Who is he? Where does he play?
He is another off the Barcelona production line, the immensely gifted midfield graduate of the famed La Masia academy in Catalonia and potential heir to the aging Xavi. He is 22, has 3 caps for Spain despite being born in Italy and is hogging all the newspaper gossip column space as he seems on the verge of heading to Manchester United.
Leaving the sunny, success-laden Barcelona for Salford?!?
Yes, he may be mad but he also seems to be hugely ambitious, aiming to move to Manchester United in the search for more first team football after being limited to just 15 starts last season under Tito Vilanova. That has dropped his release clause from 90 million euros to 18 million euros as he appeared for less than 30 minutes in 60% of Barcelona's games last season. All work and no play makes Thiago a dull boy, clamoring for an apparent move to the Premier League champions.
What's Vilanova playing at?
He did have Iniesta, Xavi, Fabregas, Busquets and co. at his disposal after all, Thiago faces a massive competition for places at Barcelona but he did manage 41 appearances under Pep Guardiola the year before, the year after winning the Under-21 European Championship with Spain and signing a new four year deal at the Nou Camp worth £30k a week. There is no doubting his potential or talent, just his misfortune at having to compete with a generation of phenomenally gifted players as he wants to break into Vincent Del Bosque's permanent plans ahead of next year's World Cup, he currently has 3 caps.
So Manchester United are giving him a way out?
Reportedly set to offer him an eye-watering £6.2 million a year, it certainly looks like David Moyes wants to make him his first significant import as Old Trafford boss. He will undoubtedly fill the troublesome central-midfield slot at the club in which Michael Carrick is the only established talent. Alcantara's genius in carrying the ball from deep, beating players or even dictating the tempo with smart, measured passes ahead of the defence will be a massive asset to Moyes's United, as it was to Spain's under-21s as they triumphed in this summer's European Championships in Israel.
What will they get for their money?
For a reported £17 million, they will get fine balance which allows his diminutive 5ft 7 inch frame to spin away from the more imposing players in the centre of the field. He can create chances with nimble footwork just as he can take them, as his hat-trick against Italy under-21s out in Israel showed. If Thiago does decide to move to Manchester, Barcelona will lose a hugely talented member of their squad and that is testament enough to his promise.
Showing posts with label David Moyes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Moyes. Show all posts
Tuesday, 2 July 2013
Monday, 10 June 2013
GUILLERMO VARELA
Who is he? Where does he play?
He is a Uruguayan 20 year old right-back who will be a trivia-fan favourite for years to come as he becomes David Moyes's first signing as Manchester United manager. Remember the name, Guillermo Varela, as the man who Moyes made his hugely-awaited impact at Old Trafford with by signing him for an undisclosed fee from Penarol.
He must be pretty darn good then, non?
He seems to be. It was Sir Alex Ferguson who first glanced his gifted eyes towards the South American, inviting him for a 2 week trial in the beginning of May, which went quite well according to the player;
“I have trained with the first-team. I am very happy and I was received very well. It was a surprise to get the chance to test with Manchester United. I’m glad and happy, and grateful to Penarol who allowed me to travel. I was treated so well and Chicharito helped me a lot. The work outs were short but very demanding.”
He must have impressed, as United saw enough to make a permanent move despite the youngster only turning out for Penarol once. Though the coach of the Montevideo club, Jorge Da Silva, believes he deserves the move;
He is a Uruguayan 20 year old right-back who will be a trivia-fan favourite for years to come as he becomes David Moyes's first signing as Manchester United manager. Remember the name, Guillermo Varela, as the man who Moyes made his hugely-awaited impact at Old Trafford with by signing him for an undisclosed fee from Penarol.
He must be pretty darn good then, non?
He seems to be. It was Sir Alex Ferguson who first glanced his gifted eyes towards the South American, inviting him for a 2 week trial in the beginning of May, which went quite well according to the player;
“I have trained with the first-team. I am very happy and I was received very well. It was a surprise to get the chance to test with Manchester United. I’m glad and happy, and grateful to Penarol who allowed me to travel. I was treated so well and Chicharito helped me a lot. The work outs were short but very demanding.”
He must have impressed, as United saw enough to make a permanent move despite the youngster only turning out for Penarol once. Though the coach of the Montevideo club, Jorge Da Silva, believes he deserves the move;
"This is what he deserves. It is a shame to see him go but you can't deny him the opportunity to join a club like this."
Ah interesting, United scouts found the Da Silva twins....
So we can't really argue with them and the logic behind it appears to be cover for Rafael who has had to settle for the understudy of usual-CBs Phil Jones and Chris Smalling over the past two years. It seems like Moyes wants genuine cover in the position and sees Varela, who offers pace and a fine reading of the game according to MUDHF, as a good choice. Like Rafael, he also shows a willingness to bomb forwards and join attacks, vital to the Manchester United game-plan.
It's unlikely we'll see him soon in England, we'll have to be patient.
That's likely to be true, though Varela does have 9 caps to his name for the Uruguay under-20 side and he will be playing in this summer's u-20 Championships in Turkey. If you are eager enough, you can watch him there, hugging the touchline in his wide right-back role.
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
LEROY FER
Who is he? Where does he play?
He is Everton's new £8.6 million signing who the Toffees have sneaked under the transfer radar like a stealth bomber to take off the hands of FC Twente. He's 23, he's Dutch, he has a surname that looks like it has been cut in half and he's a dynamic centre-midfielder who came through the academy at Feyenoord.
Everton signing £8 million + plus on a player?
Yep, the normally tighter than the thighs on a fat girl Bill Kenwright has backed David Moyes quite handsomely with this capture after his manager reportedly spent the whole week in Holland trying to seal the deal. He is billed as the long-term replacement for the heavily sought-after afro-haired Marouane Fellaini and will add young impetus into a midfield that currently looks a little light.
What else will he add?
While Fellaini has been moved foward as an attacking midfielder to much success, Everton have looked a little light-weight (Darron Gibson/ Leon Osman), old (Phil Neville) or not-really wanted (John Heitinga) in the centre of midfield. Fer, whose strong, unforgiving displays at Twente have earned him the nickname "the bouncer" will restore some bite to the engine room if nothing else. He is big and physical and he is a comparison gold-mine, he has been likened to Patrick Vieira and Franck Rijkaard by Dutch national youth-coaches and to Sami Khedira and Yaya Toure by his modest self.
Vieira, Khedira, Rijkaard and Toure? Tough company..
It's the idea of promoting himself in that mould more than anything. Like Vieira, he can pick the ball up from deep and charge through the midfield like a traction engine in the vein of Toure before using the ball cleverly in the final third like Khedira. He can start attacks and finish them himself as a powerful, energetic box-to-box force and can pass well too, both long and short. He is a complete, robust midfielder who is primed for inheriting Fellaini's place. He currently plays in the double-pivot of a 4-2-3-1 for Twente, so expect him to drop in deep, perhaps alongside Leon Osman, first of all.
This sounds very exciting
It is and I don't think David Moyes and Everton would have been quite so persuasive with the bank manager if Fer, also impressing Dutch manager Louis Van Gaal as he has been given two caps in the Netherland's World Cup qualifying process, wasn't a good prospect. The young midfielder has aspirations of playing in Europe for Everton and with his signing, that may come sooner, rather than later.
He is Everton's new £8.6 million signing who the Toffees have sneaked under the transfer radar like a stealth bomber to take off the hands of FC Twente. He's 23, he's Dutch, he has a surname that looks like it has been cut in half and he's a dynamic centre-midfielder who came through the academy at Feyenoord.
Everton signing £8 million + plus on a player?
Yep, the normally tighter than the thighs on a fat girl Bill Kenwright has backed David Moyes quite handsomely with this capture after his manager reportedly spent the whole week in Holland trying to seal the deal. He is billed as the long-term replacement for the heavily sought-after afro-haired Marouane Fellaini and will add young impetus into a midfield that currently looks a little light.
What else will he add?
While Fellaini has been moved foward as an attacking midfielder to much success, Everton have looked a little light-weight (Darron Gibson/ Leon Osman), old (Phil Neville) or not-really wanted (John Heitinga) in the centre of midfield. Fer, whose strong, unforgiving displays at Twente have earned him the nickname "the bouncer" will restore some bite to the engine room if nothing else. He is big and physical and he is a comparison gold-mine, he has been likened to Patrick Vieira and Franck Rijkaard by Dutch national youth-coaches and to Sami Khedira and Yaya Toure by his modest self.
Vieira, Khedira, Rijkaard and Toure? Tough company..
It's the idea of promoting himself in that mould more than anything. Like Vieira, he can pick the ball up from deep and charge through the midfield like a traction engine in the vein of Toure before using the ball cleverly in the final third like Khedira. He can start attacks and finish them himself as a powerful, energetic box-to-box force and can pass well too, both long and short. He is a complete, robust midfielder who is primed for inheriting Fellaini's place. He currently plays in the double-pivot of a 4-2-3-1 for Twente, so expect him to drop in deep, perhaps alongside Leon Osman, first of all.
This sounds very exciting
It is and I don't think David Moyes and Everton would have been quite so persuasive with the bank manager if Fer, also impressing Dutch manager Louis Van Gaal as he has been given two caps in the Netherland's World Cup qualifying process, wasn't a good prospect. The young midfielder has aspirations of playing in Europe for Everton and with his signing, that may come sooner, rather than later.
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