Prem big guns eye up £30m Hamsik
PAUL POGBA’S agent Mino Raiola had the hottest mobile phone around in the summer transfer window as Manchester United were in non-stop contact before sealing his £89million transfer from Juventus.
But agent Juraj Venglos has had his ears warmed, too, as English clubs checked out the availability of Slovakia’s Napoli star Marek Hamsik, 29.
For the moment midfielder Hamsik is staying with the Italian club.
But Venglos knows a high-class performance against Sam Allardyce’s England in today’s World Cup qualifier will increase interest when the transfer window opens again in January.
Over the last couple of years, Venglos has been contacted by Premier League giants Manchester United, City, Arsenal and Liverpool along with Juventus and Real Madrid.
Hamsik looks destined for a new career away from Italy with English clubs looking his best bet for a fresh start.
His powerful running and quick feet should make him an instant hit in the English top flight.
And the Slovakia star would love to make the switch from Serie A to the Premier League.
Napoli are unlikely to sell him for less than £30m but Venglos believes that is a fair price for a player of Hamsik’s high calibre.
Venglos said: “I have had a number of phone calls. I won’t be specific at the moment, though. Marek has a contract with Napoli.
“His value was already high. Could he leave for £30m? It could be that. It could be higher. It could be lower. Anything is possible.”
Slovakia coach Jan Kozak is in no doubt of Hamsik’s value to his team as they go into the qualifier against England – and his threat to possible future opponents.
Kozak said: “Hamsik is one of the leaders of this team, along with Martin Skrtel. What we can say is that he has matured as a person and as a player at Napoli – he is ready for a very big club.”
Hamsik has played 91 times for Slovakia, scoring 19 goals.
He was instrumental in his country’s qualification for Euro 2016 in France.
Slovakia drew 0-0 with England in the last match of the group stage, qualifying for the last-16 as the best third-placed team. Striker Jamie Vardy today reveals the new England manager’s blueprint for the future – which the players have been quick to buy in to. And they now feel that they are part of Big Sam’s Club England. Leicester’s Vardy said of Allardyce: “The good thing is he wants to make it as if we are just at normal clubs as much as possible. “He doesn’t want it to be, ‘You come here and that’s it’. He wants it to be as if you are in every day for the full season and you are enjoying it. “So that is a good thing and that is how it has been. One of the main things is making it enjoyable. “The last thing you want is to make it hard and gruelling. If you make it enjoyable you are definitely up for coming and very excited about being involved in sessions that are fun. “But obviously, you’ve got to be professional when you are doing them and, while it’s early days, it has been great – really enjoyable. “There’s a lot of new staff in as well. It’s about getting to know them and they have got to get to know us as people. “Obviously, I know Craig Shakespeare as he’s our assistant manager at Leicester and he’s got a lot of experience. “I never complain about his sessions at Leicester. They are always good and if you do them again in the future, you are more than happy because of the enjoyment involved.” Vardy, 29, admits there is a “weight” involved in wearing an England shirt and the responsibility that goes with it. The Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year said: “That is another reason why the manager is trying to make it as if you are playing for your club. “We come on to the international scene and you aren’t together for that long and that is why there is a big weight put on by the public and the press. “So for Sam to make it enjoyable is definitely one way of lifting the weight. “I can’t say I have felt that weight or seen it affect others – not really. You just see it when you read the papers. “But you are here for a reason and as soon as you step over that line, you have to concentrate and make sure you are giving your all. “And what happened at the Euros and against Slovakia the last time we played them, when we drew, is all in the past now. They were a well-organised team but we know we can hurt them if we are at our best.
“In the Euros, after the Slovakia and Iceland games, it was heartbreaking. Every single one of us is a football fan and if we weren’t playing, we’d have been watching – and it WAS heartbreaking.
“But this is a new chapter with a new boss and we have to make sure we get the win this time against Slovakia, take it on into the rest of the qualifying campaign and reach the World Cup.
“We’re here to start afresh with a new manager in and we are here to take it forward.”
Vardy also revealed he could have been playing for Big Sam earlier in his career, when then-Fleetwood boss Micky Mellon tried to sell him to West Ham.
Leicester, managed at the time by Nigel Pearson, eventually signed Vardy for £1million.
But the Foxes striker said: “When I first arrived for this England get-together, Sam told me a story about when I was at Fleetwood. He was at West Ham and the Fleetwood boss was trying to get him to sign me.”
That was four years ago and Vardy has come a long way since then. And he insists his success is down to hard work.
He said: “I just go out and give 100 per cent every week and hopefully that is good enough.
“You can’t stop doing what you have always done. You’ve got to constantly put the work in if you are going to get the benefits.
“There is always a pinnacle to go on top of the previous pinnacle. Once you’ve got there you want to achieve more.
“I’ve seen the replays of me hitting myself at Hull on the first day of the season – it was just me being disappointed with myself.
“I should have put chances in the back of the net. The only way to make me realise was to give myself a little jab in the face.
“It was better than Robert Huth doing it – there is always that! It was just frustration at myself.
“But it seemed to work and I got my first goal of the season against Swansea and that’s always a relief.”
And Vardy knows it will be a relief, too, if England return to winning form today.