Euro 2016 Confirmed Squads

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Euro 2016 Confirmed Squads - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

The squads for all 24 teams for Euro 2016 have been have been confirmed. Check out the list of players who made it into the final squad and those who missed out.

Euro 2016 Group A 

Albania

Manager: Gianni De Biasi

Key players: Lorik Cana (Nantes), Elseid Hysaj (Napoli)

Goalkeepers: Etrit Berisha (Lazio), Alban Hoxha (Partizani), Orges Shehi (Skenderbeu).

Defenders: Elseid Hysaj (Napoli), Lorik Cana (Nantes), Arlind Ajeti (Frosinone), Mergim Mavraj (Koeln), Naser Aliji (Basel), Ansi Agolli (Karabag), Frederik Veseli (Lugano).

Midfielders: Ermir Lenjani (Nantes), Andi Lila (Giannina), Migjen Basha (Como), Ledian Memushaj (Pescara), Burim Kukeli (Zurich), Taulant Xhaka (Basel), Ergys Kace (Paok), Amir Abrashi (Freiburg), Odise Roshi (Rijeka).

Forwards: Bekim Balaj (Rijeka), Sokol Cikalleshi (Medipol Basaksehir), Armando Sadiku (Vaduz), Shkelzen Gashi (Colorado Rapids).

France 

Manager: Didier Deschamps

Provisional squad: Check here 

Key players: Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Anthony Martial (Manchester United)

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Goalkeepers: Benoit Costil (Rennes), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Marseille).

Defenders: Lucas Digne (Roma), Patrice Evra (Juventus), Christophe Jallet (Lyon), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City), Jeremy Mathieu (Barcelona), Bacary Sagna (Manchester City), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid).

Midfielders: Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace), Lassana Diarra (Marseille), N’Golo Kante (Leicester), Blaise Matuidi (Paris Saint-Germain), Paul Pogba (Juventus), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle).

Forwards: Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Andre-Pierre Gignac (Tigres), Olivier Giroud (Arsenal), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Anthony Martial (Manchester United), Dimitri Payet (West Ham).

Romania 

Manager: Anghel Lordanescu

Key Players: Vlad Chiriches (Napoli), Ciprian Tatarusanu (Fiorentina), Florin Andone (Cordoba)

Goalkeepers: Ciprian Tatarusanu (Fiorentina), Costel Pantilimon (Watford), Silviu Lung (Astra)

Defenders: Cristian Sapunaru (Pandurii Targu-Jiu), Alexandru Matel (Dinamo Zagreb), Vlad Chiriches (Napoli), Valerica Gaman (Astra), Dragos Grigore (Al Sailiya), Cosmin Moti (Ludogorets), Razvan Rat (Rayo Vallecano), Steliano Filip (Dinamo Bucharest)

Midfielders: Mihai Pintilii (Steaua Bucharest), Ovidiu Hoban (Hapoel Be’er Sheva), Andrei Prepelita (Ludogorets), Adrian Popa (Steaua Bucharest), Gabriel Torje (Osmanlispor), Alexandru Chipciu (Steaua Bucharest), Nicolae Stanciu (Steaua Bucharest), Lucian Sanmartean (Al Ittihad)

Forwards: Claudiu Keseru (Ludogorets), Bogdan Stancu (Genclerbirligi), Florin Andone (Cordoba), Denis Alibec (Astra)

Switzerland 

Manager: Vladimir Petkovic

Key Players: Ricardo Rodriguez (VfL Wolfsburg), Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke City)

Goalkeepers : Roman Buerki (Borussia Dortmund), Marwin Hitz (Augsburg), Yann Sommer (Borussia Moenchengladbach).

Defenders: Johan Djourou (Hamburg SV), Nico Elvedi (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Michael Lang (FC Basel), Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus), Francois Moubandje (Toulouse), Ricardo Rodriguez (VfL Wolfsburg), Fabian Schaer (Hoffenheim), Steve Von Bergen (Young Boys)

Midfielders: Valon Behrami (Watford), Blerim Dzemaili (Genoa), Gelson Fernandes (Rennes), Fabian Frei (Mainz 05), Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke City), Granit Xhaka (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Denis Zakaria (Young Boys)

Forwards: Eren Derdiyok (Kasimpasa), Breel Embolo (FC Basel), Admir Mehmedi (Bayer Leverkusen), Haris Seferovic (Eintracht Frankfurt), Shani Tarashaj (Grasshoppers)

Euro 2016 Group B

England

Manager: Roy Hodgson

Provisional squad: Check here 

Key Players: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Joe Hart (Manchester City)

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Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Southampton), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Tom Heaton (Burnley)

Defenders: Ryan Betrand (Southampton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool), Danny Rose (Tottenham), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham)

Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham), Ross Barkley (Everton), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Liverpool), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal).

Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Jamie Vardy (Leicester)

Russia 

Manager: Leonid Slutski

Key Players: Artyom Dzyuba (Zenit St Petersburg), Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow)

Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Guilherme (Lokomotiv Moscow), Yuri Lodygin (Zenit St. Petersburg)

Defenders: Alexei Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow), Vasily Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow), Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), Dmitry Kombarov (Spartak Moscow), Roman Neustadter (Schalke), Georgy Shchennikov (CSKA Moscow), Roman Shishkin (Lokomotiv Moscow), Igor Smolnikov (Zenit St Petersburg)

Midfielders: Igor Denisov (Dynamo Moscow), Denis Glushakov (Spartak Moscow), Alexander Golovin (CSKA Moscow), Oleg Ivanov (Terek Grozny), Pavel Mamaev (Krasnodar), Alexander Samedov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Oleg Shatov (Zenit St Petersburg), Roman Shirokov (CSKA Moscow), Dmitri Torbinski (Krasnodar)

Forwards: Artyom Dzyuba (Zenit St Petersburg), Alexander Kokorin (Zenit St Petersburg), Fyodor Smolov (Krasnodar)

Slovakia 

Manager: Jan Kozak

Key Players: Marek Hamšík (Napoli), Michal Ďuriš (Viktoria Plzeň)

Goalkeepers: Matúš Kozáčik (Viktoria Plzeň), Ján Mucha (Slovan Bratislava), Ján Novota (Rapid Wien).

Defenders: Peter Pekarík (Hertha Berlin), Milan Škriniar (Sampdoria), Martin Škrtel (Liverpool), Norbert Gyömbér (Roma), Ján Ďurica (Lokomotiv Moskva), Kornel Saláta (Slovan Bratislava), Tomáš Hubočan (Dinamo Moskva), Dušan Švento (Köln).

Midfielders: Marek Hamšík (Napoli), Juraj Kucka (AC Milan), Miroslav Stoch (Bursaspor), Vladimír Weiss (Al-Gharafa), Róbert Mak (PAOK), Patrik Hrošovský (Viktoria Plzeň), Ján Greguš (Jablonec), Viktor Pečovský (Žilina), Stanislav Šesták (Ferencváros), Ondrej Duda (Legia Warszawa).

Forwards: Michal Ďuriš (Viktoria Plzeň), Adam Nemec (Willem II)

Wales 

Manager: Chris Coleman

Key Players: Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Joe Allen (Liverpool)

Goalkeepers : Wayne Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Danny Ward (Liverpool), Owain Fon Williams (Inverness).

Defenders: Ben Davies (Tottenham), Neil Taylor (Swansea), Chris Gunter (Reading), Ashley Williams (Swansea), James Chester (West Brom), Ashley Richards (Fulham), James Collins (West Ham).

Midfielders: Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), Joe Ledley (Crystal Palace), David Vaughan (Nottingham Forest), Joe Allen (Liverpool), David Cotterill (Birmingham), Jonathan Williams (Crystal Palace), George Williams (Fulham), Andy King (Leicester), Dave Edwards (Wolves).

Forwards: Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Hal Robson-Kanu (Reading), Sam Vokes (Burnley), Simon Church (Nottingham Forest).

Euro 2016 Group C

Germany 

Manager: Joachim Low

Provisional Squad: Check here 

Key Players: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)

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Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona)

Defenders: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Emre Can (Liverpool), Jonas Hector (Cologne), Benedikt Hoewedes (Schalke 04), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Shkodran Mustafi (Valencia), Antonio Ruediger (Roma)

Midfielders: Julian Draxler (VfL Wolfsburg), Sami Khedira (Juventus), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Lukas Podolski (Galatasaray), Andre Schuerrle (VfL Wolfsburg), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Manchester United), Julian Weigl (Borussia Dortmund)

Forwards: Mario Gomez (Besiktas), Mario Goetze (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Schalke 04)

Northern Ireland 

Manager: Michael O’Neill

Key Players: Gareth McAuley (West Brom), Kyle Lafferty (Birmingham)

Goalkeepers: Roy Carroll (Notts County), Michael McGovern (Hamilton), Alan McManus (St Johnstone)

Defenders: Craig Cathcart (Watford), Jonny Evans (West Brom), Gareth McAuley (West Brom), Luke McCullough (Doncaster), Conor McLaughlin (Fleetwood), Aaron Hughes (Melbourne City), Lee Hodson (MK Dons), Chris Baird (Derby County), Paddy McNair (Manchester United.

Midfielders: Steven Davis (Southampton), Oliver Norwood (Reading), Corry Evans (Blackburn), Jamie Ward (Nottingham Forest), Stuart Dallas (Leeds), Niall McGinn (Aberdeen), Shane Ferguson (Millwall)

Forwards: Will Grigg (Wigan), Kyle Lafferty (Birmingham), Conor Washington (QPR), Josh Magennis (Kilmarnock)

Poland 

Manager: Adam Nawalka

Key Players: Łukasz Fabiański (Swansea), Łukasz Piszczek (Dortmund), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

Goalkeepers: Łukasz Fabiański (Swansea), Wojciech Szczęsny (Roma), Artur Boruc (Bournemouth).

Defenders: Thiago Cionek (Palermo), Kamil Glik (Torino), Artur Jędrzejczyk (Legia), Michał Pazdan (Legia), Łukasz Piszczek (Dortmund), Bartosz Salamon (Cagliari), Jakub Wawrzyniak (Lechia Gdańsk).

Midfielders: Jakub Błaszczykowski (Fiorentina), Kamil Grosicki (Rennes), Tomasz Jodłowiec (Legia), Bartosz Kapustka (Cracovia), Grzegorz Krychowiak (Sevilla), Karol Linetty (Lech Poznań), Krzysztof Mączyński (Wisła), Sławomir Peszko (Lechia Gdańsk), Filip Starzyński (Zagłębie Lubin), Piotr Zieliński (Empoli).

Forwards: Arkadiusz Milik (Ajax), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern), Mariusz Stępiński (Ruch Chorzów)

Ukraine 

Manager: Mikhailo Fomenko

Key Players: Andriy Yarmolenko (Dynamo Kiev), Yevhen Konoplyanka (Sevilla)

Goalkeepers: Andriy Pyatov (Shakhtar Donetsk), Denys Boyko (Besiktas), Mykyta Shevchenko (Zorya)

Defenders: Artem Fedetskiy (Dnipro), Mykyta Kamenyuka (Zorya), Vyacheslav Shevchuk (Shakhtar Donetsk), Oleksandr Kucher (Shakhtar Donetsk), Yaroslav Rakytskyi (Shakhtar Donetsk), Yevhen Khacheridi (Dynamo Kiev)

Midfielders: Anatoliy Tymoschuk (Kairat Almaty), Oleksandr Karavaev (Zorya), Andriy Yarmolenko (Dynamo Kiev), Denys Garmash (Dynamo Kiev), Serhiy Sydorchuk (Dyamo Kiev), Serhiy Rybalka (Dynamo Kiev), Taras Stepanenko (Shakhtar Donetsk), Viktor Kovalenko (Shakhtar Donetsk), Ruslan Rotan (Dnipro), Yevhen Konoplyanka (Sevilla).

Forwards: Pylyp Budkovskyi (Zorya), Roman Zozulya (Dnipro), Yevhen Seleznyov (Shakhtar Donetsk)

Euro 2016 Group D

Croatia

Manager: Ante Cacic

Key Players: Mario Mandzukic (Juventus), Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic (both Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona)

Goalkeepers: Danijel Subasic (Monaco), Lovre Kalinic (Hajduk Split), Ivan Vargic (Rijeka)

Defenders: Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow), Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Domagoj Vida (Dynamo Kiev), Sime Vrsaljko (Sassuolo), Gordon Schildenfeld (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivan Strinic (Napoli), Tin Jedvaj (Bayer Leverkusen)

Midfielders: Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic (both Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona), Marcelo Brozovic, Ivan Perisic (both Inter Milan), Milan Badelj (Fiorentina), Marko Rog, Ante Coric (both Dinamo Zagreb)

Forwards: Mario Mandzukic (Juventus), Nikola Kalinic (Fiorentina), Marko Pjaca, Duje Cop (both Dinamo Zagreb), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim)

Czech Republic 

Manager: Pavel Vrba

Key Players: Petr Cech (Arsenal), Tomas Rosicky (Arsenal)

Goalkeepers: Petr Cech (Arsenal), Tomas Koubek (Slovan Liberec) and Tomas Vaclik (Basel)

Defenders: Theodor Gebre Selassie (Werder Bremen), Roman Hubnik (Viktoria Plzen), Pavel Kaderabek (Hoffenheim), Michal Kadlec (Fenerbahce), David Limbersky (Viktoria Plzen), Daniel Pudil (Sheffield Wednesday), Tomas Sivok (Bursaspor), Marek Suchy (Basel)

Midfielders: Vladimir Darida (Hertha Berlin), Borek Dockal (Sparta Prague), Daniel Kolar (Viktoria Plzen), Ladislav Krejci (Sparta Prague), David Pavelka (Kasimpasa), Jaroslav Plasil (Girondins Bordeaux), Tomas Rosicky (Arsenal), Jiri Skalak (Brighton and Hove Albion), Josef Sural (Sparta Prague)

Forwards: David Lafata (Sparta Prague), Tomas Necid (Bursaspor), Milan Skoda (Slavia Prague)

Spain 

Manager: Vicente Del Bosque

Provisional Squad: Check here 

Key Players: Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)

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Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Porto), David De Gea (Manchester United), Sergio Rico (Sevilla)

Defenders: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Marc Bartra (Barcelona), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Mikel San Jose (Athletic Bilbao), Juanfran (Atletico Madrid).

Midfielders: Bruno (Villarreal), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Thiago (Bayern Munich), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), David Silva (Man City), Pedro (Chelsea), Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)

Forwards: Aritz Aduriz (Athletic Bilbao), Nolito (Celta Vigo), Alvaro Morata (Juventus), Lucas Vasquez (Real Madrid)

Turkey 

Manager: Fatih Terim

Key Players: Burak Yılmaz (Beijing Guoan), Arda Turan (Barcelona)

Goalkeepers: Harun Tekin (Bursaspor), Onur Kıvrak (Trabzonspor), Volkan Babacan (İstanbul Başakşehir).

Defenders: Gökhan Gönül (Fenerbahçe), Şener Özbayraklı (Fenerbahçe), Ahmet Çalık (Gençlerbirliği), Hakan Balta (Galatasaray), Mehmet Topal (Fenerbahçe), Semih Kaya (Galatasaray), Caner Erkin (Fenerbahçe), İsmail Köybaşı (Beşiktaş).

Midfielders: Emre Mor (Nordsjælland), Volkan Şen (Fenerbahçe), Hakan Çalhanoğu (Bayer Leverkusen), Nuri Şahin (Borussia Dortmund), Oğuzhan Özyakup (Beşiktaş), Ozan Tufan (Fenerbahçe), Selçuk İnan (Galatasaray), Arda Turan (Barcelona), Olcay Şahan (Beşiktaş).

Forwards: Burak Yılmaz (Beijing Guoan), Cenk Tosun (Beşiktaş), Yunus Mallı (Mainz).

Euro 2016 Group E

Belgium 

Manager: Marc Wilmots

Key Players: Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Romelu Lukaku (Everton), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Jean-Francois Gillet (Mechelen).

Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham, Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona), Jason Denayer (Galatasaray), Jordan Lukaku (Oostende), Thomas Meunier (Club Brugges), Laurent Ciman (Montreal Impact), Christian Kabasele (Genk).

Midfielders: Moussa Dembele (Tottenham), Radja Nainggolan (Roma), Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Axel Witsel (Zenit St Petersburg), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Dries Mertens (Napoli), Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid).

Forwards: Mitchy Batshuayi (Marseille), Romelu Lukaku (Everton), Christian Benteke (Liverpool), Divock Origi (Liverpool)

Italy 

Manager: Antonio Conte

Provisional Squad: Check here 

Key Players: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (Roma)

<> at Palazzo Vecchio on November 9, 2015 in Florence, Italy.

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Federico Marchetti (Lazio), Salvatore Sirigu (PSG)

Defenders: Mattia De Sciglio (Milan), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Manchester United), Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham United), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus)

Midfielders: Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Tiago Motta (PSG), Stefano Sturaro (Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Marco Parolo (Lazio), Federico Bernadeschi (Fiorentina), Stephan El Shaarwy (Roma), Emanuele Giaccherini (Bologna)

Forwards: Simone Zaza (Juventus), Graziano Pelle (Southampton), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Eder (Internazionale), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli)

Republic of Ireland 

Manager: Marton O’Neill

Key Players: Aiden McGeady (Everton), Shane Long (Southampton)

Goalkeepers: Shay Given (Stoke), Darren Randolph (West Ham), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday).

Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton), Cyrus Christie (Derby), Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa), Richard Keogh (Derby), John O’Shea (Sunderland), Shane Duffy (Blackburn), Stephen Ward (Burnley)

Midfielders: Aiden McGeady (Everton), James McClean (West Brom), Glenn Whelan (Stoke), James McCarthy (Everton), Jeff Hendrick (Derby), David Meyler (Hull), Stephen Quinn (Reading), Wes Hoolahan (Norwich), Robbie Brady (Norwich), Jonathan Walters (Stoke)

Forwards: Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), Shane Long (Southampton), Daryl Murphy (Ipswich)

Sweden 

Manager: Erik Hamren

Key Players: Sebastian Larsson (Sunderland), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain)

Goalkeepers: Andreas Isaksson (Kasimpasa), Robin Olsen (Copenhagen), Patrik Carlgren (AIK).

Defenders: Ludwig Augustinsson (Copenhagen), Erik Johansson (Copenhagen), Pontus Jansson (Torino), Victor Lindelof (Benfica) Andreas Granqvist (Krasnodar), Mikael Lustig (Celtic), Martin Olsson (Norwich).

Midfielders: Jimmy Durmaz (Olympiakos), Albin Ekdal (Hamburg), Oscar Hiljemark (Palermo), Sebastian Larsson (Sunderland), Pontus Wernbloom (CSKA Moscow), Erkan Zengin (Trabzonspor), Oscar Lewicki (Malmo), Emil Forsberg (Leipzig), Kim Kallstrom (Grasshoppers).

Forwards: Marcus Berg (Panathinaikos), John Guidetti (Celta Vigo), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris), Emir Kujovic (Norrkoping).

Euro 2016 Group F

Austria 

Manager: Marcel Koller

Key Players: David Alaba (Bayern Munich), Marko Arnautovic (Stoke City)

Goalkeepers: Robert Almer (Austria Vienna), Heinz Lindner (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ramazan Ozcan (Ingolstadt).

Defenders: Aleksandar Dragovic (Dinamo Kiev), Christian Fuchs (Leicester City), Gyorgy Garics (Darmstadt), Martin Hinteregger (Borussia Monchengladbach), Florian Klein (Stuttgart), Sebastian Prodl (Watford), Markus Suttner (Ingolstadt), Kevin Wimmer (Tottenham Hotspur).

Midfielders : David Alaba (Bayern Munich), Marko Arnautovic (Stoke City), Julian Baumgartlinger (Mainz), Martin Harnik (Stuttgart), Stefan Ilsanker (Leipzig), Jakob Jantscher (Luzern), Zlatko Junuzovic (Werder Bremen), Marcel Sabitzer (Leipzig), Alessandro Schopf (Schalke)

Forwards: Lukas Hinterseer (Ingolstadt), Rubin Okotie (1860 Munich), Marc Janko (Basel).

Hungary

Manager: Bernd Storck

Key Players: Gabor Kiraly (Haladas), Krisztian Nemeth (al-Gharafa)

Hungary Euro 2016 Home Kit

Goalkeepers: Gabor Kiraly (Haladas), Denes Dibusz (Ferencvaros), Peter Gulacsi (Leipzig).

Defenders: Attila Fiola (Puskas Akademia), Barnabas Bese (MTK), Richard Guzmics (Wisla Krakow), Roland Juhasz (Videoton), Adam Lang (Videoton), Tamas Kadar (Lech Poznan), Mihaly Korhut (Debrecen).

Midfielders: Akos Elek (Diosgyori), Adam Pinter (Ferencvaros), Zoltan Gera (Ferencvaros), Adam Nagy (Ferencvaros), Laszlo Kleinheisler (Werder Bremen), Gergo Lovrencsics (Lech Poznan), Zoltan Stieber (Nurnberg).

Forwards: Balazs Dzsudzsak (Bursaspor), Adám Szalai (Hannover), Krisztian Nemeth (al-Gharafa), Nemanja Nikolic (Legia Warsaw), Tamas Priskin (Slovan Bratislava), Daniel Bode (Ferencvaros).

Iceland

Manager: Lars Lagerback / Heimir Hallgrimsson

Key Players: Emil Hallfredsson (Udinese), Eidur Gudjohnsen (Molde)

Goalkeepers: Hannes Halldorsson (Bodo/Glimt), Ogmundur Kristinsson (Hammarby), Ingvar Jonsson (Sandefjord).

Defenders: Ari Skulason (OB), Hordur Magnusson (Cesena), Hjortur Hermannsson (PSV Eindhoven), Ragnar Sigurdsson (Krasnodar), Kari Arnason (Malmo), Sverrir Ingi Ingason (Lokeren), Birkir Sævarsson (Hammarby), Haukur Heidar Hauksson (AIK).

Midfielders: Emil Hallfredsson (Udinese), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea), Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff), Theodor Elmar Bjarnason (AGF), Arnor Ingvi Traustason (Norrkoping), Birkir Bjarnason (Basel), Johann Gudmundsson (Charlton), Eidur Gudjohnsen (Molde), Runar Mar Sigurjonsson (Sundsvall).

Forwards : Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Nantes), Alfred Finnbogason (Augsburg), Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (Kaiserslautern).

Portugal

Manager: Fernando Santos

Key Players: Pepe (Real Madrid), André Gomes (Valencia), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

Goalkeepers: Rui Patrício (Sporting CP), Anthony Lopes (Lyon), Eduardo (Dínamo Zagreb).

Defenders: Vieirinha (Wolfsburg), Cédric (Southampton), Pepe (Real Madrid), Ricardo Carvalho (Monaco), Bruno Alves (Fenerbahçe), José Fonte (Southampton), Eliseu (Benfica), Raphael Guerreiro (Lorient).

Midfielders: William Carvalho (Sporting CP), Danilo Pereira (Porto), João Moutinho (Monaco), Renato Sanches (Benfica), Adrien Silva (Sporting CP), André Gomes (Valencia), João Mário (Sporting CP).

Forwards: Rafa Silva (Braga), Ricardo Quaresma (Beşiktaş), Nani (Fenerbahçe), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Éder (Lille).

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Liverpool agree deal to sign creative midfielder, agent handling transfer formalities

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Liverpool agree deal to sign creative midfielder, agent handling transfer formalities - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Anderlecht midfielder Samuel Bastien is set to join Premier League giants Liverpool this summer.

Liverpool have reached an agreement with the Belgian outfit for the highly talented central midfielder. The Reds are expected to pay around 6 million Euros for the young playmaker.

Bastien  has been on loan at Avellino in Italy’s Serie B and has attracted interest from other clubs like Fiorentina. However, Liverpool have moved swiftly to secure his services and the player will now move to the Premier League.

The report from Italy claims that there are no doubts about the young midfielder’s future anymore and he is destined to play for Liverpool. The Premier League outfit could loan him out once the formalities are completed.

Bastien has been likened to the Belgian star Kevin De Bruyne in terms of his playing style and creativity.

The player is on holiday right now and his agent Franklin Mala Makani is the one involved in negotiations and keeping him updated regarding the transfer.

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Euro 2016 Group A Preview: France will be 1st, can Switzerland claim second place?

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Euro 2016 Group A Preview: France will be 1st, can Switzerland claim second place? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Although regular football season is over, we don’t need to fear and start requiring our daily dose of the most beautiful sport in the world. Why? The European Championship is starting in only 10 days. Summer is shaping up to be glorious, filled with new memories that will try to replace the ones we have from 2012.

Today, we will take an in-depth look at Group A of the competition. The four teams that share this group are France, Switzerland, Romania and Albania. Although history tells us that two clear favourites can be seen in that list, football is a magical thing and anything can happen.

Let’s start with France. The host nation did not have to qualify for the tournament and thus, we have to rely only on their performance in friendly matches. However, I haven’t seen a French National team with so much talent since the beginning of the century. France is an attacking team with an endless arsenal of players that can destroy almost any defence in the world. They have such a wide array of players that national coach, Didier Deschamps, even left Real Madrid’s striker, Karim Benzema, out of his list due to off-pitch situations.

This feels like a risky decision but when you look at the names in the French squad, there is no need to fear: free-kick master Payet, midfield maestro Pogba and up-rising star Coman are just a few of their weapons. The weak spot for France is their defence. In their last 11 friendlies, they conceded a total of 15 goals and kept a clean sheet only on 4 occasions. The 1998 World Champions defend by attacking, but this may prove to be a counterproductive method.



Romania is the second team in the group. Far from being that wonderful 1994 team plagued with starts, the Southeastern Europe nation is a strong side. They finished second in the qualifiers and did not lose one single match, making them the only team to beat the first place in that group, Northern Ireland. Romania conceded only twice during the qualifiers, making them the strongest defence of all. The boys in yellow will be playing the opening match against France and managing to draw or even win the match would make or break their tournament. Romania is not an attacking powerhouse and tends to rely on their defence and a structured attack to get the best out of their opponents, a strategy that has proven very useful for the team commanded by Anghel Iordanescu, since they haven’t lost a single match in their last 15 appearances.

Switzerland is normally one of the favourites to advance. With a dynamic style of play and a very strong team, they could take the top of the group. Switzerland finished second to England in the qualifiers and had a decent performance, but managed to lose 3 out of their 10 games; twice against England and once against Slovenia. This is not a bad result, considering both of those opponents eventually made it to the final round. The Swiss National Team managed to score 24 goals during the qualifiers, (11 of them being against San Marino). This goes to say that Switzerland does not have the attacking power they should with the line-up they have. If Switzerland manages to break the Euro course and actually score, they could be a force to be reckoned with. Switzerland has taken part in 3 European Championships and has always finished at the bottom of their group.

Finally, we get to Albania. For those that haven’t been following this national team, it would be easy to say that this is one of the teams that got it through the back door with these new 24 teams regulation. Well, you’d be wrong. Albania managed to kick Denmark out of the qualifying spots and remained second only to Portugal and the 2015 Ballon D’Or nominee, Cristiano Ronaldo. They even managed to beat them in Aveiro. This will be the first time Albania plays in a European Championship, but if they manage to do well against Romania and exploit Switzerland’s demons, they may well be on their way to make their first performance an enjoyable one. Who knows? If the stars align, they could take France out. We all remember the French squad breaking down randomly in major tournaments and Albania could capitalise on this.

Key Players

France: Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid)
Fuelled by an amazing season and a star-plagued midfield, the young player could finally establish himself as one of Europe’s greatest and assure that the cup stays in France. The fact that there is so much talent around him does not hurt one bit.

Romania: Vlad Chiricheș (Napoli)
Maintaining the number 1 spot regarding defence should be Romania’s priority and the Napoli defender is definitive choice for Iordanescu. Sometimes defence is the best attack. Remember Greece at the Euro 2004?

Switzerland: Breel Embolo (FC Basel)
A wunderkind without a doubt! At the tender age of 19, the Swiss could just be what Switzerland has been missing to finally make it through the stage group. He is surrounded by a very experienced and talented team that can break the European spell for Switzerland at last.



Albania: Lorik Cana (Nantes)


I have to go with the captain. A strong man with years of experience in major clubs and his National team that knows exactly what is expected of him. The number 5 is a magnificent leader and he showed it throughout Albania’s wonderful qualification process.

How could Group A develop?



FrancePrediction – 1st Place: This is a tough one. France should come on top, due to their history and the fact they are the locals. I don’t see any team taking that away from them. But the French team has had dressing room problems in the past that lead to poor tournaments. I still believe France wins at least two of his games and ties or beats their third one.




RomaniaPrediction – 2nd / 3rd Place: If they manage to keep a strong defence, they are golden. Today’s football relies heavily on this, look at Atlético Madrid’s Champion’s League campaign. Managing to keep France at bay, and even losing by one or two goals against them in the opening match will give them a great chance of advancing. If they can make it through the first sixty minutes without falling apart, it could be a good tournament for them.

SwitzerlandPrediction – 2nd / 3rd Place: In theory, the Swiss should not encounter many problems and could even take the first place, but they are playing against their history and this matters. Don’t believe me? Ask Germany about playing against Italy. It’s difficult but the group they are in allows them to finally make it out of the group stage or at least don’t finish at the bottom for the first time. I see this happening, it’s all about keeping focused.



AlbaniaPrediction – 4th place: I want to root for the underdog, I really do, but I do not see this happening. Their first match is against Switzerland and their second one is against France, even if they were to get one point from any of these, they will be looking at a very difficult situation. They have written history by reaching this stage of the tournament and maybe they will continue to grow, but I do not see them getting to the knock-out stage, or even to the third place. However, they have nothing to lose and that can make a team very dangerous.

Match to Watch

The key battle here will happen on June 15 at the Parc des Princes: Romania will face Switzerland and either create friction for the last two games or give a knock-out ticket out of Group A to both France and Switzerland.

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Rock Solid Transfer Myths: Arsenal’s Striking Issue

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Rock Solid Transfer Myths: Arsenal’s Striking Issue - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Over the 2015 summer transfer window, Arsenal was the only club in all of Europe’s top five leagues not to sign an outfield player, adding only veteran stopper Petr Čech to their squad. It will therefore come as a great relief to Arsenal supporters that Arsène Wenger has chosen to act early this time, with the €40 million transfer of Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka being widely lauded as addressing one of Arsenal’s key deficiencies – namely a lack of midfield bite.

Despite this pro-active behaviour, regular followers of “Arsenal Bingo” can expect to mark off a common call in the not so distant future. For even before the club crash out of the Champions League at the round of 16 stage or St. Totteringham’s Day, there will be the inevitable cries from certain heads in the media to “sign a striker”. Wenger has the money, so the argument goes, therefore there’s no excuse not to splash £100 million on a guaranteed goal scorer that will grab the vital twenty-or-more goals a season to push Arsenal to the title. This has been a recurring event, sporadically since the days of Thierry Henry’s departure and regularly since the transfer of Robin van Persie.

This rhetoric casts Wenger in the role of stubborn footballing misanthrope, who’s somehow principled against signing a world-class striker for his own selfish reasons. It also fundamentally misrepresents the uncertain nature of football. Of this year’s top five Premier League scorers, one was signed from a Conference Premier side, one had been with his club since the age of 11, one was a Chelsea cast-off (albeit a relatively expensive one) and one hadn’t previously played at a higher level than the French second tier. Only Sergio Agüero could lay claim to having been an established player in a top league before his transfer and even then he’d scored a relatively sedate 75 goals in 149 league starts for Atlético Madrid, only registering a first career hat-trick in his final ever game for Los Colchoneros.

Anyone can look at Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo and declare with great confidence that they have an established goal scorer on their hands. But these are exactly the kinds of player who can’t be bought and after that it gets much trickier. Different players suit different systems and have different development curves. The Leicester scout who recommended signing Jamie Vardy would be lying if they told you now that they knew they were looking at a Premier League top scorer then, or for a more Arsenal-specific example, Thierry Henry had scored only 23 goals in his first four seasons as a professional at Monaco and Juventus before his move to the Gunners.

With their increasing financial clout, some clubs have attempted to get round this by seemingly buying up as many players as they can get their hands on. Chelsea are the prime example here – in January 2016, the Telegraph reported that the club had 28 players, worth over £150 million, out on loan. But it’s difficult to argue that Chelsea’s transfer policy is more successful than Arsenal’s. The Blues have signed few recognizable long-term stars, have only one top-class striker, Diego Costa, in their squad and have still failed to spot the talent in some of the players they signed – witness Kevin De Bruyne’s impact at Manchester City having made just three Chelsea appearances previously, or Nemanja Matic being bought back to the club for £21 million after being let go three years earlier.

So unfortunately for Arsène Wenger and his detractors, there is no £100 million magic solution to his supposed striker problem. The next top goal scorer could be hiding in Fleetwood, Le Havre or Arsenal’s own academy. As more money has become available to clubs to spend on transfers, there’s been a shift away from the player development model to one of the quick-fix instant impact solution. But there’s no significant proof that this is the way forward. Maybe clubs should do away with the idea of scouts and transfer targets, and just stick a pin in a list of players and sign whoever it lands on. History suggests that some of them might do better that way.

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England Squad For Euro 2016: Roy Hodgson’s selection dilemma

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England Squad For Euro 2016: Roy Hodgson’s selection dilemma - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

England manager Roy Hodgson will announce his final 23-man squad for Euro 2016 on Tuesday evening.

The former Liverpool manager has already named a 26-man provisional squad, it remains to be seen which three players will miss out in the end.

Fabian Delph has already confirmed that he’ll be out of action with injury. It leaves an anxious wait for the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Ross Barkley, Marcus Rashford, Danny Drinkwater and Andros Townsend, all of whom could drop out.

Sturridge hasn’t enjoyed a great domestic season with Liverpool with injury playing a major part in limiting his appearances. However, he ended up being Liverpool’s top scorer in 2015/16 and scored in the Europa Final against Sevilla as well.

Should he be included in the squad? He has already faced an injury scare during training with the national squad, and although he returned to training on Monday, his selection is far from guaranteed.

Marcus Rashford

Rashford became the youngest England player ever to score on his full debut when he scored in the Three Lion’s 2-1 win over Australia at the Stadium of Light on Friday night.

The 18-year-old, who has signed a long term contract with Manchester United on Monday, only burst on to the scene in February. His consistent form, coupled with injuries to Danny Welbeck and Sturridge, has made him a serious contender for Euro 2016.

His lightning pace could be effective against tiring opposition defenders and could be used as an unknown element similar to Michael Owen’s inclusion in 1998.

Drinkwater has enjoyed a brilliant campaign with Leicester City but with so many star midfielders around, he could be overlooked. Likewise, Hodgson may omit Barkley from the list as well. The Everton attacking midfielder is an exciting talent but Hodgson has already a lot of options in that position in Dele Alli and Wayne Rooney.

Townsend was exceptionally brilliant since moving to Newcastle in January and it won’t be a surprise if he makes the 23-man squad. He is fast, skilful, creative and capable of playing on the wings, where England do not have enough options.

Can England win the Euro 2016 Championships in France?

The bookies, however, remain unconvinced. Tonybet.com have committed to being best odds for England to win at a standout 50/1. The rest of the market is in the region of 8/1.

The special 50/1 offer is available to any UK customer who enters Tonybet.com’s special £1 million Euro 2016 Madness bracket. Players bet £3 and predict the top three finishers in each group then the winners of the knockout stages and final. If only a single participant correctly predicts all categories, there is a £1 million pay-out.

To enter the Euro 2016 Madness bracket and qualify for the offer sign up, pay £3 and put in your entry at TonyBet EURO 2016 Madness bracket page.

It has been 50 years since the Three Lions have won a major championship, but overall it gives the impression of a fairly decent squad capable of causing an upset.

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Targets identified as Mourinho draws up Man Utd plan; these 2 stars set for transfer

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Targets identified as Mourinho draws up Man Utd plan; these 2 stars set for transfer - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

New Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is ready to shape up his squad before the new season starts and there are reports that he is ready to sell some of his stars for the right price.

Sky Sports believe that Juan Mata and Daley Blind are expendable under Mourinho and the Portuguese is ready to sell them if an acceptable offer comes in. Mourinho is confident of replacing them in the transfer window. The report also mentions that Mourinho has already made a plan and has identified his targets.

Mourinho has already sold Mata once during his time at Chelsea and the Spaniard will be gutted if it happens again.

Mata was Chelsea’s best player for a couple of seasons before Mourinho got rid of him. The Spaniard has not been the same player since. He has struggled at Manchester United and his sale should not come as a shock to the fans.

However, selling Blind will be a bit strange considering how useful he is. The Dutchman did well as a centre back and can play as a left back and defensive midfielder as well. Although he lacks pace, Blind has shown that he has the ability to slot into a number of positions. Mourinho is unhappy with Mata’s workrate and pace as well.

Furthermore, his long range passing is one of the best in the league right now and he could be a very handy option when his side are chasing a game or looking to hold on to a lead.

Sky Sports are claiming that neither players are in Mourinho’s plans for next season and are likely to be moved on. The Portuguese manager prefers defenders who are tall and quick like Zouma and Varane.

A managerial change always brings these problems for some players, but there is no doubt that there are other players who deserve to go ahead of these two.

Marouane Fellaini, Young, Rojo, Jones, Romero are simply not good enough for a club like Manchester United and need to be sold ahead of players like Mata and Blind who have proven themselves at the top level and have the ability to make a difference in a tight game.

It will be interesting to see who else is on the chopping block for Jose, but if Mata and Blind are the only casualties then the special one has got it wrong once again.

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World class playmaker's head turned by lucrative Chelsea offer; 19 goals and 24 assists last season

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World class playmaker's head turned by lucrative Chelsea offer; 19 goals and 24 assists last season - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been linked with a move away from the club this summer and several European clubs are monitoring his situation.

The Armenian midfielder’s contract is up in June 2017 and Borussia Dortmund are trying to convince him to renew his current deal.

Mkhitaryan has been sensational for the Bundesliga outfit this season and is arguably one of the best attacking midfielders in world football right now.

Earlier this year, Mkhitaryan was linked with a move to Arsenal with reports claiming that he is already looking for a home in London. However, Bild are now claiming that Mkhitaryan has had a lucrative offer from Premier League giants Chelsea.

The player was expected to renew his contract with Dortmund this summer, but the report from Bild claims that Chelsea’s big money offer has turned the player’s head. Furthermore, his agent Mino Raiola is in no hurry to secure his client’s future at Dortmund and is playing a waiting game.

Mkhitaryan has scored 19 goals and has also provided 24 assists for the German giants this season. Chelsea are in need of a goal scoring creative player and him joining the Blues would be a major coup for Antonio Conte.

 

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Club president reveals Man Utd bid for La Liga star, better than Real Madrid's offer

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Club president reveals Man Utd bid for La Liga star, better than Real Madrid's offer - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has been linked with a move away from the Spanish capital this summer and the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United are both monitoring his situation.

But this is not the first time the French striker has been a target for Manchester United. Lyon President Jean-Michel Aulas has confirmed that few years ago when Benzema joined Real Madrid, the club received two offers.

Manchester United submitted a better offer than Real Madrid, but Aulas says that the player requested to join Los Blancos and therefore Lyon granted his wish.

Aulas said: “We had two offers, one from Manchester United, which was higher than that of Real, but Karim came to me and said: ‘President, Real makes me dream since I was small’. So if a player says ‘I have an offer that allows me to play in one of the four best European clubs’,  I do not know what we will do. It will not be degraded to a price but maybe we will accept it.”

Real Madrid have been linked with Aubameyang and Lewandowski this summer and it will be interesting to see if they decide to get rid of Benzema. The French international has been suffering from injuries and controversy over the last few months and is set to miss this summer’s Euros as well.

Benzema will be a fantastic acquisition for any club in world football and Manchester United should definitely try their luck once again if he is made available. With Mourinho at the helm now, it could just be possible for them to land the world class forward, even without Champions League football.

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Iceland Euro 2016 Kits

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Iceland Euro 2016 Kits - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

The Iceland Euro 2016 kits will be worn at Iceland’s first-ever participation in Euro competitions.

The kit boasts of a modern design in the colors of the Icelandic flag, blue, white and red and it has been manufactured by Italian brand Errea.

Iceland Euro 2016 Home Kit Design

The Iceland 2016 hone kit is predominantly dark blue with white sleeve cuffs. On the left side of the Euro 16 home shirt, three parallel strips of alternate white and red colour runs down from the shoulder to the bottom.

On the right hand side, the manufacturer’s logo Errea, who has been Iceland’s kit supplier since 2004, is found on the chest.

A Prussian blue stripe borders the v-shaped collar of the Hungary 2016 Euro jersey while the inside of the shirt reads ‘Fyrir Island’ in large white letters.

Blue shorts and socks complement the Euro 16 home kit and gives an all-blue look. The Icelandic flag is placed on the upper back below the neckline.

The Iceland 2016 away kit is mainly white with red and blue details. Two blue, two white and a broad red strip runs down on the left side of the Iceland Euro 2016 away jersey.

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Hungary Euro 2016 Home Kit

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Hungary Euro 2016 Home Kit - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

The Hungary Euro 2016 Home Kit was released on May 19, 2016. It has been sponsored by Adidas.

Hungary have qualified for the UEFA Championships for the first time since 1972. They are pitted in Group F of Euro 2016 in France and will face Austria, Iceland and Portugal in group stages.

Hungary Euro 2016 Home Kit Design 

The Hungary Euro 2016 home jersey is centred on a more traditional design and will be unveiled later this month on the team’s friendly game against Croatia.

The home kit boasts a simple design combining the famous tri-colour of red, green and white. The 2016 Euro home shirt is brick red in colour with Adidas logo being placed on the lefthand side and the country’s crest on the right hand side.

The collar is of a overlapping v-shaped style with iconic Adidas stripes running down upto the mid shoulders. A patch of green strip is observed on both sleeves and at the bottom of the shirt.

The Hungary 2016 Euro away kit is pure white with green and red details. The stripes on the sleeves are green, while the collar is identical to that of the home shirt.

White shorts and socks are set to complete the fresh new look of the Hungary Euro 2016 away kit.

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Why Arsenal’s €25million Rodriguez bid makes perfect sense

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Why Arsenal’s €25million Rodriguez bid makes perfect sense - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

According to reports in German publication Kicker, Arsenal are readying a €25million bid for Wolfsburg’s Swiss left back Ricardo Rodríguez. This could be an indication that Kieran Gibbs’s days at the club are numbered, with Rodríguez likely to compete with Nacho Monreal for a place in the starting eleven. Indeed, with Monreal now 30 years old and Rodríguez only 23, the Swiss may sense an opportunity to position himself as next in line for the role. It also seems possible that having both Monreal and Rodríguez would give Arsène Wenger increased tactical flexibility with the latter offering attacking threat and the former defensive stability.

After an uncertain first season at the Gunners, Monreal has had two excellent seasons at left back. When we compare his performance to that of Tottenham’s Danny Rose, who was awarded a place in the PFA Team of the Year, we can see his quality. Rose is able to make more tackles than Monreal, averaging 2.8 per game to the latter’s 2.2. However, the Spurs full back made only 1.6 interceptions per game, while Monreal averaged 3. Interceptions can provide a good clue to a player’s ability to read the game, while tackles indicate both technical and physical strength. While Rose excels at the latter, Monreal’s intelligence has often been at the heart of his good performances.

It is in attack, however, that Rose offers more than Monreal, completing both dribbles and key passes more regularly. In part, this is due to tactical differences. Arsenal’s attacks are heavily reliant on Mesut Özil’s passing, while many of Tottenham’s attacks are successful because of the ability of Rose and Kyle Walker to provide an overlapping option on the wings. At the same time, it is also due to Monreal’s attacking limitations, as Héctor Bellerín regularly dribbles down the right side.

This is where Rodríguez could offer Arsenal a different option. In the season which has just ended, Wolfsburg could only finish 8th. Here, I will use Rodríguez’s statistics from 2014/15, when they finished 2nd, with the belief that 2015/16 was a poor one for the team in general, and not a reflection of his individual ability. This is in the same way that we would not judge Eden Hazard, for example, on his performances in 2015/16.

In 2014/15, then, Rodríguez finished with 6 goals and 4 assists. He made 1.5 tackles per game, and 2.3 interceptions – less than both Monreal and Rose in terms of tackles, and less than Monreal in terms of interceptions. In attack however, he was playing over 2 key passes per game and completing 1.4 dribbles. To put this in context, Dani Alves, during the treble winning season at Barcelona in 2010/11, was completing 1.9 key passes a game and 1.5 dribbles. And that was as part of the Barcelona team that was, according to Sir Alex Ferguson, the best team Manchester United faced under his management.

With Wolfsburg not qualified for the Champions League and Rodríguez with a release clause of €25million, it is easy to see why a move makes sense for the player and for Arsenal. It seems feasible that next season we could see Rodríguez’s attacking threat when Arsenal are attempting to break a team down, but Monreal’s defensive intelligence when up against tricky opposition wingers.

All statistics from Whoscored.com.

Article by Toby Lorber @tlorba

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