AC Milan are looking to bolster their attacking options in January by picking from a choice of Chelsea strikers according to The Sun.
Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka have been targeted by Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani as the possible replacements for Antonio Cassano who will be out for six months while recovering from minor heart surgery.
However Galliani has confirmed that it will only be a loan deal and that Drogba would be the preferred option. It is highly unlikely that Chelsea will allow the players to leave on loan as their contracts are both up at the end of the season and they could have a part to play at Stamford Bridge this season.
Galliani said: “If we sign a player, it will only be on a loan basis, until June.
“If Anelka continues to score, we will see. He is an important player, but I was in love with Drogba when he was at Olympique Marseille.”
The Blues are struggling for form this season and sit outside the top four and on the brink of going out of the Champions League at the group stage. Fellow strikers Fernando Torres, Daniel Sturridge and Romelu Lukaku are also vying for seemingly one spot in Andre Villas-Boas’ side and none of them have found any sort of form.
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As Drogba and Anelka’s contracts both expire in May, it may be a permanent deal that Chelsea are looking for as Boas attempts to prove the doubters wrong and build his own side in West London.
As snow fell heavily in the winter of 1996 Kevin Keegan introduced a player to the Newcastle fans who would be remembered for a variety of contrasting reasons. If you haven’t guessed yet I’m talking about the maverick Colombian Faustino Asprilla. Tino signed for Newcastle for a fee of 6.7 million pounds from Italian giants Parma. He was purchased with the intention of bolstering the Geordies’ attacking options for their title push. Asprilla made an immediate impact in his first game when he came off the bench and swung the momentum in the Toon’s favour. They were trailing to local rivals Middlesbrough 1-0 until Asprilla emerged with 20 minutes to go and instantly become a hit with the fans. He left Steve Vickers in knots with his dazzling footwork before his Cruyff turn and cross set up Steve Watson to level the game which Newcastle then went on to win 2-1.
Despite the start he made Asprilla never really found his feet in terms of his goals for Newcastle and clearly that is the underlining requisite for any striker. His return of 9 goals in 48 domestic games doesn’t make for great reading, and does this stat class Asprilla’s purchase as a bad one? What Tino did do in his time at Newcastle was leave a lasting impression on the Premiership and Newcastle fans though, whether it be the head-butt he dished out to Keith Curle or his trademark goal celebration. Furthermore, his European goals tally makes for rather more pleasant viewing – 9 goals in 11 games – and aren’t the great European nights often those the fans remember most?
One night in particular he lit up St James’ Park, in what is unquestionably Asprilla’s finest moment in the black and white. It is of course the Champions League group stage game against the mighty Barcelona. Barca came to town boasting world stars such as Rivaldo, Luis Enrique and Figo, but the night belonged to one man alone and it will ensure Asprilla remains a cult like figure among the fans for some time to come. For those of you who aren’t aware of that incredible evening Asprilla scored a hat-trick – a penalty and two fantastic headers which resulted in the team winning 3-2. It actually ended up being the last time Tino found the net for Newcastle, and he was sold back to Parma by Kenny Dalglish soon after. Asprilla won the hearts of the fans for his performances in Europe. Another distinctive moment was his celebration against Metz where he removed his shirt and held it aloft on the corner flag. I wonder if Newcastle fans would swap these moments in time? The reason I pose this question is that if Newcastle had never signed the mercurial Colombian maybe the team would have gone onto win the league in 95-96? Surely Asprilla can’t be the scapegoat for Newcastle’s incapability that season, can he?
Since he left Newcastle Asprilla was linked with a shock move to Darlington back in 2002 which never materialised. He has also been in hot water for firing his machine gun on his farm in Colombia, but the latest venture in Asprilla’s life is his purchase of his own Colombian football club, the modestly named Club Athletico Faustino Asprilla. Inevitably Asprilla’s time on Tyneside was seen by some as a failure. Although, he brought a certain showmanship and eccentricity to the team he was consequently considered as a factor in the disappointing climax to the 95-96 season. You may think he revelled with his skill and craft, or you may think his inconsistency and antics on the pitch as well as his lifestyle off it cost Newcastle. Whatever you say about Tino Asprilla there’s no denying his spell in the Premiership has provided the fans with many talking points and fond memories.
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Former Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun has launched a stinging attack on ex-Reds manager Rafa Benitez, who he says forced him to quit Anfield and head to Chelsea.
Benayoun spent three seasons on Merseyside and scored 29 goals in 134 appearances, but was unhappy with the way he was treated by Benitez, who has also left the club to take charge of Internazionale.
He told The News of The World:"I made up my mind to leave a long time ago because of Benitez. He never treated me with the respect I deserved.
"If I played well, I never felt he gave me credit. When I scored, I still expected to be out of the team the next game.
"There are many examples of him treating me badly. Last season, against Fulham and Lyon, the fans booed when I was subbed.
"They thought I was playing well, but Benitez told me he was surprised they booed because I was not good enough. It was as if the fans' reaction worked against me.
"He told me I was a better player as a substitute instead of starting in the team. He tried to destroy my confidence. You can't treat a player like this and expect him to be happy.
"I felt so unhappy, but out of respect to the club I never spoke out. The players and the people at the top of the club knew how I felt.
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"I was sure he wanted me to attack him in the press during the season so he could turn the fans against me, so I kept quiet.
"I felt he was waiting for me to make a mistake so he could use it against me."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
A chance to pull away from the Premier League relegation zone is up for grabs at the Stadium of Light on Saturday as season travellers Fulham make the long trip up to the North East to face a much improved Sunderland side. The Black Cat’s have endured a difficult start to the season once again finding themselves in the shadow of fierce rivals Newcastle with early performances seeing supporters calling for manager Steve Bruce’s head. Those negative noises quickly died down after their win against Bolton last month and some encouraging performances in defeats away to Arsenal and Manchester United. Their last five game have brought a meagre total of five points from a possible 15 but it’s the much improved displays that have given fans hope of moving away from the dreaded drop zone after a slow start to the campaign. Bruce’s legion of summer signings have taken their time to gel but there is evidence that they are finally starting to strike a chord with one another. Stephane Sessegnon and Nicklas Bendtner have looked dangerous up front with the on-loan Arsenal man giving the Wearsiders something different in the final third. Despite only scoring twice since his move to the Stadium of Light the Danish international looks to be playing without pressure on his shoulders and his displays have enlightened the Sunderland fans. Fellow summer buys Sebastian Larsson and John O’Shea have struck up a promising partnership on the right whilst Kieron Westwood staked his claim for the number one jersey with an accomplished performance at Old Trafford before the international break. However one win in five home games is poor and they need to start winning on their own soil if they are to start climbing towards the top half. Fulham’s league campaign has panned out in a similar manner to the North East side’s although their involvement in the Europa League has impacted severely on their domestic form. Martin Jol has suffered a difficult first few months in charge at Craven Cottage with the Dutchman unable to get his side to replicate their performances in Europe in the Premier League. Saturday’s game will be their 25th in all competitions after starting on the 30th of June and it’s no surprise that a number of players are starting to look jaded in such a small squad. The manner in which they demolished QPR at the start of October looked to be a turning point in the Cottagers season but in the four games since then they have lost three and won one away at rock bottom Wigan. Their form on the continent has been much stronger with seven wins in 12 games and Jol needs to find a way of getting his side to start winning league games with only two top flight victories all season. Bobby Zamora continues to lead the line on the Thames whilst the recent displays of Moussa Dembele have been promising. Fulham will need both to be on their game if they are to start finding the net away from home with only three goals scored on their travels. However they will be confident of taking something away from the North East after beating Sunderland 3-0 in April.
Sunderland – 15th
Last Five
Lost 1-0 v Manchester United (A), Drew 2-2 v Aston Villa (H), Won 2-0 v Bolton (A), Lost 2-1 v Arsenal (A), Drew 2-2 v West Brom (H)
Potential Starting X11
24. K. Westwood 16. J. O’Shea [C] 4. M. Turner 6. W. Brown 2. P. Bardsley 27. A. Elmohamady 6. L. Cattermole 16. J. Colback 11. K. Richardson 28. S. Sessegnon 52. N. Bendtner
Injury News
Simon Mignolet is the only fresh injury concern for Bruce after the keeper sustained a broken nose in the 2-2 draw against Aston Villa. Apart from that long-term victim Fraizer Campbell is the only other player inhabiting the treatment room whilst Connor Wickham is definitely out after injuring his knee at Manchester United.
Key Player Stephane Sessegnon – After a relatively slow start to his Sunderland career following his move from PSG in January the Benin international has become an integral part of Bruce’s side. The midfielder has been playing in the hole behind Bendtner for much of the season and if given time and space he could do some serious damage against the Cottagers.
Match Fact
This will be the 15th top flight meeting between the two teams with Sunderland managing to beat Fulham only three times in 14 attempts with their last win coming in January 2009.
Fulham – 16th
Last Five
Lost 3-1 v Tottenham (H), Won 4-1 v Wisla Krakow (H), Won 2-0 v Wigan (A), Lost 3-1 v Everton (A), Lost 1-0 v Wisla Krakow (A)
Potential Starting X11
1. M. Schwarzer 6. C. Baird 18. A. Hughes 5. B. Hangeland 3. J. Riise 16. D. Duff 13. D. Murphy [C] 4. S. Sidwell 23. C. Dempsey 30. M. Dembele 25. B. Zamora*
Injury News
The Cottagers will be without half a dozen first team players for the trip up North with Andy Johnson and Zdenek Grygera the latest faces to the take refuge in the Fulham treatment room.
Key Player
Bobby Zamora – 2011 has been kind to Zamora with England recognition coming his way and along with nine goals in all competitions after regaining his match sharpness after breaking his leg last year. Made his first start for the national side in mid-week and proved that he can offer something different to Fabio Capello’s side. His club manager will need his strength and determination up front on Saturday if Fulham are going to come away from the Stadium of Light with a hoard of precious points.
Match Fact
The Cottagers have won only one game on the road all season but will be buoyed by the fact they won 3-0 on their last trip to the North East in April. Two goals from Simon Davies and another from former loan star Gael Kakuta gave then Fulham boss Mark Hughes a well deserved victory.
Last Time at the Stadium of Light
Premier League 30th April 2011
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Sunderland 0-3 Fulham
Kakuta 33, Davies 61, 73
Attendance: 39,576
Referee: Martin Atkinson
PREDICTION Both sides have suffered through underwhelming starts to the seasons with pre-season predictions tipping them to make a major impact in the top half. Some lethargic performances from Fulham have given credence to the theory that their Europa League campaign is proving detrimental to their league form. Sunderland on the other hand have seen a side full of new faces struggle to cohere but there is light at the end of the tunnel with recent displays proving to be very encouraging. The Cottagers are struggling on the road whilst the Black Cats are unbeaten in their last four at home.
Manchester United’s Brazilian right back Rafael has shown a lot of promise over the last 18 months or so, so much so that the retirement of club stalwart Gary Neville went relatively unnoticed. But there is a feeling that persists, that for the player to truly reach his potential, he must rein in his temper and his passion to the extent whereby he isn’t considered a reckless inclusion by Sir Alex Ferguson for the bigger games any longer.
The only noticeable drawback to Rafael’s immense talent is his failure at times to control his temper. He is very quick, rarely turned inside out by a winger and combines a fierce tackle with enthusiasm going forward – in short, the perfect modern day full-back.
It has even been suggested by many, particularly in light of the side’s 2-0 over Arsenal in the FA Cup last week, that he and his twin-brother Fabio may find their true calling further forward on the wing rather than at full-back. The fact that the notion cannot be regarded as absurd is as big a testament to their versatility as it is an indictment of the likes of Obertan and Bebe.
The hangover from Rafael’s red card against Bayern Munich in last season’s Champions League is still evident though. That game-changing dismissal has ensured that Rafael is not quite yet the club’s first-choice right back, even when there appears to be little standing in his way. He kept Franck Ribery perfectly quiet for almost an hour until his dismissal and yet again his ill-discipline appears to get in the way of his development. His harsh sending off against Spurs almost nearly cost the club a point away at White Hart Lane earlier in the campaign too.
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John O’Shea has been a steady and dependable presence at the back this season and has to be considered Rafael’s main rival for the slot. On ability alone, it’s a no-contest, Rafael wins hands-down. Yet Ferguson has still plumped for O’Shea over Rafael at times last season and this season, most notably in wins against both Chelsea and Man City last month.
Rafael was also fortunate to stay on the pitch after tempers flared against Liverpool on the 6th March, after a two-footed lunge on Lucas that the midfielder was lucky enough to escape unharmed from. Fortunately for both sides, Phil Dowd’s ineptitude in not sending off Jamie Carragher earlier on in the game for a horrific lunge on Nani only helped to serve as a precursor for such inadequately lenient officiating that has become Dowd’s hallmark.
O’Shea offers the no frills approach that Ferguson sometimes prefers in the bigger games. Rafael, though the better player and right back, does come with the footnote of being liable to let his passion get the better of him, particularly when faced with players of Argentinean descent it would appear.
At just 20 years of age, there is of course time for Rafael to develop this side of his game. He will do well to take note of Gary Neville’s attitude during his Man Utd career too as a role model to follow for the future. Neville drew a thin line between antagonising his opposite number and performing an effective role in the team. Other than against Liverpool, Neville rarely let his emotions get the better of him on the pitch and for all his faults, he was undoubtedly a consummate professional.
Upon his retirement, Neville was downplayed in some quarters as being a player that got the best out of what limited ability he had through sheer force of will to succeed – for me, that is a gross underestimation of one of the best right backs the English game has ever seen, which in his pomp, had a delivery to match even the best wingers’.
While Neville’s talents and technique have been swept under the carpet, Rafael’s will surely not. His boundless energy, while his greatest strength, can also be his greatest weakness in certain situations. Out of Man Utd’s current crop of young players, barring perhaps Chris Smalling, Rafael represents the club’s greatest prospect.
International honours may have to wait for some time with the likes of Maicon and Daniel Alves in front of him, but when it comes to club football, the only thing standing in Rafael’s way in terms of pinning down the right back slot, ahead of John O’Shea, for the forseeable future would appear to be his questionable temperament.
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The naivety of youth can lead to hot-headed actions in the heat of a match sometimes, and the only thing standing in Rafael’s way at the moment is his decision-making in the tackle. But, and it’s a big but, until he learns the time and place to go in full-blooded, he will not earn the full trust of manager Alex Ferguson to perform without incident in the big games and he will have to contend with rivals for his position of lesser ability and potential such as John O’Shea.
Rafael is a Manchester United star of the future, as is Ravel Morrison…
Arsene Wenger has suggested Jack Wilshere will be part of Arsenal's first-team squad this season rather than head back out on loan.
The 18-year-old midfielder impressed while on loan at Bolton Wanderers during the second half of the last campaign.
The Trotters are keen to re-sign the highly-rated teenager, but Wenger has dropped a strong hint that Wilshere will stay at the Emirates Stadium this term.
Wilshere started Wednesday's 3-0 pre-season friendly victory over Austrian side Sturm Graz.
"At the moment, I want Jack to gain experience and, if possible, at Arsenal. I will give him a chance to play – now," said Wenger.
"I want to see if he can integrate with the first team. Of course, I will make that decision later. Ideally, it is better that he gains experience with us.
"Jack has done well. I am keen not to create too much hype around the young English players because they need to work hard.
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"We do have outstanding English talent at this club, though."
Meanwhile, Wenger insists the door remains open for Sol Campbell to stay with the Gunners despite the out of contract defender also being offered terms by Sunderland and Celtic.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Everton manager David Moyes has stated that he is happy with his team’s 3-1 win over Fulham on Sunday, despite get the run of the green in the second half.
With the matched poised at 1-1, Cottagers striker Bobby Zamora missed a glorious opportunity to put the home side into the lead, and the Scottish coach is glad that he didn’t convert the chance.
“You just need a centre forward to round a goalie and miss. We looked at that point we might be struggling. But Zamora didn’t score and we did,” he told BBC Sport.
“Once he gets round the goalie, you expect to see the net bulging but we went down the pitch and Louis [Saha] produced a great finish. Fulham will feel hard done by that they lost the game.”
Royston Drenthe scored a fantastic opener for The Toffees, and Moyes feels the Dutch loanee can play an important role for the Merseyside club.
“We’re trying to get him used to the speed of the Premier League and what we do at Everton, and he had a good game today,” he said.
Everton have had an inconsistent start, but Moyes is hoping that his team can improve as the season goes on.
“We got a bit of good fortune today and got a good result.
“We haven’t been thinking too far ahead. If you look back at history, we’ve tended to get better as the season has gone on, so I’m hoping that will be the case again,” he concluded.
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Everton host wounded giants Manchester United at Goodison Park next weekend, and will need to be at their best not to suffer the backlash of the champions after their derby day mauling by Manchester City.
Amid the almost unprecedented transfer mêlée that accompanied the final hours of the transfer window at the back end of January, one Spanish striker was attracting attention from across Europe. Unlike another Spanish Fernando, Fernando Llorente has as yet resisted the big money move and despite interest from illustrious suitors, Liverpool and Tottenham, remained with Athletic Bilbao as the clocks struck twelve.
Fernando Llorente’s stock has risen dramatically over the last 18 months. No doubt aided by his presence in the incredibly successful Spanish national squad, the striker has been in particularly impressive form this season for Athletic Bilbao, prompting considerable interest from major players across Europe.
While the Spaniard is yet to have a genuinely prolific campaign, his return of 15 league goals in 26 appearances so far this term, suggest with a stronger team around him that he could achieve substantial goal scoring feats in the coming seasons. Powerful in the air, and with no small amount of technical ability, the chances of him starting next season at the San Mames stadium appear remote.
His detractors may argue that a move to England, which is looking more and more likely, would be one that would need to catch light immediately. At 26, his peak years are fast approaching and the time that may be needed to help the former Baskonia man adjust to a new league could be significant.
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His scoring record for the Spanish national team is impressive. Seven goals in 13 appearances suggest a man that can cut it at the highest level, however a £30 million price tag, would have in previous years landed you more evidence of success than the hope of reasonable promise. After all, Llorente made only a solitary appearance for Spain during their successful World Cup campaign last summer- a half hour cameo against Paraguay the only reward for a man stuck behind the woefully out of form, Fernando Torres in the pecking order.
In fairness, the man who scored his first international goal against England in February 2009, has played a far more prominent role in Spanish fixtures since the World Cup, scoring twice against Lithuania and once against Scotland in key Euro 2012 qualifiers.
This, however, is indicative of the market conditions several top clubs have found themselves dealing with. In an environment where Andy Carroll is worth £35 million, the asking price for Llorente is not exorbitant- particularly when there are several key interested English rivals who appear set on landing the striker at a similar price.
Liverpool, it would appear, look set to end their interest in signing another forward, having landed two during the final hours of the transfer window. Manchester United have become the latest club to be linked to the player, although with Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez all impressing at different points this season a move to Old Trafford would certainly be a competitive one.
Tottenham look best placed to land the Spaniard, although a potential lack of Champions League football next season could be a fly in the ointment if Llorente decides that at 26 he cannot afford to wait for exposure to the highest level of European club football.
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Whichever way you look at it, Llorente’s star is most certainly on the rise, and should he continue to perform for both club and country, the clamour for his signature will become one of the stories of the summer.
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Hammers’ fans are staunchly proud of the fact that their club contributed so much to England’s sole World Cup triumph in 1966. Boasting such luminaries as Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst, their list of past players reads like a pantheon of footballing greats.
There are, however, just one or two that they’d rather keep quiet about.
Northern Irish goalkeeper Allen McKnight was truly dreadful. His arrival in 1988 sparked a downturn in West Ham’s fortunes as they were relegated from the top flight in only his first season. Manager John Lyall was promptly sacked and Allen (who by then was affectionately known as Allen McKnightmare) made just 23 appearances during his three year stint at Upton Park. He left disgraced and the East Londoners were promoted again the season after.
Striker Lee Chapman proved something of a disappointment. West Ham paid £250k for the forward in 1993 when he was approaching the end of the career. He came on the back of a respectable scoring ratio of almost one in two games at Leeds who he had helped to promotion from the second division and then the title in 1992. He faded badly though and his scoring touch fully deserted him has he toiled to find the net at Upton Park. His propensity to miss from close range earned him few fans amongst the Hammers faithful and he was finally shipped out to Ipswich at a huge loss after scoring just seven goals over two years.
Finally, there’s Gary Charles. The right back made a name for himself in Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest side of the early 1990s and was famously tackled by Paul Gascoigne in the 1991 FA Cup Final. Gazza broke his leg whilst Charles’ solid performances earned him a call up to the England squad. He joined West Ham in 1999 but his time there was an unhappy one. He was restricted to making just six appearances over three years due a crippling knee injury which eventually forced him to retire. He had already succumbed to a drinking problem by the late 1990s which further inhibited his chances of breaking into the first team. He will be best remembered at Upton Park for drink-driving offences rather than anything he did on the pitch.
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With the Luka Modric situation still unresolved and Scott Parker out through an achilles injury for up to two months, Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas is keen to solve his midfield problems with the signings of Etienne Capoue from Toulouse and Yann M’Vila from Rennes.
Tottenham scouts observed Capoue play against Montpellier on Friday and then analysed M’Vila’s performance against Lyon on Saturday. Spurs have tabled a £12m bid for M’Vila, but Rennes are keen to hold out for £17m for the defensive midfielder. Both Capoue and M’Vila have represented France at under-21 level.
Playmaker Luka Modric has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, with the Spanish champions submitting a £25m bid for the Croatian international, who Spurs have valued at £40m. Croatian manager Igor Stimac has blasted Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, as he tells The Mail Online Levy “promised a year ago that if an offer came from Madrid, he would let him go. And when the offer came, he changed his mind.” Stimac says that Modric “hopes to move to Madrid. That’s all he wants – to go to Madrid.”