Transfer Target #14 - Alexandre Lacazette

Alexandre Lacazette is a name that has been on everyone's lips this season. The Lyon man has been scoring for fun this year and has catapulted Lyon to the top of the table. 

With a goal scoring record only behind Messi and Ronaldo this season, it's easy to see why many English teams want his signature. The Frenchman has been in Lyon his whole career and to date, has collected nearly 130 league appearances to date. His first one was back in May 2010 against Auxerre when he came on for the last 12 minutes of the league game.

He spent the first few years of his career as a rotation option, before he broke into the first team in the 2011/2012 season, contributing 10 goals and 7 assists in 43 matches. He was beginning to lay stamp down his first team slot. 2012/2013 was a similar story, however he was yet to find the goal scoring prowess that we associate with him this season.

We witnessed him score a bounty of goals in all competitions last year, 22 in 54 to be exact, but this is nothing compared to what he has scored already this season with just under half of Ligue 1 to be played. 21 goals in 22 games is an astounding record, which asks the question how long will Lyon be able to hold onto him for?

The 23 year old has a playing style similar to Alexis Sanchez at Arsenal. His preferred position is striker, but he can also play on either flank or even as a second striker. His electric pace and acceleration has tortured French defences this year in the league, and I'm sure they will be glad if he leaves in January.

Ironically, Arsenal have expressed their interest in his capture, along with Liverpool. With Arsenal having Sanchez, Theo Walcott and The Ox, they are no short of competition for the wide positions. Up top, Giroud has been doing ok this season and Welbeck has been Mr Inconsistent as always. It seems that Lacazette would be likely to play up front in order to give Arsenal another option, however I see other areas that would benefit more than in the attacking third.

Liverpool on the other hand may be a good place to go. With Mario Balotelli looking lost in Merseyside, Sturridge injury prone and Rickie Lambert not scoring, Lacazette could be the answer to Brendan Rodgers' problems. In addition, he could adapt to playing behind Sturridge or another striker in order to give Raheem Sterling a rest. I believe that Liverpool would be a good place for him.

There is no doubt that he can score goals. The next superstar to come out of the Lyon youth set up has come along way and his hard work is paying off. With Lyon sitting pretty in 1st position, I wouldn't be surprised if the transfer goes through in the summer particularly as he has picked up a hamstring that will keep him out for 3 weeks. 

European Round-Up

We're well over the half way point in all of the top European Leagues, so let's take a look at where everyone stands in their respective leagues:

Starting close to home, Chelsea are the dominant force in the Barclays Premier League having survived a minor blip around the New Year. The Blues hold a 5 point lead over holders, Manchester City to have suffered due to injuries in attack. They are very much on the tale of the London club, but I don't expect them to beat Mourinho's Chelsea to the title. Not many people would expect Southampton to be mentioned in the top 3, but Koeman has got a side who were tipped for a low finish at the start of the season due to the departure of many of their players.

At the foot of the table, it is hard to predict who will make the drop, with Hull, QPR and Leicester occupying the spots as it stands. 4 points seperates Everton in 12th which proves how tight it really is. At the start of the season, I predicted Palace, Villa and Sunderland to get relegated and it seems likely that at least one of these teams won't survive.

In Germany's Bundesliga, there isn't much competition for Bayern Munich who sit unbeaten and 11 points ahead of Wolfsburg in second. Bayern's domestic dominance seems likely to continue for a number of years, particularly as main rivals, Borussia Dortmund lie in the relegation zone level on points with 18th placed Freiburg. I hope Klopp is able to resurrect Dortmund While the competition is minimum at the top of the table, there is plenty of it at the bottom. Only 12 points seperates 18 and 4th position. There is plenty of time for Jurgen Klopp's men to hit a purple patch and finish in a respectable position. Similarly, sides to seem out of the danger zone could slip down the table, if the next couple of matches don't go to plan.

We through Austria/Switzerland to Italy. As predicted, Juventus and Roma are leading the pack with third place Napoli 6 points behind. It is certainly a gap that Napoli can catch, but they will need to begin their charge pretty soon, especially as Juventus and Roma don't look like slipping up anytime soon. Both Milan and Internazionale trundle through their stage of 'transition' and sit in 11th and 10th respectively. With Inter capturing the signature of Xherdan Shaqiri, Mancini aims to stamp his mark on a side that could be doing with an ounce of quality. More signings to this calibre and we could be seeing the Nerazurri return to the heights of the Champions League.

Let's turn our attention to Spain. Real Madrid lead the pack by a point with Barcelona and Atletico chasing behind. Real triumphed in the solitary Clasico so far with an excellent display of counter attacking football and with the current situation at the Nou Camp in dispute, it doesn't look like they will be able to topple Real Madrid. Despite losing their goalkeeper, left back and striker in the summer transfer window, Atletico are up there albeit 4 points behind the leaders and having played a game more. I still think Real Madrid will have enough strength to fend off the challenge of their competitors, but being able to compete for the Champions League as well, is a completely different scenario.

In France, PSG have been faltering and this can be put down to problems in a fractured dressing room. Marcelo Bielsa's Marseille came firing out of the blocks at the start of the season and Gignac was scoring for fun. However the form has declined and some may say it is down to Bielsa's rigorous training methods. Olympique Lyon now lead the charge and Alexandre Lacazette has made his price tag more expensive to possible suitors this month. After a slow start from Monaco, Leonardo Jardim has tidied up and now they are sitting in a respectable 5th. The loss of Falcao has clearly affected them, and a 5th place finish come May might not be enough for Jardim to keep his job.

Transfer Deadline Day

It's been a frenetic week about Sky Sports' coverage of Transfer Deadline Day, which could see some drastic changes being made ahead of the 2nd February. Sky have taken the decision to ban fans from appearing in their coverage from each ground.

It's very disappointing to see this, yet I understand why they have resorted to such drastic matters. It will be very hard to recreate the carnival atmosphere that the fans brought and probably the same atmosphere that was demonstrated last time that sent the internet into meltdown. I need not remind you of the incidents last time. As we know in this country, it only takes a minority of people to get offended before it incites a reaction. 

Whether Sky like it or not, the comedic element that the fans bring will be lost and it will end up like the news. Reporters reporting and anchors anchoring. The fans show the emotion captured whenever their club lands a marquee signing. Look back to when Manchester City announced the signing of Robinho from Real Madrid, the fans went mental. Only if his career was a mirror image of his transfer... 

I will miss the occasional crackhead doing something outrageous in order to get the attention and enjoy his moment of fame. But we'll leave all of the doom and gloom nonsense behind, to look at the proposal of a bank holiday on Transfer Deadline Day.

I've heard it all now. Petitions and rumours flying about left, right and centre for Jim White Day to become a National holiday courtesy of Sky Bet. I'm not going to lie, I'd embrace the motion if David Cameron or any of the leaders in Parliament were to debate the topic in the House of Commons. It certainly would be one of the more light hearted arguments in the Chamber.

Normally we would associate the scheme with some head-case looking for attention, but when Sky Bet launched it, and have it endorsed by the one and only Jim White, it's hard not to speculate about what it will be like. With the UK receiving the second lowest holiday entitlement in the world (apparently), a day dedicated to worshipping Jim and Natalie wouldn't go amiss.

The bank holiday would allow for TDD parties, meaning that the drinking game would get a work out. Private sector workers would be obliged to go to the celebrations if invited by one of their banking partners, leaving their employer no option but to permit the day off. Obviously, the TDD drinking game would need some fine tuning, but this would have the potential to equal or better Christmas.

Realistically, this has no hope of happening but it is good to live in hope and it just serves as a publicity stunt by the boffins at Sky. However, with an election quickly approaching, a party may be willing to listen if the result is a few extra votes. Who knows?

Anything Can Happen In The Cup

The FA Cup is undoubtedly the greatest domestic cup competition in the world. No other competition comes remotely close to the dreams that this remarkable tournament creates and the memories entwined into the history of English Football. The weekend past epitomised everything that the FA Cup stands for. 'Anything can happen in the cup' is a well known and over used cliche yet it's a one that is so true and was evident over the weekend. Cambridge, Bolton, Bradford and Middlesborough certainly ruined many accumulators this weekend, but dished out the dough to the courageous few.

But first we rewind back to the 1988 cup where the 'Crazy Gang' or Wimbledon had a spectacular cup run which eventually culminated in lifting the cup against clear favourites Liverpool. The FA Cup is about giving lower teams the opportunity to humble some of England's elite. The single games attempt to keep a level playing field, and the big teams know that if they take the foot off the gas, then they will be punished by the passion, will to win and aggression of their opposition. Not only does it offer the chance of a life time for players, but it will also bring in a decent amount of revenue to please the owners.

The weekend past proved that the FA Cup is magical. Louis Van Gaal took his Manchester United side to the Abbey Stadium to face Richard Money's Cambridge United. The fact that Manchester United towered 76 places above the League Two side, did not deter Money's players from delivering a performance of the highest quality. The discipline showed by the home side was second to none and they prevented the 13 times Premier League winners from scoring. They did pose a threat to the unsteady defence of the Red Devils through the pace of Sullay Kaikai and Ryan Donaldson on the wings. At the same time, the absence of Wayne Rooney was felt. His creative spark could have been the linchpin to unlock the defence, as Falcao and Wilson were feeding off scraps. When Chris Foy blew the final whistle, you knew what it meant by the emotion on the faces of the players and crowd alike. Cambridge deserve their moment at Old Trafford, and will certainly throw the kitchen sink at it and enjoy the occasion regardless of the result.

When news filtered around England that Manchester United had only drawn, many expected that to be the fairytale story of the weekend. The drama was only beginning. League One side Bradford are no strangers to the tag of underdogs and don't seem to pay much attention to the script, after their Capital One Cup exploits of 2012/2013, where they knocked out Arsenal, Wigan Athletic and Aston Villa on their route to the final. Jose Mourinho fielded a team that contained only 3 regular starters - Azpilicueta, Oscar and Cahill - which could be one of the causes for a lacklustre and faltering performance. Chelsea opened a 2 goal lead inside 38 minutes and even though they look infallible at the Bridge, the wheels came off the wagon and they leaked 3 second half goals to lose 4-2. It has been dubbed as one of the great FA Cup come backs and rightly so. I was listening to the game on 5Live and when Ramires netted the second Blues' goal, was fearing the worst for the Bantams. Memories of 2013 will creep back into the minds of the players and fans and rightly so. They deserve another cup run after that performance. 

Middlesborough were the next lower division side to throw the script out of the window with their quality performance at the Etihad. Unlike Mourinho, Manuel Pellegrini fielded much of his first team with Cabellero, Boyata and Kolarov the exceptions. With 65% possession and 8/24 shots on target, City were dominant but unable to capitalise, handing Boro the initiative to grab the winner through loanee Patrick Bamford. Tomas Mejias was in top form, and played a significant part in the silencing of the Etihad faithful and sending Middlesborough into the fifth round. With City pushing players forward in pursuit of an equaliser, gaps at the back were inevitably left and Albert Adomah burst forward and found Bamford before the ball broke kindly to Kike who tucked it in the back of the net to safely secure Boro's passage through to the next round.

I haven't even touched Liverpool's draw at home to Bolton - who had a combined age of 73 years up front. With a few teams from the top half of the Premier League already out, teams such as Middlesborough may fancy themselves stretching the cup run on for a few rounds yet. Arsenal are favourites, followed by Man United and Liverpool with West Ham in fourth. Even though my team did not win, it's moments like these that make me cherish the FA Cup. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, the greatest domestic cup competition on planet earth.

Transfer Target #13 - Martin Odegaard

Martin Odegaard is the next sensation to be produced from Scandinavia. Having made his international debut for Norway aged 15 years and 253 days in a friendly match against the United Arab Emirates on the 19th August last year, it's easy to see why he is grabbing all the headlines.

We don't have a shortage of quality attacking midfielders on our planet so the young Norwegian has a lot to live up to and he will hope to follow in the footsteps of a certain Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer to the top of the World's elite. He is already hitting the headlines over Norway and will soon be wanting to take on the world.

With Strømsgodset IF not having many televised games over here in Northern Ireland, it's difficult to judge what his style of play is. From reading several articles and watching a few clips of him on YouTube, he appears to be a confident player who has the odd trick up his sleeve and loves to be running at the defence with the ball at his feet. YouTube often gives a subjective view, so I'm not taking anything for granted. All I'm trying to determine is what all the fuss is about.

He probably isn't quite in the mould of a Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of his goal scoring capabilities, but with Ballon D'Or winner endorsing the young protégé, I'm sure he will pick up a few tips if he joins the Los Blancos at the Santiago Bernabeu. At his age, I see similarities between him and the Inter playmaker, Mateo Kovacic in terms of their vision and ability to pick out a pass.

Looking at his stats for his club,  he has scored 5 goals and assisted 6 times in 25 games in the Tippeligaen. Yes they are not the best statistics for a playmaker, but at the age of 16, I consider him to be doing well to get into the first team, never mind assisting and scoring goals. Although it is in the Norwegian league, I again point you to his age. Most 16 year olds in Northern Ireland are preparing to sit their GCSE's nevermind turning out in the first team of a professional league.

With the Odegaard tipped to emulate Lionel Messi, he hasn't gone without notice. Throughout last year, he travelled to the training set-ups at countless top European clubs over a possible transfer, Liverpool, Bayern and Barca to name a few. To date, over 30 clubs have formally registered their interest in acquiring his services showing what a prized possession he is for Strømsgodset. However as I alluded to earlier, Real Madrid are favourites to land the teenage sensation.

While Real Madrid is possibly the most prestigious club in the world at the minute, I'm not convinced that this is the right move for him. Clubs with youth academies to the standard of Ajax and Southampton have been encouraged by fans to take the player on and to aid his development, and this is not to say that Madrid don't have as good set up as the other two.

On the other hand, he would be able to play in the Segunda Division with Castilla at Madrid, and playing against other professional teams could benefit him.

I would be particularly keen for him to move to Ajax and then be loaned back until the end of the season, due to the state of the art youth facilities on offer at the Dutch capital, as for a move to England, it could be a worse decision than a move to European giant. He needs the right facilities to progress, and this can be the decision that makes or breaks his career.

There has been immense pressure put on the shoulders of the youngster by the media and with the potential move to Real Madrid looming in the horizon, he has to keep his feet firmly on the ground, if he is to progress into a top player. As for now, we can only hope and pray that he does not turn into another football manager legend who has failed to live up to expectations.

Double Trouble at the Nou Camp

The past year at FC Barcelona has been one to forget. To the naked eye, it would seem that Barcelona have just been unlucky on the pitch, narrowly losing out on the title to Atletico and also being tactically out muscled by them in Europe, not to mention losing to their fierce rivals in the Copa del Rey. Now there are murmurings of a swift exit of their talisman and four times winner of the coveted Ballon D'Or Award, Lionel Messi.

Now, rumour has it that Lionel Messi has been in an altercation with manager Luis Enrique, and that his days in the Catalan capital are numbered. This is not the first time he has been rumoured with an exit from the Nou Camp, with reports surfacing last November, but were quickly dismissed. I remember first hearing these rumours and laughing it off as more journalists trying to write something controversial, it is now looking increasingly like they were correct even though deep down, I'm not convinced that he will leave the club. These reports resurfaced after he was left out of Barcelona's 1-0 defeat against David Moyes' Real Sociedad, the same David Moyes that was made a mockery by Liverpool fans no more than seven months ago. 

What would it mean for Barcelona if they lost their Argentinian superstar?

There would be no doubt that the departure of Lionel Messi from Barca would shock the world, but for the rest of the squad, it could have bigger consequences. For many years, Lionel Messi has single handedly won Barcelona vital games through nothing but his own magic, without him, they would likely to be relying on Luis Suarez or Neymar, which another cloud of mystery shrouds the young Brazilian. (They're not lacking any talent up front by any means.) Even with Messi onboard at the minute, confidence is at an all-time low, so the effect of his departure could be catastrophic.

Looking at the Sociedad game, Barca lacked the cutting edge in the final third in the first half and this was largely down to none of their talismen being on the pitch, Once the big guns were loaded off the bench in the second half, they looked a lot brighter, but were still unable to breach Sociedad's impenetrable defence. A happy David Moyes capped a truly miserable night for Luis Enrique and co. A positive result and performance is imperative tonight in the match against Elche.

The antics of the board have brought nothing but doom and gloom upon Barcelona.

Leaving the exciting stuff to the side, upstairs has been nothing but doom and gloom in Barcelona. Just under a year ago former President Sandro Rosell resigned after Judge Pablo Ruz ordered the start of a hearing to investigate him for alleged desecration of funds during the signing of Brazil's Neymar. The club has been dragged through endless quarrels among the board and Josep Maria Bartomeu, Rosell's replacement, has announced that elections will take place at the end of the season in an attempt to revive the faltering board of one of the world's most prestigious clubs.

Club legend Andoni Zubizaretta was sacked earlier in the week and this has prompted the uproar at the club, not to mention the resignation of his understudy, former captain Carles Puyol. Zubizarreta was in the Barca team that won their first Champions League back in 1992 and had held the position of Director of Football since 2010. With Puyol leading Barcelona through their successful Guardiola era, both were held in high regard by the fans and now even more questions will be asked about the board.

The negative effects have also taken its toll on the youth team, Barcelona B as they lie just one point off the relegation zone in second division. With Barca's renowned youth team suffering, some believe that the team is being badly managed and even with the vast array of talented youngsters at their disposal, it could slowly cause damage higher up the pecking order. The mismanagement could deter future players from arriving at the door step of the fabled academy, however this is probably taking things to a major extreme.

Die a hero or live long enough to become a villain.

Not only has the Messi vendetta cast a shadow over the future of the player in the Catalan capital, Enrique could be treading on thin ice. Barca fans expected great things from their former player who once graced the turf at the Nou Camp when he was in the good books of the Barca faithful. Now, even though they are lying in second position, performances of late haven't been up to scratch and the pressure is building on the former Barca and Real Madrid player. With the elections coming up at the end of the season, the new President may not be as kind to Enrique as Bartomeu has been, that's if he hasn't been given the chop before that. If Messi leaves, Enrique could be the first one to follow him out.

Remember the days when the Barcelona set-up appeared untouchable? It is looking like several cracks are appearing in the walls at the Nou Camp. The club was once a model for others now it appears to have got into the wrong hands and is on a downward plummet. The days of Guardiola are long gone and with the current situation it could be a while before those heights are returned. However, with the elections occurring at the end of the season, it brings hope for fans that the current predicament can be eradicated and things can get back on track.

Transfer Target #12 - Xherdan Shaqiri

Most people will be familiar with the name Xherdan Shaqiri, especially after his hat trick in the World Cup, but his lack of playing time has led to doubts about whether he will remain a Bayern Munich player after the transfer window.

As with many modern day forwards, Shaqiri is dynamic and versatile, meaning that he is equally adept in several other positions. He is probably best deployed as a winger on either flank as well as a second striker, in the hole, or as a forward. He strikes me as a similar type of player as Theo Walcott, Alexis Sanchez and Gareth Bale. He has extreme pace and can leave even the quickest of defenders for dead. 

The Swiss international started his career at FC Basel and made debut appearance in July 2009. During his first season with the Swiss outfit, he appeared 47 times, scoring 7 and assisting 5 times. In the 2010/2011 season he showed more improvement by assisting 10 goals and scoring 7 in 42 appearances. 

The 2011/2012 season was where clubs were really starting to take an interest in the winger, even more so when he completed a man of the match victory over Manchester United in the Champions League. His pace and skill constantly troubled the United back four and he set up the 2 goals that beat the English side 2-1, and cap a famous victory. He finished his last season in Switzerland, with 9 goals and 12 assists in 41 appearances.

Jupp Heyneckes brought Shaqiri to Bayern Munich at the beginning of their treble winning year. He made 13 assists and scored 8 times in 39 appearances in his opening season, with a majority of them coming from the bench. With Heyneckes retiring at the end of the season, Pep Guardiola was appointed to lead the team onto further glory. Last season, Shaqiri was plagued by injury and was only able to make a fraction of the appearances he did in the one previous. This season was proved more frustrating for the Swiss international with him only being deployed from the bench. Having won everything at Bayern, he could be tempted to move on with Liverpool lined up as a potential suitor.

Liverpool would be a very attractive transfer for Xherdan Shaqiri and both parties would benefit from his move. The Merseyside club would be able to offer him first team football, something which Bayern haven't been able to do in previous seasons. Since the departure of Luis Suarez, Liverpool have been looking for a marquee signing able to replace the boots of the Anfield legend. While he doesn't have the goal scoring capabilities of the Uruguayan, this will come after settling in and forming a partnership with his team mates. His versatility means he would be able to have a free role, making him a nightmare to mark, allowing some of the pressure to be taken off the shoulders of Raheem Sterling, who has been a breath of fresh air for Liverpool this season. 

If Brendan Rodgers would like him to play alongside Daniel Sturridge, then he has the creativity and vision to form an explosive partnership with him. He has a strike-rate of 1 assist/goal every 113 minutes in his 9 games in the Bundesliga this year. In comparison, Liverpool's most prolific is Adam Lallana who registers one every 163 minutes. With the 'Alpine Messi', Liverpool would be able to reignite their counter attacking style of play and relive the memories of last season.

Not only does Shaqiri boast all the attributes of a world class player, he is only 23 years of age. If Liverpool were to sign him and keep hold of him, he could have at least 8 years in the form of his life on Merseyside. However, it's not just Liverpool who are interested in the Bayern player, reports suggest that Juventus and Inter Milan officials have met with the player's agent to discuss a potential move, and with Juventus able to offer Champions League football, they will not go down without a fight.