All posts by h716a5.icu

[ad_pod ]

Football.London journalist James Benge has rubbished the prospect of Nacho Monreal leaving Arsenal on a free transfer this summer.

What’s the word?

It has been claimed that Monreal could leave the club this summer, with many outlets, including The Sun, claiming that he is available for nothing when the transfer window reopens.

The 33-year-old has made 31 appearances for the club in all competitions this season.

But Benge claims that Arsenal have already activated a clause within the player’s contract extending his stay at the Emirates, making his new deal end in the summer of 2020.

It does not appear as though the club formally announced the extension, however, perhaps leading to the confusion.

Barcelona had been touted as a possible destination for the veteran full-back but it now appears as though he will be staying at the club this summer unless an interested party is willing to pay a transfer fee.

Bad news

This is not good news for Arsenal fans.

Monreal’s legs have well and truly gone and it is a damning indictment on the club’s transfer policy that he is still being relied upon.

Sead Kolasinac, though, has not stepped up as many expected he would and it has been left to the Spaniard to occupy the left back position on many occasions, as well as filling in at left centre back.

At the age of 33, regardless of his contract status, Arsenal should be looking to shop Monreal around and attract bids for him.

In fact, letting him leave on a free transfer this summer would not be the worst thing in the world and would allow Unai Emery to recruit a young, dynamic full-back in his stead.

As it is, however, the position is stale and a clear Achilles heel that rivals have been able to exploit. And it looks as though it will stay that way until 2020.

[ad_pod ]

Youri Tielemans has been a fabulous capture for Leicester in the back half of the campaign. Signed by Claude Puel on loan from Monaco, he has been a revelation since arriving at the King Power in January.

For a while now he’s been one of the most promising creative midfielders around and he’s more than shown that in the Premier League.

As such, speculation has been rife about his future in the last few weeks with a number of top-flight clubs showing an interest in the 22-year-old.

Brendan Rodgers has said the club will do everything they can to make his loan stay a permanent one but the likes of Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United are all circling around the player, per The Daily Star.

Meanwhile, Paul Merson has claimed, in quotes relaid by Leicestershire Live, that Manchester City should be looking at him.

Therefore, a picture of the Belgian superstar deep in conversation with City boss Pep Guardiola and the club’s captain, Vincent Kompany after the game could come as a cause for concern.

Tielemans’ Leicester side had just lost to a thunderbolt from his compatriot Kompany but it didn’t seem to have upset the midfielder too much.

The Foxes will be desperate to see him back at the club next term but it’s becoming increasingly unlikely.

His conversation with Guardiola, therefore, will not have had Leicester supporters feeling much better after missing out on seventh place in the league table on the night as well.

[ad_pod ]

Andre Gomes came on as a substitute for Everton against Tottenham Hotspur on the final day aware that, next season, he could be playing for the opposition.

Gomes has been heavily linked with a move to Spurs and Sport asserted earlier this week that a deal was all but done: personal terms, they believe, have been agreed and the player’s parent club, Barcelona, are ready to accept an offer in the region of €30million (£26m).

On the chalkboard

Gomes came on with the score at 1-0 to Spurs, replacing Idrissa Gueye in midfield.

Theo Walcott equalised for Everton shortly after before Cenk Tosun gave the Toffees an unlikely lead.

Gomes then gave away a free-kick on the edge of the box and Christian Eriksen scored, earning his side a point and securing qualification to the Champions League next season.

Gomes’ cameo was rather uneventful apart from his inadvertent assist, however.

Per WhoScored, he touched the ball just 23 times, made 18 passes, of which 15 were successful, and won one of the two aerial duels he contested.

He did not make a dribble, nor did he win a tackle or make an interception. He was dribbled past once.

If this was an audition, it did not go well.

Not what Spurs need

It remains to be seen if a deal will actually be struck between Barcelona and Spurs for Gomes but there can be much agreement about the state of his career at Camp Nou prior to this season.

Everton’s signing of both Gomes and Yerry Mina appeared to rid Barca of two of their highest-profile flops and the former has yet to truly adjust to life in England.

Across a total of 29 appearances, he has scored one goal and provided two assists.

This is not a player who thrives in the final third, nor is he of intense physicality either, so replacing Mousa Dembele in the heart of Tottenham midfield looks to be a remarkably tough ask.

Mauricio Pochettino has worked wonders with less adept players before; he may have to do so again here.

With the Argentine watching on from the sideline Gomes had the perfect opportunity to make a telling impression on Sunday.

But this was a stuttering audition which didn’t lend Pochettino reason to believe that the playmaker can make an impact in north London.

Perhaps Gomes has already done enough throughout the season to swing the decision in his favour.

Seamus Coleman clearly isn’t the player he once was and if Andre Almeida signs then he might be forced to play second fiddle. 

Indeed, Everton are surely looking to add youth and quality to their squad and, as a result, perhaps Coleman won’t be part of Marco Silva’s plans for long. Yes, he’s been a wonderful servant for the club over the years but Jonjoe Kenny and Mason Holgate are both hoping to get a chance too, so another signing might be the final straw.

The Sun have claimed the Toffees and Wolves are chasing Benfica right-back Andre Almeida. So, if Silva can convince the club to spend the £10m he’s believed to cost and he comes to Merseyside then he’ll be their first-choice without a doubt.

He’s played 33 games for his club in the league this season, racking up an impressive 12 assists and even adding two goals to his tally too. Despite not being a youngster at 28-years-old he can provide that extra quality in the final third that Everton have lacked.

That kind of attacking burst has been missing since the aforementioned Irishman suffered his horror-injury and would certainly be a welcome sight at Goodison Park, who will have become accustomed to it in years gone by.

They have Holgate to provide that youthfulness, so where does Coleman fit into these plans? Well, he wouldn’t do. Surely, there’d be very little opportunity for him to play if the deal goes through and he won’t accept that. It’ll be time for him to move on.

Almeida is rated at £6.3m on Transfermarkt and it’s remained at that level since 2016. If anything, that proves he’s a consistent performer and that’s another trait Everton need after their hit-and-miss season just gone.

Time to pack your backs, Coleman!

Everton fans, who do you want to see your club sign this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

[ad_pod ]

In quotes printed in The Express & Star, Chris Brunt has claimed that Harvey Barnes departing in January may have cost West Brom promotion.

As such, it’s a damning indictment of Albion’s poor recruitment in the last window.

What’s the word?

West Brom’s season was decided from penalties. After 48 matches it seemed like a harsh eventuality. But the fact of the matter is, the Baggies weren’t good enough to go up.

There were a number of reasons for why. Sacking Darren Moore in March arguably didn’t help but the loss of Barnes, who returned to Leicester after a loan spell in January, hit the club hard.

Reflecting upon the campaign and where things went wrong, Albion skipper Brunt suggested that the youngster’s departure may have cost them in their hunt to get back into the Premier League.

He told The Express & Star:

“When he left it was a massive loss for us because I think he scored ten goals and created countless others in half a season.

“If you sit down and look back, that might have been the difference in us losing out in the play-offs and getting promoted automatically.”

Transfer recruitment was poor

To put it simply, West Brom’s recruitment during the winter transfer window was incredibly poor. When Barnes departed, a replacement was needed. Albion’s performances in the first half of the season hadn’t been particularly inspiring and once the 21-year-old left, the cracks started to appear.

The attacking midfielder scored nine times and assisted a further six goals in his stint at the Hawthorns and therefore the termination of his loan spell was a major blow.

Despite having the goals of Jay Rodriguez and Dwight Gayle, there was a significant lack of creativity. Reading into Brunt’s comments, it says a lot about the Baggies’ transfer dealings in January.

Had they signed an able replacement then they may well have found themselves in the Premier League next term.

Was Darren Moore’s sacking unfair? The Pl>ymaker FC squad name which Championship bosses should have gone instead in the video below…

Over the winter they added Jacob Murphy and Jefferson Montero to their ranks on loan. But both players were incredibly disappointing and didn’t come close to replicating the sort of performances Barnes did.

Foreseeing this obviously would have been difficult for Albion’s top officials. However, it’s another indication that if West Brom are to go up next season, they need to be far shrewder in the market.

[ad_pod ]

Gary Neville was involved in the Manchester United vs Bayern Munich legends game on Sunday at Old Trafford to celebrate 20 years since United won the treble.

United won 5-0 but it would have been more if Neville hadn’t missed a sitter at the Stretford End.

Neville received the ball six-yards-out but fired wide of the far post and collapsed to the floor in dismay.

Sir Alex Ferguson was rather amused as the United legend was never known for his finishing. Indeed, the Scot probably expected him to miss.

Naturally, his Sky Sports colleague Jamie Carragher was quick to pile in and used the miss as an opportunity to have a dig at both Neville brothers.

This was just another example in a long line of social media exchanges between Carragher and Neville, though this time Phil was dragged into it.

With Liverpool facing Tottenham in the Champions League Final on Saturday, though, will Neville have the last laugh?

If Spurs do win there’s no doubt Carragher will be on the receiving end of some light-hearted ribbing and Neville’s awful miss will be quickly forgotten.

[ad_pod ]

According to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, Aston Villa want to sign a new number one goalkeeper this summer and could send Lovre Kalinic out on loan.

Villa signed Kalinic from Gent in January with the view to the Croatia international being the club’s number one goalkeeper.

It was a big statement at the time but the 29-year-old’s move to Villa Park has simply not worked out and Jed Steer quickly took over as the first-choice.

Steer was terrific in the final months of the campaign, putting in a string of impressive performances as Dean Smith’s side earned promotion to the Premier League via the playoffs.

But Nixon has claimed that Villa want a new stopper this summer.

“The EPL is overrated anyway!” – Check out a Derby fan’s Play-off final vlog in the video below…

And the newly-promoted club’s fans have insisted that Steer should be given a chance to prove his worth in the top flight next term, rather than signing a goalkeeper to overtake him in the pecking order.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

What a season Callum Wilson has had. The Bournemouth striker scored 14 Premier League goals in the campaign just gone and also made his England debut.

And things could be about to get even better for the 27-year-old, who could be set to lead the line for the Three Lions in their UEFA Nations League semi-final clash against the Netherlands amid doubts about Harry Kane’s fitness.

A lot of pressure, no doubt, but it is a prospect Wilson is clearly relishing. “If I didn’t have confidence in myself and the manager didn’t have confidence in me, I wouldn’t be here,” the former Coventry City centre-forward told the Evening Standard.

“I am quite a confident person, which has got me to this point in my career. I have no doubt that I can do it on the international stage. Having scored on my debut, it put any self-doubt to bed.”

In Wilson’s own words, he has what it takes to do it on the international stage in what is a great opportunity for him to show the football world just how good of a striker he is.

Going up against defenders of Virgil van Dijk and Matthijs de Ligt’s quality, if Wilson can come out on top, his stock is likely to increase tenfold.

Already a good finisher with clever movement, Wilson could be one gigantic performance away from alerting some serious players, with Chelsea having already registered interest back in December (Sky Sports).

Bournemouth fans, you know Wilson best. Can he deliver against Ronald Koeman’s talented Netherlands side? Let us know in the comment section below!

[ad_pod ]

Manchester United have been tipped to sign Ajax and Netherlands rising star Donny van de Beek, with claims that his agent has admitted moving to Old Trafford would be “right up his street”.

What’s the word?

The Dutch midfielder “has his eyes set on the Premier League” according to Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan, who was speaking on TalkSPORT on Monday.

Van de Beek will, like every other member of Ajax’s stunning young team, inevitably be linked with various clubs this summer, and van der Kraan believes Manchester United and Tottenham are two possible landing spots.

“Van de Beek has his eyes set on the Premier League,” he told Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast on Monday.

“I think he’s a proper Premier League player – he’s got a big tank, he’s got the education from Ajax, he can play in more positions in midfield.

“I think he’s got his eyes set on a club like Man United or Tottenham Hotspur.

“I’ve been talking to his agent, and he said if that would materialise it would be something right up his street.”

Could Harry Maguire be on his way to Old Trafford? Check out the video below to see why it would make so much sense…

No-brainer

Quite simply, the Red Devils should be all over this one.

Right now, the only midfielder who can truly claim to have cemented a starting place is Paul Pogba, as none of the likes of Nemanja Matic, Fred or Scott McTominay were particularly impressive this season.

Van de Beek would be the perfect man to play alongside Pogba and a more defensive-minded player, like Matic, in a three-man midfield, as he can both score goals and pitch in defensively.

The 22 year-old scored 16 times and added 12 assists in all competitions this season, while also averaging 1.6 tackles, 1.6 shots and 1.3 key passes per game (Whoscored).

It’s also been far too long since United signed players who actually want to play and fight for the club instead of just the player with the biggest name or price tag, so van de Beek should definitely be at the top of their wish list after these revealing comments.

[ad_pod ]

It seems there’s trouble brewing in paradise over at Atletico Madrid, ESPN suggest, as star goalkeeper Jan Oblak wants a move away from the Spanish capital this summer. It’s further added that he’d favour a move to Manchester United over PSG, having been a boyhood Red Devil.

United already have one outstanding goalie between the sticks, but Oblak would be a perfect replacement for David De Gea, whose future is also not exactly set in stone. Here are two main reasons why we think United won’t find a better replacement for the Spaniard than Oblak…

Oblak is the best of the best

Oblak hardly needs an introduction at all, considering all of his past accolades and achievements that are borderline sci-fi. Last season saw him win his fourth Zamora trophy in a row, an award given to the best goalkeeper in Spain or rather, the one with the lowest goals-to-games ratio at the end of their respective campaign. If you’re looking for one of the world’s best or even the very best goalkeeper on the planet, Oblak is your man.

Just the thought that he might be available had United pondering activating his €120m release clause (£106.7m) back in April, in an attempt to get ahead of the curve in case something happens with De Gea. If the Red Devils are truly looking for someone who could fill their goalie’s shoes, they should look no further than Oblak.

Could Harry Maguire be on his way to Old Trafford? Check out the video below to see why it would make so much sense…

The market lacks other world-class shot-stoppers

Outside of Oblak, there simply aren’t too many good options for United to choose from. The Red Devils have missed the boat a little bit on this one; over the last two years, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City have invested big money in some of the best goalkeepers around, leaving the remaining pool a little shallow. The Sun claim United’s main alternative to Oblak is Hugo Lloris – suspect, to say the least.

Sure, the proposed £106.7m release clause is no pocket money but it is the right price considering the quality of the player they are getting in return. On top of that, since it’s a release clause, Atletico would have no say in the matter and if Oblak truly wants to leave, United might actually stand a pretty good chance pulling this deal off.