Marveaux to Liverpool? Five Ligue 1 to Premier League moves that could happen this summer

ANALYSIS
By Greg Stobart & Wayne Veysey

As the climax of the 2010-11 season nears, clubs around Europe are gearing up for another busy and dramatic transfer window.

Some of the continent’s most coveted stars are on the radar of the Premier League’s big spenders as they seek to bolster their squads and challenge for silverware next year.

This week Goal.com UK brings you a special guide on the players from the top flights of Spain, Italy, Netherlands, France and Germany who are garnering strong interest from the Premier League.

With the assistance of Goal.com France‘s Ligue 1 expert, Robin Bairner, we analyse some of the top stars who could be on the move from France – and look at the options for where they could end up…

The Rennes midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season and is widely expected to join Liverpool on a free transfer.

Marveaux has been linked with a switch to the Merseysiders since the end of last year and said in March he was “very close” to signing an agreement to move to Anfield this summer.

The former France Under-21 international has been out injured since November after re-aggravating a groin injury during a Ligue 1 clash and, worryingly for Liverpool supporters, missed almost the entire 2008-09 season through injury.

Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli is believed to have played a pivotal role in convincing the 25-year-old to sign for the five-times European Cup winners, having previously been tracked by Manchester United and Chelsea.

Although lacking reliability, Marveaux will add to Liverpool’s options on the flanks. He tends to operate on the left wing, usually of a front three, and has been compared to Florent Malouda for his technique and power.

The view from Goal.com’s French football editor Robin Bairner: The career of Rennes winger Marveaux has been punctuated by injury problems, and sadly for the former France Under-21 international, that has once again been the case this season as he has not featured since November due to a muscular injury that required surgery. When fit, the 25-year-old can be one of the most devastating players in Ligue 1, having been compared in style to Florent Malouda, but his body has not yet learned to cope with the rigours of the professional game. Nevertheless, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, there are several clubs ready to take a gamble on the wideman. Liverpool are the side most closely associated with him, and given the press reports, it’s tempting to believe that this switch is virtually completed. Lyon have been credited with an interest in the past, too, but a move to England looks likely.

The powerful centre-back has been the subject of strong interest from Liverpool and Arsenal, as well as Bayern Munich.

A potential move to the Premier League depends principally on two factors – whether Paris Saint-German qualify for next season’s Champions League (they are currently one place outside the qualification spots) and the French club’s willingness to strike a deal.

It has been reported that PSG value the 21-year-old, who recently signed a new contract that runs until 2014, at around the £20 million mark, which could rule out a deal this summer.

Liverpool and Arsenal are unlikely to want to go beyond £15m, despite Sakho’s versatility – he can also play left-back and central midfield – and his call-up to the national team last autumn.

Robin Bairner: Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Mamadou Sakho is one of the brightest prospects currently playing in France. At just 21 years old, the Parisian already cuts an intimidating figure on the pitch and has bullied some of Le Championnat’s most experienced and physical strikers out of games on a regular basis this season. Such performances have caught the attention of national team boss Laurent Blanc, who is set to install the youngster in the heart of his defence for the forthcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers at the beginning of June. Sakho is a much sought-after player, and though many French clubs would love to sign a defender of his calibre, competition abroad will prove to be too fierce. England would be the natural step for the centre-back, whose technique is not yet as refined as his physique, allowing him to slot most easily into the Premier League style. Arsenal have been most closely linked with the player over the course of the campaign, but interest has also emerged from AC Milan. Should PSG reach the Champions League, it is anticipated that Sakho will remain in France, but if the capital club fail in that quest, look for the left-sided player to be subject to a big money move abroad.

The South Korean forward is one of the biggest stars in the Far East and is one of the leading summer targets for Bolton boss Owen Coyle as he prepares to rebuild his strikeforce.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Fulham have previously been linked with the 25-year-old but have been put off by Monaco’s £6m asking price, especially as he still has to complete military service in his home country unless he wins a medal at the 2012 Olympics.

A versatile attacker with an eye for goal, Park is desperate for a move to England and would welcome the opportunity to join close friend and international team-mate Lee Chung-Yong at the Reebok Stadium.

Whether he gets his summer switch could hinge on whether Monaco avoid relegation from Ligue 1, where they sit just one point above the drop zone with four games to play.

If Monaco are relegated, Park would be available for as little as £2m. That may re-ignite interest from Liverpool, whose sponsors Standard Chartered have encouraged the club to buy stars from the Far East.

Robin Bairner: South Korean striker Park Chu-Young hasn’t actually impressed as much this season as he did last for Monaco, though that may be partly due to his side’s struggles as a whole. Nevertheless, the 25-year-old striker is still a player held in high regard. To score 12 goals in 29 appearances for an ailing Ligue 1 side is no mean feat, and his efforts are testament to his work-rate and determination. But Park is by no means simply a goal scorer. He is a strong player on the ball and is capable of bringing those around him into play, making him ideal as a target man. Bolton Wanderers have been linked with a move for the player, who is surprisingly good in the air for his size, but Marseille are credited in watching the Asia Cup winner, too, and the draw of the Stade Velodrome will be tough to resist, particularly as it brings with it Champions League football. On the other hand, a move to the Premier League would be considered a step up.

The Rennes defensive midfielder is one of the most highly rated young talents in Europe and is being closely followed by Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

At a cost of at least £15m he may prove too much of a gamble for some of the clubs chasing his signature but the 20-year-old is keen on a summer move to one of the big European leagues.

A powerful and athletic midfield enforcer, M’Vila’s style has drawn predictable comparisons to Patrick Vieira in his pomp and he has already earned eight caps for France having previously represented the national team at every youth level.

Liverpool have shown the most serious interest in his signature but director of football Damien Comolli would have to use his powers of persuasion to convince M’Vila to join a club that is not in the Champions League.

M’Vila’s contract expires in 2014 so Rennes are under no pressure to sell him – but the player has suggested he would be interested in a move. “I still have to improve a lot, it could be at Rennes or somewhere else,” he said last month.

Robin Bairner: For many, Yann M’Vila is seen as the future of the France midfield. His wide-ranging attributes mean that he is the archetypal modern central player, able to perform in a wide variety of roles and capable of performing several different functions in the side. For Rennes, he has typically been deployed as a destructive player in the middle of the park, but he possesses a surprisingly deft ability on the ball and has been used increasing in a more advanced role. With the energy to play a box-to-box role, the 20-year-old has already earned eight caps for the national team and appears set for a big future under Laurent Blanc. Unsurprisingly, several big clubs have taken an interest in the player, with Liverpool and Arsenal at the head of the queue according to the local media. Real Madrid were linked with a move last summer, while AC Milan and Bayern Munich have been attributed with an interest at around the €20 million (£17.4m) mark. M’Vila has already said that he is willing to be patient with his career, stating in January: “I don’t want to go abroad to be a substitute,” he told monthly magazine Surface. “It would be a waste of time, even though financially it would be great. I don’t want to have too much hassle like that and become a flop. Of course there are teams that are interested in France, like Marseille and Lyon, who could be a springboard for me to other clubs.” Already a family man with two children, he is a player with a mature head on young shoulders.

The French striker’s goalscoring form over the last two seasons has alerted a number of Premier League rivals to his potential availability this summer.

Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle and Sunderland are all in the market for someone who can regularly find the net and they have all scouted Gameiro on a number of occasions this term.

A natural finisher with good pace and dribbling ability, the 24-year-old has scored 20 goals in 33 appearances for Lorient so far this season and has been shortlisted for the Ligue 1 player of the year award.

Lorient are believed to be ready to sell their star man if they receive an offer of around £12m as Gameiro’s contract expires in June 2012 and he has shown little interest in signing a new deal.

Newcastle and Sunderland’s chances could be dented as the France international is believed to be determined to join a high-profile club and is willing to wait until he can leave on a free transfer if no such move materialises this summer.

Robin Bairner: Arguably the outstanding player in France over the course of the last two seasons, at least in terms of his consistency, Gameiro is a player set to depart the country this summer. Having broken Lorient’s goal scoring record in a single top flight season already this term, netting 20 goals, he is the primary reason that Christian Gourcuff’s side are chasing a Europa League spot and a first ever top-six finish in Le Championnat. In the past, he has compared himself to David Villa, which is certainly not unfair in terms of his playing style or physique, though he clearly has a long way to go to match the success of his Spanish counterpart. At home when bearing down on goal, he is also equally adept at producing decisive passes for others, enjoying a brilliant relationship with team-mate Morgan Amalfitano, who is out of contract in the summer. The pair have been linked to Sevilla, but with the Andalucian side struggling for money, they may fail in a bidding war that is likely to embroil plenty of teams. Gameiro has said himself that he most craves a move for Spain, with Valencia strongly interested in January to such an extent that a deal was virtually done. Reports in Spain suggest that he could be bound for Villarreal, though the player has yet to comment on that speculation. English interest is strong, too, and if Arsenal were to provide Lorient with good terms, it’s not out of the question that the France international could ply his trade next season in London. Paris Saint-Germain, Lille and Bordeaux represent domestic interest, but it would take a series of surprising circumstances if he was to remain in Ligue 1 as his talents deserve a greater stage.