In

Joe Gomez, Saul Niguez, Mikel Oyarzabal, Mikel Merino, Alvaro Morata, Marcos Poalo, Esequiel Barco, Oihan Sancet, Schouten,

Out

Brozovic, Ndidi, Raphinha, Alberto, Trincao, Fernandez ,Nunez, Under, Aguero (retired), Bouanga, Sanchez, Torres

Glen Mullan's ethos of building a good youth set up is already beginning to take shape at Espanyol. Other the coming weeks we will review some of the youngsters he is tipping to make an impact.

REDA KHADRA

Khadra came through the ranks at Borussia Dortmund, and is of Lebanese descent. During his time there he helped Dortmund win both the under 17 and under 19 Bundesliga. Khadra despite predominantly being a wide player, contributed a number of goals during his time in the youth set up, before being snapped up by English Premier league side Brighton.

Khadra has already made his debut at Premier League level as a substitute but an injury soon after ruled him out for the rest of his first season.

After impressing Blackburn in a pre season friendly, Rovers made the move to sign the flying winger on loan for the season to fill the void of another teen sensation Harvey Elliott who returned to his parent club liverpool after a very successful season at Blackburn.

Khadra has had initially bide his time to get regurlar starts at Blackburn however in the last couple of months has become a regurlar. During that period he has become a lethal weapon with his unbelievable pace and close ball control. Chipping in with 3 goals and 5 assist already, his involvement has coincided with Blackburn marching up the table to second place in the Championship.

Strengths- Tony Mowbray states "he's the fastest player he's ever coached" . Khadra covers the ground quickly and is equally at home on either wing, or playing down the middle. His dribbling skills are exceptional, as is his ability to put dangerous balls into the box at pace. He has an eye for goal, and has shown that can be from 25 yards or 5 yards.

Weaknesses - He is not the tallest player and prefers the ball into feet or into space as he offers no aieral threat. He needs to get his head up more, as sometimes he will beat 4 or 5 players but fails to then pass when the opportunity is on. He is still young and can be pushed off the ball in high physical games.

CONCLUSION - Khadra has come through a good education at youth level, and is already standing out in the Championship which is historically physical and demanding. As with Harvey Elliott, he is showing all the attributes to step up to Premiership football and be a real threat. Currently valued at £200k by transfer market, that value in real time terms is soaring. Brighton have pulled off a blinder securing him. Khadra has the potential to become an international player, and certainly head up to the 87/88 mark on SM within a couple of seasons if he can maintain regurlar games. Other clubs will be taking notice of the progress he is making and Espanyol see him as a long term prospect.

"I'm fortunate as a Blackburn Supporter that I see Reda play week in week out. He is currently keeping Dolan out the team, who himself has been a revelation, and also Leighton Clarkson who has returned to Liverpool due to struggling to break into the rovers side. His understanding with Brereton Diaz has been the Catalyst of rovers march into automatic promotion contenders. In a 50/50 foot race no one has been able to live with his pace. He is an excellent talent, who will go on to bigger and better things. I picked him up straight away for Espanyol and note that he only appears to have come to the attention of Dan at Juventus with him on his shortlist. Given Dan's eye for young talent, thats a positive sign. He has at present just a 68 rating, and i'm looking fowards to the rises and seeing how far he can go. I recall watching Jude Bellingham play as a 16 year old in one of his first games for Birmingham. You could see he was going all the way to the top, Harvey Elliott is similar, and now I put Khadra in that bracket as a serious young player to watch"

s

There is still one game to go for 8th place Espanyol in Division 1, but its the camp that never sleeps, and today the club finalised more transfers.

We review the new look line up.

Handonovic- 92 rated Goalkeeper. Now really very much a veteran but the manager has stated he will be the clubs number 1 until he retires. Espanyol have brought in two keepers for the future in Frenchman Bernardoni who has already had plus 1 since signing, and Brazilian Brenno who the manager likes. "We've two long term improvers for once Handonovic hangs his gloves up and don't forsee us going back into the market for another keeper. We are a division 1 side with a solid 92 keeper.

Joe Gomez 91 RIghtback - Gomez will join from Arsenal and replace veteran D'ambrosio 88 rated at Fullback. The team has been looking for a long term solution since Trippier departed. With Gomez's inclusion in the back four the team is already stronger. Gomez joins from Arsenal as Part of the Brozovic departure, with Saul Niguez the other half of the deal its superb business for the Spanish club. "Gomez is unlucky he plays for Liverpool, they have so many talented defenders, and prior to his injury he was in the side and the England set up. He is just 24, can also cover at Centre back, it was a no brainer for us to bring him in"

Jordi Alba 92 Left back - Alba has been the subject of some enquiries but will remain at Espanyol. He was not downgraded in the Spanish update, and with a 92 rating is still one of the games best left backs. "I'm surprised he was not snapped up when we was hawking him around, things change and now he wont be sold"

Bonucci 92 Centre back - Like Alba, the italian veteran looked surplus to requirements but a combination of poor offers has seen a rethink and he will captain the side as a solid 92 rated centre back next season

Martinez - 90 Centre back - The Spanish international was one of two players Mullan aquired when parting with Trippier. At 30 he has lots of miles in the tank and has built a good understanding with Bonucci.

Mikel Merino 91 Centre mid - SInce returning to Spain the 25 year old has been a revelation. Espanyol had been tracking him a couple of weeks, and today made their move once Ndidi's sale was confirmed. Also rated 91 and comfortable defensive or offensive, it is thought he will be Ndidi's direct replacement. Going out as part of the deal is Brazilian winger Raphinha and Enzo Fernandez. "We could of waited a couple of days for the update but this is a great deal for both clubs. Trying to replace quality like Ndidi or Busquets is difficult, but i think we've chosen well. He has not finished improving and at 25 will become part of the furniture in our first 11."

Fernandinho 91 centre mid - The veteran joined as a squad player earlier this season and has been utilised in both midfield and centre back. He is not getting younger but has become a vital member of the engine room "Its his performances and versatility which has given us more confidence in parting with players. We will need to manage his age and body, but he is a key player for us"

Oyarzabal 92 rated attacking midfielder - This was a deal the Manager was desperate to do. A world class player who is getting better and better. Negotiations were hard, with it looking at times that it was not going to happen. Ndidi moves on with recently signed Nunez. Its a big price but with Aguero retiring he adds goals, assist and becomes easily the teams best player. "You look where we were 20 games ago our options in attacking midfield was Di Maria and Aspas, fast forward 20 games and we've traded our way to now have one of the worlds hottest properties, i'm really excited by this deal"

Saul Niguez 92 Midfielder- The other part of the Brozovic departure needs some love irl. His move to Chelsea has yet to work out, but lets remember he is still only 27, and can play nearly anywhere in Midfielder. Two years Brozovic junior but rated the same, he still has time on his side to rediscover form, get a decent move and maintain his rating. "We got 2 x 90 plus players for one. Broz is 29, and was one of three players we recieved when Koke left. To now get two players with good ratings is unbelievable business for us, his versatility will be vital for us next season"

Fekir- 91 winger - Fekir has been a revelation since joining as the other part of koke's departure. His assist will be critical and if he can control his discipline and stay on the pitch, could be the clubs key man next season. "He is still only 28 and has been excellent since we brought him in, there has been interest from other clubs for him, but its very much a not for sale sign against Fekir"

Morata - 91 striker - When it was confirmed Aguero would retire the devastation within the camp cannot be underestimated. There was no plausible back up, with the clubs impressive youth too far away at this stage of impacting the first team. "We scoured every cranny and had 10s of knock backs to buy a striker. In the end the breakthrough came with Southampton wanting three of our starlets. We were a little backed into a corner with the retirement and we've paid big to bring a striker with a chequered history. Alberto was our jewel, but along with Trincao and Torres players which I brought to the club, we've parted ways and have a division 1 capable striker. He has big shoes to fill but hopefully being back in Spain we can get the goals I know he's capable of"

Wiegl 90 Defender/midfielder- joins from Sao Paulo for quite s hefty fee, given the clubs player of the year Sarabia and Under have moved in the opposite direction. "He's only 26, can cover defence and midfield and gives us more legs long term in defence when Bonucci hangs his boots up. We had to halt negotiations with other clubs that could of brought a minimum 93 midfielder in as under was part of a 2 for 1 on the midfielder. However Sao Paulo agreed a deal quicker and although we've given a lot both who have left would not now make our best 11"

youths

Marcos Paulo 80 joins from Man City as part of the Busquets deal

Esequiel Barco 85 also joins as part of the Busquets deal.

Oihan Sancet 85 joins as part of Ndidi sale from Chelsea

Alvaro Bastida 75 joins from Cadiz

"i'm excited by the new crop of youngsters given the few we've had to part with. We've managed to keep hold of the likes of Rodri Sanchez too and have a number of players who will just get better and better from our youngsters. We will start the new seasin with a stronger starting 11 than the one that ends this season, whilst more importantly we've significantly reduced the age of the squad.

the likes of Aspas, Herrera, Di Maria, Alonso, and Matip have all moved on. However when I reel off Oyarzabal, Niguez, Martinez, Gomez, Morata, Merino, Fekir, I strongly believe we are going in the right direction"

At 9am yesterday you would not have thought with two games to go, that Espanyol would sell two of their main stars in Busquets and Brozovic. However by early evening both had agreed moves elsewhere, as the manager continues to cull on what was once a very aging squad.

Brozovic will move to Arsenal in a move which sees the Espanyol bag a 91 rated 24 year old defender in Joe Gomez, and versatile midfielder Saul.

"top defenders are so hard to get, especially young ones which can walk straight into a division 1 side. In Gomez we have someone who can play rightback and centre back, and has his best years ahead of him. I'm delighted he will join in the close season. Brozovic is an excellent player, but at 29 is he going to go up in value?. Saul Niguez can play across the midfield, and although his career has somewhat stalled, he is still only 27. To get him and Gomez for Brozovic is excellent business"

The ink was not dry, when Man City came calling for Busquets. Their initial offer was countered, and an agreement came very soon after for club captain Busquets to depart. Darwin Nunez was a major pull in this deal, whilst Barco and Paolo two very talented youngsters was a bonus. "You never want to part with your best players, but how long can Busquets keep going? The offer was too good to pass on, Nunez is hot property and at 22 the best is yet to come with him. We have lost Alberto and Aguero in the last week, bringing Morata in and Nunez will more than fill the void. In Barco and Paolo, we are signing potential. Only time will tell if they fulfil that and if they do, then this deal could be the steal of the century"

Espanyol have tonight agreed to sign Alvaro Morata from Southampton, as the replacement for Sergio Aguero who has announced his retirement. The deal comes as a surprise after the manager had resigned himself to letting the young guns realise their potential at Espanyol.

Moving to Southampton is Brazilian wonderkid Yuri Alberto, Torres and Trincao in a triple move which will raise an eyebrow or two.

"lets be clear, we didnt want to lose any of the three we've let go. All three have great potential and Alberto in particular was one of the jewels of our crown. However, how do you even start to replace a striker of Aguero's quality? We had some discussions regarding one of our first team and youth moving, or three youth players. The opportunity to keep the first teamer and add another first teamer to our side in the end was the decision. I think Morata at 29, is sensible business for us rated at 91, but still in my opinion has a 92 in there as a current international at a top team. Time will tell on that front."

I'd like to thank Southampton for their swift negotiations, our players are on transfer bans at until mid january, so the deal will happen over the close season. I'm looking forward to bringing Morata in, he can be that 15 to 20 goal a season striker we need, and puts us in a much stronger position than perhaps we would of been going into next season.

Espanyol Manager today paid tribute to two of his recruits who in his words "are the future". Its no secret Handanovic is 37, and has been an outstanding goalkeeper during his time here, trying to replace that quality is no easy task. Brazil has in recent times produced some incredible goalkeepers, Allison and Moraes spring to mind who are arguably the two of the best in the world right now. However is Costa Brenno, I think we have potentially another who could reach great heights. He's moved about a bit over the last few Top 100 seasons, but I think there has been a hastyness in moving in on so soon. He is catching the eye in Brazil, and is still a boy in goalkeeping terms. Along with Bernardoni the 24 year old french keeper we snapped up, which was rewarded with a plus one in the latest French update, we have two good young keepers who will fight out the number 1 jersey once Handanovic hangs up his gloves.

At the other side of the field Mullan is purring at the potential of Yuri Alberto. The 20 year old striker has been a revelation in Brazil over the last year and with many of Europes big clubs circling the manager does not see the wait being too long before the samba star is impacting the first team. We pushed hard to get Yuri from Celta Vigo, parting with proven stars when he arrived along with his compatriot Raphina in a double deal. Playing the long game can be dangerous in Division 1, especially when you start to part with your highest rated players. When we made the call to part with the likes of Di Maria and Aspas, it was with the knowledge we would take a short term hit for a season or two. However to have Alberto and Raphinha with bags of promise and growth in them, its very exciting. The news this week Aguero is retiring is a big blow for us, we have no immediate replacement and despite our efforts in the transfer market, we have not been able to attract someone to come in and take over the mantel. We have instead sold Villalibre to inter milan, which may surprise one or two as it was a cash deal, however I don't believe he is our long term answer. I think Buksa will continue to improve and will probably start next season as our main striker despite his 85 rating. Dovbyk has come in this week too, who has been a revelation in the Ukraine. He is currently amongst the top scorers in world football, and although he'd need a real life move to a bigger club and league at 24 years old, there is possibilities. So where does that put Alberto? Well i think he is one update away from being an 85 along side Buksa, which puts him firmly in the first team picture next season. I'm sure once his transfer ban is up, there is going to be cheeky offers. We was actually quoted for one player this week who is not a regular at his real life club, is the same age and is rated at 84, that they would want Alberto and possibly Raphinha and another player. I wasnt sure if they'd been on the wine, but right now Alberto's transfer value is higher, and his potential for growth in my opinion is far more. People will need to get up earlier in the morning to try and hoodwink me. I've been around for long enough to know the game and the players. I do fair deals, not stupid ones.

The future, is looking good right now for us at Espanyol, with my only concern my own health given my chemotherapy was postponed pending further test a couple of months ago. I'd like to be here to see these players mature, I enjoy top 100, and its certainly been a gameworld which has allowed me to escape my own personal daily fight with life, and the challenges ahead for me and my family.

I'd like to wish everyone, a very merry Xmas and prosperous new year, keep it real, keep it friendly and remember "the only person who will ever hold you back, is you"

Its that time of year where the premium leagues around Europe are getting their sm updates. Like every other Manager Espanyol's has his fingers crossed on one or two getting a nice plus 1 or 2 to aid the clubs transition.

"We have 19 players plying their trade in Spain, so by law of averages we'd be hoping for a couple of our players to gain rises, whilst keeping our fingers crossed Busquets and Alba can maintain their 92 ratings. Our biggest hopes for a rise in spain are":

RODRI SANCHEZ - Its been a real breakthrough for the talented Spanish under 21 star over the last 12 months. Plenty of first team game time has a number of clubs looking to activate the players £24 million release clause. Espanoyl are hoping at least a plus 5 is in the offing at this round pf updates.

INIGO MARTINEZ , recently signed and although 30, is playing arguably his best football for both club and country. Its 4 years since the Spanish central defender was updated, and although an outside chance the gaffer is hoping his 90 becomes a 91.

SERGIO SANTOS has already made his debut for the Real Madrid first team at the age of 20 and rated at 73, although not a big rise, he may get another plus 2 or 3. He is very much a long term prospect at Espanyol and will be monitored over the next two years to see if he can progress.

JAVI PUADO is impressing presently for Espanyol and at 23 has further improvement in him. Currently rated at 85, a plus one is a possibility and one that will very much determine the managers long term plan for the player.

Meanwhile the Manager is also hoping for rises in Italy for

CARLES PEREZ - He has always had the talent but is beginning to show signs of maturity at Roma, i'm expecting a plus 1 or 2 for him, which would give us an interesting asset given he is still only 23.

Over to the English update and the gaffer thinks the following will get updates.

WIFRID NDIDI - there is mixed opinions on him getting an update, but its been two years since his last one, since then his stock has risen as has is value. If he can squeeze a plus one, it would give us a 92 rated player who can play centre midfied and centre back. It also gives us a major asset to potentially trade off for a long term striking option. If no rise this time, its only a matter of time.

RAPHINHA- We paid a lot to bring him to Espanyol and although his value is not rocketing on Transfermkt, his stock and potential suitors as possible transfer destinations IRL are. A plus one is a possibility this time around although its far from guaranteed and it may take another year, but in that time its not out of yhe question that it would be a plus to given his progress at club and international levels.

"i'm in a strange position now with the squad, I have two targets who are long term prospects I want to bring to the club and I fear these maybe snapped up unless I can make that happen in the next week or two, yet I dont want to really part with any of mine until these updates are done, as I'm liking to the potential in our fringe players. Of the older players, Alba, Bonucci and Busquets, again I dont want to part with them, despite offering then out over the last couple of days. Aguero is due to retire which has me searching for a striker again, thats going to take a sacrifice unless we can get a rating rise into a key player, which can compensate for the loss. I don't regret the gamble I took on his fitness, some you win, some you lose. He has managed 9 goals already, and had the fitness gone the other way, we'd have been laughing. As it is, we will lose the player at the end of the season and we continue to plan long term without him"

Its been a month since Espanyol brought in the new boss, and in that time a lot has happened.

The squad has had a full makeover with no fewer than 12 players added to the youth set up, a feat which has the manager smiling with excitement. "What we inherited here was a side doing well in the league, but with so many players well into their 30's and on the decline, it was only a matter of time before it caught up with the team and the decline started. Wholesale changes is not always the brightest move, but i'm pleased we made that decision. Our youth team now has 17 players who we won't be parting with. I'm really excited by some of them and if the updates are kind over the next couple of years we have some serious talent on our hands".

Away from the youth team, the first team is starting to take shape and results in the main have been promising. The club is picking up points in the league, whilst they jave progressed to the quarter final of the shield. So whats changed? "Our goal per game ratio has increased dramatically, we had far too many draws on the board and not enough wins. We've missed Fekir the last three games as he's started like a house on fire since his arrival from Standard Liege. His creativity has been putting them on a plate for the likes of Aguero. Add into that Sarabia, Raphinha and Under, who are all doing their bit and we have goals in the team. Brozovic has also been chipping in with goals and assist, and has been massive for us since joining. We are only a month in, and we are hoping Ndidi and Raphinha get upgrades on the next English league update. It would further strengthen our first 11, and increase competition for places. We've a few players in their early 20s who now need to show their long term worth, and we'll monitor that over the next season or two. Not everyone can be a 90 plus rated player, and we've plenty with promise, but the reality is we are looking at 4 or 5 who could make that transition."

Espanyol are in a difficult division 1, but there is no excuses from the Manager "its always tough to part with your higher rated players, but we've done that with both eyes open and I strongly believe we have more than enough to be a division 1 team for many a season to come. If this side was to go down then i'd see it as a massive failure on my part, despite the need to lower the age of the squad. This is 100% different to Napoli where we had no starting point and no assets. This club had players to trade and we've done that knowing the risk that comes with it. Yes the likes of Di Maria could of given us another 2 or 3 seasons rated in the 90s bracket, however it would of been harder to get a trade for a player likely to hit the 90s in the next few months. We are fairly comfortable in 8th in Division 1, which is where we were when I joined, so we've not suddenly nose dived. We are now going through a period of transition which is likely to last until the end of next season. However the season after we would be looking to be trying to push into the top 4, which on paper right now looks a tough ask, but i'm quietly confident we have the improvement in us"

Its been all change since Mullan took the reigns at Espanyol after a flurry of transfer activity. However after tonights 3-0 win over Dortmund the spanish side sit a credible seventh in division 1.

There is a big question mark over new signing Aguero's long term future with fears of him retiring growing. However 6 goals in 6 games, has seen the side go from being goal shy, to being more potent in attack. New signings Brozovic and Fekir in particular have settled in well, both assisting and scoring goals.

"we are still in the experimental stage, looking at different tactics, whilst bedding in the new players. We have a few players who will improve during the updates, and it will give us further options. Obviously the news about Aguero is a massive blow and it was a gamble we felt worth taking at the time Sometimes they pay off, and sometimes they dont. His 6 goals in 6 games is exactly why we signed him, however if retirement is confirmed, then that will be a massive void for us to fill, especially in such a competitive division.

I'm liking the look of our youth team, there is some real raw talent in there, and it only takes one or two to really break through to give you options and essential assets. Our aim now is to try and pick up as many points as possible between now and the end of the season to stay in the safe zone, whilst having a good look at all our first team squad options. There is going to be opportunities for the likes of Under, Raphinha, Buanga and Buksa, to get some game time and show us what they can do. We will need to decide which games we throw fringe players in and also how many at any given time. We are pretty solid in 7th, but not really in any danger of pushing towards the top four this season. We have a healthy gap to the drop zone, so it makes perfect sense to me to keep exploring our different options now, rather than being forced to because of an injury/suspension crisis"

A week in football is a long time, and its been all change at Espanyol in the gaffers first week in charge. The entrance and exit doors have been very busy, with a flurry of activity which has seen some big mainstays of the Espanyol furniture move on to pastures new, and new blood arrive.

"As the song goes ITS a new dawn ITs a new day, is very much the theme and feeling of this new project for me. Its a time for new hero's to be born and a for us to try and bridge the gap on some of the bigger clubs for the long term, rather than just compete short term. Making all these changes mid season is a massive gamble with the team comfortably in mid table. However the team was quite off the pace in terms of challenging the top 4 and If i'd waited until the season end, some targets may have got rises, transfers elsewhere, whilst my own players could of dropped but would certainly would of got even older and become less attractive to potential suitors. We looked at the Maguire and Koke situation 28 and 29 respectively and probably maxed out in terms of potential. Do they become less valuable in their 30's? I think when you are trying attract players like Ndidi at 24, worth over £50 million and rising it gets much tougher to get 3 players your way with quality when only parting with two. I think in Ndidi we have a player everyone would love. He is 100% going up to at least 92 in the next update and is the long term Kante in soccer manager. He becomes a massive asset for this club who we can build a team around. Another example would be Raphinha, how long is he staying 89? He is establishing himself as a regular in the Brazil national team and had started this season on fire at Leeds. At just 24 years old joining alongside one of the top scorers in Brazil in Alberto, who is just 20 is very shrewd business when parting with high rated Di Maria 92 and Aspas 91. At 33 and 34 years old, genuinely how many more seasons at the highest level do they have? Where are Espanyol if we don't cash in at the right time? I'm really pleased with the business we've done so far. We don't need to do an awful lot of business now. We've grown the youth team to 17 players, but with some really good prospects in there. In terms of the first team, over the next season or 2, we will look to find a couple of long term centre backs, and fullbacks, and of course the big one is a long term Goalkeeper. Handonovic is currently 37, with our back up keeper not the long term solution. Replacing him is going to be tough given clubs dont want to part with their goalkeepers and many up and coming are already snapped up. The issue with goalkeepers, is once they establish themselves, they tend to keep the number 1 jersey IRL, making it difficult for good goalkeepers who play number 2 or 3 to get gametime, which stops their rating growth. I think Martinez the Argentinian is a great example of this. He has had a mass injection of rises heading into his 30's due to the number of seasons he couldnt get that number 1 shirt at Arsenal.

Looking ahead, we've some tough games coming up against the sides at the top, which is likely to see us have some big losses, and with that a spiral down the table. We play Barcelona tomorrow, who will be licking their lips at the prospect of playing an unsettled Espanoyl, especially as they lost the reverse fixture 3-0. The pressure is on them to keep winning to win the league, my only pressure is to ensure we don't go down as my judgement will be on my first full season"

After 4 seasons of real struggle at Napoli, Mullan has finally landed the job he craved, by getting the opportunity to takeover at 8th Place Division 1 side Espanyol. Espanyol have punched above their weight a little under their former manager to establish themselves in Division 1.

There can be no excuses from the new Manager on this gig, this is not the mess that Napoli were in when he took that hot seat with the team rooted at the bottom of the table 20 points from safety.

So what about Espanyol?

Mullan takes the reigns with 14 of the 47 players in the squad the wrong side of 30. With there a clear missing second tier of players to succeed the likes of Busquets, Di Maria, Bonucci, Alba, Trippier, Herrera, Paulinho, Aspas, Matip, Handonovic, Caceres, and Alonso.

"We assessed things pretty quickly, and the things shouting at straight away was there was no out and out goalscorer and its a very ageing squad. The choice, was simple, we stick and watch players retire or downgrade, or we try and trade with the saleable assets, which in Espanyol's case was Koke, Maguire and Traore We've chosen the latter option although our first two deals saw younger players leave and two more over 30's arrive. Aguero arriving is massive. Rated 93 and a proven goalscorer, he is worth 2 or 3 places up the table if you can feed him.

Fernandinho was next to join, he is rated 91 and maybe 36, but it was his ability to play both centre back and centre midfield which attracted us to going for him. We knew if we can get him in to cover for a season or two, it would open up the option of selling Maguire if we can get a really good trade. We gave Moncayola, for him which probably raised an eyebrow or too, given he is due a decent rise and therefore was a big asset to the club. Sometimes its about the calculated gamble and joined up thinking.

We followed that up by arguably one of the most intense negotiations i've had in 12 years of SM, with Standard Liege who wanted to aquire, Koke, Maguire and Trippier. At one point the discussions had up to 9 players swapping clubs. Throughout 24 hours of back and forwards, different players from Liege being thrown in the mix, it got got to near midnight last night and the deal was dead. Our valuation could not be met, and other clubs were now in for our players. By lunchtime today Koke and Maguire seemed destined to join another club as talks were at an advanced stage. Then out of the blue, Liege put a final offer on the table of Brozovic, Ndidi and Fekir, which met our valuation ,criteria of positions and age and the deal was struck. We are pleased to get these three players in, and despite losing our best centre back and highest rated player in Koke, this gives us a little more depth.

Another on off deal was Di Maria, we pretty much agreed a deal with Celta Vigo, and I wasted a lot of time on this, With Raphinia and a youngster joining. They offered the deal with a choice of 3 youngsters, we picked one. They then asked could they decide the youngster which they chose Alberto. We agreed to Alberto, and then after agreeing the deal they backed out. I've never backed out of an agreed deal before, and have been stung during rating changes over night, where i've took my eye off the ball and walked straight into a player which has just got downgraded. More annoyingly we had two other clubs in for Di Maria, who we had to say no to, and then they agreed deals with other clubs for their players. We live, we learn, we move on.

This evening we opted to let Herrera go to Olympiacos which i think long term is a good one for us. We lose a solid 90 rated midfielder, but grab two South Americans with lots of promise . I'm excited we've bagged Enzo Fernandez in particular, whilst also joining is Facundo Torres. We want to try and build a solid base of young players in our under 21's with the emphasis on probability of improvement. These two certainly fill that Criteria.

I'm not expecting any more outgoings now in terms of major deals. We are still talking to a couple of clubs regarding Trippier, but I think thats us pretty much done until the end of the season. We've a few injury/fitness issues at present, which is not the best preparation for tomorrows game with Man City. Aguero is likely to miss out starting against his former club as he is not fully fit, whilst we will also be without Di Maria, Busquets, Bonucci and Aspas. Right there is pretty much our best players all missing. Its probably going to mean a big formation change to try and put a competitive side out.

Regarding the future, I'm looking forwards to testing myself against the some of the best managers in top 100. Its interesting, in the last 48 hours I've talked and held negotiations with a total different spectrum of managers, who i never could at Napoli due to not having a single player any of the better teams wanted. Its a gamble to break up a team mid season, results historically fall off. However i'm happy with our business and hooefully at some point we can improve on the clubs previous best achievements.

After finally gaining promotion from Division 5, Espanyol will be looking to push up the leagues and make up for lost time. Last time Earle was in Division 4 he took over an aging, deflated Espanyol squad destined for the drop. Despite a valiant effort from the newly formed squad they were relegated on the final day of the campaign to begin a 4 season stay in the bottom division. However, after losing in the playoff final the previous year, Espanyol clinched their promotion spot in season 6 to return to where it all started, but with a majorly improved squad. This season promises to be one of the most exciting and successful in the clubs history for a number of reasons ranging from the talent in the first team to the number of tournaments to the development of players.

3 seasons of waiting will finally pay off: Benjamin Hubner.

Espanyol have never looked so strong at the start of a season as they do now. Defensive solidity has always been an issue for Earle but it looks as though the team will be able to hold their own after some good player development. With the likes of Loic Perrin and Andujar Coke already developed, one problem was finding the correct players to fill the back line. While several players were brought in to fix these issues, it has been members already in the squad who have stepped forward to take the places. Benjamin Hubner has bided his time in the team and moved from strength to strength in his 3 seasons since joining. Following the sale of Nicolas Pareja, Hubner was able to pick up a first team spot and will likely be used as a starter this season. Left back was another position to fill and Fernando Marcal has emerged as the dominant option in that area. After joining from Basel he was expected to play as back up to Georgi Schennikov but was able to become the favourite after some good performances. With new signings Nathan Ake and Cuco Martina as well as develoing squad members Jose Luis Palomino and Ander Capa, the teams defensive depth is also looking impressive. This isn't the only defensive improvement to the club either. Danijel Subasic is the best keeper the club have had since Earle arrived and Etrit Berisha is also one of the most impressive. These two key members could prove vital to the team in the league and cups.
While improving their defence, Espanyol have also managed to bolster their attacking options adding Brazilian duo Alex Teixeira and Goncalves Jonas to their ranks. Teixeira has already shown some promise at the club, helping them to victory in the playoffs, while Jonas is due to arrive just as the season starts. The additions of these two stars seemed to put question marks over the future of Iago Aspas who was heavily linked with a move to Hamburg. Despite this, Aspas remained at the club and is expected to take up a wider role than last year. The 30-year-old has also been named club captain once again.
Jens Toornstra has also arrived at the club after 6 seasons at Feyenoord. The 29-year-old offers added depth in the midfield after the sales of Roberto Pereyra and Joshua Guilavogui. Edin Visca has re-joined after arriving back in Earles debut season. In his two seasons with Espanyol, Visca played 48 games scoring 7 and assisting 13. Earle has said he is delighted to have brought him back and is excited to work with the Bosnian again.

The man in demand: Guido Burgstaller

Other key members of the squad were also kept and are expected to sign contract extensions in the next few days. Luis Pizzi, Eduardo Salvio and Carlos Bacca have all said they have no intention of leaving and want to help the club succeed. Guido Burgstaller has also said he wants to stay and fight for a spot after he impressed Earle with a hat trick in the first leg of the playoffs. The Austrian has had interest from Hellas Verona and Marseille along with three other clubs although no official contact has been made as of yet.
With the notably stronger squad and improved depth, the chairman has told Earle that promotion is the target yet again. Earle has said he has the same target and that the players are motivated and determined to get back to back promotions. The club also aren't fully done in the transfer market. Several more players are set to arrive in the next few days after previously agreed deals. It is also believed that Espanyol are still on the hunt for on more midfielder.
The improved squad has also lead to the club opting to participate in five club competitions this season. These will include Division 4, Top 100 Cup, Top 100 Shield, World Club Cup and Youth Cup.

With the option to join the youth cup, a vigorous recruiting process began. With just a handful of youth stars, the recruitment team had to bring in almost an entire squad. Earle said he wanted to keep Andriy Lunin and Ezequiel Barco in the team after the duo impressed on their loan spells last season. Earle has been able to bring in three key defenders for the tournament with right back Silvan Hefti and centre back Ertugrul Ersoy both joining from Liverpool. Bogdan Mykhaylychenko also arrived to fill in at left back. The 20-year-old free agent was snapped up on a 3 year deal and Earle has said he has high expectations. Both Stefan Posch and Boubacar Kamara will hope to fill the final defensive spot although it looks more likely that the club will attempt to bring in someone on loan for the tournament. Jerry St. Juste is rumoured to be their number one target and initial reports claim that Southampton are willing to let him join Espanyol on loan if he is still at the club come the start of the tournament.
Espanyol are also one of nine clubs who are attempting to sign centre back Lucas Martinez Quarta from Los Andres. The 21-year-old was put up for sale for bids of around £5.5 million and is now set to pick between teams such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and many more. The Argentine was previously at Espanyol but left for Internazionale two seasons ago.

Taking the number 11 shirt: Andreas Pereira.

In midfield Tanguy Ndombele is waiting to complete his move from Monaco. The 21-year-old showed just how much Espanyol were looking to improve their youngster as they let Joshua Guilavogui go to bring in the Monaco star. The deal also saw Josip Brekalo join the Spaniards. Brekalo is likely to play an important role on the wing along with long term Espanyol youth Ezequiel Barco. The midfielder likely to play along side Ndombele is reported to be Donny Van de Beek who has agreed a season long loan in Spain.
Earles crown jewel of the youth squad is new arrival Andreas Pereira who will act as the central attacking midfielder in the squad. The Brazilian wasn't initially expected to be eligible for the tournament but slipped just inside the brackets by a few hours. Espanyol also picked up Isaac Mbenza from Liverpool who will act as the primary youth striker. One further big youth signing is the exciting Hassane Bande who will join from Hertha Berlin at the end of the month.

So far in their pre-season games Espanyol have faced Lokomotiv Moskva and Wolfsburg. They beat Lokomotiv 1-0 with a goal from Pizzi and earned a respectable draw against the Division 1 Germans. They will now face FC Porto, Sampdoria and Stuttgart before kicking off the season away at Torino. Other big games in the first half of the season include Hellas Verona on the 8th, Standard Liege on the 11th, Anderlecht on the 22nd and Monaco on the 25th all in February.
Whether Espanyol can go on and earn a second successive promotion remains to be seen but currently they look in good shape to challenge for a high finish this season.

With the season at the midway point, Espanyol look to be replicating the same mistakes as last season which saw them miss out on promotion. They sit 7th in the league with 30 points and a record of 9 wins, 3 draws, and a shocking 7 defeats.

The inability of the team to take their chances seems to be a regular occurence with most of their defeats coming from games which they have completely dominated. Only one team in the top half of the table has conceded more goals this season than Espanyol have, which has lead to questions asked of the defence and keeper, however, their attacking play has also been underwhelming with just 25 goals in the league despite a huge number of chances created. As expected at the start of the season, Iago Aspas has led the team in goals, assists and performance rating. In his 19 league appearances he has assisted 5 goals and netted 10 of his own putting him 3rd in the goal scoring tables. Luis Pizzi and Eduardo Salvio have also shown their worth to the club picking up 7 goals and 7 assists between them. Another stand out performer, despite fairly poor defensive displays, has been Nicolas Pareja who has contributed 4 goals so far which makes him the 3rd top scorer in the squad.


Despite several strong individual seasons, it still seems that most of the players have been struggling. The club were knocked out of the Shield in Round 1 after suffering a 3-1 loss to PSG and lost to Chelsea in Round 2 of the Cup after a bye in the first round. Similarly, poor results saw them drop out of the World Club Cup at the group stages after just 1 win out of 6 games. There are two players, however, who are experiencing cup success this season. Andriy Lunin and Ezequiel Barco have both featured in the Youth Cup while loaned out. Barco has picked up 3 assists and a goal for Sporting in 8 appearances while Lunin has been a standout performer for the Fenerbahce youth team by earning 4 man of the match awards in his 8 games. Earle has praised the two teenagers for their performances and has said he believes they have the potential to be first team players soon.

Earle has been unusually quiet in the transfer market during the season and has held faith in the players he brought in at the start of the season to do their jobs. The only first team addition was Joshua Guilavogui who joined from Marseille in mid September. However, due to the disappointing standing of the team, Earle has now made some changes. Club captain Roque Mesa has been sold to Boca Juniors in a deal which will see Nathan Ake join the Spaniards later in the season. To fill the midfield Earle has swooped in to sign Roberto Pereyra from Division 1 side Valencia. French duo Aldo Kalulu and Alexandre Mendy both left in the other direction and will be followed by Nacho Gil at the end of the month. Fans were shocked that Earle was able to convince Pereyra to join the club who are 4 Divisions below his former side. Jimmy Durmaz was also confirmed to be joining Espanyol after growing concerned at Malaga. Free agent Ruben Aguilar has also arrived in Espanyol for contract talks and is expected to sign later today. Espanyol have also been strongly linked with Miguel Veloso and are believed to have made several bids for the midfielder although it now seems that a move is off. Thomas Delaney is another who Earle has been chasing but so far no offers have been accepted. With some of the younger players in the squad moving their way up, some of the older members have also been Transfer Listed. Robert Snodgrass, Pedro Leon, Edgar Barreto and Juraj Kucka have all been told they can leave if the correct offers come in. The club have said that there are still a few players that they are looking to bring in if possible but they may struggle to attain some of their targets.

Despite the lacklustre performances so far, Earle has stated that he still believes the club will gain promotion due to the quality within the squad. With 57 points on offer in the final 19 games, Earle has set the team a target of 40 which should see them move up the table. A personal target has also been set for Iago Aspas to beat Anthony Modeste's goal record of 17 last season, and with 10 already to his name, he should be able to. With the added creativity of Pereyra in the middle and several other players starting to push for first team places, it looks as though they may be on the up. If the defence can tighten up and more chances are taken by the forwards then there is no reason the team cant move up the league and into automatic promotion spots.

Anthony Modeste (Teams top scorer)

Bafetimbi Gomis (6 goals in all competitions)

Issa Diop (Youth sensation)

With the major league ratings due soon I have had a look over my squad and have a general idea of what I expect to see in terms of rating changes. Being a Division 5 team we struggle to sign top names and so must focus more on lower rated players and hope they get the rating they deserve. Obviously this isn’t always the case and many players have been left at low ratings and had to be sold off to bring in new potential risers. Having been at Espanyol for nearly 2 seasons this process is both time consuming and often frustrating. Obviously some of my expectations wont come off and so I’ve split them into “likely rises” and “hopeful rises” and on top of that this is SM and so ratings are pretty unpredictable. I have also only included those with potentials of 86+ and will make a shortlist of the others at the bottom.
Keepers

Tom Heaton (85>87) Likely
Do I even need to explain this one? The 30 year old has been fantastic this season and has earned many expecting a chance in goal for England. Some stats don’t look great such as 19 goals conceded in 12 games and only 3 clean sheets, but considering the squad he’s in it’s hard to blame him. Top performances against Southampton, Everton and Manchester United show he deserves a rise.

Defence

Raul Albentosa (85>86) Likely
Spending last season on loan at Malaga saw the 28 year old recieve a one rating rise from 84. Having joined Deportivo from Derby in the summer he has started all but one game this season in La Liga. With an average rating of 6.8 Albentosa has been Deportivos best centre back of the season (out performing Sidnei who is rated 87). Surely a rating of 86 is deserved despite the teams league position.

Pedro Bigas (85>86) Likely
Another one from La Liga is Las Palmas defender Bigas. His last rise came in 2013 when he went up by 5, since then he has improved further making 27 appearances last season with an average rating of 7.2. This form has been replicated this season with ratings averaging around 7.1 in his 10 showings. Considering the impressive season Las Palmas had last season he could push for 87 (or maybe I’m just being biased… probably…)

Benjamin Hubner (85>86) Likely
Joining Hoffenheim from Ingolstadt this summer the German made a slow start. Hubner was left out of the squad for the first 5 games but was a starter against his former side in the 6th league game. An impressive debut led to him being awarded a rating of over 7.85. He has started the past 7 games helping the team to an undefeated run and earning a rating of 7.2 on average.

Ragnar Klavan (87>88) Hopefully
Following his shock move to Liverpool in the summer I’ve been pretty intrigued to see how he does. Unfortunately he’s not done too much. A total of 6 appearances (4 in the league) has shown he is capable at the back with rating of around 6.85. It was disappointing to see Leiva played at CB ahead of him against Watford. The only real reason I may expect a rise is due to the level Liverpool are and that he has mad a few strong appearances.

Joseba Zaldua (85>86) Hopefully
Having started the season well appearing in 6 out of 7 games a rise looked likely. However, a foot injury has halted his season and with his return date unknown it could be costly. I hope his good start earn him his rise but if not it’s easy to see why.

Patric Lalau (85>86) Hopefully
Currently playing in Brazil Lalau has scored 4 in 19 games and assisted 4 more. My knowledge of the Brazilian league is pretty poor but Atletico MG are 4th and the league has a number of solid teams in it. Another one I hope can get a plus one but wouldn’t be shocked if he doesn’t.

Midfield

Roque Mesa (85>87) Likely
Another one from Las Palmas with the rapidly improving Roque Mesa. The midfielders value has increased by around 6x since February and has started all 12 games with pass success of over 92% this season. The 27 year old is surely going up 1 but I feel that a plus 2 would be more fitting.

Amir Abrashi (85>86) Likely
An impressive season in the Swiss league earned the 26 year old a move to newly promoted Bundesliga side Freiburg. With 9 appearances in the league and the club looking to have a solid season I’d expect the Albanian to go up to 86.

Lukas Rupp (85>87) Likely
Having had a good season in 2015/16, Rupp couldn’t save Stuttgart from relegation and was picked up by Hoffenheim in the summer. He has featured in all but one league game this season scoring twice and averaging a rating of 7.11 when he has started. On top of that the club is undefeated and so surely a rise to 86 is sure and 87 is likely.

Wing

Nathan Redmond (86>88) Likely
I’m including him as a winger despite being used as a forward at Southampton. I expected him to rise last season despite relegation and was a bit disappointed that he didn’t but it has played out well as he got a huge move to a top club where he has hit great form. 3 goals so far for a young player fresh from a new move and being used in a new position is good in my opinion and surely the 22 year old deserves a plus 2.

Nabil El Zhar (86>87) Likely
The ex-Liverpool winger has been very strong this season at Las Palmas (yeah I like these guys aha). He started the first 5 games of the season and scored twice assisting 2 more, he missed 4 games through injury but if he can get back into his early season form then he will surely go up but deserves the rise anyway.

Sabin Merino (85>86) Likely
Aged just 24, the winger hasn’t stamped his spot in the starting line up yet, however, he has featured in 7 games so far this season helping Bilbao to 8th in the table. Considering the level of the club and some decent performances I feel Merino deserved at least a plus 1.

Forwards

Sandro Wagner (86>87) Likely
Another new recruit for Hoffenheim this season having joined from Darmstadt in the summer. The tall German has started 11 out of 12 games this season scoring 5 goals. He has also netted in the cup and averaged a rating of 7.27 overall this season. Considering the teams unbeaten run and that Wagner is their current top scorer the forward deserves a rating of 87.

Guido Carrillo (86>87) Likely
The super sub for Monaco is a tricky one to predict. His side currently sit top of the French League and he has definitely had a hand to play in their success. Carrillo has scored 2 goals from 4 starts and a further 3 off the bench. With the position in the league and an average rating of 7.00 the 25 year old deserves a rise.

Ivan Santini (84>86) Likely
Since joining Caen this season the forward has been very strong. With 5 goals in 12 league appearances along with goals in the Belgian cup and league for Liege from before his move his total so far is very impressive. Playing in a poorer team it’s harder to perform well but Santini surely deserves a rise and hopefully it’ll be to 86.

Others

Erick Cabaco (80>83)
Gideon Jung (82>85)
Jean Makengo (78>80)
Paulin Puel (76>79)
Joel Pohjanpalo (82>84)
Pedro Tana (83>85)
Jorge Burgui (82>85)

Since the final week of the season Earle has been working to improve his squad after failing to finish in the top half of Division 5. Since the 12th of October Espanyol have brought in a total of 12 players with 3 more signings confirmed and a number more still on the cards. 7 players have also departed the club and Earle has told a further 8 players that they are surplus to requirements.




What's Changed Already?
October 12th - With just one game left of the season and Espanyol set to remain in the bottom division Earle set about developing the squad. With the midfield in jeopardy Mathieu Flamini was brought in from Hellas Verona. The 32 year old Frenchman cost the Spaniard £3.6 million and was immediately put into the starting line up for the final game of the season. Later that day Francesco Margiotta signed a 3 season contract with the club. The Italian forward had been a free before joining Earles side. Michiel Kramer departed for Go Ahead Eagles for £2.4 million while Mahmut Tekdemir left for Napoli for a £4 million price tag. Sofiane Hanni joined Anderlecht for £5.8 million, which is more than double what Earle payed for the Algerian in March.

Jean-Victor Makengo

October 13th - Having made just 3 appearances since signing in June, Omer Ali Sahiner moved back to Konyaspor for £2.6 million. Espanyol followed this up by signing 3 extremely exciting youth signings. 18 year old Jean-Victor Makengo joined from Benfica for a fee of £3.5 million. The young midfielder was joined by fellow Frenchman Paulin Puel. The 19 year old switched to the Spaniards from Cruzeiro fetching the Brazilians £1.5 million. Earle also convinced Ezequiel Barco to move to the Barcelona based club ahead of over 10 other clubs including Real Madrid, Juventus and Roma. The 17 year old signed a 4 year deal and adds to the small youth side.
October 14th - Alexandu Epureanu left Espanyol to rejoin Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir. The 30 year old played a key role in the impressive shield run but was no longer needed in the squad. Espanyol accepted the £3 million offer which saw the defender depart.
October 15th - Following several strong bids Earle finally allowed Onyinye Ndidi to depart the team. The Nigerian headed to Real Madrid for a fee of around £5 million plus Diogo Jota who Earle has praised on multiple occasions. The 19 year old made an immediate impact off the bench when he set up Espanyols goal in their first post season friendly. Another Portuguese star also signed for Earles side in the form of Iuri Medeiros. Signing from Sporting for a fee of £5.9 million, the 22 year old played in the first friendly of the post season. Also making appearances in the friendly were Gideon Jung and Raul Albentosa who signed from Hamburg and Deportivo respectively for a combined fee of £6.3 million.

Pedro Leon

October 16th - Another developmental signing came in the form of Said Benrahma. Costing a mere £1 million from Nice, Earle said this was one to watch for the future.
October 20th - With many rumours surrounding him, Edin Visca had an offer accepted for him. The 26 year old had an impressive time at Espanyol having joined from Tottenham last season. Having made 49 appearances he managed to net 7 goals and assist 13 more, many teams expressed interest. Udinese made the winning bid with Pedro Leon and Joel Pohjanpalo joining the Spanish side. Pedro Leon is expected to replace the Bosnian on the wing while the Finnish forward is expected to have to fight for a spot.

What's Been Agreed?
Seydou Keita has flown into Espanyol ahead of a medical with the Spanish side. Earle and Prince came to an agreement over the 36 year old with a bid of just below £1 million being accepted. Earle made it clear that Keita would be a clear starter in the squad, after helping Olympiacos to the Division 5 title the the veteran proved he still has a lot to offer. Another central midfielder set to join is Vincent Koziello. The 20 year old will join from Juventus on a season long loan and is likely to be selected in favour of Mathieu Flamini. Also coming in on loan is Guido Carrillo from Monaco. With Rodrigo Mora expected to depart and Earle looking to use two centre forwards this season, the Argentine is expected to be used ahead of Sandro Wagner on the bench but the two will partner in the cup.

What Are The Rumours?

Nathan Redmond

Earle has told around 8 players to find new clubs. Rodrigo Mora, Domingues Claudemir, Atiba Hutchinson, Okay Yokuslu, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Aleksandr Erokhin, Salvador Agra and Christian Kabasele have all been added to the transfer list. Earle is also expected to be in the market for a new right back and has made several bids which he is awaiting responses for. Espanyol have also made it clear that Nathan Redmond is not available. Having previously stated that offers would be considered Earle quickly changed his decision. But having had an impressive game in their friendly against Spartak Moskva the Englishman has now been labelled as the clubs biggest asset.

Following last seasons relegation from Division 4 Espanyol were tipped as one of the top contenders to push for promotion and bonce back under the reign of Earle, who had nearly saved them from relegation the season before. This, however, is not what happened for the Barcelona based club. Sloppy losses, inconsistency and poor team morale left Espanyol in 12th after the final game of the season. This left fans felling underwhelmed, disappointed and unsure of the clubs future. Despite this many fans stated that they don't wan to see Earle sacked. One fan said the following;
"It's not his fault at all, its not been a great season but how do the club expect him to do without the correct funding? 50% of the teams money comes from his transfer profits on developing players, if they aren't giving him the resources needed then how will we ever move forward?" 
This point of view was shared by many who felt the club needed to invest more in the success of the team than the success of the franchise. Despite the poor finish, Earle has remained adamant that the season wasn't actually that bad. A great shield run, some big transfers and talks of several new contracts should breath hope into the fans for next season. Following the game against Flamengo Earle spoke out in a press conference about the season and about his views and his future;
"Well I know that some will be disappointed with how the season has gone, but not me. I think its a tough league, it has some great teams, and when you look at it we were 3 points off playoffs. You know, that's how close it is. One more win and everyone would be saying it's a great season. What they're forgetting is this was our first full season together, me and the team. And it's made harder by being in a new league with very high, almost unrealistic, expectations. I said last season that it may take a season, or maybe even two, before we properly adapt and move up the leagues. But it's not all about the league. People seem to be forgetting our fantastic Shield run. For a small team like us to get to the Quarter Finals, and even then not lose until penalties, that's impressive. And that's before we mention who we were up against. I've said before I want to do as best I can for the team and so next season I'm looking to improve us. I'm not going anywhere, we have the players capable of doing well, we just need the right formula and a bit of consistency. The club is in talks with several players to get new contracts in place and we feel once that's done the players will be more relaxed and will be able to focus on their football a bit more and hopefully it will show".
Earle has signed a new 2 year contract himself since the press conference dismissing any rumours of a move away from the Spaniards. Fans were asked to complete a questionnaire of the seasons, the results are as follows.


Best Game of the Season?
Espanyol 3-2 Bayern (92.7% of votes)
Having beaten Augsburg and Liverpool to get to Round 3 of the cup, players and fans alike expected reality to hit them when the Division one German giants came to visit. However, the Spaniards put up a fight and were 2-1 up by half time thanks to a Sandro Wagner brace. By the 80th minute it was back level at 2-2. With 4 minutes left, substitute Christian Kabasele shocked the away fans by putting the Spanish side 3-2 up. Espanyol proceeded to the quarters thanks to one of the clubs most historic victories.

Worst Game of the Season?
H Berlin 4-0 Espanyol (73.2% of votes)
A game which many say cost Espanyol their season. With Earle having returned home due to a family emergency, French assistant coach, Rami Tupmass, decided to play the youth squad, who had been defeated the night before. Berlin went on to win the game 4-0 and hand Espanyol their biggest defeat of the season. Following the game the assistant coach was fired and Richard Blower was brought in.

Best Player of the Season?

Benjamin Moukandjo

Benjamin Moukandjo (84.9% of votes)
Benjamin Moukandjo was signed on the 16th of June for £6.2 million making him Earles most expensive signing. Having missed the first 4 games due to Espanyols transfer ban, The Cameroon international got off to good start in his first 2 games. However, it was the third game of the season where fans got a taste of his ability when the forward netted 3 times in a 4-2 victory over Dynamo Moskva. In his next 31 starts this season he bagged 12 goals while setting up 11 more and picking up 8 man of the match awards in the process.

Biggest Let Down of the Season?
Rodrigo Mora (62.5% of votes)
Having signed from Dynamo Moskva on July 15th in exchange for £5 million and Jose Antonio Reyes, fans were expecting big performances. With Benjamin Moukandjo in good form, the Uruguayan was picked to play on the wing with the occasional game up front. However, the 28 year old failed to deliver and was soon dropped to the bench. Since signing he has made 13 appearances (6 off the bench) yet he has only contributed 1 goal and 1 assist. As a result Earle has told the forward to pack his bags as he is no longer needed at the club.

Willy Caballero

Best Signing of the Season?
Willy Caballero (6.7% of votes) (Benjamin Moukandjo 88.4% but excluded)
Having already highlighted Benjamin Moukandjo we decided to exclude the forward. In 2nd was veteran keeper Willy Caballero. Having joined from Chievo Verona for £5.5 million the 35 year old went straight into the first team replacing Volkan Demirel. The Argentine keeper has played 30 games this season and has been awarded man of the match on 3 occasions. Espanyol fans can blame many things on their poor season, but their keeper is not one of them.

Worst Signing of the Season?
Samuele Eto'o (34.2%) (Rodrigo Mora 68% of votes but excluded)
Once again the highest selected player has already been discussed and so has been excluded. In 2nd was Samuele Eto'o who had returned to Espanyol following a spell at Levante. Having joined for £1 million as cover up front the forward made only 5 appearances (all off the bench) in the league. In those games he scored no goals and also had no assists. He also started 5 Shield games where, again, he contributed no goals but assisted 2. He has now been sold to FC Twente for the same price he joined for.

Earle and Espanyol are now looking to strengthen the squad for next season as they look to mount a promotion challenge. Several players have already completed their moves to the Barcelona team with a number being cut as well. Earle has said the core of the team will remain the same but two or three changes will be made. Fans are intrigued to see who will be named captain with Ragnar Klavan, Mathieu Flamini, David Villa and Ricky Alvarez the 4 Earle has named as most likely candidates.

With the season quickly approaching the midway stage Espanyol are far from what they were hoping to be. After a quick and productive start to the season the Spaniards were sat in second, however, this didn't continue. A terribly poor run of form saw a draw followed by four losses in a row and a quick drop down the table to an unimpressive 12th in the table. Despite this they are only 6 points off the top of the table and 3 off sixth and with a win in their last game change could be coming.



 Despite a disappointing showing in the league fans have been happily surprised by their performances in the Shield so far. An opening round win over Augsburg was followed by an unexpected victory over Division 1 side Liverpool on penalties after the game ended 1-1. Espanyol will face Bayern Munich in the next round where Earle will hope his side can produce another upset against one of the best teams around. He said he is excited for the players and the opportunity to show just how well the team can perform and said he will keep the cup team in place despite the opponent.

Domingues Claudemir New Centre Man

Following the dip in form from the Spaniards, a few changes were made to the team. Atiba Hutchinson was bought in for £2.7 million from Spartak Moskva. The 33-year-old was initially signed as a short term solution to hold the midfield but may be pushed back into the defence following the signing of Domingues Claudemir. The Brazilian cost £6 million but has been well needed at Espanyol who have looked shaky in midfield. With 32 appearances in the past 2 seasons for Flamengo Earle will hope the position will be held down more firmly. Michiel Kramer has also joined the Spanish side. Signing from Benfica for around £3.3 million the 27-year-old Dutchman is unlikely to make a large impact just yet but Earle has high hopes for the big target man who stands at 6'6". Another new signing is long term Uruguayan target Rodrigo Mora. Earle was prepared to give a high fee to gain his services and parted with £5 million plus Jose Reyes. Fans are excited at the prospect of him partnering up fron with Benjamin Moukandjo who has been in great form so far this season.

Sergi Gomez Not For Sale

It is expected that Espanyol will look to make a few more signings still. Earle is currently searching for a more permanent option to replace Robson Weligton at centre back. Their initial target was Sergi Gomez of Celta Vigo. The 24-year-old has struggled for game time but Espanyol have been told that he is not for sale. Earle has now turned his attention to Mauro Dos Santos of Aston Villa. The Argentine defender is not often used at Villa as there are several players ahead of him. Talks are in very early stages and it is still unclear whether a deal will materialise. Additional depth in defence is also being looked at by Espanyol. Paul Baysse has been targeted by the Spaniards as one of the primary targets. The 28-year-old currently plays in Division 3 for Saint-Etienne and Earle is hopeful that he can tempt him away. Back up options have also been planned out. After initial enquiries towards Frederik Sorensen and Dominique Heintz of Cologne were rejected Earle turned his attention to Sebastian De Maio of Hellas Verona. The 29-year-old is available and Espanyol may be willing to match his asking price if their pursuit of Paul Baysse is unsuccessful. Rumours have also suggested an improved offer for Aritz Elustondo may be submitted after the initial two were rejected. Earle is very keen to bring in the 22-year-old in but knows that FC Porto will be adamant to keep him. Advances for David Junca and and Anor Juanpi for Everton have been rejected along with offers for Tom Ince and Diego Laxalt. Several other players have been linked to Espanyol but it is unclear whether any have been approached yet. Ragnar Klavan has had several offers put in for him but it is unexpected that Earle will let the Estonian go until a solid replacement is brought in.

Earles new most expensive signing

Key youth member

Tonight Espanyol will travel to Argentina to face River Plate in a tough Division 4 fixture. Earle has named his starting 11 and it seems Miroslav Klose will make his first start in nearly a month. The German veteran hasn’t scored under Earles reign and suffered a slight injury in the 2-1 win against Torino on March 13th. Following this he was unable to regain his spot in the squad with Borini and Pavoletti becoming the regular starters. Klose is also ready to end his time in Spain with a move to Chievo Verona agreed. Earle is in negotiations as to when the German will depart but it could be as late as the end of the season.  Earle has opted to put Pavoletti on the bench after just one goal in six games. Borini, on the other hand, has been in top form with 6 goals in his 11 games since signing from Lazio. The central midfield duo of Rosicky and Redmond have also hit strong form with 6 goals between them since Earle joined.

In transfer news Alvaro Arbeloa has become the joint most expensive signing for Earle costing £4 million. The 33 year old joined from Everton to help strengthen the still incomplete defence. Eloy Room has also been brought in as back up keeper for £2.4 million from Vitesse. However, with Mariano Andujar on the transfer list, Room could be called upon sooner than expected. Younes Kaboul is also set to make an exit after a training ground bust up. Earle is looking to bring in Ragnar Klavan from Boca Juniors to fill in the space for a fee of £4 million. Earle is also hoping to sign 3 more unknown players when they are better situated financially.
Since joining Earle has helped the Spaniards pick up 19 points in 11 games. With 5 wins, 4 draws and only 2 losses, survival is a real possibility now. Espanyol are now just 6 points off safety and with big games around them the squad will have to jump at their opportunity to rise. With 12 games left, Earle believes that if the teams current form continues they may creep out of the drop zone. He has also said that if worst comes to worst and the team is relegated he has no desire to leave the club unless they release him or a top offer comes along. “If we go down I’ll still be here, unless I’m let go or get an offer I can’t turn down, which is unlikely! But if I’m still here it’s a great opportunity for us to try new styles and possibly start some more developmental projects. No matter what happens, I’m excited for this clubs future! Whether it’s in Division 4 or 5, or maybe even 3, I’m excited. I just hope I’m here to experience it!”