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Who is the one player that you’re really looking forward to watching this season?
I’m really looking forward to watching Arsenal’s William Saliba this season. He has developed so much over the last few years, and he is going into this season with the confidence of knowing that he is the first-choice centre back for the French national team.
In the European Championships, he carried on from where he left off. It toom him a while to win the trust of Deschamps, but he has that confidence now and that experience of playing on that stage will make him an even better defender.
I saw him play for Arsenal in their last friendly against Lyon and he scored. If he could add goals to his game, then I think he would go to an even higher level. In fact, that is the one part of his game where you could say there is room for improvement. Sometimes you need your centre back to pop up with a crucial goal from a set-piece in tight games. That is an important attribute to have. Tight game, 0-0, corner goes in and BANG!
My challenge to him would be to score some goals this season. He such a consistent player for someone that is still only 23. He doesn’t make mistakes. To do what he has done over the last few years is special and he keeps getting better and better.
I think that he is the best centre back in the Premier League. Let’s give him the credit that he deserves after developing into such a magnificent defender. A couple of years ago, I said he reminded me of Rio Ferdinand. He has that grace and calmness that Ferdinand had. His positioning is always exemplary. Funnily enough, I saw Rio say that he reminded him of himself too.
He such a brilliant player. I would put Saliba at the top of the list, but I also have to give credit to Virgil for the magnificent career that he has had. He’s still a class player. The you could name any of the Manchester City centre backs. Dias, Akanji, Nathan Ake, who I think is actually really underrated. These are all proper, proper defenders.
Who do you think will finish in the top four?
I think it will be really competitive to finish in the top four this season. One thing is for sure, we know that Arsenal and Manchester City will be there, so it only leaves two places with several clubs fighting for those coveted positions.
I don’t think there will be a surprise like there was last season with Aston Villa finishing fourth. Villa will be playing in the Champions League, and I think they will have a similar season like Newcastle did last season - I think it will be too much for their squad to cope with playing in Europe and fighting for a place in the top four. The Aston Villa players don’t have the experience of juggling Champions League and domestic football.
I think Liverpool will be in the mix. They have a new manager, but all the players understand the demands of managing both competitions. I would put them in the top four again for this season.
I think Tottenham could be there. Manchester United could maybe be there, but I have a lot of doubts about them.
Which manager do you think goes into this new season under the most amount of pressure?
I think Erik ten Hag is the manager that goes into the new season under the most amount of pressure. I don’t think that it matters that he signed a contract extension in the summer, there are a lot of question marks about him and his team. He will need to get off to a good start otherwise the pressure on his shoulders will really start to mount.
If you asked me which manager was the most at risk of getting sacked before Christmas, then Erik ten Hag would be at the top of my list. People may think that Enzo Maresca could be the first manager to go if he gets off to a bad start, but I just don’t think that will happen. I would be amazed if Chelsea decided to fire another manager after giving him and his team five-year contracts so quickly.
Ten Hag is the manager whose position looks the most vulnerable out of all of the big clubs in the Premier League.
On Chelsea
William Gallas outlines the big problems facing Chelsea this season
Chelsea have been suffering from the same problems for the last two years and I really can’t understand how the owners and the people that look after the football operations haven’t addressed them.
We’ve seen so many changes at the club over the last couple of years and I don’t think the club are any closer to challenging for the Premier League title, and I would seriously doubt Chelsea’s ability to qualify for the Champions League this season.
Since the new owners have arrived, it has been problem after problem. They changed everything at the club, including the medical department, and the club are still suffering from that decision now. It can’t be bad luck for one team to get so many injuries.
The new season starts this week, and the club captain Recce James is injured. Again. He has a problem with his hamstring and will be out for three weeks to a month. Chelsea will have to be very careful with him because he’s got such a bad history with injuries. The spotlight was on him anyway because he’s the club captain and one of Chelsea’s best players, but he must stay fit. The only silver-lining to James’ injury is that Malo Gusto can step in, like he did last season, and perform well.
Chelsea have turned into an average club under Boehly ownership
Other than the injury to Reece James and the doubts about the medical department, I’m looking at this squad of players and I don’t see nearly enough quality. There are so many players in the squad that don’t have the quality to play for Chelsea! I look at some of these guys, and there is no way they would get into the best Chelsea teams from the last few years - half of them wouldn’t even get on the bench of the best Chelsea teams.
These players aren’t good enough to win a Premier League title, and that should always be the aim of a club like Chelsea. Are they good enough to qualify for the Champions League? We will find out this season, but I have serious doubts.
Everybody used to fear Chelsea. We won everything as a club. We were respected all over the world. Every single player was a first-choice pick for their national teams. I’m looking at this group, and I don’t see many world-class players.
Chelsea have gone from a club that used to win everything to a club that wins nothing under the new ownership. It’s upsetting to say that I can’t see that changing anytime soon when I look at the squad.
We look like an average club, and that is really difficult for me say. I don’t recognise this version of Chelsea anymore.
On Chelsea’s defence
Thiago Silva has left, and the club have brought in one central defender. They signed Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer from Fulham to replace Thiago Silva? I'm sorry, but at 26 years old, I saw his games in pre-season, and he isn’t good enough to play for a club like Chelsea.
When I look at the defence and I’m asked if they can challenge for the Premier League, the answer is no. I look at the back four and think to myself ‘this defence doesn’t look great’. If you want to be successful in the Premier League, everything starts at the back. You need a rock solid back four.
You need defenders who offer leadership qualities in difficult moments. This Chelsea defense doesn’t have any leaders in it. You need your centre backs to organise the team and to be commanding, no one is capable of doing that in the Chelsea squad.
Disasi doesn’t talk much. Colwill is too you young to carry the responsibility of the Chelsea defense on his shoulders. You can’t expect Adarabioyo to be the leader of the defence having just joined the club and, as I said, he doesn’t have the quality to do it.
I like Colwill. I think he is a promising defender, but he is young, and he makes silly mistakes. He needs a player next to him that is experienced and who can talk him through difficult moments in games.
There’s a new manager and that should bring an element of optimism. Why doesn’t it feel that way as the season approaches?
I think that the fans of the club have seen what has happened over the last two years and are upset with the direction that Chelsea is moving in.
The fans would have been waiting all summer for their club to kick-off the Premier League season, of course they will support their team and want Chelsea to do well, but they are opening the season against the champions Manchester City. Manchester City have already convincingly beaten them in pre-season, which has been poor overall.
They lost to City 4-2. The defensive line was terrible in that performance. They didn’t look ready to play against a striker of Haaland’s quality. OK, it’s never easy to play against Manchester City, but if you look at the pre-season as a whole, it doesn’t fill me with optimism that Chelsea are going to be an improved side this year.
Chelsea’s midfield woes
There are so many doubts about the balance of Chelsea’s midfield. The Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo partnership didn’t really work last season and, when you consider the amount of money that was spent on the pair of them, you are entitled to expect things to be better.
There are also doubts about who Chelsea will decide to use as the third player in the midfield. Last season, Gallagher played a lot. He’s a popular player and he’s on the way out of the club. They have signed Kiernan Dewbury-Hall, and they also have Romeo Lavia back fit, but that third midfield spot is certainly up for grabs this season.
That is a problem that Enzo Maresca needs to solve quickly. Chelsea need more from Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo. They have to perform this season.
Chelsea’s transfer dealings
I don’t understand what the club is trying to do by signing so many players. I know that it’s easier to move on academy players and help balance the books because they can be marked down in the books as pure profit, but I’m looking at all the incomings and outgoings and thinking to myself why are you selling your academy players to replace them with foreign youngsters? It doesn’t make sense to me.
The club are spending money on the wrong players. Chelsea are desperate for one top quality centre back, that is the area they should be looking at as a priority. They also need to sign on world-class striker, but they keep signing players that can play in the wide areas.
I like Pedro Neto. I think he is a good player, and hopefully he can stay fit, but Chelsea have so many options on the wing.
The latest name to be linked is Jao Felix. I think Felix is a good player, he is always in the Portugal national team. We saw him at the club before when he was there on loan. He showed moments of quality, so perhaps he feels there is unfinished business for him at the club.
The links to Napoli’s Victor Osimhen aren’t going away. For me, he is exactly the level of player Chelsea should be looking to bring in. If they can sign Osimhen, then I would feel a lot more confident about the club’s chances of qualifying for the top four because he is a world-class player. Chelsea need a striker like him if they want to compete. They should do everything that they can to get him.
Raheem Sterling
To be honest, I don’t think it would be a disaster if Raheem Sterling was sold this summer. I think if he was to look at his performances and was honest with himself, he would admit that he hasn’t delivered the type of performances for Chelsea that everyone expected from him.
He was such a dangerous player for Liverpool and Manchester City. That is not the version of Sterling that Chelsea bought when they signed him two years ago.
I had high hopes for him at the club. I thought he would score a lot of goals and create a lot of assists, but he hasn’t delivered.
On Europa Conference League football
The Europa Conference League and Chelsea should never be mentioned in the same sentence!
It’s unthinkable that Chelsea are playing in the Conference League. I feel sorry for the fans. Perhaps the one silver-lining is that this is a tournament that Chelsea really should be winning. If Chelsea can win it, then they will complete the set of European trophies and that is something that the fans will probably appreciate. It’s always nice to be the first club to achieve something, and Chelsea could be the first team to win every single European competition in the modern era.
The fact that Chelsea are playing in the competition is down to the decisions the owners have made since taking over the club. They’ve taken Chelsea from a club in the Champions League to the Conference League.
Perhaps the fans will enjoy travelling to some new destinations. Over the years the fans have been to the San Siro, the Nou Camp, the Bernabeu, they’ve gone to Munich, Paris and Rome.
Playing in Europe is going to be like a geography lesson this season (laughs).
Chelsea open the season at home to Manchester City. It’s a tough game - do you see it as a chance to take a scalp against the champions or are you worried by the prospect of playing them?
I think Chelsea’s clash against Manchester City can be a 50-50 game. Chelsea are playing at Stamford Bridge, it’s the first game of a new season and Chelsea will go into this game as the underdog with nothing to lose.
Maresca will want to get things off to a good start at home. The two teams played each other recently in pre-season and City came out on top (recording a 4-2 victory). City just won the Community Shield and are the defending champions, so they’ll be coming to London full of confidence.
The atmosphere will be electric. I think Maresca will probably make a few changes to his team after playing City so recently. That was a warm-up match for this one and it could help him out.
I think a draw would be a good result, but maybe Chelsea will surprise everyone and win.
When I look at the strength of Manchester City’s squad, you can only describe it as ridiculous. That is a squad that is ready to compete for every trophy, even if they have just sold Julian Alvarez.
The defence is formidable. It is really good. The City defenders are so durable, they rarely get injured. When you look at that group of defenders, every one of the senior players is a key man for their national teams. They have an unbelievable squad.
On Arsenal
You’ve said that you think this will be the year Arsenal win the title. Why are you so confident that will be the case for your old club this season?
I'm very confident that Arsenal will win the Premier League this year because, over the last two years, they have got so close. Last year, taking the title race to the final day, it doesn’t get closer than that.
This is a team that keeps on improving. Every season over the last three years they have improved. Now, I think they are ready to take the final step and become Premier League champions.
They’ve matured as a group. When you see them play the big teams, you know that it will take an extraordinary effort from the opponent to beat them. Against the best teams last season, they won or they drew.
I look at the group of players and I think they all know their jobs perfectly. The relationships on the pitch have been developing over the last few years and they follow Mikel Arteta’s instructions perfectly. The players are also more experienced and know what it takes to stay in the title race.
I’m expecting Arsenal to start the season strongly. I think they will want to blow teams away and lay down a marker, so you can expect a lot of goals and a team that is ready to damage its opponents.
Do you think getting so close last season gives this group and manager even more motivation to win?
Arsenal will definitely be motivated to win the Premier League this season because they don’t want to experience losing the Premier League title again on the last day of the season.
That would have been difficult for the Arsenal players to accept. When you get that close, you start running through the season in your head and thinking about what you could have done differently. When the Arsenal players were on their holidays, they would have been thinking about this, trust me.
Arsenal were brilliant last season, but to beat Manchester City, you must be perfect. There were two or three mistakes that cost Arsenal the title - they won’t want to make those again.
There is a lot of respect between Arsenal and Manchester City. The players and the managers know each other really well. They will be pushing each other again, but only one team can be crowned champions.
The Premier League needs someone to stop Manchester City. For the league, there has to be a new champion this season. Maybe they will have to go and play on the moon if Manchester City wins five titles in a row because there won’t be a team on the earth that can compete with them.
William Gallas on Arsenal’s defence
Arsenal had the best defence in the Premier League last season. Do I think they have the best defence in the league? I think they might do. Obviously, Manchester City have a lot of quality, but last season, Arsenal were better defensively.
Mikel Arteta has looked at his defence and thought to himself, ‘how can I improve it?’ He’s gone out and signed Riccardo Calafiori, that tells you that he is looking for improvements across his entire squad.
I like the signing of Riccardo Calafiori. He’s a versatile player that can play at left back and at centre back. Arsenal will be playing lots of games and there will be times where you need to rotate, so I expect to see Calafiori coming into the team and playing both roles this season.
I think the partnership between William Saliba and Gabriel is probably the best in the league.
Ben White has proven that he is a solid right back even though it isn’t his natural position, or at least it wasn’t when he joined the club.
I’ve been impressed with his development over the last two years playing that role. Each season he has got better and better.
Do you think Ben White will be looking to get back into the England team now?
Ben White may want to play for his country again, but I think he’ll have a problem. He has Kyle Walker and Trent Alexander-Arnold ahead of him. For me with a big season this year he can be a part of the England squad.
I think as a football player, playing for your country is really special. It was for me. Playing for your country is a completely different experience to playing for your club and it makes you a better player. Representing your country at a big competition like a European Championships or a World Cup is something that every top player should want to achieve.
If a footballer comes out and refuses to play for their country, then that is a player that doesn’t understand anything about what it is to be a top professional footballer.
Perhaps Ben White will decide that he wants to play under a new manager, but maybe he might not get the opportunity. A footballers career is very short, you don’t want to look back and have regrets.
Gabriel Jesus has a lot of qualities and looks sharp after working in his fitness this summer. How much of an important role do you expect him to play for Arsenal this season?
It looks like Gabriel Jesus will be a key player for Arsenal this season. I really like him as a player and I like his qualities, but will he score you 20 or 25 goals in a Premier League season? I don’t think that he will, and I don’t think that it would be fair to expect him to do that because the most goals he has ever scored in a Premier League season is 14 (in 19/20 season for Manchester City).
Mikel Arteta has put a lot of faith in him. Like I said, I like him as a player, but I worry about his injury record. It would be a shame if he got injured because that is the one position in the Arsenal squad that lacks top quality depth.
All it takes is one bad kick and he’s out for the season. In football, you never know what can happen. Arsenal are going to be playing games every three days, I think it would be a very high risk move from Mikel Arteta to not add a striker before the transfer window closes. That is a decision that Arsenal could live to regret. They need to bring in one top class striker to complete the squad.
Who will be Arsenal’s most important player this season and why?
I think Arsenal’s most important player this season will be Martin Odegaard.
He is such a special player and there isn’t anyone that can replace him in the Arsenal squad. Yes, Arsenal have talented midfielders, but they don’t have a player that is on Martin Odegaard’s level who operates as the team’s playmaker.
He makes things tick. He creates most of the chances in open play for Arsenal’s attacking players and he also scores important goals.
When he can’t play because he is injured then Arsenal are not as fluid. He is the one player that Arsenal would be most impacted by if you took him out of the team.
He carries a lot of the creative burden in this team. He works tirelessly in midfield off the ball. If you look at his development since he joined the club on a permanent basis, he has improved every single year.
There can be no doubt that Martin Odegaard is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. If Arsenal want to win the title, then they will need their captain to be at his best for the entirety of the season.
What are Arsenal's chances in the Champions League this season? Does the squad have enough strength in depth to challenge for the PL and CL?
I think Arsenal fans will be craving the Premier League title the most. How long has it been since the club last won the title? It’s been 21 years, and that’s far too long for a club like Arsenal.
If the Arsenal fans had to choose, then the Premier League is what they would want.
I think they will go for it in the Champions League. If you want to be considered one of the best clubs in Europe, then there isn’t a choice. You have to fight for every single competition that you play in. That’s what the very best clubs in the world do.
If you look at the last great Liverpool team, Manchester City. Real Madrid. They become addicted to winning trophies. That is what needs to happen at Arsenal. When you lift the first trophy, you will do everything to experience that feeling again and lift another.
Do Arsenal have enough quality in the squad to challenge for both titles? I think that they do, but for me, they are missing one killer in front of goal. Gabriel Jesus is a great player, but I feel like Arsenal could be one injury away from trouble. They need more depth in the strikers position to be extra confident that they can challenge on both fronts. They need a striker that can score 20 goals a season.
On Tottenham
You said that Tottenham needed a striker, and it looks like they are about to sign Dom Solanke. Do you think he can be the man to fill Harry Kane’s shoes?
I really like Dom Solanke. I think that he is a quality signing for Tottenham. Can he fill Harry Kane’s shoes? That’s difficult so say because Kane scored so many goals - he will have to be very, very good to do that.
I don’t think it would be fair to put that amount of pressure on Solanke. He is his own player and is different from Harry Kane, but what is certain is that Spurs have been crying out for a striker that can score 20 goals in the Premier League and they have gone out and got one.
He’s 26 years old, which is a good age for a player. There is still room to develop before he hits his peak. He is joining from Bournemouth where he did really well, scoring 19 goals and laying on 3 assists. It’s a step up for him and he will want to repay the faith that Ange Postecoglou has shown in him.
At Tottenham, he will be playing with better players, and he will have more opportunities to score goals.
He will give more freedom to Son. Son got 17 goals and 10 assists last season. Solanke will occupy defenders, which will make Son even more dangerous. I think it’s a really smart signing from the club.
It’s a new season and there’s optimism in the air, which is a bit strange for Spurs - what are you expecting from your old club this season?
I don’t want to burst the Tottenham fans bubble, but I’m not convinced that it will be a great season for the club. I don’t expect Tottenham to challenge for the Premier League title.
Every season, it is always the same thing. They always come up short. I’m looking at the squad, and, yes, I like the signing of Solanke. They have signed a couple of talented young players, but other than that, it is the same team as last season.
I haven’t seen anything that makes me think ‘this is a Tottenham team that is ready to fight for the title’. Maybe they can finish fourth. Maybe they will finish fifth again. I think Tottenham’s season will be determined by how Ange Postecoglou wants to play and how well the squad delas with the rigours of playing every Thursday and Sunday with the Europa League.
The type of football that Postecoglou likes is physically very demanding. If you’re going to play like that for a whole season, you need a bigger squad with more quality. That is why I think that the manager should tweak his system in some games.
Micky van de Ven had a great debut season last year. He allows the team to play with such a high line because he is so quick. If he gets injured, I would be very worried. We saw what happened when he was out of the side last season.
Cristian Romero is a great player, but, again, if he is out, then I don’t think Tottenham currently have enough quality to step into the team to replace him. Romero and van de Ven are two crucial players. Spurs will need to wrap them in cotton wool this season because Dragusin is not the answers if either get injured.
Ange Postecoglou is a man that is wedded to his playing principles. Do you expect things to be easier or more difficult for him this season?
The objective at the club will be to improve on last season’s fifth place finish. It’s as simple as that.
I’m not sure if they will be able to do that because I still have some concerns about how Ange Postecoglou sets his team up to play. Last season they surprised and startled some teams with the way they played with such a high line, I’m not sure if that will be as effective this season as managers know what to expect from Tottenham.
Cristian Romero lifted another international trophy this summer. He’s matured over the last few years - where would you put him in the conversation when discussing the world’s best centre backs?
I really like Cristian Romero. Look at what he has achieved for his country over the last four or five years. He’s been a starting centre back in an Argentina side that has won two Copa America titles and a World Cup.
I want to see him make another step with Tottenham this season. I think that he has definitely improved since he joined the club. He has matured. He doesn’t lose his temper as often and get himself into stupid duels with other players. He has mellowed and that has helped him improve as a player. He picks up less stupid bookings.
If you look at the best centre backs in Europe, Romero is in the conversation. I think for him to be considered one of the best in the game, then he needs to be playing every season in the Champions League for a top, top club.
He’s progressing into a top centre back. I want to see him keep on improving this season. If he does, then I think that next season it will be really hard for Tottenham to keep hold of him. I think that there will be a lot of interest in him from the world’s biggest clubs. I think he could be the next Tottenham player that ends up joining Barcelona or Real Madrid. He has the potential to play for a giant club and be one of the best defenders in the world.
What do you think is the minimum objective for the club this season?
Tottenham will be aiming for the top four and to have a decent run in the Europa League. That would be a good season for the club.
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