Clinton Morrison gives his views this week on Bruno Guimaraes’ switch to Arsenal, Mohamed Salah’s move to Trabzonspor and the task Matthias Jaissle has taken on at Newcastle in the latest edition of Clinton’s Top Top Column.
This week, I’ll begin with Bruno Guimaraes’ transfer to Arsenal. In my view, he is a top-class player and one of the very best around in that role.
The impact he made at Newcastle, alongside Joelinton and Sandro Tonali, was outstanding. When those three were playing together a couple of seasons back, I felt they were the best midfield trio in the Premier League. He is capable of operating as a holding midfielder or as the player who gets up and down from box to box.
You look at Arsenal’s midfield and wonder, “Did they really need him?” But when a player of that quality becomes available and he ticks every box, it is an easy decision. Newcastle will be disappointed because it feels as though they are losing all their players, but for Arsenal, this is a superb signing.
It will be interesting now to see what happens with Martin Zubimendi, because Declan Rice is obviously going to play. I know they are involved in plenty of competitions and you need strength in depth, but midfield was probably an area they wanted to improve, especially as they are going to lose Christian Norgaard.
There will be certain matches where all three probably play together and they do not use a natural No. 10, whether that is Eberechi Eze, Martin Odegaard or Mikel Merino. They have got fantastic options in those positions, so they are strengthening in the correct areas.
As for Newcastle, I think Eddie Howe’s exit was always on the cards; it did not come as a surprise. I feel for Howe because I think he is a tremendous manager, even last year when people were saying he could lose his job. He is simply a top manager, and I feel he has probably been let down a little by the people above him.
He is selling his best players, which I understand because money talks, but they are not bringing in players of the same quality as the ones who have left. He has probably reached the point where he feels enough is enough.
He likely does not want another season like the one he has just had, so now is the time to take a break and then come back again. You never know — not right now, but one day soon, he could be the England manager, because I do think he is a strong candidate for that role.
His replacement, Matthias Jaissle, managed one of the top Saudi sides in Al-Ahli, but he is difficult to assess because the standard there is not as high as in the Premier League. There will be plenty of questions around his style of play, because everything at Al-Ahli was built around Ivan Toney scoring goals.
This is a huge step for Jaissle, but he deserves the opportunity — if you have done all your badges, you deserve your chance. So you wish him well, but it is a massive job when you consider he is stepping into Howe’s shoes. Howe won Newcastle a trophy and delivered Champions League football twice, so this is a very big task for him.
Turning back to the transfer window, it was interesting to see Mohamed Salah join Trabzonspor. You would have thought one of the bigger Turkish clubs, such as Galatasaray or Fenerbahce, might have moved for him. But Trabzonspor are probably trying to challenge those two for the league title, and a signing like Mo Salah could attract more big-name players to the club.
It is a little disappointing. I would have loved to see him remain in the Premier League. You wish him well over there, and Liverpool will miss him, but it is a great signing.
One club that has definitely been very active in the transfer market is Chelsea. They have got Mykhailo Mudryk back in the squad, and he could be a threat. However, I think it is likely he will be moved on, even if it is only on loan so that he gets more game time. I would be surprised if he stayed at Chelsea, but if he has a strong pre-season, you never know, especially with a new manager in Xabi Alonso.
They have such a bloated squad at the moment, and as a striker, if I have got four others competing with me, you start thinking, “What chance have I really got?” They just keep signing players. I have always said it is like the computer game Championship Manager: you just keep signing players, and you are left thinking, “Am I actually going to get an opportunity?”
I know Chelsea’s main No. 9 at the moment is Joao Pedro, and he is going to sign a new long-term contract, so I understand that. And the signing of Danny Welbeck is a brilliant one.
Given the season he had at Brighton & Hove Albion, and how good he is in and around the dressing room, bringing him in is very, very smart business. But the other players will be asking themselves, “Where do I fit in?” Chelsea need to move players on.
First and foremost, they have spent a lot of money over the previous seasons and have not been good enough. They are not in Europe. So that might help Chelsea, in the same way it helped Manchester United last season, but how are they going to keep everyone happy? That is the big question.
Finally, I’ll finish the column with a few words on Franco Baresi. He was an unbelievable player and one of the best ever to play the game.
When my friends and I were out somewhere and someone was standing too close, we would say, “Give me some space — you are man-marking me like Franco Baresi!”
That AC Milan back four had him marshalling it. I remember when he used to play alongside the likes of Alessandro Costacurta, Paolo Maldini and Mauro Tassotti. It was a fantastic back four, but Baresi was pure class. He just oozed quality as a centre-back, and my condolences go to his friends and family.
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