Huddersfield’s work now begins!
Congratulations to Huddersfield Town who will be joining Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle and Chris Hughton’s Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League next season. It is a fantasy story come true because Huddersfield have never previously played with the elite. In fact they have spent most of the past 50 years in the very lower divisions League One and Two. Manager David Wagner has four excellent loanees and two other players who will do well in the Premier League. Manchester City loanee Aaron Mooy was probably the best player in the Championship last season but Pep Guardiola is going to assess his progress over the summer break and might take him back to the Sky Blues for the new season. But after that Wagner has to bring in fresh blood. Promotion brings the club the richest prize in football: approximately £170million so there is plenty of money available. In the modern Premier League era only 10 of the 25 clubs promoted from the playoff final have lasted more than one season in the Premier League so the “Terriers” as Huddersfield are known, have their work cut out.
Arsene Wenger is staying at the Gunners for two more years and Ivan Gazidis says that means he is probably leaving as Chief Executive. The two have been continually disagreeing all season. Gazidis is being actively pursued by America’s MLS to take over as the boss of the American league. It is Gazidis who wants a Director of Football to be brought into Arsenal’s restructuring during the summer. Wenger says “Not as long as I am at the club!”
I had to smile when I heard that “Super Player’s” agent Mino Railoa has bought the Miami mansion that once belonged to notorious American gangster Al Capone. It occurred to me that even Capone did not make money as fast as Raiola. He is reputed to have banked £41.39million from Paul Pogba’s transfer to Manchester United.
Zlatan Ibrahimovich earns £367,640 per week at Manchester United, plus £143,000 per goal and therefore collected an extra £2.86million for his 28 goals last season! No wonder he was quick to pick up the ball and take penalties. Will Zlatan stay or move from United is the big question but with that income why move away from a club which promises much improvement next year. His Hong Kong-born surgeon Freddie Fu has said that Zlatan’s knee ligament damage, which forced him to miss the end of the season, is “Fixed, done and getting stronger. He is very healthy, very strong, biologically, bone morphology, everything is very healthy. He can play for many years to come.”
Liverpool were amazingly quick to sign Gini Wijnaldum last July and three weeks before the transfer window closed. Manager Jurgen Klopp is always very quick to sign players he wants because he believes they should join training as soon as possible. He does not sign and put a player on the bench while they adjust to Anfield. He is already working on his summer signings and has approached several players. Klopp admitted that now the last kick of the season has been taken he will have a busy period over the summer. He said this week, “It is probable that we will have to work through our holidays this year and get a lot of hard work done.” His two major players on whom he is focusing are Virgil van Dijk from Southampton and Naby Keita who plays for RB Leipzig in Germany’s Bundesliga. Jurgen wouldn’t be drawn on whether they are about to sign a young Brazilian striker who has been dubbed The New Ronaldinho. “The Reds have been watching Luan for a year and a source told me that they are close to agreeing personal terms in a £26million
deal. Rumours are circulating that Chelsea’s Eden Hazard has contractually committed himself Spanish giants Real Madrid. I spoke with Chelsea this week and asked if he has signed a precontract or agreed personal terms. I was told that owner Roman Abramovich is determined that his club should keep the Belgian star and money is no object. I was told secretly that Chelsea are prepared to double his current salary which means a rise from £150k to £300k a week or £15million a year! This could be an expensive summer for Roman Abramovich because the newly crowned Premier League champion’s manager, Antonio Conte, is getting a raise in his own salary, up to £6.5million a year. That is still less than half of the £15million that Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola earns. to
Despite the great season win over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and beating Chelsea in the Emirates Cup Final the Gunners are still preparing for life without both Alexis Sanchez and Mersut Ozil. Manager Arsene Wenger is reluctant to pay Sanchez £300,000 a week because he says it will destabilise the dressing room and cause resentment amongst other players. He is still hopeful of retaining his star player and said after the FA Cup game that there has been “meaningful talks.” However, Arsenal’s club scouts how have now pinpointed a possible double swoop for Spanish club Porto forward Yacine Brahimi and German side Shalke’s playmaker Max Meyer. They might be in competition with Italian sides AC and Inter Milan for Algerian star Brahimi and Liverpool are interested in Meyer, who manager Jurgen Klopp admires. Brahimi plays like Sanchez: out wide but he also delivers through the middle. Meyer is very much like Spur’s Deli Alli.
Two Silvas in the news this week: Highly rated Hull boss Marco Silva will be in charge at Watford next season and the owners, the Pozzo family, believe they have finally found the right man after sacking Walter Mazzarri. I will report back on Marco’s plans as soon as possible. Meanwhile David Silva is looking for a new deal from Manchester City, to take him to the end of his career. 31-year-old Silva has been outstanding for City during the past few seasons and he is looking forward to playing with new arrival Bernado Silva who has been signed from Monaco for £43million. City are also hoping to keep Ya Ya Toure on a one year contract and there is a new deal on the table for his fellow midfielder 32-year-old Fernandinho.