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?

Lamela love

Last season was a season to forget for Eric Lamela. The Argentine arrived at Tottenham in a fee believed to be around the £30m mark from Roma, but like many of the London club's signings was a huge flop. Under fellow Argentine Manuel Pochettino, Lamela will be looking to rectify the season before and show why there was such a hype surrounding his talent.

Eric Lamela was signed during the Andre Villas Boas reign using the transfer kitty raised from the world record transfer sale of star man Gareth Bale to Real Madrid. The signing of Eric Lamela however, was misguided. The forward was poorly signed under the influence of technical director Franco Baldini and did not suit the ideas that Villas Boas had in mind, that twinned with the injury problems Lamela had this year made Lamela an expensive flop.

Lamela played in a 4-3-3 at Roma as a wide forward in such a formation and was hugely successful there, playing his best football and earning his title as one of the brightest talents in Europe. Tottenham signed a wide, south american forward expecting him to be able to adapt to the defensive English game as a winger. In England as a winger, tracking back and helping the full back is a must, something Lamela has never had to do previously in his career. At Roma, Lamela had very little defence responsibilities; it was up to him to be a creative offensive player on the counter attack out wide.

Can he prove his worth this year? 

Franco Baldini's previous time at Roma meant he knew what Lamela was capable of but, he did not suit the ideas Villas Boas and Sherwood wanted to implement. However, under Pochettino, the attacker could finally thrive. Pochettino's tactics of high pressing allows Lamela to remain further up the field and will be expected to fulfil a similar role that Lallana produced at Southampton, allowing Lamela to produce his best, driving at the fullback with his fast pace and touch tight dribbling. Of course Lamela will need to work on the defensive side of his game, although a few extra hours down the training ground could see that rectified.

Pochettino has already made it clear that Tottenham aren't going to go on a spending spree like they did last summer and are going to use the resources they already have available, including previous fringe players like Lamela and Capoue as well as utilising the impressive youth system at White Hart Lane. In Tottenham's first pre season fixture against Toronto FC, captained by former fan favourite Jermain Defoe, Lamela grabbed a brace.

An Argentine influence could be what Lamela needs

Pochettino has hailed the Argentine who narrowly missed out on Sabella's world cup squad, giving the impression Lamela will feature heavily. He said: "We expect a lot from him, he’s an unbelievable player. He needs to show us that he deserves to play, but at the moment we are happy with his performance." 

Lamela will be desperate to put last season behind him and under new manager Pochettino, Spurs fans could finally see the real Lamela. Pochettino will need to use a philosophy that plays to Lamela's strengths and if he can do that, then Pochettino will reap the rewards. It's time for Lamela to show value for money...  

Rodgers' revoultion

Liverpool surprised everyone last year, pushing Manchester City all the way to the Premier League, almost winning it for themselves. Rogers was the man hailed for masterminding such a feat and next year will look to do one better and actually take the domestic crown and the intent is there as Liverpool continue to invest into the side. Star man Luis Suarez has gone, but in that raised a huge amount of money which Liverpool are yet to even fully cut into. But, are they spending correctly?

You cant replace Luis Suarez. A player of his calibre is very rare and right now, there are only three or four players in the world right now that are on his level. Suarez was as good as he was controversial, so by letting him go, Liverpool are preventing any future embarrassments the striker might be involved in. That said and the amount of money raised are the only positives the club can draw from the sale of such a player, a player that was the best player in the Premier League and top goalscorer despite missing several games due to disciplinary problems at the start of the campaign.

The money has gone straight back into the side and with the club already making four summer signings and several others could follow. The first signing was Rickie Lambert from Southampton for a small fee of £4m. Liverpool are gaining a striker that has proven he can score goals in the Premier League and it isn't easy to get a 15 goal a season striker like Lambert for such a minimal fee. That said, Lambert is merely a stop gap as at the age of 32, wont be at the club for too long. It is hard to imagine that Lambert will get ahead of Sturridge or possible new arrival Loic Remy, but does offer the side something different coming off the bench and is more than adequate cover.  

Lambert arrives at his boyhood club 

Not the only signing pinched from Southampton, Liverpool have also brought in Adam Lallana. A player who had a stellar season and in doing so forced his way into the world cup squad, the Englishman cost a pricey £27m. For the player they are getting, they have overpaid with such a price tag, especially considering the cheaper alternatives available abroad who are also better players with both Cesc Fabregas and Toni Kroos costing less as examples. The 26 year old attacking midfielders' form last year has drove his price tag through the roof and with Southampton losing so many key stars to a Premier League rival, they were always going to charge Liverpool even more. But, Lallana will slot in nicely at Anfield, operating in a similar role to Coutinho on the opposite flank, creating  two flanks of creativity that will supply the strikers.

When the club signed Lazar Markovic from Benfica, it left many of the Liverpool faithful scratching their heads wondering who this lad was. However, Markovic is tipped by many to make an immediate impact at the club and has already done so with team mate Joe Allen. The Welshman said about his new team mate: "Straight away you can see the quality he brings. I'm really excited to get the chance to play with him and train alongside him as well." Markovic brings lightning pace to the side and is a versatile attacker, who at the age of 20, is considered to be one of the hottest talents in Europe. The Serbian is notorious for his impressive one v one skills and this being his second transfer inside a calender year, shows the sensational rise Markovic has been on and if that rise continues, could be a top bit of business by Rogers. He has not come cheap though and there will be competition to get a starting berth too.  

Markovic arrives in a £20m deal 

On the books of Bayern Munich, Emre Can arrives from Bayern Leverkusen having had a impressive previous season for the German club.  Comparisons to Micheal Ballack come thick and fast for Can who has represented Germany at youth level but also of Turkish descent arrives in a deal worth around £10m. Last campaign was the first time Can had got regular first team football and Liverpool have signed him on the back of that solid campaign. Can, like Markovic, is considered to be a hot talent and so much so, when Bayern Munich sold him to Leverkusen they included a buy back clause. Comfortable on the ball as he sits in front of the defence, the midfielder could benefit from playing with the likes of Gerrard but will have to do well to get ahead of the competition in the middle of the park.  

The spending won't stop here either. Rogers will continue to pump money into the side until he sees fit, making Liverpool a force to be reckoned with next year. Too many new faces into a side can mean the team struggle to gel together and Rogers will have a task on his hand this pre season to avoid that. With more new faces like Remy and Lovren expected to come in, this is well and truly a Rogers revolution, but the spending needs to be smart, not unnecessary.

Swapping Barcelona for Stoke

Stoke City have completed the signing of Bojan Krkic from Barcelona on a 4 year deal for a undisclosed fee. A common question by many English pundits when watching top European talents is: "But can they do it on a rainy night in Stoke?" Well, we could find out the answer to that question in Bojan Krkic. Although no longer considered a top European talent, there was once a time when Bojan was tipped to follow in the footsteps of Lionel Messi. But what happened?  

Another graduate of Barcelona's famous La Masia academy, Bojan broke a lot of records in the youth system. Having joined the Catalan Club at the age of nine and within seven years he is rumoured to have had over 850 goals to his name. Aged 15, he was joint top-scorer at the 2006 Under-17 European Championships and at this point, it looked like there was nothing this boy could not achieve. Aged 17 years old, he scored the only goal in a Champions League quarter final fixture against Schalke, becoming the first player born in the 1990's to score in the tournament. Bojan's touch, speed and sensational dribbling skills made him become one of Barcelona's brightest talents.

Described as a "treasure" by one time manager Frank Rijkaard, it was he who brought him into the first team during the 07/08 season where he featured heavily at the tender age of 17. He made 48 appearances, scored 12 goals and set up another six, nothing short of impressive at such a age. But it why did it go down hill from this point?  

Once a La Masia gem, Stoke could be the place where he
finally fulfils his early potential 

Pressure. The pressure that became draped onto the shoulders of a young 17 year old caused him to crumble under the weight of Spanish expectation. The dismissal of favoured manager Rijkaard did not help the situation either and soon fell down the pecking order under new manager Pep Guardiola. Two years under Pep saw a lack of appearances, little impact and an eventual falling out saw Bojan leave the club on loan to Roma.  

Italy was not kind to Bojan. In a league which is much more physical than La Liga, Bojan just could not adapt his game. The Spaniard's light frame which aided him so well in terms of dribbling, hindered him for Roma as he so often found himself unable to cope with the physicality of defenders. Despite getting game time, his inconsistent form saw him leave for Milan on loan the following season in what was considered a poor campaign for Bojan. At Milan it got worse and he made very little impact at the San Siro, hardly featuring in the side.    

His brief spell in Holland was not considered
the greatest of successes

Surely Ajax would  be the sort of footballing institution that could resurrect Bojan's career. The Dutch league suited the possession football that he learnt his initial trade and looked like it was the perfect move. But it was not to be as Bojan was disappointing at Ajax, only able to register 4 goals and became a figure of ridicule at Ajax, often taunted by fans for his poor performances and decision making. 

Now 23 years old, Bojan is to apply his skills at Stoke. In a high tempo league, Bojan could well thrive and the Stoke faithful will be hoping this is the move where Bojan comes of age and starts to become fulfil the promise he showed in his early Barcelona years. With backing from Mark Hughes and game time, we could witness the real Bojan Krkic. 

Is the time right for James?

The breakthrough star of the world cup in Brazil, James Rodriguez is now the hottest property in Europe. Columbia's number 10 managed to capture the imagination and hearts of fans in Brazil and his performances on the world's biggest footballing stage has meant several clubs are battling for his signature. But is the time right for a move?

Having been on the European footballing scene for some time now and only at the age of 23, James' talent is no secret. Those who watched him at Porto knew it was only a matter of time before he truly exploded on  the world scene as he so often glide round players and create chances. Taken to Monaco in a deal that also brought Porto team mate Joao Moutinho to France, the Columbian didn't truly replicate the form he produced at Porto despite still impressing. If he stays at Monaco, there will certainly be more to come from the attacker but his days there may be numbered.

Real Madrid are the team that are suggested to be very close to agreeing a mammoth deal for Rodriguez. But a move to Real Madrid may come too soon. The Columbian is still at the tender age of 23 and will need game time to make sure he continues to develop as a player, something he might not get at Real Madrid. Furthermore, Madrid got rid of Mesut Ozil, a player in James' favoured position as he did not fit Ancelotti's tactics and brought in young starlet Isco, who also is similar to James and has not fit into the Italian's tactics and didn't feature too much as a result.  

Rodriguez finished as the tournament's top goal scorer

Ancelotti favours a 4-3-3 formation and has meant wingers like Di Maria have had to adapt their game to fit the formation, something James would have to do to succeed in Madrid. But, with Di Maria's future at Madrid hanging in the balance it is more than likely that Rodriguez will be at least contacted by the club. Granted, James is a flexible player who could slot into the three in midfield or in two flank positions in the trio attack but it would mean he is not playing in the position he is best, behind the striker in the number 10 role.

James Rodriguez won't come cheap too. Monaco aren't looking to sell and with the money they have in the bank hardly need to cash in either. His performances at the world cup will sky rocket his market value and on top of that, the transfer market is currently in a state of inflation as clubs are paying more and more money for top players and Rodriguez fits that top player bracket. All considered and Madrid's tendency to bust the bank for players, there is no reason why we could not be on the verge of yet another world record transfer.

Rodriguez's value is at a all time high and following his performances at the world cup, Real Madrid are going to be seriously considering the Columbian. With Barcelona acquiring Luis Suarez they will also be looking to rival that with a big name of their own and Rodriguez fits the bill. Could we see another huge signing this summer?

Time to come of age: Cristian Tello

Barcelona have loaned out promising winger Cristian Tello to Portuguese giants Porto on a two year
deal. It is no secret in Spain that Tello has the potential to be a top player, but game time has been hard to come by in the competitive squad Barcelona have had over the years. At Porto, Tello has the opportunity to play two years worth of first team football and will need to take it with both hands.

Tello's chances to play have come sparingly, but when he has played he has shown his ability to beat the opposing full back with electric acceleration and touch tight dribbling. Cutting in from his natural left flank position is his favoured move rather than whipping in a cross makes him a devastatingly attacking player that really causes defences problems.

Guilty at times of over doing it on the ball, often attempting to take it round player to many or shooting rather than laying it off to a team mate in a better position, time at Porto could see this coached out of him. It is hard to believe watching him that he graduated from Barcelona's La Masia academy as he favours running with the ball rather than conforming to the Tika Taka passing philosophy that coaches in the system drill into players.

Thumbs up from Tello as he joins Porto's pre season

Porto are notorious in Europe for nurturing promising talents and churning them into top players. This move for Tello could be exactly what a player like him needs, a player who has bags of potential looking for game time but in dire need of ironing out the creases in his game.

At Porto, Tello is likely to get the game time he desires, something which could see him really thrive. Porto also have the option to make the deal a permanent one, but is something that Barcelona can choose to remove after the first year of loaning. The Catalan club will be keeping a close eye on their product as they know losing him could be a huge loss with the potential he has displayed.

Tello is a very direct and penetrating attacker 

At 22 years of age, Tello is no teenage wonder kid, but this does not mean time at Porto cant make him become one of the hottest and most sought after young talents. Liverpool, Tottenham and Valencia have all been rumoured in the past to have been keen on the winger, with Brendan Rodgers reported to have made contact over a transfer this window before he opted to join Porto.

This loan move could be the move that launches Tello into the top player his earlier promise suggested. Porto is the perfect place for such a thing to happen, with a reputation of creating incredible players. It is time for Cristian Tello to come of age...