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Football fans are envious when arch rivals of clubs they support possess world class players. The feeling is intensified when these players perform exceptionally well and it even turns into anguish when the performance of these players costs their beloved club vital points.There are many players across the globe who are so good that even a rival fan would welcome them with open arms to their club. Take for example the case of Luis Figo who moved from Barcelona to Real Madrid.So here are five active players whom even their rival fans would love to see in their club’s kit.
#1 Sergio Aguero at Manchester United
There aren’t many people who will disagree if I state that Sergio Aguero is the best striker in the Premier League at the moment. The Argentine has been one of the best players for the Citizens in their history and is now their all-time leading goal scorer in the Premier League era and the highest scoring South American in the Premier League.
Aguero has had a terrific record against United. He has scored seven goals against the local rivals so far. However, Aguero’s goal that hurt United the most was the one he scored against QPR in the final game of the 2011/12 season to snatch the league title from right under United’s nose.
Manchester United have had their fair share of goal scoring problems in recent months and the erratic form of Wayne Rooney isn’t doing them any favours. The fans of the club will have bad memories because of Aguero, but they would gladly welcome such a prolific goal scorer to the team if that can prove to be the solution to their goal scoring issues.
#2 Santi Cazorla at Chelsea
Defending Premier League champions Chelsea are enduring an unbelievably poor season by their standards. The blues are sitting in the bottom half of the table and are likely to finish well below the Champions League positions come the end of the season.
One of the major problems for Chelsea this season has been their central midfield. Cesc Fabregas who thrived in midfield alongside Nemanja Matic last season is now struggling to replicate the form he showed last season. Other than Fabregas Chelsea had Ramires to rely on, but now the Brazilian has left the club to ply his trade in China.
Cazorla who started out at Arsenal in a more advanced midfield role or down the wing was reinvented by Arsene Wenger as a central midfielder who dictates the tempo of the game. The effects of his absence due to an injury are clearly showing in Arsenal’s games in recent weeks.
Chelsea are clearly in need of a midfielder with Cazorla’s skillsets and the Spaniard is a character that you just can’t hate – even if he plays for your rivals.
#3 Harry Kane at Arsenal
Harry Kane is one of the many young players who have grown under Mauricio Pochettino. The Englishman has become a regular goal scorer for Spurs since the start of the last season and is one of the best young strikers in the game at the moment.
The Englishman’s double for Spurs against Arsenal last season gave them a rare victory in a North London Derby and he followed up with another goal against the Gunners in this season’s first league game between the two sides.
Arsenal are pushing hard for a league title and one of the areas where many people think they need to strengthen is their strike force. Olivier Giroud has been in good form this season, but a striker of Kane’s quality would surely make a big difference to their side.
There are pictures of Kane celebrating in an Arsenal kit when he was young. Maybe the Spurs’ forward is secretly an Arsenal fan and would love to play for the Gunners.
#4 David De Gea at Liverpool
Goal keeping has been a problem for Liverpool since the departure of Pepe Reina in 2013. Simon Mignolet has had his moments in the limelight, but his mistakes have proved to be too costly for Liverpool. Brad Jones and Adam Bogdan have filled in for the Belgian on occasions, but both players make Mignolet look like Manuel Neuer.
On the other hand, Liverpool’s arch rivals Manchester United have a keeper who is securing more points for the side than the team’s strikers.
De Gea was Manchester United’s player of the season for the previous two seasons and based on this season’s evidence it looks like he will win it a third time on the trot. The Spaniard has had a huge hand in Manchester United’s current league position and it is fair to say that keeping him was the best transfer business Manchester United did in the summer.
Liverpool have been on the receiving end of De Gea’s terrific form on four occasions under Louis Van Gaal. De Gea has made some very vital saves against the Reds and he was the man of the match in the most recent encounter between the two sides in which the Reds toiled hard to put the ball past the Spaniard without succeeding.
The Reds have improved massively under Jurgen Klopp, but any Liverpool fan will happily welcome De Gea to the team if it means the end of regular goal keeping blunders.
#5 Andres Iniesta at Real Madrid
There are very few possibilities to improve the existing Real Madrid squad, but one area where Real Madrid could work on is their midfield.
Real Madrid’s regular starters in central midfield are Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, but in many aspects they are similar players. They are players who have excellent passing range and vision, but they don’t often dribble the ball into dangerous areas. Even in advanced midfield roles the likes of Isco and James Rodriguez are struggling for consistency and are walking in and out of the side.
The side from the Spanish capital could do with a player like Andres Iniesta who sacrifices himself for the team and thus creates plenty of scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Iniesta is a magician with the ball at his feet and his current teammate Messi is probably the only footballer who can rival him when it comes to close control and dribbling abilities.
Real Madrid would add a new dimension to their game with a player like Iniesta in the side and let’s face it, the world cup winning goal scorer is a figure that even Real Madrid fans admire. In fact, Iniesta was applauded by the Real Madrid fans at the Bernabau when Barcelona put four goals past them this season.
