When Lukas Podolski left Arsenal in the January transfer window to join Inter Milan on loan, the idea that he could play for the Gunners again seemed inconceivable. With the move to Serie A having been an unmitigated disaster, Podolski is now pining for the Emirates Stadium once again. However, it’s almost impossible to see him resurrecting his career in north London—a permanent departure this summer seems much more probable.

Podolski went to Italy hoping to kickstart a career that was in stasis at Arsenal. However, during his six months with Inter, Podolski made only eight starts and scored just one goal. He might have changed scene but his fortunes did not improve.

It seems his difficult spell in Italy has led Podolski to reconsider his feelings about Arsenal. Talking to German publication Bild (h/t the Guardian), he said:

“I’ve always felt comfortable there. With the fans, with the team and also with the manager. I’m going back to play, I have to say my qualities suit Arsenal.

Inter? Last season went how it went. English football is the one which best suits my style but I know how suddenly everything can change.”

This seems like wishful thinking on the part of the player. Much as Podolski might like to see out his Arsenal contract, there is no obvious spot for him in the current squad. At the start of the 2014/15 season, the Gunners had an unbalanced roster with too much attacking talent to comfortably accommodate. The decision to loan out Podolski, Joel Campbell and Yaya Sanogo in January gave the squad much better equilibrium.

Podolski’s customary spot with Arsenal was on the left-side of the attack—a spot currently filled by reigning Arsenal Player of the Season Alexis Sanchez. Beyond him, Arsene Wenger is able to call upon the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Danny Welbeck in the attacking wide positions. Both players are younger, quicker and fitter than Podolski. The German is now 30, and his powers are thus more likely to wane than wax over the coming seasons.

The truth is he’s never quite fitted in at Arsenal anyway. He was ostensibly signed to help replace Robin van Persie at centre-forward, but it quickly became clear he lacked the hold-up play required to be deployed through the middle. When he was used out wide, the deficiencies in his defensive awareness and work-rate were often exposed. He’s always looked a little like a square peg in a round hole, with only his outstanding shooting ability regularly catching the eye.

Despite Podolski stating his intention to remain with Arsenal, rumours continue to circulate of a potential move to Galatasaray. Their former chief scout Mahmet Alpaslan has told Radyospor (h/t Turkish-Football.com) that he considers the player “99 percent” likely to move to Turkey.

That would make sense. Despite Podolski’s protestations to the contrary, it is difficult to see him finding a way back at Arsenal.

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Liverpool continue to negotiate with Inter Milan over midfielder Mateo Kovacic, according to David Amoyal of GianlucaDiMarzio.com, who suggests the Reds are “taking concrete steps” to sign the talented Croatian.  

Amoyal believes Inter’s €30 million (approx. £21.3 million) valuation “may not scare off” Liverpool, who have been working quickly to secure their transfer targets.

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers confirmed his fifth signing of the summer on Wednesday with the club’s official announcement that Hoffenheim attacking midfielder Roberto Firmino will head to Anfield:

The Brazilian follows James Milner, Danny Ings, Adam Bogdan and Joe Gomez on the list of Liverpool’s new acquisitions. 

Alex Harris of the Daily Star reports that up to nine players could be axed from Rodgers’ squad after the exits of Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson and Brad Jones, meaning the Northern Irish manager is likely cramming in preparation for the mass cull.

Kovacic is built in the Rodgers mould. He is clever on the ball, loves to progress possession and is capable of helping out defensively. The 21-year-old’s versatility means he can be deployed across the width of the midfield and in a more creative role, if needed. He scored five goals and assisted on three in 35 Serie A appearances last season, per WhoScored.com.

Rodgers could place Kovacic in central midfield alongside Jordan Henderson, with both sitting behind a creative three of Firmino, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana. This would leave room for Daniel Sturridge up front in a 4-2-3-1 formation, eclipsing Liverpool’s need for out-and-out wingers if Raheem Sterling departs.

The boss does need to free up vital squad space if he’s to continue spending, perhaps starting with unneeded striker Fabio Borini, per FourFourTwo writer Adam Digby, who tweeted a report from Il Tempo:

Rodgers has plenty of big decisions to make in the wake of his signings. B/R UK’s Graham Ruthven recently looked at what the manager needs to address:

Firmino will be an excellent signing for the club if he is used as a creative midfielder, but Rodgers should refrain from pushing him further forward.

Although Brazil coach Dunga continues to use the 23-year-old as a striker at the Copa America, Firmino is most effective when feeding the ball forward. He’s also an underrated worker and will muck in if he’s stationed behind Sturridge or Ings.

Kovacic would add grittiness and bite to the Liverpool ranks; however, Rodgers continues to overlook an exciting midfield option in Emre Can, whose physicality and improving quality on the ball could work excellently alongside Henderson.

Spending heavily on Kovacic may dampen the club’s ability to address other squad needs—such as a striker, a right-back and a physical defensive midfielder—but if utilised intelligently, Rodgers can make an increasingly exciting Liverpool puzzle work.

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It was January, a weary-looking Real Madrid had just been dumped out of the Copa del Rey by Atletico Madrid and a gruelling schedule was still to come. Los Blancos, who’d plateaued after their record-breaking ways of late 2014, needed a freshen-up.

The preferred XI from top to bottom appeared spent, run into the ground by a six-month stretch which for many had featured games in the World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup, La Liga, Champions League, Copa del Rey, European qualifying and the Club World Cup. But still, manager Carlo Ancelotti stuck with the familiar, insisting squad rotation wasn’t the answer. 

“There is no need right now to do rotations, I think the team are fine,” the Italian said after a 2-2 draw with Atletico at the Bernabeu that confirmed Real’s exit from the cup.

Ancelotti‘s position was understandable to an extent, but it was also flawed. By season’s end, fatigue was a major factor in Madrid’s season of underachievement. A collection of players who’d been called upon too often, their tanks drained, couldn’t summon the fire necessary to overcome Atletico, Valencia, Juventus and Barcelona.

Among midfielders in La Liga, no one played more minutes than Toni Kroos. Among forwards, only Lionel Messi played more than Cristiano Ronaldo. At left-back, Marcelo was only behind Athletic Bilbao’s Mikel Balenziaga. And when they were fit and available, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric always played. 

All the while, fresh legs sat on the bench, the likes of Asier Illarramendi, Lucas Silva, Jese, Nacho, Sami Khedira, Fabio Coentrao, Javier Hernandez and Keylor Navas grossly under-used. 

But will it be different under Rafa Benitez?

As the former Napoli boss closed in on the manager position at the Santiago Bernabeu, Marca described the essence of his coaching in a telling manner: “Benitez is methodical. He is all about order. Tactics. Organisation. Devising solutions. Videos. Statistics. Control”—essentially, a list of things that had become areas of criticism for Ancelotti. Such traits, however, should benefit those on the fringe of the first XI in Chamartin. 

Benitez is a known rotator. He’s used the concept everywhere he’s been: Valencia, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Napoli. To the Madrilenian, rotation means fresh legs, active minds and tactical awareness. On his personal website, there’s even a blog post explaining the importance of squad rotation that delves into running intensity and distance covered under the effects of fatigue. That’s the mentality he’s bringing to the Bernabeu. 

At Real Madrid, it’s likely Benitez’s desire to rotate will be seen most often in midfield. Under Ancelotti, Real’s hybrid 4-4-2/4-3-3 was heavy on attacking and creative talents, with Kroos, Rodriguez, Modric and Isco regularly crammed into the lineup. But Benitez is expected to change that, with his preference for a 4-2-3-1 likely to give the team’s midfield a very different dynamic. 

In the double pivot or the “two,” the 55-year-old—particularly against stronger opposition—may look to use a more traditional midfield anchor alongside Kroos. As explained this week, such a role could be filled by a new face, with Lucas Biglia and Radja Nainggolan representing possible options. But Benitez might also turn to those already at the Bernabeu—the likes of Illarramendi, Silva and Casemiro. In certain situations, he might even use two of them together. 

It’s why such men may feature considerably more often in 2015-16: Benitez will likely look to utilise different combinations depending upon the opponent, with Real Madrid possessing the options to deploy both attack-heavy and conservative central groupings. 

Such a situation, with players chosen for specific matchups, may not apply to the same extent at the back or up front. Settled back fours are the hallmark of strong defensive units, and the star-studded attack is suitable for almost every opposing outfit. However, fatigue prevention could still drive rotation at certain times in those positions. 

For instance, when Real Madrid were dumped out of the Copa del Rey in January, the club had the perfect opportunity to rest its stars for the high-profile clashes that would come from February onward. Following the second leg at the Bernabeu were league meetings with Getafe, Cordoba and Real Sociedad. All three were won, but all three featured Real’s best possible lineup available at the time. In the two months that followed, Los Blancos lost to Atletico, Athletic Bilbao, Schalke and Barcelona, and also dropped points at home to Villarreal.

Benitez, a manager who fusses over fatigue and injury prevention, is unlikely to repeat that. When low-key clashes against Spain’s lesser teams arrive (particularly when sandwiched between bigger games), Jese, Nacho, Coentrao and maybe even Denis Cheryshev could see significant playing time. The lesser-used men in the likely positional battles—Pepe or Raphael Varane; Daniel Carvajal or Danilo—could do too. Whereas Ancelotti spread his XI thin, as Marca put it, Benitez, with his managerial history, has shown he’s more inclined to use the full depth of a squad.

For those on the fringes of the XI, Benitez’s methods should prove beneficial. 

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Iker Casillas’ agent “has been in contact” with Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, among other clubs, as Real Madrid speed up negotiations to sign Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea.

Carlos Carpio of Marca reports “as more time passes, the De Gea deal gets more expensive” for Los Blancos. He also notes United are “offended” by the agreement already put in place between their goalkeeper and the Spanish club, and that a figure “of no less than €30 million (approx. £21.3 million)” is needed to prise him away from Old Trafford.

This could have huge ramifications for Spurs, who, according to French publication L’Equipe (h/t Neil McLeman of the Mirror), have given Hugo Lloris a “verbal agreement” he can leave if a €25 million (£17.8 million) bid comes in. 

United are linked with signing the Frenchman as a replacement for De Gea, as reported by Richard Parry and Tom Collomosse of the London Evening Standard. This could make Casillas’ possible switch to White Hart Lane the final piece in a transfer carousel involving the three clubs.

Carlo Cutropia, Casillas representative, “has been in contact with the clubs that over the last few weeks have shown interest in employing his services,” according to Carpio.

Despite appearing on the brink of signing Chelsea icon Petr Cech, as reported by David Ornstein of BBC Sport, Arsenal are mentioned alongside Spurs.

French champions Paris Saint-Germain, plus Serie A sides Inter Milan and Roma are also touted to make an approach for Casillas. Although Turkish clubs Fenerbahce and Besiktas are mentioned, Carpio notes “playing in a lesser league does not interest Casillas.” He is also not willing to remain in Spain unless he’s at the Bernabeu.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino will need to find a suitable replacement for Lloris if he does leave. However, it’s easy to forget the club possess a more than capable alternative in Michel Vorm.

The Dutchman earned his move to north London after starring for Swansea City in the Premier League, but he made just four Premier League appearances last season. These were brought on by Lloris picking up an injury, per WhoScored.com.

Casillas is a proven winner who has suffered a downturn in form over the last few years. The 34-year-old hasn’t been able to put together a run of consistent quality since former Madrid boss Jose Mourinho dropped him in 2012. It would be tasty to see Casillas face the current Chelsea boss in England.

B/R UK’s Guillem Balague recently discussed the difficulties Casillas will face when he departs Madrid:

Losing Lloris would be disappointing for Spurs, particularly as his sweeper-keeper style is difficult to replicate with such quality. Casillas isn’t the type to rush off his line and dive into tackles. He was a commanding force and excellent shot-stopper in his prime but needs confidence to reach this level again.

If (or when) De Gea moves to Madrid, it’s likely Casillas’ reign as Spain’s No. 1 international goalkeeper will also come to an end. No player proved more pivotal to United’s Champions League qualification during the recently concluded campaign, and at 24 years old, De Gea is ready to take on greater responsibility.

This is likely to see a rejig at three of the continent’s biggest clubs, with Spurs being pulled into a situation which is beyond their control.

The north London side have a “special partnership” with Los Blancos—one which has seen Luka Modric and Gareth Bale sold to Madrid—so Casillas’ arrival could finally help Spurs get a return on their decision to hop into an odd, uneasy relationship with the Spanish powerhouse club. 

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