Vesper

Chelsea likely to make two key signings – including Chilwell https://theathletic.com/1848061/2020/06/02/chelsea-key-signings-ben-chilwell-emerson-jorginho/ Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is prepared to back coach Frank Lampard in the transfer market by adding two “marquee” signings to the squad — with Leicester City’s Ben Chilwell still one of their main targets. The club’s ability to spend has been put into question because of the negative impact of football’s postponement in March while Abramovich’s commitment to Chelsea has been the subject of debate since his UK visa was not renewed two years ago. But sources have told The Athletic that Abramovich is as enthusiastic as ever and is prepared to sanction big-money transfers when the window reopens — as long as the deal is deemed right for the club. They are keen to make two major signings and could even do more business. Chelsea, who will restart the Premier League later this month in fourth place, have made good progress under Lampard this season despite signing no new players in the last two windows. Mateo Kovacic’s loan from Real Madrid was made permanent last June while the £33 million transfer of Hakim Ziyech was agreed with Ajax in February in view of him joining for next season. Lampard is determined to finish the current campaign strongly and secure a top-four finish to qualify for the Champions League but he has been planning to strengthen the team for 2020-21. The former midfielder has set his sights on closing the gap to Liverpool and Manchester City, who are 34 and nine points ahead in the table respectively, to turn Chelsea into title contenders again. Chelsea’s accounts are going to be boosted this summer with the money generated from Eden Hazard’s move to Real Madrid in 2019 (an initial £89 million with add-ons taking it up to £150 million) arriving, plus Alvaro Morata’s permanent switch to Atletico Madrid for £48 million being completed. There are also plans to offload some of the fringe players in the squad and two of the high earners, in Willian and Pedro, are expected to leave when their contracts expire. Still, given the cost of football shutting down and the club reporting a £96 million loss last year — despite Abramovich putting another £247 million of his own money in — there were doubts over how much money for new talent would be made available. The club will need a big budget as they have a number of high-profile players on their wishlist. Attacking players and forwards are a particular priority, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz, Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, Lyon’s Moussa Dembele and RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner all expensive targets. But Lampard has also made acquiring a new left-back a priority. Despite being linked with many options over the last few months, The Athletic has been assured that Chilwell remains the first choice target. Chilwell will not be cheap as his current contract still has four years left to run. There were suggestions earlier this year that the England international was valued by Leicester at £85 million but Chelsea think the impact of the virus will help lower the fee. There is also confidence Chilwell, 23, would be tempted to move to the capital to play under Lampard and alongside several England team-mates of a similar age, including Tammy Abraham, Ross Barkley, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount. Any deal could of course be complicated if Leicester qualify for the Champions League and Chelsea don’t. Manchester City too had previously been admirers. Lampard sees Chilwell as the perfect choice to provide balance to his side. Other left-backs, such as Porto’s Alex Telles and Ajax’s Nicolas Tagliafico, have been suggested as cheaper options but it is the Leicester man he wants. Any move will be dependent on Chelsea being able to offload at least one of Emerson Palmieri and Marcos Alonso, who have struggled for consistency and are under consideration at Inter Milan. Juventus are also in talks with Chelsea over Emerson, although it is understood they are placing greater importance on negotiations for midfielder Jorginho. Former Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri, who played a key role in convincing Jorginho to join from Napoli for £57.4 million in 2018, once again views him as crucial to his side. From left-back to left wing, Chelsea have a lack of natural left-footers in the squad. The problem was highlighted this season when the right-footed Cesar Azpilicueta was selected at left-back. The emergence of 20-year-old Reece James is expected to put Azpilicueta’s starting position at right-back under increasing threat and, should Chilwell join, the club will see the two positions filled for the long-term. Speaking to the official Chelsea Magazine this month, Lampard revealed his optimism. He said: “I’m certainly excited about the squad we’ve got, with the young players, and if we can get a few additions for areas I feel we need. “We didn’t bring in anyone in January. It didn’t work out to be right for us at the time and last summer, we couldn’t bring anyone in, so those windows are gone and we haven’t changed. I am excited about the squad we’ve got but if we can freshen up in the right areas, we will.” Straight Outta Cobham Lukaku, Chelsea & Where It All Went Wrong As the club searches for yet ANOTHER No. 9 this summer, host Matt Davies-Adams & our trio of The Athletic's Chelsea experts, investigate why it never worked out for a young Romelu Lukaku at The Bridge? Plus, the guys commemorate the one-year anniversary of an altogether WEIRD Europa League Final in Baku & discuss whether how the Chelsea squad is shaping up for the big restart! https://theathletic.com/podcast/139-straight-outta-cobham/?episode=29

CIES Football Observatory n°298 - 01/06/2020 Performance Most productive German Bundesliga players https://football-observatory.com/IMG/sites/b5wp/2019/wp298/en/ The German Bundesliga was the first major European league to restart after the COVID-19 break. Issue number 298 of the CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the players with the best statistics during current season for eight different indicators according to the data provided by our partners OptaPro. Yann Sommer leads the table for the number of saves, Kingsley Ehizibue (Köln) did the most successful tackles, while Omar Mascarell (Schalke 04) and Jamilu Collins (Paderborn) made the most interceptions. Alphonso Davies (Bayern) heads the rankings for successful dribbles, Sven Bender (Bayer) for accurate passes, Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig) for assists having led to attempts and Robert Lewandowski (Bayern) for shots. Union Berlin’s centre forward Sebastian Andersson won more than twice aerial duels than the second player who won the most: 210 compared to 102. This astonishing figure is related to the style of play of his team, which fields the tallest line-ups in Europe, as illustrated by the exclusive CIES Football Observatory Demographic Atlas. Most productive German Bundesliga players, by indicator Season 2019/20, matches played until 28/05/2020. Data : OptaPro many more stat categories at the top link

just noticed this was in the wrong forum, LOLOLOL

Sarri redux

people work with what events, costs, opportunities, and levels of play afford and/or dictate

Chelsea's missing piece is in the Bundesliga but it's not Jadon Sancho or Timo Werner The next transfer window could go one of two ways with such financial uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/chelseas-missing-piece-bundesliga-its-18334452

Newcastle United now reportedly facing Chelsea competition for Said Benrahma https://sportslens.com/newcastle-united-now-reportedly-facing-chelsea-competition-for-said-benrahma/298781/

“The only person who can answer this question is God” – Emerson’s agent gets dramatic over potential Juve move https://www.chelsea-news.co/2020/05/person-can-answer-question-god-emersons-agent-gets-dramatic-potential-juve-move/

“We are having a hard time there with Chelsea” – Midfielder’s transfer becoming an issue https://www.chelsea-news.co/2020/05/hard-time-chelsea-midfielders-transfer-becoming-issue/ Chelsea have a number of loanees around the world right now whose futures are very uncertain. Nathan, for example, at Atletico Miniero is never going to stand a chance of getting back into the Blues team, and probably isn’t keen to continue his endless series of temporary moves – he’s been loaned out since 2015, amazingly. SportWitness have some interesting quotes from Mineiro’s director Alexandre Mattos, who seems keen to keep the midfielder, but is clearly struggling with whatever terms the Blues are demanding: “The idea with Nathan is that we stay with him. I already talked to him and his representative. There is an idea to stay here. We are having a hard time there with Chelsea,” Mattos is quoted as saying. We never got to see Nathan in a Chelsea shirt, and even if this deal isn’t figured out, we probably never will. But given his contract is only getting closer to its finish next summer, there’s an ever increasing chance that the club give up on getting any decent money for the for 24 year old and just let him go.

Juventus has jokes it is not all 3, it is ONE of the 3 Chelsea offered three Juventus players in Jorginho transfer negotiations https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1289129/Chelsea-transfer-news-Juventus-Jorginho-Federico-Bernardeschi-Douglas-Costa-Adrien-Rabiot Chelsea could land Douglas Costa (benched now, bad slump for ages, almost 30 years old and they paid £22m less than we paid for Jorginho) , Federico Bernardeschi (they paid £22m less than we paid for Jorginho, he has one goal in around 1100 minutes played) or Adrien Rabiot (they got him on a fucking free)

wrong thread

How Guardiola should remodel his Manchester City squad https://theathletic.com/1844651/2020/05/30/pep-guardiola-manchester-city-squad-remodel/ Manchester City enjoyed back-to-back Premier League titles under Pep Guardiola and completed a domestic treble last season but 2019-20 has seen a lack of quality in key positions lead to them all but conceding the title to Liverpool. City have lost seven games (so far), which is more than the prior two seasons combined and this season, have conceded eight more goals compared to last season, with ten games yet to play. While the gap between City and Liverpool is an astonishing 25 points, from a statistical point of view City have been a bit unfortunate and Liverpool more fortuitous. Regardless, now’s a good time to take stock of where City are as a team and how they may try to shake their squad up like they did in 2017, when they shipped out ageing players and brought in a raft of brilliant younger options. The squad that Pep Guardiola adopted in 2016 was the third-oldest in the Premier League at the time. The initial reinforcements were a mix of youth, peak-aged players, and those who were brought in to allow Guardiola to have an influence on the squad early on. Whether they have reached their potential or not, John Stones, Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus, Claudio Bravo, Ilkay Gundogan and Nolito all ticked a lot of boxes. Still, City were the fourth-oldest in the league in terms of average age of players fielded in Guardiola’s first season. In the summer of 2017, City wanted as many as nine signings but ended up with five, who all lowered the average age and raised the quality, with ageing full-backs moved on and the likes of Ederson replacing Willy Caballero and Bernardo Silva replacing Jesus Navas. The average age fell significantly to the sixth-youngest in the league. The outline of a dominant City side began to form, with a focus more on youth and players at the peak of their powers that would win plenty in the following seasons. City pipped Liverpool on the final day of last season to secure the second title of Guardiola’s reign, using just 21 players in the league (the league average is 24.5). While the City squad is built with strength in depth in mind, Guardiola does stick to fielding the players he trusts. Broadly, he plays the experienced internationals instead of young players (a strategy which has brought huge success) but even so, certain experienced internationals can also find themselves less trusted than others. For example, after Fabian Delph’s red card in the defeat at Leicester in December 2018, he played just 10 Premier League minutes over the rest of the season. John Stones and Brazil right-back Danilo also found themselves on the outside looking in during the run-in. Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva became Guardiola’s go-to wingers, at the expense of Leroy Sane, and Kevin De Bruyne’s injury struggles kept him out, too. City use a small pool of players by design and for various other reasons, they can quickly find themselves using an even smaller core of players for weeks on end. Just 22 players have been used so far this season but more surprisingly, the age of the squad has slowly crept up again — the passing of time does that, funnily enough — with City again finding themselves among the eldest teams in the league — the fourth-oldest overall. Looking at that data within-season only tells part of the story, however, as the league itself has seen a shift recently. This season’s squad would have been bang on the league average back in 2016-17 but over the past couple of seasons, the average age of sides has been nudged down. This season is the first in which half the league have fielded a team with an average age of less than 26. The age of the squad is one thing but the squad itself, despite the City Football Group’s large volume of player ownership, is pretty thin, all things considered. Despite there being so many players who could play for City, it feels like those such as Daniel Arzani (on loan at Celtic) and Pedro Porro (on loan at Real Valladolid) are not currently at the level to contribute to City, and are more likely to be sold on for a profit. From an overall season point of view, City’s attack is the best it’s ever been under Guardiola — City create more expected goals (or xG) than any other side — although the trends noted earlier are worthy of attention when football resumes. The defence is the key cause for concern for City’s management hierarchy. This is the weakest the team has been at the back since Guardiola arrived and shouldn’t be so flimsy that the injury of one player — Aymeric Laporte, in this case — can seemingly throw everything into disarray. Fernandinho took on Laporte’s role like a duck to water but in his advancing years, he can’t always be called upon to plug City’s gaps. Overall, this is a City team who are healthy but do need strengthening in some key positions. It should also be noted that there is not such a pressing need to boost their homegrown quota this summer. In short, Premier League squads can have no more than 17 overseas players in their squad and this season, City have 17. In fact, they had to cancel a proposed move for veteran Spanish keeper Asier Riesgo in favour of former England international Scott Carson. And had they been able to sell Nicolas Otamendi last summer, they would have been far more likely to bring in a new overseas centre-back as an alternative to top choice Harry Maguire. Next season, City will have much more wiggle room, with Claudio Bravo and David Silva expected to leave at the end of their contracts, Leroy Sane lining up a move to Bayern Munich and, possibly, Otamendi and even Joao Cancelo moving on. City could bring in four or five new overseas players. To top up the squad to 25 (or at least the 21/22 level), they would need top-class English players or under-21s (who do not count towards the limit of 25). At the moment, the most viable options are Sterling, Stones, Kyle Walker and Phil Foden. So while they are always sought-after, there is no especially pressing need to buy local players this summer. The squad below includes the main players who have featured for the club this season and a couple of others who, potentially, could feature for the team in the near future for one reason or another. Starting in goal, Ederson will be City’s No 1 for quite some time and behind him, a few players will sense an opportunity with Bravo’s contract set to expire. Aro Muric has already returned from an unsuccessful loan spell at Nottingham Forest and counts as a homegrown player, which at least means he won’t take up an overseas spot. The American Zack Steffen is potentially another CFG buy-to-sell player. With Carson’s loan from Derby ending, City may want another similarly-profiled keeper (homegrown/experienced) for continuity. Joe Hart, anyone? At left-back, Angelino was a cut-price cover option and given his time at Leipzig is going well, he could be one of the shrewdest buy-backs in CFG history, making the club a hefty profit if they do sell him this summer, although his €30 million clause is harder to meet in the current climate. City would need to reinvest those funds at left-back, however, given Benjamin Mendy’s lack of fitness holding him back from nailing down a starting berth and expectations around Oleksandr Zinchenko — another value signing — fading somewhat during a tricky season. Laporte is the only natural left-footed centre-back option, with the others all right-footed. City hope to sign at least one central defender this summer. Stones has found himself out of the squad more and more this season, with Guardiola concerned about his focus. Otamendi came close to leaving the club last summer and has had a disappointing season. Eric Garcia impressed on his first-team outings this season and may be given additional minutes next year but at 19 years old, is still one for the future. Taylor Harwood-Bellis, 18, is similar to Garcia in that he’s one for the future but might be a useful rotation piece in cup competitions next season. Tosin Adarabioyo, impressing on loan at Blackburn, has just a year left to run on his contract after the summer and while a dire financial situation could make him a handy option, selling him and reinvesting the money seems a more likely outcome. Philippe Sandler, on loan at Vincent Kompany’s Anderlecht, is another who has an outside chance of contributing to City in the future but similarly to Adarabioyo, he could be sold on. Fernandinho may well continue in defence as Laporte’s partner once we resume the season but that only serves to highlight that cover is certainly needed. The ghost of Dani Alves’ shock snub in 2017 continues to loom over City’s right-back position; Walker has always been a trusted option and will continue to be despite some recent concerns but Joao Cancelo, who signed last summer to replace the wantaway Danilo, is already being linked with a move away. The Portugal international is a great example of City’s squad-building realities: he is experienced at the top level for both club and country, his price tag reflected a level of supposed assurance, and he should be a huge asset to the squad — but he has struggled to adapt to City’s style and has barely played. Holding midfield is a curious position for City, too; Fernandinho is still their best option but he has not played there since last season and may well never go back. Rodri has not had the ideal debut season but the coaching staff expected some ups and downs and he is being taught, effectively, to press and tackle like Fernandinho — not an easy task. Gundogan has the ability to run games from there and may even be a better option than Rodri on his day but is more likely to partner the Spaniard in a double pivot than replace him. Gundogan has also been used as a “free 8” but has, perhaps understandably, not been able to consistently replicate what De Bruyne and David Silva offer. With David Silva leaving ahead of next season, De Bruyne and Foden are the only two remaining players likely to consistently play there, unless City strengthen their attack and move Bernardo Silva back. The case could be made here that with Silva leaving, City need to strengthen with an attacking midfielder. Guardiola has talked up Foden as Silva’s replacement and he will be held to that by fans and media alike but a new signing who can share minutes with Foden would be ideal — although perhaps fanciful. Discussing City’s lack of depth starts to look a little silly when it comes to the front line: by signing a replacement for the likely outgoing Sane, they could put Sterling back on the right, competing with Riyad Mahrez, and use Bernardo in midfield. Of course, Sterling could still be used on the left in some games, and that variety is sure to help him, as well as City. There is also some hope that highly-rated youngster Jayden Braaf could be promoted, but beyond some strong concerns about his attitude, he is also much more inconsistent than Guardiola demands. Only a completely new financial reality (one which inhibits new signings) is likely to accelerate his progression. Finally: No 9. While Sterling and others have moonlighted at times, Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus are the only two out-and-out strikers that City have played in the Premier League since Kelechi Iheanacho in 2016-17. Aguero only has a year left on his current deal and given the current market, it would make sense to keep hold for as long as possible. The jury still feels out on Gabriel Jesus and City have been looking for a new No 9 for over a year but he’s still just 23, is working incredibly hard, and his underlying numbers are remarkable. Jesus’ non-penalty xG — the quality of chances he gets for himself — are the highest in the league with 0.83 per 90 minutes, some distance ahead of Sergio Aguero’s 0.71. When (or if) he sharpens his finishing, he has what it takes to lead the line for City. In the current market, it makes very little sense to move him on. The argument could be made that City are a long-term injury away from a striker crisis but that threat has remained the same since Iheanacho left in 2017 and with Sterling for back-up if required, City likely have enough here for another season — with an eye on a replacement for Aguero within the next few windows. All in all, this is what the City squad is likely to look like next season, with the key areas that need strengthening highlighted. With the help of Smarterscout, a site that gives detailed analytics on players all over the world, we can shortlist some potential options for City in the three core positions. At left-back, City need a player capable of contributing to attacks, comfortable taking on a high volume of possession and able to dribble with the ball at their feet. Among the top options on Smarterscout were Bayern’s Alphonso Davies and Real Madrid’s Marcelo — both deemed unlikely targets in this exercise — but the six names below offer a good mix of players in the prime of their careers, those who are a little younger and just coming into their peak, and a young option from the Netherlands. Dortmund’s Raphael Guerreiro is likely a player very few are unfamiliar with at the moment: in the three games since the Bundesliga’s return, the Portugal international has scored three goals, giving him eight for the season, the best of his career. Guerreiro fits the Guardiola mould perfectly for a full-back, as he’s previously spent time as a central midfielder in 2016-17 with Dortmund, making him adept at dropping infield when required. Betis’ Alex Moreno and Atalanta’s Robin Gosens have similar profiles according to Smarterscout, with the former a more adept dribbler. Playing in Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta team has exposed Gosens to similar tactical concepts employed by Guardiola, as there’s a similar level of modularity, where players can swap positions and roles on the pitch on the fly. Gosens’ familiarity with this way of playing would make bedding into City’s team potentially a little easier. Alex Grimaldo is a player who has been linked with City in the past and is a key attacking outlet for Benfica from left-back. Last season was Grimaldo’s best from an attacking point of view: four goals and 12 assists in a season in which Benfica won the title and there’s something to be said of his durability also — he has missed just 24 minutes of domestic football in the last two seasons. Ben Chilwell was very close to becoming a City player last season until the plug was pulled in late April and at 23, would be a perfect buy to build for the future. England’s current starting left-back would likely command a hefty fee to move from Leicester but would prove a worthwhile investment if City can get the best years of his career from him, and of course, represents another much-needed homegrown option. Lastly, Owen Wijndal is a player younger than both Zinchenko and Mendy but his starting berth for Alkmaar suggests he’s developing well for his age. Wijndal, like Gosens, doesn’t seem like a very frequent dribbler but his scores on Smarterscout for link passing and receiving in the penalty area are maxed out, suggesting that he’s involved a lot for a left-back in getting on the ball, and making attacking runs up the field to get involved in the attacking phase — both useful skills for a City left-back. City need options at both centre-back sides: back-up for Laporte and a potential starter on the right side. With the centre-back options, the key qualities are being able to carry and pass the ball out of the back, and also some ability to defend. Having a physically robust defender who can win their duels out of possession will add an extra dimension to the dynamic play required when on the ball. Again thanks to Smarterscout, we have a shortlist of five players. While the likes of Raphael Varane or Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba would be ideal, the following are all slightly younger and, to varying degrees, able to contribute now but also anchor City’s back line for years to come. Milan Skriniar is the first option and at 25, is the oldest player on the list. Having accrued over 8,000 minutes for Inter Milan in the last three seasons, he has plenty of experience at a good level of European football. Despite Smarterscout not fancying him that much as a right centre-back, the reason is that the majority of his minutes have come on the left side of defence. Regardless, Skriniar is right-footed and fits the age profile well for City. Benfica’s Ruben Dias is a player that interests City but with a €100 million release clause in the contract he signed during the winter, that may dissuade the powers-that-be from bringing him to the Etihad. Again, Smarterscout isn’t a huge fan of Dias’ ability from a defensive perspective but he’s an able carrier of the ball and is one of the more able forward-passers on the list. Stefan Posch is a well-rounded option, carrying and passing forwards at decent rates compared to other right centre-backs playing at a Premier League standard, although the fact he is relatively weak in aerial duels may count against him. He’s one to watch during the rest of the Bundesliga season. Another option from Serie A is Nikola Milenkovic, who’s played the most domestic minutes out of all of the options. He is just 22, but a great dribbler and similar to Posch in that he’s an active defender — looking to win the ball back if it’s near him — with Dias and Skriniar less so. On paper, Milenkovic may fit the mould perfectly for what City are looking for. The last couple of options are likely too young for City to become starters but are worth a mention nonetheless. Boubacar Kamara is not yet 21 but has 5,000 minutes under his belt for Marseille, splitting his time between centre-back and defensive midfield. That versatility would help cover a couple of positions in City’s squad and may make him a longer-term replacement for Fernandinho. Wesley Fofana may be in the shadow of Arsenal’s William Saliba at Saint-Etienne but, at 19, is shaping up to have solid career. The 99/99 rating for defending quantity is intriguing, making Fofana one of the most active defenders in Europe. Whether that hunger to win the ball back means he’s poor positionally would require some intense video scouting but he is sure to be on City’s long scouting lists somewhere. At left centre-back, a fit-again Aymeric Laporte will take up as many minutes as possible but an understudy would be useful to have in the squad. Pau Torres is the most experienced option on the list, with a release clause of €50 million. City had made tentative enquiries back in the winter but the lines of communication have gone cold. Torres is an adept dribbler and passes forward more than the others on the list but is relatively weak in the air. Sources close to him had hoped for a big move this summer, possibly to Barcelona or Arsenal, after the Euros, but, of course, things are up in the air now. The other three options are less well-rounded. Ben Godfrey’s included mainly as there might be value in getting him on a lower fee should Norwich get relegated from the Premier League. While it may not show through in the Smarterscout data, Godfrey is a decent long passer and plays in a Norwich team whose approach to playing out of the back isn’t a million miles away from what City try to do. Elias Cobbaut plays for Vincent Kompany’s Anderlecht and with the former City captain at the helm, City are likely to get as honest a scouting assessment as possible as to whether Cobbaut would be a good fit or not. With the ball at his feet, Cobbaut is an able dribbler and progressive passer, it’ll be the off-the-ball actions that determine the quality of the fit. Dayot Upamecano, a “man-mountain range” in the words of Rapha Honigstein, rounds off the left centre-back shortlist. Upamecano is a very active defender, who is more than comfortable carrying the ball out from the back and is the best individual tackler on the list. Upamecano is predominantly right-footed, so could also provide cover on the right side of defence, too. Away from the defence, the rest of the squad is relatively well-stocked, apart from at left wing. With the aforementioned Sane transfer to Bayern in the pipeline, a proven replacement is required to contribute minutes and, more importantly, goals. Again, this shortlist is a mix of players that are well known, those that have some following, and a couple of wildcards. The metrics in the table below relate mostly to scoring and getting into dangerous positions from the wing. The attack rating is powered by a player’s contributions to goalscoring, either through getting into good positions to score goals themselves, creating chances for others, or getting the ball into threatening positions. The dribble rating rewards players for beating more difficult-to-beat opponents, giving credit to those who beat the odd man in a game but impacts those who are consistently taking on and beating poor one-vs-one tacklers. Despite mainly being deployed on the right wing, Serge Gnabry has featured on the left to equally deadly effect — just ask Chelsea and Spurs in the Champions League this season. Gnabry’s pretty much good at everything that’s required from Guardiola and at 24, is only going to get better. City are among the teams to believe swap deals will be prominent this summer and they could do worse than swap him for Sane. He’s also homegrown as he came through at Arsenal. Despite also playing fewer minutes at left wing compared to his primary position as an attacking midfielder, Jack Grealish features due to his great attack rating. Without Grealish, Villa would no doubt be in a tougher position than the one they currently find themselves in. His shooting volume and ability to receive in the box is likely driven by team effects (i.e. Villa not being a great attacking side) and the bigger question marks are whether he’s a player who needs complete freedom to thrive, or if he can play in a well-regimented tactical system. Even if he’s not an option on the wing, he could bolster the free 8 roles. Marcus Thuram is shining at Monchengladbach and, despite also mainly being a striker, performs well on the wing. His dribble rating of 98 is the best of all players on the shortlist, and eight goals and eight assists in the Bundesliga show a player capable of both creating and scoring, another requirement of a left winger for City. Mikel Oyarzabal and Leon Bailey are both names who’ve been publicly linked to the club in recent months. The former’s numbers don’t exactly pop off the page but he looks like a solid contributor for Real Sociedad, and sources close to the player indicated last summer that he was primed to move to City if Sane’s move to Bayern had gone through. Bailey’s season has been blighted by injuries but in limited minutes, his underlying numbers look solid. He’s another whose durability should be questioned — starting just half of the games on offer in the last three Bundesliga seasons. He was high on City’s shortlist when they eventually plumped for Mahrez in 2018 but his chance may have passed. Harvey Barnes is a bit of a wildcard and might not be the first name on everyone’s lips but he shares a lot of similarities with Sane. For a start, Barnes is rapid, both with and without the ball. Looking at his Smarterscout ratings, he’s potentially a bit of an underrated contributor to Leicester’s attack from the left wing and has contributed six goals and six assists so far this season. Predominantly right-footed, Barnes would be comfortable cutting inside, like City’s forwards so often do, although teams have managed to frustrate Sterling this season. Cody Gakpo is a younger option again. Similar to Barnes, he has seven goals and six assists, but in fewer minutes, giving him a higher goal contribution per 90 minutes played. This is his first full season at PSV but given the difference in strength of the leagues, it might be too much of a step up to contribute a lot in season one — but expect to see Gakpo at a top European side before long.

My big rant for months was sell Kante now that is down the shitter, but I am not that upst, it is what it is BUT he damn well better play if we can make it s safe as possible there are games we deffo need him, as we bought no replacement/different type of DMF fucking COVID, grrrrrrrrrrr at every level, especially the horrific loss of life so far but also how its fucked up footie

N’Golo Kante – ‘When he wants to make himself heard, he does’ https://theathletic.com/1827853/2020/05/28/kante-chelsea-cobham-training-coronavirus-premier-league/ A year on from Baku and, on the face of it, not much has changed for N’Golo Kante. The Frenchman, severely hampered by a knee injury sustained in training a few days previously, had undertaken his gentle jogs away from the main group at the Olympic Stadium on the eve of Chelsea’s Europa League final. There had been some input from a physio, carefully monitoring his reaction to the simplest twist on the joint, before a conversation with the club’s medical director and an early trudge from the pitch for further treatment inside. Kante, once again, is enduring a lonely existence away from his team-mates. He is back on site at Cobham and, sources have told The Athletic, has actually been working at Chelsea’s headquarters for the last few days. Yet, while other senior players congregate together for their drills — they have been in small groups but on Thursday, phase two training, including tackling, resumed — the World Cup winner has made his way to another part of the vast campus where he has conducted his own running session in isolation. The 29-year-old, having initially taken part, made it clear on the second day of the players’ resumption earlier this month that he was uncomfortable with returning to group training while the nation remained in lockdown. He has seen COVID-19 cases diagnosed at other Premier League clubs and is unconvinced it is safe, or wise, to take part if there is even the tiniest risk of picking up the virus or passing it on to others. While he has complete faith in everything Chelsea have put in place, he is not abreast of the measures adopted by rival top-flight sides, against whom he would be competing if matches restart. No one, least of all his employers, is quibbling with his reasoning. After all, his elder brother, Niama, died of a heart attack shortly before France’s triumphant 2018 World Cup campaign. His father passed away when he was only 11. Kante’s life has already been touched by tragedy. He has suffered his own health scares of late, passing out in the dressing room at the training ground in March 2018, although subsequent cardiology tests did not reveal any heart issue. At one point during the lockdown, a period he apparently spent at home with one of his brothers, he feared he had contracted the virus — although a subsequent test confirmed otherwise. Then there is the reality that, while research into COVID-19 is ongoing, data from the UK Office for National Statistics indicates a markedly higher mortality risk among BAME people. So Kante’s situation is delicate. Everyone at Chelsea, from players to management to the hierarchy, is sympathetic with his concerns and there will be no pressure exerted on the club’s highest-paid and (when fit and in form) best player to plunge himself back into group sessions ahead of the anticipated resumption. “Everybody is different and we’ve seen that with the reaction of players, and that has to be respected in all ways,” said Frank Lampard last week. “We work every day as a family and a team, and we’ll respect everyone and how they feel about the restart and coming back to work.” The programme Kante is following has been put together by the club’s fitness staff and, in line with that conducted by the squad as a whole, increases his workload progressively with a view to him being match-ready. There should be some encouragement drawn from the fact he has been working at Cobham again, rather than at home. He is on site, at least, and his progress can presumably be more easily monitored there. But it would be understandable that a midfielder whose involvement this calendar year has been limited by injury to only four appearances might slip behind the other players in terms of his preparation now that more normal training, albeit minimising any unnecessary close contact, has resumed. There is a constant dialogue between player and staff — not least with Lampard, gauging his mood and thoughts. Potentially, things may change once the swathe of tests undertaken by Premier League clubs starts returning clean bills of health on a consistent basis. But, until then, Kante’s stance is unlikely to mellow. He has a reputation for being shy, modest and as selfless off the pitch as he is on it. He is the World Cup winner who snuck away in a taxi from the post-tournament festivities at the Elysee Palace to his mother’s house in Rueil-Malmaison on the western fringes of Paris. The player who had seemed reluctant even to grasp the trophy for fear of being the centre of attention back in the celebrations at Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium a few days earlier, until Steven Nzonzi made a point of thrusting it into his hands. As a boy, he was once uncharacteristically late for a training session at his local junior club, JS Suresnes, because he had been helping his mother — a cleaner — do the family food shop for him and his eight siblings at the local market. He is the man who, while at the French lower-league club Boulogne, made a point of asking his team-mate Eric Vandenabeele whether it would be OK for him to pray in the room they shared on away trips. Vandenabeele would hear him rise and attempt to perform Fajr as quietly as was feasible. He is polite, humble and, ironically, actually stands out as a result. Some have interpreted that unassuming manner as timidity. In truth, as demonstrated by his decision over Project Restart, that quiet exterior belies a steely resolve in what he believes to be right. “That is the perfect example of his strength of mind and character,” says Patrice Garande, who brought a young Kante, the best player in the French third tier, to Caen in 2013 and worked with him for two seasons. “If he doesn’t feel it’s safe for him to resume playing, either alongside or against others, he won’t. He has said, ‘No. Not yet’. That’s not the move of someone who is weak, who is easily cowed. He knows his mind. He knows what he wants and he takes responsibility. He is actually very, very strong-willed. “He is quiet but, contrary to what people assume, N’Golo has a very big personality. He just expresses himself in a more reserved way, I guess, than most players. He’s well brought up, respectful to others, and the hierarchy. That makes him different to many other young players and people these days. Yes, he’s someone who doesn’t like being in the limelight. But, on the other hand, he knows what he wants. He’s driven. When he wants to make himself heard, he does. “Before he first came to Caen in Ligue 2, I wondered whether he lacked the charisma to hold his own in the dressing room at a bigger club. But when we spoke, on a range of different subjects, he had a voice. If he didn’t agree, he told me so. He made it clear if he thought I was in the wrong. He had that strength. Whether in a professional or private context, he’s more than capable of fighting his corner, to put across his arguments why he disagrees and give his point of view.” That strength is probably born of his upbringing and career path. The young Kante, nicknamed “petit frere” (“little brother”) in his youth, grew up in a small apartment in Rueil-Malmaison, trained five times a week at Suresnes and, despite excelling in the ninth division of the French pyramid, was overlooked by Rennes, Lorient, Sochaux and Amiens, who deemed him too small to thrive higher up. Each time he went to a trial, he would return car-sick and scarred but offering no excuses. “If they didn’t rate me, it’s because I wasn’t up to the required level.” Even when Boulogne eventually took a chance and handed him a deal, just after he had completed his baccalaureate in business management and administration (he subsequently studied for an accountancy qualification), he was the victim of a vicious tackle in his last game at Suresnes and was ruled out for four months. All at the club were incensed at that challenge but Kante apparently said nothing. He has never been one to complain. Few of his team-mates back then knew of the death of his father. When his brother died in 2018, he put his faith in Islam. France Football spoke to one of his friends, Baptiste Cousseau, about that trauma. “He told me: ‘That is how it is. That is life. He has been called now’,” said Cousseau. “N’Golo never forgets where he’s from and family and his faith are integral to everything he does,” Garande tells The Athletic. “But he has always known where he wants to go. Look at his career path, his choice of clubs. It’s always been about a progression. You have to admire the way he’s risen to the top, with Chelsea and the French national team. He puts himself in a position where he can constantly improve. There’s a thought to it all, a pattern. From the Championnat National to world champion in five years. “But his mentality is always about the collective. The group. Just like his style of play — always geared towards the group. He doesn’t like talking about himself in public. He’s just not comfortable talking himself up. He’s a kid who dominates games in his own way but he doesn’t want to hog the focus. He likes being a key part of the collective. It’s his nature. “He likes people and everyone loves him. There is an innocence to him — that’s why we hear stories like him going for a meal with a family he had met at King’s Cross, people he didn’t know, after missing his Eurostar to Paris — but, underneath, he is strong.” Amid that resolve to do the right thing, there will be pangs of regret that he cannot be playing a full part back at Chelsea. It will hurt should he not be able to play a part when Premier League football does resume, most likely on June 17. The year since Baku has been frustrating, punctuated by niggling injuries and played out to the disconcerting backdrop of legal cases back in France as he attempts to sever ties with an image rights agent, Nouari Khiari. Kante had initially sued Khiari for fraud but is now the subject of a counter lawsuit. There have been suggestions in France that the furore has seriously played on his mind and had even affected his form this term. A solid run of games over the run-in to an interrupted season might have dispelled that theory. But, at present, there are bigger issues with which Kante is wrestling. Chelsea’s one truly world-class player will continue his preparations in isolation until the time is right for him to return.

when £80m for Chilwell was set out as the price for months, I lost interest in him, especially after he slumped a wee bit

Friday May 29 2020 Football Nerd How Thomas Müller's surprising creativity has driven Bayern Munich to the brink of another title By Daniel Zeqiri Thomas Muller has enjoyed a renaissance this season CREDIT: REUTERS Through football's coronavirus hiatus, we are committed to providing a weekly newsletter of facts, analysis and retrospectives. If there is a topic you want us to cover please email [email protected]. Above all, stay safe. Bayern Munich are close to an eighth consecutive Bundesliga title, and while younger talents Serge Gnabry and Alphonso Davies have thrilled with their performances, the resurgence of Thomas Müller has been crucial. Müller is fascinating to analyse. Not blessed with extravagant technical ability, the 30-year-old has carved out a garlanded career at club and international level thanks to his spatial intelligence. We tend to picture Müller ghosting into goalscoring positions unattended and finishing moves, but this season the German has added a creative edge to his game. A danger with the ball at his feet as well as when running off the ball, Müller tops the Bundesliga for assists with 17 - his best ever total - and the more advanced numbers suggest that tally is well deserved. Müller has created more 'big chances' than any player in the Bundesliga in the top flight with 25. Opta defines a big chance as: "A situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score, usually in a one on one scenario or from very close range when the ball has a clear path to goal and there is low to moderate pressure on the shooter." Although part of a dominant Bayern team, he has also created 66 chances from open play - 15 more than Kai Havertz in second - and comfortably tops the league for 'expected assists' with a tally of 11.15. Despite entering the autumn of his career, Müller's defensive work remains impressive. Pressing from his starting position as a second striker, Müller has applied 184 defensive pressures in the attacking third which puts him 14th in that category compared with every player in the league. His 31-year-old strike partner Robert Lewandowski is third with 239 defensive pressures in the attacking third. The fact Bayern spend long stretches of games in the attacking third helps them rack up those pressures, but nevertheless shows Müller and Lewandowski have the diligence to match their quality. Müller is also thriving in an orthodox No 10 or second striker role in a 4-2-3-1, something of a rarity in top-level European football. Manchester City, Liverpool and Barcelona favour a 4-3-3 formation without a No 10, while title rivals Borussia Dortmund switched to a 3-4-3 in November. Playmakers such as Mesut Ozil, James Rodriguez, Isco and Philippe Coutinho (who Muller is keeping on the bench) have seen their stock fall in recent years. Müller and Bayern though, are finding a way to make the position work for them. Chelsea fans will attest to that, after Müller caused all manner of problems in February's Champions League tie, receiving the ball between the lines and behind Frank Lampard's midfield pair of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic.

Marina after she buys the next Drinkwater

I recall no one wanting Bergwin, certainly no one going mental over him.

superb young talent he made my January list as a youth target in bold

Give up when? This summer or for good? If he will wait until 2021 to go to them, then he can go fuck himself. I do not some cunt on the squad who is pining away for Klopp's cock and a bowl of lobscouse.

Havertz goal tonight (it is just the highlights, even though it says full match) https://eplfootballmatch.com/freiburg-vs-bayer-leverkusen-full-match-bundesliga-29-may-2020/

good, I like PSG, I like Icardi, and no one in the EPL gets him, and it gives Inter some cash to splash win win win win

lets get him!! I think (for the first time in months) we have a shot

Oyarzabal could be a beast under Pep