Done Deals
DeAndre Yedlin
The biggest bit of transfer news from this week for American fans has to be DeAndre Yedlin’s move to Newcastle United. After a year and a half at White Hart Lane (where he made just a single appearance), the pacy defender joins Rafa Benitez’s squad in the English League Championship.
The move will see Yedlin get some much needed playing time, but it’s a little surprising when you consider the reported interest from Premier League club Sunderland. Last season, the 23-year-old grew into one of the Black Cats’ first choice defenders and he played a pivotal role in helping them avoid relegation. Can he help Newcastle earn promotion this time around?
Daryl Janmaat
Immediately preceding Yedlin’s transfer to Newcastle, the Toffees announced that Daryl Janmaat was joining Watford back in the Premier League. Janmaat has played a minimal role in Newcastle’s season up to this point, and it’s not too surprising to see him finally move on from St. James’ Park.
The defender spent two seasons with Newcastle, and brings international experience to Vicarage Road. Janmaat has racked up 27 appearances for the Dutch national team, and even played for them at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Where will they go?
Mario Balotelli
Balotelli’s descent in European football is starting to get a little sad. After dominating with Manchester City and AC Milan, the striker can’t seem to find a club willing to end his disastrous stay at Anfield. Ajax, FC Nantes, and several Italian clubs have reportedly been interested in his services, but nothing concrete has come.
Now, Swiss club FC Sion has confirmed that they are in talks with the striker to bring him to the Swiss League. While it may not be the same level of Premier League or Serie A competition, FC Sion will give Balotelli the chance to rediscover his talent and show future suitors that he can be mature on and off the field.
Jasper Cillessen
With Claudio Bravo looking more and more likely to join Manchester City, Barcelona have been on the hunt for a keeper to hold down the fort while Marc-André ter Stegen is injured. A couple of names have been tossed out including Valencia’s Diego Alves, but now a new talent has joined the list: Jasper Cillessen.
The 27-year-old has been at Ajax for five years and this isn’t the first time that he’s been linked to a move outside of the Netherlands. While he doesn’t quite have the talent that ter Stegen brings to the table, he should be able to hold down the fort until he returns.
Potential Movers
Blaise Matuidi
After Paul Pogba’s homecoming to Manchester United, Juventus have apparently been on the search for his replacement. The most common name popping up on the rumor mill has been Paris Saint Germain’s Blaise Matuidi. The 29-year-old has been one of PSG’s most consistent performers over the last several seasons so it’s not too surprising that he’s being sought after by other big clubs.
His price tag is thought to be around £28 million, just a fraction of what they got from Pogba’s transfer. At 29, he doesn’t offer Juve quite the same player that Pogba was, but he is still a world class option to have in the midfield.
Bastian Schweinsteiger
It’s become abundantly clear that Schweinsteiger is not in José Mourinho’s plans at Old Trafford. During his exile from the first team, the veteran midfielder has reportedly attracted interest from several clubs around Europe, but it doesn’t appear that he’s interested in entertaining those offers.
On Wednesday, the 32-year-old released a statement that said United will be his final European club. This means that he could be on his way to Major League Soccer or the Chinese League, or it could mean that he’s ready to bide his time and collect paychecks in Manchester. Probably not the way he envisioned his Manchester United tenure ending when he signed last summer.
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