It’s all “go” in the transfer window at the moment, with football clubs all over the world negotiating deals for players who could make their team a force to be reckoned with. Even Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger has admitted to being on the phone constantly, racking up a huge phone bill all in the hope of bringing players in and keeping current players happy so they want to stay. But there is one young talent who may not be the subject of phone calls regarding transfers this season, but is biding his time. He is talent that many a Premier League club have been monitoring closely, but one who will not act too rashly or ambitiously be jumping ship to a top side to soon.
Yann M’Vila has been tracked by Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal as well as Real Madrid among others, with United reportedly having prepared a £15 million bid for him this summer. It is a bid which takes into account United’s depleted midfield options now that Paul Scholes and Owen Hargreaves are gone for good.
While United fans will be looking and hoping for the arrival of a proven, top class attacking midfielder such as Arsenal’s Samir Nasri or Inter’s Wesley Sneijder, Sir Alex Ferguson may be continuing to look to the future, and it is absolutely certain that M’Vila has a big one ahead of him.
At 21 years of age, the French defensive midfielder is already a very mature young man. He has steadily risen from the ranks for his country, starting out with the French Under-16’s and playing through every age stage until his senior call-up in August of 2010. A 19 year-old M’Vila, who plays his club football for Ligue 1 side Rennes, was called up to the French World Cup preliminary squad on May 11th, with the then France manager, Raymond Domenech citing his reasons:
“I saw that he already had the mentality of a top player. I looked at him on the pitch and I thought I was seeing a 26-year-old, not a teenager. His choices, his positioning and his distribution belonged to someone much older, more experienced.”
His maturity extends to off the field too, already being a husband and father to two children. While family distractions could easily throw a footballer off of their focus on football, M’Vila has said that he believed i has helped him to become a more stable person:
“Fatherhood has made me more responsible and given my life stability.”
A model professional is exactly what the biggest football clubs look for, with stable and mature lives. Sir Alex Ferguson is known to like this quality in his players, despite the recent news stories about certain of his players less than holy private lives. So why can’t he just join the Premier League now? You may ask. Well, it comes down the the very fact of his focus on football.
He has recently agreed a one year extension on his Rennes contract, and the French clubs general manager, Pierre Dreossi, is very keen to keep hold of M’Vila, saying that if he does leave, it will be next year rather than this but he is confident of keeping hold of M’Vila this summer, despite interest from the top clubs around the world. The player said:
“At my age, many young players are going to earn more money, but personally I would like to continue to progress with a coach who knows me well, Frederic Antonetti.”
It does seem inevitable that the 21 year-old will be leaving some time in the future, and when he does, his preference is to the Premier League, and in particular, with the “club of his dreams”, Manchester United. In two separate interviews in the past, M’Vila stated:
“I would like to play in a great league and the Premier League is sensational. English football would best fit my style of play.
“Manchester United is the club of my dreams. It is a very prestigious club and I dream to play for them.”
He may be what Manchester United are looking for. The signing of Owen Hargreaves in 2007 showed Sir Alex Ferguson’s intent to play someone with the tackling ability, strength and technique to cover the back four, and push forward as well. Indeed, the season that Hargreaves played saw United win both the Premier League title and a Champions League trophy, highlighting the successful formulae that Sir Alex discovered. However, Hargreaves’s well known injuries ruled him out for pretty much every game for the next four years, and United will be looking for a similar player minus the injuries.
M’Vila is a strong, tough tackler with a lot of energy to cover a lot of ground for his team mates, putting pressure on the opponent, and winning the ball to give to his team mates – exactly what Hargreaves did. M’Vila isn’t too bad going forward either, with the useful ability to find a team mate with a good passing range. He managed three goals and an assist last season, which doesn’t exactly jump off the page, but it is important to not that attacking isn’t what M’Vila is all about.
The waiting game will have to be played by M’Vila’s possible suitors, United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Juventus and Athletico Madrid. That is, unless any of them are willing to pay over the odds to secure his signature this summer, and Rennes are looking for at least £15 million for him. His most likely destination is the Premier League, and the most likely time he joins is next summer, but if and when he does join, he could be, with his midfield capabilities, huge maturity and suitability, a Premier League star.
Submitted by DBSFootball
