Manchester City lifted the Premier League trophy amid jubilant scenes despite Huddersfield gaining a vital point in their battle to avoid relegation with a goalless draw at Etihad Stadium.
Sunday’s fixture was a dead rubber from a City perspective, but they finally got their hands on the Premier League trophy after the game.
In truth, City had a firm grip on the title by Christmas and were officially confirmed champions after Manchester United lost to West Brom.
No one could get near the blue half of Manchester this year as City brushed aside the competition with consummate ease.
This is the third time City have won the league, after winning their first title in 2011-12 season. That season was much closer, with a last-minute Sergio Ageuro goal handing City the title on goal difference.
With two games left City could reach 100 points, and here’s how City fans reacted on Twitter…
In disappointing news for Arsenal fans, it appears rumoured summer target Edinson Cavani is on the verge of joining Champions League finalists Juventus – as The Daily Mail reported last week.
The Uruguay international boasts a healthy return of 53 goals in 92 appearances for current club PSG, following on from his sensational haul of 104 goals in 138 outings for former side Napoli.
But his future has been shrouded in doubt this season, having made public his frustrations at playing on the wing to accommodate enigmatic front-man Zlatan Ibrahimovic up top, and the situation was further amplified by a touchline bust-up with manager Laurent Blanc last month.
Arsenal and Manchester United were both considered to be amongst the likeliest candidates for his signature – with the Premier League duo reportedly keen to bolster their forward casts in the coming window – but recent speculation suggests the 28 year-old will be moving to Turin.
But fear not Gunners fans, for Football Fancast is here to help. Using our god-given powers of transfer know-how, we’ve listed FIVE alternative strikers Arsenal could turn to this summer.
ANDRE PIERRE GIGNAC
A bargain suggestion ahead of a list of otherwise ridiculously expensive stars, Andre Pierre Gignac might not belong in the top bracket of European front-men but he will be available on a free transfer this summer.
And the 29 year-old has been in fantastic form over the last three seasons, bagging 62 goals and eight assists in his last 118 appearances for L’OM, including twenty strikes in Ligue 1 this term – firing Marseille to fourth in the French table.
He boasts a powerful 6 foot 2 frame and is renowned for his ability in the air – in a similar mould to Olivier Gioud, albeit without the habitual deft touches and quick one-twos.
As aforementioned, he’ll be leaving the Stade Velodrome outfit on a free transfer at the end of the season. There’s already quite the queue for his signature, however, with Fiorentina, Newcastle, Southampton, Tottenham and West Ham reportedly courting the France international.
ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE
Boasting 27 goals in 32 Ligue 1 appearances for Lyon this season, only Ballon d’Or duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have scored more league goals than Alexandre Lacazette throughout Europe’s five leading top flights.
Following an impressive 22-goal haul last term, that prolific total has lead to plenty of interest in the France international according to the tabloids, with The Express mooting Liverpool and Manchester United as potential suitors.
The 23 year-old’s lightening pace will serve him well in the Premier League and particularly for an Arsenal side blessed with copious through ball magicians – namely Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla.
The prodigious poacher, who has also proved an effective force on the wing for Lyon in prior campaigns, has recently revealed he’ll ‘think about his future’ at the end of the season. But Lacazette will be keen to ensure first team football ahead of Euro 2016.
Paulo Dybala
A scintillating return of 13 goals and ten assists in 33 Serie A appearances this term has seen Paulo Dybala emerge as one of Europe’s most sought-after strikers ahead of the summer transfer window.
Indeed, the 21 year-old’s stunning displays for Palermo have earned him comparisons with Sergio Aguero, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to name but a few.
He certainly shares the latter’s tenacity, drive and potency on the break, with many of his goals spawned from mazy counter-attacking runs and a prolific partnership with countryman Franco Vazquez.
Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has made no secret of his desire to cash in on the young Argentine, claiming Juventus, Arsenal, Barcelona, Manchester City, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are all fighting over his services – as reported by ESPN.
But with the Old Lady believed to be in talks with the promising forward already, the Gunners will have to act quickly to prevent a £23million move to Turin.
CHRISTIAN BENTEKE
Just when Christian Benteke appeared on the verge of plunging into the realms of mediocrity, he’s re-emerged as one of the most formidable target men the Premier League has to offer.
The Belgium international been on fire since Tim Sherwood took Aston Villa’s managerial reins from Paul Lambert in February, bagging eleven goals in his last ten appearances in all competitions to bring his Villains total to 48 goals in 97 appearances.
Powerful, tall, aggressive and blessed with an imperious leap, the 23 year-old would be perfect for Arsenal’s customary lone striking role – and he’s probably the most likeminded suggestion to Edinson Cavani on this list.
Sherwood has admitted Benteke could force a move away from Villa Park this summer, leading the tabloids to value him at around £30million.
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But if there’s one lingering concern, it’s that the 6 foot 3 front man will struggle to adapt to Arsenal’s technically-demanding style of play.
GONZALO HIGUAIN
An old transfer flame certainly worth rekindling, Arsenal came close to signing Gonzalo Higuain from Real Madrid in summer 2013, before a lengthy dispute over his price-tag inevitably stood in the way.
The 27 year-old boasts an impressive career return of 212 goals in 447 appearances throughout his prolific spells with River Plate, Real Madrid, Napoli and the Argentina national team.
But he’s also a smart link-up player who’s equally threatening when playing out wide, perhaps epitomised best by his impressive haul of eleven assists for Albiceleste and 15 during his last two Serie A campaigns.
Napoli’s elimination from the Europa League yesterday evening suggests they’ll fail to qualify for next term’s Champions League tournament, with the Naples outfit currently three points (and twelve goals) off third place in Serie A – which the tabloids believe could force Higuain into jumping ship this summer.
The Metro claim he could be available for around £29million – an absolute bargain for such an established goal-scorer.
It’s a transfer story that comes from way out in left field – and yet one that makes complete sense. Tottenham are looking to sign Barcelona’s Sergi Roberto ahead of what many thought would be the player’s permanent promotion from Barcelona B.
The reports linking Spurs with the midfielder seem to emanate from the player’s unhappiness at a lack of first-team football. For Tottenham, it could be an incredible coup if brought in for the right price.
The first question about this story is how much truth there is to it. It’s not so much that Spurs wouldn’t look to sign a player as talented as Sergi Roberto, but rather why Barcelona would look to let him go. Incidentally, players like Sergi Roberto and Thiago were seen as the long-term staples of the Barcelona squad. It’s not to suggest he will be Xavi or Andres Iniesta’s replacement, but he is good enough to be a regular in the Barcelona team in the future. Yet like a number of stars at the Camp Nou, the Barcelona B midfielder looks set to be caught up in a whirlwind of speculation heading into this summer.
For Tottenham, they would be addressing the need for a midfield creator over the long term. It’s not to say Sergi Roberto couldn’t make a good number of appearances in the Premier League next season for Spurs, but he is still a little way out from becoming a top team’s focal point in midfield.
It’s worth looking at how easy the player looked to slip into Barcelona’s midfield during his call ups, especially in their Copa del Rey clash with Cordoba. He linked up well with the other midfielders and looked like a typical La Masia product, complete with technical flair and intelligence. It has long been thought that this would be a player to command a place in the Barcelona first-team squad as of next season, with cameos in the cup competition preparing him for that step up.
One likely scenario – and one that Barcelona have exercised with many of their sales in recent seasons – is the one which sees Sergi Roberto move to Tottenham with a buy-back clause inserted into his sale. Probably the most pointless transfer for Tottenham then, as even with his current talent, he is still very much a player for the future. It will take a matter of adapting to English football (remember, he hasn’t had a run of games in La Liga yet) and then once he’s about to hit his stride, Barcelona step in and take him back to Spain.
That’s the difficulty in working with Barcelona and trying to pick up some of their younger talents, even those who are unlikely to see a lot of first-team minutes in the coming season. Sergi Roberto is unlikely to go the same route as Oriol Romeu if he arrives in England, with Tottenham much more likely offer him the surroundings to develop as a player. What you’re likely to see from the player is a very good dribbler of the ball and one who is far more likely to start attacks from a deep midfield position. He is unlikely to ever become a midfielder who reaches double figures for scoring, but his ability to create goals for others is where his strengths lie.
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To reiterate, this is not the next Xavi or Iniesta, although he does possess traits of both of those midfielders in his game. It would also be a transfer worth overlooking if Tottenham are just being used to develop the player to the sole benefit of Barcelona. However, should the Catalans have a clean release from the player (something which I doubt will take place at this stage), Tottenham could be picking an exceptional talent. The midfield won’t be addressed immediately with this signing, but Sergi Roberto has the talent to become one of Tottenham’s most important players in a few short years.
Left-footed centre-halves are something of a rare breed. In fact, left-footed players are in general – which is why most find themselves utilised further forward in more advanced positions rather than the heart of the defence, or at the very least left-back – roles where having a natural left-footer is pretty much essential.
But in terms of balance to the team, having a left-footed centre-half can be a huge advantage, especially amid an era in which defenders are encouraged to play out of the back with greater bravery and purpose than ever before, and even more so amid an era in which possession – for most top teams, at least – has become the aim of the game.
And thus, there’s a curious question to answer here; who is currently the best left-footed centre-half in the world? A centre-back who not only fulfils his defensive duties to an imperious degree indiscriminate to a right footer, but also gives his side that extra dose of balance and quality in possession? Perhaps there’s a Premier League bias here, but Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen is a pretty strong candidate.
That’s in part due to the nature of defender the Belgium international has become during his time in north London. When he arrived, his ball-playing qualities were so impressive that there were calls for the former Ajax man to be deployed in central midfield. While Vertonghen’s maintained that ability though, he’s also changed his game to meet the demands of the Premier League, something that’s become particularly prevalent this season without Toby Alderweireld alongside him.
Rather than simply the tidy partner alongside a bullish, archetypal centre-back, Vertonghen can be the dominant one as well – challenging powerful strikers in the air, jostling with them on the ground and weighing in with shin-shattering tackles. That combination of Vertonghen’s impressive Ajax pedigree and the embracing of the physicality of English football has rightly earned him a place in this season’s PFA Team of the Year.
And the competition for being the best left-footed centre-back in the world, at this moment in time, isn’t exactly convincing. Vertonghen met a formidable rival in this season’s Champions League quarter-final with Juventus, Giorgio Chiellini, who produced one of his typical warrior-like displays against Spurs at Wembley.
But Chiellini’s coming to the end of his heyday, celebrating his 34th birthday in August, and probably isn’t quite as dominant as he was a few years ago when some tipped him as the best centre-half in the world.
After that, the strongest argument on the side of other left-footed centre-halves in contention for the crown of the world’s best is youthfulness and longevity. That’s perhaps best epitomised by the only other truly strong candidate, Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti.
Powerful, quick and capable in possession, he’s got a bit of everything. But his form has divided opinion since moving to the Nou Camp, and the 24-year-old was culpable for Portugal’s late winner against France in the Euro 2016 final – backing off Eder to allow the one-time Swansea forward enough space to sneak a short at goal.
He’s developed since then, but if Chiellini’s a declining great then Umtiti is still merely one in the making. Vertonghen, after celebrating his 31st birthday earlier this week, strikes a happy medium in between.
Statistically too, when compared to the most revered left-footed centre-backs from Europe’s top five leagues this season, Vertonghen stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Admittedly, the numbers never paint the full picture of what happens on the pitch and in the interests of balance, there are some talented players missing from our comparison; Alessio Romagnoli often impressed for AC Milan and has been strongly linked with several Premier League clubs, Manchester City have just spent £57million on Aymeric Laporte and Inigo Martinez has built a solid reputation for himself in La Liga.
Yet none of those are established and proven top-class players in the same way as Vertonghen, and the Tottenham defender’s returns this season speak for themselves. From the seven performance categories we’ve looked at, he ranks first for per match averages in four of them, second in one and third in another. In fact, the only category where he hasn’t excelled this season is blocks per game.
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And the two categories where Vertonghen has shone brightest once again allude to the idea of left-footed centre-halves combining defensive ability with quality in possession.
His return for dribbles per game and forward passes highlight how the 99-cap international has built so many attacks for Spurs this season, often winning the ball back through a tackle or interception before putting his side on the front foot with the right pass. Chiellini and Umtiti are both fantastic defenders, but neither have proved capable of that with quite the same consistency that Vertonghen has shown this season.
So, is Vertonghen – who Transfermarkt value at £28.8million – the best left-footed centre-back in the world? Let us know by voting below…
Manchester United have been linked with Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels for so long there’s now enough tabloid reports on the saga to write a 300 page novel.
Not a particularly exciting one mind you. The majority of the chapters would be titled either ‘Man United to bid for Hummels’ or “Hummels contemplates Old Trafford move’.
Indeed, the press have exhausted every word in the dictionary twice-over whilst attempting to keep us updated on all things Hummels-to-United related, to such an extent you might be forgiven for thinking the long-anticipated move to Carrington will never happen at all – especially after the 26 year-old’s promotion to Dortmund captain at the start of the season.
But now ending a campaign in which the Black-Yellows have spent most of their time flirting with relegation from the Bundesliga, all-but-mathematically confirming they won’t be in next year’s Champions League tournament, if Hummels is to ever leave the Black-Yellows, it will almost certainly be this summer.
So with that in mind and Louis van Gaal’s interest in the domineering centre-half well known, here’s FIVE reasons the Red Devils must sign the Dortmund star in the coming transfer window.
HE CLEARLY WANTS TO MOVE TO UNITED
Whilst most tabloid rumours regarding Manchester United targets remain ever-shrouded in speculation, Mats Hummels has made it incredibly obvious that he’s interested in a move to Old Trafford this summer.
This week, we’ve not only received news that the Germany international is undecided on his Borussia Dortmund future, but furthermore that he once promised Sir Alex Ferguson that if he’d ever move abroad, it would indeed be to Manchester United.
Price-tag remains another issue, but the 26 year-old’s interest in a Red Devils switch this summer is patently obvious.
UNITED NEED SOMEONE WHO CAN PLAY OUT OF DEFENCE
Phil Jones’ lack of technical quality was evident enough during England’s 1-1 draw with Italy on Tuesday night, as the centre-back struggled to find any sort of rhythm or range as the Three Lions’ deepest lying midfielder.
Chris Smalling isn’t particularly snazzy with his feet either – in fact, quite the opposite – and the same can be said for Johnny Evans, which is one of the reasons Louis van Gaal’s 3-5-2 system never quite paid off. The centre-backs would shuffle the ball aimlessly between themselves, lacking the quality and vision to get it forward.
Hummels, on the other hand, is famed for his Franz-Beckenbauer-eqsue, ball-playing qualities. The 26 year-old often instigates or joins attacks from deep positions, last term averaging an impressive 1.22 successful dribbles and 0.6 chances created per match.
His ability to drive from defence will bring a whole new element to United’s build-up play – and potentially give LVG’s 3-5-2 a new lease of life.
A STATEMENT OF INTENT
Nobody doubts Manchester United’s ambitions to become the Premier League powerhouse of yesteryear once again, but signing Mats Hummels this summer would constitute an enormous statement of intent on that front.
Big signings, such as the Germany international, can often bring a lift to the whole club, galvanising the fans and commanding a higher level of performance from the rest of the squad.
Although the Dortmund star may come with a rather sizable price-tag, it’ll be worth every penny if ‘the Hummels effect’ quickly leads the Red Devils to their Premier League first title since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
HE’S A DEFENSIVE LEADER
In my opinion, what Manchester United lack most is a defensive leader – a commanding yet calm presence amongst their back six.
Michael Carrick is well experienced but has never been the most convicted of characters, whilst Phil Jones, although infectious in his enthusiasm, is still only 23 years of age and some way from maturing into a flawless, all-anticipating centre-half.
In contrast, Hummels has played in World Cup and Champions League finals and served as Dortmund skipper for the last season.
His quality, experience and leadership would not only improve United’s backline, but their ability to defend as a well-organised, cohesive unit.
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MANCHESTER UNITED WON’T DO BETTER
Despite all of the aforementioned points, this isn’t simply a case of Hummels particularly suiting the Red Devils (although he unquestionably does).
The fact of the matter is that United need another centre-half and he’s easily amongst the best in world football.
That combination of aerial dominance, technical flair and committed defending has seen the 26 year-old claim back-to-back Bundesliga titles with Dortmund, a World Cup title with Germany last summer, consecutive spots in the illustrious ESM Team of the Year for 2011 and 2012 and a place in FIFA’s 2014 Dream Team.
There aren’t too many in Hummels’ class at the minute. Perhaps the likes of Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos, PSG talisman Thiago Silva or Giorgio Chiellini of Juventus, but none are particularly likely to leave their respective clubs any time soon.
In comparison, Hummels is almost certainly ready to try a new challenge next season.
Manchester United midfielder is set to be shown the Old Trafford exit this summer, according to the Daily Mail.
The Brazilian has fallen down the pecking order at the club after problems with both form and fitness.
Anderson’s lack of first team action at Manchester United has also had an effect on the midfielders International career, having been overlooked for Brazil’s upcoming friendly fixtures against Italy and Russia.
Meaning that Anderson may have to look for first team football elsewhere if he is keen on becoming a regular for his Country, something that Alex Ferguson looks set to agree on.
Nani, who joined at the same time as Anderson, also looks set for a move away from Old Trafford, according to the Daily Mirror.
The Portuguese winger is still yet to sign a contract extension with the club, and with his current deal ending in 2014, Sir Alex Ferguson may be forced into sanctioning the sale of the flamboyant midfielder, as United won’t want to let the contract rebel leave on a free transfer.
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Whatever happens there looks to be a busy summer of transfers coming up at Old Trafford, with goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard also set to be on his way out of the club.
Manchester United produced a performance of spirit and endeavour to drag themselves back from 2-0 behind against Manchester City and deny their bitter rivals a rare opportunity to win the Premier League title there and then at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening.
Jose Mourinho’s men looked set to play the role of clowns after 45 minutes but recovered to give their travelling fans a result to remember.
One man who wasn’t present in the squad as United finally showed some backbone was Marouane Fellaini. The Belgian – valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt – will see his contract run out at the end of the season and one journalist moved to say that his absence from the 18 means he is closer to the exit door at Old Trafford than ever before.
The former Everton midfielder has been a divisive figure since his arrival at Old Trafford in 2013 and we’ve taken a closer look at the reaction from some happy United fans…
“Forget about Mario Balotelli. He is an absolute waste of time. He shouldn’t be anywhere near this team.”
Ouch! Everyone’s favourite football pundit Mark Lawrenson didn’t hold back on his Mario Balotelli verdict yesterday as the Reds were forced to an FA Cup quarter-final replay by Blackburn. The Championship side were resolute in the way they defended at Anfield and held on to take the tie back to Ewood Park, even though they were penned in for large chunks of the 90 minutes. Balotelli did not start the game, which has been the norm this season on Merseyside, but even though he had just over 30 minutes to make an impact, it was another lifeless showing from the 24-year-old.
‘Lawro’s’ views reflect those of many Liverpool supporters, whose optimism at the start of the season as the Italian arrived has proven to be unfounded, but we think that Brendan Rodgers could do better than to listen to the former Liverpool defender. Here are FIVE reasons the Balotelli gamble may yet end with reward…
Okay, just four goals in the red shirt is far from ideal, but Balotelli’s efforts have all been big ones for Liverpool. The quartet of strikes have come late in games to secure victories against Ludogorets and Besiktas in the Champions League and Europa League respectively, Swansea in the League Cup and, perhaps the most important of all, Spurs in the Premier League. The last of the mentioned four may prove to be one of the club’s most vital efforts of the campaign should they finish ahead of Tottenham and leap back into the top four, with the money from qualification and TV rights for Europe’s top competition alone enough to pay the fee it took to lure him from AC Milan.
Still just 24
Even though he’s won the Premier League title with Manchester City and represented both Milan clubs in the biggest competitions around, Balotelli is still just 24. With his youth very much still there, it’s understandable that Mario will be struggling to find his footballing identity a little, and many footballers have shown In the past that the journey to the top is not always started with a stunning breakthrough.
Undoubted talent
Balotelli must have some talent. You don’t play for Italy at senior level, work under bosses such as Roberto Mancini and Jose Mourinho or bridge the gap between the two Milan sides unless you have something about you. Mario has, of course, done all the above, providing flashes of sheer magnificence along the way. Who remembers his goals against Manchester United? His assist for Sergio Aguero’s Premier League-winning moment? His long-range wonder-strike against Bologna?
Proven record
Wherever he has been, Balotelli has scored goals. He’s notched over double figures in a single league campaigns for Inter, Man City and Milan, while also finding the back of the net in European and cup tournaments. Over his career, Italy included, Balotelli averages a goal every two/three games, which is a return that many forwards would be proud of at his age.
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Not a bad option from the bench
Although paying £16m for a bench player is far from ideal, Balotelli is pretty good option for Brendan Rodgers to have. Last season as the Northern Irishman guided his team to within a whisker of the Premier League title, he had limited options to call on outside his best XI, with Iago Aspas – now shipped out on loan to Sevilla – the only orthodox alternative to Luis Suarez of Daniel Sturridge. However you may feel about Balotelli, he’s a better player than Aspas!
Brede Hangeland’s agent has confirmed that a number of clubs are interested in the Fulham centre-back.
The Norwegian is out of contract at the end of the season, and was the subject of speculation regarding a move to QPR during January.
Although reports have circulated in recent weeks that he could renew his deal at Craven Cottage, no official agreements have been announced, leaving the 31-year-old’s future up in the air.
This lack of certainty has led to rumours that he could move on this summer, and his agent, Rune Hauge, has revealed that a number of European sides are interested in Hangeland:
“There have been some enquiries about what is going on.” He is quoted by Sky Sports.
“That includes top clubs, but no offers. We do not have permission to negotiate with other English clubs yet.”
Hague went on to confirm that discussions with Fulham are ongoing, but that the longer they take the less likely it is that the Scandinavian will stay with the Cottagers:
“We are still negotiating.” Hauge told the Norwegian media.
“But the longer it takes to reach an agreement, the chance that he will stay is decreasing.
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“At the same time, Brede is happy at Fulham and the club is happy with him. We will see in one or three months.”
If Hangeland leaves it will be a big blow to the club, with the commanding centre-back a fans’ favourite in west London.
For all of Southampton’s problems this season, the complexion of their campaign could look completely different right now had Charlie Austin not been sidelined with injury for the last three months.
After all, the English centre-forward – who Transfermarkt value at £10.8million – is still Saints’ top scorer this term with six goals, which only highlights how desperately they’ve struggled to find the net and how important a figure Austin is within the team.
It has been suggested Austin should be available this weekend for a huge clash with West Ham that could well go on to decide the fate of either club, with both currently either side of the Premier League drop line.
But the real question for Southampton is whether they should risk an incredibly injury-prone player from the start, knowing another injury could well end his season, or hold their nerve and unleash the 28-year-old from bench.
How would you handle this selection conundrum, Saints fans? Let us know by voting below…
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