Munich's silent makeover

In such a busy transfer window with major deals going through, big players leaving and arriving and record transfer fees being broken, you would be forgiven for not realising the shrewd business that has been going on at the Allianz Arena. For just under £40m, they have strengthened in a number of departments with some top ability.  

It was the footballing world's best kept secret, with everyone knowing where Robert Lewandowski was going to end up once he announced he was going to leave Borussia Dortmund on a Bosman. Now at Dortmund's rivals Bayern Munich, the Polish striker will be the man Munich look for to finish the service that the inventive players like Gotze, Robben and Ribery create. The Bavarian giants have certainly traded up in acquiring Lewandowski and letting go of Mario Mandzukic and have even raised some funds in doing so.  

The most expensive of Bayern Munich's transfers was Mehdi Benatia from Roma. At a fee believed to be around £27m, the Munich based club have done very well to acquire such a sought after central defender. Impressing in Serie A for sometime now with his reading of the game and his tough tackling, Benatia will add some much needed solidity in the centre of defence with Jerome Boateng and Dante sometimes vulnerable. 

Once a target of Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester
United, Benatia arrives at Bayern Munich 

 

Not the only defender to arrive from abroad, Benatia is also joined by Valencia left back Juan Bernat for a fee of around £8m. A young talent, Bernat is so often compared to a former Valencia left back Jordi Alba due to his calmness on and off the ball on the pitch despite being just 21 and can even double up as a left winger.   

One of the bargains of the summer window, the experienced Xabi Alonso arrives for a fee believed to be £8m from Real Madrid. With Javi Martinez out for around 6 months due to injury and Toni Kroos packing his bags for Madrid, Alonso is the perfect addition to Bayern Munich. The Spaniard fits the philosophy Pep Guardiola has implemented at the Allianz Arena with his range of passing skills and ability to dictate the tempo of play. Despite being 32 years of age, Alonso still has the legs to play at the highest level for a few more years.   

Looking to learn from Alonso will be the young Sebastian Rode, who arrives on a free transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt. Yet another impressive central midfielder to come off of the conveyor belt of German talent, Rode is tipped to go on to big things. Combative and energetic, Rode is as good as he is going forward as he is defensively as he so often bursts from the midfield to join in on the attack. To secure such a young talent on a free, Bayern Munich have to be applauded.   

Rode was also chased by Dortmund

Finally, to provide cover for arguably the best goalkeeper in the world right now, Pepe Reina arrives from Liverpool in a deal worth to be around £2m. Having spent the last season on loan at Napoli, Reina has impressed enough for Guardiola to believe he is the man to be Bayern's backup goalkeeper should Manuel Neuer get injured or in need of a rest. Having such a accomplished keeper like Reina as a backup is not a bad option to fall back on. 

A number of fresh faces have arrived at Bayern Munich this summer as Guardiola looks to mount a serious challenge for European glory as well as continue the dominance they currently maintain at the expense of title rivals Borussia Dortmund. It will be interesting to see if the new players gel and if they do, Bayern Munich will seriously benefit.

 

 

A Serie A preview: Juventus' crown to lose

The start of the Serie A season is fast approaching and is set to be one of the most thrilling campaigns in Italian history. Its been all change in Italy with big players arriving, big players leaving and big changes in management and following the dismal world cup Italy had, Serie A has a few things to prove to Europe. Here is a look at the major title contenders in Italy:

Antonio Conte's departure from Juventus leaves the side severely weakened. The controversial appointment of the less than impressive former Ac Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri means the club are going to be under some serious changes in terms of philosophy and formation. Conte's 3-5-2 formation was the corner stone to the side's successes over the years, with the wing backs providing important width and the midfielders dictating play in the middle. This is likely to be scrapped as Allegri favours four at the back and it was he who drove Pirlo out of the San Siro, hopefully he utilises the Italian in the proper manner this time around instead of implementing two sitting defensive midfielders.

Allegri has done well however to hold onto the club's major stars in Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba but his signings have been questioned. He has spent big on the hugely talented Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid despite already having two of the most deadliest strikers in Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente. He has also dropped the biggest hint he wants to have a sitting defensive midfielder, signing the talented and young Romulo from Hellas Verona on loan. Manchester United veteran Patrice Evra also arrives, a player not really capable of fulfilling the role a wing back does due to its demanding work rate which suggests Allegri will play a back four. It is Juventus's crown to lose this year but with a change in manager the winning formula is most definitely going to be altered by mad Massimiliano.

Juventus have kept hold of Arturo Vidal 

Arguably Juventus' closest rivals, Roma look stronger than ever under Rudi Garcia. The French manager has brought in a number of reinforcements but has also managed to keep hold of most of his star players like Kevin Strootman and Miralem Pjanić. Roma have strengthened the weakest part of the squad with the signing of left back Ashley Cole as well as securing one of the hottest talents in Italy in the direct attacking flair of attacker Juan Iturbe from Hellas Verona.

However, the club have lost one of their most crucial players in Mehdi Benatia to Bayern Munich, but the club would have faced a impossible task to keep the Moroccan defender with the allure of the Bavarian giants. With Juventus looking as vulnerable as ever, Roma are tipped to be Scudetto champions by many this year.

Napoli were their own enemy last year due to their inconsistency. One week they were capable of beating the best, the next they would slump to a draw to a team they really should be beating. The club have not replicated the spending spree of last summer and will once again be relying on the form of goal scorer Gonzalo Higuain to deliver.

However, Napoli have still spent, bringing in former Swansea duo Jonathan De Guzman on a permanent deal and highly rated attacker Michu in on loan. Napoli have to be applauded for managing to negotiate the loan of Michu, a player that is considered very important to Swansea. French defender Kalidou Koulibaly from Genk also arrives to give Rafa Benitez much needed cover at the back. Benitez will have a lot to do if Napoli are to be crowned Scudetto champions this year, but steady form could see that happen.    

Loyal captain Francesco Totti will be looking
to lead Roma to glory this year

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. AC Milan will look for a serious improvement on last year's short comings under new manager Flippo Inzaghi's vision. But, the club have once again engaged in brainless dealings due to the unstable economic state at the San Siro. The sale of Mario Balotelli is outrageous as despite being so frustratingly inconsistent regarding form with his on pitch strops and off the field headline grabbing,  he was the man Milan looked for to produce something. The club doesn't exactly have a abundance of strikers either with the only actual striker left being Gianpoalo Pazzini.

Despite their forward problems, the club have strengthened at the back where it was needed. The club have managed to bring in European quality with clever free transfers including former PSG duo Alex and attacker Jeremy Menez but most impressive of all, they have brought in the man that usurped Iker Casillas from his number one spot at Madrid with the signing of Diego Lopez. The AC Milan faithful will have the optimistic view of challenging for the Scudetto crown, but a Champions League spot maybe more realistic.

Much like local rivals AC Milan, Inter Milan are also in a state of decline. A turbulent opening season for manager Walter Mazzari saw the possibility of being sacked loom over his head, especially with the club under new ownership. However, Mazzari stays and has strengthened what was a wafer thin squad in terms of depth, bringing in a number of players in a number of departments.

Unmotivated and unimpressive, AC Milan's season last
year summed up in a picture

Inter Milan have signed two combative midfielders in Cardiff's Gary Medel for £8m and Rubin Kazan's Yann M'Vila on loan which brings in some much needed grit in midfield. Also arriving is the much travelled and troubled striker Dani Osvaldo on loan from Southampton which gives Inter Milan some much needed striking options as the club only had Mauro Icardi and Rodrigo Palacio to choose from. But, most impressive of all, the club have secured the signing of world class defender Nemanja Vidic on a free transfer, giving the side leadership and strength in the back three Mazarri so often deploys.

The Serie A is well and truly a open race with a number of teams in with a shout to win the coveted Scudetto. Will Juventus continue their reign of dominance in Italy despite new management or will it be one of their rivals pipping them to first place? With the all the bad press the Serie A receives, this campaign is going to thrill.

Di Maria delight

Manchester United have completed the signing of Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid for a British record transfer fee of £59.7 million. The deal sees the Argentine international sign a 5 year contract with the Red Devils and could be set to make his debut against Burnley this weekend. A Champions League winner and a world cup finalist, Di Maria brings world class quality to Old Trafford and following the dismal start to Van Gaal's reign, the arrival of Di Maria could remedy the current the situation.

Angel Di Maria is no panic purchase on the back of a poor opening campaign and a fairly inactive summer transfer window like Marouane Felliani was last season. It cannot be seen as a act of desperation to have a desire to bring in a player that has so often demonstrated why he is considered one of the best players in the world with his pace, versatility and creativity.

Angel Di Maria poses in his new strip

The Real Madrid fans in mourning at Di Maria's departure is a testimony to how integral he was at the Bernabeu and the quality he will bring in as he makes the switch to Old Trafford. It will be more than interesting to see what sort of role Di Maria will fufill under Van Gaal who is still yet to find the winning formula for his new side. Proven to be a clever number 10, a devastating winger and a technically apt central midfielder, Di Maria could do a number of jobs for United. It is the left flank that Di Maria has shown where he is the most influential, his Champions League final performance a perfect example, where Atletico Madrid just could not keep tabs on him.

So often a criticism of Manchester United last year was their inability to produce the quick and incisive attacking moves that made them formidable under Sir Alex Ferguson. Di Maria is the sort of player that could reinstate the trademark style that once existed. The capture of the Argentine also has its financial benefits as Di Maria merchandise is set to sky rocket and will cover some of the initial cost of the record breaking fee. The signing of two Argentine internationals in Di Maria and Marcos Rojo will also boost sales in Argentina.

A world cup finalist, Di Maria will add a lot of quality

Of course Di Maria will need to settle in before we see the best of him with Manchester a far cry from the sun of Madrid he is used to. The signing will be welcomed with open arms by Manchester United fans and there will be great excitement surrounding the former Benfica man. However, more signings are needed to make Manchester United a competitive force again as the side is so defensively frail and in need of reinforcements.

Di Maria is a step in the right direction for Manchester United but more signings are needed, Van Gaal needs to find a winning formation and formula and the players need to start playing with the belief of a side that fears no one. But, Di Maria is a step in the right direction, watch this space!

Meet Eliaquim Mangala, Britain's most expensive defender

Manchester City have broken the British transfer record paid for a defender in a deal worth £32m by tying down Porto's Eliaquim Mangala with a 5 year deal. But with Manchester City once again flexing their financial muscle, it has left many fans scratching their heads wondering who the young French defender is and if a defender that is not considered world class really worth that?

Before applauding the signing of Mangala, there are several things wrong with the deal. The club have broken a British transfer record for a defender that is not considered world class, all be it a defender who has the potential to be. The deal represents how inflated the current transfer market is, with a few years ago a £30m fee was a price only considered for top world class players. For example, £30m was the fee Chelsea paid for Europe's most lethal striker at the time in Andriy Shevchenko, where as now clubs have to pay more than that to secure players that aren't even considered the best player in the country they played in.

Mangala has wrote himself into the record books
with his move to Man City

Manchester City are already walking along a thin line regarding the Financial Fair Play regulations implemented by FIFA and paying such a large sum certainly does not help the situation. The club have not raised funds to even out the spending either, so a few faces could leave the Ethiad in the coming weeks to make up for the purchase of Mangala. The fee itself does not all go to Porto either as the club had to pay some of that to Standard Leige and a 3rd party ownership.

However, despite the negatives of the fee, Manchester City have secured a very bright defending talent in Mangala. Strong, quick and hard in the tackle, Mangala has all the necessary qualities needed to become a top centre back. Although currently some way off the mark as a world class player,  the 23 year old has the potential to be one of the world's best centre backs if he continues his rapid rate of growth. Manager Manuel Pellegrini said: "He is already a fine player but in my opinion he has all the mental, physical, technical and tactical attributes to become one of Europe’s very best defenders."

A natural brute and notorious for his aerial ability, Mangala can match the physicality of the Premiership and is considered by Manchester City to be the long term centre back partner to Vincent Kompany. Next to the Belgian captain, Mangala will come on leaps and bounds as he will learn a lot. Mangala does have some creases in his game that need ironing out, such as his long ball distribution which at times can put his side in danger or needlessly give the ball away but, with coaching and guidance, Mangala could be a rock at the heart of defence for City for a long time.

Mangala was part of the French world cup squad
but failed to make a single appearance in Brazil

It was no secret last year that when Kompany didn't play Manchester City were defensively frail, they lacked a real leader at the back. Mangala could provide solidity at the back even when Kompany isn't playing, as the other squad players like Demichellis, Nastastic and Richards were either injured or lacking form. The signing of the French defender will no doubt strengthen the side at the back and with national team mate Bacary Sagna also arriving, Manchester City have strength in depth at the back, something they lacked last year.

Manchester City have won a European race to sign the defender with Barcelona, Chelsea and rivals Manchester United all having been linked with the Frenchman in the past. No doubt Manchester City will see this signing as a long term investment and in Mangala, they could well see a immediate return for that kind of money, something manager Pellegrini has already tipped the defender to do. The first season will be crucial at The Ethiad for Mangala...

Mourinho's biggest regret?

Romelu Lukaku has joined Everton from Chelsea in a deal worth around £28m including add ons, penning a 5 year contract with the toffees. Lukaku has been on a meritocratic rise in previous seasons during his loan spells and has finally left Chelsea having hardly featured for the London club. The sale of Lukaku could be a huge regret and live to haunt the "Special One" considering he has sold to a Premier League rival. A self-confessed Chelsea fan, Lukaku spoke of how it was his dream to play at Stamford Bridge after visiting on a school trip as a young teenager but how that dream soon became a nightmare...

Chelsea have raised around £150m with the sale of squad members which became fringe players under Mourinho such as Juan Mata, David Luiz, Kevin De Bruyne, Demba Ba and now Romelu Lukaku although, the sale of a striker with so much potential could be considered a huge mistake. However, these sales have helped fund moves for marquee signings like Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa this year but also meant Chelsea have stayed within the FIFA Financial Fair Play rules.

Since arriving at Chelsea from Anderlecht, Lukaku found chances in the first team slim and despite being owned by Chelsea for 3 years, only made 10 appearances for the club in total. Instead, Lukaku found himself loaned out after a disappointing first season to guarantee he got first team football, allowing him to grow as a player. A stint at West Brom where he scored an impressive 17 goals made many sit up and realise the talent Chelsea had on their books. Lukaku then spent the next season on loan at Everton where he thrived under the playing style of Roberto Martinez and scored 15 goals despite suffering ankle ligament damage.

Lukaku at the signing of his five year deal

It was on the back of that impressive loan season that Lukaku was purchased by Everton who broke their record transfer fee to bring in the striker. Lukaku has time and time again shown why he was hailed as one of the hottest teenage European talents with his strength, pace and direct eye for goal. Surely, with how well Lukaku played out on loan, Chelsea lacking a proper striker in recent seasons and still only at the tender age of 21, Lukaku had a bright future at Chelsea?

Wrong. Chelsea's continued tradition of signing a household striker most summer transfer windows often made Lukaku realise he was not going to be first choice, something that would affect the amount of game time he would get. But blame can't fall on Chelsea's shoulders alone for the failed relationship between the club and Lukaku as Mourinho revealed that it was Lukaku who had requested to go on loan at Everton last season, despite Mourinho wanting him to compete for a starting berth with Eto'o, Torres and Demba Ba. Many Chelsea fans got the feeling Lukaku was never interested in competing for his position and just expected it to be handed to him.

The Belgian striker will look to make Mourinho regret
not giving him a chance in the first team 

Although, with the way he played out on loan, you would expect him to at least be given a chance in the first team. The whole point of sending a player out on loan is to get them game time, allow them to thrive and learn and come back a better a player. If they impress, players should be given a chance to do the same in the first team, something that never happened for Lukaku which was disappointing. The loan policy Chelsea have in place may have cost them one of their brightest talents. Many Chelsea fans will be disappointed that Lukaku has left, especially with the return of Didier Drogba in a player - coach role who as a mentor could have seriously benefited Lukaku, previously dubbed the "new Drogba."

The season came has come to a bitter sweet end for Lukaku, who all in all had a good season but had a poor world cup, eventually being usurped by new Liverpool signing Divock Origi in the first team. The Everton faithful can be very excited about the capture of Lukaku, who is one of the best young talents in the world right now. There is no limit to what Lukaku could achieve if he continues to grow as a player at the rapid rate he has done but, if he does continue to do so well, could Everton merely be a stepping stone to a even bigger club in the future?