All posts by h716a5.icu

Arsenal have been linked with a few attackers this summer and The Athletic journalist David Ornstein has provided an update over their pursuit of Newcastle’s Allan Saint-Maximin.

Over the last couple of days, Le10 Sport claimed that Arsenal were very keen on signing Newcastle’s 23-year-old French attacker, who joined the Magpies from Ligue 1 side Lille last summer.

However, speaking on his podcast (via Sportslens) Ornstein said: “One of the names that have come up in recent days in Allan Saint-Maximin of Newcastle. My information is Arsenal are not interested in Allan Saint-Maximin. He’s not a target that they are pursuing.”

Saint-Maximin has managed on average 1.8 shots per game, 1.3 key passes a game and completed 4.6 successful dribbles per game, per WhoScored.

With Bukayo Saka emerging from the Gunners’ academy and becoming a a valuable presence both on the left wing and at full-back, bringing in the Frenchman could stunt his growth as the Gunners have already splashed big on Pepe (their £72m record signing). Therefore, if they also brought in the Newcastle man, Arteta may feel obligated to start his big-money signings, which could potentially harm Saka’s first team chances.

The Arsenal teenager actually has more goal contributions this campaign in all competitions than Saint-Maximin as the Gunners star has four goals and 10 assists prior to tonight’s clash against Leicester, whilst the Frenchman has four goals and seven assists. Therefore, perhaps it is for the best that the club are reportedly not interested in the Newcastle winger.

Gunners fans, what are your thoughts on this update from Ornstein? Comment below with your views!

Darren Bent insists that Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho is being too harsh on Erik Lamela as he has impressed in recent weeks.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Bent believes that Lamela has been one of the Lilywhites’ best players since the Premier League restarted last month. He started the opening post-lockdown game against Manchester United, before being dropped to the bench for the last two matches.

Spurs began the match against the Red Devils well after Steven Bergwijn opened the scoring but Bruno Fernandes levelled with a penalty in the closing stages of the game (BBC).

Bent told Football Insider’s Russell Edge: “Listen, every time he comes in he always seems to give a very, very good account of himself.

“I thought he played very, very well against Manchester United in the first game, he was one of their best players and then for the next game he found himself on the bench, which I thought was a little bit harsh. He’s done really well but it’s difficult for Spurs and their fans at the moment.”

It is difficult to disagree with Bent on this one, as it looked like Lamela had a point to prove during the 1-1 draw with the Red Devils.

He stepped up in Dele Alli’s absence by taking 37 touches of the ball, registering 17 out of 27 passes with a passing accuracy rate of 74%, completing three out of four dribble attempts and making two interceptions (via SofaScore).

However, he was promptly relegated to the bench, despite helping to set the tempo that unsettled United in the first half.

While Lamela played fewer minutes than Alli against Sheffield United, he actually earned a higher SofaScore rating than his teammate for his performance as Spurs struggled to break down the Blades’ defence.

Mourinho’s side are currently 10th in the Premier League, 12 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, although they have a game in hand over their London rivals.

For whatever reason, Mourinho doesn’t seem to trust Lamela, but he may have to put his faith in the Argentine sooner rather than later. Now that Alli has returned from suspension, Lamela will have to settle for a backup role and he will have to grasp every opportunity that he gets to prove himself.

Tottenham fans, do you think Mourinho should give Lamela more of a chance? Let us know in the comments below!

Sunderland have announced that they have sold 12,000 season tickets prior to the 2020/2021 season.

Life at the Stadium of Light has hardly given fans of the Wearside club much to cheer about of late after a disappointing few seasons which have been heavily documented via Netflix series Sunderland Til I Die.

The former Premier League club’s recent failure to gain promotion from League One has been aligned with controversy off the pitch which has involved current owner Stewart Donald.

Regular fans at the club’s home games missed a total of three matches due to the global pandemic forcing the end of the League One season and, whilst they disagreed with the refund process for those games, the club have now announced that the majority have renewed.

Through an official statement on the official club website, Sunderland revealed that they had paused sales until an announcement was made on the return for fans to stadia:

“With season card sales already surpassing the 12,000-mark, which is in line with the reduced capacity estimated, we have today taken the decision to pause all new season card sales until further notice.

“We appreciate that many fans will be disappointed by this news, but we will provide a further update regarding additional sales once further clarification around supporter attendance has been provided.”

The Government are currently planning to allow fans back in stadiums from October 1, almost a month after the League One campaign begins on September 12.

It is a strange decision for the club to pause season ticket sales but, if fans are not allowed back into stadia on October 1, Sunderland may have some disgruntled supporters who have already paid for entry to games.

Ticket sales of 12,000 up to this point is not bad, though, especially given that the club have offered very little in terms of excitement on the pitch over the last 12 months following their eighth-placed finish last term.

Do you think the 12,000 fans who have already got season tickets will be allowed into games from the first week of the season? Let us know in the comments section below…

With Serge Aurier and Juan Foyth likely to depart Spurs this summer, Jose Mourinho is in the market for a new right-back. According to The Athletic, two players, in particular, have been linked with a move to North London – Max Aarons, and Zeki Celik.

Norwich City’s Max Aarons has been deemed to be the perfect fit for Spurs, and he is definitely a player for the future with much promise. The 20-year-old England U21 international broke into the Canaries first team in 2018, and impressed many clubs on the big stage last season, despite Norwich facing relegation back to the Championship after finishing rock-bottom.

Another right-back on Jose Mourinho’s radar is Lille’s Zeki Celik. The 23-year-old Turkish international has been compared to former Spurs defender Kyle Walker, and has been valued at around £18m.

Celik would certainly be a very interesting signing for Spurs, though he has established himself as a started for Lille in both Ligue 1 and the Champions League which potentially makes him more attractive over youngster Max Aarons who does not have that same experience.

In addition to Celik and Aarons, Spurs have also been linked with Atalanta’s Timothy Castagne and Nice’s Youcef Atal, both of whom fit Mourinho’s criteria of a young attacking full-back with proven track records.

With Kyle Walker-Peters departing to Southampton, and Juan Foyth up for sale in addition to Aurier, Spurs would free-up funds for a new right-back, with Celik looking the most likely. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg joined Spurs from Southampton yesterday, and Mourinho is keen on making a couple more signings to bolster his defence this summer.

Verdict

Both Aarons and Celik would be great fits for Spurs, and they both have similar attacking play-styles. Aarons has Premier League experience and would help Spurs with homegrown numbers. At just 20, he has lots of potential and would be available at a lower fee having been relegated to the Championship.

Celik, on the other hand, may be a bit of a gamble considering he has not played in England and it may take him some time to adapt to the fast-paced game. Having said that, the Turkish international has played 14 times for his country as well as playing for clubs in both Turkey and France.

Chelsea are one step away from welcoming major summer target Kai Havertz to Stamford Bridge. 

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has reported that the Blues are in the final stages of talks for signing the Bayer Leverkusen star. A final fee of €80m (£71.6m) plus €20m (£17.9m) in add-ons is set to be agreed by both clubs.

The Havertz-to-Chelsea talks have arguably been among the biggest and most discussed of the summer transfer window. Several Premier League clubs initially showed an interest in the midfielder, but due to the current financial climate, the Blues have come out on top.

After enduring their two-window transfer ban, Chelsea are in a position to splash the cash and can provide Leverkusen with the hefty funds that they are seeking. Roman Abramovich has already signed off deals on new recruits Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, with further exciting arrivals potentially on the horizon.

Chelsea had a very impressive second half to their 2019/20 Premier League season, recovering from a poor start to finish in a Champions League spot. The Blues made easy work of closing the gap on Leicester, who looked sure to secure a top four spot for themselves prior to the season being halted.

After such a dangerous-looking finish, Lampard and co will be throwing everything they’ve got at the league next season, and their chances of landing another English title may have just been amplified.

With the addition of a playmaker like Havertz in midfield, Chelsea could be serious contenders for their seventh league title. The 22-year-old boasted 12 goals and six assists in the Bundesliga last season (via Transfermarkt).

On six occasions last term, the Blues missed out on three points by settling for a draw. Havertz could be the answer to enhancing their attack and ensuring that the majority of their fixtures end in victory.

Do you think Havertz will be a valuable signing for Chelsea? Join the conversation in the comments below!

Tottenham Hotspur appear to face stiff competition to land one of their mooted transfer targets this summer…

What’s the word?

According to Marca in recent weeks, Spurs hold interest in Real Madrid left-back Sergio Reguilon, who has just enjoyed a hugely successful loan spell at La Liga rivals Sevilla where he clinched the Europa League over Christian Eriksen’s Inter Milan.

They also claim that Manchester United are keen on the 23-year-old and further weight has been thrown in their direction this week after local journalist Senen Escalante confirmed the Spaniard wouldn’t be returning to Sevilla.

He suggests that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are willing to pay a €30m (£27m) fee for his signature, meaning Spurs will likely have to match that to secure him.

Must win race

The north Londoners have made some neat additions this summer already, namely former Saints skipper Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to fill the defensive midfield gap and Matt Doherty as an upgrade on Serge Aurier on the right.

However, the £15m Wolves signing has already done battle with Reguilon this season and it only ended one way – in the Madrid star’s favour.

The talented Spanish international picked up a higher match rating of 7.1 and forced Doherty into losing possession 12 times as well as committing one foul.

Reguilon managed one key pass, one shot and two tackles, all via SofaScore.

Whilst per WhoScored, Reguilon provided three goals and five assists during the 2019/20 season, also averaging 1.8 tackles, 1.5 dribbles, 1.3 key passes and 1.2 interceptions per game.

These numbers reinforce his ability to get up and down the wing using his rapid pace and it’s something Jose Mourinho has even noted before, lauding him during his time as a pundit back in April 2019.

The “dynamic” defender was named as La Liga and the Europa League’s best left-back too. He simply must be signed at all costs to make that left flank a dangerous prospect this season.

AND in other news, Mourinho must unleash King-like colossus this season…

Brighton manager Graham Potter has hinted that Viktor Gyokeres could be handed a rare appearance for the Seagulls in their midweek Carabao Cup clash against Portsmouth.

The Swedish striker has played just five times for Albion’s first team and is being targeted by Swansea for a potential loan move, although Potter plans to give the 22-year-old a chance to impress before making a decision on his future.

When discussing the prospect of Gyokeres featuring against Pompey on Thursday night, the manager said: “It’s a possibility because he has done well when he has been with us and played, and he has attributes that are really interesting.” [via Sussex Live]

Gyokeres has yet to feature in the Premier League for Brighton and was not in their matchday squad for last night’s defeat to Chelsea. He had a promising loan spell with St Pauli in the German second tier last season, though, with seven goals and four assists in 28 matches.

Potter went with Neal Maupay and Leandro Trossard, scorer of the equalising goal, as a two-man attacking partnership in their 1-3 defeat to the Blues as they began their league campaign, while Aaron Connolly was deployed from the bench. That highlights where the Swedish striker is in the pecking order and the challenge that he faces in trying to break into the Seagulls’ line-up.

However, his manager has hailed the 22-year-old as a “big, strong” centre-forward who “runs in behind” and “can finish as well”. When addressing the topic of his prospects at the Amex Stadium, Potter added: “We want to take a real look at him and his qualities before we make any decisions on his next step. He is one we are really interested in.” [via Sussex Live]

With Brighton facing Portsmouth just three days after their clash with Chelsea and less than 72 hours prior to their next Premier League outing at Newcastle, don’t be surprised to see a much-changed Albion line-up for the Carabao Cup clash against Pompey.

That Gyokeres has been earmarked to feature in that game reflects where he stands in the pecking order, but Connolly showed last season that Potter is not afraid to throw strikers in at the deep end and then stick with them over the course of the campaign.

If the Swede is in the starting line-up on Thursday, he will have a prime chance to show to his manager whether he is worth keeping at the Amex or better off being dispatched on another loan spell.

Brighton fans, do you want to see Gyokeres starting against Portsmouth? Can he break into the first team this season? Have your say by commenting below!

Robert Platek, who was once linked with a takeover of Sunderland has purchased a new club in Danish side SønderjyskE Fodbold.

With the new 2020/21 season underway for Sunderland, talk of a potential takeover has somewhat softened.

Current Black Cats chief Stewart Donald has pressure mounting on his shoulders as his search for a new buyer of the club continues, having took over the Wearsiders in 2018 before sensationally revealing after just 19 months in charge that he wanted to sell the club.

A whole host of names have since been touted as his successor, including Sammy Yu, Mark Campbell, Michael Gray and energy drink entrepreneur William Storey to show an interest.

Linked with a potential takeover previously, Platek was a key member of FPP Sunderland, the trio of New York-based businessmen who held talks with Donald last year.

A deal did develop but not for Platek and his partners to take over but instead to loan Donald money to operate the club.

Taking over SønderjyskE Fodbold, a statement from the Danish club said: “The Platek family has just bought SønderjyskE Fodbold, which will thus have the opportunity to consolidate and develop further in the 3F Superliga.

“The organization will be the same, and so will the values ​​and the light blue colors. If the local support continues unabated, there is good reason to see light blue on the future of the South Jutland Superliga project.”

With talk somewhat subduing regarding a potential takeover at Sunderland this year, William Storey, linked with the club, has been the most recently vocal, providing fans with an update on how his talks with the Wearsiders are progressing.

Another potential owner takes his money elsewhere and it does look extremely unlikely that a takeover deal will develop anytime soon.

Stewart Donald continues to want to sell but little talk has seen a deal progress and focus must remain on the pitch at this present time.

Do you think someone will takeover Sunderland before the end of the season? Let us know in the comments section below…

West Bromwich Albion’s decision to sell Chris Wood in 2013 has turned out to be an absolutely woeful piece of business and over seven years on, it could be coming back to haunt them.

The Baggies are back in the big time and are seemingly playing without a recognised no.9 – Charlie Austin and Kenneth Zohore are edging closer to the exit door and their pursuit of Huddersfield Town talisman Karlan Grant continues to stumble over finances.

If only they gave a chance to Wood, who proved himself in no fewer than six loan spells away from the Hawthorns. Instead, ex-Albion boss Steve Clarke decided to cash in on him for a pathetic £1m as Leicester made his final temporary switch into a permanent one.

Where is Wood now?

The 28-year-old has gone on to become one of the most underrated forwards in the Premier League as he now plies his trade under Sean Dyche at Burnley.

In each of his last three Premier League campaigns, Wood has netted at least ten goals with his best coming last year having bagged 14 times in 32 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

He’s even played and scored in the Europa League all whilst Albion languished in the Championship.

His best spell to date, though, came at Leeds United where he started to make a name for himself as a prolific goalscorer – in his first campaign, he delivered 13 goals before he found the net a whopping 27 times in 44 matches in 2016/17.

That form earned him a £15m move to Turf Moor where he has been ever since, and that’s a fee that CIES Football Observatory still values him at.

Wood has been that thriving that much in the top-flight that this summer he was tipped as a surprise candidate to join Spurs before they eventually decided on Carlos Vinicius.

The New Zealand powerhouse has certainly been the one that got away in the west Midlands and in time of desperate need, perhaps the Baggies shouldn’t have given up so soon.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Hal Robson-Kanu talks West Brom and tumeric…

Glasgow Rangers signed several players in the summer, but one player has surprisingly stood out from the rest…

What’s the word?

Steven Gerrard’s side are gearing up to face Standard Liege at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne in the Europa League group stages on Thursday night.

According to The Daily Record, there are no new concerns for Rangers, as Kemar Roofe has returned to the squad after missing the 2-0 victory over Celtic in the first Old Firm derby of the season due to injury.

Rangers signed Roofe on a four-year-deal from Belgian side Anderlecht for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be around £4.5m, via Transfermarkt. The 27-year-old made 16 appearances for Anderlecht, and scored seven times in a campaign that was disrupted by injury problems. But he could turn out to be a bargain buy for the Light Blues.

Bargain buy?

It’s fair to say that Gerrard has grown accustomed to using experienced footballers far more often as he balances the demands and pressures of domestic and European competitions. Indeed, he has called upon the likes of Jon McLaughlin and Jermain Defoe on regular occasions in recent weeks.

Strength and depth in the squad will be so important if his side are to challenge for silverware this season, which is where the Jamaican international comes in. Roofe’s return to fitness will give Gerrard several options to choose from upfront, and his experience in the Belgian Pro League makes him a useful attacking asset. It’s worth remembering that he scored six goals and supplied two assists in 13 games in the Belgian top flight last term, via Transfermarkt.

Whilst we aren’t for one minute suggesting that he will supplant Alfredo Morelos anytime soon, the £4m-rated ace may get his time to shine to ease the burden on Gerrard’s first-choice striker.

After arriving at the Ibrox outfit from Anderlecht, Roofe has already scored twice in five games in the Scottish Premiership this season, whilst he has averaged 2 shots per game, via WhoScored. In comparison, fellow new-boy Cedric Itten has only managed one shot per game, although the majority of his appearances have come as a substitute from the bench, as per WhoScored.

Once hailed as a “hard-working” professional by his former teammate Barry Douglas and a “cold-blooded” finisher by ex-manager Thomas Christiansen, the versatile player, who can play in the centre, on the left or right of the midfield, as well as operating as a centre-forward, could turn out to be a true bargain, as he can provide competition and cover for Morelos and Itten.

Gerrard has shown that he isn’t afraid of making a few tactical tweaks here and there. Why not let Roofe off the leash against Standard Liege in the Europa League?

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must take a gamble on long-term target Jack Wilshere…