Exclusive Interview with Chris Waddle: Candid Thoughts on the CWC, Latest England Squad, Premier League Transfer Stories, and More
Chris Waddle remains an English football icon, widely considered to be one of the finest attacking midfielders in Europe during his prime, entertaining fans at a host of clubs that included Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Marseille, and Sheffield Wednesday. Often found in the commentary box at games these days, Chris has plenty of thoughts to share in this exclusive Online-Casinos.com interview.
FIFA Club World Cup
What do you make of the Club World Cup?
Chris: I don’t think we need the Club World Cup at all. I think the players play so much football already, and people pay so much to watch the games we have, that nobody will benefit from it. I think people want more quality and they want the players at the top of their game. They don’t want to watch exhausted players slogging around in the summer heat.
This is an extension of the season, and it’s just to make money, we don’t need to kid ourselves about anything else. It’s not just about the Club World Cup, it’s that every year there’s something new added to the calendar.
I’ve said it before, but the biggest thing that football needs is a law that every player is entitled to a month off. It’s ridiculous that you finish the season and then you get two international friendlies, or you go off to the Club World Cup.
By the time that’s all finished, they’ll be lucky to have had a week’s break before they’re back in pre-season and working intensively on getting fit for a new season, getting back for another year in the Premier League.
Tell me, how does that make sense? Yeah, there’s money to be made and the players doubtless get rewarded, but they won’t have a long career if they can’t recharge their body. You can’t just take a week off after a year of top-flight football and expect to be fit. And the Club World Cup, it’s not like the English sides are coming up against a bunch of chancers, there’s real quality there. There’s Real Madrid, there are other top sides, who are all going to be there for tough, physical games in the US summer heat.
I think it’s up to the players now, they need to take a stand and say enough.
Gianni Infantino wants Cristiano Ronaldo at the CWC and we’re told he could sign for Botafogo. Would you want to watch him?
Chris: I don’t know if I’ll watch it, even if Cristiano Ronaldo is playing. I know Ronaldo is all about breaking records, winning everything he can. It’s an event that will go global and he’s the kind of player who wants to be at the heart of the game.
I can understand why he’ll want to be there, but at some point he needs to take stock of how long he can go on for. He might even be telling himself that he’s got 10 more years, but sooner rather than later he’ll have to admit that he can’t keep up as he has done.
That might not be just yet, and he will be good for the competition, because – rightly so – he’s still a superstar. He’s been an unbelievable footballer, and he still is, but as things stand, he won’t be there.
If you’re Chelsea or Man City, would you be tempted to bring in Ronaldo on a short-term deal?
Chris: I’m not sure if he should make it. I think if he were to join the Premier League, obviously that’s now a bit too quick for him. The Premier League is still the most physically demanding, the toughest on the legs, so I think he could only be an option for the Club World Cup, nothing more than that.
Having said that, I still think that the Italian game wouldn’t overwhelm him. It’s slower, it’s more tactical and studied. He could fit in there. The Saudi game is obviously slower because of the heat, so the transition back to Italy might work for him. The French league could work too, but I’m surprised that he hasn’t gone back to Sporting Lisbon where he started off. That would be a huge coup for them, but I’m sure he’s going to pop up somewhere new, but I’d warn him not to pick somewhere too physical at his age.
I think Ronaldo will still be going to the World Cup with Portugal, who are going well at the moment. I think that’ll be it for him, the 2026 World Cup would be a good time to end things with the side.
It won’t be straightforward though. A manager would probably look at him and want 20 minutes out of him, even if he himself wants the full 90. International football is demanding, and even though he’s clearly an exceptionally fit guy, age will take its toll and father time won’t be denied. I think that people are going to want that from him at his next club too. A super-sub, and a huge marketing success. A lot of shirts sold. On that side, it makes sense.
But for all his ability, and even though he can still do more than a decent job, I’m not sure another club can pay what he wants unless the marketing aspect pays off for them.
After PSG were crowned Champions League winners, do you make them strong favourites for the Club World Cup, and do you expect them to take the competition seriously?
Chris: Well, they’ll be favourites obviously, because of what they’ve done in the Champions League. To win against Inter Milan, five-nil, that was an amazing result. Over the years they’ve tried to buy the Champions League, and this is basically the first year they haven’t tried to buy it, and they won it. They’ve had Messi, Neymar, Mbappe, all superstars yet the success has come with a core team of French players in a way. No big names.
Obviously, people now will be talking about Doue and other players and rightly so, they’ve played very well in the tournament, and they do look a very well organised team. Where they go from here, I think they’ll go hard at that tournament. They’ve got a good squad and the thing with Paris is, you know, they can juggle their squad in their league. And even in the French Cup they were able to largely play a second-string team for most of the games and still win.
In their league, they can actually leave three or four players out. And if you look at it, they’ve worked it very well for the Champions League. They’ve rested players on the weekend and thought; we’ll beat them with these players. We don’t need to play A, B, C and D. But this tournament they’re going into, it would probably be different because the further they get into it, the harder the opposition is. And if Paris really want to win it, they’re going to have to put a strong team out on many occasions.
I think with another tough season ahead when they come back, they’ll want to add a couple more players, but I think they’ve learned their lesson now. They won’t just bring in superstars. But largely they’ve got a strong squad and they’re not too young. This side can dominate for the next few years without many changes being made.
Potential Ballon d’Or Winners
Ousamane Dembele is the favourite to be crowned the world’s best player. Do you think he deserves it based on what he’s done this season, and if not, who would you put as the world’s best player?
Chris: Well, I think Mbappe has had a good year at Real Madrid. I know Real Madrid haven’t won anything, and it is not often they do that, but he scored over 20 goals in his first season with Real. To me, he’s always looked the part this season, and he’s done well to cope with the pressure that comes with the club. He played down the middle a lot and I know he wants to be on the wing. As a centre-forward he’s done his job, he’s had a good season, but if you don’t lift a trophy then these days you tend to get ignored for the Ballon d’Or.
I think that’s a bit silly, because you can still be the very best and fail to win something some seasons, but when it comes to Dembele, obviously he has the treble behind him. In my eyes, Mbappe’s been a better player over the season, but I think Dembele will get the nod.
And you could say Lewandowski, you could say Yamal, who’s a very exciting player who will be in the reckoning, if not this year, obviously in the years to come. Yamal’s been outstanding for such a young kid to handle the pressure of Barcelona. And every week is a cup final when you’re turning out for them. When you play for a team like that, everybody wants to beat you. So, he’s had to live with the demands and the pressure of performing for a club like that. I think somebody like Dembele will probably get it, but I wouldn’t say he was the best player of the season. I think there’s been better players. It’s the same as the Premier League player of the year, usually you get ignored if you don’t win something. I don’t buy that way of doing things. It’s wrong.
The Current England Squad
Kyle Walker has been included in the squad despite an indifferent season. It feels unlikely he’ll be around for the 2026 WC so should he still be called up?
Chris: It’s a really strange one. He’s been in and out of the team at Milan. It was a good move to go there, and when I watch him play, he clearly has the pace to deal with the top-level stuff, but he’s still been an inconsistent starter. Now, that might be because he doesn’t fit their tactics right now, or because they just played so many games, but even if it was a sensible move to make at the time, it hasn’t quite gone as he’d have hoped.
At the same time, it’s hard to name a better English right-back. Trent Alexander-Arnold can be exceptional but he’s not outstanding as a true defender. He’s got his talents, there’s no denying it, with exceptional passing and dead-ball delivery, but if it’s him or Walker, we’re not blessed in that position for a young right-back who does what you expect. I think Kyle is the pick of the two right now, his all-round game puts him ahead of the rest.
What are your thoughts about Ivan Toney being called up despite playing in the Saudi Pro League?
Chris: I’ve seen a couple of games over there, and it reminds me of the walking football tournament I’ve just been to. They’re just as slow. To come from that league with a hatful of goals, playing on a big stage with players like Ronaldo, it’s not a small achievement. But Harry Kane is still the main man, and Ollie Watkins is the next in line as back-up. But I think when it comes to Ivan Toney, he’s been called up not because the Saudi Pro League is an exceptional place to be, but because after Kane and Watkins, we’re lacking out-and-out forwards of quality.
The last couple of years we’ve waited for someone to really rival Kane for his shirt, and he’s still streets ahead. Apart from Kane, we just don’t have the strikers to compete for a World Cup.
Is there a player who you think unfairly missed out?
Chris: I don’t think there’s a glaring omission. I think we’re quite limited in certain areas. Maybe you could pick a player just because they play for Arsenal, Liverpool or Manchester City, but there’s nobody obvious that we’ve missed. Tuchel’s options are pretty limited.
Eberechi Eze has been called up. With his release clause, does a move to Spurs make sense so he can get CL football ahead of the 2026 WC?
Chris: Yeah, it would make sense. I like him. Good footballer. He’s in the squad through playing well at Palace and that’s good to see. Listen, if he goes to Tottenham, he’s a Tottenham type of player, that’s what Tottenham fans like. A flare player, a skillful player, a good passer who does the unexpected. Ideally, that fits Tottenham’s description of a player.
But from a Palace point of view, they’ll look at what Spurs got from the Europa League and might fancy the same for themselves, and they might not make it easy for Eze to leave. If he’s got a release clause, maybe they throw the kitchen sink at convincing him to stay for one more season.
£62.5 million is a bargain because he’s one of the best around in the Premier League.
Would it be a failure to get anything but two wins against Andorra and Senegal?
Chris: Andorra definitely should be an easy win. Senegal is a dangerous team, though. There’re few other players playing the Premier League, a few play at Monaco and Lyon. So, they’ve got quite a side which will acquit itself well on the international stage, compete at World Cups. Sadio Mane was a star at Liverpool, and there’s a few who are top players at decent clubs. Senegal will be an awkward game. I think Andorra, I think we’ll win that comfortably.
Ben White isn’t in this squad, but there has been a bit of a love-in between Tuchel and the player. White described the England boss as a “very nice man” and Tuchel explained that he would have been called up if it weren’t for his wife about to give birth. The ground is being laid for White to return with open arms by England management, do you think the players will also offer him that courtesy?
Chris: If Ben White is seen as a good lad by his team-mates, people might still have some questions for him. They might want to know why he didn’t want a call-up. But if he gives his answers the players will hear him out, and most footballers get along all right in the end. When I was a player with England, we didn’t ask players why they might have missed a game, or why they wouldn’t get picked. Instead, we all got on, and all got on with the job. So I don’t have a problem if he’s called up, and I think his team-mates will welcome him back if he’s a good character.
I think what was strange was how he did it originally, when he didn’t want to play because he wouldn’t get picked. A lot of people thought that should have been the end of his career, and some people still think like that. For some people, it looks like he’s disrespecting the country, but football can be fickle. Attitudes change quickly. We know that and if he’s in the next squad and called upon I’m sure he won’t let him down.
Phil Foden asked to be left out of this squad? Is there a danger that he doesn’t get back in?
Chris: This is a classic case for me. He’s lost confidence. They’re burning players out. You know, the kids never stop playing football for two, three years. So eventually it catches up with you and you lose a bit of confidence. You know, everything has been positive about Phil Foden over the years. Then all of a sudden there’s a little bit of criticism. ‘He’s not doing it. He’s not this, he’s not that anymore. He’s not doing this anymore; he’s not doing that.’
And he probably suffered from a little lack of confidence. But in general, I just think he’s never stopped playing football. Tournaments after tournaments. People are getting burnt out.
There will be some who can cope, but I think in the next couple of years people will follow Foden’s example, where you’re going to see players who just ask, actually say, ‘I need a rest. I’m burnt out.’
When you’re playing football matches all the time, it’s really hard physically, mentally. That’s what I’m saying. I think the players need to state that they cannot keep playing football every week of the year.
Newcastle United
Why do you think Liam Delap chose Chelsea over Newcastle?
Chris: I can see Chelsea’s allure. He’s living down south already, obviously. He’s looked at Chelsea and he’s probably thought compared to Newcastle, it’ll be easier to get matches. Isak is No. 1 and anyone who joins now is waiting in the wings. Delap realises Chelsea don’t have a centre-forward who is at the level the club needs, it’s the biggest thing they’ve lacked all year. He’ll go to Chelsea and know he’ll get a decent chance of starting as their No. 9. Then the rest is up to him, to score and keep the shirt.
What do Newcastle need next season?
Chris: They need centre halves. I think Dan Burn and Fabian Schar have done very well, but they are getting on a bit. They were brilliant because Sven Botman had done his cruciate, and they didn’t really have much cover. They had to deal with injuries throughout the season, so they need someone at the back. One at least, but probably two centre-halves.
That’s not easy, but they’ve qualified for the Champions League so I think the money should be there. I think we could see Newcastle really improving this summer. We’ve got a good side now.
Maybe they need another backup centre forward now. Because we can’t just keep relying on Isak if he’s injured. They don’t have someone who can step in and be relied upon, and that probably won’t come cheap. And I think if he gets two or three players to that squad there’s no reason, they can’t qualify for the Champions League again, and at least challenge for the league title.
Jamie Vardy was tipped as a perfect super-sub for Newcastle, does the move make sense?
Chris: Jamie Vardy has done really well, and I think he’s shown that even now he can definitely be a threat if he came on for Newcastle for the last 15, 20 minutes, maybe half an hour when things are tight. But I don’t think he’s the right man if Isak gets injured, because he can’t start games every three days, not like he used to.
He’s had an unbelievable career, but I think he’s not the back-up striker they need if you’re Newcastle United and you’re serious about the Champions League and fighting for top spot. You’ve got to go and buy a top-quality centre forward.
Are you concerned by Paul Mitchell’s exit? Is there a risk that Eddie Howe now has too much control at Newcastle?
Chris: Honestly, I’m not too surprised that he left. I think in modern day football, people move on more often. We’ve seen changes at Newcastle over the last few years. People get better offers, and clubs think they have better options when it comes to getting a transfer guru. A lot of people ask why but clearly there will be a reason why either he’s chosen to go, or Newcastle wants someone else.
I think he’s doing a great job, Eddie. Newcastle will do well to hold on to him.
I think after the World Cup in America, Mexico and Canada, Eddie will be number one for England. So,you know I think they respect him. The way they play with the squad he’s got. He’s got the most out of them. They’ve got the Champions League, which was his goal probably at the start of the season. They’ve won the League Cup, the first trophy for 70 years. He’s doing everything right and the fans love him. The players like him, obviously. I think he’s the frontrunner to replace Thomas Tuchel, so I don’t think he’s got too much control at Newcastle. He’s earned it with what he’s done, and the club will want to keep hold of him.
Is Bryan Mbeumo the man they should sign to offer back-up to Alexander Isak and strengthen the right wing?
Chris: He’s proved himself at Brentford for a good few seasons now. He’s proved that he can play in the Premier League. However, Brentford play a certain way. They don’t play like Newcastle. Newcastle plays on the front foot really. Attacking teams and pressing teams. Brentford are a counter-attacking team, which has suited him.
You can’t deny what he’s done though. He scores all the time, he’s got a great record, and he plays a dangerous game. On the right wing is one thing, but if he’s there to play back-up to Isak, he might find himself stuck on the subs bench.
Would Marc Guehi be the right man to strengthen the Newcastle back line?
Chris: That might have been straightforward at one point, but now Crystal Palace have won the FA Cup and they’re in the Europa League. They’ll have a decent amount of money coming in but yes, in Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze, they’ve got two players who will be getting a lot of attention this summer.
Palace have to work out if they want to sell and try to spend what they got in a way that improves them, or they’ll try to hold onto at least one of them and kick on next season. It’s up to them to work out which way they want to go.
People will question Palace’s ambition after they won the FA Cup and got into Europe. They need to add to their squad, so if they start selling it makes the job of rebuilding doubly hard, and if it goes wrong, they risk a relegation dogfight.
Of course, Newcastle needs a centre-half and they have money to spend, but to get either Guehi or Eze out of Selhurst Park is going to cost any team a lot of cash.
Newcastle continues to be linked with a move for Jack Grealish. Is St. James Park the best place for him to relaunch his career under the guidance of Eddie Howe?
Chris: The problem with Jack Grealish is that it’s never quite clear where to play him. I don’t think Jack Grealish is a left-sided winger, or a winger at all really. I think he’s a midfield player who likes to get on the ball and float around and get involved. I think when he’s on the wing, I don’t think Jack’s a dribbler. I don’t think he’s a winger personally. We know he can control the ball and pass it well, but he’s not a dribbler. And I think if someone was going to buy him, you’d be thinking, I want him to play more as a central player, as a No. 10, rather than No. 11. Jack has got to look at whoever wants to take him where he’s going to play. If Eddie wants him, he’ll have to work out how to play him through the middle, and I think being on the wing has cost him his full potential. When he was at Villa, he had a free role that suited him, and at City it’s all gone wrong on the wing. He rarely gets on the pitch; even more rarely does he finish a game he starts. He’s on the bench most of the time.
At Newcastle or whoever buys him, they’ll need to use him as one of three in midfield, and if someone offers him the chance to play on the left again, he should make sure he says no.
Tottenham Hotspur
Would you keep Ange Postecoglou on now that he has won the Europa League?
Chris: I think you judge a season on where you finish in the league, first of all. I think then the cup competitions come into the picture. Let’s be honest a lot of clubs don’t value the FA Cup, or the League Cup like they should.
I think he had a go at both, and he got into the semi-final of the League Cup. Then they lost to Liverpool, got hammered off Liverpool.
As for the league it’s been absolutely abysmal. I can’t grasp how the players could turn up on Thursday and then play woefully at the weekend. Even in the last game of the season, they got trounced by Brighton. They might have been celebrating their Europa win still, but it’s the last game of the season. Pride demands you want to put on a show for your fans.
But instead, they just downed tools because they knew they were safe. But you can’t play like that, you need to play every week. Having said that, Ange has been linked with a few players already, so it looks like he’ll be staying. Let’s be honest though, if they stumble at the start of the season and they’re 15th after six games, there will be people calling for his head.
Tottenham fans will be delighted to qualify for the Champions League, but realistically, they wanted to qualify by being in the top five. So for me, it’s not been a great season, even if the final was a woeful game. I’m pleased for the supporters to win something and get into Europe again, but at the back of their mind they must be worried if they’re going to get hammered in the Champions League if they can’t beat some of the worst sides in the league.
They’re not going to last five minutes if that’s how they play. The Europa League is so much worse, and they need at least four players to compete. I think we’ll see how things go early on, but I can see Ange struggling to keep his job after 10 games. I think it might not even be the league games that cost him. A poor effort in the Champions League might see him sacked.
Do you think Cristian Romero is good enough for Atletico Madrid?
Chris: At the end of the day he’s a World Cup winner, and he’s an Argentine. Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid, he’s got a compatriot there, and you can see him getting on well with Cristian Romero. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s a very aggressive centre-half. He’s a bit like the 80s centre-backs I was playing with, the ones who leave marks on you.
I can see why big clubs want him and for the right offer, I think Spurs will let him go. He doesn’t look happy anymore, and his heart isn’t in it. The problem isn’t selling him, it’s replacing him. There aren’t too many better than him.
On the other hand, he’s not played too much lately, he’s had problems with injuries and has been in and out for months at a time. If a move comes in from Atletico, they’ll hear them out and they will want decent money. You get a decent transfer fee for a player who isn’t happy. He’s got to do his bit and make the move happen smoothly, too.
Heung-min Son has been linked with a big-money move to Saudi Arabia. Is this the perfect time for him to move on amicably for a fee that benefits Spurs?
Chris: Yeah, I do. He’s been a great servant for the club, a great player. I’ve always liked watching the guy. He looks like a lovely kid. However, I’ve watched this season, and he’s been injured a bit, but when he’s played, he seems to have lost that little bit of pace he had, and it seems to have caught up on him a bit now. I think he’s been great, and the fans love him and rightly so. He’s got their utmost respect. I totally back that up. But I think as football clubs, sometimes, you can’t wait, and you can’t have someone in decline. He’s a great character, and he’s been superb, but it looks like he’s had his time, and they need a new player to step in. Listen, if he goes to Saudi Arabia, it’s not a bad move at his age with what he’s going to earn. So, for him, it’s a good move. I think for Tottenham, it would be a good move as well.
Which areas do Tottenham need to improve to make sure they don’t repeat their PL horror season?
Chris: If you look at Tottenham on paper, they’ve got a big squad. A lot of their players are going to come back on loan and they’re all at that age, about 21, when it’s time for them to stick or twist. They’re a year older, a year stronger, and looking to establish themselves on the training ground. A couple might be ready to step up and force their way into the team.
Ange will need to take a look at the squad and start trimming it down. He’ll need to earmark some for the exit. Obviously when the players are all fit, on paper their first 11 really isn’t bad. Son will probably be on his way out, along with a few others. It’s not easy to judge after a season with all those injuries, some players haven’t really had a fair chance to show what they can do, and the manager probably can’t yet be sure what the best way is to get them playing together.
Eze is a great, creative player so it makes sense they’ve been linked with him. If Romero does go to Atletico, they need to find another centre-half in addition to Danso.
Is there one player in particular they need to sign?
Chris: Eze is the right fit for Spurs, he’d slot in at No 10. That might see James Maddison on his way out, especially as he’s around 30. If they can get a decent fee for him, they’d probably think it was time to move him on, particularly if it helps them afford Eze. He’s the kind of player who can win a game. With Son up front, they’ll need someone else, and they will need a new left-winger.
If Romero leaves, a new centre-back is needed, one of similar top quality. But the problem is that I’ve never seen a side who have as many injuries as Tottenham. They really need to take a look at how they’re training them.
Sunderland Back in the Premier League
Were you surprised the Tommy Watson transfer went through despite Sunderland going up?
Chris: I think it’s a shame, but this is what Sunderland does. They get young players, then sell them on for a profit. They balance their books, make money, but it’s not the approach that will keep them in the Premier League.
If you go up and want to stay up, you can’t buy six players from the Championship and hope it’s good enough. Instead, they need to be looking to South America and Europe and buy from their top divisions, so you know they can handle top-level football.
Instead, teams who are promoted often buy from relegated teams, or buy the best players from the Championship, and it just doesn’t work. Leeds, Burnley, Sunderland, they have to buy quality players who can cope with the Premier League, or they’re going down straight away. That’s because the gap between the divisions is now so extreme you need to spend £300 million on transfers and contracts to stand a chance.
Do you think Sunderland can stay up in the new season? Do any of the newly promoted clubs have a chance?
Chris: I wasn’t sure that they’d get promoted this season, but when you’re in the play-offs, there’s always that element of luck.
I watched the final and I thought Sheffield United would just have too much for them, and in the first half, they looked like they couldn’t put much together. United were in total control.
Then in the second half, Le Bris changed things up and Watson came on, all of a sudden the game changed, and they scored in the last minute. It was like a dream. The problem now is how they cope with next season.
The three teams who came up last year went straight back down, and unless these three do something extraordinary in the market, the same is going to happen to them. They need a lot of quality names, but Sunderland’s approach has been to buy players with potential so you can sell them on. That’s probably what they’ll do this summer, try to buy players who can improve and sell them on again, if they don’t stay up. I can’t really see them, or the other two, staying up though.
There are reports that Jordan Henderson is ready to return to Sunderland. Would that signing make sense in your opinion?
Chris: I saw Jordan play for Ajax a few times and he plays right in front of the back four, and then he drops into a sweeper role. So he doesn’t cover a lot of ground, but his experience, his knowledge and his leadership would help Sunderland a lot.
Is Jordan Henderson up to the Premier League? The speed, the tempo of the game? Will he find it a bit hard? No disrespect to the Dutch league, I’m not saying it’s bad, but it’s a lot easier than playing in the Premier League week in, week out. But, listen, he’s an experienced player. He’d help the players on the park. He’s a Sunderland fan. So I could see that would be a decent move, not just on the pitch, but in the changing room. He’s a great leader. I think he’s the right man for Sunderland as they try to stay up.
Latest Premier League Transfer Rumours
Do you think Marcus Rashford would be able to cut it in Barcelona?
Chris: I can’t see him going to Barcelona, not while Raphinha is playing brilliantly. I know Robert Lewandowski is 36 years old, but would you buy Rashford to play as a No. 9? I think there are better players who play through the middle, and Rashford is at his best on the wing. Raphinha is captain, he’s doing his job every week. It’s all right thinking you want to go to Barcelona, but they’re not going to pay you big money for you to be sat on the bench. That’s not going to happen.
I think his options will be limited. He’ll want a lot of money, and the transfer fee would be massive for a club. So I could see him going out on loan somewhere again for a year. But as for a permanent move, I can’t see it.
Should Aston Villa try to keep Rashford?
Chris: Not really. I thought he did okay. But I think the problem with Marcus Rashford is he went to Villa. Listen, he’s going to run around, he’s going to try a lot harder than he did at Man United because it’s a new club. But is he one of those players where once the fans start singing his name and he looks the part, does he then come off the pace and think, I’ve made it, I’ve got the shirt?
I think that’s what happened when he was at Manchester United, in my eyes. He thought he’d made it as the top player and just started to stroll around, doing what he wanted. That’s what it looked like. Whoever takes him on is going to have to work out how to keep him on the top of his game every week. And I think that may scare a few teams off. As well as that, both United and Rashford will want a decent amount of money, so Villa may well think he’s not done enough to warrant big wages and a transfer fee. I think it could be another year on loan before he finds somewhere permanent.
Has Alejandro Garnacho done enough to be acting as if he’s entitled to a spot at Man Utd? Should they keep him?
Chris: I was surprised they left him out of the Europa League final because I think attacking Tottenham is the best way of getting results. And it looked like they were a little bit cagey. The formation United played. It was lacking in the creativity and directness you want. And when Garnacho came on, he looked very lively. But I don’t know, modern players, I don’t know if they get ahead of themselves. Instead of playing their football and keeping their emotions in check, they set themselves up for problems. They ask in public why they aren’t playing.
Garnacho might look good in training, and maybe Ruben Amorim would want to pick him, but he doesn’t. Garnacho talks like he’s got a million games under his belt. We know he’s a talented football player, but I think players at his age need to get their heads down, and if they’re on the bench, well, that’s a sign they need to improve to convince the manager. Just shut your mouth, get on with it.
He’s a young player with a lot of years ahead of him, and if a manager thinks you need pulling off, you accept it. He talks like he’s a senior player in his late twenties, but right now he’s still learning. There’s talk of him going to Italy – let’s see how that goes for him.
Is it time for Jack Grealish to leave City?
Chris: I think it’s time he moved on. He’s played fewer and fewer games, sometimes he’s not even been in the squad. He’s not a number one pick. You’d say that at the age of 29, 30, now he needs to go and play football. He might not get to go to a top-four side, he might need to go to a mid-table side to get regular minutes. I was a footballer and when I was closer to the end of my career than the start, I decided I didn’t want to end with 300 games, playing 200 off the bench. I made sure wherever I went, I could play football.
It doesn’t last forever, and he needs to play football. He needs to calmly choose his next club and not bounce around everywhere. It’s about going to a team where he fits in and he’s going to be a starting player every week and that’s what he needs to do.
Manchester City need a new midfielder – what do you think of a cheeky bid for Scott McTominay?
Chris: No, I think McTominay suits the Italian game. I think he was consistent at United and didn’t let them down, but he wasn’t really a goalscorer for them in the same way he has been for Napoli. He’s really effective for Scotland, and he hit the ground running in Italy. Antonio Conte has given a role that suits him perfectly, and he’s getting better all the time
He’s at the right age where his experience is starting to count, and by playing in a new league he’s adding to his game every week. It’s like when I went to Marseille, I learned so much more about football, and it’s working for him in the same way. And let’s be honest, there’s no way Napoli are going to let him go.
But next up is that second season, and that’s always harder. If he does excel once more, then Premier League sides are going to take a look at him. Right now, I’m sure he’s happy in Napoli, but given they are likely to sell one or two to balance the books, then competing next year might be an even tougher ask.
Is Morgan Gibbs-White the right man to replace Kevin De Bruyne?
Chris: I think they’ll be looking everywhere. I think Man City are like that. They’ll be looking at all possibilities into what to do with the role that Kevin De Bruyne had. You’re probably looking at Morgan Gibbs-White, and probably at Eberechi Eze. They could definitely make a difference.
But it won’t just be Gibbs-White. There’re three or four players out there right now, just in the Premier League, who they will run the rule over, but they will also have scouts out worldwide. They need someone who can play with the creativity of a No. 10, and there are plenty of those around. I don’t think there will be a lack of options, I think part of the decision will come down to who offers the best value.
Apparently, Bruno Fernandes has a decision to make about a £100 million pound move to Saudi Arabia. Should United cash in on the 30-year-old?
Chris: If they can get a hundred million quid for him at his age, past 30, then they’re going to take it to sort out the club’s finances.
You’re losing a top player, but Cunha is the man who can step in, and that’s about £40m on paper, which the club can’t turn down right now. And make no mistake, Cunha is a top player. He can create; he can score. He’s shown that at Wolves already.
Now Cunha’s arrived I can really see Fernandes moving on because I don’t see how you get them both on the pitch.
If you were Chelsea, would you sign Jadon Sancho or send him packing back to Manchester United?
Chris: I think if Chelsea can get Sancho for a bargain price, they’ll have a think. If it’s going to be £30 million, they’re not going to be having that. He’s not a regular for them, other players are in the team more than he is. He had that great spell at Dortmund where everyone took a look at him, and United got him.
But let’s be honest, he did nothing at United. Maybe the league is too tough for him. Too quick, too physical, too demanding in one way or another. He went back to Dortmund and looked bright again, but since he’s been back in England with Chelsea, he’s done nothing.
United gave Sancho and Antony plenty of time, spent £150m to get them both in, and they’ll be lucky to get a £50m back. If they bring him back to the side, they have to ask if he’s good enough to get in the team. They’ve had him for two spells and he struggled in both. If they get a decent bid, they’ll bite your hand off to get rid.
Earlier this year, Matheus Cunha said he wanted to join a club where he could win titles. Why do you think he has chosen to join Manchester United?
Chris: I think he’s sold on the idea that United are a massive club. Even now it’s one of the biggest in the world, and he’ll have felt that even in Brazil. They’re massive, even if they’re struggling right now.
But that will change. They’re too big not to improve from here, whether it’s next year or the year after, United are going to re-emerge as a top four team. We know that’s coming, and Matheus Cunha clearly has bought into what Ruben Amorim sold him. I think United remain a huge side, and let’s be honest – we don’t know if he actually got other offers.
There was talk of City at one point, but it’s only United who have put the money down, and nobody seems to have challenged them for him.
Fears for Sheffield Wednesday
Are you worried about your old club’s future after reports emerged that players and staff haven’t been paid in May and there are reports that if these problems continue, the EFL will slap them with a 3 window transfer ban?
Chris: I’m concerned about the situation there. I think Dejphon Chansiri is in negotiations with some American guys, I think they’ll talk this week about a takeover. I think Chansiri has had his time and it’s time for him to sell up and get out. Someone else needs to have their turn and take the club forward. I have a lot of affection for Wednesday and it’s a crying shame that people aren’t getting their wages and to see them struggling. You imagine Danny Rohl isn’t coming back.
They’re in a mess. The sooner this gets solved, the better. They need the new owners to come in and get on top of the situation. They need to pay the debts, pay the players, make new signings and kick on.
It’s frustrating to see a big club like Wednesday adrift in this situation, looking at free transfers. This is a club that should really be in the Premier League, and instead it’s one of the last big clubs who haven’t been taken over. I hope the Americans are the right people and get the deal done. It would be utterly heartbreaking if they go down again. Horrendous.
Final Word
Our thanks to Chris Waddle for taking the time to answer our questions, offering his experience, knowledge, and personal insights. Especially regarding all the clubs that still remain close to his heart.
