Star
New Football Pools
Portsmouth are reportedly leading the chase for Real Madrid's forgotten man
Javier Saviola. The 27-year-old's career has stalled in recent seasons in
Spain after initially being hailed as a future world star and the diminutive
star is surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu.
An initial loan deal will take the striker to Fratton Park though Everton
and West Ham have joined the chase for his signature. Saviola has little
chance to impress for the Spanish champions after starting just 1 of his 7
League appearances (1 goal) this season. In fact, in the last 2 and a half
seasons combined for Barcelona and Read Madrid, the Argentine has scored 9
League goals in 34 League appearances (12 starts). This is a far cry from
his first season in Spain (2001/02) when the little striker scored 17 League
goals in 36 League appearances (27 starts) for Barca after a big money move
from River Plate.
Saviola is nicknamed El Conejito (the little rabbit) and made his River
Plate debut aged 16. He went on to score 46 League goals in just 88
appearances for the club in 3 seasons. He won the 1999 Apertura championship
(opening) and 2000 Clausura championship (closing) and was named South
American Football of the Year in 1999 at just 18. He moved to the Camp Nou
in 2001 aged19 in a £15m deal.
His Barcelona record was 49 League goals in 123 appearances but once Frank
Rijkaard took over at the helm he was considered surplus to requirements. He
failed to impress in loan deals at both Monaco (7 goals in 29 League
appearances) and Sevilla (9 goals in 29 League appearances) before a free
transfer to Madrid for the 2007/08 season. However, such was the form of
Raul and Ruud Van Nistelrooy that Saviola has made just 6 League starts in
his season and a half in the Spanish capital prompting speculation that he
will either be loaned out or sold this January. The Argentinian's contract
runs until 2010 so it's likely Real will want to sell him as he is behind
the likes of Raul, Higuain, Van Nistelrooy and new boy Huntelaar in the
Madrid pecking order.
The 5 ft 6 star has also scored 11 goals in 40 appearances for his country
though has never lived up to the reputation he has as a youth player. In
2001 he was hailed as the Player of the Tournament at the World Youth Cup as
well as finishing top scored with 11 goals in just 7 games. In doing so, he
became the record goal scorer in World Youth Cup history. He was also part
of Argentina's successful 2004 Olympic side which won gold. Saviola also
scored at the 2006 World Cup against the Ivory Coast but has struggled to
recapture his place since.
Despite struggling in recent seasons, Saviola is still young enough to make
a big impact in the Premier League and would be a useful acquisition for
Pompey now Jermain Defoe has departed, likewise for West Ham now Craig
Bellamy is set to join Man City. Alternatively Everton are short of cash but
also forwards so a loan signing may well appeal to David Moyes as he pushes
for European qualification.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Please donate to my run for charity
http://www.justgiving.com/peter-robinson
http://www.justgiving.com/peter-robinson1
Thank You so much to those who have already contributed
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment