New Fulham boss Rene Meulensteen insists that he is shocked by Martin Jol’s sacking and that he believes that the club will avoid relegation from the Premier League.
The Dutchman’s reign in West London was brought to an end yesterday afternoon following a terrible start to the season – which was capped by a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of West Ham on Saturday.
The result left the Cottagers in the bottom three with just 10 points from 13 games and the joint worst defensive record in the top tier – 24 goals conceded.
Meulensteen is a recent arrival at Craven Cottage, with the former Manchester United coach having been brought in a matter of weeks ago to assist Jol.
But with the former Tottenham chief having been axed, he has been thrust into the hot seat and is confident that he can help Fulham avoid the drop:
“We know that Martin has been released which is a shame because I didn’t see that coming,” he is quoted by Sky Sports.
“We know what position we are in. It’s a position that Fulham don’t want to be in, the staff don’t want to be in and the players don’t want to be in.
“But this is where we are at and if I am given a responsibility of making sure that I carry out the manager’s job for the foreseeable future then we have to do our utmost to get Fulham back up the table.
“It’s a massive challenge but at the end of the day when you are faced with a challenge like this it comes down to making sure that you get the basic things right.
“You make sure that you stay mentally strong and that the fans are getting behind the team – I think that is one of the most important things.
“That’s where they belong and that’s what we need to do and if investment is needed in whatever area it is then we need to live up to that because otherwise you might be paying a very high price.”
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Can Rene Meulensteen save Fulham? Did Martin Jol deserve to be sacked?
England produced their two best performances of the World Cup qualifying campaign to reach Brazil and suggested they may enjoy a more successful tournament than most fans expect.
Ahead of the double-header against Montenegro and Poland, the Three Lions had only beaten San Marino and Moldova, drawing all four games against the better sides in Group H. They turned on the style when it mattered most to book their World Cup place.
A 4-1 victory over Montenegro assured Roy Hodgson’s side of a play-off place but they were determined to avoid that lottery on Tuesday night. Although it was not comfortable viewing at times, England got the 2-0 win their performance merited.
Attention now turns to the draw on December 6. England look as if they will not be seeded so can expect to be grouped with one of the world’s strongest nations.
Despite a potentially difficult draw, a repeat of their performances in the back-to-back wins should see them progress to the knockout stage.
Hodgson gambled by playing attacking line-ups featuring Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck and Andros Townsend. Those four ensured it paid off, with vibrant displays in both games.
Townsend, who won his first cap against Montenegro, was particularly impressive. His direct running style was a breath of fresh air and caused all kinds of problems. He is one of a number of exciting wingers coming through, players with the ability to hurt the opposition.
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While it would be dangerous for England to adopt the same gung-ho tactics against the top sides next summer, they must play with the same swagger and attacking intent. They are often guilty of going into their shells at major tournaments; hopefully they can take confidence from the way they performed in the crucial double-header.
BetVictor has England at 20/1 to win the World Cup, a reflection of their past performances. Hodgson’s men would need to keep everybody fit to stand a chance. However, they do have the ability to surprise a few people.
Arsenal’s win at Bayern Munich last season was the catalyst for the team’s strong finish in the Premier League, emerging from a final day slug against Tottenham’s effort for the last place in this season’s Champions League.
The win at Bayern and the qualification for Europe which followed gave Arsenal the impetus to sign Mesut Ozil and turn the club’s fortunes and image around. This season, with a higher mountain to climb and greater rewards at stake, Arsene Wenger needs to act in similar fashion to steer Arsenal towards some silverware.
The team are in a difficult place, though far from a dark one. It’s February, and unlike seasons gone by, there hasn’t been any need for serious calls of crisis. The losses to Liverpool and Bayern in recent weeks, coupled with the failure to not only beat but score against Manchester United, helps to tell a story that betrays Arsenal’s true standing at this time. They’re still very much in at least two competitions for silverware.
Last season, Wenger acted to find an attribute in his team that would combat or compensate for the weaknesses elsewhere. Uncharacteristically for the Arsenal manager’s team, it was the defence that offered the strongest foundation to build the late-season surge that saw the club finish fourth in the Premier League.
Wojciech Szczesny was dropped in favour of Lukas Fabianski for the trip to the Allianz Arena this time last year, but it’s often forgotten that Arsenal’s fine defensive display away to Sunderland a month earlier allowed Wenger to identify how Arsenal could achieve what was required of them.
This season, that excellent defensive form has continued. Bar a small handful of poor performances, Arsenal’s centre-back pairing of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny, and of course Szczesny in goal, have been among the very best in English football.
Where Arsenal need something decisive, something different, is in attack, where they’ve become predictable in the midst of a lack of willingness to invest in reinforcements.
Yaya Sanogo has come in during the last two cup games, and against heavyweight opposition in Liverpool and Bayern. Upon Olivier Giroud’s return to the starting XI this weekend against Sunderland, the French striker scored a brace, likely being fuelled by the rest afforded him, but hopefully re-focused by the very real competition provided by Wenger’s potential ace card in Sanogo.
If this is to be the course of action that sees Arsenal to a major trophy this season, then Wenger needs to continue to see it through. In the absence of Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott, Arsenal have been stripped of consistent, big-game firepower. In their absence, Arsenal have remained in the mix, hanging on to the coat tails of Chelsea in the league and now seeing Manchester City as the only remaining major threat in the FA Cup.
If the attack is to produce something different, Lukas Podolski needs a run in the team from the left. He may not be to Wenger’s liking in the way Santi Cazorla is from the left, but the German is a direct player, one who is Arsenal’s most dangerous in front of goal and who can work well with the holdup play of Giroud and the creative talents of Ozil.
Wojciech Szczesny was allowed the time to regroup and put himself back on the right track. Fabianski, previously one of the many scapegoats and names cast aside as totally worthless to Arsenal’s cause, stepped in and played a large part in taking Arsenal to fourth place in the league.
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If this season plays out in a similar way, Sanogo, alongside further help from Podolski, can offer Arsenal and the team’s senior striker that unlikely albeit decisive contribution.
Nobody can disagree that it has been a poor season for Manchester United and it is hard to see a way that it can improve.
David Moyes has taken a fair bit of stick since taking charge but surely the players need to be held accountable as some of them have massively disappointed.
Saying that, Moyes’s tactics have been baffling at times and he seems to play a certain shape and style just to accommodate players who seem to square pegs in round hols.
Here is why we think United need a new man ahead of next season:
Transfer business has been poor
Marouane Fellaini – enough said.
The Belgian defines the term panic buy and after failing to get his main summer transfer targets, Moyes simply dived in with an expensive, bad decision.
Juan Mata arrived in January, again for a lot of money, and he simply wasn’t the sort of player United needed with central midfield and defence the issues.
Tactically inept
Today against Liverpool summed up United under Moyes.
The central area in midfield was open and the wingers were not in the game. You can’t help but feel another manager would have seen that and not simply fielded a certain side based on reputation.
It seems as though the players are either being fed bad information or are simply ignoring what Moyes says.
The fans are starting to turn
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The most important part of a football club are its supporters and when they are not happy, the whole club is worse place to be.
There is no doubt that the fans at Old Trafford welcomed Moyes and have stuck by him, but with a massive rival defeat today coupled with possibly/probably going out of the Champions League in midweek it is starting to turn.
God knows what sort of state the fans will be in after the Manchester derby next week.
Much of the transfer talk surrounding Real Madrid prior to the outset of the World Cup was of the futures of Karim Benzema and Luis Suarez. The need for Los Blancos to satisfy their craving for a big-name signing comes with it a cluster of transfer rumours, and following the ignominy of Suarez’s biting debacle, Florentino Perez’s sights seem to have turned to Colombia’s newest star, James Rodriguez.
The 22-year-old was forced into the limelight this summer when his Monaco teammate, Radamel Falcao, was ruled out of the World Cup this summer after failing to recover from serious damage to his anterior cruciate ligament. He has taken the responsibility in his stride, currently topping the goal scoring chart with five goals to supplement his claim to be the current player of the tournament.
As rumours persist that the Colombian is set for a second big-money move in as many years, once again, it appears as though the business of Real Madrid could be inextricably linked to that of Arsenal. Last time, the deal to bring in Gareth Bale resulted in Mesut Ozil completing a record move to Arsenal. This time, the Gunners are looking to cash-in on Angel Di Maria’s uncertainty.
Madrid have never been ones to pass up an opportunity to sign a star name, even if it involves offloading one of their current stars in order to accommodate. Even after his best campaign yet in the Madrid white, Di Maria appears to be surplus to requirements.
Di Maria capped off an outstanding season with a man-of-the-match display in the Champions League final. He’s one of the more understated heroes of Madrid’s double-winning campaign, and a big player in the fortunes of Argentina’s World Cup success too.
It’s well-documented that Arsene Wenger is on the lookout for more attacking power this summer. Much of the backlash of their collapsed pursuit of the Premier League title focused on the lack of strength in depth in attack. The long-term absence of Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, and Mesut Ozil saw their attacking potency seriously reduced as the season wore on.
Rumours surrounding potential moves for the likes of Julian Draxler and Antoine Griezmann suggest that the Gunners’ boss is keen to add a player of Di Maria’s ilk to Arsenal’s squad. A creative player who has the capacity to fill wide or central positions, who can add pace, trickery, and an eye for goal seems to be the order of the day. Whilst Lukas Podolski deputised admirably towards the end of the season, there seems to be a general consensus that he lacks the requisite quality to have an impact in the big games.
Di Maria’s versatility is another feature of his game which is particularly noteworthy. The shift to a deeper midfield role under Carlo Ancelotti this season was largely forced upon him, but he took it in his stride, combining an incredible work ethic in performing his defensive duties whilst also bursting forwards, initiating attacks from the centre, either through surging runs or cutting through balls.
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As Madrid’s hierarchy seem focused in on the new flavour of the month, the policy of ‘out with the old, in with the new’ persists. Di Maria’s qualities may be deemed old news at Real Madrid, but plenty of clubs will be keen on securing his signature if he is on his way out. If Arsenal fans are looking for a new Ozil, cast your eyes once more over to the Bernabeu, because he may once more be coming from that neck of the woods.
Only a few hours left until the summer transfer window slams shut, and there’s still plenty of business to be done, both good and bad.
It’s a well known fact that most of the business done on Deadline Day is pure gambling by managers desperate to bolster their squad in such little time.
But what are the worst Transfer Deadline Day buys in recent history. There’ve been so many it’d be unfair to keep you away from the final few hours’ of action for so long, so here’s just five of them for you to reminisce while you wait for your club to make an absolutely shocking buy.
Without further delay, let’s begin…
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5. Owen Hargreaves, Free Agent to Manchester City, August 2011
Owen Hargreaves was signed by Manchester City after being released by their rivals Manchester United earlier in the summer. City brought the player in after a thorough medical (which I think included watching the YouTube clip of him running on a treadmill!) and signed him to a one-year contract. The England international only made one Premier League appearance for City before being released on a free at the end of season.
4. Christopher Samba, Anzhi Makhachkala to QPR, January 2013
Described by Harry Redknapp as “a monster”, Christopher Samba was brought to QPR from Anzhi Makhachkala in order to help the side avoid relegation from the Premier League. QPR parted with £12m and gave the centre back a four-and-a-half year contract and £100,000 in wages per week to bring him to London.
He played 10 games straight but the team conceded 19 goals within that time period. Samba was dropped for the final four games and QPR were still relegated. He was sold back to Anzhi for the same fee the following summer. He now plays his football for Dynamo Moscow.
3. Marouane Fellaini, Everton to Manchester United, August 2013
Manchester United agreed a fee with Everton of £27.5m for Marouane Fellaini on last year’s transfer deadline day on a five-year deal. Throughout the summer, United targeted Cesc Fabregas and Thiago Alcantara to strengthen their weak midfield after the retirement of Paul Scholes and with Darren Fletcher still being injured.
The Red Devils could have signed Fellaini for his release clause of £23.5m earlier in the transfer window, £4m less than what they paid for him, but this release clause expired on the 31st July. He struggled to make an impact for United last season after only making 16 appearances and has recently been linked with a move away from Old Trafford.
2. Andy Carroll, Newcastle to Liverpool, January 2011
Liverpool broke the record at the time for the highest amount ever paid by one club to another club for a British player when they purchased Andy Carroll for £35m from Newcastle.
Brought in as part of the scheme to replace Fernando Torres, questions were asked if Carroll would do a decent job as he was yet to play a full season in the Premier League due to injury. Injuries followed him to Liverpool as he didn’t make his debut till March. He only managed to score 11 goals from 58 appearances before being loaned out for a season to West Ham.
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Carroll made a permanent move to West Ham in the summer of 2013 for £15m.
1. Fernando Torres, Liverpool to Chelsea, January 2011
Earlier on the same day as the Andy Carroll transfer, Fernando Torres had moved to Chelsea from Liverpool for a sum of £50m, a British transfer record at the time. Torres has only managed to score 45 goals in 172 appearances in the three-and-a-half years he has been at Chelsea, meaning each one of his goals has cost Chelsea around £1.1m.
His best goal tally in a single Premier League season for Chelsea was eight goals, which is poor when compared to the fact he actually scored nine goals for Liverpool in the half season he was there before his move away.
Torres is now playing his football for AC Milan on loan from Chelsea and in my opinion he has to go down as one of the worst deadline day signings in Premier League history.
As the start of the Premier League season draws closer, clubs will begin to make rash decision over potential transfers in hopes of secure their services before match day. With Arsenal already adding a few reinforcements to their squad, they don’t seem to need any more major signings.
However, with their rivals still active in the window, Arsene Wenger may begin buying just to make sure he has a lot of options available. More players equals more problems with team selection as well as extra unnecessary conflicts for the squad. This is often something that can easily be avoided.
With this in mind, we take a look at SIX panic buys Arsenal should avoid this month.
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Mario Balotelli
Name: Mario Balotelli
Age: 23
Position: Striker
Nationality: Italy
Club: AC Milan
Price: £20 – £25 million
Why they should avoid him?
Although Mario Balotelli is a prominent goal scorer, Arsene Wenger will find it hard to keep a lid on his outbursts that have affected his game in the past. A return to England can actually bring out the worst in him since he and the English media aren’t really a fan of one another. Wenger doesn’t seem to be the type of manager who can keep a firm eye on the 23-year-old.
Marco Reus
Name: Marco Reus
Age: 25
Position: Winger
Nationality: Germany
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Price: £40 – £45 million
Why they should avoid him?
To spend upwards of £40 million on a player that has just returned from a serious injury could be a huge risk. Arsene Wenger shouldn’t assume that Marco Reus will return to his top form right away and give him some time before reconsidering another move. In addition to that, Arsenal doesn’t need another winger who will just clog up their midfield while they bid for a regular berth.
Angel Di Maria
Name: Angel Di Maria
Age: 26
Position: Winger
Nationality: Argentina
Club: Real Madrid
Price: £40 – £45 million
Why they should avoid him?
Much like for Marco Reus, the signing of Angel Di Maria will cause nothing but problems in the Arsenal dressing room. As it is, the return of Theo Walcott will mean another regular player may be forced to return to the bench again. Arsene Wenger may also not want to make a second big money signing after recently splashing on new arrival Alexis Sanchez.
Daniel Agger
Name: Daniel Agger
Age: 29
Position: Centre-back
Nationality: Denmark
Club: Liverpool
Price: £10 – £15 million
Why they should avoid him?
Daniel Agger is very injury-prone despite his hard man defensive styles. In addition, he is a frustrated individual at Liverpool for not getting enough playing time, so a move to Arsenal won’t do any good for him in regards to keeping a first team place. Although Arsene Wenger needs another centre-back, Agger might not be the most ideal candidate, both due to his high expectations and price.
Douglas Costa
Name: Douglas Costa
Age: 23
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Position: Winger
Nationality: Brazil
Club: Shakhtar Donetsk
Price: £10 – £15 million
Why they should avoid him?
Douglas Costa is another wide player that has been linked with a move to Arsenal, but may not actually be someone they need. He is most effective as a right forward, a position that will have already been filled with the arrival of Alexis Sanchez. Without any football experience in some of Europe’s biggest league, a move to the Emirates will certainly be seen as a risk Arsene Wenger may not need to take.
Nani
Name: Nani
Age: 27
Position: Winger
Nationality: Portugal
Club: Manchester United
Price: £10 – £15 million
Why they should avoid him?
First off, signing a player from a direct rival which just cause a media storm, so a move for Nani from Manchester United has a lot more negatives that positives. His speed and dribbling abilities down the flanks is a great asset, but Arsenal already have a number of players with the exact same attributes. We have also seen a huge decline in form from him and could find it very hard to fit into the Gunners midfield.
Former Manchester United defender John O’Shea is sure that his former club will achieve their aim of a top four finish this season despite their shaky rearguard.
While the Red Devils invested heavily in their attack over the summer, Louis van Gaal opted against addressing the losses of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.
And with a series of injuries having hit more experienced players including Jonny Evans and Phil Jones, the Dutchman has been forced to use rookie starlets such as Paddy McNair and Tyler Blackett.
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As a result United have leaked 10 goals in seven games – including five away to newly-promoted Leicester City – which is the highest total in the current top six and level with top tier newbies Burnley.
Yet O’Shea – who netted a dramatic goal against Germany for the Republic of Ireland earlier this week is sure his old side will achieve their aims for the campaign:
“No I don’t think so.” He said when asked by talkSPORT if United’s defence will affect their ambitions.
“I think they’ve just been very unfortunate with injures, and consistency for a back-four is very important.
“If Jonny Evans stays fit he’ll be crucial for them, he’s a very good player, he talks and organises the defence.
“If they’re chopping and changing, with Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and the new signings as well, they can’t get a run of games together, and consistency is the key for any team aiming for the top-four.
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“A lot of people have been talking about the team’s experience as well, and with losing Rio [Ferdinand], Vida [Nemanja Vidic] and Patrice [Evra] it was always going to be tough for them this season.
“But it isn’t a question of personnel, I think they have the players there to get to the top four, without a doubt, so once they get their defence sorted I sure they’ll be fine.”
Things are starting to look up for Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool after a month from hell in which they lost four games in a row. Last weekend’s narrow victory over Stoke City, though unconvincing, at least stopped the rot and secured a rare clean sheet for the Reds, and Tuesday night’s triumph at Leicester saw them record back-to-back wins for only the second time this season.
It is crucial that the Anfield outfit push on and attempt to put together a good run, as they are already playing catch-up with Manchester United for fourth spot. Champions League qualification is surely the bare minimum requirement for a team that came so close to lifting the title last year, and with a relatively kind fixture against Sunderland up next, Rodgers will be hoping to put the misery of November behind him and make it three wins in three before a crunch tie with United later on in the month.
However, while Liverpool were indeed fully deserved winners against Leicester in midweek and will rightly feel that confidence is seeping back into the side, there is also an argument to be made that the victory has done nothing but paper over some pretty gaping cracks that have been running through Rodgers’ team for quite a while.
For instance, the Reds’ defensive shortcomings – their most worrying and prevalent weakness this season – were once again laid bare as a terrible misjudged pass by Simon Mignolet almost gifted the Foxes an early lead in the first half. The Belgian goalkeeper has come under intense criticism recently for his lack of assuredness between the sticks and his tendency to make errors, with many – including former Reds shot-stopper Bruce Grobelaar – coming to the conclusion that he is simply not good enough to play for Liverpool. Mignolet’s performance at the King Power Stadium will have done nothing to change the minds of his detractors.
Leicester took the lead soon after Mignolet’s gaffe, and while the 26 year-old was not to blame for the goal, the ease with which the Premier League’s bottom side – who had scored just four goals in eight games going into the match – succeeded in penetrating the Liverpool defence surely does not bode well for the Reds with regard to the rest of the campaign. Even when the Foxes were reduced to ten men, they still caused significant problems to the away side’s backline, and in fact looked more likely to grab an equaliser until Jordan Henderson killed the game off.
There are also clear deficiencies to be found in attack. Without Daniel Sturridge, Liverpool simply do not have a striker who they can rely on to score goals on a regular basis. Mario Balotelli seems more preoccupied with kicking up a storm on social media than with kicking the ball into the net, while for all his industry and endeavour, Rickie Lambert will never be a prolific goalscorer for the Reds. The England international worked hard against Leicester and was influential insofar as he got Wes Morgan sent off; while watching the game, however, one could not help but think that Liverpool looked short on pace, penetration, and most importantly, goalscoring threat with Lambert deployed as a lone centre forward. Given that the success of Rodgers’ system last season was so dependent on the nimbleness of Sturridge and his ability to run in behind defenders, his return from injury cannot come soon enough.
It may be slightly pessimistic to highlight the weaknesses of Liverpool’s performance in what was still a deserved victory, yet it is much better to address these issues immediately than to wait until the Reds succumb to another slump in form before bringing them up. Luckily for Brendan Rodgers, the January transfer window is fast approaching; a few inspired signings – especially in defence – could ultimately save his season.
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Spain may have let their grip on the international scene slip during the summer, but home to both the reigning Europa League and Champions League title holders, there’s no questioning the quality on display in La Liga.
Indeed, it’s a division that churns out talent after talent from their exceptionally well-run youth systems, many of which eventually make it to the Premier League.
Liverpool have been linked with plenty since the summer, so now that the January window is finally upon us, we could see a few La Liga stars making their anticipated moves to Merseyside this month.
So if you want to impress your Reds-supporting mates with some transfer knowledge, be sure to check out the FIVE Football Fancast have picked as the most likely to turn up at Anfield this transfer window.
MARTIN MONTOYA
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Liverpool were strongly linked with Barcelona’s Martin Montoya ahead of the last January transfer window, but his move to Merseyside failed to materialise. Now that the young full-back has revealed his desire to leave the Nou Camp however, his agent claiming a ‘100%’ commitment to finding a new club this month, the timing is right for the Anfield outfit to make good on their long-term interest.
The 23 year-old emerged as a regular in Barcelona’s first team squad during the 2012/13 campaign, bursting onto the La Liga scene with a stunning long-range strike against Malaga – a huge testament to his quality on the ball.
Prior and since, he’s amassed 59 appearances for the Catalans across all competitions, but Montoya remains stuck behind right back veteran Dani Alves in the pecking order and now appears to have lost his patience with the La Liga giants.
Capable of playing on either defensive flank, tough-tackling, speedy and blessed with all the technical and creative talent you’d expect from a La Masia product, it’s no surprise the former Spain U21’s availability has also attracted interest from Arsenal and Juventus, to name a few.
Liverpool lack a long-term option at No.2 however, with Glen Johnson’s contract up and the end of the season and Javier Manquillo at Anfield only on a two-year loan, and for that reason alone will be more keen than most to land Montoya this January.
Having extended his contract in March until 2018 however, The Express claim Barcelona value the Spanish prospect at a rather costly £16million.
ALVARO ARBELOA
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Another La Liga full-back alleged to be on the Anfield radar this month is former Liverpool defender Alvaro Arbeloa.
The 31 year-old made 98 appearances for the Reds before heading to Real Madrid in 2009, since winning La Liga and Champions League titles with Los Blancos, in addition to two European Championships and the 2010 World Cup with the Spanish national team.
He certainly won’t be remembered in the annals of right-back history as one of the all-time greats, but Arbeloa’s quality, experience and consistency at top level remains undoubted; he’s featured in the majority of the beautiful game’s biggest occasions.
Having slumped down the pecking order at the Bernabeu following the re-arrival of Dani Carvajal in January 2013 however, managing just four starts in La Liga this term, and now entering the final 18 months of his contract, it’s believed the Spain international is seeking pastures new this January.
Arsenal and Chelsea have both been linked, but The Express claim Arbeloa will reject both in favour of a return to Merseyside.
KIKO CASILLA
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Brendan Rodgers’ desire to improve Liverpool’s options between the sticks is no great secret, with the Anfield gaffer recently dropping Reds No.1 Simon Mignolet for an ‘indefinite period’ after a string of costly individual errors.
One of the names believed to be in the mix is Espanyol shot-stopper Kiko Casilla, strongly linked with an Anfield switch back in October, whose heroics over the last 18 months have secured the role of third-choice in Vincente del Bosque’s Spain squad.
Only one goalkeeper, Elche’s Xabi Irureta, has made more saves than the 27 year-old’s 59 in La Liga this season, and with Espanyol’s financial problems well-known, Casilla’s availability this month is undoubted, having admitted earlier in the campaign that he could be sold to raise funds.
The Metro believe Espanyol could sell for around £8million but the Spain international is by no means the only goalkeeper linked with a Reds move this January.
DANI PAREJO
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Following the Liverpool skipper’s revelations earlier this month, the issue of finding a long-term skipper to Steven Gerrard is now more important than ever on Merseyside.
Valencia playmaker Dani Parejo has been linked with a Liverpool move before, and although he’s hardly a reincarnation of the England international in terms of physique, quality and style, he would add something a little different to the Reds’ midfield, making him an interesting partner for the industrious Jordan Henderson.
Indeed, 25 year-old is rather wiry and slight compared to your average Premier League midfielder, but he’s a fantastic technician with great vision and a consistent contribution in front of goal, claiming nine goals and ten assists in 62 appearances over the last two-and-a-half campaigns.
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This has arguably been Parejo’s best season yet for the Mestalla outfit, netting four in 15 whilst averaging 2.9 tackles, 1.1 successful dribbles and 1.2 shots per match and donning the captain’s armband.
He’s was valued at £20million by the Express in the summer however, and with Valencia currently just a point off a Champions League spot in La Liga, Liverpool will struggle to convince the Mestalla outfit to sell their skipper mid-season.
Luciano Vietto
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The absence of a dependable goalscorer at Anfield this season has reportedly lead to Brendan Rodgers’ interest in Villarreal prodigy Luciano Vietto, dubbed ‘the next Sergio Aguero’, according to Mirror Football.
The 21 year-old left Argentine side Racing Club this summer with a promising return of 18 goals in 69 league appearances and has since bagged eight in his first 16 La Liga outings, in addition to amassing three goals and two assists in the Europa League.
Much like the Manchester City star, the Argentina U20 is a mobile, versatile and energetic striker, capable of playing in any position across the forward line and blending potency with industriousness.
He’s not an immediate answer to Liverpool’s profligacy in front of goal, but certainly seems like a wise long-term investment, having already impressed in the Argentine and Spanish top flights.
Mirror Football also claim the striker is valued at £12million, which should be within Liverpool’s financial reach this month, but whether Villarreal would be prepared to cash-in on their hottest prospect after just six months remains to be seen.