Seamus Coleman has been linked with Manchester United almost as often as Kevin Doyle was linked with Arsenal.
There are certain transfers that just appeal to fans, journalists and agents – popping up repeatedly in the rumour columns. Doyler to Arsenal was very popular for a few seasons there at the start of the decade.
Big, powerful, good in the air and not a particularly prolific Premier League striker, the Wolves man was seen as the perfect frontman for little, tippy-tappy Arsenal.
It came up more often than the zipper on Arsene Wenger’s coat, until the Wexford man drifted down the divisions and eventually made the move to the MLS with Colorado Rapids.
Curiously Coleman and Doyle share a grounding in the League of Ireland that led to eye-catching, later-than-average transfers to big English clubs – in Doyle’s case upwardly mobile Reading, for Coleman it was Premier League Everton.
Since joining the Toffees from Sligo Rovers for £60,000 in January 2009, he has developed into one of the league’s best right backs, which brings with it the attentions of fans, journalists and agents. However, if any rival managers have expressed their interest in the Republic of Ireland captain, they have yet to firm it into the form of an official advance.
Now, having started the season well, scoring his first international goal in comical/mazy fashion, denouncing the rise of social media and scything Raheem Sterling in half, the rumour mill is grinding once more.
Straight out of Donegal pic.twitter.com/Xs067LPRiw
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) October 15, 2016
The 28-year-old is Old Trafford bound in January, according to various sources this week, with Jose Mourinho liking the cut of the Killybegs man’s gib.
We have been here before. In his fourth full season at Goodison Park, Coleman was excelling under new manager Roberto Martinez, scoring six goals from full-back in 2013/14 and was lined up for a summer move to Manchester United, had his old Toffees boss David Moyes not been given the bum’s rush.
Instead he signed a new four-year contract with Everton and enjoyed another fine season under Martinez, becoming more of an attacking threat as he grew accustomed to the Spaniard’s gung-ho approach.
Inevitably this led to yet more rumours that Coleman was headed down the M62.
Last season’s implosion of Martinez’s gung-ho approach may have silenced the ‘Coleman-for-United’ whispers for one summer. It didn’t help that United were locked in elongated flirtations with manager Jose Mourinho and statement purchase Paul Pogba, but Coleman’s performances last season in a faltering Toffees’ defence were unlikely to have been turning heads, regardless.
However, since then he has turned in a number of inspirational performances at Euro 2016, taken over as international captain, scored a Roy Race effort against Georgia and began to look like the full-back of yore under Martinez’s replacement Ronald Koeman.
#EliminatoriasRusia2018 #UEFA ?? v ?? Con esta maniobra, Seamus Coleman adelanta a #Irlanda: 1-0 a #Georgia pic.twitter.com/OdfKT2VZuA
— Camino a Rusia (@caminoarusia) October 6, 2016
Considering Mourinho is making do with Antonio Valencia on the right of his defence, this rumour has once again resurfaced and makes enough sense to not be immediately dismissed (it was rarely non-sensical).
Former Ireland midfielder and team-mate of Arsenal-target emeritus Doyle, Stephen Hunt thinks Mourinho could be serious about bringing the Donegal native to Manchester. This time.
“I don’t think he’ll be happy with the full-back area, in particular,” he wrote in his Sunday Independent column. “There’s been talk again about Seamus Coleman going to United, and I think he would be perfect for Mourinho now.
“While he was almost a winger under Roberto Martinez, Ronald Koeman has him back primarily as a defender, Mourinho likes that.
“Some of Coleman’s defending in recent Irish games – particularly against Germany – has been immaculate. He is also physically big, another quality Mourinho likes, and leads with his attitude.”
Hunt makes a few points here. Let’s go through them one by one.
“I don’t think he’ll be happy with the full-back area, in particular.”
While some disagree…
Ander Herrera makes the most ridiculous claim about Antonio Valencia – maybe he's bloody right https://t.co/NZ5kMXdsWs
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) September 10, 2016
… most agree that Antonio Valencia is not the right full-back to solve Mourinho’s problems. He was one of several players pointedly criticised by Mourinho after the 3-1 loss to Watford, while Demarai Gray’s wonder goal in Leicester’s defeat also came from Valencia’s neck of the woods. Matteo Darmian is seemingly persona non grata.
So far so good.
“There’s been talk again about Seamus Coleman going to United.”
See above. This means literally nothing.
“While he was almost a winger under Roberto Martinez, Ronald Koeman has him back primarily as a defender.”
While he has already scored one Premier League goal this season, it is at the back where the greatest changes have been performed by Koeman. Saturday’s draw at Manchester City leaves the Toffees sixth in the table with 15 points from eight games.
At this stage last season they had conceded only two goals more, but the wheels came off at the back and Everton ended up conceding 55 goals – as many as any club outside the bottom five.
Coleman has won 65% of his duels and, according to Squawka, has made no defensive errors thus far in the league.
“Mourinho likes that.”
Yep, the Portuguese is fond of a defender who defends.
“Some of Coleman’s defending in recent Irish games – particularly against Germany – has been immaculate.”
Coleman has been pretty damn good for the Boys in Green of late, but he did not play his best against Germany in Euro 2016 qualifying, either home or away. Mainly because he didn’t play in either game.
He did captain Ireland for 3-0 defeat to Germany in 2014 World Cup qualifying, but we do not think Mourinho is going that far back. Still, Coleman’s international performances have been consistently good when he is not injured.
“He is also physically big, another quality Mourinho likes.”
Seamus Coleman is 178 centimetres tall (5 ft 10 in) and 78 kilogrammes (12 st 3lb). He is strong (ask Sterling) and, surprisingly, almost the same size as Branislav Ivanovic (185 cms, 81kg) – the archetypal Mourinho full-back.
“Leads with his attitude.”
A photo posted by SportsJOE.ie (@sportsjoedotie) on
James McCarthy will miss him if he does go.
We have been here before, with Coleman on the verge of a move to Old Trafford. He is older, wiser and more experienced, more rounded. There has been no sign of physical diminishment, thanks in part to the relatively late start to his career.
He is one of the best full-backs in the Premier League but he has never agitated for a move and seems very content at Goodison Park.
Mourinho will have to bid big and Koeman will have to accept because the Irishman is unlikely to make a fuss. He is good enough, but we ain’t crying wolf just yet.
Catch up with the latest episode of Football Friday Live
