French star key to Anderson deal
Despite his being sidelined after a knee operation, David Gill’s phone has been ringing off the hook with calls from Olympique Marseille, Paris St. Germain, St. Etienne and Olympique Lyonnais, trying to secure deals to bring the Brazilian to France.
Having given the ex- Gremio and Porto wünderkind a number of chances for redemption, the Gaffer’s patience seems to have worn thin. The easygoing dread locked one, although sporadically brilliant, has been unwilling to buckle down and unable to score.
Having done a runner back to Brazil earlier this year, the overweight midfielder has spent his recuperation time blowing hot and cold over being sold and, I’m told, stuffing himself with free food at the Porto Allegre Fogo de Chao restaurant.
It appears that Sir Alex is still feeling a twinge of ambivalence or the lad would be gone already and, indeed, there are still many football pundits who feel Anderson will eventually grow up, wake up and smell the coffee.
There has been some movement this weekend, however, as the world has converged on South Africa. The word is that Marseille’s coach, Didier Deschamps, is very much a fan of Anderson but is frustrated by United’s unwillingness to do a straight deal. The name which keeps cropping up is Mathieu Valbuena.
The two-footed Valbuena is equally at home on both wings and in central midfield. Possessing a fantastic engine, the ability to keep and hold the ball and a keen football brain, his only down side seems to be his height as he stands a mere 5’6”.
Having signed for Bordeaux’s youth academy, Valbuena found himself rejected at seventeen owing to his then slight frame, but what follows is a little-engine-that-could story. Valbuena signed for a division 5 semipro club, Lanon-Castets and worked as a salesman in a shoe store. After two years of paying his dues, Valbuena was signed by the Championnat National Division 3 side, Libcume Saint-Seurn. After dazzling his way to the division’s player-of-the year award and helping the club gain promotion, Valbuena was scouted and signed in June 2006 by Marseille.
A year later after a series of injury problems, Franck Ribery gone to Bayern Munich and a new manager in Eric Gerets, Valbuena began to shine. His goal against Liverpool at Anfield in O.M.’s 0-1 win has become a YouTube favourite. Having bloomed under Gerets, Valbuena has been a revelation under Didier Deschamps, helping the club to the Ligue 1 title this past season.
After making a ten minute cameo appearance in France’s disastrous 2-0 loss to Mexico in the World Cup, one wanders what their capricious coach, Raymond Domenech, will do next. Valbuena will be in the shop window if he starts in this Wednesday’s game against South Africa.
Ferguson, I’m told, still feels Anderson can come good and is reluctant to let him go, but, if Valbuena is added to the deal he may be persuaded to pull the trigger.