Footballer Needing Love - Sebastian Larsson

This Swede’s got needs and they’re not being fulfilled at St Andrews anymore, especially not in the Championship, so it’s time for him to find pastures new.  But who’s going to be the club that gets his pulses racing again?  Let’s find out… 

Sebastian Larsson – Birmingham City

Seb has been one of The Blues’ main men for the best part of five years now, but their squabbles over money and Birmingham’s shock departure from the Premier League means that the couple have split in pretty acrimonious circumstances.  A love affair that started when Birmingham were Seb’s bit on the side from Arsenal seemed to be at its peak last year when the team impressed in their first season back in the top flight with Mr Larsson at the heart of things in their midfield.  It’s very much over now though as his contract has finished and Alex McLeish has well and truly put his things in bin liners and thrown them out of the bedroom window.  There will be no shortage of admirers of the Sweden international though, and expect his future to be back in the Premier League, but the question is, who will woo him their way???

Newcastle United???

Since January, when Seb’s relationship with Birmingham seemed to be on the rocks, Newcastle have been sniffing around looking to pounce.  The Magpies’ midfield is without doubt the best part of their team, with some real quality in there with the likes of Nolan, Barton and at times Gutierrez, but if there was a gap to fill it would be on the right flank.  If our man were to fill that whole and play alongside the three I’ve mentioned and also Tiote, who has been very impressive, then Alan Pardew really does have a top-class midfield on his hands.  It’s tempting to say that he will have at least one striker at the top of his priorities list, but with Seb available on a free it might be too good an opportunity to turn down.  Could there be love in the air on Tyneside???

Bolton Wanderers???

The Trotters had a very strange season in the end as they were lauded as a great team for most of it, but ended up finishing way down in 14^th after competing in the top half for the majority of the campaign.  One reason for this slump in form which was banded about was the loss to a horrific injury of creative midfielder Stuart Holden.  I’m not sure this was the only reason for the loss of form, but it can’t have helped and Owen Coyle won’t want this to happen again so bringing in Seb will provide competition for places and excellent cover if a similar situation occurs again.  Our man certainly suits Coyle’s passing style of football, and it will suit Seb after the long ball tactics at Birmingham, I’m sure he’ll enjoy getting back to his more Arsenal-like footballing roots.  It seems like a pretty good match to me, but will there be romance at the Reebok???

Queens Park Rangers???

Who’s this attractive young thing strutting her stuff in the Premier League all of a sudden, why it’s Queens Park Rangers.  Top Flight viewers might not have seen QPR for a while, but they return to the Premier League a wholly different proposition as a very wealthy and powerful club.  They won’t be splashing the cash a la Manchester City, but they will be able to compete with wages like no other newly promoted club, so attractive free agents, like Seb, might be just what Neil Warnock will be looking for.  It really depends on how Warnock is going to go about his task in the Premier League as you could say that with Taarabt and Routledge he doesn’t need any more forward thinking midfielders, or you could think that adding Larsson to that list would make them a formidable attacking force.  I think it’s certainly a match that could work, and it wouldn’t surprise me if it happened, but I just don’t think it’s the most likely.

So who’s caught our single man’s attention and are swapping numbers as we speak???

As I have said there will be plenty of interest in Seb as he is one of the highest quality free agents that you are likely to come across, and don’t rule out a move abroad for our man.  However, I’m going to match him to one of these three, and to be honest there isn’t much difference between the clubs and I shouldn’t think they’ll be finishing too far apart by the end of next season.  I would suggest that of the three though, it is Bolton who are the most progressive and if they sign the likes of Seb and Daniel Sturridge, then they will be competing in the top half again as they have been for the majority of the season just gone.  This is why I’m going to get Seb involved with them, because I really rate him highly as a player and think they’ll be a highly successful couple.  Come on now Mr Coyle, send him some flowers and ask him out for dinner.