As another hectic and dramatic Premier League season draws to a close. Teams are already planning their reinforcements for a new campaign. While players take a well deserved rest, managers and technical staff are already hard at work drawing up short lists to improve their squads.
To kick off this series I’ll begin with Bosmans. Following this I’ll look at the Premier League club by club as the season finishes. Then look at who the vultures will be circling for from the relegated clubs around Europe and end with a run down of each of the major European Leagues.
First some players on Bosmans Many clubs plead poverty or lack of resources when it comes to the summer window. Even in these uncertain financial times here are some prominent players your club could sign for nothing.
Diego Lugano – Fenerbache
Centre Half, 28 years old. Uruguay Captain, 33 caps. Has Italian Passport.
After 4 seasons with Sao Paulo in Brazil, Lugano joined Fenerbache for £4.8million in 2006. He has had 3 productive seasons in Turkey, guiding his team to the Quarter Finals of the Champions League last season. Not the quickest, but 6″2 great in the air, strong and a good reader of the game. Cynical in the best traditions of the Uruguayan game, Lugano could easily adapt to the rough and tumble of the Premier League. However his most likely destinations seem to be the perinially defensively challenged Atletico Madrid or Serie A.
Prem Clubs: Arsenal could do with his experience and physicality in what remains a small back line. Being no stranger to a red card he’d fit right in!
Marko Pantelic – Hertha Berlin
Striker, 30 years old. Serbia 24 / 4 caps goals.
Most clubs in world football if offered a player I would describe as ‘the poor mans Dimitar Berbatov’ would bite your hand off. Pantelic has been around the block, he’s played in Greece, Austria, Switzerland, Serbia, Spain, France & Germany. Still when he gets a game his goal record is nearly 1 in 2 for Hertha and almost 1 a game for Red Star. A fan favourite, he has however managed to fall out regularly with coach Lucien Favre, as well as team mates (by taking & missing their penalties…) & the press. A colourful character, he remains a goal scorer of some prowess. Though 6ft he is not a hold up man, and his Berbatov school of back tracking has not endeared him to his coach. I’ve watched a lot of Bundesliga football & the player I most enjoy watching is Pantelic, he is constantly trying anything he can to fashion a chance on goal. When we watch strikers like Alfonso Alves & Andy Johnson tally less than a goal every 4 games, one wonders whether Pantelic’s lazy style would be tolerated for the goals he can bring. Hertha sit 3rd in the Bundesliga, and though hes been in & out of the team he’s still contributed 7 goals this season.
Prem Clubs: Fulham are said to be interested & could do with his flair & goal scoring ability. However he would provide a team like Aston Villa with a different attacking option to any they currently possess (though I feel Tuncay may be a better fit). Teams like Blackburn, Birmingham etc could use him too.
Benoit Pedretti – Auxerre
Central / Defensive Midfield, 28 years old. France 22 caps.
Pedretti has played for Marseille & Lyon before Auxerre where he is club captain. He won the last of his 22 France caps in 2005. Not the tallest, 5″10 or the strongest, but a fine passing range and a good engine make him an excellent addition for nothing. Lacking nothing in experience, alongside a tough tackling midfielder he could form a good partnership. Never my favourite player or most noticeable player, but neither is Michael Carrick. Has amassed total transfer fees of £13.3 million (unlucky for some!) , to pick him up on a free for a lower half premier league team would be a steal.
Prem Clubs: Blackburn could do with a replacement for the aged Tugay. Birmingham need some poise alongside Carsleys industry.
Carlos Kameni – Espanyol
Goalkeeper, 25 years old. Cameroon 52 caps. French Passport.
African goalkeepers have a fairly awful reputation in European football. Kameni however is widely regarded as the exception to the rule 6″1 , a fine shot stopper with excellent reflexes. Espanyol are hovering above the relegation zone and despite good form has fallen out with the fans. Picking up a goalkeeper of this quality and experience in his mid 20′s is quite a coup, especially as there is a shortage of goalkeeping quality in world football at present.
Prem Clubs: If Middlesbrough or Hull stay up he would be first choice. West Ham or even Arsenal may be tempted.
Karim Haggui – Bayer Leverkusen
Centre Half, 25 years old. Tunisia 46 caps.
Last season rated as one of the top 10 defenders in Germany by Kicker magazine. Haggui sadly lost his place to Barcelona registered on loan Brazilian Henrique & then underwent groin surgery. 6ft3, strong in the air & in the tackle, Haggui would make a fine centre half for a host of Premier League clubs. An integral part of the Tunisia national team he has vast experience for a 35 year old.
Prem Clubs: Bolton, Blackburn, Wigan and most of the other bottom half clubs could do with Haggui.
Yohann Pele – Le Mans
Goalkeeper, 26 years old. France
Received his first call up to the national team squad this season. The 6ft5 imposing giant of a goalkeeper has spent his entire career at Le Mans. He has already expressed a desire to move to the Premier League though Bordeaux are very keen to make him their number 1. A goalkeeper of potential.
Prem Clubs: Linked with virtually everyone, though Middlesbrough remain the team with the weakest goalkeeper. My prefer to step up to a smaller club and prove himself on a bigger stage.
Julian De Guzman – Deportivo La Coruna
Defensive Midfielder 28 years old. Canada 40 caps
De Guzman is the brother of Feyenoord midfielder Jonathan. Not the tallest at 5’7 but a tough tackling midfielder, who works his socks off. Covers huge amounts of ground and his style is suited to the Premier League. Deportivo have over achieved this season and he looks likely to move on.
Prem Clubs: Spurs are rumoured to be interested but his style of play, though perhaps not his size would make him a possibility for clubs West Ham downwards.
Jeremy Mathieu – Toulouse
Left back, 25 years old. France
Anyone fancy a 6’3 left back, who’s strong, powerful, with a lovely left foot for corners and free kicks, for free? Roma made a move for him last season as did Bordeaux in January. On the fringes of the France squad Mathieu can also play left side midfield.
Prem Clubs: Bolton, Sunderland, Stoke, Blackburn would all be interested in a left sided player of his build.
Giourkas Seitaridis – Atletico Madrid
Right Back, 27 years old. Greece 66 caps.
Strong rumours have it Atletico will mutually terminate his contract in the nest few weeks. Arguably Greece’s best player in their Euro 2004 win, he joined Porto before moving to Dinamo Moscow for £8million, he then joined Atletico in 2006. Sadly injury and huge personality clashes within the squad have lead to some players being outcast, including Ever Banega & Maniche below. 6’1 right back with something to prove.
Maniche – Unattached
Central Midfield, 31 years old. Portugal 49 caps.
We all know the swashbuckling Maniche of Porto’s European Cup triumph and the player who made Portugal look so threatening from midfield. Moves to Moscow & Atletico have not worked out. Still a fine passer and covers so much ground. But will anyone take a gamble?
Prem Clubs: Sunderland rumoured to be interested, but any bottom half club must be considering him.
Modeste M’Bami – Marseille
Defensive Midfield, 26 years old. Cameroon 29 caps. French passport.
Not the tallest at 5’8. But a typical African defensive midfield, tough tackling, lots of stamina. The lynchpin of the Marseille midfield that allows the attacking player licence to roam. They currently sit 1st in Ligue 1, though M’Bami has been playing less frequently as he is running down his contract & tried to engineer a move to England in the January window.
Prem Clubs: Bolton, Stoke, Blackburn, the usual suspects.
English Bosmans
Michael Owen – Newcastle
Daniel Sturridge – Man City
So a team signed entirely for free that would probably stay up in the Premier League. Not so hard this transfer malarkey is it? 4-3-3
Kameni
Seitaridis Haggui Lugano Mathieu
Pedretti De Guzman Maniche
Pantelic Owen Sturridge
Category: We Like Posted by: turnstile on 13/05/09 Comments: No Comments
