West Ham fans are seriously concerned about the club’s transfer policy after they were linked with former Spurs striker Fernando Llorente by trusted insider ExWHUemployee on Twitter.
Llorente is set to leave Tottenham this month as his contract is coming to an end after two seasons with the north London club.
Spurs did have the option to extend the 34-year old’s contract an extra year, but according to The Evening Standard, that deadline passed last month, meaning they would have to offer new terms to keep the Spaniard.
And Hammers fans are now mortified at the idea of signing the veteran striker despite the fact that he played an important part in Spurs’ end to the season, including scoring the winner in their Champions League quarter-final tie against Manchester City.
But the major reservations West Ham fans will have with Llorente is both his age and his lack of goals – he netted 13 in 66 games for Spurs.
According to El Gol Digital, Everton are willing to pay €40m (£35.7m) to Atletico Madrid in order to sign right-back Santiago Arias.
The Colombian international made 31 appearances for Diego Simeone’s side last term, scoring one goal and recording one assist, form which has clearly caught the Toffees’ eye.
Everton Sporting Director Marcel Brands has already praised the 5 ft 8 full-back in the past having worked with Arias at PSV Eindhoven, so the Merseysiders will know all about the 27-year-old.
The fans in the video below had some very strong words for Michel Platini who was detained over alleged corruption this week…
He only arrived in the Spanish capital last summer in an €11m (£9.8m) move from PSV, but if Everton stump up the cash that they are reportedly willing to, then the Spaniards could be set to make a major profit on the player very quickly.
Marco Silva has lost one right-back already after loaning Jonjoe Kenny out to Schalke, but Mason Holgate’s return from a loan spell with West Brom and Seamus Coleman’s presence means there are two senior figures to play in the position.
So, would Everton be right to shell out such a large fee on Arias? Football FanCast’s writers have their say…
Matt Dawson “Arias is a player who sticks in my mind for his bullish attitude against England at the last World Cup. He is a typical South American player, boasting a fearless and determined nature that has clearly got him to where he is today. A move to Everton from Atletico would be a step-down but for the Toffees it would be brilliant business, even despite the high fee. Coleman is clearly getting on and therefore a replacement should be on the cards. Arias’ qualities going forward aren’t as good, finding himself involved in just two goals last season, but that shouldn’t put Everton fans off the potential signing.” James Beavis
“On the face of it signing a right-back from Atletico Madrid would seem like a great thing for Everton, but when you delve a little deeper it would be a deeply confusing move – especially for €40m.
If the Toffees want to push on and progress again next season they surely need a player who can make a similar impact in terms of goals and assists as Lucas Digne did last term (four of each in 35 Premier League outings), but recent stats from the Colombia international don’t suggest that he would as he only managed one of each in 25 La Liga appearances for the side from the Spanish capital in 2018/19.
For the reported fee you would expect a lot more than that, and Everton would be better off sticking with Seamus Coleman.”
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Charles Jones “When you look along the Everton backline, right-back does stand out as one of the biggest problem positions at this time. Seamus Coleman isn’t getting any younger and Arias would be coming from working with one of the best defensive coaches in Europe in Diego Simeone, so for me this one makes sense. The Toffees achieved great success when shopping in La Liga last season with Andre Gomes and Lucas Digne amongst their best players last term, and they could repeat the trick here. People may say €40m is a lot for a full-back, but all the top teams in the world have strong players in those positions.”
For Liverpool fans, Mohamed Salah has proven himself to be one of the world’s best players after two consecutive seasons of brilliance at Anfield.
The winger has been tremendous since arriving from AS Roma and has evidently taken his form from the closing stages of the season into the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt.
However, despite scoring in his country’s 2-0 win over DR Congo, it was the man who set him up that got the pulses of some Reds fans racing.
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Mahmoud Hassan, more commonly known as Trezeguet, went on a fine run before sliding a ball through for Liverpool’s ‘Egyptian King’ to score; and despite there being no reports linking the 24-year-old with a move to Anfield, many fans of the Merseyside club urged their side to get him signed up this summer.
The left-winger scored nine times and provided a further nine assists for his current side Kasimpasa in the Turkish Super Lig, and some Reds supporters appear more than keen to see him arrive at Anfield.
Check out some of the reaction of Liverpool fans demanding Trezeguet be signed this summer below:
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy is attracting the interest of Aston Villa, according to Sky Sports.
What’s the word?
Villa appear as though they really want to add a goalkeeper to their ranks this summer, despite the heroics of Jed Steer towards the back end of last season.
The stopper was crucial in the penalty shootout against West Brom in the play-offs but that hasn’t stopped them from being interested in a variety of goalkeepers.
They previously had a bid knocked back for Neil Etheridge whilst they’ve also cast their eyes upon Jack Butland and Tom Heaton.
However, the latest ‘keeper they’ve been linked with is 29 year-old McCarthy.
Sky Sports suggest that Southampton are willing to let him go this summer and Villa are being touted as a possible destination.
McCarthy wouldn’t fit Villa
Under Dean Smith, the Villans have become an attractive passing team to watch.
In the Championship last term they were the sixth-best team as far as possession is concerned, averaging 53.4% a game, whilst they finished the season as the third-best passing side, completing 79.8% of their passes as a team.
When Smith arrived, Christian Purslow noted just how devoted Smith was to this style of play, saying: “He [Smith] has dedicated his career to a very recognisable, attractive playing style and he’s committed to that playing style through thick and thin.”
However, if the Villa boss lands McCarthy, that playing style would be hindered hugely, especially considering they like to play from the back.
In the Premier League in 2018/19, the Southampton man ended the term with a truly horrific pass completion rate of 45%, which would likely put their ability to play out from the defence under threat.
It’s clear McCarthy isn’t great with the ball at his feet and as a result, their ability to pass the ball around in tight situations near to their own goal could be restricted.
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If you compare the 29-year-old to Steer, he ended the term with a success rate of 51.6% when it came to his passing. That, of course, is still not very impressive, perhaps why the club is searching for another option – but it shouldn’t be McCarthy.
His Premier League experience and the fact he’s been capped at international level make it a potentially attractive signing, but not when he could actually hinder the way Villa play.
Bearing that in mind, their current goalkeeper would be a far better option if Smith has desires of continuing his passing philosophy in the Premier League.
Sunderland fans have been left stunned after captain George Honeyman was not included in the club’s squad for the 2019 pre-season tour, which was announced on Tuesday evening.
The Black Cats have already started their preparations for the 2019/20 campaign, beating South Shields 2-0 in a recent friendly.
Now though, the club is jetting off to Portugal to take on Benfica B before a clash with Belenenses, and the skipper has been inexplicably left out of the squad.
New signings like Lee Burge and Conor McLaughlin are on the confirmed squad list, as is Aiden McGeady after the Irishman signed a new contract, but there is no sign of Honeyman.
The 24 year-old has been the subject of much debate recently, with some fans feeling he is not up to the standard required from a captain.
Still, his exclusion comes as a big surprise, especially as there is no official word from the club a to why he has been left out.
The Sunderland Echo reckon he may have picked up knock, though they also state that Jack Ross is operating on a one-out-one-in transfer policy this summer, and Walsall midfielder George Dobson is a target.
Loads of fans have been chiming in on the surprising news, and while some are urging Ross to sell their skipper, others are just wondering where he is…
For the majority of the professional footballing world, holidays are long gone and now it’s time to jump back into the grind.
And while Everton are one of those who have returned to the office, the Toffees’ young starlet, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, is still very much enjoying the sun and the sea on holiday after participating in the U21 European Championship.
The 22-year-old centre-forward is yet to put that Toffees kit back on as he posted an
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Many could envy him but his friends all replied in good spirits as they were actually impressed with what they saw in the snap.
England youth teammates James Maddison and Ryan Sessegnon were among the first stars to post a reply in the comment section.
Both young players posted fire emojis, showing their support for their friend.
Other youngsters, like Harry Chapman and Jaydon Gibbs, were also on the scene, with the latter even calling the snap “fresh”, emphasising its quality.
The 22-year-old’s latest campaign with Everton was his best one yet.
He played 38 games in all competitions, scoring eight goals and assisting a further three, helping his team reach eighth place in the Premier League table along the way.
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The club still has time to sign another striker this summer, but right now the former Sheffield United youngster is surely hoping to kick on and really become the main man next year.
Joe Aribo took just three minutes to open the scoring against St. Joseph’s on Thursday and the Rangers faithful are buzzing about their summer signing.
Aribo got the barrage of goals underway with strikers Jermain Defoe (two) and Alfredo Morelos (three) completing the rout. A 6-0 victory for Steven Gerrard’s men secured a whopping 10-0 aggregate win in the first round of Europa League qualifying.
Aribo was making his first start since arriving from League One Charlton in this window. The signing irritated Addicks boss Lee Bowyer, who told talkSPORT: “It doesn’t make sense on the football side. For me, he should stay in England and keep progressing.”
The 22-year-old doesn’t seem to be bothered by his former manager’s comments though, as he notched his first goal in Rangers colours and impressed the majority inside Ibrox while doing so.
The midfielder took three minutes to latch onto Greg Docherty’s clever through ball before driving the ball past the helpless St. Joseph’s stopper, and his performance was sparkling throughout the match.
You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Expert Roundup feature, which provides three quotes from those in the know in order to illuminate fundamental strengths, weaknesses, quirks, kinks, stylistic comparisons and general observations of players, transfer targets and confirmed signings.
Nicolas Pepe arrived in London on Tuesday to complete a medical ahead of his £72m move to Arsenal.
The winger has been all over the transfer talk in the last couple of days, with the Ivorian goal scorer set to sign for a club who reportedly have a budget of just £45m. The deal will apparently be paid in instalments, but Lille will nevertheless receive a huge payment for last season’s star man.
Pepe is a right-winger who cuts inside and looks to drive towards goal, but also has the ability to create as well as finish, proven by his 22 goals and 11 assists in Ligue 1.
Arsenal have needed a winger for years, and have had to play the likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Alex Iwobi and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out wide, who aren’t traditional wide-men whatsoever.
There always seems to be scepticism about whether a star from Ligue 1 can replicate their form in the Premier League.
But what have those in the know had to say about the inbound Arsenal signing?
Didier Drogba – Ivory Coast and Chelsea legend
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For an Ivory Coast international, receiving praise from Didier Drogba is about as good as it gets.
The striker scored an impressive 300 career goals and is Ivory Coast’s all-time top goalscorer.
Despite previously holding the record for the most goals in a Ligue 1 season by an African player, Drogba seemed convinced in March that his record would be broken by the Lille winger, and he was right.
“His numbers are great and he will easily beat my record of 19 in 2003-04. He’s fast, complete and efficient.
“They need players like him in France. I’ve heard of him for some time, above all because he was called up to the Ivory Coast squad for a few years. He’s having a season at a very high level.”
Christophe Galtier – Lille manager
There are few people in the world who will know the intricacies of Pepe’s talent like Christophe Galtier, the Lille boss who’s had the pleasure of working with the winger all season.
While he was resigned to the fact he would lose his star player when questioned, he certainly managed to get some praise in there as well.
“Nicolas Pepe will leave. Life’s like that; football’s like that today. He is a player of the highest level who will have a big decision to make on the choice of his next club. There will be a battle between the great European teams. I hope that he will take good amount of time to think about it, do his research.”
Given Arsenal are set to part with £72m for his signature, one would assume Galtier’s claim that Pepe is “a player of the highest level” represents more than just a strategy to artificially increase his market value.
Tom Williams – French football expert
Tom Williams, a football journalist specialising in French football, spoke to Sky Sports about the player’s quality and went into detail about his style of play and what Arsenal can expect of their new arrival next season.
“A quick, lithe attacking player, Pepe specialises in barrelling runs from deep positions. Several of his goals last season saw him pick the ball up in midfield and surge past defenders before finishing coolly with the inside of his left foot.
“He’s at his best with space to run into, but his speed of thought and the sharpness of his finishing mean he poses a threat even against tightly packed opposition defences.
“He didn’t live up to expectations at the Africa Cup of Nations, which suggests that he’s still developing as a player, but on his day he is a genuine world-beater.”
Guillem Balague – football journalist
Back in November it was Guillem Balague that announced Arsenal’s interest in signing the winger. The Spanish journalist was one of the first to bring the news of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s arrival to Arsenal and it seems he was in-the-know with this one as well, describing him as a “special” player.
On his youtube channel (via BleacherReport) he had this to say about Pepe.
“He’s mostly left-footed, plays on the right-hand side but also on the left-hand side. It’s mostly from wide areas coming inside that makes him special and it’s what he does with the ball in small spaces that makes him special.
“That’s why Arsenal are looking into the possibility of signing him. Keep an eye on him, he will end up in the Premier League I’m sure.”
Verdict
The goals can’t be ignored, and the glowing references he’s received suggest the hype is genuine.
The Premier League will be a different challenge for him, but with the goal scoring weight being shared equally among himself, Alexandre Lacazette and Aubameyang, he could settle in very quickly.
Following the confirmation of Harry Maguire’s world-record move to Manchester United, the Red Devils now have a number of centre-backs on their books.
Reports in recent weeks have suggested the club would be looking to move players on, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer himself admitted that there was a “limit” on players to be involved in his squad.
Now, The Daily Mail claim Stoke have enquired about taking Axel Tuanzebe on loan for the upcoming season as a solution to Ryan Shawcross’ injury.
The report claims however that the England U21 international is intent on staying at Old Trafford and fighting for his place.
It adds the Red Devils don’t see much “sense” in sending Tuanzebe on loan to a Championship side, and want to see whether he can make the step up to Premier League football following a campaign at Aston Villa last year.
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After hearing the news about their young starlet, United fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the matter.
Many supporters of the Manchester side expressed their relief the 21-year-old would be staying, and insisted that despite the arrival of Maguire, Tuanzebe could regard himself as one of the best defenders at the club.
Indeed, many wondered whether Stoke would be open to taking someone like Phil Jones instead and urged the Red Devils to give Tuanzebe a real go in the first-team for the upcoming campaign.
Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:
This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…
Before the season got underway, Leeds fans were quick to voice concerns about their defence.
It was hardly a surprise either. After all, this was a team who had lost Pontus Jansson, a player who started 37 times last term whilst seeing their side hammered by Manchester United 4-0 in pre-season.
Following their opening day mauling of Chelsea, it doesn’t look like such a bad result. But the truth is, Leeds supporters were right to be concerned, especially after they didn’t return to the market in a defensive capacity.
Instead, Marcelo Bielsa decided to place his faith in the young Ben White, a player who had never appeared in the Championship before Leeds’ 3-1 win over Bristol City on the opening weekend.
He’d enjoyed a loan spell with Newport in 2017/18 whilst playing for Peterborough last term, but his senior football has been rather limited.
Yet on the evidence seen so far this season, he will surely become a regular name on the Leeds teamsheet.
The benefactor of Gaetano Berardi’s suspension at the back end of the 2018/19 campaign, White has taken to the Championship like a duck to water.
Bielsa has previously been reported as a big fan of the Brighton loanee and it’s clear to see why.
The 21-year-old is a typical modern-day defender. He likes to step out of defence and pick a pass, something that was displayed superbly last Saturday.
In one of his best moments during the game, he stepped forward and played a delightful ball into the channel for Patrick Bamford to pounce on.
It was a fabulous key pass from the defender who also completed one dribble throughout the match, displaying his calm nature.
Leeds conceded their equaliser in sloppy fashion as the ball ricocheted around the penalty area before somehow ending up in the back of the net.
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Yet that shouldn’t distract from White’s marvellous performance. He was brilliant with the ball at his feet whilst he was also impressive in defensive situations.
His outing was capped off by winning five tackles and completing three interceptions, per WhoScored.
Bielsa’s faith has been well and truly vindicated already.