Sunderland: Duncan Watmore is open to a move abroad

Duncan Watmore has revealed that he will look to move abroad following his exit from League One side Sunderland.

With the 2019/20 season now over for the Black Cats, manager Phil Parkinson must now find suitable replacements for a number of players whose contracts have come to an end.

One of those is Watmore, who leaves behind a seven-year stint at the Stadium of Light which saw him make a total of 87 first team appearances.

With the winger’s deal due to end on Tuesday, Watmore has now revealed that he would like to move abroad if the opportunity emerged.

Watmore told the Daily Mail: “I want to create some really good new memories on the pitch. Hopefully there is a club out there for me. Whether it be in this country or abroad, I am open to all ideas.

“I feel as fit as I’ve ever felt. I have used this period to seriously step up my fitness game. My knee feels stronger than ever and I feel my body is in the best position it has been since before my injury.

“I genuinely believe that I’ve still got a lot left to give. I am excited to prove to people that I can get back to where I was before.”

The 26-year-old made 17 appearances in League One for Sunderland during the 2019/20 season, netting once and registering three assists in the process.

After seven years with Sunderland, Watmore has struggled with injuries over that time and those previous problems could limit the volume of interest in him this summer.

Transfer activity could be limited in the upcoming window with most clubs’ budgets affected by the coronavirus pandemic and potential signings will be heavily scrutinised before a deal is completed. Therefore, the 26-year-old, who is valued at £1.8m by TransferMarkt, must hope that clubs will show enough faith in his ability rather than be deterred by his injury record.

Where do you think Duncan Watmore will end up playing next? Let us know in the comments section below…

Glasgow Rangers: James Maddison convinced Calvin Bassey to move to Ibrox

Calvin Bassey has said that James Maddison helped convince him to move from Leicester City to Glasgow Rangers.

Bassey recently moved to the ‘Gers from the Foxes on a free transfer, although he is reportedly said to have cost £230,000 in compensation. At 20 years of age, he is unlikely to be a guaranteed starter in Steven Gerrard’s starting XI, although he did score on his debut against Hamilton in a friendly and could be able to at least provide competition for Borna Barisic.

Talking to The Scottish Sun, Bassey said:

“I spoke to James Maddison about Scottish football as he was with Aberdeen.

“I asked about his experiences up here and he told me to give my all, work hard and do my thing on the training ground and when my chance comes along, then to take it.

“He thought I could do well, so hopefully he is right.

“It’s not an easy to make a decison on your future for someone as young as me, but as soon as Rangers came in it was a privilege to join a world-famous club.

“I took myself out of my comfort zone and moved away from family, but you’ve got to make some sacrifices and that’s one I had to make.

“I’m just focusing on where I’m at now and will do my ultimate to become as good as I can and fulfil my potential.”

Maddison previouslu had a loan spell at Aberdeen, hence why he was able to advise Bassey to move north of the border. The 23-year-old played 17 games for the Dons, scoring twice and providing seven assists. It clearly set him on the right path, with him since becoming an England international and currently being valued at £43.2m by Transfermarkt.

Both Bassey and Gerrard will be hoping that the left-back can have the same trajectory in the long-term as Maddison, in which case he would almost certainly enjoy a successful career at Ibrox.

‘Gers fans, are you excited about what Bassey could bring to the team? Let us know what you think by commenting below!

West Ham fans react as Jeremy Ngakia set to join Watford

After making just five total appearances for West Ham’s first-team, it seems Jeremy Ngakia is set to join Watford this summer.

The 19-year-old played just once following the Premier League’s restart, completing 81 minutes in the Hammers’ 2-0 defeat at the London Stadium to Wolves.

But now, according to both The Guardian and ExWHUemployee, the starlet is set to join recently relegated Watford following the expiration of his contract back in June.

The Guardian further claim that the teenager “turned down West Ham’s offer of a new long-term deal and even rejected their attempts to persuade him to sign a short-term extension until the end of the season”.

And after hearing about the update on Ngakia’s future, Hammers fans took to Twitter to share their reactions.

Some fans compared Ngakia to Domingos Quina, who also left West Ham to join Watford – the latter has since made just 22 appearances across all competitions for the Hornets, and played just four times in the Premier League in the 2019/2020 campaign.

After reportedly rejecting offers to stay at the London Stadium in the long-term, it certainly seems like a strange choice for Ngakia to head to Watford, who will now be playing Championship football next season following their relegation from the top-flight.

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Ultimately, the 19-year-old’s decision would surely have rested on ensuring more game-time at whichever club, and clearly he feels that he stands a better chance to do with the Hornets.

But for now, Hammers fans understandably don’t seem to be shedding too many tears at his exit.

Glasgow Rangers: Kamara subject of £10m interest

According to 90min.com, Dinamo Moscow and Dynamo Kiev are prepared to pay up to £10m for Glasgow Rangers’ Glen Kamara this summer.

Kamara signed for the Gers in January of last year for the meagre fee of just £50,000, but the Ibrox outfit could be in line to make an awful lot more in the next couple of months if they were to move him on.

It isn’t just the two eastern European sides who are interested, either – Sheffield United, Crystal Palace, Everton, Newcastle and Southampton, as well as Norwich City and Brentford, are all said to be in pursuit.

Kamara was purchased from Dundee FC, and since then he has become an important member of Steven Gerrard’s squad. He has played 57 times in all competitions, scoring two goals, and he looks to be a guaranteed starter for the 54-time Scottish champions in the middle of the park, with him having played every minute of the first two matches of the Premiership term.

Having said that, £10m would be an incredibly hard offer to turn down for Ross Wilson and co. That would represent a profit of 19,900%, and would give them even more funds to add to their squad in this current transfer window as they look to win their first piece of major silverware since 2011.

With Bongani Zungu still reportedly on the Gers’ radar, it could be the perfect opportunity to bring in a considerable sum for 24-year-old Kamara.

Let us know what you think below!

Arsenal: Gabriel Magalhaes posts on Instagram following completion of Gunners move

The last few days have been very good for all associated with Arsenal as they managed to beat Liverpool in the Community Shield on penalties and then announced the signing of defender Gabriel Magalhaes.

The Brazilian had been linked with fellow Premier League sides Manchester United and Everton but the Gunners managed to acquire him for around £26.5m and he has signed a five-year deal, per ESPN.

It is an exciting time to be an Arsenal supporter as, despite finishing in eighth place in the Premier League last season, there has been an upturn in fortunes since Mikel Arteta took over from Unai Emery as manager, as he has managed to win both the Community Shield and the FA Cup while being in charge for less than nine months at the Emirates Stadium.

This clearly has been a factor in bringing players like Gabriel to the club, and he is very excited to embark on his new journey in the Premier League as he posted on Instagram following Arsenal’s confirmation of his transfer.

His

/CEmdCdBiD_g/”>post was a video of him changing his Lille shirt for the Gunners’ home kit and it was accompanied with the caption: ‘Wearing and representing the Arsenal shirt is the privilege of a few. I thank my parents, my businessmen and everyone who helped me get here. Very happy and motivated to be able to play in such a traditional team of world football. A new beginning. A new story’

Supporters will surely love that he has called it a privilege to play for the club and hopefully the 22 year-old can put in some solid performances at the back to help Arsenal lift more silverware and improve upon their lowly league finish from last term.

Gunners fans, how excited are you to see Gabriel in action? Comment below with your views!

Many Everton fans slam Jordan Pickford after Blackpool draw

Despite the continuous errors over the past few seasons, Jordan Pickford has somehow remained both Everton and England’s number one.

The 26-year-old has endured his fair share of high-profile howlers – Toffees fans certainly won’t be forgetting his last-minute clanger back in December 2018 against arch-rivals Liverpool anytime soon.

And whilst he may not have had a similar sort of mishap in Everton’s pre-season clash against Blackpool on Saturday afternoon, he certainly didn’t enjoy the greatest of games.

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The Merseyside club were torn to pieces in the opening ten minutes, with the Seasiders romping away to a three-goal lead, Pickford offering no resistance whatsoever.

And perhaps just to underline how miserable of a game he had, after being withdrawn at half-time, Pickford watched on as Carlo Ancelotti’s side salvaged some pride and rescued a 3-3 draw.

But after seeing yet another disappointing performance from their number one, Everton fans took to Twitter to voice their frustrations.

A few Everton fans simply insisted that they need to get rid of Pickford this summer, and that they had had enough.

It’s no surprise that some Everton fans seem to have had enough with Pickford and his antics.

A goalkeeper’s main job is simply to prevent goals from going on, but not only does the England international seem to be letting the relatively easy ones in, he also has a habit of gifting the opposition ones too – in his time in the Premier League, he has made 13 errors that have directly led to goals.

As a couple of Toffees fans suggest, maybe it’s the perfect time to get rid.

Liverpool: Fans react as Adam Lallana suffers injury blow during first match for Brighton

Adam Lallana played his first match for new club Brighton on Monday, but it wasn’t the dream debut he had hoped for.

The former Liverpool man was substituted off just before half-time as a result of an injury. After the Seagulls conceded a penalty, the second half brought more bad luck and Chelsea rode out winners.

This injury for Lallana, whether minor or more serious, is merely one part of a bigger picture which has pained his career. During his time with Liverpool, the England international struggled immensely with fitness and overall missed a staggering 67 matches across his six years with the club.

He had four separate lengthy spells out due to hamstring injuries and ongoing knee problems bled into his Anfield career from his time at Southampton, where he had to undergo surgery (via Transfermarkt).

Many Liverpool fans had high hopes for his new journey with Brighton, but are now deflated seeing him once again suffer an injury blow. One supporter has tweeted ‘what a surprise’, whilst another has sarcastically said ‘water is wet’.

Read more replies from the Twitter selection here:

Do you think Adam Lallana can re-establish himself at Brighton? Join the conversation in the comments below…

West Brom would be landing their next Kevin Phillips in Karlan Grant

Time is quickly running out if West Bromwich Albion are to secure that elusive new striker this transfer window, although the Midlands outfit are set to launch a “major bid” this week…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, the Baggies are preparing one final move for Huddersfield Town forward Karlan Grant as they put other options ‘from abroad’ on hold.

He claims that Albion are making a “major bid” but with an odd structure – but it could work.

Slaven Bilic’s men are strapped for cash this summer and have previously been linked with a £5m move upfront for the 23-year-old talisman with a remaining £13m to be paid if they stave off relegation at the end of the season.

Phillips 2.0?

West Brom’s’ history with strikers isn’t great but for every Ideye Brown, there’s been a Romelu Lukaku and as such, the Midlanders may have found a new star that resembles a club legend.

Grant is very much in the mould of the prolific Kevin Phillips.

The former Sunderland man fired the Baggies into the big time and wasn’t really known for his imposing stature, but rather his pace and ability to find the back of the net.

Well at 6 foot, Grant is hardly a man-mountain but according to his old boss Lee Bowyer, he “causes problems and scores goals.”

Whilst Addicks assistant Jonnie Jackson reinforced this and said: “[Karlan is] someone with pace to burn, I always wanted him playing on the shoulder of defenders.”

Last season, the 23-year-old bagged 19 goals in 43 appearances, which is nearly double what Charlie Austin could manage in the Championship. He also averaged 2.6 shots, 1.2 key passes and 1.1 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

As a solitary striker in Bilic’s system, it’s important to be able to bring other players into the game and these numbers hint that Grant would be able to do that.

It’s about time the Albion faithful got a striker to be excited about and the Phillips-like Grant could indeed be that man if Luke Dowling and co can get the move sealed and signed before the incoming deadline.

AND in other news, West Brom heading for a familiar mistake if they sign club-record PL FLOP this window…

Newcastle missed a trick by failing to sign Ross Barkley

According to The Chronicle, Newcastle had to abandon their pursuit of Ross Barkley in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

The Chelsea midfielder was deemed surplus to requirements for this season at Stamford Bridge, with boss Frank Lampard allowing the England international to leave the club on loan.

In the end, Barkley made the temporary switch to Aston Villa, but The Chronicle has now revealed that Newcastle were also in the mix before that deal was eventually done.

It’s suggested that the Magpies retained an interest in luring him to St James’ Park, but that they had to pull out of the running due to not being able to move on fringe players on big contracts – the likes of Achraf Lazaar, Henri Saivet, Christian Atsu and Rolando Aarons.

Missed opportunity for Steve Bruce

Whilst picking up Barkley’s reported £100k-a-week wages would have strained the Newcastle finances even more, you can’t help but feel whether the Englishman’s creativity and goal-scoring knack could have really added something for the Magpies this season.

As per Whoscored, he has an impressive career average of two shots, 1.2 key passes and 1.9 dribbles per game, and his guile from a more central position would have helped take the pressure off Allan Saint-Maximin to constantly be the side’s creator.

The one big knock on Barkley has been his lack of consistency, with Alan Shearer admitting before his initial move from Everton to Chelsea that whilst “he’s got the ability”, it hasn’t been seen that much.

A switch to St James’ Park could have seen him rediscover his best form.

And in other news, Newcastle must show no mercy to this ace next summer.

Glasgow Rangers: Fans react to brilliant Old Firm performance by Connor Goldson

It was an Old Firm derby to remember for all associated with Glasgow Rangers, who won 2-0 to extend their lead at the top of the Premiership, and defender Connor Goldson has been lauded by numerous fans of the club following his performance.

The centre-back and vice-captain helped his team to keep a clean sheet against Celtic and also made a huge impact at the other end of the pitch by scoring both goals, per Sofa Score.

Aside from his match-winning brace, the 27-year-old former Brighton defender also won three aerial duels and one ground duel, per SofaScore, which saw him pick up a 9.2 match rating from the website.

The ‘Gers are now four points clear of Celtic, who have a game in hand, and these members of the Ibrox faithful were naturally ecstatic, hailing Goldson as “outstanding” and “on a different level”.

Here is what Glasgow Rangers fans had to say following Goldson’s performance:

‘Gers fans, what are your thoughts on Goldson’s performance? Comment below with your views!

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