FC Twente To Appoint Co Adriaanse As Coach
Michel Preud’homme, winner of Rinuus Michel award for 2010/11 season resigned last week to take over Saudi Arabia National Team. Twente president Joop Munsterman announced on Monday that the veteran Dutch coach will take over as Twente’s new coach.
THT Verdict: Adriaanse is an experienced coach and often known for his extraordinary training methods. He has won league titles in Portugal and Austria, so he suits Twente’s ambitions. The Tukkers are however missing out some much needed continuity. They have finished in top-3 of Eredivisie for last 3 seasons but have lost their managers who chose more lucrative offers. This is a transition phase for Twente and it will be interesting to see if Adriaanse can take them to next year’s UCL.
Lukman Haruna Signs for Dynamo Kiev
The former U-17 World Cup winning captain has signed a $ 2.8 million deal with Dynamo. The player is under a five year contract with the club.
THT Verdict: Still just 21, Haruna is easily a future star for his country. His performances earned rave reviews in Ligue-1 last season. Monaco’s relegation meant that Haruna was bound to move to greener pastures. Dynamo’s midfield has often suffered from lack of creativity and Haruna with his dribbling skills and precise passing will be an asset.
Mata Open To Liverpool Offers?
A lot of offers will be pouring in for Spanish star Juan Mata but his agent has stated that he will be patient with the situation and Liverpool are said to be involved in the thick of things. They however face competition from Manchester City and Barcelona.
THT Verdict: Liverpool haven’t yet zeroed in on a winger and amongst the candidates that are mentioned, Mata is clearly the strongest. A player with supreme skill and technique, Mata is one of the few shining stars of La Liga not belonging to either Real Madrid or Barcelona. Liverpool will have to shell out quite a sum to land a player like him but if they can afford his services without offering him the panache of Champions League football, then this would be one of their best buys.
Villareal Move For Sandro
Fresh reports claim that Tottenham’s Brazilian midfielder Sandro could be on his way to wealthy Spanish giants Villarreal in a £12million deal.
THT Verdict: Sandro was touted to make it big at White Hart Lane the previous season. Although he didn’t reach the heights as one would expect him to, he nevertheless had a good first season at Tottenham. But it looks like Redknapp’s failure to break into the top 4 for a second season in a row has coerced him to make room for more established players. Sandro here could be used as the bait to make room for a more experienced player.
Arsenal Back In For Alvarez
Latest reports from England suggest that Arsenal have again entered the melee with the hope to sign Argentine midfielder Ricardo Alavarez. Inter Milan, Malaga, Sevilla, Roma and Schalke 04 are also in the race for the player.
THT Verdict: In lieu of building an improved squad , Arsene Wenger is looking to fill in the gaps from defense to attack and Alvarez is a good choice for midfield. The player has grown to stature at Velez Sarsfield and would no doubt be a value-add to Wenger’s team. However, a price tag of 11 million pounds could ebb Arsenal’s interest in the player.
Forlan Available, Spurs Loom
Shortly after having been put on the transfer list by Atletico Madrid, Diego Forlan has immediately attracted interest. Tottenham Hotspur has expressed its desire to purchase the player who has been rated at 7 million pounds.
THT Verdict: Spurs do have a good strike force on paper but somehow the Defoe-Pavyluchenko-Crouch trio has not scored as many goals as one would have expected. Forlan has enjoyed a really good spell at Spain since his move from Manchester United. There is no doubt he would love to come back and prove himself once again on English soil. This is a transfer deal likely to go through.
Malaga sign Valencia star Joaquin
In a fresh development, Malaga continue to buy stars but at good prices and the latest addition is Joaquin Sanchez, the Valencia winger for 4 million euros on a three year contract. He is the seventh signing of the club in the summer as Manuel Pellegrini looks to build up a competitive squad to fight for atleast a Europa spot. He moved to Valencia from Betis in 2006 for 25 million euros.
THT Verdict: At 4 million euros, the 29 year old winger is a steal. He was not a very regular starter under Unai Emery but his quality cannot be questioned. He will add a lot of bite to the right side of the midfield as Malaga look to rebuild a good squad under the Chilean, Manuel Pellegrini. Malaga have made the most number of signings in La Liga so far and all of them have been at good prices.