Many players use Tramadol — Ex-Liverpool player claims as WADA is set to ban the drug
Tramadol will become a banned substance on January 1, 2024, and many players are said to have a dependency on the drug.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is set to make Tramadol a banned substance from the start of next year, and former Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland believes it will lead to many players failing anti-doping tests as its use is more widespread than originally envisaged.
Tramadol is a prescription pain medication classified as an opioid. According to Health Direct, it is used to provide short-term relief for moderate to severe pain. It is not used to treat long-term pain problems and it can lead to addiction and dependency problems.
PFA warns players about Tramadol
With the ban on Tramadol imminent, the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has sent a warning to all footballers under their umbrella about the dangers of the drug.
“The concern we have is that there is an explicit acknowledgement that it is an addictive substance,” Ben Wright, a PFA chief, said, per the Athletic.
“It’s habit-forming, it’s an opiate and it’s often referred to as being in the same family as heroin. It can sound like an extreme comparison, but it is fairly well accepted.”
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Ex-Liverpool star believes Tramadol will earn players’ bans
It is believed that many players are currently using drugs, many doing so legally. Players are believed to have a dependency on or have formed a habit around the drug; hence, WADA pushed the date for the start of the ban to enable players to wean themselves off it, but Kirkland, who played 45 games for Liverpool across multiple seasons, believes this will not change much and a player will eventually be caught.
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“Somebody is going to get caught,” Kirkland assured. “I’m glad this ban is happening because it’s a dangerous, dangerous drug. But you’re not going to eradicate it and somebody will fail a test; it’s inevitable. It’s going to be extremely tough for a lot of players because there will be many who rely on it.”
Meanwhile, French World Cup winner Paul Pogba has received a two-year ban from footballing activities after failing two doping tests.
Pogba’s A and B samples both showed signs of metabolites of a banned substance, dehydroepiandrosterone, a banned substance that naturally boosts testosterone production, and he has been suspended indefinitely by Juventus since early September.
Liverpool eyeing £40m Maddison clone in one of Europe’s “best wide playmakers”
Jurgen Klopp’s side are monitoring this exciting PL talent.
There’s not a great deal to complain about at Liverpool right now – bar the usual injuries and Mohamed Salah and Wataru Endo’s absences on international duty this month – with Jurgen Klopp’s side firing across all cylinders.
Top of the Premier League after 20 fixtures, there is a growing belief that the Anfield side could claim their second league title under Klopp’s leadership, also into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup and the knockout stage of the Europa League.
January 2019 was the last time the Reds opted not to strengthen the ranks at the season’s midpoint, and while Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo’s additions over the past two years suggest that business could be done this month, last summer’s sweeping changes mean that it is unlikely anything drastic will happen.
Liverpool could repeat Endo blinder with move for £9m “destroyer”
Jorg Schmadtke could make another astute purchase for the Liverpool midfield this winter.
Joel Matip is out for the season but Jarell Quansah’s rise to the fore has come at the perfect time, with Endo’s recent displays anchoring the midfield suggesting that heavy spending is not needed in that department.
This is not to say that Liverpool aren’t monitoring and plotting ahead of the campaign’s conclusion, however, with a Premier League phenom reportedly being lined up.
Liverpool transfer news – Michael Olise
According to Football Insider, Michael Olise’s new release clause with Crystal Palace is well in excess of £40m, with Liverpool – alongside Chelsea and Manchester City – interested in securing his signature.
Chelsea activated Olise’s £35m release clause in August but a completed deal never materialised and the Eagles convinced their star attacker to sign fresh terms, raising the buyout in his contract.
Liverpool have been sending scouts to observe the France U21 international in action for the past few months and will be at the front of the race to sign him in the summer.
Michael Olise’s style of play
Palace signed Olise from Championship club Reading for only £8m in 2021, and after an impressive debut campaign that saw him clinch 12 direct goal contributions from just 16 starts across all competitions, the whiz posted 11 assists from 31 starts during the 2022/23 league campaign.
As per FBref, the 22-year-old ranks among the top 16% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 10% for shot-creating actions, the top 15% for tackles, the top 13% for blocks and the top 6% for interceptions per 90.
Inventive, artful and industrious, Olise embodies the application and dynamism that Klopp demands in a player, and it would be wise to ensure that moves are made to stand a good chance of closing a deal in several months.
| Michael Olise: Key Characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Crossing | Aerial duels |
| Creativity | Tackling |
| Taking set-pieces | |
| Dribbling | |
| Direct free-kicks | |
| Ball retention | |
| Defensive contribution | |
| *Sourced via WhoScored | |
A man of many talents, Olise would be a credit to Liverpool’s team and could even serve as the principal creative outlet, allowing the dynamite forwards to wreak havoc with their shooting.
Of course, playmaking isn’t the only string to Olise’s bow, as has been evidenced through his clinical exploits this term…
Michael Olise’s season in numbers
Returning from a hamstring injury that ruled him out of the opening three months of the 2023/24 campaign, Olise has plundered five goals and an assist from just seven Premier League matches so far.
Heralded as a “pure joy to watch” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 5 foot 10 gem has been an electric presence, maintaining his flair and creativity despite his newfound cutting edge.
Indeed, as per Sofascore, Olise has completed 81% of his passes and averaged 2.2 key passes, 2.7 dribbles and 7.4 duels per game.
Certainly not one-dimensional, it’s no wonder that some of English football’s mightiest forces are eager to secure his services, and should Klopp succeed in this transfer endeavour, he might even make a transformative move to replicate Tottenham Hotspur’s signing of James Maddison.
Why Michael Olise would be Klopp’s own Maddison
Maddison was crowned the Premier League’s Player of the Month in August after a brilliant start to life in London, signing from relegated Leicester City for £40m last June.
While the Foxes fell into the second tier, the 26-year-old was hardly culpable after scoring ten goals and providing nine assists from only 28 starts.
But such feats attracted Spurs’ attention and his signing was considered a bargain for one so talented, with the Times’ Henry Winter remarking that it was “buys of the summer”, especially given that Newcastle United had fiercely pursued a transfer since the PIF takeover back in 2021.
The Magpies failed with a £50m summer bid in the past before seeing fresh discussions come to nought after Tottenham edged ahead in the race.
The England international has been sidelined with an ankle injury for the past few months but is soon to return to match action and continue to stake his claim as one of the finest creators in the Premier League, averaging 2.9 key passes per outing.
The £170k-per-week star ranks among the top 3% of positional peers for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions and the top 5% for progressive passes per 90, showcasing his elite ball-playing ability.
While Maddison plays centrally and Olise tends to be deployed out on the right wing, Liverpool could triumph in signing a creative player from a lower-positioned side in the league ladder and nurture them toward a starring role at the forefront of the European game.
After all, Kulig has said in the past that the Selhurst Park maverick is “one of the best wide playmakers in Europe”.
The fact that Chelsea failed to sign Olise at the start of the season draws another parallel between this transfer saga and Maddison’s; Liverpool will need to ensure that they capitalise and sign an elite talent.
Erik ten Hag will look to boost his attacking options with move for Premier League star.
Manchester United’s season has been one step forward and two steps back ever since the 1-0 win over Wolves on the opening weekend.
The Red Devils sit eighth in the Premier League after 20 games, winning ten matches while also losing nine.
All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024
With the January transfer window now upon us, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.
With that in mind, Erik ten Hag will look to improve his squad in January, particularly his attack, which has scored just 22 goals in the league.
Man Utd transfers latest – Michael Olise
According to The Mirror, Man United are interested in signing Michael Olise, who has been labelled as “one of the best wide playmakers in Europe” by renowned scout Jacek Kulig.
The Crystal Palace winger has a release clause of £60m, which can be activated in the summer, and it’s thought Ten Hag’s men are willing to pay that sum.
A move this January is highly unlikely, especially considering United’s current financial fair play situation.
How Michael Olise compares to Antony
Since joining Man United last summer for £82m, Antony has failed to live up to the high expectations, often leaving the fans frustrated.
To sum up his performances, the Brazilian has played 21 matches for the Red Devils this season and failed to register a goal contribution. He’s now gone 1,417 minutes and has taken 48 shots without scoring in the league.
On the other hand, despite overcoming injuries and only playing his first game of the season in November, Olise has scored five goals and registered one assist in just seven Premier League starts.
That alone proves he would be an Antony upgrade, but let’s also look at the stats from the last year across the top European leagues that show it.
| Olise vs Antony Stats | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stats (per 90) | Olise | Antony |
| Goals | 0.22 | 0.10 |
| Assists | 0.29 | 0.07 |
| Key passes | 2.52 | 1.53 |
| Crosses | 8.78 | 1.39 |
| Shot-creating actions | 5.18 | 3.86 |
| Successful take-ons | 2.12 | 1.74 |
| Tackles | 1.83 | 1.70 |
| Tackles (Def third) | 0.76 | 0.83 |
| Stats via FBref | ||
As you can see, Olise is a creative wizard who can cause havoc from open play and set pieces. He is particularly dangerous from crossing scenarios that he finds himself in frequently due to his ability to cut inside onto his stronger left foot or go on the outside to produce quality on his right. This is highlighted by the fact that he’s in the top 1% for crosses per 90. It is clear that the 22-year-old wipes the floor with United’s number 21 in terms of chance creation.
Furthermore, one of the only attributes that Antony has been praised for is his work rate off the ball, but Olise even matches him defensively, as shown by the tackles won and tackles won in the defensive third, indicating the Palace winger is willing to track back and support his full-back.
The difference between Olise and Antony is night and day, with the former being one of the deadliest right-wingers in the Premier League and the latter being a passenger for the most part. Olise has the potential to transform United’s attack completely, and the Red Devils would also be acquiring a set-piece specialist.
The only downside to signing the Palace ace is his injuries as of late, but with Amad Diallo back from injury problems himself and Alejandro Garnacho showing he can play on the right, Ten Hag will be able to manage his minutes to get the best out of him.
Forward “on the verge” of joining Tottenham with “final negotiations today”
It’s been a surprise development this morning.
Tottenham Hotspur are “on the verge” of a surprise signing as Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg breaks some transfer news this morning.
Postecoglou chasing early January deals
Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou made clear last month that the north Londoners will attempt to seal their January business early, as the head coach wants to bed new recruits into the squad nice and quickly.
All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024
With the January transfer window now upon us, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.
Indeed, Tottenham are linked with signing a centre-back, midfielder and forward this month, with Postecoglou recently saying he’s “hopeful” of sealing new players soon after the winter window opens.
“Obviously if we can do business early it’s great for us, not just because of losing [Cristian] Romero but there’s a whole month there – why waste it?,” said Postecoglou on Spurs’ January transfer plans.
“If you can bring them in early, even if they don’t play you can bed them into training and our style of football because it’s not like we’re going to sign somebody and they’ll hit the ground running. Maybe they could.
| Spurs rumoured centre-back targets for January | Latest update |
|---|---|
| Trevoh Chalobah | 20th December |
| Jean-Clair Todibo | 20th December |
| Morato | 19th December |
| Radu Dragusin | 16th December |
| Sebastian Caceres | 14th December |
| Jarrad Branthwaite | 13th December |
“Whereas if you leave it towards the end of January, it’s potentially not until mid to end of February when they get up to speed, depending where they’re coming from, the league they’re coming from. So there’s a whole lot of moving parts. So yes, I’d love to do something early in the window but even me saying that puts a challenge on us – because other clubs know we want to do something early.
“You’ve got to play the game, we’ll see what happens but I’m hopeful it will be much earlier than the end of the window before we bring someone in.”
Spurs have been heavily linked with a move for Genoa defender Radu Dragusin. Postecoglou’s side, in their desperate search for a new centre-back, are thought to be making headway and want a deal done soon.
Tottenham are advancing in talks to sign Dragusin after agreeing personal terms (Fabrizio Romano), but according to Sky reporter Plettenberg, there has been quite an unexpected transfer development out of N17 just this morning.
Timo Werner “on the verge” of joining Tottenham
According to the journalist, RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner could be a Spurs player very soon.
It is believed Werner is “on the verge” of joining Tottenham on loan and “final negotiations” are taking place today.
The Germany international can play anywhere across the attacking midfield area and further forward. Werner has scored two goals in eight Bundesliga appearances this season.
Ange Postecoglou would pull off a major coup with this exciting signing.
Tottenham Hotspur are approaching the end of the festive period with renewed optimism after a remarkable start to the 2023/24 campaign, with a five-match winless run halting a tentative claim for the Premier League title.
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