Kim Kallström wants Premier League move
Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Kim Kallström has said he is willing to give up life playing in France in favour of a switch to the English Premier League.
The Sweden international revealed to Goal.com that: “I watch the Premier League, there are great players; it’s a great championship. I would like to play there, of course. Why not? It’s not that’s easy, I play for a great club, I have two years (on my contract) so, for the moment, nothing happens but you never know. Premier League clubs have been interested in me but I prefer to keep that to myself. Nothing happens, it just becomes the thing of discussion, there’s no reason to speak about it.”
Tottenham Hotspur and Everton Football club are both interested in acquiring the services of the talented 27-year-old, who can play at left-back and has been used by Lyon in wide and central midfield roles. He is known as an all-action box-to-box midfielder, while he has strong passing and crossing skills. Kallström is also capable of testing the opposing goalkeeper from distance with powerful long-range strikes. That kind of versatility could prove invaluable to an EPL squad this season after the Football Association introduced new rules that mean each EPL club is limited to naming a 25-man squad of senior players in a bid to boost the number of homegrown talents for the England national team.
Kallström said: “I think I’d have no problems as a player (in the EPL) but some of these questions are difficult to answer when you haven’t played there. I could come in and it doesn’t really work out but you never know.”
Vast riches
The EPL holds vast riches as rewards for top talent, and Kallström said he was intrigued by the huge spending power of Manchester City Football Club, who are continuing to shell out for big-name players in spite of a depressed market. He said: “For all footballers it’s great because they are putting new fresh money on the market and it’s good for us and it’s good for the football [with] new fresh money when a lot of clubs are struggling with the economy. They are a bit like Chelsea from a few years ago. They are trying to buy status a little bit but they will have to lose some players they bought a few years ago and lose a bit of money but if you want to start up something you have to do it like that. You see the players signing now from all the biggest clubs all around the world so they can attract anyone they want.”
Lyon were runners-up in the French Ligue 1 last season, but had success on the European stage as they reached the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League. Kallström said: “We proved last year that you have to conquer us. We knocked out Real Madrid and it was supposed to be their big season, they were going to win the trophy at home so. In the end the Bayern team was stronger than us but it was fair and we will prepare well for this year. We were not far away last year so you know, why not?”
Kallström has been at Lyon since May 2006. He helped the club win league titles in the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, as well as a Coupe de France in 2008 and a Trophee des champions in 2007. He has made 187 appearances in total for Lyon and has scored 17 goals. With a previous club in Sweden, Djurgårdens IF Fotboll, Kallström won the Swedish Allsvenskan league championship in 2002 and 2003 and the Swedish Cup in 2002. He has also played for Sweden 78 times and scored 13 goals.
Tags: