Cesc Fabregas did many things during his time at Arsenal, but arguably the most influential factor of his arrival to this shores was to wake up the Premier League fraternity to the wealth of young talent abroad, should clubs be prepared to take a gamble and look to utilise their obscure policy in Europe over the age you can sign players to professional forms. The likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United have certainly taken advantage of this, although it is fair to say that they have had mixed fortunes with their recruits.
They say in life that if at first you don’t succeed then try again and the Premier League big boys certainly haven’t been put off by it – hardly surprising when you see the premium that is put on young English players in this country.
The latest list below looks at some of the best young talent in world football and whom the Premier League big boys should be looking to snap up.
At the moment, West Ham United co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan have a tense relationship with the club’s fans.
Throughout the season, the majority of supporters have bashed the businessmen on Twitter, while the pair were also targeted during unsavoury scenes at the London Stadium a few weeks ago.
During a 3-0 defeat to Burnley, various fans forced themselves onto the pitch to protest against the board, with plenty of anger centred around the club’s 2016 move to the Olympic ground from Upton Park, as well as their transfer activity in recent windows.
Lifetime bans have been issued to those who broke out onto the field, and there is a sense of anxiousness ahead of their next home game, which will be against Southampton this Saturday.
According to the Daily Star, despite the rage directed towards them, both Gold and Sullivan will attend this weekend’s fixture.
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The pair were forced to leave the directors’ box early during the Burnley match, and Sky Sports News reports that coins were thrown at the businessmen.
This weekend’s clash against Southampton is must-win considering that David Moyes’s side have lost their last three Premier League matches, which has left the club just two points above the relegation zone.
Since the unfortunate injury to Angel di Maria, Manchester United’s other playmaker Juan Mata has deputised as United’s main man in midfield superbly in his absence. The Spaniard is enjoying a very successful run in the side, and is proving to be worth every penny of his £37.1m fee.
Mata, who arrived at Old Trafford from Premier League rivals Chelsea 11 months ago, is really starting to flourish in a United shirt. Eyebrows were certainly raised when the Blues boss Jose Mourinho allowed the Spanish playmaker to leave Stamford Bridge, even though his hefty price tag banked the club £37m. It undoubtedly took time for the 26-year-old to adjust into his new surroundings, even a player of Mata’s stature needs time to settle into a club the size of Manchester United – but now he has been given the freedom to express himself, he is enjoying being the star man, and is taking his chance with both hands.
The Spanish international has featured 16 times in the Premier League for the Red Devils this term – with five goals to his name already – including three in his last eight outings. Mata was outstanding in the heart of United’s midfield in the 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. Louis Van Gaal’s team didn’t quite do enough to steal all three points, but that wasn’t for want of trying, as Mata in particular tried everything in his power to get United the victory.
Since the Spanish international’s arrival at Old Trafford, Mata has found the net 11 times in 31 games for the Red Devils. It’s not just his eye for a goal, or his ability to create chances for others – his overall presence and balance on the ball makes him a joy to watch, and his intelligence off and on the ball would benefit any team.
After a difficult start to life in Manchester for Louis van Gaal, things are starting to fit into place nicely at Old Trafford. The Red Devils are unbeaten in nine Premier League games – with seven of those nine being victories – including six straight wins on the bounce. United’s purple patch of form has propelled them into third place in the league table – just seven points behind second placed Manchester City, and ten off leaders Chelsea.
The title may well be a unrealistic aim this year, but securing Champions League football isn’t. When van Gaal arrived at Old Trafford his main aim would have been to get Manchester United back into Europe’s elite competition, and at the moment you wouldn’t bet against him doing so.
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Manchester United’s senior players have really stepped up to plate this term, with Juan Mata being at the forefront. With a well documented injury list, it makes you wonder that if the Red Devils didn’t have such a packed physio room, could they have challenged for the title this year? It will be very interesting to see just how devastating United will be when they have a fully fit squad available.
If Juan Mata can keep himself fit and stay in outstanding form for the Red Devils, Van Gaal and the Manchester United fans will be licking their lips at the prospect of the Mata and di Maria pairing up when the Argentine is back. But until then, it’s up to the Spaniard himself to keep United flowing in attack, and to prove to his boss that he’s worthy of retaining his starting place.
Martin O’Neill has declared that Sunderland striker Connor Wickham is finally coming to terms with Premier League football.
The 19-year-old has struggled to make an impact on Wearside since his £8m arrival from Ipswich Town in the summer of 2011.
Having made very few appearances in the first half of this season, the England under-21 international has made major strides over the last month.
In last weekend’s FA Cup third round tie at Bolton, Wickham scored minutes after coming off the bench to help spark a Black Cats revival, as they overcame a two-goal deficit to force a replay.
It is believed that the Hereford-born forward has been putting in extra training with coach Steve Guppy and O’Neill believes Wickham is now showing he knows what it takes to deal with the demands of playing for a top flight club.
“It’s an important time for Connor now,” O’Neill told Chronicle Live.
“I think he has started to accept what a professional footballer at this level requires, what it needs to attain that and then to stay there.
“He is very willing and wants to come out and do some extra work which is very important.
“That goal at Bolton will have given him a lift in terms of confidence.
“In the little cameo role he has performed when he has come on from the bench, he’s done fine.
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“Even in the game he started against Chelsea before Christmas, he didn’t do too badly.”
Despite Wickham’s resurgence, O’Neill has been linked with a January swoop for Gateshead-born Danny Graham to reinforce Sunderland’s attack.
We are now precisely three months away from the first ball being kicked at the World Cup in Russia, and Gareth Southgate still has some crucial selection dilemmas to answer.
How can England combine solidity and creativity in an unspectacular midfield? Who deserves to take one of the spots at the heart of defence? Will recent form or international experience serve the Three Lions better? And perhaps most crucially considering the influence, positively or negatively, they can have on the rest of the team, who should be England’s goalkeeper?
The idea of replacing Joe Hart has persisted for some years now, but it’s been particularly prevalent since a series of costly mistakes at Euro 2016 and during the 30-year-old’s subsequent loan spells with Torino and West Ham, neither of which have resulted in the expected rave reviews. So, is Hart still the best man for the job, or should someone else deserve England’s No.1 jersey?
With the squad announcement for upcoming friendlies against Italy and the Netherlands due on Thursday, its a crucial question – and Football FanCast have outlined the six possible answers.
Solution A – Joe Hart
While Hart hasn’t wholly convinced for a good few years now, attempted saves down his left-hand side emerging as a critical flaw in his goalkeeping makeup, he’s still by far the most experienced option at Southgate’s disposal with 75 caps under his belt not to mention sustained exposure to Champions League level football with Manchester City. Southgate clearly still has faith in the temporary Hammer too; since taking the England job in September 2016, he’s started Hart in 10 of England’s 13 games.
But experience is only worth so much and Hart’s form this season has been modest to say the least, spending much of it stuck behind Adrian in the pecking order. In fact, from the six goalkeeping candidates we’ve looked at, Hart has recorded the fewest clean sheets this season while ranking worst for saves per game, goals conceded per game, saves per goal and catches per game. Damning stuff.
Solution B – Fraser Forster
Perhaps something of a surprise suggestion considering Fraser Forster has recently lost his place in Southampton’s starting XI, a decision many Saints fans would claim has been a long time coming. But the situation could quickly change once the south coast outfit appoint their new manager, after sacking Mauricio Pellegrino on Monday, and Forster has impressed for England before, particularly against Germany and the Netherlands in the buildup to Euro 2016.
Likewise, when Forster is in top form, his size can make him virtually unbeatable – even this season he’s managed to record two saves per goal in the Premier League, which is the second-best return of any candidate for England’s gloves. His distribution as oft been questioned before though, and it’s become particularly prevalent this season amid the absence of a target man at Southampton.
Solution C – Jordan Pickford
Jordan Pickford’s performances always seem to divide opinion. There’s no question Everton’s expensive acquisition is a vocal, aggressive and energetic presence at the back – always barking out orders at his defenders – but the actual quality of his goalkeeping, which is sometimes inevitably limited by a somewhat short 6 foot 1 frame, has received mixed reviews.
There have certainly been occasions in which he could have done better this season, conceding a staggering 49 times in the Premier League alone. But he’s also kept the second-most clean sheets of any England goalkeeper candidate and has been a fixture in the Three Lions setup for nearly a decade now, first turning out for the U16s in 2009 and going on to make 51 appearances across all age groups – including a senior debut last year.
However, he still doesn’t feel like the complete package – this tournament may just be a little too soon.
Solution D – Nick Pope
It’s rather incredible to think Nick Pope could be in line for a shock call-up this week, having plied his trade in the Conference just five years ago and not even started the season as a No.1 for a Premier League club. But the Burnley shot-stopper has fully exploited the chance presented to him by Tom Heaton’s injury and the statistics suggest he’s been the best English goalkeeper this season by a discernible distance.
Indeed, from the six goalkeeping candidates, Pope ranks best for clean sheets, saves per game, saves per goal and goals conceded per game, and those returns are hard to ignore – especially from a player who hasn’t been involved with England at any level of the setup previously.
That, however, inevitably creates concerns over the 25-year-old’s obvious lack of experience and there is a convincing argument that Burnley’s defensive players flatter to deceive somewhat; they continue to excel as a collective, but can struggle when put into a different team with a more expansive philosophy.
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Solution E – Ben Foster
It would certainly be a shock for Ben Foster to emerge as England’s No.1 in time for the summer, having only ever featured eight times for England and even made himself illegible for selection during the middle chunk of his career. Furthermore, he’s now 34 and has seen all but one of rock-bottom West Brom’s 47 goals fly past him this season.
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But he’s actually the only experienced England goalkeeper who has been a permanence in the starting XI this term, with Hart unable to cement his place at West Ham and Forster being dislodged by McCarthy. That does give Foster a surprising advantage over many of the other England No.1 competitors, the younger contingent of whom haven’t exactly excelled this season either.
Solution F – Jack Butland
The seemingly increasingly popular choice as the World Cup in Russia draws near. Jack Butland’s enormous potential has been discussed since his days at Birmingham City and the Stoke City goalkeeper has demonstrated it on enough occasions during the last few years as well – had it not been for a serious injury against Germany, he may well have overtaken Hart two years ago for Euro 2016.
That being said, Butland still has a few mistakes in him and his form this term hasn’t exactly been spectacular compared to the levels witnessed in 2015/16 when he appeared to have the world at his feet. Perhaps that’s a consequence of how poor Stoke have been this season, but the only statistical front he’s matched his England shot-stopping rivals on this season has been distribution accuracy; in terms of goals conceded, saves per goal and saves per game, it’s been a modest campaign.
Admittedly, however, certainly in recent weeks Butland’s performances have been peppered with a spate of brilliant saves.
So, England fans, who do you think should be Southgate’s No.1? Let us know by voting below…
With the first two months of the Premier League season passed, who is looking like the bargain of the season?
West Ham United did some excellent business over the close-season and Senegalese striker Diafra Sakho has settled in excellently for The Hammers.
The 24-year-old signed from French Ligue 2 side FC Metz for an undisclosed fee which was rumoured to be around £2million. Sakho actually had a relatively average record for Metz, considering they were in Ligue 2, but Sam Allardyce didn’t hesitate to sign Diafra on a long term deal for the next four years.
Sakho’s record was average with Metz with a record of 44 league goals in 114 appearances. However his record would have been poor, had he not of had a fantastic final season with the French club where he scored 20 goals in 36 appearances to help Metz to the Ligue 2 title. That excellent season led him to be awarded with the Ligue 2 Player of the Year and probably played a large part in earning a move to England.
Diafra has got off to a flyer at West Ham and he’s seemingly loving life in the Premier League – it’s easy isn’t it?!
The Senegalese international has started four games in all competitions for The Hammers and he has scored one goal in each of them, including against Liverpool and Man United. With those goalscoring performances he has broken a West Ham record which has been standing for 26 years for scoring in consecutive starts for West Ham – Leroy Rosenior scored in his first three starts for West Ham and Sakho has surpassed that.
But who is Diafra Sakho competing against for the early season ‘Bargain of the Season’?
Leonardo Ulloa – Leicester
An £8m transfer fee is rarely considered a bargain, especially compared to an estimated £2m for Sakho, but with the 28-year-old having scored five goals in his opening six Premier League fixtures, he is looking like a good signing nonetheless. Perhaps too old and expensive to be considered ‘Bargain of the Season’.
Frank Lampard – Man City
It still feels weird writing about Lampard the City player but he is and he is relishing it. After scoring against his former side he netted twice in the Capital One Cup just a few days later. As he is on loan he is only costing Manchester City his wages, quite a bargain for a proven Premier League scorer who certainly hasn’t ‘lost’ it. The fact that his future lies elsewhere after the loan is a negative but at his age City won’t be too bothered, especially as he’s only moving to their MLS franchise.
Graziano Pelle – Southampton
Again, another £8m signing, and again older than Diafra Sakho, but a real threat in front of goal. In his last four Premier League appearances (admittedly against average opposition), Pelle has scored four and also assisted one. He has really hit form and has the ability to score wonderfully tricky goals with a clinical finishing ability for the easier chances. Hard to call a 29-year-old worth £8m a bargain, but he’s certainly effective.
Mame Biram Diouf – Stoke City
Ex-Man United Diouf experienced a tough time after arriving at Old Trafford and has been around the block since. He had a good spell with Hannover 96 in Germany and looked to have found his goalscoring form. However his contract with the German club wasn’t renewed and Stoke City snapped up the Senegalese international on a free transfer. Diouf scored a wonder-goal against Man City to take all 3 points, and scored his second for the club against QPR. A decent start for the free transfer who is yet to enter the prime of his career – time will tell if he will be a bargain or not, but he looks promising.
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Eric Dier – Tottenham
Spurs had to go to Portugal to sign the young Englishman and managed to get him for just £4m. He got off to a flyer scoring a winner on his debut against West Ham, and he made it 2-in-2 against QPR. The 20 year old has already been selected for the England Under-21 squad and to sign an English player so young for just £4m has to be a bargain, especially with the talent Dier is showing.
Of course in the early stages of the season it is largely speculation as to who will be the ‘Bargain of the Season’ come what May, but as it stands the £2m signing of Diafra Sakho would be my choice. With a 100% starts to goal ratio, he’s looking like a real shrewd capture. I’m also a fan of Tottenham’s signing of Dier who depending on if Spurs can sure up their defence may well be the ‘Bargain of the Season’.
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Every turn of the year marks a point where exciting prospects become fantastic additions to a senior squad. There was Mario Gotze arriving in Borussia Dortmund’s first team and helping them to their first of two league titles under Jurgen Klopp. Cristian Tello should be the next player to develop past just being a promising youngster from La Masia and into a star forward at Barcelona.
But a little closer to home, there are a number of youngsters who are waiting in the wings for their opportunity. It shouldn’t require rules to be imposed for clubs to look to their youngsters, but rather a desire to see something new and exciting. The Premier League has worked it’s way into a position where it holds some of the best names from around Europe and the world, and 2013 should be a year when we see another wave of outstanding talents make their mark on the English game.
Click on Luke Shaw to unveil the top 10
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Sunderland fans have been reacting to the signing of versatile defender Tom Flanagan, and the majority of fans are excited to see him in action.
Just a few short weeks ago, there was a real feel of uncertainty around the Stadium of Light. Everyone knew several first team players would leave the club, but the Black Cats had yet to get anyone in to replace them.
While the rest of the world has been focusing on the World Cup though, new owner Stewart Donald and new manager Jack Ross have been quietly going about their business, dumping unwanted players and signing up fresh hungry talent.
Flanagan will join from Burton Albion on a two-year deal, becoming the fourth Sunderland signing of the summer.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”257647″ player=”12034″ title=”Three reasons we love to hate… Brazil and Argentina”]
The 26 year-old, who can play anywhere across the back four, made 27 Championship appearances last season, most of those at left back.
Speaking with Burton fans, Sunderland fans can expect a fearless, hard-working defender, and what he lacks in technical ability he more than makes up for in fight and passions, something that was sorely lacking on Wearside last season.
Flanagan joins Alim Ozturk, Jon McLaughlin and Chris Maguire at the Stadium of Light, all four of which will expect to be pushing for a starting spot.
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Fans have been reacting to the news on Twitter, and you can find some of the best reactions down below…
Southampton will look to stay out of the relegation zone and boost their survival chances when they host fellow strugglers Stoke City at St Mary’s on Saturday.
The Saints came out of the bottom three as Manolo Gabbiadini’s late equaliser saw them snatch a 1-1 draw against Burnley at Turf Moor last weekend, but they are only out of the drop zone on goal difference and just one point above their next opponents on the south coast, who lie 19th.
With three straight away matches to follow the clash against the Potters, Mauricio Pellegrino’s men are in desperate need of taking all three points against Paul Lambert’s visitors, but it won’t be an easy task seeing as they are without a win in the top flight on their own patch since November, and have already failed to beat fellow strugglers Swansea City, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, Huddersfield Town and Brighton and Hove Albion at home.
Pellegrino will know can’t afford a repeat of that this weekend if they are to secure their Premier League status for another year, and they can take some solace from the fact that Stoke have the worst away record in the top flight with just seven points from 14 fixtures.
The Argentine boss made one change from the FA Cup win against West Bromwich Albion for the trip to Lancashire last time out as Oriol Romeu came in for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and he will perhaps be considering making more against the Potters after another below-par display from his team.
Here is how Southampton must line up against Stoke on Saturday, ahead of Alex McCarthy in goal…
Defence
Soccer Football – FA Cup Fifth Round – West Bromwich Albion vs Southampton – The Hawthorns, West Bromwich, Britain – February 17, 2018 Southampton’s Wesley Hoedt celebrates scoring their first goal with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine
If they are all fit, Southampton’s back four picks itself right now in the form of stand-in captain Ryan Bertrand, Wesley Hoedt, Jack Stephens and Cedric Soares.
With Maya Yoshida injured and Sam McQueen and Jeremy Pied considered back-ups in the full-back positions, the quartet have had a real good run of games together and that should continue against Stoke this weekend.
Both Stephens and Hoedt have been in the goals in the past few weeks and they will hope to provide a goal threat against the Potters too to try and help their side pick up a vital three points.
Midfield
Oriol Romeu returned to the starting line-up against Burnley having been left on the substitutes’ bench in the FA Cup tie against West Bromwich Albion because he is only one booking away from getting an automatic two-match ban.
The Spaniard has looked miles off the player that won the club;s Player of the Season award last season, and he has often appeared lethargic and off the pace – including at Turf Moor last weekend.
Southampton can’t afford to have that in a crucial clash against Stoke on Saturday, and they should bring the energetic Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg into the midfield alongside Mario Lemina to try and help them get the win they desperately need.
Attack
Josh Sims and Manolo Gabbiadini both made a big impact from the substitutes’ bench against Burnley last weekend, and they should both be in line to start against Stoke this Saturday.
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While James Ward-Prowse has been useful from set pieces and in terms of getting goals at times in 2018, he still doesn’t offer enough from open play from an attacking sense, and Saints need to be more aggressive on their own patch to get results.
Sims and Nathan Redmond should start on the flanks for Southampton to provide that pace and directness, and Gabbiadini should be handed the role just behind Guido Carrillo with Dusan Tadic another player that has failed to do enough to invigorate Mauricio Pellegrino’s men on their own turf this season.
Everton were dubbed ‘the school of science’ in the early 1970s for their intoxicating brand of attractive football, and after David Moyes’ more rugged decade in charge, Roberto Martinez’ progressive philosophy has reverted the club back to its expansive roots.
Indeed, in the Spaniard, the Toffees have found another chief professor, educating the Premier League on the beautiful game’s purist ideals. Yet one experiment at the school of science isn’t paying off quite so fruitfully; Martinez’ attempts to utilise club-record signing Romelu Lukaku as an effective force out wide.
The tactic has worked well in the past – particularly against Arsenal last season. Lukaku’s power, pace and quality tore apart left-back Nacho Monreal, paving the way for a 3-0 victory – one goal provided by the Belgium international. It was a complete mismatch in every respect, an effective unorthodoxy that lead to many heralding Martinez as a tactical genius, some even claiming it highlighted how he’d now surpassed Arsene Wenger in that regard.
This season however, the ploy is yet to bear positive fruits, in fact, every display from Lukaku in the wide-right role has been largely negative. Against Liverpool, the 21 year-old seemed almost surprised by the physicality of summer signing Alberto Moreno. The Spain international may measure in at just 5 foot 7, but in comparison to passive compatriot Monreal, he’s aggressive, bullish and imposing.
Likewise, Martinez moved Lukaku out wide at half time against Manchester United, with the Toffees 1-0 down and lacking an outlet in the final third. But the 6 foot 3 striker found similar problems against Luke Shaw, unable to contest the full-back’s nippiness when cutting inside and never truly testing the space behind him.
What will concern Everton fans most is the weaknesses both substandard performances exposed in Lukaku’s game, particularly in regards to link-up play.
He’s by no means a natural suitor to wide roles and a victim of his own previous successes, the striker is often held to exceptionally high standards that the vast majority of 21 year-olds wouldn’t be expected to maintain.
But whenever attempting to move inside or find a fellow Evertonian to link-up with, Lukaku looked cumbersome and slow – resembling closer Emile Heskey than his idol, Didier Drogba. The shape of his runs were undynamic, his dribbling lines were predictable and his passing in general was particularly disappointing.
One can certainly question Martinez’ decision to take Lukaku away from his natural position, especially against Manchester United. Their centre-back partnership consisted of Marcos Rojo, a lightweight Argentine who has featured more commonly at left-back as centrally over the last few seasons, and academy graduate Paddy McNair, in his second-ever Premier League appearance. If there was ever a match for the Belgium international to assert his physical authority, it was surely against United’s ad hoc defensive line-up.
Likewise, Liverpool have been plagued with defensive woes all season as they try to blend three summer signings into their back four – weaknesses, especially between centre-halves Dejan Lovren and Martin Skrtel, were there to be exploited. And after all, we’re talking about a centre-forward with a strike rate of 35 goals in 83 appearances in the Premier League; he needs – and has deserved the right- to be as close to the goal as possible.
Yet, Lukaku’s transition out wide is in part his own doing. Two goals in seven appearances is below the level we’ve come to expect from the former Chelsea prodigy over the last few seasons, whilst strike-partner Steven Naismith has already found the net four times.
In comparison, his link-up play and attitude since Roberto Martinez took the reins last summer has been thoroughly superb. The simple fact of the matter is, without surrendering Everton’s shape, if Lukaku isn’t performing as desired, Martinez has no choice but to hand the central role to the in-form Scot. Where Lukaku then fits in becomes a secondary concern.
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The ultimate question is what does the failings of Martinez’ experimentation with Lukaku demonstrate more? A dangerously idealistic approach from a progressive manager in believing a 6 foot 3, 21 year-old striker would have the knowledge and skills set to be effective out wide? Or how Everton’s club record-signing is much further away from becoming a complete centre-forward than his goal tally and price-tag might initially suggest?
There’s clearly some common ground in between. Lukaku’s deployment on the right wing against Arsenal felt purposeful – this season however, it’s had more of a hopeful, almost desperate vibe. Similarly, although Martinez has demanded a lot, if the 21 year-old is to emerge as the world-class striker he’s heralded to become, adaption and versatility are important characteristics.
But one thing is for certain; using Lukaku as a wide player for extended periods, rather than on selective, fitting occasions, simply does not work.