The Curious Case of Ander Herrera

Over the last two years, and even before then, Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera has shown himself to be one of the brightest young talents in La Liga, firstly with Zaragoza then with his hometown club, Athletic Bilbao. He’s caught the eye after his successes with Bilbao, finishing as runner-up in the 2011-12 Europa League and in the Copa del Rey in the same season. Plus he’s Spanish, so he must be good.

For me, the first time I noticed Herrera making a big impact was in the 2011 under-21 European Championships, where the Spaniard scored two goals as his country won the tournament. He excelled in a side that also contained the likes of now-Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata and David De Gea, who signed for Manchester United shortly after the tournament’s completion.

However, Herrera had already completed a move to one of the big clubs months in advance – Athletic Bilbao, his hometown club. Whilst they may not be one of the big players in Spanish football (that honour remains with Barcelona and Real Madrid), I still think this move was one of the best possible ones he could have made. If he had gone to one of the big two, or even abroad to a team like Chelsea, he probably wouldn’t have played anywhere near the same amount of games as he has done over the past two years, and his development would have suffered as a cause of that.

It’s fair to say that very few expected Ander Herrera to move in this transfer window which has just gone. He’s a very good player, but he’s got it good in Bilbao, and there’s very few clubs that could have tempted Herrera away from his city of birth. However, on 30^th August 2013, Manchester United tried their hand at attempting to bring the 24-year-old to Old Trafford.

It’s fair to say that the summer has been a far from successful one for the Red Devils. Just one signing before deadline day (Guillermo Varela from Peñarol) and then two on it (Marouane Fellaini from Everton and Saidy Jango, a youngster from FC Zurich) left the United fans in a rage as attempts to sign a string of players failed throughout the summer months. Deals for Thiago Alcantara, Cesc Fabregas and Daniele de Rossi all fell through during the transfer window, and as the end of the window approached, Reds’ fans started to get more and more annoyed.

Ander Herrera, it seems, was a last-ditch attempt by United to bring in a central midfielder along with Fellaini. Although Herrera is very good, there are much better players whom United have pursued in this window that would improve the side more than the Bilbao-born man would. After an initial £21m offer for the player was rejected by his club in late August, it did seem that the venture was over, but that ended up not being the case.

I was as shocked as many last Friday when it was confirmed United’s offer has been rebuffed by the Basque club, as I believed that to be a fee worthy of Herrera. There was also talk that United could go back in for the former Zaragoza man, but journalists claimed that Herrera would not try to force the deal through, meaning Manchester United would have to pay the full €36m fee in order to get their target.

There were no developments in the story up until ‘Deadline Day Eve’, when it was rumoured once again that United would go all-out to try and sign the player on the final day of the transfer window, as they looked to strengthen their midfield, and sign the central midfield maestro that the fans have been craving for years now. These rumours started to gather pace on deadline day itself, along with ones linking Belgian Marouane Fellaini with a move to Old Trafford, which had been protracted for some while beforehand.

Then, there was a breakthrough. Guillem Balague, a Spanish reporter for Sky Sports and Spanish outlet AS revealed in his slot on Sky Sports News on deadline day that Manchester United were willing to pay the €36m fee to sign Herrera from Athletic. Some sources did claim that Balague can be unreliable at best, but excitement started to build as it seemed United were close to bringing in a very good young talent.

Whilst everyone was getting all excited over that bit of news, which may or may not have been true, reports came through that representatives of Manchester United had travelled to the LFP headquarters in Spain, in order to pay the money to activate Herrera’s release clause. These rumours continued to spread, but so did the worried looks on the faces of Manchester United fans as the end of deadline day came ever closer.

Even with the doubt, many still expected the Red Devils to seal the deal for the Spaniard before the window closed, so it came as a huge shock to many that United had failed in their bid, and were suffering ‘bureaucratic problems’ in regards to the deal, which meant the deal might not have gone through. The United representatives were even seen leaving LFP HQ, meaning that could have been an admission of defeat in the matter, leaving Herrera in Spain, and the United fans continually annoyed.

Now though, it seems those ‘representatives of Manchester United’ were not even that. Whilst they may not have been fakes, they didn’t represent United. They were in fact the same lawyers who helped Javi Martinez’s transfer from Athletic Bilbao to Bayern Munich go through last summer. They knew that a deal was ongoing between Bilbao and United at that moment, and were merely trying to get a cut of the money supposedly being exchanged. However, they certainly fooled many of the world’s top media outlets, probably without even knowing it.

It now appears that the real reason United pulled out of the deal to sign Herrera was due to an unwillingness to pay an extra €6m in tax add-ons, and as they couldn’t force Bilbao to negotiate with the LFP, they had no choice but to pull out of the deal, leaving Herrera and a lot of United fans annoyed. The blow was softened slightly by the confirmation that Belgium international Marouane Fellaini had joined the club a couple of hours later, but United’s supporters were still left very disappointed with how the Herrera deal ended, and United’s summer dealings on a whole, and some have even started calling for Ed Woodward’s (the chief executive at United) head after a disappointing window for the club.

Personally, I feel a bit sorry for Herrera that his move had to end in this way. It’s rumoured that he was very interested in the move, and was even willing to take a €2m per year pay-cut to move to Manchester, but he was prevented from completing his dream move by an unwillingness on United’s part to pay an extra few million to complete the deal. This could be exactly the type of move Herrera needs to develop his career further, and it’s been scuppered.

There have been whispers that United could go back in for Herrera in January after missing out on him in the summer window, and I think this will be the case. Whether or not he will still want to join the Red Devils after this saga remains to be seen though. Personally, I don’t think I’d still have an affinity for a club that neglected to part with an extra few million to sign me – then again, I’m not a footballer. Herrera will certainly have been disappointed at the way his move collapsed, but there’s still plenty of time left in his career to make a move to a club of Manchester United’s stature.

Martin Demichelis Signs for Manchester City

This summer, in stark contrast to 2012, Manchester City conducted their transfer business early on in the transfer window, and with relative ease too. Jesus Navas and Alvaro Negredo arrived from Sevilla, Fernandinho signed from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, and highly-sought after Stevan Jovetic joined from Italians Fiorentina in deals totalling almost £90m. This is very different from the summer of 2012, when City left all their business until late in the window and sealed five signings on deadline day.

Some sections of the City support have been long-since satisfied that their club’s business is done for the window, but many still believed that a defender was needed to sort out City’s leaky defence, which had been evident in pre-season and in the first three games of the Premier League season. Despite the highly-publicised pursuit of Real Madrid defender Pepe ultimately ending in failure, the Blues were not disheartened, and sealed their fifth signing of the summer just hours before deadline day. This man was, of course, Martin Demichelis of Argentina.

The 32-year-old signed for Atletico Madrid in July, after being released from Malaga at the end of last season. At Malaga, Demichelis worked under his new manager in Manchester, Manuel Pellegrini, under whom he was named in the La Liga team of the year last season. This is no mean feat, even for a defender with the experience of this particular Argentina international. Despite only being with Atletico for a matter of weeks, Los Rojiblancos asked for a staggering fee of around £4.6 million, which appeared to put off potential suitors.

It seems that Pellegrini was very keen on getting his man though, as the player who will be 33 in December completed his move to the Etihad, after days of speculation. The general belief was that Demichelis would sign for the Manchester side, and since it’s been confirmed it has generally been well-received by the supporters. The belief was widely-held that City needed a defender, and although many names were linked, Demichelis was one of the only ones consistently linked.

There have been rumours going around that Demichelis is only on £18k per week with City, and although that’s for two years, in the grand scheme of things it shouldn’t put too much of a dent in City’s extensively filled coffers. The low wage given also shows a change from the days of Mark Hughes, who gave high wages to most players who were willing to sign, such as Roque Santa Cruz. Much of this summer has been dedicated to lowering the wage bill, with expensive players who never offered much to City departing the club, with ones on much lower wage packets arriving to replace them. There’s talk that since January £48m per year of City’s wage bill has been removed, and just £19m per annum back onto it, which is a decrease of almost £30m ahead of the new Financial Fair Play regulations.

Because Demichelis is aging, I think it could prove to be a better signing for City than a young player such as Mangala would have been, or an absolutely world-class central defender either. Matija Nastasic was a revelation for City last season, and developed a lot after signing from Fiorentina on deadline day last summer (one of our only good purchases of that window). If he’s given an equal amount of playing time again this season, we’ll see a lot more development in the Serbian alongside Vincent Kompany. All a world-class central defender would do is take playing time away from the young Serbian, when he himself could easily become world-class.

Since his move to the Etihad has been confirmed, Demichelis has spoken about his excitement at the prospect of linking up with Manuel Pellegrini for the third time in his career, showing the two have a good relationship together. Not only did the pair work together successfully at La Rosaleda, but Pellegrini also managed Demichelis in his year at Argentine side River Plate in 2002-03, before the defender’s move to Bayern Munich.

There’s no doubting the pedigree of Demichelis. As I just mentioned, he has played for Bayern Munich, one of the world’s most successful clubs, and spent seven years with the German club at that. With Bayern, the Argentine won the Bundesliga four times, the DFB-Pokal four times (those successes all coming as German doubles in 2004-05, 2005-06, 2007-08 and 2009-10), along with a runners-up medal in the 2009-10 Champions League. This European experience is something that City have been badly lacking in their last two ventures into the competition, and could seriously aid them this season, as they look to go as far as possible.

There may have been some criticism of Demichelis from some places, even from inside the City support in some sections, I think the newest signing at the Etihad will prove the doubters wrong, even if he is only utilised as back-up to Kompany and Nastasic. He also came very cheap, when prices such as £30m for Pepe and £40m for Mangala were being quoted, so I’m glad we’ve gone for the cheaper route, and signed Demichelis instead. He could prove to be a very shrewd signing indeed.

Johan Elmander joins Norwich on a season loan

This summer, a number of high-quality players have joined what can be considered some of the Premier League’s smaller teams, such as Emmanuel Giaccherini who joined Sunderland, and Wilfried Bony, who joined Swansea City. However, a high proportion of these have joined Norwich City, and even after the beginning of their season, the Canaries are continuing to bring new players in, their latest being the loan deal for Swedish striker Johan Elmander.

There’s no argument that says Chris Hughton’s men haven’t conducted good transfer business this summer, bringing in some very high quality players. Whilst names such as Ricky van Wolfswinkel and Gary Hooper have proved themselves to be very good players so far in their careers, the Yellows have also brought in some very good young players as well, like Leroy Fer and Nathan Redmond, who will have a very big effect at Carrow Road in years to come. There have also been no complaints about the signings of Martin Olsson and Javier Garrido from Blackburn Rovers and Lazio respectively, and all together these transferred have left a very happy Norwich support, quietly confident about the upcoming season.

And now, the Norfolk side have added even more experience to their side with the addition of Johan Elmander. Even after the purchase of Hooper last month, Norwich continued to be linked with moves for strikers, such as Juventus’ Fabio Quagliarella, although that appeared to be just paper talk after they started their league season against Everton, and finished with a 2-2 draw. After a point in their first game, Chris Hughton’s side have seen fit to bring in a new striker, and have brought in the 32-year-old Swede from Turkish side Galatasaray.

The player, who has been capped over 70 times for his country in the last 11 years, certainly has a lot of previous experience in this league, having spent three years here with Bolton Wanderers before joining their Turkish giants two years ago. This could help Norwich out a lot during the season, especially if they are miraculously embroiled in a relegation battle, as their newest signing certainly had experience of this with the Trotters.

Norwich City will certainly know this signing comes from a high-quality squad in Istanbul. Even upfront, Cimbom have talents such as former Chelsea man Didier Drogba, and also Burak Yilmaz, who really caught the eye for the Turkish side last season. Going down the team, they also have players such as former Real Madrid and Internazionale midfielder Wesley Sneijder, who has been a target for many of Europe’s top clubs in recent years. This squad packed full of talent reached the latter stages of the Champions League last season, and has led to some of the big players linked with a move away from the Türk Telekom Arena, although they appear to have successfully kept their key men together.

However, this squad being packed full of talent, particularly upfront, has limited Elmander’s gametime quite seriously, causing him to seek a temporary move back to the Premier League. This seems a reasonable request, and normally Norwich City would be the right choice, although perhaps not this season, thanks to the new arrivals at Carrow Road, Van Wolfswinkel from Sporting Lisbon and Gary Hooper from Celtic.

Ricky van Wolfswinkel has certainly had a coveted signature so far in his playing career, despite being just 24 years of age. The Dutch international has impressed in Holland’s Eredivisie, and Portugal’s Liga ZON SAGRES, and as such has earned a move to England, after an impressive two seasons with Sporting Lisbon. With the talent he holds, the former Twente player will be wanting to play, after joining from a poor Sporting side last season.

Gary Hooper, I believe, is a very shrewd signing for the Canaries. He only cost around £5m, which is a very cheap price for the effect he could have in a yellow shirt. The 25-year-old has been devastating in the Scottish Premier League with Celtic in the last three years, and will now be looking to prove himself in England’s top flight too. He has played in England before, but only in the lower leagues, and will be keen to face up to the challenge and try and win selection for Roy Hodgson’s England squad.

However, the problem with these two players is that they will limit the playing time that Elmander could get at Carrow Road, as both Hooper and Van Wolfswinkel will be fighting for the first-choice spot, and simply I just think they are better than the Swede. Elmander could kick himself by the end of the season, after leaving Turkey’s premier club in search of more football.

I still believe that this signing could prove to be a very good one for the Canaries. Not only has the 32-year-old got prior experience in this league which could aid his new club during their season, but he could also come in and have a defining effect if one of the big names is either injured, or unable to deliver. Norwich City’s fans have a right to be excited about the new season, and their newest acquisition should be relishing the challenge of trying to win them over.

Sheffield Wednesday’s Transfer Business, Summer 2013

When Sheffield Wednesday narrowly secured survival at the end of last season, the focus was immediately switched to transfers, as Dave Jones looked to improve his squad and ensure the relegation worries of the 2012-13 season wouldn’t be repeated in 2013-14. Several players only on loan at Hillsborough returned to their parent clubs, including star striker Leroy Lita and Leeds defender Danny Pugh, who both played a significant part in keeping the Owls up last campaign. Players such as Bastian Hery also left the club at the expiration of their contract, but no players left who still had a major impact on the first-team squad.

It’s a fact that Wednesday relied heavily on loan players during last season, with Lita (who joined on loan from Swansea in January) and Jeremy Helan (who spent several months with the Owls temporarily from Manchester City) being two integral parts of the side that managed to stay up on the final day. However, once these players left Hillsborough, it left Wednesday with a weakened squad heading into the summer.

Wednesday’s first signing this window was arguably one that might not have been predicted before it happened. I am, of course, talking about the transfer of Jaques Maghoma from Burton Albion. The Congolese international, formerly of Tottenham Hotspur, has impressed in League Two over the last four years, and as such has earned a move into England’s second tier following the end of his Albion contract earlier this summer. The pacey midfielder fits into the mould of a pacey Wednesday attack, and whilst he has been injured since a friendly against Stockport County a few weeks ago, he has shown signs of being a good signing for Wednesday as they look to stay in the Sky Bet Championship again this year.

The second signing of the summer came in the shape of a return to Hillsborough for left-sided French player Jeremy Helan, who joined permanently from Manchester City after being so impressive in the Championship last time around. The Owls fought off competition from sides like Wolves to seal his signature, and looks to be a very good capture for Dave Jones’ side, as he also is a pacey, attacking player, much like Maghome. This is starting to develop into a bit of a theme.

The third signing of the summer seemed to solve the summer-long problem of a lack of new strikers coming in, with Austrian striker Atdhe Nuhiu signing on a free transfer following the end of his contract with Rapid Vienna, one of Austria’s top club sides. The 24-year-old was impressive in his time in his homeland, and also during a loan spell in Turkey last season, and Nuhiu has started to show glimpses of talent in his early appearances for Wednesday, scoring a goal in their opening league fixture against QPR a couple of weeks ago. Also he isn’t particularly pacey, I feel he could turn out to be a shrewd signing for Dave Jones, and could prove vital in the new campaign.

Last season, one of the poorer aspects of the season for the Owls (apart from being in a relegation dogfight for much of the campaign), was the leaky defence, especially at centre-back. Anthony Gardner, Miguel Llera and Martin Taylor were all fighting for first-team places throughout the campaign, and whilst Gardner consistently performed in the team, whilst also being the captain, the latter two players were patchy, and put Wednesday in real trouble at times.

However, this fourth signing for the Yorkshire side does seem to have solved that problem, with former Hull City defender Kamil Zayatte signing on a free transfer after a successful trial during pre-season. The Guinean international spent two years with Hull City, between 2009-2011, and has since been plying his trade in Turkey. However, Dave Jones took the 28-year-old on trial during pre-season, and like me, was impressed with what he saw, despite the fact the transfer seemed to be dead at one point due to a disagreement in contract negotiations. However, he eventually did sign a contract at Wednesday, and has started both their league games so far this season.

There have also been a few signings for the Development Squad during the summer too, with Rafael Floro (formerly of Porto and Sporting Lisbon’s youth teams) being one of them. These players aren’t expected to make a huge impact in Sheffield this season, but will develop over the coming season or two, and start to challenge the established first-team stars. There have also been numerous triallists used in the pre-season friendlies, although many of these have not been signed.

Despite the fact that the new signings look good on paper, the start to the season hasn’t been quite so rosy for Sheffield Wednesday. Consecutive league defeats to Queens Park Rangers and Burnley, coupled with a shock Capital One Cup exit at rivals Rotherham have put Wednesday under un-needed early pressure in the season, and left Dave Jones with a lot to ponder.

This poor start to the season can’t have been helped by Milan Mandaric’s reluctance to spend money on new players such as Leroy Lita, who has been linked with a move to Wednesday for several weeks, but the move seems to be going nowhere. There have been rumours that Sammy Yu, a former Birmingham City vice-chairman is interested in buying Wednesday, and if this is in the pipeline, then it is logical that the current owner would be unhappy about pumping any more money into the club. However, it is having a disruptive influence on Wednesday’s transfer business, and preventing them from getting the targets in that will help Wednesday stay up. I think I personally am happy with the players who’ve come in, but I would like to see more business conducted by the end of the transfer window, and preferably sooner.

Gareth Bale: Should He Stay or Should He Go?

Gareth Bale has shot to prominence over the last three or four years playing for Tottenham Hotspur, even after a poor start to his career in North London, that saw him linked with moves away to West Ham United, Manchester City, and Birmingham City. However, after two very good seasons at White Hart Lane, the Welshman has caught the eye of some of the world’s biggest clubs, which has led to heavy speculation linking him to a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid in a deal ranging from £80–100 million, depending on who you believe.

With Spurs having failed to qualify for the Champions League since being knocked out by Real Madrid in 2011, many now believe the 24-year-old is seeking a move away from the north London club in a search for Champions League football, but the player isn’t expected to come cheaply, with world-record fees being talked about as payments to Spurs to bring the Welsh wizard away.

Speculation first started over the player’s future with his current club in 2009, after a poor first two years in England’s capital, including the accolade of not being part of a Spurs’ side to have won a game with the former Southampton man. This poor form caused Birmingham City to try to sign the youngster, and they almost succeeded, with Alex McCleish later speaking about how the then-19-year-old nearly joined Birmingham on loan. There is also rumours he was close to joining West Ham at a time, and was also offered to Manchester City as part of a deal for Craig Bellamy.

After a small break from the speculation, it re-ignited in 2011 after an impressive season for the Lilywhites, with Chelsea and Barcelona among a number of clubs rumoured to be after the player. However, he elected to stay in London with Spurs for at least another season. He was once again linked away in 2012, despite signing a new contract with the club in June that summer. He once again elected to stay with Tottenham for the season, and was an integral part of Spurs’ side last year, as they just missed out on Champions League football for another season, scoring several very good long-range goals on the way.

Now many fans are starting to think that Bale has become restless without Champions League football, and wants a move away from the Lane, to one of Europe’s top clubs. After the impressive displays he has put in, especially over the last couple of years, he certainly wouldn’t come cheap, a fact which is reiterated by the £80m price-tag that the press are putting on him. Very few clubs have the power to pay this amount, but he is being heavily linked with the ones who do seem able to.

Throughout the entirety of this summer so far, Real Madrid have been linked with the attacking player, almost on a daily basis, and seem willing to break the world-record (£80 million, which they paid to Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo a few years ago) to bring the player to the Bernabeu. Manchester United and City have also been linked with the Welsh international, but not as much as Real, who seem set on signing the former Southampton man, after already sealing the signings of several players this summer.

There’s a lot of confusion over this move for the Spurs fans, who are nervous about the possibility of losing their key man, and haven’t had any indication from the player himself as to where he will be plying his trade for the coming season. Tottenham are understandably keen on keeping the midfielder, but you have to wonder if Daniel Levy would be able to turn down an offer of £80 million or more, which would making buying an adequate replacement a much easier task.

Even if you don’t like the club, you can’t deny that Real Madrid is a huge attraction to any player, as one of the world’s biggest clubs, up with Barcelona and Manchester United. They are also one of the very richest, which means they could offer Bale wages that he would find nearly impossible to turn down. The chance to turn out in front of all those fans at the Bernabeu, and hopefully win numerous trophies in Spain’s capital.

Even though Tottenham have a much lesser chance of being able to offer all that to Bale, there’s stills a lot of benefits to him, should he decide to stay in London, instead of heading for La Liga. Most importantly, he would play almost every single game, which despite his ability, he might not be able to do in Madrid, given that they possess talents such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Mezut Ozil, along with many more. He would also be more settled at White Hart Lane, and be under a lot less pressure to succeed than he would be if he moved to Spain.

We’ve seen many top players move from England to Real Madrid and flop over the years, with two of the most notable in recent times being Michael Owen (signed from Liverpool, before being off-loaded to Newcastle United a year later), and Jonathan Woodgate (who made just nine appearances in three years with Los Blancos, before moving back to England with Middlesbrough). Were Bale to move to Real, we could see yet another player fail as a player in the famous all-white kit, and damage his career, stopping him becoming the player he definitely has the potential to be.

I feel there is also a chance that the heavy price-tag that Real are rumoured to be offering to Spurs for their Welsh star could weigh heavily on Bale’s shoulders, and could be a deciding factor on whether he succeeds at one of the world’s biggest clubs. We’ve seen this happen on so many occasions to so many players, especially in recent years when money is one of the biggest parts of football, and it would be a real shame if Bale was to become a victim of it too.

One of the biggest reasons why Spurs shouldn’t sell the Welshman is that I believe they will have a great struggle to sign someone of the same quality to replace him, even with the money it would leave them with. Obviously, top players want to be playing in the Champions League, which is why Bale apparently wants to leave, as Spurs aren’t able to offer him this, so why would other top players leave Champions League clubs, if they can’t be sure they’d be playing in Europe’s premier competition at some point at White Hart Lane? It makes no sense why they would, so the replacement would have to either be playing in the Europa League, or outside Europe, and there are very few, if any, players of the calibre of Bale that are in this position.

There’s reasons saying either that Bale should stay, or that he should go, and he will be tossing this question around in his own head, as it’s a huge decision for him to make on his career. In the past, we’ve seen a lot of players move to Madrid, and not succeed, and I don’t see any reason why Bale is apart from this. The chances are that he would prove to be a success in Spain (providing he is given enough playing time), but as with all players, you never know, as there’s so many things that could go wrong. Should he stay, I think Spurs stand a serious chance of qualifying for the Champions League this year, especially with the new additions of Paulinho and Chadli, who have improved two weaker areas of the team. However, if Bale leaves, it will have a huge impact on Spurs, and could have a negative one on his career, depending on how he copes with the huge pressures in Madrid. It’s a huge choice for Bale to make over the next few weeks, but I’m sure he’ll make the right one for his career. If he goes to Real and makes it, then he will surely reach the very top level of his game, but if not, he will always wonder what could have been. Hopefully, this comes into play when he’s making his mind, and has an effect on making the right choice, which in my opinion, is to stay at Spurs for at least another season, in their fight for the Champions League.

Gonzalo Higuain – Napoli’s New Talisman?

With Napoli’s top scorer from the last three seasons, Uruguayan international Edinson Cavani, having left the club for big-spending Paris Saint-Germain in a £54 million move, the Italian team looked to be in need of a new talisman to replace Cavani. That is, until Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain was confirmed as a new signing by the Serie A club this week for a fee believed to be just over £34 million, the most expensive transfer in Napoli’s history.

It’s fair to say that it will be very difficult for any player to come in and replace Cavani, who had been an integral cog of an improving Napoli side for the last three years. The Uruguayan led them to second place in Serie A last season, behind the superb Juventus, in addition to bringing European football to Naples in each of his three seasons. His goal-scoring record of 78 goals in 104 league games for the Azzuri certainly didn’t go unnoticed away from his club, and he attracted much attention from some of Europe’s top sides in the summer of 2012 and the year after. Indeed, he was chased by Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Chelsea this year, before he recently sealed his move to Paris.

This departure left a big hole in Napoli’s squad, and they evidently needed a world-class player to fill it. Eventually, this gap was filled by Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain, although other strikers were also linked with a move to the San Paolo such as Edin Dzeko of Manchester City. However, these reports did not come to fruition, and instead they moved for Real Madrid’s Higuain, who had been an impressive part of Real’s side for the previous six years, scoring 107 league goals at one of the world’s top sides.

It’s also fair to say that few would have expected Higuain to make the move to Naples this summer. For much of the window so far, the French-born 25-year-old had been linked with a move to the Premier League to join Arsenal, and at times this deal did look to be close. However, different valuations of the player by the two clubs meant that the deal failed to materialize and left Higuain open to the move to Italy instead.

Gonzalo Higuain is one of a number of top players to transfer to Italy from other leagues around the world this summer, among the likes of Kevin Strootman and Carlos Tevez (to Roma and Juventus respectively). He also joins several new arrivals at the Partenopei, joining the likes of Jose Callejon and Raul Albiol, who both signed for the Serie A runners-up from Real Madrid this summer. Napoli’s spending this summer has totaled to over £60 million, and they certainly don’t look to be done yet, after being left with a vast sum of money from the Cavani deal.

I think it’s fair to say that this transfer has to be considered a coup for Napoli. As good as they’ve been at times in the last few years, they still aren’t as big as some of the clubs who’ve been linked with the Argentina international, and as such have done very well to seal his signature and tie him to the club for the next five years. If he’s able to recreate his spectacular form with Real Madrid, he certainly will have turned out to be the right replacement for Cavani, although there’s quite a long wait until then.

There’s a chance that Higuain could reach the cult status with Napoli that Diego Maradona did after signing from Barcelona in the 1980s, for what was at the time a world-record fee of just over £11 million. He then brought Napoli their first ever Serie A titles (in 1987 and 1990) and also became the club’s all-time leading scorer, with 115 goals in all competitions in Italy. He became such a legend at the club that they even decided to retire his number 10 shirt in his honor. However, he ended up leaving the Azzuri in shame, after serving a drugs ban for cocaine. Even with this, he upheld his reputation as one of the greatest to have ever played the game.

It would take a lot of work for Higuain to reach the heady heights of his compatriot Maradona, although if he were to do it, it would surely seal his name as one of the true greats in football, and would mean he’d be remembered for generations to come. You have to remember, some believe Maradona was the greatest of all time, better than players of Pele’s calibre. To surpass this stature would take a truly great player.

I think that with this signing, along with the other ones they’ve made this summer, Napoli stand a real chance of winning their first league title since 1990. They’ve used the funds from the sale of Cavani very well and are among several clubs who could realistically challenge for the title next year, such as Fiorentina, Roma, and AC Milan. These clubs will be looking to take the crown off of Juventus, who’ve won the last two league titles but have also strengthened themselves in the last month or so.

Only time will tell if Higuain has made the right choice in moving to Naples instead of to London or staying in Madrid. I think there’s a very good chance that this move will work out for him, and not only will he win silverware with his new club, but he will also gain a very high status among his new fans, maybe even reaching the talismanic heights that Maradona reached with the Napoli faithful. It’ll certainly be an interesting campaign for the neutral to watch as Napoli try to build on the successes of last year.

Manchester City’s transfer business so far

The summer of 2012 was a disappointing one in terms of transfers for Manchester City, missing out on several of the big players, and not replacing those targets with other high-quality ones. Many fans expected the Blues to build well on their squad that had won the Premier League title the season before, but mix-ups with the board, and the management caused the big players to move to title rivals, who reaped the benefits. Instead of signing Eden Hazard and Robin van Persie, City signed players like Scott Sinclair and Maicon.

Missing out on these key players cost City dearly last season, as they failed to hold onto their title, and also lost in the FA Cup final against Wigan Athletic. Aside from Matija Nastasic, the young Serbian defender signed from Fiorentina last summer, the transfers made by the Blues last year had little effect mainly down to injuries, but also in some cases, because they simply weren’t good enough to have a defining effect in the squad.

On the other hand, the big players that City missed out on were enjoying great success elsewhere, particularly in the case of Robin Van Persie at Manchester United. Despite reportedly being close to joining Manchester City at one point, he eventually joined their fierce rivals United, and fired them to the title with 26 league goals in his first season as his team won their 20^th league title. They finished a huge 11 points ahead of City, leaving the Blues wondering what could have been if they’d signed the Dutchman, van Persie.

However, with a new manager at the helm, City have set about signing all their players early on in this transfer window, capturing four players from around Europe, for fees totalling around £90 million, a far-cry from last summer, when players were bought after the start of the season, giving them very little time to settle in. These players have also been for the positions in which City are weakest, leaving them with a very strong squad that should be able to challenge next season.

As well as transfers in, some big names have also been linked with moves out of the Etihad. However, only one of these has come to fruition so far, with Carlos Tevez leaving for Juventus after four years with the Blues since signing from United in 2009. However, after a controversial spell in the blue half of Manchester, he has decided it’s time to depart England, and join the Italian champions as he reaches the latter stages of his career.

Tevez’s departure became the second of a top striker from City in 2013, with Mario Balotelli having departed for AC Milan in January, again after a controversial spell in Manchester, and also left the Blues with just two recognised strikers in the squad, Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko. This meant that one of the priorities for City this summer had to be two new strikers to replace the duo that had left for Serie A. It took a month until these two were signed, but both came at once, on the same day last week.

The first one of these was Alvaro Negredo, who was linked with City ever since the departure of Tevez. The Spanish striker scored 25 in La Liga last year, and was the top-scoring Spaniard in the division. Signed for about £20m, he could prove to be a very good purchase in my eyes, especially if he can replicate his scoring feats of his time at Sevilla here in England too. From what we’ve seen of him in a City shirt so far, he looks good, and could be a great option for City to use over the next few years, as they look to win more trophies.

The other striker to come in, just a few hours after Negredo, was Stevan Jovetic, who had been long-linked with City for a few years now, despite interest from other clubs. The Montenegrin scored 13 goals in Serie A last season, and for a striker who’s stated in the past that he prefers not to play as an out-and-out striker, this could prove a very useful asset for City to have over the coming years. If he has the desired effect at the Etihad, the fee of £22m that City paid could turn out to be a bargain, especially if he contributes heavily to league titles along the way.

Those two strikers haven’t been the only players to have come into the club in this transfer window. Manuel Pellegrini’s team have also been working on improving the midfield, which is something that has lacked various aspects on many occasions over the last couple of years, so is obviously something that the Chilean wants to sort out early in his reign, before it causes serious problems later on.

The first signing of the transfer window was Jesus Navas from Sevilla, a Spanish winger well-known to many around Europe. For £14.9m, this transfer could turn out to be a steal, especially as a proper winger is something that City have been lacking over the last couple of years, which should now be sorted out. Having also played with Alvaro Negredo for the last four years at Sevilla, I can see those two players linking up very well in the attacking play for City this season, to devastating effect. I think he will also provide better service for Edin Dzeko than he received under Mancini, and could help him make a better impact this year than last time.

City’s most expensive signing this summer so far, has been the one of Fernandinho from Shakhtar Donetsk, for around £30 million. Having played in Ukraine for the last few years, he has been out of sight of many football fans, except for glimpses they get in the Champions League, meaning they aren’t sure what to expect from the Brazilian, leading many to believe that the Blues have overpaid for the 28-year-old. From what I’ve heard about and seen of Fernandinho, he looks like a very similar player to Yaya Toure, who has had such a huge effect at City since signing from Barcelona three years ago. I feel that if these two players link up as well as I believe they can do, it’ll be a menacing partnership for Premier League teams to face over the next season or two.

Other names have also been mentioned in regards to a possible move to Manchester, mainly on the defensive side of the game, with Kolo Toure having left the club at the end of his contract earlier this summer, leaving City to look for a replacement. Real Madrid’s Pepe has been heavily linked for weeks now, and although he would bring a lot of experience to the Etihad, Real’s asking price could be putting both fans and staff at the club off of making a serious attempt to sign him. In recent days, Valencia’s French international Adil Rami has been linked with moves to City and Arsenal, with the La Liga club allegedly willing to accept fees of around £7.75 million for the 27-year-old. He seems like a much better option than Pepe, as he is three years younger, and also a lot cheaper, which would allow City to invest more money in any more players they’re in for.

I think the purchases that City have made so far this summer are a vast improvement on the disappointment of last year, and leaves us with a much better chance of winning the title this time around, than we did at the start of the season a year ago. We’ve not only improved our squad greatly, but we’re also improving more than our title rivals are. Manchester United, under new boss David Moyes, have missed out on several targets this summer, and are yet to sign any players of note, while Chelsea seem to be dedicating all their efforts towards signing United’s striker Wayne Rooney, and not on the other positions they’re after. I think this leaves City with a very good chance of taking advantage, and also leaves them in a good position for the rest of the season. It’s shaping up to be a very good year for Pellegrini’s men, but football is always unpredictable, and it may not turn out this way. You just can’t call it, and it could also lead to a very closely-fought title battle this season.

Why Serie A is starting to regain it’s status as a top league

Even at this early stage in the transfer window, the business conducted so far by clubs around the world has been intriguing, and is showing why this coming season is shaping up to be a very good one indeed. We’ve seen transfers like Thiago Alcantara from Barcelona to Bayern Munich, Isco from Malaga to Real Madrid, and Falcao from Atletico Madrid to big-spending Monaco all go through already this summer, and much more speculation regarding big players is developing all the time in many of the big media outlets.

But in the Serie A of Italy in particular, some of the business conducted so far has been magnificent, and is starting to set up what could be a very exciting season in the Italian top-flight, with many big-spending teams potentially challenging for the title which has been won so convincingly by Turin giants Juventus for the last two years. Although they have brought in players themselves too this summer, the biggest business is being conducted elsewhere in Italy, most notably at Roma and Napoli. However, Fiorentina have also made some shrewd purchases already this year, and could be one of the main challengers to i Bianconeri next year, as the other teams in the league look to close the gap on the table-toppers from last time round, and the year before.

Since they’ve sealed their second consecutive title last season, many would think that very little improvement would be needed to a Juventus squad already full to the brim with talents such as Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal, to mention just two. However, they have conducted their business in a swift fashion, and look ready for another campaign as title challengers, after bringing in both Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente (from Manchester City and Athletic Bilbao respectively), who are both international strikers for their nations. They also worked hard to bring in Angelo Ogbonna from their local rivals Torino, who is an Italian international, and they succeeded in their pursuit earlier this month, after he signed a contract and the two clubs agreed a fee for just under £10m. These three pieces of business totalled around £20m in total, and Juve deserve credit for the bargains they’ve managed to get on these players.

Fiorentina haven’t really been a title-challenging side as of late, and especially with the sale of Stevan Jovetic to Manchester City, you wouldn’t expect that to change this season – had it not been for the purchase of Mario Gomez from Bayern Munich earlier this month. With Robert Lewandowski set to join the German champions for free next summer, and Gomez not even first-choice as it is, he decided it was high-time to make an exit from the Allianz Arena. Despite rumoured interest from Manchester City, the German international signed for Fiorentina, and is regarded as a very good signing for the Florence club. This, coupled with the loan of Mohamed Sissoko from Paris Saint-Germain and Giuseppe Rossi signing permanently from Vilarreal could make Fiorentina a serious name in the title challengers this season, and they are one of the teams to watch.

Roma have, in my eyes, pulled off some big coups already in terms of transfers this summer. Not only has former Inter Milan defender Maicon joined recently after a one-year spell at Manchester City, but so has Kevin Strootman, who recently signed permanently at the Stadio Olimpico, with the PSV midfielder joining for a fee of nearly £15m. This deal came after reported heavy interest from English giants Manchester United earlier in the summer, as Strootman has caught the eye of many with his performances in Eindhoven in recent years. The fact that he has decided to make this move to the Serie A, and not the Premier League is not only a huge coup for Roma as a club, but shows that the Premier League is not the most attractive prospect for a player anymore. These two signings aren’t the only ones that are very good for Roma that will help them seriously build on their 6^th place finish last term. Among the other players to have joined i Lupi this summer are Italy striker Mattia Destro and Italian winger Valerio Verre, who both joined from Genoa, and Mehdi Benatia, a Moroccan international, formerly of Marseille, and signed from Udinese. Although Roma’s last few seasons may not have been the most impressive recently, the signs certainly suggest that they are gearing up for a very good league season.

Napoli on the other hand, have been one of the biggest challengers to Juventus in the last couple of years, whilst other big teams such as Internazionale have failed to put up the fight they had before Napoli came to be the side they are now. A lot of credit has to go to Napoli’s ‘Hold Trinity’ of Ezequiel Lavezzi, Edinson Cavani and Marek Hamšík, who were all integral parts of the Napoli side, and vital in getting them to their current stature. Of course, Lavezzi and Cavani have both now departed the club, joining Paris Saint-Germain in big-money moves, but without Lavezzi, they still managed to finish 2^nd in Serie A last year. With Cavani now having moved to France, it remains to be seen whether they can maintain these high standards without him.

The early signs in this window do look promising for the Partenopei, having signed several very good players with the money left from the deals in recent times. Not only has the Cavani deal left them with a large sum of money with which to buy a replacement striker of a similar calibre, but they also have a lot of money left out from the Lavezzi deal last year, which is already being used. Jose Callejon and Raul Albiol have both been bought by the Azzuri this year, from Real Madrid, and the club also looks to be in for another of Real Madrid’s men, Gonzalo Higuain, who is strongly being linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu this summer. Signings of Josip Radosevic from Hajduk Split and Rafael from Santos also look to be good prospects for the club, with both tipped to be stars in the future. Another of PSV Eindhoven’s key men has also made the switch to the Serie A this season (along with Strootman), as Belgian winger Dries Mertens signed for the side that are now looking like serious challengers to Juventus for the crown. However, I don’t think they will be unless they bring in a star striker to replace Cavani, as he has been their talisman in recent times, much as Diego Maradona was all those years ago. Without Cavani’s goals in the last few years, I don’t think we’d see Napoli at anywhere near the same standard they are now, which is why it is essential that they replace him properly.

One of the things to watch out for this season is definitely the Serie A, especially with all these fantastic signings going to various clubs in the league. Whilst last season it was fairly easy to predict the winner was going to be Juventus, this year it is a lot more difficult, as there are at least three more clubs that are now in with a shout of being serious contenders this time around. That’s not even thinking about the sides that are already up there too, such as AC Milan, who I fully expect to challenge for the crown again this season, after a couple of years of failing to win it, and falling quite far behind their rivals from Turin. It’s seriously too close to call this year, and that’s what’ll make it all the more exciting, especially from a neutral point of view.

Could this also be a sign that things are starting to swing back in Italy’s favour too? In the last few years, Serie A has fallen far below the heady heights we’ve had in the past, when some of the world’s very best players played there. Many players have in recent years opted to join clubs in other leagues, instead of accepting a move to Serie A, or the lower divisions. However, that does look like it’s changing once again now, with the signings that have gone through this summer alone, with the likes of Strootman and Mario Gomez joining clubs in this league, when there were offers from abroad on the table too. This is a very promising sign for Italian football, and it looks like the situation will be one to watch over the next few years.

Is it the same for Arsenal this summer?

It’s now been eight years since Arsenal emerged victorious from a major competition, failing to win any since 2005, when they won the FA Cup. Despite always consistently being one of England’s top clubs, the team which used to be feared so much has become much tamer, and less revered to play against. This is partly down to a lack of star transfers, which when they do occur mainly involve the player in question leaving the Emirates, and not the other way around.

The two biggest names to depart from the Emirates in recent years are of course, Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Perise, who were both integral parts of the Arsenal side, and both fan favourites at the Emirates. The difference between the two is that whilst Fabregas left to play for his boyhood club, van Persie jumped ship to Arsenal’s rivals, Manchester United in search of silverware, and probably a larger paycheck. That is why Cesc kept his cult status in north London, while RvP lost his the moment his deal was confirmed.

However, despite their differences, they do hold one thing in common – they were never properly replaced. Fabregas had been absolutely fantastic for Arsenal in the years leading up to his departure, although it wasn’t a surprise really when he left for the Camp Nou in 2011, the club he had originally moved to England from in the first place. He was then replaced late on in the window with Mikel Arteta from Everton, and as good as he can be at times, he isn’t Fabregas, and failed to have the same effect that the Arsenal icon had at the Emirates. Likewise with Van Persie, he wasn’t really replaced last season, before or after his move to Old Trafford. He’d scored 30 goals in the Premier League in the 2011-12 season, catching the eye of big clubs, and when he moved, a big replacement needed to be brought in who would have a similar effect. Now, Oliver Giroud and Lukas Podolski last summer, but again, neither of them are Van Persie, and it showed throughout the season. Whilst Van Persie was helping United lift the Premier League title, Arsenal were struggling to qualify for the Champions League, only succeeding on the final day against Newcastle United.

This is why so far this summer, Arsenal have been linked with a number of top names, as always. Wayne Rooney, Gonzalo Higuain and Luis Suarez have all been linked with moves to the Emirates this summer. However, with Rooney looking more likely to make the move to Stamford Bridge, Higuain looking likely to move to Serie A and Naples, and Luis Suarez likely to leave England, it’s looking like another summer of disappointment for Arsenal, where they miss out on their top targets to other big clubs, then bring in replacements who wouldn’t be choices for the league’s other top clubs, meaning they fail to mount a serious challenge for silverware, and as a result eventually lose more of their top players.

A lack of ability to close out a transfer when it’s close has been one of Arsenal’s failings in recent times, reportedly most recently with Gonzalo Higuain of Real Madrid, who was strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid earlier this summer, with the deal apparently very close to completion at times. However, the transfer fee proved to be a stumbling block for the Gunners, and they missed out on the Argentine international, who now looks set to complete a move to Napoli instead, to be Edinson Cavani’s replacement.

The club also looked set to go in for England striker Wayne Rooney a few weeks ago too, before the asking price from the Red Devils looked to rule them out of the running. There is no question that signing Rooney would be an absolutely fantastic signing for the London club, and would not only make top four finishes much easier, but vastly improve their chances of a cup too, which is what the fans have been crying out for, for a long time now. There were even rumours that Arsenal were prepared to break their strict wage structure to enable Rooney to be signed, but these rumours appear to have not come to fruition, and Rooney looks set to not move to the Emirates after all.

Not paying enough, in terms of wages or transfer fees, is the reason that Arsenal have missed out on transfers in recent years, and this will continue to happen until it’s sorted out. I know now that clubs have to think especially carefully about the amount they’re spending on new players, but with the amount of money that Arsenal have made from selling their key men over the last few weeks, surely they have the funds to lay out an extra few million to ensure that they are the club that signs the big players such as Higuain or Rooney?

We also have to realise that the allure of playing for Arsenal now simply isn’t as big as it used to be. There’s no denying that Arsenal is still a massive club, but there are bigger countries just in England alone, as well as abroad, meaning there will always be a more attractive prospect outside Holloway. Robin van Persie said himself that he decided to join United because they’re a massive club, showing the difference in size between those two clubs, and how far Arsenal are behind now.

I suppose credit has to go to the management team at Arsenal for the way they are consistently in the top four, despite selling many of their key names and bringing in supposedly “second-class” replacements. It’s now been over a decade since the Gunners failed to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League, and given that they’ve lost all manner of player from Patrick Vieria and Thierry Henry to Alex Song and Cesc Fabregas among many others in this time period, it’s a very impressive feat for the Frenchman Wenger, and one he deserves more credit for than he gets.

It’s not time for Arsenal to start panicking over transfers yet, as there is still nearly a month until the Premier League starts again. There’s also a lot of transfer targets that the Gunners could potentially move for too, who would improve the team largely. They’ve even been linked with a shock move to bring club icon Fabregas back to the club after two seasons in Catalonia, however Manchester United have also been linked with the midfielder, making at least two bids for him. He seems likely to stay at home though, which could leave Arsenal stranded in terms of a key signing to make. Personally, I would make sure a goalkeeper and a world-class striker is brought in before the season fully begins, as these would be two players that could cement Arsenal’s place in the top four. There’s still plenty of time left for Arsenal to save their summer, but the early signs aren’t looking too good for Wenger’s men.

Will Borussia Dortmund improve this season?

The 2012-13 season was ultimately a disappointing campaign for Borussia Dortmund, as despite offering much, they failed to win a single trophy, and also lost a couple of their key players along the way. The side which was full to the brim with talent after a few very good years was expected to have another good campaign, especially on the domestic stage, but surprisingly this was not the case. Die BVB ended up finishing 25 points behind rivals Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, as well as losing out to the same team in the Champions League final too. Coupled with this was the failure by Dortmund to win either of the domestic cup competitions they competed in.

This campaign came on the back of successive Bundesliga titles in between 2010-12, and many were expecting them to extend this run with a side containing talents such as Robert Lewandowski and Mario Gotze, among many others. That’s why it’s even more of a shock that Borussia put up such little challenge for the title in the end, succumbing to Bayern in a one-horse race for the Bundesliga, and I feel they could have put up more.

That’s not to take away from the brilliance of Bayern at all though, which was clear for everyone to see throughout the season in all competitions, highlighted in games such as the 9-2 rout of Hamburg and the 7-0 aggregate win over Barcelona in the Champions League, and also in the fact they amassed 91 points in the league, in just 34 games, losing just once all campaign. It’d have taken a mighty challenger to knock Bayern off course last year, and that looks set to continue with the appointment of Pep Guardiola ahead of the new season.

Further disappointments have hit Borussia hard in the weeks following on from the season, in the forms of Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski. Gotze has long been touted as a star of the future, and been linked with moves away from Germany in the past, most notably to Arsenal. However, in the days leading up to the Champions League final at Wembley, it was announced that Bayern Munich had agreed to trigger the youngster’s release clause of £32m, and he was to join up with them in the summer. As one of the integral parts of Dortmund’s side, this shook the club deeply, and caused hatred from the fans.

Also in recent times, Robert Lewandowski also looks set to leave the Westfalenstadion next summer, also to join FC Hollywood. He was a huge part of Dortmund’s side last season, scoring 36 goals in all competitions, but feels he has to move to Munich for his career to progress to his full capacity. These two transfers are both huge disappointments for Dortmund, and will both have to be replaced well, are Dortmund to challenge Bayern once again.

So far, the summer has been an impressive one for Dortmund, winning all six friendlies convincingly, and replacing the players they have lost well. The three stand-out signings made so far by the club have to be Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Shakhtar Donetsk, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Saint-Etienne, and Sokratis Papastathopoulos from Werder Bremen, in deals totalling around £45m, and I think all three will in time prove to be good signings by the club, as they look to get back to the stage where they can challenge Bayern for the title once again.

Out of that trio, I feel that Papastathopoulos is the one who will have the least impact in Dortmund, who already possess quality central defenders, meaning that the Greece international will probably have been brought in as backup to Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic. However, football can be unpredictable, and we may see Jurgen Klopp choose to play the 25-year-old instead of the Serbian Subotic. However, I believe Hummels has a place nailed down in the team after consistently impressing in Dortmund’s side in recent years.

I feel we may not see the full array of Aubameyang’s talents this season, and more when Lewandowski departs for the Allianz Arena next summer. He’s certainly impressed many for Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1 over the last couple of years, scoring 41 in 96 for the club since joining in January 2011. Whilst this may not match the scoring feats of Lewandowski in the yellow shirt, it is certainly very impressive, and could turn out to be a shrewd buy for Dortmund, have cost just £12m. He’s also proved to be very fast, which can be a real asset in football. Dortmund confirmed since signing the Gabon international, that he managed to run 30m in training in just 3.7 seconds, very close to Usain Bolt’s time, showing the pace that the 24-year-old holds.

However, for me, Dortmund’s signing of the season has to be Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the Armenian international from Shakhtar. He was also reportedly interest in him from Liverpool, but their failure to meet Shakhtar’s asking price for the 24-year-old meant that they missed out, and Borussia came in and took him to Germany instead. He is labelled as an attacking midfielder, meaning he looks to have been brought in as a direct replacement for Götze, who has already departed this year, and had to be replaced. Whilst the replacement may be slightly older, the management at Dortmund obviously feels he was the right player to bring in, and now it’s just a matter of living up to the £25m price-tag. However, should he do so, he could also turn out to be a very good buy for Die Borussen.

With these three transfers already in place ahead of the start of the season, and still plenty of time left before the window closes, I think spending at Dortmund will continue to go on, even after the season begins with the DFL-Supercup between Dortmund and their rivals Bayern at the Signal Iduna Park in a week’s time. They were linked with a move for Manchester City’s Edin Dzeko in recent times, who was a revelation during his time in Germany with Wolfsburg, however the signing of Aubameyang seems to have silenced that speculation. I feel they could move to once again sign Nuri Sahin permanently, as he was an integral part of the side between 2005 and 2011 making over 130 appearances, even with a loan spell at Feyenoord halfway through. The Turkish international is currently back at the club on loan from Real Madrid, until the end of this season (having signed on in January), and I feel the club should move to bring him back permanently from the Bernabeu at some point. This would certainly help Borussia build on the progress they’ve made so far this summer, as they look to try and get back to the point where they are title challengers with Bayern Munich. However, it’ll take a lot of work to knock Bayern off their perch now, and it could be a couple of seasons before we see it happen, meaning it is important for the big players to not bail out as we see at some clubs when they fail to win silverware for a couple of years. Hopefully, this will not be the case, and we will see the start of a bright future for Dortmund, and German football in which we see the two great sides in Dortmund and Munich battling it out to see who is the top club in the Bundesliga.