The clubs of the Premier League lowered a little less than one and a half billion euros for transfers. An essential part is for the supporters. In the top ten most expensive transfers of the summer, just four players of this role. More than any other: goalkeepers on the list are two, attacking midfielders - three, there are no attackers at all.
This alignment emphasizes two global trends. Firstly, English clubs begin to spend wisely: before, the main task of the majority was to buy a striker who would beat 20 goals per season. Secondly, the position of the defensive midfielder is becoming more and more important: the coaches took into account that the team wins as much from the construction of their attacks and the prevention of strangers as much as from having a class striker.
Defensive midfielder bought 10 teams out of 20. Significant money (from 20 million euros) was spent by six of them. For "Bournemouth" the acquisition of such a midfielder in general was a record transfer in the history of the club. For "Liverpool" - a record before buying Alisson. Most likely, a huge cache for the defensive midfielder would have laid out "Man City": "the townspeople" missed Fred first, then Jorginho.
The most interesting is the midfielders from the top clubs. Each of them came for a lot of money, on each - great hopes and the solution of tactical tasks. Hardly the fate of the clubs in this season directly depends on the performance, but potentially the supporters are imprisoned for a very big impact on the game.
Fred (Manchester United)
"Fred is short, but incredibly good at martial arts. The most positive thing about his game is how he plays in a limited space. He has no problem with blowing up the game, he understands football well and is very well developed tactically. Whatever Mourinho asked, he will do everything at the highest level, "said former coach of Shakhtar Miguel Cardoso.
Fred's universalism is characterized by two more facts. Firstly, the Brazilian calls his idol Fernandinho - a man who closes the main zone in the "City". Secondly, Fred asks for the ball even at night: a brazilian - a sleepwalker; at night he wakes up, thinking that he is on the field, and yells at his partners to get him pass.
Potentially Fred - the solution of the key problem of "United" in the attack. Last season, the ball was pulled together and Pogba, and Sanchez: men did not trust the defenders, sank back, because of what "MU" remained in the minority ahead. With Fred, leaders can take on direct responsibilities.
Fabinho (Liverpool)
In the last season, Klopp used Jordan Henderson or Emre Can in the base. Everyone is far from ideal in this position. The adaptation of Fabinho is slow, but Klopp complained to this nuance even after the arrival of Salah and Keita - the players that fit perfectly into his style.
When Fabigno understands Klopp's ideas, Liverpool will get a top midfielder. From Can, he is favorably distinguished by discipline without a ball. Emre admits a strange mistake - he looks at the ball instead of following the opponent. Klopp shoved him for it two years ago, Сan did not improve. So it looked like a typical fail Emre in the reference zone.
After Сan left, Fabinho had only one competitor - Henderson. Here for the Brazilian - the ability to play in the pass. The other day Klopp said that Hendo has significantly added in this component, but the German still recalls the captain's failure against Burnley two years ago: then Jordan was limited to transfers across without the ball moving.
Extra plus Fabinho - the experience of playing an fullback. In "Monaco, the Brazilian was healthy insuring the fulbacks - on their connections the attack of Jardim was sharpened, the midfielder covered the space that they left behind. Another inherited quality is dribbling. Under pressure, Henderson hurries with the decisions, Fabinho hides the ball with the body and moves it forward.
Jorginho (Chelsea)
Sarri says that Jorginho is a key weapon for Chelsea to reduce the distance from City. On the field, this is manifested through guidance to partners. Jorginho sets the direction of pressure, shows the options for the passes and advises where to go without the ball. In the video below - one of the examples.
The style of Sarri sharply differs from the style of the predecessor. Its defensive midfielder is also different from the supporters of colleagues. Jorginho does not look like Deschamps, Makelele, Obi Mikel or Kante - people who patrolled the Chelsea base zone in the past. The Brazilian learned the skills of slicing with the game Pirlo and Xavi, after training asked for exercises that help the players of his position.
Torreira (Arsenal)
According to the primary signs, Lucas is the same player that fans of the Arsenal have been waiting for over the last few years at the time of the Wenger. If you transfer the Uruguayan indicators from last season for "Sampdoria", then Torreira would be the best in the team for the selections, the percentage of won martial arts, interceptions and rebounds.
At the World Cup, he threw himself into the head even with his head, but one aggression and discipline for Arsenal would not be enough. After the injury, Santi Cazorla "gunners" were looking for a player who would combine the qualities of the opornik and the drawn playmaker. Lucas is the closest version among those whom "Arsenal considered for this role.
For the ability to pass the pressure on the dribbling of Torreira deserved comparison already with Marco Verratti. As the match with "City" showed, this skill of Lucas is sure to be useful to "gunners" in big matches. "Arsenal" again fried in its half, Xhaka again mistaken with the ball.
"If Torreira was 1.8 meters in height, it would have already cost 100 million euros. He can play short and long passes, he interrupts counter-attacks and knows where the ball will be. Most importantly, he went to the club, which would not care about his growth, "- the player praised the coach "Sampdoria" Marco Giampaoli.
Arsenal really does not care about growth. Arteta played in the base with an increase of 1.75 cm, Cazorla was generally 10 cm below the countryman. An important argument in favor of Torreira - protection from injury: for the past two years, he missed only five games in Serie A.
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