The Sheikh's Low Down On Possible Incomings

Right then ladies and gentlemen, I've been having a poke around the internet and with the well-publicised Kevin Reeves information I've come up with this list of possible signings from the games he watched over the weekend.

We know he was at the Groningen vs PSV Eindhoven game, but according to some that was the second Eredivisie game he took in on Sunday - that kicked off at 3.30pm, so the probable first game was AZ Alkmaar vs Heerenveen, which was an 11.30am kick off. As well, he was rumoured to be in Germany for a Bundesliga game the day before - to get to Alkmaar the following morning, you have to fly into Amsterdam. The only direct flight from a German city with a Saturday Bundesliga match was from Stuttgart, so in all likelihood Reeves was at the VfB Stuttgart vs VfL Wolfsburg game. Anyway, here's a few potential targets:

VfL Wolfsburg:
Ashkan Dejagah: Very quick, tricky wide player. Doesn't score a lot of goals but is one of those who looks dangerous on the ball. Iranian international but has a German passport, no work permit problems.

VfB Stuttgart:
Martin Harnik: Another quick wide forward, can also play up front. Austrian international, scored 17 league goals last season.

AZ Alkmaar:
Adam Maher: Current holder of the Johan Cruyff Award, given to the best young talent in the Eredivisie. Previous winners include Dennis Bergkamp, Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart. Recently broke into the senior Dutch side.

Maarten Martens: Captain of AZ. Tricky attacking player with an eye for goal. A touch on the old side (28) for us though perhaps.

Heerenveen:
Rajiv van la Parra: Another tricky little attacker (noticing a theme?) Only 21, has played for every Dutch international age group below the senior side.

Filip Duricic: Left footed attacking midfielder. Can play central or out wide. Allegedly almost joined Man Utd a few years ago but couldn't get a work permit although Serbia's improved FIFA ranking should sort that out.

FC Groningen:
Leandro Bacuna: Tall wide player, doesn't get on the scoresheet too much.

David Texeira: Uruguayan forward, only been in Europe for a year. Wikipedia claims he almost joined Liverpool in January, although how much of that is true is debatable. Good goalscoring record for the Uruguayan youth sides, although his goals have come against footballing powerhouses Saudi Arabia and Guatemala.

PSV Eindhoven:
Jetro Willems/Erik Pieters: Both of these guys are full backs, Pieters I know we have looked at before. Although left sided, Willems can play on either side of a back line. He's more offensively minded than Pieters, as I'm sure people will have noticed at the European Championships. Willems only made the breakthrough thanks to the injury to Pieters that kept him out of most of last season and the summer, so PSV may look to move one of them on this summer. Doubt we're looking at either, but it's an idea.

Georginio Wijnaldum: Attacking playmaker who can also play on either wing. Think like a young, impudent Shaun Maloney. Scores goals too. Still only 21, despite having nearly 150 league games under his belt.

Jermaine Lens: Quick forward player, can play anywhere across a forward line - out wide, up top or in behind. Does get on the scoresheet regularly too.

Dries Mertens: I can't tell you how much I hope this is who we're looking at. Belgian international winger, he was the one who pushed Gary Cahill into Joe Hart causing the broken jaw that kept him out of Euro 2012. Exceptionally quick, has a ridiculous goalscoring record (21 last season from the wing) and comfortable taking people on. Could be quite expensive though.

So out of those players (who all played at the weekend in games Kevin Reeves probably watched) there are quite a few I'd love to see at Wigan. The obvious position to strengthen is out wide, where a direct replacement for Victor Moses is required. Out of these players, Jermaine Lens, Dries Mertens and Martin Harnik are probably the best of the lot, although I'd rather have the PSV two than Harnik.

Another Maloney (Wijnaldum or Duricic) and a defender (Willems) wouldn't go amiss but I think the wide player will take priority. Either way, there's going to be plenty of movement between now and Friday night.

Sheikh_Mahand



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