Tag Futebol

A more dramatic title victory would be hard to find, and the last day of the season for Manchester City provided thrills and spills not seen before. Mancini and his men were crowned Champions after just piping United to the post, and will be looking to retain their crown in slightly less dramatic fashion this time out, not to mention a better show in Europe being a must.

City will look ahead to this season to show that they are not just a rich flash in the pan, but are here to stay and the only way to do that is by adding more trophies to the already growing loot. So is that what lies in store for the formerly noisy neighbours?

Signing of the Summer –

Something that has caused somewhat of a stir at the Ethiad, City have been very quiet in the transfer market this summer with even a lack of silly season rumours. Of course they were players in the RVP love square but did not really need the player and for whatever reason have decided that the Dutchman is not for them. It is a slim pickings award, but the title goes to promising former Everton player Jack Rodwell who cost City £15 million – mostly because he is English and thus price becomes seriously inflated. Will the boy break through? It remains to be seen, but Rodwell is highly rated and given the chance could make an impact at the club.

One To Watch –

Without a doubt City’s most unpredictable player has to take this honour. Love him or loath him, Mario Balotelli is a fantastic player who is only growing in stature after a brilliant Euros. If the player finally manages to curb his eccentricity slightly – not all the way, after all we love him for it most of the time – and the Italian would be my bet for not only top scorer, but for player of the season too.

Breakthrough of the Season –

Jack Rodwell could again feature here, as despite his move to City he is by no means a starter and will have a huge fight on his hands to land a regular first team place at the Ethiad. Whilst many feel that going across the North West may have been career suicide, Rodwell himself must believe he can make an impact in not just the City squad but potentially the England one too – this will be a huge season for the young player – make or break.

Prospects In Europe –

A difficult group last year was the undoing of City and they will be in a similar situation this time around with the seeding, so it will be hard from the offset. Mancini never won the trophy with Inter and looked out of his depth at times tactically, yet with a much better squad than when he was in Italy and indeed great pressure for a better showing from the owners, City will simply have to improve on last season – but to win the trophy? Unlikely at best.

And Retaining the Title –

Whilst there has not been a flurry of transfer activity at City this summer, there was not really much need for one, and their champions will be a year older and wiser. United have promised big spending but thus far failed to really deliver and Mancini will fancy City’s chances again. They will have to make sure not to take their eye off the ball should they progress in the Champions League, but barring a mass disaster, City look odds on to retain their crown.

What Will They End Up With?

Carling Cup – Not  one that City will really have their eye on, so expect to see the reserves and fringe players making appearances in this competition. A last 4 showing with a subsequent defeat will be their lot in this one.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

FA Cup – Although it is not seen as a huge trophy, a domestic double is what City could well be looking at this season, and an appearance in the final of the FA Cup with a probable victory – depending on if they have made the final cut in Europe.

Champions League – After the poor showing last time out, City have the benefit of experience behind them and will be looking to make it out of the groups as a minimum requirement. The Champions League is very dependent on the draws, and should City get a decent one, a last 8 appearance is what they should be working towards here.

Premier League – It is always harder to retain a trophy than to win it in the first place, and City will make that their top priority this season. With yet another ACON coming up they will have to do better than last year without Toure and will be praying Kompany stays fit and avoids suspensions – again something that cost them dearly last term. It will be hard going, but City will become Champions once again.

[ad_pod id=’dfp-mpu’ align=’right’]

Last night, the IndigO2 theatre in London held the Stella Atrois World Draught Master Final for the United Kingdom, where 28 bartenders battled it out for a place in the Global Final set to take place in Buenos Aires on October 26th. Stella Artois are a brand desperate to empahsise the importance in pouring the ‘perfect Stella Artois’, and their Quality Draught Masters programme was set up to ensure a superior customer experience through the art of pouring lager. In a stylish and sophisticated theatre inside the O2, guests arrived to this ‘smart and 60s chic’ dress-coded event to watch these bartenders compete with one another to represent the United Kingdom at the World Draught Master Global Finals.

Mark Dolan presented the evening to a crowd made up of friends and family of each bartenders, as well as some of biggest names in Stella Artois. Alongside Dolan, ‘Master Beer Sommelier’ Marc Stroobandt talked the audience though the ritual of pouring the perfect Stella Artois, and explained just what these bartenders had been training to achieve. Bartenders from over 600 pubs across the UK had registered with the programme, and attended exclusive masterclasses throughout April, May and June with Stroobrandt, where they were taught not only the ritual behind pouring the perfect pint, but how to appreciate different beets, which food pairings work with Stella Artois, as well as improved serving standards.

These 28 finalists were the crème de le crème of the UK, the “best of the best” according to Stroobandt, and would compete in pairs over 14 rounds where a panel of judges including the 2010 World Draught Master Chris Myers, Stella Artois marketing manager Alexander Lambrecht, and brewmaster Paul Van de Walle would decide their fate. The contestants had just two minutes to perfect the ritual and serve the perfect Stella Artois to the judges in the first round, and only 7 of the 28 would make it through to the next round. The nine-step ritual that these bartenders must follow is one of such intricate detail and skill, that those thinking there can be no ‘art’ or ‘beauty’ in pouring a pint of Stella Artois will surely think twice in making such assumptions. The contestants are given a mark between 1 and 10 for each step of the ritual, which is broken down as follows.

1. ‘The Purification’ – the glass must be perfectly clean and rinsed, held by the stem at all times, and with the Stella Artois logo facing forward throughout.

2. ‘The Sacrifice’ – the tap is opened in one quick action, with the first drops of beer allowed to flow away; “sacrificed”.

3. ‘The Liquid Alchemy Begins’ – the glass is held at a 45° angle just under the tap but must not touch at any point.

4. ‘The Crown’ – the glass is lowered to allow the natural formation of the foam head, a ‘two finger’ head is necessary with a slight overflow to be removed.

5. ‘The Removal’ – the tap is closed quickly and the glass removed so that beer does not drip into the head.

6. ‘The Skim’ – while the head overflows slightly, it is smoothed over gently with a ‘head cutter’ at a 45° angle “with the flow of the bubbles.”

7. ‘The Cleansing’ – both the bottom and sides of the glass are cleaned and dabbed dry, and a drip catcher is placed on the stem of the chalice glass.

8. ‘The Two Finger Rule’ – the right amount of foam is usually about two fingers, and the head should be “rounded and without big bubbles.”

9. ‘The Bestowal’ – the beer is presented to the consumer on a clean coaster with the logo again facing forward at all times.

Alongside the nine-step ritual, contestants are judged on their preparation, attention to detail, and for their personality in engaging with both the audience and the judges.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

After 14 rounds, the judges had narrowed the 28 bartenders down to just seven. In the next round the remaining contestants would again perform the ritual, but this time on their own, and would be asked a question by the panel of judges as to why they deserved to be in the Global Final. After much deliberation and discussion among the judging panel, the evening came to a close when Alexander Lambrecht announced this years winner was Mark Simmonite of Henry’s in Sheffield.

Speaking after the UK finals, Simmonite was overjoyed not only with the result, but with the opportunites that Stella Artois were giving himself and others. “The commitment, passion, and drive from the team at Stella is fantastic” he told us, and the UK champion shared the belief that the “perfect pouring ritual can only improve business” for pubs and bars across the country. Simmonite claims that “Pubs are in competition with Facebook”, and they “need to give people a reason to leave their home, because anyone can pour a bottle of beer.” The UK Champion seems adamant that the Draught Masters programme will certainly make a difference to pubs, and believes it already has in some places.

On stage, Simmonite was presented to the audience for having the best shoes out of all the contestants, and he told us he had been “up all night” polishing them to impress the judges. Until October, where he will now represent the UK in the World Global Finals, Simmonite plans on making a microbrewery with his brother in Sheffield, so that he can continue to offer people “something better than sitting at home” He described his experience so far to have been “mind-blowing, awesome, and crazy”, and expressed his relief to being on the other side of the panel next year. Before then, Simmonite will prepare to tavel to Buenos Aires, where he will compete with the best bartenders from around the world for the Stella Artois World Draught Master 2011 title – and we wish him the best of luck from all here at FFC.

Former Blackburn chairman John Williams had lost interest in the club and struggled to work with Steve Kean after Sam Allardyce’s sacking.

That is the view of Blackburn owner Anuradha Desai, who agreed to a severance package with Williams after the long-serving chairman handed in his resignation on Friday, ending his 14-year tenure at the Lancashire club.

Desai, chairperson of owners Venky’s Group, believes Williams’ commitment to the club began to wane following the axing of popular manager Allardyce in December.

Williams is believed to have been dismayed by the treatment meted out to Allardyce and considered resigning in the aftermath.

But Desai convinced the club great to stay on board, and said she and her family still would have preferred Williams to remain at Blackburn.

“John has gone. It is something we have been talking to him about and he felt that he could not continue,” Desai told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“It is disappointing for us but we have agreed a settlement with him.”

“I think that after Sam left, John lost a lot of interest in the club. After that happened I think he knew that he wanted to move on.”

“I know that he did not get along with Steve (Kean) and he had struggled to accept Jerome (Anderson)’s role at the club.”

Anderson is the boss of sports agency Sport Entertainment and Media Group (SEM), and has been advising the Desai family since Venky’s bought out the club in November.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

He has been mooted as a possible replacement for Williams, but Desai said the club would look elsewhere for a new chairman.

“Jerome has helped us but I want to be very clear that he does not run the club,” Desai said.

“We will be working with anybody and any agents to make this club successful but we are not controlled by his company. His role will now diminish.”

As the news broke that Brendan Rodgers was the man chosen to succeed Kenny Dalglish in the Anfield hot seat scores of supporters on Merseyside licked their lips in anticipation. Following the disastrous second coming of their supposed ‘king’ that saw the club widely ridiculed for blowing over £100 million on a cluster of below-average players the arrival of Rodgers was supposed to herald a significant change. Having operated on a shoestring budget throughout his career the expectation was that Northern Irishman would shrewdly navigate the transfer market picking up a few bargain signings on the way. But just two months into his reign and he’s already been stung by Dalglish’s reckless splurges after being quoted £15m for Wales midfielder Joe Allen – a player with just one seasons worth of Premier League experience. His predecessor set a ludicrously high benchmark for spending that clubs will now use as a strong bargaining chip to force the Red’s into paying over-the-odds once again. Whether Rodgers can stand firm and resist temptation is another question entirely.

This week on FFC can the Reds still lure the world’s elite names to Anfield and which Uruguayan is Rodgers hoping to bring to Anfield this summer?

[divider]

Best of FFC

Liverpool in danger of being one-dimensional?

Can Liverpool still attract the very best?

An unwanted distraction for Liverpool FC?

Why Liverpool must retain him at all costs

Fast becoming a dying trait in football

Liverpool Targeting Uruguayan Sensation

A transfer conundrum for Liverpool

Liverpool plotting £750k swoop for stopper

Liverpool turn down £17m bid

Liverpool look to up the transfer ante to land midfielder

[divider]

Best of WEB

Liverpool Shouldn’t ‘Take The Hit’ On Alive Again Misfit – Live 4 Liverpool

Noooo! The Steven Gerrard ‘Kiss of Death’ strikes again. Game over…? – Liverpool Kop

Liverpool FC: Incapable of Driving a Bargain? Not Quite… – This is Anfield

Are Liverpool at ‘Year Zero’? – Liverpool Kop

LFC fans tell FSG: Dump Hendo + sign this £15m maestro instead. Agree? – The Tomkins Times

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Do Liverpool Really Need Joe Allen? – Live 4 Liverpool

Will he stay or will he go? The Alberto Aquilani Dilemma – This is Anfield

[divider]

Quote of the Week

[divider]

“I do think we will get in the top four. I think we will get it. I am confident we will get it. I am not being unrealistic. If we can play like we did in a lot of games last season, be clinical and take our chances, I think we will be high up in the table. I do.” Steven Gerrard believes Liverpool can finish in the top four next season

[divider]

Featured Video

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy is a busy man. Since the departure of Damien Comolli, he has taken on the task of signing players on top of his already lengthy list of responsibilities. Given the problems Tottenham have had during this transfer window, is it fair to conclude that he needs some help?

In the last couple of days, Tottenham appear to have got their act together. After months of endless speculation with no real signs of movement it appears the club have finally stirred themselves into action. Emmanuel Adebayor has been confirmed on a season-long loan from Manchester City and Iago Falque, an attacking midfielder from Juventus has also agreed to join for a season (although how he will fit in is hard to say). On top of these moves, Spurs are now in talks with Joe Cole whilst Lassana Diarra remains ‘a real possibility’ according to Harry Redknapp.

However, it seems strange that throughout the summer, Tottenham maintained that the squad needed cutting down before new players could be brought in and yet so far, of all the unneeded high earners, only Robbie Keane has been sold. In May, this was Levy’s primary task, to offload Bentley, Keane, Krancjar, Bassong and Palacios amongst others. This has not been done. Levy has always overseen Tottenham’s sales, developing a reputation for driving a particularly hard bargain, but this summer that hard stance does not appear to have worked and the fringe players remain on their exorbitant salaries.

[ad_pod id=‘vip-2′ align=’center’]

In the end, the era of Comolli did not work out. His track record had some impressive successes, such as Bale and Modric and some startling failures such as Bentley and Dos Santos, but at least he was decisive. He got things done. Whilst I’m eternally grateful for Levy for keeping transfers out of Harry ‘administration’ Redknapp’s hands, it has felt this summer that he is biting off more than he can chew.

If Levy had succeeded in offloading the squad players at the start of the summer, Tottenham may have been in a better position to actually do some buying. The loan deals are a temporary fix but the fundamental problem remains, Spurs cannot pay too many people too much money and it is this that Levy was supposed to address. Of course he has been distracted by endless stadium shenanigans and the Luka Modric situation but in the end the squad should have been trimmed and quality players actually purchased instead.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

This recent activity is good but with a bit of help this summer Levy and Tottenham could have done a lot more and done it quicker.

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’right’]

Edy Reja believes Lazio can shift focus to European qualification after securing their future in the Serie A with victory over Fiorentina.

Despite being one of the front runners early in the campaign, Reja has consistently talked down Lazio’s prospects of remaining in contention for the Serie A title.

After struggling for much of last season and finishing only 11 points clear of the relegation zone, veteran coach Reja ensured his players were focused on guaranteeing their survival in the top flight.

While the prospect of slipping into the bottom three became increasingly remote with each victory, it took a 2-0 win at home to Fiorentina on Saturday to make absolutely certain they would not run into trouble again.

“Today we have 40 points, therefore are mathematically safe and anything else that we achieve this season will be a bonus,” Reja said.

“We’ll battle for the Europa League, as that is now our objective. If we achieve that, then it will have been a great campaign.”

Czech youngster Libor Kozak impressed Reja by scoring both goals in the victory at the Stadio Olimpico.

“Kozak had already shown against Roma that he had talent and did so again not just with his goals, but also his work rate,” he said.

“This lad can see the net and that is down to instinct, plus we’ve worked with him over the last six months to help him improve.”

Fiorentina meanwhile are just six points clear of the relegation places.

According to coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, they have only themselves to blame.

“We are in an ugly situation and got ourselves into it,” Mihajlovic said.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“Now it is up to us to get ourselves out of it too.”

“I am somebody who never gives in and I’m accustomed to battling for every result.”

“At this moment in time, though, we mustn’t raise our voices. We must instead remain calm and prepare for the next match.”

The debate of scrapping or keeping the transfer windows has rumbled on for an extended period of time. Certain club managers are less than happy with aspects of it, while others can see the sensationalism and hype it creates. The money being spent in the winter and summer months is inflated due to the need to “panic buy,” while scrapping the transfer window might work well with Uefa’s approaching Financial Fair Play policy.

That’s not to say that it’s an entirely great idea to completely scrap the transfer windows and leave the market open all year. Yes there are advantages to it: Perhaps clubs will see a decent level of sense and logic in holding onto the majority of a quoted transfer fee. It would definitely bring an end to that deadline day circus that continues to be supported by Sky Sports. However, scrapping the transfer window and allowing clubs to rethink their need to spend heavily may only be beneficial to the bigger clubs who do have that sort of spending power.

The smaller clubs, or even clubs such as Arsenal and Tottenham who have had wealthier clubs trying to lure their stars away, would suffer greatly. That manner of poaching—because lets be honest, that’s exactly what it is—would continue throughout the season and seriously derail any ambitions and targets those clubs have. Where’s the sense in standing firm over Luka Modric’s transfer saga and insisting the player is going nowhere if Chelsea, for example, can indeed continue to court the player all season? The big worry here is that clubs can really start to lose a sense of identity on the field. The focus would be on the shadow cast over the club, rather than the importance of having a good season.

Equally, whose to say that the circus would completely end if the transfer window were scrapped? Those clubs who dig their heels in and demand hugely inflated fees for their most valuable players could continue to do the same throughout the year. Indeed, there would be less need to panic and rush into any sort of deal from the buying club, but would it really decrease the value of a player if the selling club do not want to do business?

At the same time, other clubs, specifically those who have found new seats of power in the football world, will continue to flex their muscle in the transfer market. Leaving the window open throughout the season will only give them an incentive to rubbish Uefa’s FFP and carry on in a manner that could be detrimental in the long term. And where does the madness of an open transfer window end? Does a long term injury to a player suddenly force the club to splash out and replace like-for-like? What happens when the issue of a 25-man squad comes into play?

With an open transfer window, or indeed the notion of scrapping the hysteria rather than the actual necessity to buy, there is very little security for the investments smaller clubs have made. Players with a little bit of mercenary about them will naturally jump ship as soon as the increased wage offer is flashed. And clubs who are fighting relegation may genuinely have no hope if transfers are allowed to take place during the business end of the season.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Scrapping the transfer window is an idea that is only brought forward to help reduce the big spending and the continued circus atmosphere that surrounds football at various points in the year. Even as flicking through a transfer gossip section every now and then might be considered a guilty pleasure to some—and it really can be interesting and greatly entertaining—what happens then to the genuine journalism and interesting stories in football? Does the history and setup of Ajax’s famous youth academy take a back seat to the transfer gossip that is sure to fill the pages all season? If that’s the case then it’s just another reason not to advocate the scrapping of the transfer window.

[ad_pod id=’dfp-mpu’ align=’right’]

Alan Pardew says he has left the door open for Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton to stay with the club.The 28-year-old was placed on the transfer list earlier this week, and was fined two weeks wages after he criticised the club on social networking site Twitter.

Barton was also made to train by himself as a result of the sanction, but the Newcastle boss was not about to give up hope on his influential midfielder.

“I think I’ve never closed the door on any individual and I won’t close the door on Joey,” Pardew said.

Pardew believes Barton could still have a future at St. James’ Park, but has urged football authorities to take control of player’s use of social media websites.

“The problem with Twitter and I think this is a bigger problem generally for football is that we need to get hold of this. There’s nothing coming down from above within the game to tell us how to deal with this from the Premier League,” Pardew said.

“I spoke to Sir Alex (Ferguson) this morning because they’ve had a problem with Twitter as well and we’ve gone on a similar line to Manchester United in that you cannot criticise from within on your personal account. In fact, you shouldn’t mention your football club at all, in my opinion.”

Pardew said there were no hard feelings between him and Barton following their pre-season friendly loss to Leeds United on Saturday, contrary to reports.

“Myself and Joey have had words since Saturday and most of it has been pretty controlled from both of us. I think we both realised we could have done things better at the weekend and I think that’s where our relationship is,” he said.

“Our relationship at the moment is unbroken as far as I’m concerned. And the repairing of that will be quite simple but the bigger problem is the criticism of the club and the board and that’s something else we need to reflect on to.”

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has been given permission by the club’s owners to bring in fresh talent during the January transfer window.

Dalglish’s return to Anfield as a replacement for sacked manager Roy Hodgson is yet to produce a win on the field, but the Reds legend said he will not rush into the market looking for a quick-fix.

“We had a positive meeting yesterday with (owners) John (Henry) and Tom (Werner) in which we discussed many things,” Dalglish said.

“One of them was obviously transfers. There’s no problem with transfers. As long as we are responsible we can go and look for players, try to sign them and bring them in here.”

“I’m not going to sit here and give you names or comment on every question that is asked about an individual player.”

“We certainly won’t talk about sums of money. Every time I go into the transfer market I am responsible and I will continue to be. I will try and spend the club’s money as diligently as I would spend my own.”

The 59-year-old also confirmed striker Ryan Babel was almost out the door at Anfield, with the Dutchman yet to make up his mind on a move to Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim.

“We’ve accepted a bid from Hoffenheim. Ryan is considering what he wants to do. That’s his right. A transfer only goes through if three parties agree,” he said.

Liverpool will look for their first win under their new manager against second-from-bottom Wolves on Saturday, but Dalglish is wary of the threat posed by Mick McCarthy’s men.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“They were excellent last week at Man City, especially in the first half hour. Even when they went 4-1 down, which was a bit unfair I thought, they pulled it back to 4-3,” Dalglish said.

“If Mick McCarthy is in charge of a team they are not going to lie down, are they? They are going to work as hard as they can and we know that from first-hand experience.”

“There are no games in the Premiership where you can rest a couple here or a couple there. They are all really difficult games.”

Barcelona are thought to have turned their transfer attention to Arsenal’s Thomas Vermaelen, and will make a move for him this summer according to The Daily Mail.

The Catalan giants are keen to bolster their backline, and had initially targeted AC Milan and Brazil centre half Thiago Silva.

However, with the Rossoneri asking for more than £30 million for the South American defender, Tito Vilanova’s men are considering other options.

Belgium international Vermaelen has emerged a surprise option for the Camp Nou giants, with his versatility of being able to play on the left or centre of defence and in a holding midfield role if necessary of appeal to the Spanish side.

Arsene Wenger will be keen to hold onto his vice-captain, and it is thought that the north London side would turn down any approach from Barcelona.

Spurs target Jan Vertonghen is also mentioned in the Spanish press as a possible target for Barcelona as they look for a long-term replacement for Carles Puyol, and as such Tottenham would do well to wrap up a deal for the Ajax man.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

By Gareth McKnight

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]