The Top 5 Transfer Targets

Welcome to my blog, I’m Callum Rivett and this week I’ll be writing about the top five transfer targets this summer and why they are being raved about so much. Even though it's just finished, I can't wait for the Premier League to start up again, and also can't wait for the Euros - we won't win but watching teams like Germany, Spain and the Netherlands will be a joy for all. I hope you enjoy this along with all my other work and spread the word about this website and myself!

5 - Jordan Rhodes
This twenty-two year old is being touted as the next big thing from the lower leagues, being the top-scorer at all levels in English football this year with thirty-six league goals. He was also the first Huddersfield player to score back-to-back hat-tricks since the 1920s, against Exeter then Preston respectively. Teams such as Fulham and Norwich are rumoured to be interested in Rhodes, and I’m sure he can, and will, make the step up.

4 - Luka Modric
Once again, Modric is likely to be linked with numerous over the summer, with Real Madrid already rumoured to be ready to make a bid for the twenty-six year old. He is still a relatively young player, who’s just about to hit his prime, and this may convince teams to bid for him. I’m sure Chelsea will rekindle their interest in Modric, with a rebuilding job on the cards at Stamford Bridge. With Tottenham’s failure to reach the Champions League, his final decision may be swayed by this factor.

3 - Lucas Moura
Anyone who, like myself, plays Football Manager 2012 will know Moura for his five star potential and the fact he’s the best young player on the game. Chelsea have already had a £32.5m bid for him turned down, and I wouldn’t expect Sao Paulo to accept anything less than £40m for this nineteen year old. He has already played fifty-four games for the Brazilian First Division side, and with thirteen goals from the attacking midfield position, and this is sure to attract attention. And eleven caps for the Brazilian first team isn’t bad either.

2 - Mats Hummels
This twenty-three year old centre back has been attracting the attention of Arsenal, and they are keen to join Hummels with his German counterpart Per Mertesacker. Standing tall at 191cm (6ft 2), this monster is very unlikely to be beaten in the air, but also has a bit of pace about him so is unable to be beaten in a straight sprint easily, unlike Mertesacker. Borussia Dortmund’s centre back pairing of Hummels and Neven Subotic meant they only conceded twenty-five goals all season and secured the title and also the DFB-Pokal - the German equivalent of the English FA Cup.

1 - Eden Hazard

This Belgian superstar has wowed Ligue Un these past few years, the twenty-one year old scoring thirty-six goals in one hundred and fourty-seven appearances since 2007 from the left wing. Chelsea, Man United and Man City have all agreed terms with Hazard, and the footballing word will be awaiting his press conference or interview after the England-Belgium game which is when he will declare where he will be playing next year. £35m is considered to be the price they have offered to pay for his services, and it is a certainty that we will see him grace the Premier League next year, which will be a delight!

Follow Callum on twitter: @CJRivett12. You can find more of Callum's work here.

The End of Spurs or a New Beginning?

Tom Moseley explains to The Football Front the cross roads Spurs are at and why it could lead to a better future

Saturday 19th May. Every Spurs fan was a Bayern Munich fan. However after the game, I think most of them would have Dortmund down as their German side. Bayern kept pressuring Chelsea and looked like they had to win, with a total of 44 shots, but it was not to be. The football Gods were on Chelsea’s side, as they somehow managed to survive the relentless Bayern attacks and gain victory on penalties. 

Which therefore meant, no Champions League football for Spurs and another year in the Europa League.

At the start of the season, this wouldn’t have been a disaster for Spurs, as a 5th place finish is more than respectable, however it’s the manner in which it happened. 

Spurs were pushing for the title around December/January time, but they crumbled. And it coincicded with the heavy speculation surrounding Redknapp, regarding his court case and the vacant England job. I’m not saying that’s an excuse, but they only won one in nine games after the Newcastle game, when the speculation was at its peak, leading to a slide down the table and losing a 10-point advantage on their rivals, Arsenal.

This has led to many people saying this could be the end for this era of Spurs players. They will not be able to make the Champions League in the coming years. 

Indeed, missing out on Champions League football could have a big impact on them, with key players like Bale and Modric leaving and I’m sure a couple more players getting picked off, by clubs trying to bolster their clubs for the Champions League. Modric was centre of speculation last year, with Chelsea offering £30M, but Spurs rejected it, but maybe this year, things could be different. He might really want to go, as this could have been a ‘conditional’ year, where he would have stayed if they got Champions League football.

I agree, to a point. They could lose key players, that’s inevitable. The players want to play Champions League football, which you can’t really blame them for. However, I don’t think they’ll completely collapse and turn into mid-table-mediocrity. 

When you think about the players that could leave for Champions League football, Modric, Bale and Van Der Vaart, then not keeping Adebayor permanently due to his high wages. That is four key players, however, they could easily bring in £60M-£70M.

Which brings me onto my view. It’s not the end, it’s a new beginning for Spurs if they lose thse players. I know ‘Arry won’t get all £60M-£70M (if they do sell them) as I’m sure the board would want to keep some, mainly because of the money they lose for not qualifying for the Champions League. But with a  decent transfer budget and sales of players, ‘Arry could easily have £50M to spend and we all know what he’s like in the transfer market. He’s not called a wheeler-dealer for no minor reason. With that amount of money and some decent fringe players, who could have more of a chance now, they could challenge just as well as they did this year.

If you look at the squad now, they still have some good players that don’t play week-in, week-out.  They have players like Defoe, Krancjar, Dos Santos and Sandro. I know they’re not as good as the players they’re losing, but they can still do a good job and are also a good foundation to build a squad.

They are also (reportedly) interested in players like Asamoah from Udinese and Jan Vertonghen from Ajax, which, if they get sign would be great buys. Asamoah isn’t exactly a like-for-like swap for Modric, however, he is a good midfielder and will do well for Spurs, next to Parker.

This is what they need to do, if they want to remain successful. They need to either sign good players from slightly lower Premier League clubs, or go for an-almost Moneyball approach, by buying players from the non-major nations and leagues. They need to focus on the more long term future, instead of the immediate in future, in my opinion. I think they need to take the next season or two as transition seasons and get a new generation of players in, then really go for it in the third season. 

They need to sign players that are hungry and want to prove themselves at the highest level, instead of players who think they belong in the top level and were unwanted at a top club and see Spurs as a step down. I know this does work, look at Van Der Vaart, but it can also be a big gamble, especially as their wages are a lot higher.

It may be biased, as I’m a Wolves fan, but I think two good economical buys for them could be Steven Fletcher and Matt Jarvis, to replace Adebayor and Bale. I’m not saying they’re as good as them, but they’ll do a good job. Jarvis is similar to Bale in the way he’s a simple winger, he doesn’t overcomplicate his game, he gets the ball, runs at defences and crosses it. Then I see Fletcher as a good replacement for Adebayor, as he is a good all-rounded striker. He’s skilful, good touch, can finish and can head. Wolves have said an offer between £8M-£10M will tempt them though, so I’d say £15M would be enough for the pair of them, which, in my opinion, would be great for two consistent players.

They could also take an approach like Newcastle, as Newcastle have found a lot of good value for money players in France and then Cisse in Germany, so looking at these leagues could also be good, as players never seem to be as expensive, in my opinion. I mean Arsenal signed Podolski for £12.9M and Dortmund signed Marco Reus for £10M, so (slightly contraditing to my last point) but not looking at British players could  be the route for them if they want value.

Overall, I think this is a new beginning and generation for Spurs, if the key players do leave. I also think it’s an exciting time to be a Spurs fan, not a sad one. There’s many roads that Spurs could take if players leave, which can leave to some exciting new players. I personally think it’s interesting to see what will happen to Spurs, because of the options that could be open to them. It should be an interesting summer for Spurs, no matter what happens.

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This article was written by Tom Moseley, you can follow him on Twitter: @PlayedOfThePark .Check out his website too: http://playedoffthepark.net/

More of Tom's work can be found here

Five observations from week 4 in the Premier League

1. Man United are still invincible at home – Last season Man United had a home winning ratio of 94%. A sensational record which is shared by Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea title winning side in 2006. It was this fine home record which was the difference last season between Manchester United and their title rivals. The last time United dropped points at Old Trafford was an incredible 11 months ago against West Brom in 2-2 draw. Indeed, the Champions have continued their fine dominance at home. So far this season, at home Man United have played Tottenham and Chelsea, and United have come away with three points on both occasions in a rather emphatic fashion. What will please the United faithful and Sir Alex Ferguson is that they have beaten two very tough opponents with genuine comfort. When weaker opponents come to Old Trafford this season, a continuity of this invincible confidence will continue to be rife amongst the fans.
2. Fernando Torres drought is over – Fernando Torres scores! The £50million man finally gets his first goal of the season. His drought lasted an eye watering 12 hours and 12 minutes. But everyone will agree the goal has been coming. In his last few games, Torres has looked far more settled, more dangerous and more integrated in the Chelsea side. Chelsea’s style under Andre Villas-Boas is a leading factor as to why Torres has looked sharper. Chelsea are passing the ball at a quicker tempo, and Torres is receiving the ball to feet very quickly. This is something the Spaniard thrives on. Against United, Chelsea played slide balls and low diagonal passes to Torres, in return, Torres became more of a threat with every attacking pass. However, Fernando Torres’ miss will never be forgotten. There is no denying it was utterly, utterly woeful. But, a positive for Chelsea is that he did score the harder chance. Without a doubt, he was Chelsea’s leading threat throughout the game. The Fernando Torres of old is potentially just around the corner.
3. Blackburn ‘Kean’ to win –Blackburn surprised everyone by defeating Arsenal. In the first half, Arsenal were the better team, they were comfortable and crucially, they were leading. But in the second half, Blackburn came out incredibly motivated, driven and hungry for the win. Arsenal’s flaws of last season came back onto the surface. Firstly their inability to defend set pieces was re-highlighted on two different occasions. This inevitably lead to a test of Arsenal’s mental strength, which arguably, they failed. Arsenal couldn’t deal with Blackburn’s desire to win. After going a goal down, the Gunners allowed Blackburn to grow in confidence and make the score 4-2. Blackburn’s commitment in the second half was unprecedented. The team defended very solidly and passionately, but once Blackburn won the ball, they looked to pass the ball out wide and start a counter attack. At times, Wenger’s men couldn’t deal with Hoilett and co. Prior to this game, Blackburn hadn’t won a league game. But a strong willed performance proved that if Blackburn play with high intensity and desire, they will pick up number of wins this season. But inconsistency is rife at Ewood Park.
4. Promoted boys show they can fight in a giants world - All three promoted sides bagged impressive wins this weekend. Q.P.R were rampant at Wolves, while Norwich got their first win at Bolton and Swansea scored their first goals in the hammering of West Brom. Norwich result will provide great encouragement to their fans and manager alike. Norwich dropped a few key players such as Grant Holt but they still had enough in their locker to come away with a win. The Canaries continuously probed Bolton and caused them a number of worries. But for Norwich to win their first Premier League game away from home will provide much enthusiasm to everyone connected to the club. QPR were another team who picked up all three points on the road. The Londoners scored twice in two minutes and set the tone of the game. QPR’s attacking quartet of Barton, Taarabt, Wright-Phillips and Boothroyd were very impressive. Their unpredictability, movement and passing was the difference against Wolves. QPR’s attacking players could drive the team up to the top 10 of the Premier League. Swansea finally scored their first league goals and bagged themselves a notable win. Swansea’s attacking nature along with their fluid passing was the distinction between them and West Brom. Swansea’s Joe Allen was instrumental in everything good that the Welsh side created. If Swansea can impose their passing game, they have a great chance in the Premier League.
5. Tottenham will fight till the fourth – Spurs’ sensational hammering of Liverpool proved they are side worthy of competing for the Champions League spots. People often forget, Tottenham have a wonderful side with quality in depth. Against Liverpool, the Spurs bench, had 5 out of 7 subs who were full internationals. This Liverpool side, which are assembled with expensive signings, were blown out of the water by Tottenham. A sterling performance from Luka Modric – who’s passing was the catalyst of everything dangerous about Spurs. While Bale continuously threatened from the flanks. Liverpool could not cope with Tottenham’s attacking play. Upfront, Emmanuel Adebayor and Jermain Defoe constantly questioned Liverpool’s defence. Both have formed a healthy partnership as they offer different yet crucial characteristics to Tottenham. The harsh reality for Liverpool is that they failed to step up to Spurs’ game. This was Liverpool’s chance to prove they had the credentials to break the top four after Arsenal’s defeat this weekend. But a woeful performance marred by two men being sent off demonstrates, Liverpool have a long way to go. But for Tottenham, their strength in depth, and constant attacking threat means that they certainly have the credentials to battle for fourth. But consistency is crucial. Last season inconsistent results meant Tottenham missed out on fourth.
   

Five Statistics from this weekend

1.) Wayne Rooney is the first player in Premier League history to score 9 or more goals in his opening five Premier League games.

2.) Luka Modric against Liverpool passed 109 times and had a completion rate of 89%, he also scored.

3.) Liverpool only had three shots against Tottenham – The lowest in a single Premier League game in nine years.

4.) No player currently in the Premier League has scored more goals against Man United at Old Trafford than Fernando Torres (Three goals)

5.) It took Swansea 374 minutes to score their first Premier League goal.