WITH Fernandinho set to turn 34 before the end of the season, Manchester City have understandably begun to look for a potential replacement. For the previous five seasons, he has been a formidable presence in the centre of the field but, like Yaya Toure before him, the Brazilian international’s ability to dominate matches has clearly begun to wane.
Younger, fresher legs are required and the reigning Premier League champions have recently been linked with a growing number of potential candidates, reporters continually asking Pep Guardiola his opinion on the latest names to be mentioned. “There are many clubs in the world, many holding midfielders in the world, and most of them can play here, that’s not the point,” the Spanish boss said at a press conference earlier this month.
"Most of them are under contract.” he continued. “A month ago, I started reading “Ruben Neves, £100 million.” That is not going to happen, we are not going to pay £100 million for a holding midfielder… we have a limit and cannot spend more so that's why we need to be careful with the players and try next season to see what we can do to improve.”
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says the club will not meet the reported £100m valuation for Wolves and Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves, 21.
[Mirror]#MCIWOL pic.twitter.com/YuQa4monVI
— Transferchanger (@TransferChanger) January 14, 2019
It is of course impossible to rule out another lavish purchase making his way to the Etihad either in January or the summer, but it makes sense for Guardiola to try downplay the budget available for new recruits. As well as Neves – who is enjoying an impressive campaign with Wolves – City have been connected to Frenkie de Jong of Ajax and were known to be frustrated when Napoli’s Jorginho opted to join Chelsea rather than accept their offer.
“Specifically to play Fernandinho's role, it's so difficult to find," Guardiola added. "He knows the Premier League, and after three years together here, he knows everything and that's so important. But, of course, for the next season it's an important target to find. He'll be 34 and he cannot play every few days.”
Looking around, it is easy to understand the concern, but in watching Jorginho closely, City scouts may well have spotted a player even more ideally suited to fill this latest gap in their squad. Playing alongside the metronomic passer who now plies his trade at Stamford Bridge is another Brazilian midfielder who possesses many of the attributes that have made Fernandinho such an important figure for Guardiola.
Receiving nowhere near the level of attention that has been showered on some of his team-mates, Allan is perhaps one of the most underrated and underappreciated midfielders in Europe. “He does everything well,” one Napoli supporter told Unibet this week. “Others might write the headlines, but he’s there doing all the little things that help the team succeed, making the difference between winning and losing.”
It is impossible to argue with that opinion, with plenty of statistics to support the theory that the 28-year-old is truly plugging every gap. A determined and relentless opponent, Allan is averaging 4.2 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 1.9 blocks and – despite standing just 1.75m (5ft 9”) tall – 1.2 aerial duels per 90 minutes according to Opta figures.
Yet, much like Fernandinho, he is much more than just a stopper. Indeed, he has filled the void Jorginho’s absence should have left in Napoli’s free-flowing style by improving his own passing output. After connecting with 55.8 successful attempts in 2017/18, Allan is making 72.2 passes per 90 minutes this term, creating 1.2 scoring chances per game as he pushes the ball into dangerous areas at every opportunity.
“I’ve been working hard for many years and it’s so satisfying for that to be recognised,” he said during an interview with Italian newspaper Il Mattino after his first international cap for Brazil. “I hope this is just a starting point for me. I don’t know if I’m a leader for Napoli but I play with exceptional teammates and try to do my best, to battle for every ball.”
Asked about the Napoli man, the Brazil boss insisted it was that combination of skill and ferocity that led to a long overdue debut. “He deserved it, we had been monitoring him for a long time,” Selecao Coach Tite told reporters. “Allan is good in transition, going box to box, leading counterattacks and breaks. He’s mobile and brings protection defensively.”
Allan, Napoli 1-0 Liverpool (3/10/18)
56/59 passes (94.9%), 8 ball recoveries, 5 tackles won, 1 successful take-on (via @StatsZone) pic.twitter.com/WA06iyrpIE
— Adam Digby (@Adz77) January 15, 2019
He certainly does, adding some steel to a Napoli team that has already beaten Liverpool and enjoyed two hard-fought draws against Paris Saint-Germain this season. Allan was essential in all three of those results, with his performance against Jurgen Klopp’s men – broken down in the tweet above – a typical example of his efforts.
It was exactly the kind of display that Napoli supporters have become accustomed to and it is no surprise that PSG, Everton and Tottenham have all reportedly expressed their interest in prising him away from the Stadio San Paolo.
Nor should be it a shock to see Manchester City joining that list, with various reports in Italy noting that the Etihad-based side had indeed identified Allan as the successor to Fernandinho. It would seem to be a perfect fit.
