Manchester United were mob-handed in Barcelona last weekend. While Sevilla were destroying Espanyol up on the Olympic hill of Montjuic, one of United's most senior talentspotters plus members of the club's recruitment team from Spain and Portugal were watching attentively.
It was a re-run of last season's Hampden UEFA Cup Final but this time there were six goals, not four and the Andalusians cracked in four of them to depart with the
With Dani Jarque and Carlos Kameni plus Luis Garcia catching the eye for Espanyol and a veritable feast of top-quality players in the red and white of Sevilla—Christian Poulsen, Ivica Dragutinovic, Luis Fabiano, Feydou Keita, Diego Capel to name only a few — the trip was never going to be a waste of time.
But the fact that United's Porto based man made the trip to rendezvous with his colleagues suggests that it was former Porto striker and Brazil centre-forward Luis Fabiano, of Sevilla, who was the main target. And, as Barry Norman used to say, "Why not indeed?"
Fabiano has scored over 30 goals since August—easily the best striking performance by any player in Europe's top leagues. He, like his team-mates, has won five trophies since May 2006 and, best of all, his contract stipulates a buy-out clause of only £8million.
However, if you are scratching your head a little and admitting that Fabiano would not trip off your tongue if asked to name a list of the world's top No 9s, then that is quite explicable.
The Brazilian is one of those guys who's life is as sweet as a nut right now but who has suffered terribly over the last decade. Lonely, miserable, cold and almost mute because of his failure to understand or learn French at Rennes aged only 17, he flopped like a Duran Duran haircut. Back at Sao Paolo, and team-mate to the young Kaka, he scored so many and such good goals that he was nicknamed O'Fabuloso — the Fabulous One.
But when the post-Jose Mourinho era at Porto kicked off with Fabiano replacing the goals of Derlei and Benni McCarthy, the player was not only hopeless, he suffered the worst time of his life.
"I only left Sao Paolo the second time because the club needed the bucks," he explained. "But I came back to Europe with the intention of proving myself and becoming a great. I didn't want the setback at Rennes to stain my CV.
"However, it was when I joined Porto that gangsters kidnapped my mother back in Brazil and threatened to kill her unless I paid a huge ransom. Those were two months of hell and although, thanks to God, everything resolved itself without my mother being hurt, she still suffers the fear and is not the same person any more."
Naturally, Fabiano's football was affected. However, the exceptionally shrewd "Monchi' (head of Sevilla's scouting team) understood that this was a good player who was underperforming, not an overrated chump.
Fabiano failed to sparkle in his first few months and incurred the wrath of the demanding Sevilla fans. Until, that is, he found fitness and a perfect partner in Fredi Kanoute. The pair are dynamite.
"The impact of who I play with and how Juande Ramos and Manolo Giminez have coached me is fundamental," he agrees.
"A Brazilian striker lives for goals —more so than any other nationality.
"If you aren't scoring, you are not alive; you feel asphyxiated and you cannot find any peace either in your work or at home.
"If I'm not scoring, I can't sleep. I mope around the house, I'm mean and you just wouldn't recognise me.
"Now I feel like the guy who was baptised O' Fabuloso in Sao Paolo."
They adore him back there now as much as ever. His instant impact when Brazil were playing Uruguay last year and getting a chasing was to come on and score twice to give his country the victory.
If there is a cloud on his horizon it is that, although he'll be cheap to buy in the summer, he is another Carlos Tevez-West Ham-Manchester United-FIFA row waiting to happen. Seville only wanted to take a partial risk on him when buying the 'flop' from Porto.
"It's a mess," Fabiano confirms. "Sevilla only own 33 per cent of my registration, with the rest being in the hands of a company.
"Life here is brilliant. I like the people, the language, the weather and the football. But if Sevilla think they are going to keep me in the summer, then I'd like to see them making more of an effort to do it.
"The contract is quite specific — 711m (£8m) buys the part of my registration which Sevilla holds, so if someone comes in with that money in the summer then there will be nothing Sevilla can do.
"It's down to them to renegotiate my deal before then—all I'll do for the meantime is try to keep on scoring goals and take us to the Champions League Final."
Manchester United will be watching. And they won't be the only ones.
If he is as good as the writer of the article says (30 goals since August) and than we should give him a chance. 8 mil are not a lot of money for United after last year's turnover. But the videos DC provided did not convince me of his skills. The first goal was very very lucky and the second: you don't need much talent to score when you're alone in front of goal.
Luis Fabiano is called "The Fabulous"!So, you cannot let this lad to strike,simply because he can be a match winner!It looks like a real solution up front and 8 million is not a big price for his world class quality!
i question his ability to blend into English society, whether he has a few portugese speakers or not. If he can't manage French (17 or not) it seems he's easily affected by outside influences and not in the way Ronaldo, Nani or Anderson are affected.
To be honest they have adapted brilliantly to life in England, while with this player I have to quesiton.
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There is a reason I bleed red. United until I die.
Decent player but I dont necessarily see him as our solution. I mean, hes a decent player but when I look at him all I think is he's hot right now. I dont watch him much but from what I've seen I dont rate him highly enough to be convinced we should make that move. Add that to the fact that if he stopped to think then he'd notice moving to Utd wouldnt be the wisest career choice considering We have Rooney and Tevez starting who are both younger than he is. I'm sure there would be a few more appealing suitors. At this point I think youth (not necessarily from our system) is the way to go. We need someone with the potential who is at an age where it isnt realized and are willing and able to wait their turn. If you take Tevez's word for it he wont be a career Manc so a chance will eventualyl come. That and I think Tevez would take it a little less personal if a kid comes in and looks to dislodges him from his starting role in a couple years rather than instantly.
Manchester United are preparing to swoop for Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano this summer,
The Brazil international has jumped to the top of Sir Alex Ferguson’s wish-list following high recommendation from the United boss’ brother Martin, the club’s European scout.
Chief scout Jim Lawlor has backed the move, while coach Mike Phelan travelled to Spain last week to watch the 27-year-old in action during Sevilla’s 3-0 win over Racing Santander.
The Red Devils now head a pack containing the likes of Manchester City, Roma, Tottenham and Real Madrid as the race for the former Sao Paulo man’s signature heats up.
Fabiano has been constantly linked with a move away from Andalusia this year, amid speculation of a bust-up between he and coach Manuel Jiminez and contractual issues concerning third-party ownership and buy-out clauses.
The Rojiblancos have set an astronomical price of ₤44 million for their star striker, who has scored 33 goals in 38 appearances this season, but it is understood the actual price could be as low as ₤7 million due to a release clause in the player’s contract.
Such a thrifty purchase would leave plenty of spending money for United to pursue their other targets, including Fabiano’s compatriot and team-mate Dani Alves, who has been tagged along with Porto defender Jose Bosingwa and Manchester City youngster Micah Richards to fill the right-back slot at Old Trafford.
seems to be a very good price for 27 year old striker. It will bring some experience upfront which we dont have atm (saha doesn't count, he has been injured half his life.)
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Price is decent alright . Am merely interested to know if he will be happy to play the third striker who won't get to start every game . He is most likely going to play one off games and he is 27 and i think it would be a step down for him , after all the lad is a good striker .
Luis Fabiano - Rumour
Luis Fabiano - Rumour -
02-24-2008, 10:35 AM
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