Speaking exclusively with Prime Casino, Premier League icon William Gallas has told Arsenal to break the bank for Alexander Isak or risk slipping down the table.
The legendary former France defender has also explained how Chelsea’s Cole Palmer is reminding him of Zinedine Zidane in his role under Enzo Maresca.
Gallas has also explained why Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup dream will end in tears and how it would be a great story for Willan to sign for Wrexham in the Championship.
Q: Can Chelsea set the pace in the Premier League with some favourable fixtures?
“Chelsea will want to get off to a good start as they look to go and finish in the top four and be in the race to win the title, but they’ve got a difficult start.
“It might not seem that way but having four London derbies will take it out of them. Those games will be fierce and there will be a lot of pressure from both sets of fans.
“Crystal Palace, West Ham, Fulham and Brentford will all be desperate to beat them, they would’ve been better off having some games with less pressure on to start the season.
“Pressure will be on the players because they are must-win games, it will not be easy for Enzo Maresca.”
Q: Is it strange to see Chelsea playing in an empty stadium at the Club World Cup?
“I remember playing in America during a preseason and it was quite empty then. This is a new competition, but you’d expect to see more fans in the stadium.
“Speaking to people who are out there, the issue is both the time of the games and the heat. Fans are choosing to stay at home because the games are either during the day or because it’s just too hot.
“It’s difficult for the fans so it’s also so difficult for the players, I think the players are already suffering.
“Next time I think FIFA will have to think about where the tournament is being held at this time of the year so it’s safer for the players. It’ll be interesting to see how teams cope over the next few weeks.”
Q: Can Chelsea go on to beat PSG in this tournament?
“Chelsea started the tournament well but because of the conditions and the fans it feels weird. It’ll be interesting to see how the competition progresses.
“Some of the results have been strange but PSG have laid down a marker, they won the Champions League so if Chelsea do come up against them – it’ll be a very difficult test and they will need to be ready.”
Q: Is the 10-0 scoreline in the Club World Cup not a good look?
“The 10-0 scoreline is not a good look for the Club World Cup.
“It might sound harsh, but it really did look like a professional team against an amateur team and it’s not acceptable for a tournament like this.
“It just shows us the level of European teams with those from elsewhere in the world, 10-0 will be ready hard to take for those players and not do them any good.”
Q: Do Chelsea need to be very cautious over Cole Palmer?
“Enzo Maresca knows exactly what to do with Cole Palmer, he knows it better than anyone.
“I think there will be a moment in which Palmer is rested, it’s been a long season and in these conditions it’s far from easy, he is only human.
“The staff will be watching how many minutes each player gets because the most important thing is the Premier League season that starts in August.
“Palmer is a maestro in this Chelsea team and they cannot afford for him not to be fit for the start of the season. Having said that, they also want to go as far as possible in the Club World Cup and will need him to do that.”
Q: Cole Palmer is so important for Chelsea, have you seen that in a team in the past?
“Cole Palmer at Chelsea reminds me of Zinedine Zidane with France, when you look at his importance within the team.
“You can also look at Gareth Bale at Spurs, but Zidane was so important for France when it came to him making a difference on the pitch.
“With Chelsea things were different, Jose Mourinho made sure that the entire team were just as important as each other.
“Everybody knew Zidane was the star and that’s the same as Palmer in the current side, it comes naturally to him and that’s why he needs to be protected.”
Q: Did Gareth Bale’s hat-trick vs Inter come as a surprise?
“Gareth Bale’s hat-trick vs Inter didn’t surprise me, because Harry Redknapp had told us all to get the ball to him every chance we had.
“He had so much pace and we knew he was the player to make the difference, it was like Thierry Henry at Arsenal in his prime. Henry did that hundreds of times for his team.”
Q: Has Liam Delap replaced Nicolas Jackson as Chelsea’s main striker?
“Nicolas Jackson will be Chelsea’s first-choice striker next season, but that could change if he doesn’t have a good start.
“Liam Delap will be waiting for his chance and will need to have an impact off the bench in order to impress Enzo Maresca, he has started well in the Club World Cup but he will need to do more.
“He is still young and can improve, but it’s very different being the star at Ipswich to starting for Chelsea, there is more pressure on his shoulders and he will feel that.”
Q: Is Liam Delap England’s replacement for Harry Kane?
“People are getting ahead of themselves by saying that Liam Delap is Harry Kane’s replacement, he still has a long way to go.
“He did well for Ipswich, scoring 12 goals, but there is now a lot more pressure on his shoulders and we don’t know how well he will deal with that yet.
“Chelsea have a lot of players fighting for goals and things will get much harder for him, will he score 12 goals again? We will have to wait and see.”
Q: Can Chelsea win the title with Robert Sanchez? Or do they need Mike Maignan?
“If Chelsea want to go and win the Premier League, they will need to have one of the best goalkeepers in the country – they don’t have that in Robert Sanchez.
“If they have a chance to go and get Mike Maignan for £20million, I have no idea why they haven’t just gone and got him.
“He might well be able to sign on a free after six months but the title might be out of reach by then.”
Q: Is Malick Fofana the right signing for Chelsea this summer?
“Malick Fofana is a young player that is still learning and I don’t think that is the right move.
“Chelsea have a lot of forward players already and I think they need experienced defenders now. They have won the Conference League but that right centre-back position is the one I’d look at, not wingers.”
Q: Should Chelsea go all out for Aymeric Laporte?
“If Chelsea sign Aymeric Laporte, what will happen to Levi Colwill? Is he going to be happy sitting on the bench?
“That would be a mistake, he is Chelsea’s central defender with the highest potential and Colwill isn’t the man to replace.”
Q: Does Levi Colwill need to step up to be a leader at Chelsea?
“Levi Colwill needs to become the leader that Chelsea need, he needs to show that in training and in matches.
“He had the chance to play alongside Thiago Silva and that was perfect for him to learn, hopefully he can grow into being that type of leader.
“With someone like John Terry, he was a leader at 17 years old and it’s not the same for Colwill, it came naturally for Terry.”
Q: Is Victor Osimhen the right striker for Arsenal?
“Victor Osimhen is a top class striker but I could see him clashing with Mikel Arteta.
Viktor Gyokeres would be a better fit, but Arsenal have to win the Premier League next season which means they need to sign Alexander Isak.
“Isak is perfect for Arsenal and they should be going all out to sign him. He would adapt instantly and give them the best chance of winning the title out of any player in the world, they don’t have time to let a striker adapt.
“Arsenal should go and break the bank for Isak. He is a 20 goal a season striker and he would be surrounding himself with quality players.
“He wouldn’t be cheap so it’s up to the board, but he is guaranteed goals.”
Q: Will Arsenal slip down the table if they don’t sign a striker?
“I could see Arsenal slipping down the table if they don’t sign a striker this summer. If you look at the statistics, you could say that last season was worse than the season before.
“Maybe the squad is slowly dropping off, maybe opponents are working out how to play against Arsenal, that will make things even more difficult.”
Q: Can Martin Zubimendi be Arsenal’s own Rodri?
“Mikel Arteta might have found his own version of Rodri in Martin Zubimendi. He likes to sit in front of the defence and protect while giving his team-mates freedom to get forward.
“He can offer a lot to the team in terms of giving other players more chances to get forward, Arteta might’ve seen Rodri doing that for Manchester City and wanted to do it with Arsenal.”
Q: Is it a shame that Nico Williams has turned down Arsenal?
“It’s a big shame that it looks like Nico Williams isn’t going to Arsenal, we always love to see the best players in the Premier League and he would be one of them.
“I think his target is to stay in Spain and potentially join Barcelona, the football suits him well and he could form a partnership with Lamine Yamal.
“It’ll be sad for Raphinha because he has played so well and extended his contract, maybe if he is going to keep his place then Bayern Munich could push to sign Williams.”
Q: Would Rodrygo be a great addition at Arsenal?
“Rodrygo might want to leave Real Madrid, but that doesn’t mean he will want to play for Arsenal.
“I think it’s important that Arsenal stick with Gabriel Martinelli because we have seen the level he can perform at, things are difficult for Rodrygo at the moment but Arsenal might be better off sticking with what they have.”
Q: Is Kepa Arrizabalaga to Arsenal a strange signing?
“I think Kepa to Arsenal would be a strange signing.
“The second choice goalkeeper should be a young player who is learning that can take over from David Raya in a few years time, I’m not sure why you’d bring in someone who is older than him with no eye to the future.
“Arsenal should be looking for someone in their early 20s who can learn and grow, playing in the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, Kepa isn’t that player.”
Q: Should Bryan Mbeumo pick Spurs over Manchester United?
“I think Bryan Mbeumo should choose Spurs over Manchester United this summer.
“I think he’d be a great fit into that Spurs team because he could be the star. He has been at Brentford for so long and it’s time to step up.
“I think staying in London would help him progress, Spurs are also in the Champions League and with a manager he knows. I think it would work.”
Q: Has Thomas Frank done enough to earn the Spurs job?
“Has Thomas Frank done enough with Brentford to earn the Spurs job? I really think he could’ve done more with Brentford.
“He had a steady team and did well in the Premier League, but they didn’t ever go and get close to competing for a trophy. Leicester City did something special but look at Crystal Palace last season.
“We will have to see how he can perform with Spurs, it will be hard to compete in the Champions League and they simply have to improve in the Premier League.
“At the moment they haven;t changed their squad and that could mean trouble.”
Q: Where would you like to see Bradley Barcola next season?
“Bradley Barcola needs to stay at PSG for another season. He was replaced in the team and it might not be the best time for him to join another huge club.
“He is still young and I think he should try and get himself back into the team under Luis Enrique, he has been linked to Bayern Munich, but I don’t think it’s the right move at the moment.”
Q: Who are your favourites to win the Club World Cup?
“The Club World Cup is still wide open. We haven’t yet seen how all the teams will take the competition and I’d like to see some of the teams outside of Europe cause a few shocks against the bigger sides.
“The teams from Brazil have a real chance to make a mark and I want to see fans cheering them on. I think by the time it reaches the quarter-finals, we will have a clear idea of what is going to happen.”
Q: Who are your favourites to win the Premier League?
“Arsenal let me down last season and I’m worried that it will happen again.
“I think the summer transfer window will be key as well as how the Club World Cup progresses, Chelsea and Manchester City players might be really tired after that – which will help Liverpool and Arsenal. We will have to wait and see.”
Q: Would Paul Pogba struggle if he returned to the Premier League?
“A Premier League return would be really difficult for Paul Pogba. He hasn’t played for over 20 months and although he has been training on his own, it really isn’t the same.
“It’s not the same movement and because of that I think he will be risking a serious injury if he returns to play for Monaco or someone else next season.
“He is also dreaming of playing at the World Cup next year with France but that is going to be incredibly difficult. It will take him at least a season if he is going to get back to his best and it might come too soon.
“He has been an incredible player but getting back there will be incredibly hard.”
Q: Could Spurs offer Darwin Nunez an escape route from Liverpool?
“Darwin Nunez could be a real success at Spurs. He would be a key forward and I think he would have so many chances in that team, it might be a great opportunity for him.
“The only issue might be what he wants to do with his career, he has just won the Premier League and might only want to join a team that has a great chance of winning trophies and Spurs might not offer that.”
Q: Is Raheem Sterling within his rights to sit and take his wages at Chelsea?
“Raheem Sterling can sit and take his wages on the bench at Chelsea and is he to blame? Absolutely not.
“The club offered him the contract and you’d have to say it was a big mistake, but he is within his rights to see out that contract now despite not being in the team.
“I think it would be good to see him out on loan, he might be able to thrive at another London club like Fulham, but Chelsea will have to be paying at least half of his wages.”
Q: Could you see Willian at Wrexham next season?
“Willian to Wrexham would be a great story, but it’s been a long time since he was at his very best and it’s about his desire to still play the game.
“There would also have to be a big compromise when it comes to salary given he has only just left the Premier League.
“It would be exciting for the fans, but I can’t see it happening.”
Q: How special would it be to see Jose Mourinho at Wrexham?
“I can only see him back in England in the Premier League and only see him in the Premier League with a team that is competing for the title.
“I don’t think he will come back just to manage a team in midtable and at the moment I can’t see a team going for the title that would be a good fit, because of that we may not see him back in the Premier League.”
Q: Will Cristiano Ronaldo’s career end in tears at the World Cup next summer?
“Cristiano Ronaldo will be at the World Cup next summer, it will be a magnificent end to his career and either way it will be incredibly emotional.
“We don’t know if he will be able to start games, physically, but he can still play a part in the squad and potentially come off the bench to help the team.
“Portgual look really strongat the moment, we saw that in the Nations League, but it will be incredibly hard for Ronaldo to fulfil his dream of lifting the trophy.
“As I said, either way it will be emotional and probably end in tears.”
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