According to ESPN journalist Mattias Karen on his official Twitter account, Southampton have been dealt a huge blow in their attempt to bring Arsenal winger Theo Walcott back to the club during the January transfer window after Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said he ‘wants him to stay’.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the 28-year-old has emerged as one of the south coast outfit’s top targets this month as they look strengthen their attacking options having only scored 21 times in their 22 Premier League matches so far this term – a record that has contributed to them only lying outside of the relegation zone on goal difference.
Mauricio Pellegrino is keen to bring the England international back to St Mary’s 12 years after he left for Arsenal as a 16-year-old, and he would have been hopeful of doing so with the winger struggling for game time in the English top flight having only featured for a total of 49 minutes across five substitute appearances.
However, Wenger’s latest comments suggest that he isn’t ready to let Walcott – who has 18 months left on his contract – leaving during the current window.
What did he say?
According to Mattias Karen on Twitter, the Frenchman said…
Is a deal dead?
Probably not but it could depend on a few things.
Firstly, whether Alexis Sanchez stays or goes this month will certainly have an impact, as Wenger will lose an attacking option if the Chile international is sold now rather than leaving for free in the summer.
In addition it could also depend on Olivier Giroud’s recovery time with the France international currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, although he is expected back in action soon.
What can Southampton do now?
They may have to wait a few weeks longer, but that certainly isn’t an ideal scenario given the position they find themselves in.
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Given that Walcott is keen to play regularly to try and reclaim his spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad before the World Cup in the summer, perhaps if he pushes a little more for an exit then a deal may be more likely to go through sooner rather than later.
Everton are lining up a £15million bid for Wigan midfielder James McCarthy, according to the Daily Star.
The Toffees are keen to sign the Irish star, but will have to sell before they can make a move for the 22-year-old.
But with Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines the subject of a bid from Manchester United, a move could happen soon for McCarthy. United had a £28million joint bid for the Everton pair rejected, with the fee not matching Martinez’s valuation of the two players.
Baines has a price tag of £18million, whilst Fellaini will cost any side at least £20million. But David Moyes is confident he can push through a transfer despite his initial bid being far from Everton’s desired value.
McCarthy is also a transfer target for Newcastle, however a move to Everton is much more likely, in a move that would reunite him with Roberto Martinez. The pair won the FA Cup together last year despite being relegated, and McCarthy is reportedly keen on a move back to the Premier League.
McCarthy played in Wigan’s defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday, as his teammate Callum McManaman was sent off for a reckless challenge. But the Irish star will be hoping it is the last Championship match he has played.
Would McCarthy do well at Everton? Is he worth £5million?
Join the debate below!
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The topic of what economic realities our Premier League clubs face in today’s footballing world is often as highly charged, as it is emotive. Ever since Uefa rubber stamped it’s intentions to go ahead with its financial fair play initiative, fans of clubs within the nation’s top flight have certainly been split about its values and morality with a keen emphasis upon the transfer fees that clubs pay for players.
But although the effectiveness of the scheme remains questionable and the concern around lofty transfer fees undeniable, it is often the concept of the Premier League wage packet that is overlooked. It may not be something that bestows the sort of instantaneous and high profile effect that the transfer fee has, but its economic effects are potentially just as sinister – if not more so.
The latest round in the debate around finance in football has seen the case for a Premier League wage cap reintroduced. The league’s chairman, Richard Scudamore, was in London last Thursday to discuss a raft of potential new measures with clubs, as fears arise over the fate of the next wave of television money.
As was widely expected, the Premier League’s new set of television deals has blown away all manner of expectations. As the country’s economy continues to struggle in the face of what feels like a continuous realm of fiscal slump, it seems as if English football’s top tier exists in a different reality – £3billion has been raked in from UK rights alone.
But the fear is that a vast majority of that massive capital, which will be distributed between clubs in the Premier League, will instantly be swallowed up by wage demands. Supporters may have lit up like Christmas Trees when they first read about the almost unworldly level of imminent riches – but don’t think for a minute that such a sum immediately equates into a boosted transfer coffer.
The problem is, that as Premier League income grows to continuous record highs, it is being almost continuously matched by an equally startling increase in player wages. As David Conn superbly pointed out in The Guardian, figures for the last financial year highlight that although the overall income of Premier League clubs grew to £2.5billion, so did players wages, eating up a staggering £1.8billion of that figure or 70%. Poignantly, of the 20 clubs that make up the Premier League, only eight managed to make a profit.
To some, the grossly inflated size of top flight wages might not come as much of a surprise, but it does often feel as if it’s an element that can be misconstrued by supporters. For example, as Tottenham Hotspur broke into the top four for the first time in the Premier League during the 2009-10 season, supporters almost routinely expected for chairman Daniel Levy to pump in their forthcoming riches as soon as they got them- and as expected, turnover increased from £119.8million in 2010 to £163.4million in 2011.
But where as some fans seem to insist that Levy and principal owner Joe Lewis are continuing to hoard that money as opposed to splashing it on the likes of a new striker, a lot of that money had in effect, already been spent. Spurs’ annual wage bill skyrocketed from an annual £67million to around about £92million; the suggested figure has been said to be more. Although their Champions League adventure is of course an exaggerated example, they prominently highlight the effervescent bond between income and wage bill.
And it is the wage bill that seemingly will always increase, no matter what the fortunes of the clubs accounts. Regardless of whether clubs’ turnover had increased over the period of 12 months from 2010-2011, every single Premier League clubs’ wage bill increased without fail. For some, enough is enough.
Stoke City chairman Peter Coates said of the almost unstoppable escalation of Premier League wages, that the culture of inflation was out of touch with reality:
“I hope this view is widely shared: we cannot have all the new money going in inflated wages and payments to agents,” the Bet365 founder said.
“There is no need to do that; we will have the same players, they won’t get better because we pay them more. It should not be beyond us to find a formula which works for us all.”
Similarly, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes that Premier League clubs simply have to live within their own means:
“You should just get the resources you generate – that will determine the real size of the club.”
The argument here is of course that touted financial countermeasures such as a wage cap or even Uefa’s Financial Fair Play mechanism itself, simply ensure that the rich stay richer while the poor stay poorer. The nature of business demands that one must spend before they earn. It’s easy for the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal, who rake in gargantuan amounts from match day revenue to throw their weight behind the live within their means argument – as in principal, the already existing ‘big clubs’ are less likely to face any fresh competition any time soon.
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It’s a difficult balancing act and there aren’t any easy answers. Uefa’s FFP has it’s heart in the right place, but it’s ultimate sanction of a blanket ban on European football isn’t something that is likely to prove effective in policing the majority of our domestic teams.
Although there is a feeling that the Premier League are serious about implementing something to try and stop the almost unrelenting escalation of clubs’ wage bill. The issue is finding a mechanism that all the clubs can agree on. In order for any rule change to be rubber stamped, 14 of the 20 Premier League clubs must all be in agreement with each other – something that may produce a very significant hurdle indeed.
How do you feel about the introduction of a potential salary cap into the Premier League? Should clubs be forced to limit escalating wages or are we wrong to try and police the way our clubs go about business? Let me know how you see it on Twitter: follow @samuel_antrobus and bat me all of your views.
Swansea City’s relegation to the Championship wasll all-but confirmed after they were beaten 1-0 by fellow strugglers Southampton at the Liberty Stadium on Tuesday night, but defender Alfie Mawson’s performance didn’t go unnoticed by Manchester United fans on Twitter.
Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho looks likely to strengthen his defensive options this summer with the futures of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Victor Lindelof potentially in doubt, but it remains to be seen whether he will go for a British-based option or bring one in from abroad.
While the Swans are on the verge of relegation, Mawson has been one of their more consistent performers and as well as defensive qualities and his strength in the air at both ends of the pitch, he is also good in possession and bringing the ball out from the back – something that Mourinho may well like and that could mean that he is an upgrade on someone like Smalling.
We asked Man United fans to vote on our poll to see whether they want their club to make what would be a shock swoop to sign the 24-year-old considering he is set to go down to the Championship, and a majority 59% said they would.
It could be a big reshuffle for the Red Devils in terms of their defence this summer with a new left-back and right-back also potentially arriving at Old Trafford, and it will be interesting to see whether Mourinho chooses to take a punt on a player like Mawson.
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Even with Nathaniel Clyne set to take Liverpool’s transfer tally to six this summer, the work at Anfield clearly isn’t done. Goalkeeping problems, the right-back issue, Steven Gerrard’s departure and greater levels of creativity have been addressed with Clyne, Adam Bogdan, Joe Gomez, James Milner, Danny Ings and Roberto Firmino, but the issue surrounding goals hasn’t truly been addressed.
So it comes as little surprise then to see that Liverpool are prioritising the addition of a striker between now and the close of the transfer window – which hasn’t technically opened yet – and despite links with Salomon Rondon and Christian Benteke, there may be a left-field candidate worth considering… Kevin Volland. There are no strong links between the German and Merseyside as of yet, but given than he was Firmino’s ‘partner in crime’ at Hoffenheim, there is at least a moderate to strong argument for taking a look at the 22-year-old, who signed a new contract earlier this year – although this act seems to mean little in modern football.
‘But why?’ you may ask… well, here are FIVE reasons.
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The Firmino link
With a combined league goal output of 42 since the start of the 2013/14, Firmino and Volland made up a staggering 34.8% of Hoffenheim’s efforts. That’s just two players. Of the two, Volland netted the fewer (19), but he did out-score his Brazilian partner in crime last term (eight to seven), and his movement seems to be the sort that Firmino thrived off – 21 assists, albeit not all with the German, is a fine return from two campaigns.
The above video shows that the pair have a real penchant for link-up play, which is sure to be something Rodgers will be looking for from his attacking players. While Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge were more in the mould of two greats put together, Firmino and Volland look to be greater than the sum of their parts when deployed in tandem.
Emre Can link-up
https://vine.co/v/eiFj9Flp9D9/embed/simple
It’s silly to suggest that everyone of the same nationality gets on (we’re sure you can think of someone in the same postcode you don’t particularly like), but having two young Germans together could be of use for Liverpool. Volland and Emre Can have been away together with their nation’s U-21 side, and before a 5-0 hammering from European Championship favourites Portugal, it was all going swimmingly.
The pair even linked up to create the above goal, dispatched by Volland, and with Can likely to line up in midfield for the Reds next season, a natural understanding could be the bedrock of an impressive side.
Goals
As mentioned before, Volland has notched 19 goals over the course of the last two seasons, which is quite impressive considering he’s just 22 and has been playing for a midtable side – Hoffenheim finished 2013/14 and 20154/15 in ninth and eighth respectively. Although he’s yet to register a goal for the senior German side, at U-21 level Volland is a one in two forward (11 in 22 caps), with his last goal coming against Denmark in a 3-0 win.
With Liverpool’s goal return the lowest in the Premier League’s top seven last term, it’s clear that a dangerous marksman is needed.
Well-suited to Rodgers’ system
Rodgers loves and attacking player who is able to drift, making Volland ideal for the Northern Irishman. The three-cap Germany international is most dangerous when used as an orthodox striker, but he is able to function on either flank or as the ‘No.10’, with his pace, intelligent movement and tactical wherewithal in transition key traits.
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With Europa League football looming large, Rodgers will need options in every position, and a player like Volland would present him with versatility.
‘Moneyball’
It may leave a bitter taste in the mouth for fans, but buying with a view to selling for a big profit in the future is a way of life for many clubs. Liverpool are firmly in this bracket, with the lack of a ‘sugar daddy owner’, regular Champions League football and a relatively small stadium (for now) forcing the Merseysiders to operate in a financially-savvy way.
The exits of Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez in particular show the power of profit, while Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge’s values have risen dramatically since their arrivals at Anfield. Volland, at 22, looks to have the potential to improve, and with Hoffenheim hardly giants of the game they may find it hard to resist offers.
Mark Hughes wants the Stoke fans to believe in him after some opposition to his appointment as new Potters boss on Thursday.
Hughes has signed a three-year deal at the Britannia Stadium just six months after being sacked by QPR.
His stint at Loftus Road lasted just under 11 months, saw extensive squad renovation, shows a record of only six victories in 30 Barclays Premier League games, and ended with the Londoners bottom of the table.
Some Stoke supporters are unhappy at the decision to bring him in as fellow Welshman Tony Pulis’ successor, with one displaying a ‘Hughes Out’ banner in the Britannia Stadium car park even before yesterday’s confirmation he had the job.
Regarding negative feeling among fans, Hughes said: “I can understand, because for six months they have been told that my ability as a manager is in question.
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“You can understand possibly that there is a little bit of reticence towards the appointment, but I think they need to take comfort from the fact that the ownership that has been fantastic for Stoke has made the decision that I am the best guy for their club.”
QPR striker DJ Campbell is poised to join Huddersfield as a likely replacement for Jordan Rhodes, who is reportedly on his way to Blackburn Rovers, Sky Sports has revealed.
The Terriers are willing to use the money raised from the potential sale of Rhodes to fund a move for Campbell.
Since his move to Loftus Road last summer, the 30-year-old has endured an injury-blighted time, making just three starts and scoring one goal.
A host of big names are joining the club, and there no longer appears to be a place for DJ Campbell in Mark Hughes’ plans.
Campbell’s availability has sparked interest from a number of clubs, including a move back to Bloomfield Road to join Blackpool.
But the deal was quashed when Ian Holloway admitted that financial constraints would make it almost impossible to re-sign the striker.
Gianfranco Zola has also tried to bring the player to Watford – a move which could still appeal to Campbell due to the club’s closeness to his London home.
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Bristol City also reportedly had a bid accepted by QPR, but a move to the John Smith’s Stadium now appears the most likely.
Newcastle fans are fearing the worst about Rafael Benitez’s future, after the manager said the Magpies should be targeting a top eight finish.
For every ounce of adulation Newcastle fans have for Rafael Benitez, there is an equal amount of disdain for the man holding to key to his future – Mike Ashley.
Ashley has been bashed to no end by fans for his smug demeanour, refusal to invest heavily in the transfer market, and the constant conflicting reports on whether or not he will sell the club.
The 53 year-old businessman, who bought the club back in 2007, has shown no signs yet of extending Rafa Benitez’s contract, and fans are now worried after the manager’s latest comments.
“To do the right things, as I have said many times before. That means to clarify our ambitions going forward,” the manager said.
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“What I will say is this, and I have said it many times before: this is a massive club. If we want to compete in the Premier League, and at a good level, then what we have to do are the ‘right things’ – and that’s it.
“Then we cannot be thinking that our position is: ‘Oh, we are safe, great.’ No. We have 52,000 fans at St James’ Park, between 3,000 and 9,000 fans at away games in the Championship.
“That shows that this club has to be competing to be in the top eight or higher.”
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While the fact that Benitez is targeting big things for the club is certainly a good sign, fans don’t expect Ashley to share those same ambitions, and they’re worried these conflicting ambitions will result in the Spaniard leaving the club.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
Crystal Palace have had a topsy-turvy season but somehow managed to end the slog with much to be proud of. Even before the campaign began there was the shocking resignation of Tony Pulis, who just two days before their first match decided that he no longer wanted to be a part of the project. Then came along Neil Warnock who stepped into the role and saw the club fail to win seven of their ten opening fixtures. This was Warnock’s second spell at Selhurst Park following his previous stint between 2007-2010, but he departed once again as the club suffered more poor results.
Alan Pardew, who had been unhappily managing at Newcastle United for the past four seasons, became Palace’s third manager in six months when he signed a three-and-a-half-year deal. Facing him was a difficult few months as the Eagles sat down in 18th with a potential relegation battle on their hands if they failed to start winning games.
The English manager was welcomed by Palace supporters as he had spent four years playing for the Eagles as a midfielder, and his first match in charge was an FA Cup third round tie against non-league side Dover Athletic, in which they resoundingly won 4-0. But the true test came six days later when they met Tottenham at Selhurst Park. Spurs were just outside of the Champions League places while Palace were stuck in the bottom three, but goals from Dwight Gayle and Jason Puncheon claimed the victory and signalled a change in belief and confidence at the club.
Palace went on to win more than half of their games under their new manager, notably getting the better of Manchester City and perhaps revenge over Liverpool who had knocked them out of the FA Cup. A Marouane Chamakh goal against Swansea City ensured that the Eagles were able to celebrate at their home ground the end of a difficult season, which ultimately saw them finish in a remarkably high 10th position.
Players like Puncheon, James McArthur and Scott Dann have been particularly invaluable in defence and midfield for the Eagles this season, though the club’s forwards have been rather disappointing. Glenn Murray has been their top goal scorer having found the net on seven occasions which, when you compare him with Queens Park Rangers’ Charlie Austin, who finished on 18 league goals, shows where Crystal Palace need to improve.
The club were previously linked with a deal for Liverpool’s Rickie Lambert but only if midfielder Yannick Bolasie goes the other way. Whether the Reds will want to meet the £20 million valuation, which would also be part of the deal, remains to be seen. But just like the numerous other clubs who were impressed with Austin’s prolific display these last ten months Palace would undeniably benefit from adding someone like him to their squad rather than Lambert, who has only scored twice.
Next season’s aim must be for a more consistent campaign from start to end. Another mid-table finish is entirely reasonable and choosing the right summer signings will go a long way to ensuring that happens again.
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Fulham are doubtful over Mladen Petric (hip) and Simon Davies (hamstring) after they missed the home defeat against Reading last week. Both are likely to face late fitness tests. Steven Sidwell sits out once again through suspension.
Steven Gerrard won’t play for Liverpool again this season after undergoing shoulder surgery. Daniel Agger will also miss the final two games due to a back injury. Luis Suarez serves the third of his 10-game ban, while Jonjo Shelvey is line to replace Gerrard.
Martin Jol pre-game…”We will focus on ourselves to try to get a result to be safe. The Wigan result helped and of course we need a result, but you depend on other games as well. We will look at other results and even when the results are going for us we have to try to finish the season on a very good note.”
Brendan Rodgers pre-game…”This season was about putting that base in place – a lot of great work has gone on off the field here – and putting the infrastructure and processes in place that will hopefully allow us to move forward. There have been young players getting the opportunity to play and I’ve seen development in the players.”
Match Statistic: In the 18 games Fulham have conceded the first goal they’ve won none.
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Prediction: Fulham 0-1 Liverpool
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