Category Uncategorized

How Arsenal entered the current season with one less defender than last year is quite frankly beyond me – but there’s no looking back now and at least Arsene Wenger is looking to rectify the situation, with news that he’ll be on the hunt for a new centre-half in January.

Of course, the winter window is never the ideal opportunity to buy so a star-studded addition of the Mats Hummels variety unfortunately seems unlikely.

There are some options out there however, so just in case the Gunners gaffer is short on ideas, here’s FIVE centre-backs the Premier League outfit could realistically sign in the New Year.

MATIJA NASTASIC

//www.youtube.com/embed/LxnfKoOWmWE

Age: 21

Height: 6 foot 2

Positions: Centre-back only

Teams: Partizan Belgrade, Fiorentina, Manchester City, Serbian national team

Honours: Premier League title 2013/14, League Cup 2013/14, Manchester City Young Player of the Year 2012/13

Linked clubs: Arsenal, AC Milan, Schalke

Likely transfer fee: £10million, according to The Express

What’s the dealio daddio?

A forgotten man at the Etihad, Matija Nastasic’s last competitive outing for Manchester City was in the 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal at the start of the season. A few days later, Manuel Pellegrini coughed up a whopping £32million for France centre-half Eliaquim Mangala.

Nastasic once forged an impressive centre-back partnership with Vincent Kompany however – his reading of the game and quality on the ball particularly standing out for a player so young.

Injuries have peppered the 16-cap Serbian’s City tenure somewhat and he’s rather slight for a Premier League centre-back. Clearly talented however with great pedigree, moving to a club that offers regular football will quickly kick-start Nastasic’s stuttering career.

Aymeric Laporte

//www.youtube.com/embed/vXqN7EieWVs

Age: 20

Height: 6 foot 2

Positions: Centre-Back and Left-Back

Teams: Basconia, Bilbao Athletic, Athletic Bilbao, France U21s

Honours: None

Linked clubs: Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United

Likely transfer fee: £32million release clause

What’s the low-down D’Lo Brown?

Having emerged as arguably La Liga’s most exciting centre-back prospect over the last few seasons, a plethora of Premier League clubs have been monitoring Aymeric Laporte’s progress for some time. This season, he’s averaged the fifth-most interceptions per match of any player in the Spanish top flight, as detailed below:

With 59 La Liga outings under his belt and having started all but one of Bilbao’s league fixtures this season, the French centre-half is already taking on huge responsibility for a player so young.

That, combined with his obvious talent and the limit of silverware with the Basque side, is the source of Premier League interest in Laporte; a quick, intelligent and versatile defender. He’ll cost big bucks but if develops as expected, also offers huge reward.

TYRONE MINGS

//www.youtube.com/embed/wvyRhxU0cxI

Age: 21

Height: 6 foot 3

Positions: Left Back and Centre-Back

Teams: Yate Town, Chippenham Town, Ipswich Town

Honours: Championship Player of the Month for September 2014

Linked clubs: Arsenal, Chelsea, West Ham

Likely transfer fee: £8million, according to the Telegraph and just about everybody

What’s the word, bird?

Arsene Wenger has already admitted his interest in Ipswich prodigy Tyrone Mings so few would bet against Arsenal launching a bid for him in January.

Mick McCarthy once picked up the towering defender for just £20k, and he’s enjoyed a huge breakthrough as the Tractor Boys’ left-back this season with former No.3 Aaron Cresswell moving to West Ham in the summer. Here’s his vitals this season:

Ambitious, agile and effective going forward yet blessed with the powerful, imposing frame of a Premier League centre-half, Mings is the kind of player that could be moulded into anything by the Arsenal’s coaches.

Whether the Gunners need another project at the back right now, however, remains open to debate.

WINSTON REID

Age: 26

Height: 6 foot 3

Positions: Centre-back only

Teams: Midtjylland, West Ham, New Zealand national team

Honours: Championship Playoff winner 2011/12, Hammer of the Year 2012/13

Linked clubs: Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs

Likely transfer fee: £6million according to the Daily Mail, £20million according to Sam Allardyce.

What do you say, hombre?

Certainly not the most talented defender to ever grace the Emirates in technical terms, but Winston Reid is a bona fide master of the nuts and bolts of the trade; when it comes to tackles, interceptions, blocks and headers, he’s your man. At the minute, one could argue that’s exactly what Arsenal need – a bit of a Martin Keown figure.

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.

The New Zealand skipper has made huge progress since first moving to East London after the 2010 World Cup and is now keen to challenge himself at a higher level – with Hammers owner David Sullivan admitting Reid is yet to sign a new contract over the issue of European football.

With his current deal set to expire in the summer, it’s believed Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool – and potentially some clubs from abroad – will try to prize him away in January. Sam Allardyce clearly doesn’t want to sell however and the East Londoners’ current league position of fourth could convince the gritty centre-back to stay on at Upton Park.

FABIAN SCHAR

//www.youtube.com/embed/ZpiVFCUXbz0

Age: 23

Height: 6 foot 1

Positions: Centre-back, but could play at full-back in theory

Teams: FC Wil, FC Basel, Switzerland national team

Honours: Two Swiss Super League titles

Linked clubs: Arsenal, Tottenham, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan

Likely transfer fee: £5million-£10million, according to The Express

Gimme the crack, Jack!

Statistically speaking, Fabian Schar was the best defender in the Champions League last season, as detailed below:

Indeed, the defender’s form at club, European and international level has been continually impressive over the last 18 months. He also chips in with a fair amount of goals, netting nine in his first two seasons at Basel and four in nine for the Swiss national team.

Resultantly, Schar has been tipped as a future star for some time and Europe’s transfer vultures are now circling closer than ever, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season and a new deal looking increasingly unlikely.

The Swiss hotshot boasts an intoxicating front-footed style, similar to Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen, epitomising the in-vogue mould of the modern day centre-back.

A little slender for the Premier League but unquestionably talented, after a season or so to settle and build up his physicality, Schar could emerge as one of the English top flight’s leading defenders.

Everton defender Sylvain Distin believes referees should do more to stop “wrestling” at set pieces, in the wake of Marouane Fellaini’s head-butt on Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross.

The Toffees’ midfielder apologised after the game for his actions after the game, but may face a retrospective ban as referee Mark Halsey missed the incident.

The Belgian went on to bemoan the lack of protection players receive from officials, a stance that team-mate Distin reiterated:

“It’s wrestling, it was tough. It was difficult to run through, they just catch you all the time and grab you.” He is quoted by The Metro.

“I think the ref could have a better look at it. But that is football and it’s going to happen when you come to a place like Stoke.”

The French defender went on to call upon an incident in which his team conceded a penalty against Manchester City as a prime example of the issue:

“There is just no consistency. That is the problem as a player. Sometimes you get grabbed or blocked and it is not a penalty.

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.

‘Then you see what happened against City when the ref gave them a penalty, and you think ‘there should be a penalty every week’.

‘There is no consistency so it’s a bit frustrating when it’s not going your way.”

After consecutive defeats in the English Premier League, Arsenal returned to winning ways in the top-flight on Sunday, beating Watford 3-0 at the Emirates.

Fresh from an impressive victory away to AC Milan on Thursday, the Gunners looked confident and assured against their visitors, easing the pressure on themselves as players and manager Arsene Wenger.

Scoring through Shkodran Mustafi, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the home side never looked like losing the encounter and can look ahead to their second leg against the Italians on Thursday with optimism.

[ad_pod ]

Central to the win was midfielder Mohamed Elneny, who ran the show in the middle of the park and showed Wenger that he is worth a spot in his starting eleven going forward.

Fans were delighted with his contribution, with some believing he is underrated by their fellow supporters.

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.

Should he be a more trusted member of the Arsenal squad?

Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

They say it’s often revealing moments, rather than form or development, that decides the fates of footballers at Europe’s top clubs. Perhaps an inappropriate comment at the Christmas party, perhaps some unwarranted backchat on the training pitch, perhaps a split-second of lapsed attitude that costs the club a vital three points, creating a portal into mentality and soul.

So one can only imagine what thoughts raced though Louis van Gaal and Ryan Giggs’ minds whilst they refused in tandem to throw even the slightest of glances at Chris Smalling’s way on Sunday afternoon, as he walked towards the Etihad’s tunnel, having seen red for two bookings after just 38 minutes against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City.

Maybe they were wondering if Manchester United should’ve accepted Arsenal’s swap deal for Thomas Vermaelen in the summer. Maybe they were wondering how much those two foolish bookings – the first, the result of blocking a Joe Hart goal kick, the second, an unwarranted, hasty challenge on the edge of the penalty area – might affect the defender’s price-tag in January.

Maybe they were wondering when the real Chris Smalling, the one that had developed such an unquenchable appetite in Sir Alex Ferguson four years ago, would actually turn up at Old Trafford. Maybe they were wondering how long they could keep on waiting.

When Sir Alex Ferguson signed a 20 year-old Smalling in summer 2010 and a teenage Phil Jones twelve months later, the tacit implications of the former Manchester United manager’s recruitment strategy were obvious – a future centre-back pairing not only for the 13-time Premier League champions, but also the England national team.

Indeed, Ferguson saw so much potential in Smalling, despite only having made a handful of Premier League appearances for Fulham at the time, that he travelled all the way to London to instigate a dramatic intervention in Tottenham’s car park, after an FA Cup replay with the Cottagers, convincing the defender not to sign for Arsenal. Apparently, Ferguson refused to let Smalling leave until he’d agreed to join United.

Needless to say, Ferguson’s enthusiasm for the 24 year-old – or for that matter, the manner in which he’s been fast-tracked to the Premier League summit and the forefront of the England national team – is yet to be truly justified.

Yesterday’s act of world-class stupidity was only the tip of the ice-berg, further amplified by the fact it was amid probably the most important fixture in Manchester United’s season from the fans’ perspective.

A chaotic mind in a local derby – an emotional rush of blood to the head – can be excused, but Smalling’s performances have been open to scrutiny for some time. He’s often looked out of his depth in the Champions League particularly; a worrying sign at a club that’s been involved in almost every season of the tournament since it’s incarnation in 1992.

Not that the 24 year-old doesn’t possess appealing qualities. Measuring in at 6 foot 4, strong and quick, he’s an exceptional athlete, and at Fulham demonstrated his competency with the nuts and bolts of the defensive trade – tackles, headers, clearances, positioning. Simplistic but effective.

Likewise, overshadowed by Nemanja Vidic, Johnny Evans and Rio Ferdinand, he’s often had to settle for the right-back slot at Old Trafford. It’s not a position that plays to his natural strengths by any means and in fact exposes his many weaknesses, namely a lack of quality and composure on the ball compared to modern full-backs.

Yet, that is the crux of the complaint surrounding Smalling; he’s failed to develop the aesthetic, ball-playing side of his game, which is now a must for top European defenders, and neither Ferguson nor David Moyes  saw enough to warrant the 24 year-old overtaking United’s more experienced centre-half options permanently.

And, as we witnessed on Sunday afternoon, a lack of concentration and calmness in major fixtures is still letting the defender down. He continually panics when under pressure – the red card against City was just the latest, and arguably most extreme, instance.

With Evans injured and Ferdinand and Vidic moving on during the summer, this should be Smalling’s season. Although a horrifying injury and suspension list, in combination with United’s failure to recruit a much-needed world-class centre-back during the summer, hardly creates the most accommodating situation, this is undoubtedly the defender’s greatest chance yet to prove he can be an important player for the Old Trafford side.

This should be the season where we witness the real Chris Smalling – the one that made Sir Alex Ferguson drive all the way to London to have it out in the White Hart Lane car park four years ago.

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.

Barring an exceptional revival in form  however- so unprecedented performance levels far exceed anything we’ve witnessed from Smalling since 2010 – the England defender’s season looks set to be remembered by just one game; his 38 minutes of amateurish madness against Manchester City where he registered no tackles, no blocks, two fouls, two yellow cards and one red card.

Perhaps this is the real Chris Smalling – perhaps Ferguson was hoodwinked all along. Manchester United have already waited four years for their former manager’s faith in the defender to prove fruitful. It can’t be long now before their patience expires.

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]

Over the years, West Ham striker Carlton Cole has had to endure an increased amount of criticism from the club’s fans. Regular moans and groans have echoed throughout Upton Park when he has either entered the field of play, failed to win an ariel duel or missed a goal scoring opportunity.

But what these fans fail to see is his commitment to the club and the effort he puts in to playing for West Ham. They fail to see his contribution on the pitch and remember what he has done for the team since he arrived from Chelsea in 2006.

So, as a self-confessed member of the Carlton Cole fan club, I’d like to jog a few people’s memories, starting with his attacking contribution.

In 221 appearances in all competitions for the Hammers, Cole has scored 58 goals – his most recent being the equaliser in the brilliant 3-1 win over Chelsea last weekend. In the last four seasons he has finished as the club’s top scorer, with his highest tally coming last season (15). Additionally, the striker has assisted 27 goals in the six and a bit seasons he has enjoyed at the club with his most successful season being the 2007/2008 campaign when he chipped in with eight assists.

Now, many people will argue that averaging a goal every 3.81 games is not a good enough return for a striker will be partly right. But, when you consider that he has spent half of his West Ham career in a side battling relegation and one season playing in the Championship, it is fair to say that the 29-year-old hasn’t exactly been given the opportunity to thrive in a Premier League side performing well consistently.

[post_link url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/football-news/west-ham-united-3-1-chelsea-match-review,https://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/the-ten-january-transfers-that-would-enrich-the-premier-league,https://www.footballfancast.com/premiership/newcastle-united/top-ten-strikers-that-are-on-the-premier-leagues-january-wishlist” target=”_blank” type=”list”]

His goals last season were also massively important to West Ham’s promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Without seven of his league goals, the Hammers would have been 12 points worse off at the end of the season, which would have seen them finish seventh, missing out on the play-offs. Then, of course, he scored the opener and assisted the winner in the 2-1 play-off final win over Blackpool.

Cole doesn’t get enough praise for the commitment he has shown to the club, either. After the club’s promotion, the striker revealed he had opted to take a 50% pay-cut in order to help with the club’s finances while out of the top-flight. For someone that has been regularly criticised in a West Ham shirt, that is a decent thing to have done.

He also has to endure endless abuse from idiots on Twitter and he has conducted himself well, only reacting to a couple of tweets that may have got him in trouble if seen as anything other than banter. He regularly keeps the fans informed about how training is going and has tweeted his love for the club in the past.

Further more, upon the high-profile arrival of Andy Carroll at the end of August, Cole told the Sun: “I don’t want to leave. I have told the board that I want to stay for the rest of my career. I want to stay and help out the club anyway way I can.”

For a player that doesn’t have 100% of the fans behind him to pledge his future to the club like that shows his commitment is unrivaled and there are fans out there that need to recognise that.

Cole may not be one of the best strikers to have ever had the privileged to wear claret and blue, but he deserves a lot more respect than what he receives from some fans. His contribution to the team goes unnoticed at times but if you look closely you’ll see a man who is always giving his all for the team.

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.

His performance against Chelsea proved just that, too. A goal, an assist and an all round good performance, which will surely go some way in keeping Andy Carroll out to the team – when he returns after injury – if he can take that into the next few games and beyond.

Loyal footballers are a rarity these days, so Carlton Cole should be praised for that rather than be hounded by the fans of the club he is so evidently devoted to.

What do you think? Does Carlton Cole deserve some of the criticism he receives from fans, or do supporters fail to see exactly what he has done for the club since signing from Chelsea? Let me know your thoughts below.

[ad_pod id=’xmas’ align=’center’]

Having sat out England’s last two games and recovered from an injury during that time, Dele Alli looks set to return to the starting XI for the Three Lions’ first knockout fixture at this World Cup – an all-important clash with Colombia on Tuesday night.

The dilemma Southgate now faces though, is who to bench in favour of the talented immensely Tottenham midfielder.

Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard has been electric at this tournament and seems pretty certain to start, but Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s shown huge potential and his sheer power could be a massive asset for England against such an offensive-minded team who will leave the engine room wide open.

[ad_pod ]

So, England fans, which side of this key selection dilemma do you stand on? Would you reunite Lingard and Alli for the Colombia clash after impressing together against Tunisia, or keep the Blues midfield prodigy in the starting XI?

Let us know by voting below…

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.

[brid playlist=”4766″ player=”12034″ title=”World Cup 2018″]

Sunderland fans are voting Chris Coleman as the best option to save their defensive injury crisis.

The Black Cats are faced with major injury problems ahead of their visit to QPR this weekend, as Lamine Kone is their only fit centre back.

John O’Shea and Ty Browning both picked up injuries in the 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Tuesday, and Jake Clarke-Salter has one match left on his suspension.

Coleman’s arrival at Sunderland has not exactly had the desired effect, and Tuesday’s capitulation against Villa encapsulated everything that’s been going wrong for the Black Cats.

[ad_pod ]

Coleman’s career ended in 2001 when a car crash broke his leg, but Sunderland fans think the 47 year-old might be their only hope.

Everton loanee Brendan Galloway is an option, but has only played 42 first team minutes this season. Billy Jones filled in at centre back on Tuesday, but with little success. Jack Rodwell started his career as a centre back, but has not played for Sunderland since telling Coleman he wants to leave the club.

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.

With few options to choose from, Coleman is currently leading the vote to fill in at the back.

Sunderland fans, what do you think about a Coleman-Kone partnership? Let us know in the comments below…

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge couldn’t help himself in further stirring the pot in the rivalry between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. The Bayern CEO recently gave away details of Marco Reus’ contract, with the player’s release clause set to kick in next year, and then went on to hint that the Bavarians could be in the hunt for the Dortmund forward.

Having lost Robert Lewandowski, Mario Goetze and Shinji Kagawa and consecutive summers, it appears Dortmund will lose Reus as well in a year’s time, with the player thus far reluctant to increase his salary with the club and in turn remove the release clause, which stands somewhere between €25-35 million.

One team who will almost certainly miss out is Liverpool, who were linked with the German international earlier in the window. The club have denied the reports, but that didn’t stop the logs being added to the fire as the club pursue another forward addition this summer.

In further angering Borussia Dortmund, Bayern have made no secret of the admiration for Reus. There will of course be interest in the player, such is Bayern’s history of hoovering up the best talent in Germany. But the club’s public image – which has already taken a battering after the signings of Goetze and Lewandowski – may force a halt before anything formal takes place.

Instead, it’s been suggested that Reus will head to Manchester United next year, which would make sense due to the lack of quality in the wide positions at Old Trafford and the age of Robin van Persie. Beyond the Dutchman and Wayne Rooney, there is no clearly identifiable top talent for the forward position at the club.

It’s difficult to paint Liverpool’s missed chance at Reus as something which will come back to haunt them, because, as has been said by the club, there was never any interest to begin with.

Reus would naturally have been seen as the ideal replacement for Luis Suarez at Anfield, and one more than good enough to step into the void left by the Uruguayan. But it never made sense that Brendan Rodgers would be given a clear run at the German if he came on the market this year. There is far too much interest in the player from around Europe for it to be as straightforward as that.

Instead, Liverpool have focused their financial energy on strengthening the squad, rather than attempting to replace Suarez with a like-for-like. The business at Anfield this summer has been positive, and Rodgers has added a mixture of Premier League experience and high-ceiling youth. If the club can build on their excellent season last term, they’ll be equipped once again with the tools to recruit well next summer. Reus may be an exceptional, world-class talent, but there are plenty of other good players that will be available to Rodgers.

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.

Reus was never a goer for Liverpool, and it shouldn’t be totally discounted that he could even go on to extend his stay at Signal Iduna Park. Reus is a local who has a long-standing history with the club. But he knows his worth, he knows Dortmund will be desperate to hang on to him, and an agreement quietly away from the hysteria of the transfer window is possible.

[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]

Wigan Athletic striker Franco Di Santo has received an international call up to the Argentina squad for their next round of fixtures.

The striker received his first call up in November for a friendly against Saudi Arabia and was able to record his debut for his country.

Despite this, the striker did not expect to again be recalled with the South American nation being able to call upon a wealth of talent.

Di Santo has however made the squad when notably Carlos Tevez failed to be included in the travelling party.

The Wigan striker believes that this is a strong indication of his progress under Roberto Martinez at the DW Stadium, and he was full of praise for his footballing education.

“When I saw my name in the squad list but Tevez’s wasn’t, it was a real surprise,” the 23-year-old told the Daily Mirror.

“It told me that what I was doing at Wigan was good. The gaffer has taught me many things.”

Di Santo has been a regular fixture in the starting line-up for the Latics so far and will be keen to maintain his form.

He is aware that regularly playing 90 minutes will increase his chances of receiving a call up.

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.

Di Santo played the whole match at the DW stadium on Wednesday as his side lost 2-0 to Manchester City where as his fellow compatriot Carlos Tevez remained an unused substitute.

The Argentinian will hoping to feature at St James’ Park on Monday as his Wigan Athletic side take on Newcastle United in a 20:00 kick off.

[post_link url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/should-there-be-a-transfer-window-for-managers-too, https://www.footballfancast.com/premiership/newcastle-v-wigan-match-preview, https://www.footballfancast.com/premiership/the-15-greatest-premier-league-imports-of-all-time, https://www.footballfancast.com/football-news/wigan-athletic-0-2-manchester-city-match-review, https://www.footballfancast.com/premiership/manchester-city/roberto-mancini-pleased-with-ugly-win” target=”_blank” type=”grid”]

According to The Chronicle, Newcastle United have been priced out of signing Stefano Sturaro, with West Ham now in pole position to sign the midfielder.

What’s the story?

Sturaro, 25, signed for Juventus in 2014 and has gone on to make 64 Serie A appearances for the Old Lady, scoring twice and providing one assist.

The defensive midfielder has been capped by Italy and it was reported recently by Italian news outlet TuttoMercatoWeb that Newcastle had made a bid of £11.4million for the player.

Is this the best World Cup ever? Give us your thoughts here and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.

But now, The Chronicle are reporting that Juventus want £17.5million for the Italian international, which West Ham are said to have bid for the player valued at £6.75million on Transfermarkt.

What does this mean for Newcastle?

With Mikel Merino’s impending departure from St James’ park, Rafa Benitez needs to strengthen the middle of the park, but he seems unlikely to spend that sort of money on a defensive midfielder.

While it is a blow for Benitez not to land his target, surely the money could be better spent elsewhere on someone like Chelsea’s Kenedy, and then finding a cheaper alternative to Sturaro in midfield.

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.

Merino didn’t play for Newcastle in the second half of the season so they aren’t trying to replace a key first-team player, even if it is an area that needs upgrading.

It will be difficult if Newcastle have to see Sturaro lining up for West Ham next season but Benitez will have to take this on the chin and find his next target.