games and kept 15 clean sheets, letting in 51 goals whereas Mignolet made 29 appearance keeping 11 clean sheets and letting in 33 goals, which is once again pretty difficult to pick between. Krul faced 535 shots, which means he let in a goal every 10.4 efforts which he had to deal with, but Mignolet did slightly better by facing 44 shots and conceding a goal just every 13.4 efforts.
This of course doesn’t take into account where the shots came from, against who and what kind of saves were made, so it’s far from scientific, but it seems that Mignolet did slightly better so he gets the nod, given that Krul’s injuries this term mean it would be unfair to judge it on this season alone.
At right-back, Sunderland don’t really have the greatest of options available with Craig Gardner, Phil Bardsley and John O’Shea being used there this season, but Danny Simpson is better getting up and down the wing while being sound positionally, so he’s chosen. At left-back, Danny Rose and Davide Santon are the two options – the former is positionally inept at times and still looks very raw while Santon has been one of the Magpies better performers so far this term and is a model of consistency, so he take the spot on offer.
Moving on to centre-back, Fabricio Coloccini is an absolute must, with his performance after coming back from injury exceptional against Sunderland at the weekend. Alongside him, we have Steven Taylor, Mike Williamson, John O’Shea and Carlos Cuellar to pick from. I’m still to be convinced by O’Shea at centre-half, while there’s a sense that Williamson can be got at despite his aerial prowess. Cuellar has been in fine form since making his move but Taylor is a little better on the ball so I’ll plump for him by a slim margin.
In midfield, Sunderland don’t have anything in the middle of the park to get past one of the best central midfield partnerships in the top flight in Cheick Tiote and Yohan Cabaye, and they compliment one another fantastically. On the right, Hatem Ben Arfa’s ability to dribble past people floating in off the flank makes him a nightmare to track and his creativity marks him out as one of the Premier League’s best talents when he’s on form and he easily takes a starting place.
The left of midfield is once again a difficult one to pick with Jonas Gutierrez, James McClean and Adam Johnson to choose from given that I’m not sold on any of them yet. Gutierrez is one-dimensional and poses little attacking threat some of the time while Johnson seems to have a reputation that doesn’t match his ability and possesses that rare ability of always seeming threatening without ever actually being threatening and McClean is occasionally brilliant and direct but can sometimes drift in and out of the game.
They’re all pretty one-footed too, but I’ll give Johnson the nod, even if he has a huge point to prove at Sunderland this term in a consistent starting spot simply because he has more ability to go past a man in a one-on-one situation and with Ben Arfa on the other side, I’d prefer a touchline-hugging winger on the other to keep the balance and shape of the side.
Up front is where it gets really interesting with £15m man Steven Fletcher in sublime form since moving to the north east and he’s scored all but one of their league goals so far this season. Stephane Sessegnon was brilliant last campaign but has struggled to shine in the same way this year and the same goes to Papiss Cisse, while Demba Ba looks every inch a form player who blows hot and cold more than my shower does.
Do we pick solely on current form? Or do we judge it purely on ability? Fletcher’s movement off the ball and ability to get ahead of his marker is an understated yet crucial quality and while he’s a threat in the air, on the deck he’s a handful too when the ball is alive, so I’ll stick him in, as he’d thrive on the service provided.
There’s a strong temptation to stick Sessegnon behind him and watch him dovetail with Ben Arfa in those deeper lying positions just off the flank and through the middle but Demba Ba’s sheer physical presence offers the side more options at the moment and it’s hard to see whether Cisse is merely a flash in the pan or going through a poor patch at the moment.
My Final Newcastle-Sunderland Combined Team: Mignolet; Simpson, Coloccini, Taylor, Santon; Cabaye, Tiote Ben Arfa, Johnson; Ba, Fletcher.
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Subs bench, for the sake of having one: Krul, Cuellar, Bardsley, Larsson, McClean, Sessegnon, Cisse.
Feel free to disagree with me and name your combined eleven below. What would your team look like?
West Ham have enquired into the available of Bristol City’s defensive colossus Aden Flint, according to West Ham fansite Knees Up Mother Brown.
What’s the story?
Aden Flint has become something of a hero at Ashton Gate since signing from Swindon Town in 2013, and the goal-scoring defender has been ever-present for the Robins ever since.
The imposing came to particular prominence last season as he helped Bristol City reach the semi finals of the Carabao Cup, seeing off Manchester United on their way to the last four.
The 28-year-old is as handy up top as he is at the back and is a great threat at set-plays, notching up eight goals and two assists this season, and he is also known for his social media antics.
According to the report, Bristol City want £9million for their star player which is above what West Ham are willing to pay, but they could yet return with a formal bid.
Is he worth it?
£9million does appear steep for a 28-year-old player who has never set foot in the Premier League, but Flint is definitely one of the finest defenders in the football league.
He is an old-fashioned hard-as-nails enforcer who towers over forwards and regularly pops up with a goal.
It is quite amazing that Flint scored 15 goals from centre back in the 2014-15 season from centre-back, and West Ham are right to be looking at the player.
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If they could knock a few million off the asking price, West Ham could have a serious player that would terrify Premier League attackers and defenders alike.
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According to reports in the Daily Mail, Southampton are confident that they will sign Spartak Moscow forward Quincy Promes in the summer after failing with a move to bring him to St Mary’s on deadline day.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Daily Mail says that Saints had several bids for the 26-year-old rejected during the January transfer window, but they are convinced that the player wants to join them and are ready to make another bid to bring him to the south coast at the end of the season.
The offers on the table would have made the Dutchman Southampton’s club-record buy had a deal gone through before the 11pm deadline, but the Daily Mail says that Spartak turned them down as they didn’t have enough time to find a replacement for one of their best players.
Did they not have a Plan B on deadline day?
It seems unlikely as they still had time to do a deal when it became clear early on Wednesday that a deal for Promes wasn’t going to happen.
However, the Daily Mail suggests that the club didn’t rush to sign an alternative as they believe the Dutchman is the right player for them, although not having fresh blood in their attack for the remaining months of the campaign when they currently lie in the relegation zone could be a worry.
Will they sign him in the summer?
It’s difficult to say, but you can’t help but feel that Southampton have missed the boat on this one.
Firstly, they will need to stay in the Premier League to convince the attacker to come to St Mary’s in the summer, and that is something that is far from guaranteed right now considering Mauricio Pellegrino’s men have only won four of their 25 top flight matches this season, and none of their previous 12.
Additionally, the fact that Promes has scored 58 goals in 115 matches for Spartak and could potentially add to that tally in the coming months could mean that he is wanted by bigger clubs in the Premier League – and elsewhere in Europe – by the summer, and Saints would be likely to miss out on the Dutchman as a result.
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If the player really does want to join then they do have hope, but there are several factors that could go against them before they have the opportunity to do that.
There should always be a reasonable helping of caution when dealing with outside names to make a late run for a place in the England squad. The impact of Theo Walcott’s injury in January stretched well beyond the boundaries of club football; Roy Hodgson had lost a regular a valued member of his England team.
There’s a danger of placing hopes and too much expectation on those who aren’t ready to deliver. The early part of the season was centred on Andros Townsend and what he could do for England at the upcoming World Cup, with little attention paid to how ineffective he was in the final third. At this point of the season, he is well out of the public eye and seemingly out of the running to replace Walcott.
Adam Johnson, too, has recently been talked up due to the Sunderland winger’s form in front of goal. And yet you’re forced to hold fire on committing to him, primarily because of his inconsistencies, which if ironed out could see him as a very good option for England.
But the player who is clearly heading the race to be a key member of Hodgson’s squad this summer for Walcott’s place is Raheem Sterling, who has been named the best winger in England by club manager Brendan Rodgers.
The Liverpool manager is well within right to offer up such high praise to the teenager, firstly because high-class, traditional wingers are in such short supply in England, but also because of the impact he’s made at Liverpool over the past two months.
And that’s the important factor in all this: two months. Prior to becoming a regular feature of Liverpool’s starting XI, Sterling was on the outside looking in, making sporadic yet unconvincing performances this season and last.
He burst onto the scene in a match against Manchester United in 2012 and rode that wave for a short time before falling away into the background, and Hodgson should be mindful of something like that occurring once again.
It is of course difficult to see Sterling dropping off in such a way again. An enormous amount of credit should be owed to Rodgers for getting this level of performances out of him, but also there should be some faith that the youngster can sustain this under a coach who has turned Daniel Sturridge into one of the most effective and consistent strikers in the league this season.
But it still is only February and England need a player who can prove that he is not only a step up from where he was before, but also a cut above the rest. As a natural winger, Sterling is that player now. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain may come into the discussion, but the Arsenal midfielder is a versatile option for Hodgson who was in the England squad with Walcott in the past, not in place of him.
Sterling looks like a player who can frighten and cause legitimate damage to the best defenders in the league, as he has done when Liverpool travelled to Manchester City and hosted Arsenal.
There’s still some way to go in this season and Sterling’s form has given England something to be genuinely hopeful of. More than anything, his performances deserve serious consideration for him to be a starter for England and not just a squad addition.
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But until the season finishes, there should be a degree of reservation. Being hopeful is one thing, but the inconsistencies of others so far during this campaign means we and England should hold off until the appropriate time before naming the replacement for Walcott in the World Cup squad.