There is a certain class of striker who has a premium on his value at the beginning of a calendar year, through the month of the open-transfer window. He tends to be a poacher type, naturally has a good ratio of goals per game, and a record of adapting readily and rapidly to a new club environment.
Few students of the transfer market will be surprised to see Jermaine Defoe, one of that class, strongly linked with an exit from Tottenham Hotspur before the end of January.
Defoe has made the majority of his transfers as a senior professional in mid-season.
Not quite as frequently as, say, Robbie Keane, the much-travelled Ireland international. Or Nicolas Anelka, the itinerant Frenchman who, when he is not attracting attention for controversial celebrations, has been for the last dozen years a regular stop-gap signing for clubs seeking to boost their attacking efficiency at mid-season.
Defoe has an extra motivation for restlessness. The World Cup finals are five months away. He remains a respected England squad player, experienced with an undoubted nose for goal.
Hot-shot English strikers are not so plentiful that the country’s manager, Roy Hodgson, can breezily overlook a player like Defoe. But he needs him match-ready and primed.
A marginal role as third-choice striker at Spurs makes him less than that. Yet a move to Toronto, the club most aggressively pursuing him in Major League Soccer, would also be viewed with scepticism within England, from where MLS standards are deemed far lower than those of the better European leagues.
A number of big-budget clubs are seeking centre-forwards.
Chelsea admire Diego Costa, who has 19 goals for Atletico Madrid this season. Access to the Brazil-born striker, though, is complicated. He has a release clause set at €38 million (Dh192.8m), and even if it were triggered, the player would need to want the move now, not in the summer.
Atletico sit at joint-top of the Spanish Primera Liga, they are in the Uefa Champions League, and Costa would be cup-tied in Europe if he signed for another club involved in the same competition.
A World Cup motive is at play, too, for Costa, who has committed himself to representing Spain, where he qualifies for citizenship.
Spain want him. But they want the Diego Costa showing his feisty, prolific best each week. He might immediately do that in a new club in a different league, but he would most likely need a period of adaptation.
Chelsea sit two points behind the Premier League leaders, Arsenal. They are in the last 16 of the Champions League, but manager Jose Mourinho worries about the balance of a squad who have shown repeated carelessness in defence and some bluntness up front.
An interest in Inter Milan’s dynamic Colombian midfielder Fredy Guarin is genuine, while the exit door at Stamford Bridge is also ajar. Mourinho’s lack of faith in Juan Mata, Chelsea’s Player of the Season in 2012/13, makes the Spaniard concerned about his status for his country ahead of a World Cup where positions in attacking midfield will be keenly contested in the Spain set-up.
The potential market for Mata would be wide. Inter like him, and they have a new majority shareholder, Erick Thohir, overseeing his first transfer window.
A clutch of younger Spaniards are potentially available on loan. English clubs, particularly, regard players brought through Spain’s development systems as mature and adaptable.
Liverpool are chasing a six-month deal for Barcelona winger Cristian Tello, 22, while his teammate and contemporary, Isaac Cuenca, also a winger, would be allowed to leave the Spanish champions on loan.
Similarly, Real Madrid would be in favour of young striker Alvaro Morata – admired by Arsenal – gaining first-team experience abroad if coach Carlo Ancelotti can be persuaded he does not need the 21 year old as cover between now and the end of May.
AC Milan, in a desperately low position in the Serie A table, will formalise two deals in the next 48 hours.
They bring in Adil Rami, the France defender whose World Cup hopes took a nosedive when the club he is departing, Valencia, exiled him from the first-team squad after he publicly criticised colleagues.
Keisuke Honda, the Japan playmaker, also joins Milan on a free transfer from CSKA Moscow, where his contract expired last month.
Honda looks a coup, although, as with Mario Balotelli last season – Milan signed Balotelli last January from Manchester City – he is ineligible for European games, having played for CSKA in the Champions League already in 2013/14.
sports@thenational.ae
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Honeymoonish
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
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Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
MATCH RESULT
Liverpool 4 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Liverpool: Salah (26'), Lovren (40'), Solanke (53'), Robertson (85')
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The Specs:
The Specs:
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 444bhp
Torque: 600Nm
Price: AED 356,580 incl VAT
On sale: now.
Race card
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
7.05pm: Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
9.50pm: Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
9.25pm: Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Our family matters legal consultant
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
