All posts by z3u9t.icu

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Loads of Spurs fans have been reacting to some comments from Gareth Bale’s agent, who ruled out a loan move for the Welsh winger.

Bale’s agent, Jonathan Barnett, has effectively ruled out a move to Tottenham or Manchester United this summer, per Sky Sports.

Barnett told Sky Sports: “Obviously Gareth’s situation at Real hasn’t improved. I think Mr Zidane has decided he can probably do without him, so we have to wait and see.

“There’s more chance of me winning at Ascot than him going out on loan. It’s not going to happen,” he said. “I don’t think he wants to go out on loan. He’s got a lovely life and home in Spain.

“I think it would take something exceptional for him to leave and loans are not on the menu.”

It seems extremely unlikely that Spurs or United would have the funds to pry Bale away from Madrid on a permanent basis, as he has three years left on his current deal and would cost a fortune.

As reported by Football.London, the Welsh international is believed to earn more than £600,000-a-week before tax, and fans are lashing out at his greed after his agent’s comments.

It is quite alarming that the 29 year-old seems content to just warm the bench and pick up his pay packet, as he started just 21 La Liga games last season and scored only eight times, per Whoscored.

Have a look at some of the Twitter reactions down below, where Spurs fans have some very harsh truths for their former hero…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

According to French outlet Le10Sport, Liverpool are looking at making one of the most shocking moves of the summer by re-signing Philippe Coutinho just 18 months after he swapped Anfield for Camp Nou.

Coutinho’s first spell

Some time after the departure of Steven Gerrard and before the emergence of Mo Salah, Coutinho was Liverpool’s most influential player. 13 goals in 31 games during the 2017/18 season and seven goals in 14 the season after saw the 27-year-old signed by Barcelona for a staggering £142m.

Though his goal tally wasn’t unbelievable, it was the manner in which many of these strikes found the net which saw the Kop so endear to him.

He would often carry the team on his back when they were struggling and smash in a screamer to secure all three points for his team – in the Premier League alone, he scored 19 goals from outside the box.

Of the 54 goals he scored for the Reds in total, 15 of them were game-winning goals – defined as goals which put the scoreline in the direction it eventually ended in.

Some of his more memorable moments of genius came against Stoke on the opening day in 2015 and twice against Man City in crucial clashes.

Be the difference

It’s a tough sell to say that Liverpool are missing Coutinho. They’ve just won their sixth Champions League title, but a maiden Premier League honour may well have been won alongside that if the Brazillian was still at the club.

Klopp’s men lost just one league game last season, but a barrage of draws cost them the title. Liverpool dominated possession in draws against Everton , Leicester and West Ham, and were crying out for a player like the 27-year-old to change the game.

Indeed, Liverpool’s reliance on their front three doesn’t often let them down, but when it does, they sometimes lack inspiration from elsewhere. The aforementioned draws were games that were set up for a late piece of magic that only a player like Coutinho can provide.

Bringing their former star back from Barcelona may allow them to turn more of these draws into wins, and in turn, it could help them secure their first Premier League title. Coutinho can be that difference maker when deadlock seems inevitable.

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Aston Villa’s football last season was built on the foundation of hard workers and a reliable attitude.

Therefore, to see a player who arrived in England with apparent attitude problems help his team achieve promotion was rather remarkable.

Anwar El Ghazi was the hero at Wembley, overcoming a rather inconsistent middle part of the season where he frustrated, to issue a sincere reminder of the supreme talent he has in the play-off final.

He popped up with a header at the back post, bundling the ball into the back of the net for a goal rather untypical of the Dutchman.

El Ghazi was the flashy loan addition of last summer, but after admitting his love for the club, he’s now a permanent part of the furniture, becoming their second transfer of the current window.

However, he initially arrived at Villa Park last term as someone who had failed to live up to the hype. He scored four goals for Lille in 2017/18, but ultimately he was still branded disappointing and frustrating.

That so-called hype stemmed from the fact he was once a part of Ajax’s wonderful academy.

We got a glimpse of the calibre of players they produce during their recent run to the Champions League semi-final. Chief amongst them were Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt and Donny van de Beek.

El Ghazi is older than de Jong and de Ligt but, when he broke through in Amsterdam, he attracted a level hype that isn’t too far away from what the aforementioned pairing have made in the past twelve months.

This was a player who had scored seven in 11 U19 Eredivisie matches and would then go onto shine at senior level for the Dutch giants.

For Ajax, he was a rising star, netting 20 goals and claiming ten assists across the course of two seasons in 2014/15 and 2015/16.

It was a period of his career in which he scored against Barcelona in Europe at the Nou Camp and a time when he was linked with a move to Liverpool and Manchester United no less.

So as Aston Villa gear up for a return to the Premier League with El Ghazi in the palm of their hands, it could have been a completely different story.

When he was still a teenager, he was one of the best up and coming players at Ajax. You only need to look at the stats for proof of that.

But focusing on what could have been will be pointless for El Ghazi.

His Premier League chance could have come in 2016 but instead it’ll fall for him in 2019. Arguably, he has never been more ready.

Last term, he scored six goals and picked up six assists for his troubles. The numbers are hardly outstanding, especially when you consider some of Villa’s prior transfer targets in Harry Wilson and Said Benrahma reached 16 and ten goals respectively.

But that being said, El Ghazi has the know-how and experience to perform at the top level.

He is a player who thrives on pressure situations and on the big stages.  The fact he’s scored at Wembley and at the Nou Camp tells you all you need to know.

And with that in mind, the top-flight could be the perfect opportunity for him.

He now has the chance to prove exactly why he was being touted with moves to some of England’s elite clubs in 2015.

At Lille and in the Championship he’s had a period away from the limelight. He’s taken a back seat and unlike players who end up dwindling away in the lower leagues after a promising start to their career, he is back in the big time.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Potential concerns surrounding his consistency, however, need to be swatted away.

Similarly technically gifted players like Helder Costa and Anthony Knockaert tore the Championship apart but have since faded into mediocrity.

Costa scored 15 in the second tier but only has one goal in the Premier League. The latter, meanwhile, has just five after netting 33 for Brighton in the level below.

They are prime examples of players who simply aren’t cut out for that level.

But the difference with El Ghazi is that he is cut out for it. He’s performed at a high level before.

Villa have given him an overriding sense of confidence, and after regaining his purpose with the club, he now has the perfect platform to demonstrate why Liverpool and Man United were once chasing him.

In the Premier League, he has the potential to be their difference-maker.

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Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Dani Ceballos from Real Madrid this summer, per AS.

The Spain international struggled for minutes in 2018/19, making just 13 starts in La Liga.

And AS claim that manager Zinedine Zidane is willing to cash in on the midfielder this summer should a suitable offer be tabled.

However, the report claims that his situation is “complex”, with president Florentino Perez holding the 22-year-old in high esteem at the Santiago Bernabeu.

As such, an asking price of €50m (£44.7m) has been placed upon Ceballos’ head, with negotiations not set to begin until such a bid is tabled. Were Spurs to make such an offer, he would become the club’s record signing, eclipsing the £42m paid for Davinson Sanchez in 2017.

Spurs, of course, have been linked with a number of midfielders this summer, including Lyon’s Tanguy Ndombele and Real Betis’ Giovani Lo Celso.

Should they make a move for Ceballos, then, as they bid to reinforce a squad that finished in the Premier League’s top four and also reached the Champions League final?

Football FanCast’s writers give their verdicts below!

Ben Goodwin

“I don’t think Spurs should spend a huge sum on Ceballos as they’ve already gone through the process of building a well-balanced squad of young, developing players. What they need now is a couple of ready-made world-class signings with experience to push them over the edge to being legitimate title and trophy contenders, namely at full-back and in the centre of midfield. Ceballos is a quality player, but he will not improve Spurs immediately and therefore should not be the subject of a move that would break the club’s transfer record.”

Matt Dawson

“The price reported for Ceballos seems hefty but Spurs would be crazy not to pursue him. I must admit that I really like the look of the Spaniard and if his performances at the Under-21 European Championships are anything to go by, they’d have a fine player on their hands. By the time the group stages had finished, he’d already scored twice and assisted two more. It’s clear, therefore, that he thrives on regular game time, something he hasn’t been afforded too much at Real. Under a progressive coach like Mauricio Pochettino, he could really progress and it would be fascinating to see just how far he could take him if he makes the switch. This would be superb business from Tottenham.”

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Charles Jones

“I’m not sure that Spurs should think about breaking their transfer record for someone who is only a bit part player at Real Madrid. The Spaniard started just 13 games for Los Blancos last term, and a return of three goals and zero assists in La Liga isn’t fantastic for a creative midfielder. Indeed, he has been lighting up the Under-21 Euros, contributing to four goals in three games, but we’ve all seen how deceiving that tournament can be. He is just 22, so Ceballos may well become an excellent player, but for a team so stringent with their spending, a €50m fee for such an unproven quantity at the top level is a bit too much. The London club should be looking elsewhere this summer.”

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Friday’s Manchester United transfer roundup covered the potential departure of a Serbian international, a fresh update on Paul Pogba’s situation and interest in a La Liga midfielder. Today’s edition discusses eyes on a Serie A star, a fresh contract for one of the club’s star players and an update on a 22-year-old goalkeeper.

Reds after Milinkovic-Savic

According to Sunday’s print edition of Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the Red Devils are ready to “push” for the signing of Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic – who scored five goals in Serie A next season. United have a €75m (£67.2m) offer ready for the 24-year-old, with his agent Mateja Kezman expected in London.

De Gea to sign new deal

David De Gea will soon put pen-to-paper on a new five-year deal according to the Mirror. The Spanish international is set to earn £350,000 a week after talks between the Old Trafford outfit and the former Atletico Madrid shot-stopper’s agent Jorge Mendes went well.

Henderson expected to leave on loan

Dean Henderson has been left out of Manchester United’s pre-season tour of Australia. The England U21 international spent last season with Sheffield United and is expected to complete a second loan move to the Blades.

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According to French media outlet La Voix du Nord, Crystal Palace are leading the race to sign Lille centre-back Adama Soumaoro, and Eagles fans have been quick to offer their views on a potential move on Twitter.

La Voix du Nord suggest that it is a two-horse race for the 27-year-old involving the south London outfit and Monaco, although the player would prefer to have the chance of playing in the Premier League.

The central defender would certainly arrive at Selhurst Park with some pedigree seeing as he captained his team to a second-place finish in Ligue 1 last season – securing Champions League football for Lille as a result – as well as successfully completing a remarkable 94.3% of the passes he attempted in 20 French top flight outings.

Watch Crystal Palace Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Should Palace buy him, he would likely provide some strong competition for the likes of Mamadou Sakho and James Tomkins at the heart of the backline, with Scott Dann being linked with a move away from SE25 this summer.

Eagles supporters have been quick to have their say on the rumour via social media, and there are certainly some differing views.

In the video below, find out which Chelsea academy prospect is reportedly being lined up to replace Aaron Wan-Bissaka at Crystal Palace…

While one said “we’re not buying a CB unless someone is offering us LOADS for Sakho”, another said they would “take him” even if a new right-back and striker should be more of a priority.

Another individual looked at it in a slightly different way, suggesting that manager Roy Hodgson should give a younger player a chance instead if Dann does end up going, which of course would be a risk but was something that paid dividends with the use of Aaron Wan-Bissaka at right-back.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to BBC Sport, Arsenal prospect Xavier Amaechi has completed a move to German side Hamburg on a four-year deal.

What’s the word?

The 18-year-old was a notable absentee from Arsenal’s pre-season tour to the USA this summer, and it was understood that it was down to his uncertain contract situation that the decision was taken to leave him at home.

The starlet had just one year remaining on his existing deal and had shown no willingness to sign an extension over concerns that his pathway into the first-team was not clear-cut.

Now, the report has confirmed that Amaechi has joined Hamburg for a reported £2.25m plus performance-related add-ons, whilst the Gunners have a sell-on clause but no buy-back option on the winger.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Not the end of the world

Amaechi had been one of Arsenal’s most highly-rated academy players for some time, but his contract stand-off certainly didn’t help him convince the Gunners hierarchy that he was deserving of a first-team place.

Instead, 17-year-old Bukayo Saka seemingly overtook him in the pecking order, so much so that Unai Emery took him on this summer’s pre-season tour and gave him a prominent role. Indeed, other than Saka, the Gunners also have the likes of Reiss Nelson and Gabriel Martinelli amongst their books as young and exciting wide options, so the talent is certainly there.

It is near enough impossible to keep everyone happy, and as the old saying goes, you win some and you lose some. Whilst Amaechi’s exit may initially be seen as a disappointing loss, the Gunners’ burgeoning academy will certainly help to erase any painful memories.

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Juventus midfielder Blaise Matuidi is ‘unlikely’ to join Manchester United this summer, according to a report by talkSPORT.

The France international is said to have been made available for transfer after the free signings of Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot this summer.

As well as the new signings, Juventus’ midfield options currently consist of Miralem Pjanic, Emre Can, Sami Khedira and Rodrigo Bentancur.

Links with Blaise Matuidi make sense given the lack of options in midfield for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side. Ander Herrera left for Paris Saint-Germain this summer, while Marouane Fellaini left for China back in February.

As well the outgoings, there remains no concrete solution over Paul Pogba’s future at Old Trafford, with Real Madrid and Juventus linked with a move for the star.

Blaise Matuidi has enjoyed a trophy-laden spell in Turin since joining from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017. The Frenchman has won two consecutive league titles in Serie A, as well as the Italian Cup.

There are two aspects of Matuidi’s game that makes him a good signing for the club this summer.

His defensive contribution is the first, with the 32-year-old averaging more tackles per game than any of Manchester United’s midfielders, bar Herrera, last season (via WhoScored).

Herrera is a keen tackler, and was averaging a mass 2.5 tackles per game in the midfield last season, more than any other player at the club. Losing him will hurt the midfield, and they need to replace him adequately. Matuidi showed last season, and throughout his career, he has the defensive steel required.

As well as fixing the lack of defensive steel, Matuidi is good for a few goal contributions. Last season, the Frenchman got three goals and three assists from midfield, more than any other of Solskjaer’s midfielders, bar Pogba.

Blaise Matuidi is the midfielder who the Red Devils need as his experience and statistics have shown.

Manchester United fans, would you like to see Matuidi in the midfield? Let us know in the comment section below!

At the time of writing this, Crystal Palace are still leading the race to sign former Chelsea centre-back Gary Cahill, reports suggest.

The Sun say that Hodgson is determined to pick-up the centre-back, who played under his tutelage during Hodgson’s tenure as England manager.

According to the report, the 33-year-old is keen to stay within the capital and hopes to land a contract worth £75,000-a-week for two years.

Cahill has also reportedly been talking to other clubs. West Ham and Burnley have been mentioned, though the latter seemed to have decreased their interest due to £40m-rated James Tarkowski being more likely to stay at Turf Moor.

If the £75,000-per-week rumours are true, then seeing Gary Cahill join Palace would be a surprising move. Palace already boast four established Premier League centre-backs in Mamadou Sakho, James Tomkins, Martin Kelly, Scott Dann and even have Jairo Riedewald at their disposal.

Indeed, within the Guardian’s season preview, they do stress that the club’s wage bill has been holding them back in the transfer market, so the idea of seeing someone come in on wages that’d make him the fifth-highest earner (via SpotRac) does seem somewhat far-fetched.

Furthermore, considering that Cahill hasn’t really played football for a year, it’s hard to see where you pick him in that side. Sakho and Tomkins are likely to remain as the first choice pairing if they are both fit, based on their 27 and 29 games in the league last season, before their seasons were both hampered by injuries.

With Dominic Fifield and The Guardian describing Palace as a team “with an onerous wage bill demanding an imaginative approach to strengthening” within their season preview, then Gary Cahill doesn’t really fit that bill and seems more of a panicked, safe option rather than finding someone who can do a job on far less money and have a better resale value.

With Palace already struggling with their wage bill, getting Cahill on £75,000-per-week would be really lacking foresight as it could prevent them from reinvesting in the future.

They already have four accomplished centre-backs, so they would’ve been better getting another young player, playing Riedewald or sorting a loan deal, rather than tying down a player on expensive wages for two years who might not even play.

How much of a waste would Cahill be? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Rangers demolished Hibs 6-1 on Sunday, and the fans were particularly pleased with the performance of Ryan Jack in the heart of midfield.

A hat-trick from Jermain Defoe was followed up by a double from his replacement Alfredo Morelos, with a late Sheyi Ojo strike completing the rout.

The rampant win gives Steven Gerrard’s men the perfect start to the Premiership season, after they scored a last-gasp winner away at Kilmarnock in their opening game.

However, even though yesterday’s headlines were dominated by the performance of the two strikers, Morelos and Defoe, it was Jack that got the fans the most excited.

Despite an almost ridiculous five goals between the two front men, the supporters were tipping their number eight for the man of the match award.

It’s a testament to how well the 27 year-old played, quietly keeping things ticking over in midfield, allowing the attacking quality in the squad to shine.

Here’s what the Gers faithful had to say about him on Twitter…

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