Tag Archives: Premier League

Football, Transfers

Tanguy Ndombele No Closer To Tottenham Exit Despite Uncertainty

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Despite making his wishes clear before the season even came to an end, Tanguy Ndombele is no closer to leaving Tottenham this summer.

The French midfielder has been subject to some interest from Inter Milan during the window, but the Italian side have prioritised the signing of Arturo Vidal from Barcelona. With Spurs playing hardball over a fee for Ndombele, they seem to be pushing him closer to staying at the club rather than towards the exit.

According to reports, Ndombele and manager Jose Mourinho had conversations back in June about his future at the club. It’s said that during that meeting, both parties made it clear they saw no future working together and Ndombele barely featured towards the end of the season post-lockdown.

The player showed tremendous potential during his time at Lyon, which was enough to convince Spurs to spend a club record £54million on him. Since coming to the Premier League though, Ndombele has struggled with the physical demands of the league. He has picked up several injuries throughout the season but also tends to look exhausted part-way through games. In fact, during his first season in the Premier League he managed to complete 90 minutes just three times – and only once under Mourinho.

Tottenham Hotspur Training Session : News Photo

With Inter Milan likely to sign Vidal instead of Ndombele now, his options seem slim. A move back to Lyon could be an option if Spurs were willing to allow a loan move, with the French side likely to lose Houssem Aouar this summer. Ndombele wouldn’t have the toughest of decisions to make if that were the only option, since Spurs are only in the Europa League while Lyon aren’t in Europe at all. A loan move would get him away from a place he doesn’t want to be and into a place where he is loved. The sacrifice of no Europa League football is an easy one to make.

Other than that, it would take something out of left-field to swoop him away. All the top clubs are clearly prioritising their money elsewhere and if Spurs are going to remain firm on their asking price to get back the baulk of what they spent last year, then the likelihood of him moving anywhere is very low.

Ndombele is currently in France quarantining after testing positive for COVID-19, which forced his withdrawal from the French national team squad for the upcoming international break.

psg make opening move for arsenal defender
Football, Transfers

Paris Saint-Germain Make Move For Arsenal Man

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Paris Saint-Germain have made their first significant move of the transfer window by starting talks with Arsenal for defender Hector Bellerin.

The Spaniard has been at Arsenal since 2011 when he joined from the famous Barcelona academy, and has made over 200 appearances for the Gunners in that time. He is the first choice at right-back and right wing-back for Mikel Arteta right now but it’s said to be a situation where everyone is open to all outcomes.

PSG are reportedly ready to make an opening bid of around £25million for Bellerin and while that is likely to be rejected as an opening offer, there is ongoing dialogue between the parties with a confidence that a compromise will be found swiftly.

The player is said to be open to the idea of a new challenge in Europe, with PSG looking to replace Thomas Meunier whose contract expired at the end of last season. Bellerin would be offered the chance to become first-choice right-back at the club to compete with Thilo Kehrer and play alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Angel Di Maria and Marco Verratti.

If a deal could be agreed between the two clubs, it’s expected that Ainsley Maitland-Niles would become the first choice instead of moving to Wolves with Portuguese new signing Cedric Soares acting as back-up. The club are currently in a position where they need to buy to sell, and they still want to sign a midfielder.

They have been strongly linked with Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid and there have been discussions around Houssem Aouar, in addition to the extension of the loan of Dani Ceballos from Real Madrid.

Bellerin’s career at Arsenal has been a rollercoaster. He broke into the side as a youngster with blistering pace and excellent attacking instincts, but clear deficiencies defensively. As he gained experience though, his attacking became less dynamic and his defending barely improved. He suffered a serious knee injury in February 2019 against Chelsea but seems to have now fully recovered after spending over nine months on the sidelines.

Once a top prospect in world football, he’s now a replaceable piece of a puzzle.

how manchester united could sign upamecano despite new contract
Football, Transfers

How Manchester United Could Sign Dayot Upamecano Despite New Contract

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Manchester United have made France defender Dayot Upamecano their priority for a new defensive signing according to several reports across Europe.

Upamecano has shone for RB Leipzig over the last two seasons, with his ability on the ball as impressive as his physical traits for such a young man. He has attracted interest from all the big clubs, but it was believed that he had put an end to speculation over his future for this summer when he signed a new contract.

Despite the new deal, Manchester United are reportedly prioritising his signature for this window and want to open talks with Leipzig about a potential transfer.

The move resembles that of the one Liverpool put together for Naby Keita back in 2017. After the Guinea midfielder signed a new deal with a release clause, Liverpool tried to open negotiations about a move. While Leipzig initially completely refused to talk, in the end they relented. Liverpool agreed to pay more than the not-yet-active release clause and postpone the contract start date by a year, meaning Leipzig kept the player as initially planned and made extra money on the player.

Something similar may be needed to convince them to part with their biggest asset at a time where he has just committed to the club for extra years.

According to reports, Upamecano’s new contract contains a release clause of €42.5million but doesn’t become active until the summer of 2021. As of right now, there is no set amount of money that the club would be forced to accept. They are well aware however that next year the player will be snapped up, and quickly, for that amount. If they can generate a bidding war that potentially exceeds that amount by some way, they may go for it.

United would likely need to offer around €50million to even get Leipzig talking to them and if other clubs became involved in the process they’d have a decision to make on whether or not they are willing to go higher. As far as Leipzig are concerned, Upamecano is not for sale unless they’re presented with an offer they cannot refuse.

That means there is no working number out there, at least publicly anyway, that the Red Devils can negotiate down from and work their way towards an agreement with. They need to go in blind and strong.

Upamecano is a top talent and prospective world-class centre-back, but right now he is far from the complete article. He’s rash in the tackle, has concentration lapses and sometimes gets carried away with his ball-playing abilities and takes unnecessary risks. Putting him alongside Harry Maguire would see the club building for the future whilst also improving their current line.

It would represent a shrewd business move and after the signing of Donny Van de Beek was concluded relatively quickly, if they could follow that up with this signing it could potentially represent an upturn in fortunes for the club in the transfer market going forward.

arsenal are dark horses in race for signature of french midfielder

Football, Transfers

Houssem Aouar Subject To Premier League Interest

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Houssem Aouar is subject to interest from several Premier League sides this summer and has his heart set on a move to England according to several reports.

The Lyon midfielder was the star of the French sides Champions League run in Lisbon in August, with influential displays in the centre of midfield helping them into the semi-finals of the competition where they lost to eventual winners Bayern Munich.

With Lyon now officially not in any European competition this season following the early cancellation of Ligue 1 last year due to COVID-19, the club are in need of cash and may have to part with their biggest stars.

Captain Memphis Depay has been the subject of interest from several clubs, including PSG according to reports recently, and after scoring a hat-trick on the opening day of the season he refused to rule out a move elsewhere. Now Aouar is set to enter the spotlight with clubs taking a look at the young Frenchman.

According to several reports Juventus, Manchester City and Arsenal are all seriously considering making a move for the 22 year old. Prior to the Champions League run in August, it was expected that Lyon would accept around €40million for the player, with the idea that they would reinvest early on to have their squad set for the new season. But following his exceptional performances, Lyon now believe they can get around €60million for the player and the interested parties haven’t been put off.

Manchester City are reportedly interested in bringing the player in to replace David Silva, who left on a free transfer and joined Real Sociedad after 10 years at the club. While their interest is genuine, they are (obviously) prioritising the potential signing of a certain Lionel Messi.

Juventus are also interested and after signing Arthur Melo already from Barcelona, they released both Blaise Matuidi and Sami Khedira which leaves them one midfielder light. Houssem Aouar is the man they want to bring in to fill that void, but they’re currently biding their time in negotiations.

The dark horses in the race are Arsenal, who after signing Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille and Willian on a free transfer are now looking to strengthen their midfield. Dani Ceballos will return to the club on another season-long loan deal and the club are reportedly interested in Thomas Partey as well as Aouar. The issue the Gunners have is that they’re short on outright cash, hence the stumbling block they currently have in their pursuit of the Ghanaian. Arsenal would likely look to pay less money up front with add-ons and clauses which would likely mean Lyon would prefer to sell elsewhere. With that said, Arsenal are the only side who seem to be making their interest concrete at the moment which could force the other sides to either back out or step up. If they don’t, Lyon may have no choice but to accept Arsenal’s offer.

With Aouar’s reported preference to play in the Premier League, that would also be a boost to Arsenal’s chances. With a month to go in the transfer window, these deals will step up now and decisions will need to be made.

The likelihood of the player staying at Lyon beyond the window is extremely low, but right now where he’ll be is up in the air.

neymar confirms his plans for 2020/21 season
Football, Transfers

Manchester United Close To First Summer Signing

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Manchester United are closing in on their first signing of the transfer window after agreeing a fee with Ajax for midfielder Donny Van De Beek.

The Dutch international was all set for a move to the Bernabeu when he agreed terms with the club earlier this year, but the deal was scuppered after Real Madrid pulled the plug following the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was then reported that the player had become a top target for Madrid’s fierce rivals Barcelona following the appointment of former Holland manager Ronald Koeman. However after Van De Beek was pulled from a friendly game for Ajax this weekend due to advancements in a deal, Barcelona sources ruled out their involvement citing that Gini Wijnaldum had been prioritised instead.

That has allowed Manchester United, who have been monitoring the midfielder for several months, to step in and swoop to secure a deal for a reported fee of around €40million.

Van De Beek will sign a five-year deal with the Red Devils and is expected to put pen to paper on the contract in the coming week.

A box-to-box midfielder, VdB is an energetic playmaker who’s best position is as an advanced midfielder. He has an eye for goal, as shown in his appearances against Tottenham, Chelsea and Juventus in the Champions League over the last two campaigns. He’s got a good eye for a pass too with 7 assists added to his 14 goals this season but he’s not shy defensively either. As noted in this article written in June, Van De Beek stands up statistically alongside United’s defensive midfield options Nemanja Matic and Fred.

United’s midfield is now stacked with good options as the Dutchman joins Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, Nemanja Matic, Fred and Scott McTominay in Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s plans. It’s possible that one of those leaves, with Fred reportedly a target for Turkish giants Galatasaray.

Red Devils fans will now be hoping the club can press on quickly with other targets as Jadon Sancho is still reportedly keen on a move to Old Trafford while the club have reportedly registered their interest in Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara in recent days as Liverpool stall on meeting the €30million asking price.

newcastle look to bolster defence with arsenal centre back on loan
Football, Transfers

Newcastle United Look To Bolster Defence With Arsenal Centre-Back

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Newcastle United have made their move to bolster their defence by making a move for Arsenal defender Rob Holding.

Holding featured for Arsenal in the Community Shield on Saturday evening as they beat Premier League champions Liverpool 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes. Holding impressed alongside David Luiz as Arsenal dominated for large parts of the game until visibly tiring out in the final 20 minutes.

Despite starting and playing the full game, Holding is likely to leave on loan after the signings of Pablo Mari and Gabriel Magalhaes as well as the return from loan of William Saliba.

That’s where Steve Bruce and Newcastle come in, as the Tyneside team look to bolster their defensive options ahead of the upcoming season. With Jamal Lascelles, Ciaran Clark, Federico Fernandez and Fabian Schar already on the books, former Premier League winner Bruce wants to add extra Premier League experience to the side.

Holding has been at Arsenal since 2016 and been a part of two of the club’s FA Cup wins, featuring in both finals. Despite a string of good performances for the Gunners though, Holding has never been called up to the England senior team and has failed to fully convince manager Mikel Arteta that he is good enough.

At Newcastle, he would be able to play as much football as a first-team regular but without the pressures of playing for Arsenal. He would be able to learn the trade and likely defend more than he’s needed to while playing at The Emirates simply due to their styles and quality of player in the squad.

At 24 years old though, Holding isn’t a youngster anymore. He’s at a point in his career where he should be pushing on and be a regular somewhere, which could be exactly why he’s open to this move. It’s likely he has been told by Arteta that he won’t be counted on as regularly in the new season and has made the decision to get regular football a priority.

His season at Newcastle now will have a big say on how his future goes. If he develops well and impresses, it’s likely Arteta could bring him back into the fold next season when David Luiz’s contract ends. If he struggles, he’ll likely be let go and Arsenal will look to strengthen in the transfer window once again.

man city inserted ‘anti man utd’ clause in youngsters transfer deal
Football, Transfers

Manchester City Inserted Anti-Manchester United Clause In Deal For Youngster

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Manchester City inserted an anti-Manchester United clause in their deal for Brahim Diaz to join Real Madrid in January 2019 it has been revealed.

The young Spaniard put pen to paper on a five-and-a-half year deal with Real Madrid, ending intense transfer speculation around his name. The player had just 6 months remaining on his contract and after telling Manchester City he wouldn’t renew, the two sides thrashed out an agreement that totalled around £15million.

However it has now come out that during those negotiations, Manchester City and Real Madrid agreed on a clause that meant the player could not be sold directly to Manchester United.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the deal was agreed to by Madrid who had no plans of letting the player go as they wanted to develop him and use him as a starter in the long-term. With the player now set to go on loan to Serie A side AC Milan, with the option to buy him at the end of the loan, the secret clause has come to light.

Diaz has accepted to join Milan on loan and if the deal is turned permanent by the Serie A side, Real Madrid will retain the option to buy him back at an already pre-determined price.

After coming through the Manchester City academy, Diaz was one of the cornerstones used by the hierarchy of the club to show there was a pathway from youth team to first team football. Pep Guardiola however used him rather sparingly in cup games and he decided to move back home to another top club for a crack at first-team football.

Since returning to Madrid he’s been used sparingly there too, with Zinedine Zidane preferring to use Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr, Asensio, Bale and Hazard in the wide positions.

With the loan deal now agreed, Diaz will line up alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic next season after the Swede signed a new one-year extension at the San Siro.

A player as talented as Brahim should be playing much more regularly than he has been in the last few years and it’s good to see that he is willing to move away from big sides in order to get that. His dribbling and creativity had him as one of the Premier League’s most promising young prospects but it is now time he delivers on that talent and turns it into actual performances.

community shield: arsenal vs liverpool – match preview
Football, Match Previews

Community Shield: Liverpool vs Arsenal – Match Preview

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Less than a month after the end of the domestic season in England, the new season gets it’s curtain raiser as league champions Liverpool take on FA Cup winners Arsenal at Wembley on Saturday.

Arsenal won the FA Cup on August 1st thanks to a 2-1 win over Chelsea, where Mikel Arteta showed his coaching stripes by coming from behind to win the first silverware of his career. They’ll face a Liverpool side who dominated the Premier League last season and romped to a record-breaking first league title in 30 years with 7 games to spare.

Since the end of the season, Arsenal have seen their squad strengthened. The return of William Saliba from his loan at Saint-Etienne strengthens the defence while Cedric and Paulo Mari have made their loan deals permanent. They’ve also completed the free transfer signing of Brazilian winger Willian from rivals Chelsea to strengthen their attack options.

For Liverpool, they’ve brought in Greek left-back Kostas Tsimikas as competition/cover for Andy Robertson while young striker Rhian Brewster has returned from his loan at Swansea in fine form during pre-season, scoring three times in their two games so far. Dejan Lovren has left the club for Zenit St Petersburg.

This will be a strange Community Shield game. Unlike normal years, this is still relatively early on in pre-season for both sides. Clubs are still looking to do business and the Premier League season doesn’t start for another two weeks, while the transfer window is open for another month or so after that.

With international duty separating this game and the start of the season, the two teams won’t be at full strength or full fitness for this game and I would expect a slow tempo. That will suit Arsenal, with Klopp’s side unlikely to implement their highly effective pressing game as efficiently as they usually would.

Arsenal FC v Liverpool FC - Premier League : News Photo

With that said, Liverpool’s squad is much stronger and has more depth right now. They should be beating Arsenal, but football isn’t played on paper.

With Liverpool likely to play a style that isn’t their ideal plan A, Arsenal will feel like they are there for the taking. With the morale around the club right now good, plus the expected announcements of Gabriel Magalhaes’ transfer and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s new contract, Arsenal will feel confident they can secure an upset win and continue their momentum going into the new season.

Arsenal are likely to continue in their 3-4-3 shape, with William Saliba slotting into central defence and allowing Kieran Tierney to return to his preferred left wing-back position. Bernd Leno will start in goal following Emiliano Martinez having to enter isolation following his holiday, giving the German a head-start in their battle for the No.1 jersey. Willian will likely make his debut in place of Alexandre Lacazette, which will see Aubameyang move into the central striker position.

Liverpool will line up with a strong side, but could reward Rhian Brewster with a starting spot ahead of Roberto Firmino. The club are yet to decide whether he’ll stay at the club this season or be loaned out again but this will be a big chance for him to stake a claim if he is given some minutes. Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri won’t take part but are likely to re-join the group in training after this game.

PREDICTED XI’S:

Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Keita, Milner; Salah, Brewster, Mane.
Arsenal: Leno; Mari, Luiz, Saliba; Bellerin, Xhaka, Willock, Tierney; Pepe, Aubameyang, Willian.

While Arsenal are riding a wave of momentum coming into this game, Liverpool will prove too strong for them once again. The sheer quality they have in depth should be enough to see them pip Arteta’s side in a competitive game to kick-start their campaign.

PICKS:

Liverpool win & both teams to score – 21/10 (Betfair)
Mo Salah to score anytime – 21/20 (SkyBet)

troy deeney to lead promoted side into survival battle?

Football, Transfers

Troy Deeney To Lead Promoted Side Into Survival Battle?

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Watford captain Troy Deeney is a target for both Fulham and West Bromwich Albion as they look to survive relegation at the first attempt.

Deeney was relegated with Watford last season as the Hornets went through four managers in a season and finished in 19th place. Deeney was the club’s top scorer with 10 goals but it was his leadership qualities that were greatly praised by former bosses throughout the season.

He’s known for his straight-talking, no nonsense style where he will publicly take the blame or pass it to others if he feels it necessary. That is something that is appealing to both Fulham and WBA as they look to grow tough skin to hang with the big boys for a little while longer than just a year.

His physical presence up front, plus experience of Premier League football will also be a boost to these clubs. At Fulham, he would compete or partner with Aleksandar Mitrovic who despite his own experiences has struggled in the Premier League in the past. At West Brom, he would likely take over as the first choice striker from Charlie Austin. Austin is another who, like Mitrovic, has plenty of experience scoring goals at all levels but has struggled in the Premier League for the most part.

Deeney would come in as a boost to the first-team of both clubs on the pitch but his mentality off it would likely be as much of a boost and help to the managers.

Another option for Deeney could be a move to Aston Villa, who struggled without a striker last season despite spending big money on Wesley and Samatta. While there is no reported interest from Villa Park just yet, there have been links to Burnley and even Tottenham.

Burnley would make sense, with Sean Dyche looking to add proven cover for his burly style up front to help manage Chris Wood and Sam Vokes’ playing time. For Spurs, he would be exclusively cover for Harry Kane but with Jose Mourinho as manager the two would likely get on like a house on fire and the prospect of potentially winning trophies would appeal to him. It would also mean staying in London and not uprooting his family which at this stage in his career, is surely something that would play a part in his decision.

With plenty of options and still plenty of time to go in the transfer window, Deeney is highly unlikely to still be at Watford through the new season. West Brom lead the chase, but the decision is Deeney’s.

matt doherty to tottenham – as successful as everyone assumes?
Football, Transfers

Matt Doherty To Spurs May Not Work As Well As Many Expect

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Tottenham are on the verge of completing a move for Wolves defender Matt Doherty in a deal worth up to £16million, according to reports.

Doherty, 28, has been one of Wolves’ best performers since their promotion to the Premier League. He has been fielded in the right wing-back position in Wolves’ preferred three-at-the-back formation and has been an undisputed success.

With Serge Aurier a target for AC Milan and Spurs seemingly willing to let him go, they’re looking to strengthen in defence and have made the Irishman their prime target. With COVID-19 still affecting the transfer market, Spurs may be grabbing a bargain at just £12million up front for Doherty.

However, there are some doubts over a potential move to North London.

As mentioned previously, Doherty has been playing as a wing-back in a system that is designed to get the best from that position. Unless Jose Mourinho is planning something very different to his usual approach, Doherty won’t be given that type of freedom at Tottenham.

Whenever Mourinho fielded Aurier, he was gifted the freedom to roam the entire right flank while Bergwijn or Lucas Moura tucked inside to support Harry Kane up front. Doherty will love that freedom but without three centre-backs to cover for him, Spurs may find themselves short covering counter-attacks. Ben Davies often shifts over to fill in when the right-back goes forward but where Wolves would then become a back five, Spurs become a back three.

Doherty is arguably a better weapon going forward than Aurier and he’s absolutely definitely better defensively, so he’s without doubt an upgrade on the Ivorian. That said, the consensus around this deal seems to be that it will be a resounding success. I have my doubts.

Wolves’ system is certified. Performances rarely drop despite rotation of players and they’re consistent defensively and with their patterns going forward. While they’re better with Doherty, they’re not awful without him. Spurs are getting a better player, but how much he actually changes their fortunes remains to be seen.

It’s a positive step however, as Mourinho looks to strengthen his side and push back into the Champions League places.

Wolves will reportedly move to replace Doherty with Ainsley Maitland-Niles from Arsenal, who has decided he needs to leave his boyhood club for regular first-team football. He came through the Arsenal academy as a central midfielder but has seen his best chances at the top level come as a right-back or right wing-back. His versatility makes him an excellent replacement for Doherty, with the Wolves system likely to help him develop and play regularly.

It’s a fun Midlands/North London merry-go-round to kick off the Premier League transfer window this summer and a move that sees the top of the division get even tighter and more competitive.

dean henderson’s new man utd deal is win-win for club and player