The ink on the contracts has barely dried. The players themselves have racked up more air miles than minutes. The opposition has been short of either quality, fitness, or effort. The pre-season, ladies and gentleman, is evidently not always a precursor to success.
It’s not all a guessing game, however. New signings should be afforded the time to dovetail with the rest of their group, but some appear born to play for a club as soon as they step onto the pitch.
Indeed, these five look like they simply fit. Whether it’s as a like-for-like replacement, as a contender for a wide-open spot in the starting XI, or promise of an exciting future, their pre-seasons so far have been a sizable – if solitary – step to justifying their purchases.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United)
Key stat: 14/18 defensive duels won from four tour games
Given that Manchester United have been linked with the entire Yellow Pages of football since Aaron Wan-Bissaka signed from Crystal Palace, it feels like enough time has passed to award him a testimonial.
That’s also testament to the way he’s applied bricks and mortar to a position that has for so long been a weak spot at Old Trafford. Instead of leaning on Ashley Young – who, despite his detractors, has mostly been serviceable for the last few years – United have … well, a right-back who is actually young.
The 21-year-old youthful vigour has been apparent every time a winger has dared to attack down the left flank. His penchant for a slide tackle would normally suggest sub-par positioning. Not so with Wan-Bissaka – it’s just his preferred method of robbing possession whenever someone tries to jink past him. And he’s that good at doing it. See his tracking back and challenge on Dalbert in the victory over Inter.
Wan-Bissaka's pace tracking back is ridiculous pic.twitter.com/vxhagM9wdD
— Nooruddean (@BeardedGenius) July 20, 2019
While he’s no Dani Alves, the converted winger has shown some promising link-up play with fellow new signing Daniel James in the final third. If he can continue to apply the polish there, it will give the Red Devils a much more balanced threat with the Luke Shaw and Anthony Martial combo on the left.
Takefusa Kubo (Real Madrid)
Key stat: Foul suffered every 19 minutes in pre-season
It’s not a pristine pre-season for Real Madrid so far. Injury troubles – the worst of which has seen Marco Asensio crocked for the season – reported rifts with Florentino Perez and a pariah in Gareth Bale, not to mention that 7-3 humiliation at the hands of Atletico Madrid …
Step forward Takefusa Kubo, a bright light amid the gloom. Not only did he arrive at the Bernabeu having evaded the clutches of Barcelona – which surely makes him an instant Los Blancos legend – but he seems pretty handy at this football lark, too.
The wafer-thin midfielder is a joy to watch nearly every time he comes into contact with the ball. Like a compass, the Japan national always finds north, slinking away from the opposition before turning on the afterburners up the pitch. Dare we say his scurrying dribbles remind us of Li … no. We won’t go there. Yet.
Highlights have included nutmegging a Bayern man in the corner with two other opposition players in support, and hammering a left-footed drive that eventually led to a goal against Atleti. Simply put, it’s in Zidane’s interest to feature the 18-year-old regularly this year.
Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid)
Key stat: 2 assists, 1 goal v Real Madrid
This one is a little less surprising. In fact, it’s in the ‘he better be good’ category. Nineteen years old or not, if you’re going to invest €126m in anyone, they better produce some premium dividends right from the start.
It’s been a chaotic summer at the Wanda – according to transfermarkt.com, nine players in and 10 players out – but it’s Joao Felix who is emblematic of the future with Antoine Griezmann now a thing of the past.
How about the present? Not bad at all, if Atleti’s 7-3 pasting of Real Madrid was anything to go by. Nominally starting as a right winger, Felix naturally gravitated towards the thick of the action as the conduit between midfield and Diego Costa and Alvaro Morata in attack.
Where Kubo is balletic Felix is more of a bullet, deceptively strong when brushing off challenges and racing away. He also possesses the ability to shift down the gears and apply some subtlety, as shown in his sumptuous through ball for Diego Costa’s chip against Real. Whisper it quietly, but an upgrade on Griezmann … ?
Rodri (Manchester City)
Key stat: 97% pass completion v Yokohama
Pep Guardiola didn’t waste time giving his verdict. “We knew it, but today I can assure you we have an incredible holding midfielder for the next decade.”
He was, of course, talking about Rodri’s display in … the 3-1 victory over Manchester City sister club Yokohama Marinos. Slightly inferior opposition to the European champions they’ll be facing in the Community Shield in four days’ time.
But boy, does he look the part. The 6ft2in anchor dwarves everyone on the field but the most hulking defenders and, allied to his smoothness in possession against the Japanese side, it was as if the City players had invited one of their elder brothers for a kickabout.
It’s difficult to be as effusive as Guardiola on such scant viewing, but he went some way to confirming his status as the signing of the summer that makes the most sense.
Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona)
Key stat: 100% pass completion v Chelsea
He’s a little less rugged and a little more fluid, but Barcelona are hoping Frenkie de Jong does much the same job as Rodri is set to do at City.
While Rodri showed off his talents at Atletico in La Liga, De Jong’s rise has lived out much more in the public eye, the editor-in-chief of a side that wrote more headlines about Ajax in 2018/19 than at any point in the last two decades.
In his two games dressed in Blaugrana so far, the Dutchman has shown off his versatility. In the 45 minutes against Chelsea he was deployed at the base of midfield. Against Vissel Kobe, knitting together moves higher up the pitch as a No6. While he may be the eventual heir to Sergio Busquets, playing with any combination of personnel is unlikely to adversely affect his performances.
As for a fellow mega signing’s verdict, Griezmann had this to say: “Frenkie de Jong is the hardest opponent I’ve ever had to face. I tried to pressure him but I simply couldn’t. It’s great that we’re teammates now.”
