According to reports in The Sun, German giants Borussia Dortmund have stolen a march on Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign £50m-rated Brodeaux winger Malcom this summer.
What’s the word, then?
Well, The Sun says that Dortmund have launched an official bid to rival Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich for the highly-rated 21-year-old, with Spurs falling back in the race having signed Lucas Moura from Paris Saint-Germain last month after failing to bring his Brazilian compatriot to north London.
The Sun says that Mauricio Pochettino was ready to make another attempt to get Malcom at the end of the season, but Dortmund may well be the frontrunners for his signature as they look to finally replace Ousmane Dembele following his move to Barcelona next summer.
How has Malcom done this season?
He has been outstanding.
The 21-year-old has scored eight goals in 25 Ligue 1 appearances for Bordeaux, providing a further six assists.
[ad_pod ]
The Brazilian has become renowned for scoring special goals, with a number of his strikes coming when he has cut in from the right and unleashed a long-range effort with his left foot.
He loves to dribble – he has successfully completed 67 of the 96 he has attempted in those 25 games this term according to WhoScored.com – while the same statistics-based website says he has also made an impressive 59 key passes to show the creative ability he has in his locker.
Would he be a good signing for Tottenham?
He certainly would be.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Malcom has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting young players in European football, and he is likely to have plenty of interest in his services from a number of big clubs this summer.
With Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich keen and with the club already signing Lucas Moura and continuing to be linked with Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon, you do have to wonder if a deal for the talented 21-year-old is slipping away from the north London outfit.
We’re down to the last few weeks of this summer’s transfer window, and while many teams have concluded their business early, there are still a few players that managers believe are the missing piece to their tactical jigsaw.
Last season we saw Man United boss David Moyes make a last minute panic buy for former player Marouane Fellaini, and it proved to be a massive flop.
For Liverpool, they will mainly need to fill the hole left by Luis Suarez, but should really take their time in considering their options before making a last minute purchase.
Here are SIX PANIC BUYS Liverpool should avoid this summer.
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON MARIO BALOTELLI TO SEE THE FULL LIST!
[/ffc-gallery]
Mario Balotelli
The AC Milan star hasn’t had the best of years with the Serie A giants, finishing an underwhelming 8th place in the Italian top flight.
And after another unimpressive World Cup, the former Manchester City star has been linked with a move back to the Premier League with Liverpool a mooted option.
Like Suarez himself, Balotelli is never far away from the limelight but unlike the feisty Uruguayan, ‘Super Mario’ is not yet the finished article that will score 30+ league goals for the Reds.
He is more trouble than he is worth… which is around £20million.
Thomas Vermaelen
Liverpool fans are a bit disappointed that Danish defender Daniel Agger is set to leave the club this summer, but they should avoid purchasing an almost like-for-like replacement.
Thomas Vermaelen is on the same boat as Agger… but at Arsenal. The Belgian is looking to leave the Emirates after an injury-plagued campaign last season… and it would be a mistake for Rodgers to bring Vermaelen to Liverpool.
With Mamadou Sakho, Martin Skrtel, Dejan Lovren, and Kolo Toure all already vying for a starting berth, Vermaelen will find it even tougher to break into the first team compared to Arsenal.
Jay Rodriguez
It is quite clear that Liverpool are desperately seeking a striker to ease the loss of Suarez, but it would be unwise to sign their FOURTH Southampton player in Jay Rodriguez.
Rodriguez definitely has the ability to score goals (15 league goals last season), but what the Reds require at the moment is a player capable of producing a goal out of nothing… a player that will step up in the big games in the league as well as in Europe.
Rodriguez is also not a pure striker, mostly cutting in from the wings and in the end will fight for a place with the likes of Lazar Markovic, Raheem Sterling, and Adam Lallana.
Dani Alves
The Barcelona ace is set to depart the Nou Camp this summer, and Liverpool has been rumoured to be a possible destination.
But with the loan signing of Javier Manquillo, Brendan Rodgers will not need to splash the cash on the Brazilian who is no longer in the prime of his career.
Glen Johnson may have had a poor campaign last year (as well as an extremely bad pre-season tour), but given Manquillo’s presence we could see the rebirth of the Englishman to make the right-back position his own.
And if Glen continues to disappoint, then Manquillo looks very capable of taking over.
Mauro Icardi
Mauro Icardi is the traditional number-9 striker, looking for balls into the box and usually an adept finisher. A former Barcelona youngster, the Argentine now plies his trade with Inter Milan scoring nine goals in only 23 appearances.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
And although Icardi is a natural goalscorer, the 21-year-old has the capability to create chances as well… and would fit Liverpool’s system quite nicely.
However Icardi’s £17million price tag is not worth the gamble for Rodgers, as the money can be spent on a more prolific and experienced hitman… especially with the Champions League on the horizon.
Wilfried Bony
Although there is no doubting Wilfried Bony’s goal-scoring abilities, the 25-goal Ivorian is not the player that suits Brendan Rodgers high pressing system.
Bony prefers to receive the ball and hold it up, waiting to lay it off for his team-mates with his back to goal.
The Swansea star fits the perfect possession based team, but without the ball Bony is not the man to put pressure on the opponents’ defenders… something Luis Suarez did extremely well last season.
If Rodgers cannot find himself a suitable replacement for Suarez, he may as well keep Fabio Borini. The Italian may not be as talented as the Uruguayan, but he will chase every ball and chip in with the goals as well.
co-owner David Gold has revealed he would welcome investment from someone wealthy enough to give the club an opportunity to compete with the Premier League’s elite.
West Ham’s bid to move into the Olympic Stadium is the first sign that the club are exploring ways in which the club can grow and begin competing with the top-flight’s big clubs.
And Gold has admitted that, although he and fellow co-owner David Sullivan do not have the funds required to compete with billionaire owned clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City, he would welcome some who can help the club step up to the next level.
He told the Daily Mirror: “You have to be a billionaire to make a major difference and there are not many of them about.
“In an ideal world, though, if you ask what I would like to see happen, I would like a very wealthy person to come and join us. David and I and wealthy by normal standards, but not by football standards.
“We would be reluctant to sell the whole football club because we feel a great part of it. It has taken us a lifetime to earn enough money to return to our roots and we will not give that up lightly. We are doing our best but it would be much easier if there were three of us.”
And Gold believes the move to the Olympic Stadium would attract the sort of investment every club craves.
“To grow the club, fingers crossed to get to the Olympic Stadium, would change our whole image, would help us attract better players,” he added
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“But it all boils down to income and we have to generate more income.”
Liverpool have no shortage of star players who can pick up a goal or two, but they need strength in depth to progress.
Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane are likely to be the stars of the show once again this season.
However, the team could be made even more dangerous with the addition of a new attacking midfielder.
Manager Jurgen Klopp is yet to recruit a replacement for Philippe Coutinho, who left Anfield to join Barcelona in January.
What do you think of the World Cup so far? Let us know and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.
Nabil Fekir was expected to take the Brazilian’s place, but by all accounts, the proposed transfer fell through.
Isco has been linked to numerous Premier League clubs before, and it is easy to see why.
The Real Madrid star has skill on the ball and can pick out a pass for his teammates from the middle of the park.
As well as playing more centrally, the Spain international can also be used on the left wing as an alternative option.
Last season, Isco struggled for game time under manager Zinedine Zidane, starting 21 La Liga matches and coming off the bench in a further nine.
The 26-year-old scored eight goals and created nine assists in 45 appearances in all competitions.
Given that Liverpool could do with an additional attacking option, is Isco the right man for the job?
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Let us know by voting below…
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”257647″ player=”12034″ title=”Three reasons we love to hate… Brazil and Argentina”]
Occasionally, football clubs will conduct an interview with one of their players that will allow the fans to participate.
A common approach is the Twitter Q&A, which gives supporters an opportunity to pose their own questions.
This week, West Ham United decided to call on the fans to put questions forward for Declan Rice.
The 19-year-old defence-minded player has been at the club since 2014 when he signed from Chelsea’s youth academy.
Rice made his debut at the end of last season, and in this campaign he has had more game time, making 21 appearances in all competitions, six of which have been Premier League starts.
In total, Rice, who can play at centre-back or as a defensive midfielder, has played a full 90 minutes for the senior team on eight occasions and three of those have been in the league.
[ad_pod ]
When the club’s social media team asked fans to post their questions for Rice, not all of the responses.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
It did not help that the hashtag #AskDec inadvertently encouraged supporters to bring up TV presenting duo Ant and Dec.
Below are some of the more humorous questions posed.
Depending on which British transfer nonsense publication you personally veer towards, either Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United or Manchester City are poised to sign Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
But amalgamating together the general consensus of the tabloids, it appears the Spain international’s most plausible options this summer are the Blues and the Red Devils, with both Premier League clubs in need of a top quality playmaker.
Likewise, you can understand why Barcelona might want to sell. In the new age of Financial Fair Play, nobody is indispensible, and although Fabregas’ obvious talent is undoubted, he’s failed to command a regular role in the starting XI since swapping North London for his Catalonian homeland in summer 2011.
So a Nou Camp departure and a Premier League return both look incredibly likely for the 27 year-old this summer, once the small issue of retaining Spain’s status as world champions is taken care of in Brazil. The only question remains is who should Fabregas choose? A Red Devils side caught in unpredictable transition, or a Chelsea outfit looking to improve and evolve under Jose Mourinho?
Having been courted by Manchester United for well over two years now, the natural pick would be Old Trafford. Indeed, regardless of who mans the Carrington helm, there appears to be a popular opinion in Manchester that Fabregas is the rightful successor to Paul Scholes that United have been desperately searching for over the past two summers.
WANT MORE? >> Chelsea transfer news | Man United transfer news
With the Red Devils’ engine room in complete disarray, the Spaniard’s mixture of fluid playmaking and regular contribution in the final third could be the perfect remedy; Fabregas averaged six goals and 14 assists per Premier League campaign during his final five years at Arsenal and has subsequently produced a similar level of output in La Liga, whilst comparatively, Marouane Fellaini, Tom Cleverley, Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick have found just two goals and one assist between them this year.
Furthermore, with Louis van Gaal reinventing the Red Devils from the ground up, Fabregas has the opportunity to become a real hero at Old Trafford with an embedded role in the first team – at Chelsea on the other hand, he would always be just one of many cogs in a well-oiled machine.
But in order to subscribe to that theory, you’d have to ignore the obvious risk of moving to Manchester United at this exact time. Although there are certainly worse managers to put your entire faith in than van Gaal, that is exactly what the Spaniard will have to do – the footballing equivalent of a leap of faith.
Right now, United are five or six players short of returning to their former dominance and although their new manager has been tasked with the challenge of reclaiming the Premier League title next season, in my opinion it will most likely take the majority of his three-year contract to do so.
Chelsea, on the other hand, are a team on the verge of completion. Jose Mourinho recently revealed that he plans to make just two major signings this summer – one being £32million striker Diego Costa, and the other assumedly being Cesc Fabregas. The Blues fell slightly short on the domestic and European fronts this season but adding a striker and a deep-lying playmaker to their roster should in effect complete the Chelsea jigsaw, barring a few depth-adding purchases here and there – such as Atletico Madrid’s bosman-bound Tiago.
Should both of these requisites be met in the transfer market, then in my opinion at least, the West Londoners are more than ready to start challenging effectively for silverware. At 27 years of age, this will undoubtedly make Stamford Bridge a more appealing option for the Spain international. Rather than being the first brick in a long building process at Old Trafford, he could be Chelsea’s ultimate addition.
WANT MORE? >> Chelsea transfer news | Man United transfer news
But joining the Blues would take refining Fabregas’ game somewhat. Although I lay firm in the assumption that Jose Mourinho will look to evolve Chelsea’s style of play next season into something more expansive and commendable, at the heart of it will still be the Portuguese’s defensively organised, staunchly disciplined philosophical beliefs.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Even if the Barcelona playmaker were to compete with Oscar for the No.10 role, his current average of 1.3 tackles per match will have to improve – comparatively, the Brazilian has averaged 2 challenges per fixture this term.
Not that Fabregas is incapable of doing so – during his Arsenal days he put in a number of gritty, determined and hard-working performances, especially when deployed in deep midfield. But he would never reach the hero status that he could for Manchester United; Mourinho has chopped and changed his starting XIs endlessly this year, and Fabregas will be seen by the Chelsea boss as an addition to the squad rather than addition to the first XI. Perhaps rightly so.
So which path should the former Arsenal star choose? One offering the opportunity to be his own man, play more freely in a manner more accustomed to his natural style, but presenting the very realistic risk of limited silverware. The other boasting a greater likelihood of trophies, at least in the short term, but requiring a slight yet significant change of character.
Fortunately, it’s not for me to decide Fabregas’ immediate transfer fate. But, in my opinion, a move to Manchester United would symbolise the Spaniard following his heart. Moving to Chelsea on the other hand, would be following his head.
Mathieu Debuchy has declared his disappointment at failing to reach an agreement with Newcastle last summer, but hopes a deal can be agreed in the future, report talkSPORT.
The Premier League side trailed the right-back for the majority of the last transfer window with manager Alan Pardew making no secret of his desire to bring the 27-year-old to St James’ Park.
However, despite both player and club being keen on concluding a move, an agreement could not be reached with Lille who regard the French international as a key amber of their squad.
With the long-term of future of Danny Simpson in doubt, it’s thought that the Magpies may return with a bid this winter, and Debuchy has welcomed the speculation:
“The president (Michel Seydoux) did not want me to go to Newcastle but yes, I was disappointed,
“I hope there will be other opportunities but I’m 200 per cent committed to Lille.”
Debuchy is widely believed to be one of the finest full-backs in French football, with his attractive attacking abilities complemented by a solid reading of the game.
As a result he has attracted the attention of Real Madrid who see him as an ideal addition to their squad.
Newcastle may hold the upper hand on their Spanish rivals for his signature, with first-team football almost guaranteed in the black and white jersey.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The presence of his former team-mate Yohan Cabaye may also be a factor in convincing him to move to the North East of England.
Heading into the 2018/19 Scottish Premiership season everyone is gunning for Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic.
After two treble-winning campaigns, the Hoops are experiencing an unprecedented level of domestic success, but Celtic know better than anyone that they cannot become complacent if they want to lift an eighth successive league title next term.
The arrival of Steven Gerrard across the city has rejuvenated Rangers. The hype is strong and Celtic must ensure that they start the season strongly to shut down any talk of a title challenge, just like when Mark Warburton’s Light Blues were supposedly set to be big rivals to Celtic’s crown.
The early stages of the season are always tricky given they will also be fighting for UEFA Champions League qualification and long-term preparation is key if they are to fight on two fronts.
Now Celtic fans can get a much clearer picture of how the start of the season could pan out after confirmation of their first six Scottish Premiership fixtures, which you can see below…
4th August – Livingston (H)
11th August – Hearts (A)
25th August – Hamilton Academical (H)
1st September – Rangers (H)
15th September – St. Mirren (A)
22nd September – Kilmarnock (A)
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”256213″ player=”12034″ title=”Celtic’s first six fixtures for the 201819 Scottish Premiership season”]
Verdict
It’s not a completely smooth start for Celtic but it’s also not one that will particularly trouble them either. While Kilmarnock and Hearts represent tricky away days, even for the Scottish champions, Hamilton, St. Mirren and Livingston – the former pair being newly-promoted from the second division – should prove to be relatively routine affairs considering the quality and depth of Rodgers’ squad.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Furthermore, with Rangers representing something of an unknown quantity under the instruction of Steven Gerrard, Celtic have the chance to land the first big blow in the Glasgow rivalry this season, hosting Rangers in the first Old Firm clash of the campaign. Should Celtic record another huge victory, it will put a huge dent in the Rangers psyche early in the season, which will give them a solid basis to build another treble on.
Liverpool have eased their pursuit of Roma goalkeeper Alisson due to price tag and Loris Karius’s upturn in form, according to the Liverpool Echo.
What’s the latest?
The Merseyside outfit’s goalkeeping issue has been frequently discussed among fans and pundits alike.
It is often said that a club cannot win league titles without a world-class shot-stopper in between the sticks.
Simon Mignolet was the club’s number one until the turn of the year, but he has been prone to mistakes throughout his Liverpool career.
Karius is now Jurgen Klopp’s first choice, but he too has faced criticism for some of his performances.
Roma’s Alisson has been regularly linked with a move to Anfield due to his impressive outings in Serie A this season.
With the summer transfer window being the next opportunity for business, potential targets are being mentioned in the media.
However, according to the Liverpool Echo, the Merseyside outfit will not follow up their interest in Alisson.
The publication claims that the Reds are satisfied with Karius’s recent form and are unwilling to entertain Roma’s £70m price tag.
It is believed that Roma regret selling Mohamed Salah to Liverpool for a fee of £36.9m, and wish they had asked for more, which indicates that negotiations for Alisson would be tricky.
Soccer Football – Premier League – Liverpool vs Leicester City – Anfield, Liverpool, Britain – December 30, 2017 Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp celebrates with Loris Karius after the match REUTERS/Phil Noble EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account repre
Are Liverpool making the right decision?
In terms of the money aspect, it does seem as though it would be tough to bring the Italian outfit down on their asking figure.
Paying £70m for a goalkeeper is astonishing, but in this market, other playing positions are catching up with attackers in terms of cost.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
For so long, Liverpool have required a ready-made world-class goalkeeper that has proven time and again to be an asset to the team.
Mignolet has not proved it, and even though Karius has made some blunders, the jury is still out.
It is the first time that the German is getting a serious run-out in the team, and in the last few games he has looked more confident.
It might be best for Liverpool to reassess at the end of the season.
When you think about the World Cup you automatically think of the best players in the world, competing against each other on the world’s biggest stage.
But there’ll be one notable absence in Brazil this summer, with Real Madrid and Wales’ Gareth Bale sitting out and watching almost all of his team mates from the comfort of his sofa in his luxury villa in Madrid.
The chances of Wales reaching a World Cup soon are slim, but that doesn’t stop the former Tottenham midfielder dreaming of representing his country at a World Cup finals at some point in his career.
“For any footballer, they would love to play at the World Cup finals and obviously it’s not going to happen for me!” Bale said.
“But it’s obviously a massive goal of mine and of the whole team and something we’re trying to achieve soon.
“Every player wants to win trophies and for me that’s the first thing I want to do, and to be able to qualify and play in the World Cup… realistically I don’t think we’d win it but it would be great just to be there to experience it and create history for our country.”
And Bale believes Wales have a chance of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, particularly with other top class talents in the side like Aaron Ramsey and Ben Davies.
“We’ve got a great group of young players coming through at the moment and we’ve all been together for quite a few years now,” he added.
“So we’re learning all the time and working hard together and hopefully we can get that little bit of luck with injuries and stuff so we can keep getting everyone out on the pitch.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“It’s exciting times and hopefully we can do the job on the pitch.”
//www.youtube.com/embed/Z8A20FmW4yY
EA SPORTS 2014 FIFA World Cup is OUT NOW on Xbox 360 and PS3. Watch Gareth Bale’s World Cup Dream at http://www.ea.com/uk/gareth-bale-world-cup-dream