Thomas Vermaelen – Page 3 – Thomas Vermaelen

Thomas Vermaelen Keen to Stop Kylian Mbappe in World Cup Semi-Finals

Barcelona and Belgium defender Thomas Vermaelen claims that Kylian Mbappe is the biggest threat for France in the upcoming meeting between the two teams at the World Cup 2018. The PSG youngster has been a revelation so far in the tournament. Even though the competition started with the expectation that the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, or Neymar will be able to shine, there has been an unexpected progress from Kylian Mbappe, who is about to become one of the world’s most expensive players when his loan move from PSG transforms into a £ 166 million permanent deal.

After ripping off several teams earlier in the competition,Mbappe is on course to making history by getting France into the finals. France are one of the teams unbeaten in the competition but they have been reliant on a handful of players in order to do the job. Vermaelen is aware of this element and he knows that Kylian Mbappe needs to be stopped in order to prevent France from having any tilt at the World Cup final. The Les Blues are hopeful of winning the competition for the first time since 1998 and there has been an effervescent mood within the camp. Vermaelen, though, has identifiedMbappe as the biggest threat for France and the primary job for the Belgian defenders will be to stop the youngster from playing his natural game.
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Barcelona Change Their Stance On Selling Thomas Vermaelen

Spanish heavyweights Barcelona have reportedly changed their stance on selling Thomas Vermaelen at the end of the current campaign. The Belgium international has just a year left on his current contract but the Blaugrana are prepared to discuss terms over an extended deal, Mundo Deportivo reports.

Vermaelen had initially been tipped to leave the Camp Nou giants during the previous summer transfer window but new boss Ernesto Valverde decide to keep hold of his services. Since then, the versatile defender has put in a number of top-notch performances, most especially during the festive period where he had to cover up for the injured Samuel Umtiti. Continue reading Barcelona Change Their Stance On Selling Thomas Vermaelen

Thomas Vermaelen: Lionel Messi is better than ‘world-class’ Eden Hazard

Barcelona defender Thomas Vermaelen has said that Lionel Messi is on a different level to Eden Hazard despite the latter becoming the go-to player in the Chelsea ranks. The former Arsenal man is set to return to London this week when the Catalan giants face-off against the Blues in the Champions League round of 16 first-leg.

In an interview with The Guardian, the experienced centre-back was asked to compare the individual abilities of Hazard and Messi. Though he initially admitted that there are similarities in their style of play, the 32-year-old stressed it is difficult to place him into the calibre of Messi, who has five Ballon d’Or titles to his name.
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Thomas Vermaelen confident injury problems are behind him

Belgium international Thomas Vermaelen is looking forward to contributing towards Barcelona’s success after having overcome his concerns with regular injuries. The former Arsenal man started the campaign as the fourth-choice defender, but injuries to Javier Mascherano and Samuel Umtiti have enabled him cement a regular role in central defence alongside Gerard Pique.

In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Vermaelen is pleased to have gone unscathed for more than a year, and he is aiming to integrate into prove his worth to the Catalan giants, he said: “I understand that people had doubts about my physical condition because in recent years I have had a few physical problems. But since November 2016 I have not had any more problems and I’ve been feeling good for a year. I know I have a reputation as a player made of glass, but I have managed to overcome that. I knew I had the ability to play for Barca but in previous years, due to injuries, I had not been able to show what I am capable of.”
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Inter Milan set sights on signing Thomas Vermaelen

Inter Milan have reportedly set their sights on signing Barcelona defender Thomas Vermaelen as they look to bolster their central defensive department in the New Year. The Nerazzurri currently have Milan Skriniar, Joao Miranda, and Andreas Ranocchia as the only senior centre-backs in the club’s ranks.

According to TMW, Luciano Spalletti’s side have earmarked Vermaelen as their top defensive target for January as they look to maintain their strong start to the campaign. The San Siro outfit are currently just two points adrift of league leaders Napoli, and the manager is hoping to add more options to the defence in order to avoid burnout in the second half of the season.
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