Why Mendy chose City

The big news this week is of course Monaco’s £52m transfer of Benjamin Mendy to Manchester City. He is manager Pep Guardiola’s sixth signing of the summer and his third full back. Mendy plays the way Pep likes – he gets the ball at the back and moves forward pushing his midfield up field and thus creating chances for the strikers. Mendy said that City was always his preferred choice because everyone wants to work with Pep Guardiola. However, I found out that he talked things over with his family and they made the decision together to move to the Premier League and they also wanted to live in England. There will only be one bigger signing this summer if it happens and that will be wherever Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe ends up.

Who has spent the most?

We are approaching the new season…so who has spent how much so far? This is going to be a year to remember…a league with the best managers and most of the  best players in football fighting it out for the most coveted title: Premier League Champions. And so many of them dare not fail because expectations have never been higher. Here is the amazing, incredible and some would say ridiculous amounts of money which have been spent on transfers so far this summer in the Premier League:

Manchester City: £206.5million, Chelsea £129m, Manchester United £106m, Everton 90.9m, Arsenal £52m, Liverpool £43,3m, West Ham £41m, Huddersfield £36.7million.

Let battle commence…

Happy Rooney

I have not seen Wayne Rooney looking so happy for a long time. He was with some of his Everton team mates at the final day of the British Open Golf Championship on Sunday, laughing and joking and looking, yes…happy. Several people remarked that they have never seen him looking so relaxed for ages and I know that the team spirit at Everton is “sky high” with manager Ronald Koeman having total belief in and commitment from his players. Koeman was tempted to say in public, “I have watched Wayne on a daily basis, training and playing in the pre-season friendlies and there is only one conclusion…he is still one of the best in the world. He will do us proud this season.” As I wrote last week, Rooney played for years at United but if you cut his veins you will find the blue blood of Everton flowing freely, the team he supported as a boy and still worships.

Chelsea getting spiteful

Chelsea are looking for revenge. They wanted Everton’s Romelu Lukaku and Manchester United grabbed him from under their noses. Now United want Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has said yes. However, he is adding on a “Lukaku tax” which means the £35million offered by United is not enough and the price has risen to £50million. Jose Mourhino is furious! Antonio Conte is laughing! Italian side Juventus are still interested in Matic and Chelsea have said they will sell him to them for less than the price quoted to United. Fun and games and the season hasn’t even begun yet!

Mourhino cracking the whip

Training is key and even the big clubs spending mega bucks recognise that their celebrity stars are only as good as their fitness allows. Jose Mourhino has been prowling around their University of California and Los Angeles training ground watching intently for any player who is not giving 100%. Any player who rests easy is immediately pounced upon and it was poor Jessie Lingard who got the sharp Mourhino tongue for dropping his standards the day before United took on Spanish champions Real Madrid. Jessie responded and gave a brilliant performance during United’s win over RM. United are going to be right up there in the Premier League this coming season…they have the players and manager to make it happen. Jose knows that like Pep Guardiola at City, he has to perform after spending huge sums this summer.

PSG v Arsene

It is a battle of two giants. Paris St Germain are determined to get Alexis Sanchez away from Arsenal and Arsene Wenger has dug his heels in and said No! To up the stakes PSG have tabled a £70million bid and their Sporting Director flew into London this week to try and broker a deal. The French giants are even willing to match Sanchez’s huge wage demand of £400,000 a week! Arsene sent back a message from their pre-season tour in China that the club must not agree to the sale. PSG refused to go away. By the time you read this column Arsenal will be flying back to London for their own pre-season Emirates Cup tournament in which they will play Portugal’s Benfica and Spanish side Seville on back-to-back days so the squad will be split in half for each of the two days. And PSG will be watching! I will keep you up to speed with developments. It reminds me of the Invincible Force versus the Immovable Object!

de Boer fights to keep Cabaye

Crystal Palace manager Ronald de Boer is fighting a friendly battle with his old team mate Ronald Koeman at Everton. He wants to do better this coming season than        his ex-Ajax colleague Koeman. To that end de Boer is fighting to keep Yohan Cabaye  in his midfield as French club Marseille step up their interest. Cabaye is keen to return to France but the Eagles manager needs him despite Cabaye only scoring nine times  in 64 matches. Palace have also secured the services of Chelsea’s highly rated youngster Ruben Loftus-Cheek on a season’s loan and have added Ajax defender, 20 year old Jairo Riedewald for £8milion. I think de Boer is going to have a tough season but the determination is certainly not lacking.

Difficult times for Jack

I am very surprised that Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has not snapped up Jack Wilshere after his season long loan from Arsenal. Jack has nowhere to start the new season at the moment despite interest from Italian side Sampdoria but their £7.5million initial offer for the injury prone England International was rejected by Arsenal who still hold his registration. Jack trained with the Gunners this week and looked remarkably relaxed. Now Turkish club Antalyaspor are circling the player but he is not exactly jumping at the chance to leave Britain and play in a country he knows nothing about and for a club he knows even less about. Jack is a talented player who has spent far too long on the physio table with niggling injuries and a player who can’t play is no use to any manager. I wish him luck because he is a talent when fit.