Non-Chelsea Transfer Pub

[Valdo 583]

Lol, poor manu, I really hope they won't get him.

[Jase 43,479]

 

[Pizy 17,860]

There may be some visits to Ed Woodward's house again by some angry Man United fans if he fails with Sancho. 😂

[Jase 43,479]

 

[Pizy 17,860]

Christ, that's an ugly fucking shirt.

Spuds making Everton/West Ham/Newcastle level signings. They're going to be boring as hell to watch again next season but likely a tough team to play against. Still 100% reliant on Kane staying fit, though.

[Vesper 27,282]

Bootless in Kumasi, a star in Spain: Mohammed Salisu’s rise to Southampton

https://theathletic.com/1941621/2020/08/11/mohammed-salisu-southampton-transfer/

It took 10 minutes for Fran Castano to decide Mohammed Salisu would be a special player.

“We met Salisu on one of our scouting trips. One of my best workers, Mustapha, told me about one boy in Kumasi and we organised a few scouting games there,” he says. “Salisu arrived late and without boots. I was very angry and I told him not to come again, before one of my coaches told me to calm down.

“I gave him one of my goalkeepers’ (pair of) boots and, after 10 minutes, I was impressed. We talked to his mother and she agreed to let the boy come to us.”

A former analytics coach for Ghanaian football clubs including Hearts of Oak (where Bismark Odoi, Callum Hudson-Odoi’s father, played throughout his career) and under-17s coach of Niger and later Mauritania, Castano helped found the African Talent Football Academy in Nsawam, Ghana, in March 2017.

Comprising of pitches, a clubhouse, a dining area, a classroom and accommodation, the academy looks to scout and develop the best young players in Ghana, aged 13 and up, in the hope they can find clubs in Europe or sporting opportunities in America’s college system, from which they earn a small fee and a percentage of any future sale. Castano says scholars receive all of their benefits at the academy for free, along with health insurance and Spanish lessons with their schooling.

Salisu is among four graduates from the academy to make it to Europe, spending a mere six months with them before Castano believed he was ready for the next level.

“He played 11-a-side games with us, but he didn’t play any official games before he left, because of some injuries,” says Castano, who travelled with Salisu to Spain in October 2017 and offered him to several clubs. The duo’s trip looked to be unsuccessful until Castano contacted his friend and former Villarreal striker Victor Fernandez, who was coaching Real Valladolid’s under-19s.

So the story goes, it took one training session for Fernandez to remark, “Fran, are you sure you know the kind of player you have?” Salisu was quickly signed by the northern Spanish side.

“The step-up he did was amazing — playing friendly games in Ghana to featuring in the under-19 division in Spain,” says Castano. “After 10 games, he went to the Valladolid reserve team and less than 30 games later, he was playing in the first team. In two years, all this!”

Salisu’s ascent has certainly been a speedy one, with Castano citing the defender’s confidence and quick learning for the rise and rise. Now aged 21, he impressed throughout the 2019-20 La Liga season. The Athletic’s Spanish football correspondent Dermot Corrigan named him as one of the division’s rising stars in April.

The Athletic understands a deal has been done and it will soon be announced that Southampton have signed a highly malleable player with very high potential. Typically playing alongside a very experienced centre-half at Valladolid, Salisu’s match-reading ability has impressed many in Spain and beyond. If his defensive partner is normally the one who goes up for the header or makes the last-minute block (think Ralph Hasenhuttl’s description of Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens as “firefighters”), then the Ghanaian is one who can stand up an attacker with the ball and stop him from going any further. 

He’s a young defender, but his enquiring mind saw him garner praise from Valladolid goalkeeper Jordi Masip, who told Stats Perform News earlier this season, “He’s a player with an enviable physicality. He moves very fast when it comes to interceptions. He’s young and he can grow a lot. He’s a person that wants to improve and listen to us.

“He has always had a little difficulty with the language, but he is adapting well. He understands everything and he asks questions. At such a young age, his characteristics are very good. He can still give far more than he is already giving.”

While The Athletic would preach caution when using statistics to quantify a centre-back, Salisu has stood out this season for his ability to win the ball back, make clearances and block shots. His standout game in 2019-20 arguably came in a 0-0 draw with Atletico Madrid, which caused Diego Simeone — a manager who knows a thing or two about defenders — to take notice. 

This season saw Salisu come in for Fernando Calero — who had looked impressive in a Valladolid side that defend deep before struggling in a different system at the now-relegated Espanyol. Salisu’s tackling ability could be the key for Southampton next season as they continue Hasenhuttl’s Bundesliga-style approach to the game.

While his defending-quantity and ball-recovery moves indicate he’s not an all-action “end counters before they’ve begun” centre-half (yet), Salisu has the makings of one who can be relied upon to win his one-vs-one duels — something in which Hasenhuttl is particularly interested.

At the moment, Salisu’s skills indicate he will be a complementary centre-back to any team’s defence, rather than a transformative one, but the 21-year-old spent the 2019-20 season on the radar of many clubs, including Real Madrid, Rennes in France and Everton. That level of interest indicates this is a player who could triple his value by the end of next season.

Before the signing, Southampton chief executive Martin Semmens spoke of the club pitching to Salisu “a pathway to get better, physically and technically, by playing in the first team in the Premier League”. It is thought that playing in England appealed to Salisu. Working with a coach such as Hasenhuttl, who prides himself on using young players and giving them hands-on coaching, sealed the deal.

 

Hasenhuttl will relish the opportunity to work with a young, left-footed centre-back. Salisu can cover ground well, jockeying attackers into making mistakes to win the ball back without conceding fouls. Standing 6ft 2in, he will be an asset for Southampton in the air in both penalty areas, too. 

Salisu will most likely compete with Bednarek and Jannik Vestergaard for the left centre-back position and the Ghanaian, who is still uncapped by his national team (he was named in the squad for two 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers earlier in the season, but withdrew because of injury), is thought to be looking forward to the challenge of the Premier League.

“He is shy but with a strong personality,” adds Castano. “He has become more self-confident and professional, and he knows what he wants and is ready to do it. He needs challenges so he doesn’t relax and continues to improve.”

Now heading to Southampton to learn under Hasenhuttl, it is hoped Salisu can continue his ascent.

“And not just because he is someone special. He is really, really, really a very good person,” says Castano.

[Jase 43,479]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/aug/11/david-silva-to-join-lazio-on-three-year-deal-after-leaving-manchester-city

David Silva to Lazio. 3-year deal.

[Yeboii 1,844]

3 hours ago, Jason said:

 

He could become very good, but will probably be a solid player for them.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Lille is such a well run club. Gives so much if you have a truly quality director of football. 

They sold Osimhen for 70m, just signed David for 27m who was linked with arsenal and others.

They almost fell in ligue 2 2 years ago, but went on to become near the top of Ligue 1 in last two seasons. 

[Special Juan 27,093]

City are in advanced talks to buy Koulibaly

[NikkiCFC 7,563]

 

[MoroccanBlue 5,192]

8 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

 

In no way can this be true. 

No way. 

[NikkiCFC 7,563]

11 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

In no way can this be true. 

No way. 

Why not? Ndombele is Conte type of guy. He liked Bakayoko and Ndombele is much, much better.

Skriniar in the other hand is not even a starter anymore and does not really look good in 3 at the back.

[MoroccanBlue 5,192]

42 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

Why not? Ndombele is Conte type of guy. He liked Bakayoko and Ndombele is much, much better.

Skriniar in the other hand is not even a starter anymore and does not really look good in 3 at the back.

I wouldn't put it past Conte wanting this, but no way will Inter accept that. 

[Vesper 27,282]

2 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

 

I will lose my mind if this happens

put Skriniar in a back 4 and he is a beast

[Jase 43,479]

1 hour ago, MoroccanBlue said:

I wouldn't put it past Conte wanting this, but no way will Inter accept that. 

Conte has gotten the club to bend over for him...

[Jase 43,479]

2 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

 

Did a quick check on this and I don't see anything recent. Last story on this was like last week and that has gone quiet...

[Vesper 27,282]

U.S. Businessman Dan Friedkin Takes Over AS Roma For Reported $700 Million

https://www.forbes.com/sites/giacomogalardini/2020/08/06/us-businessman-dan-friedkin-takes-over-as-roma-for-701-million/#39d662b31eec

 

fuck, now they will buy Smalling and give Manure more in the war chest