Summer Transfer Window Euro Edition: France's Mathieu Debuchy



Debuchy has become one of the best right backs in the world and a starter for France

France's new right back Mathieu Debuchy had had tons of success at this year's Euro 2012 as the Lille defender has done well at getting up the field to attack and his defense has also been strong. Debuchy has shown to be a dual threat right back which is interesting tons of European powers so who will make a move for Debuchy?
Newcastle
Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew is looking to make some moves this transfer window as reports have already emerged that he has made a bid to sign Mathieu Debuchy. Newcastle are looking to make an upgrade over Danny Simpson at right back and Debuchy is exactly that as Newcastle is looking to build a team that is capable of making the Champions League. Debuchy is rated at around 8 million euros (10 million dollars/ 6 million pounds) and is definitely at a price that Newcastle can afford. Newcastle United is the favorite to sign Debuchy as I would expect him to most likely end up at Newcastle.

Inter Milan
Inter is looking for a replacement for the aging Maicon at right back as Maicon has been linked with a move to Real Madrid. Mathieu Debuchy is the man that Inter is targeting as Debuchy has become one of the best right backs in the world right now. Inter need to rebuild as they look for a quick turnaround to get back in the UEFA Champions League and Debuchy can be a key part of that. Debuchy would see a move to Inter as the chance to shine at one of Italy's biggest clubs as this could really interest the Frenchman. Inter might not be the favorites to sign Mathieu Debuchy but they will definitely have a good shot at signing him.

Chelsea
Chelsea has definitely been considering a move for Debuchy as they look for a replacement at right back for free agent Bosingwa. Debuchy is the player that the Champions League winners were a originaly looking at as they see him as a world class player. Debuchy would be an upgrade over Bosingwa as he is definitely a better player than Bosingwa. Also, Debuchy would also have some chemistry with former teammate and new Chelsea signing Eden Hazard. However, Chelsea has seemed to move on from Debuchy as they look at Bourssia Dortmund's Lukasz Piszczek so Debuchy will most likely not end up at Stamford Bridge.

Summer Transfer Window Euro Edition: Croatia's Luka Modric

Modric is starring for Croatia and is ready to make a move away from White Hart Lane after Euro 2012

Luka Modric is not a new name to many fans but the Croatian could very well be leaving Tottenham now that manager Harry Redknapp has been fired by chairman Daniel Levy.Modric has been pursued by the top teams in the world and a move seems like it will happen now that Harry Redknapp is gone. The world knows the type of playmaker Modric is so where will he end up at?

Manchester United
Sir Alex Ferguson has been linked with a move for the Croatian throughout this window as Modric is exactly the type of player that Manchester United needs. Modric is a playmaker in the central midfield and United were lacking that last season until they brought back Paul Scholes from retirement as he probably has one year left in his career. Modric has been in charge of the midfield for Croatia as he is a proven leader in the midfield for any team whether it be Croatia or Tottenham. Tottenham will look for a big fee in the range of 30 to 35 million euros (38 to 44 million dollars). Modric is bound for a summer and Manchester United is definitely the favorite to sign him.

Chelsea
Chelsea made an attempt to sign Luka Modric this past January from Tottenham as Harry Redknapp blocked any move but now, the door is wide open for a potential Modric move to Stamford Bridge. Modric would give Chelsea the replacement for Frank Lampard as Lampard is past his primeand could form a dangerous duo for a year or two in the midfield with Modric. Modric can be the man that creates the opportunities for players like Juan Mata, Fernando Torres, Eden Hazard, and Daniel Sturridge to score. Roman Abramovich wants to win more Champions League titles and Modric can definitely be another piece of that puzzle.

Manchester City
Roberto Mancini knows that Modric could form a great duo with Spain's David Silva in the center of midfield for Manchester City as they will look at bringing him to the Ethiad to keep him away from rivals Manchester United. City could have a really dangerous midfield as they can move Samir Nasri outside and put Modric inside with Silva as that would be the best midfield in the Premier League with Yaya Toure at the back as a holding midfield. This would allow City to have a 4-1-2-1-2 with Tore as the defensive midfielder, Modric as the attacking midfielder behind Aguero and Balotelli/Dzeko/Tevez, and Silva and Nasri in a wider role in between Toure and Modric. Manchester City might not be the favorite but Roberto Mancini could definitely make a move for the Croatian.

Malaga
Malaga qualfied for the Champions League and their rich owners want to take Malaga to the top of the world. Malaga could use a true central attacking playmaker behind their strikers as Santi Cazorla is more of an outside playmaker. Modric would definitely get the shot to lead Malaga to the top of La Liga as it could be very similar to the rise of Manchester CIty to the top of the Premier League and that would interest Modric. Modric would get to be the star man and would get to go up against Real Madrid and Barcelona. Malaga might be a long shot but it would not be a complete surprise if Croatia's star traded Tottenham and the Premier League for Malaga and La Liga.

Update: June 16
Barcelona
Goal.com has reported that Barcelona is scouting Luka Modric at this year's Euros as they have had scouts at every single game he plays in for Croatia. Modric could potentially be seen as the replacement for Xavi as Modric is an excellent playmaker just like Xavi and would fit in well at the Camp Nou. Modric would have to fight for playing time as he would be fighting Cesc Fabregas most likely for a spot in the starting XI as Modric might want to go a club that can guarantee him playing time. A move to Barcelona is not out of the question but it is not that likely that Modric takes his chances without a starting XI spot guaranteed.

Man Utd v Chelsea

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has backed Sunday's opponents Chelsea to once again be one of his team's closest challengers for the Premier League title. United are 6/1 with Bet 365 to win 1-0 at Old Trafford and customers can get a free In-Play bet for the game this weekend. Andre Villas-Boas' side have failed to impress in the league so far this season, although they have taken ten points from their first four matches, and are 11/1 to beat the league leaders 1-0 on Sunday. Ferguson said: "They will be there at the end of the season, there is no doubt about that. At the moment, of course, the two Manchester teams are enjoying the publicity but in the background lurks Chelsea. They don't need the publicity. They will be enjoying being out of the profile at the moment."

Danish keeper Anders Lindegaard is determined to continue to keep the pressure on Manchester United's currently recognised No.1, David de Gea. Despite the Dane's impressive display against Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson insists De Gea will be back for Sunday's all-important Premier League clash against Chelsea. United are 6/1 with Bet 365 to win 1-0 at Old Trafford and customers can get a free In-Play bet for the game this weekend. However, the Spaniard's shaky start to his United career, coupled with Lindegaard's emergence, could provide Ferguson with an interesting dilemma. Lindegaard says: "I learned a lot from Edwin van der Sar and I have confidence in my own ability. I came to Manchester United for the challenge to be the first-choice goalkeeper."

Entering Hong Kong: Asia trophy 2011

Landing at Hong Kong airport this week, I expected to be greeted by adverts for the next generation of electronics, or maybe banks, or cars. The sight of Stuart Downing in an Aston Villa kit on a bilboard was a little surprising.

As another recent addition to Dalglish's Liverpool squad, Downing was an unfortunate selection by advertisers of the Barclays Asia Trophy. The 2011 version of the biannual four-team event involves his former club 1982 European champions Aston Villa, local up-and-coming champions Kitchee, 'superclub' Chelsea, and (as proof of the pull of the 'EPL', as well as some of it's more prestigious members) Blackburn Rovers.

Although as Rovers fans would be quick to highlight, the Lancashire club have at least won the Barclays Premier League, something Liverpool are yet to achieve (at the time of writing) and Aston Villa could only dream of.

Despite the popularity of the English game, I was able to go directly from airport to hostel to stadium and purchase a £20 ticket. Meeting up with friends local and Liverpudlian, we endured two games at the Hong Kong stadium that typified preseason football.

Aston Villa and Blackburn did their best to maintain a goaless scoreline, before Daren Bent claimed the game's only goal. Playing for the right to play the victors and avoid their conquest in Saturday's final / play off, Kitchee then played host to Chelsea.

Villa-Boas' men strolled to a four-goal victory, with double Didier Drogba strikes sanwiched between goals from Lampard and Sturridge. Substitute Fernando Torres received a warm reception by the majority of the crowd, but failed to find the net.

Aston Villa and Chelsea are likely to face a more useful test of their credentials and fitness on Saturday's tournament decider.

© Dr Joel Rookwood & Soccerphile

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The Torres mystery

Tonight against Birmingham City at Stamford Bridge, Fernando Torres may score his first goal for Chelsea.

Sooner or later, the £50 million pound-man must break his duck and show his new employers what he is really made of. Yet thus far, his transfer has been a near-disaster. No goals in twelve games, Torres has failed to gel with his new teammates while his record-breaking arrival has seen Chelsea dumped out of Europe and fall away in the title race.

Torres clearly can cut the mustard, and was probably the world's best striker in 2008, but has not been the same player for the last season and a half. He was not firing on all cylinders in South Africa and looked listless for Liverpool in his final year there. A decline seems to have set in from the day Spain lost 0-2 to the USA in the 2009 Confederations Cup semi-final.

The Spaniard now seems to have lost his exquisite first touch and his shooting sights are askew. Not only has he yet to find the net despite benefiting from one of the best attacks around, he has not looked even close to scoring. His aim is cock-eyed while he is struggling, in the vernacular, to trap a bag of cement.

What is going on? Nobody really seems to know. Torres is hardly past it at age 27, won the World Cup last summer and has not yet forgotten scoring the winning goal in the Euro 2008 final. He is a happily-married man who is known for staying at home with his family instead of hitting the town. He is fabulously rich. So why can't Fernando suddenly play football?

Confidence is the old chestnut of an excuse for a lack of form or a run of good form. It is true, the more you win the more you believe in yourself and vice-versa, but Torres is not facing relegation. Once he scores one, many are claiming, the floodgates will open to a tide of goals.

But the C-word clearly has a big role to play in football. It must explain to a great extent the almost perennial discrepancy between home and away form for a start. And how many times do you hear a team accused of showing the other 'too much respect' or not 'believing in themselves enough'? I once interviewed the Japanese international goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, and although English was not his strongest language, I was struck by how much he mentioned the word confidence - a part of the English footballing lexicon all right.

What is keeping Torres nervous? Is the problem the lack of a Spanish-speaking legion at Chelsea like there was at Liverpool, is it tension with a coach who might have been forced to sign and play him by his chairman (shades of Jose Mourinho and Andriy Shevchenko), is it family issues or perhaps an inability to adapt to a new home, teammates, formation and playing system?

If Fernando has left his confidence in Liverpool, who can help him find it again in West London?

Clubs have been using psychologists for some years, although no-one seems to have analysed their efficacy in terms of results. It is normal for motivational speakers to address the squad and for trained specialists to encourage them to visualise success and fill their heads with positive thoughts. Psychology is still a controversial field in some scientific circles, although in its popular form it has spurred a giant self-help industry, tying in nicely with the American way of pioneering self-reliance. Although as a US international footballer once told me, "You can have all the confidence in the world but if you don't have that ability in the first place..."

In the past, managers were motivators alone, but with managers morphing into first-team coaches, clubs employ specialists in several fields. That same footballer told me what his club really needed was a stroke of luck, a break that would grant them a much-needed win to spur them on. Perhaps Fernando just needs to hear that first thwack of the onion bag and he will soon be his old self again.

He has barely half a dozen games left this campaign in which to find his shooting boots, so perhaps a summer free of tournaments and a nice long rest will do the trick. If next season he is still playing like a pub player instead of a £50m man, it really will be a case for a Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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