All posts by h716a5.icu

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The Mirror reported last weekend that Arsenal are considering offering striker Danny Welbeck a new contract.

The former Manchester United star has been plagued by injury problems at the Emirates Stadium and has not played for the club in the Premier League since November.

Nevertheless, the report claims that the Gunners have been impressed with his rehabilitation and are considering handing him a new contract as Premier League clubs continue to circle.

West Ham United, Newcastle United and Everton are all touted as potential suitors.

But should Arsenal be giving a new contract to a player who has scored 32 goals in 126 games for the club? Football FanCast writers give their verdicts…

Luke Glanville

“For me, Arsenal shouldn’t even consider offering Danny Welbeck a new deal. Yes, on his day we all know the talent he has, but injuries have plagued his career and they’re not suddenly going to stop at the age of 28. A new deal for the Englishman would be a huge waste of money for Unai Emery’s Gunners and one they should steer well clear of. The north Londoners already have the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette in their ranks; thinking that Welbeck is needed would be brainless. If they do require a back-up forward, someone they can rely on should be chosen. In the nicest possible way, Welbeck’s time at the Emirates should be up.”

Billy Meyers

“Absolutely not. Arsenal already need to perform a daunting overhaul on a side simply not good enough to compete with England’s elite clubs and offering Danny Welbeck a new deal would be a huge risk. In truth, Unai Emery would be shooting himself in the foot with that call. The Englishman has also missed a large chunk of this season with a serious ankle injury, so it would perhaps be better to wait until Welbeck proves his fitness before offering him a new deal.”

Matt Dawson

“Arsenal need to sort out their wage structure but a new contract for Danny Welbeck must be at the height of their priorities. His early season form was fantastic and, given the lack of wide options at the club, he can still be a big asset to the Gunners. Their performances of late have lacked any directness and that’s exactly what Welbeck can bring. Yes, his end product is questionable but he’s the perfect squad player and simply has to be kept.”

Manchester United’s season has descended into nothing once again as the troubled Premier League giants miss out on the top four.

Despite an excellent start to life under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, things have turned sour once again at Old Trafford as a toxic dressing room, under-par performances, and a lack of cohesion off the field have all seemingly contributed to another poor campaign.

Indeed, despite having one game of the Premier League season to play at the time of writing, attentions will now firmly be fixed on the summer transfer window and what is sure to be quite the rebuilding job for Solskjaer and his assistant Mike Phelan to sort out.

However, one player linked with completing a move to the club is Swansea and Wales winger Daniel James, and we here in the Tavern think this could actually be a very shrewd move for the Red Devils.

United have long spent big sums on players who have shrunk under the spotlight of the club, and in James, they would be getting someone who has plenty of time to develop and improve his game, while not paying over the odds once more.

James has been in fine form for the Swans since the turn of the year, when a move to Leeds United failed to materialise. The young winger seemingly saw this as motivation to prove himself further, and prove it he has over the course of the last few months.

Quick, with an eye for goal and undoubtedly massive potential, this sort of move is just what United need to kickstart what is sure to be a hectic summer off the field for the club.

When Josh Onomah arrived at Hillsborough last summer, Sheffield Wednesday supporters had every right to feel excited.

A fantastic player at youth level both for Tottenham Hotspur and England, the attacking midfielder seemingly had all the ingredients needed to thrive for the Owls during the 2018/19 campaign.

However, in what was an incredibly frustrating year for Onomah, he ultimately failed to live up to expectations for Wednesday.

Despite delivering stand-out performances against West Bromwich Albion and Bristol City in October, the 22-year-old fell victim of then-manager Jos Luhukay’s insistence to rotate his squad which resulted in the loanee constantly drifting in and out of the Owls’ starting eleven.

Following chairman Dejphon Chansiri’s decision to sack Luhukay in December and replace him with Steve Bruce, Onomah must have been positive about how the second-half of the season would pan out for him as he had previously worked with the former Hull City boss at Aston Villa.

Yet unfortunately for the Spurs loanee, a serious hamstring injury suffered during a 1-0 victory at Ipswich in February saw him miss 12 consecutive matches for the Owls before finally making his return to action last month.

Although Onomah did show glimpes of his talent against Norwich City and Preston North End, it is clear that if Wednesday are to push on next season, they must steer clear of trying to secure a permanent deal for the midfielder in the summer.

With the England under-21 international’s development as a player being severely hampered by his struggles with injuries as well as consistency in recent years, signing him would prove to be too much of a risk for Bruce who needs to be bringing in players who he can rely on at Hillsborough.

What do you think Owls fans? Should your club pursue a permanent move for Onomah when the transfer window opens in July? Or would it be more wise to sign a player with a proven track-record or producing the goods in the Championship? Let us know below.

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Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks is confident he will be fit to play in the Champions League final, per the London Evening Standard.

What’s the word?

Winks has been out since the beginning of April and has not played since the quarter-final first leg win over Manchester City.

However, the report claims that, having undergone groin surgery, the England international is positive about his chances of featuring against Liverpool in Madrid on June 1.

It remains to be seen, of course, if Mauricio Pochettino will throw the 23-year-old back into the fray; the Argentine deployed Victor Wanyama alongside Moussa Sissoko in the second leg win against Ajax but the Kenya international was substituted at half-time to make way for striker Fernando Llorente.

Winks has been a key member of Spurs’ squad this campaign, making a total of 40 appearances in all competitions prior to his injury woes.

He has also won three caps for England and was included in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Nations League finals; the Three Lions will take on the Netherlands in the semi-final less than a week after Spurs’ clash with the Reds.

A major boost

Spurs have been without a deep-lying midfield orchestrator in recent weeks and it has shown.

Wanyama was clearly out of his depth against Ajax, while Eric Dier has repeatedly struggled this season.

Having the option to partner Winks with Sissoko against Liverpool will be music to Pochettino’s ears, then, with the Frenchman offering explosiveness and brilliant ball-carrying abilities, and his team-mate giving both subtlety and control.

It also gives Pochettino the option to change up his formation; as Winks is fit he can use a diamond, with Dier or Wanyama in a defensive midfield role, or potentially push into a 4-2-3-1, looking to overload Liverpool’s backline.

One thing is for sure: With Winks in the team, Spurs’ chances of victory certainly increase.

Celtic fans, how does it feel to be treble-treble winners then? What an achievement, to be the undisputed best of the best in Scotland isn’t easy, and if they’re to go another year and make it four straight trebles this summer’s business will need to be meticulous. One move they can’t afford to miss is that of Adam Maher, the Dutchman available on a free this summer.

The Dutch midfielder is set to become a free agent for the second time in his career at the end of his current deal with Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar, but the Dutchman is far too good to be without a club and he could add some real creative firepower to the Glasgow side. A Transfermarkt valuation of £3.6 million and a return of two goals and five assists pulling the strings from deep for AZ is mightily impressive.

The report that has linked Neil Lennon’s Celtic with a move for the midfield man has come from Dutch outlet De Telegraaf and if you’re a Celtic fan it will be hard not to get excited over this one. It may be easy to think Maher isn’t all that as his contract with AZ expires, but he can add some real bite to a Celtic attack that’s threatening to lose its bite.

In the last few months of the season since Lennon stepped in and replaced Brendan Rodgers, the Bhoys failed to score in four of their last eleven league games and only managed 13 goals in that time anyway. Maher would help to combat that, and if he was to sign then the likes of Ryan Christie and Tom Rogic will have some cause for concern, as the Dutchman could be a real star at Parkhead.

Celtic fans, do you want to sign Adam Maher? Comment below and let us know!

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QPR fans have seen plenty of players come and go in their time but, for most, none come close to Adel Taarabt, who was an absolute world-beater at Loftus Road until things turned sour.

The Moroccan managed 164 appearances for the W12 outfit, chalking up 34 goals and 42 assists, while also dazzling with his close control and trickery.

Unfortunately, the fan-favourite would be criticised for his weight and attitude before having his contract terminated by mutual consent in 2015, when he crossed the channel to Benfica.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

The midfielder has made just seven appearances for the Portuguese outfit since, though, and has lined up for Genoa (on loan) and Benfica’s B-side more frequently.

It’s a shame when a player who possesses such natural talent goes to waste but some just aren’t meant for the big time – you can check out the best of the discussion on Twitter below as messages poured in on the former fan favourite’s 30th birthday, with some saying he’s the best they’ve ever seen in blue and white…

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Football Insider have reported on Thursday that Aston Villa are set to ramp up their interest in Rangers captain James Tavernier.

The outlet reckon that now promotion to the English Premier League has been achieved, the Villans are ready to make an approach for the right-back, having kept tabs on his progress at Ibrox.

Tavernier has become almost indispensable at the club and selling him remains a bad idea from Rangers’ perspective, but manager Steven Gerrard admitted recently that ‘every player has his price’ when discussing potential interest in the 27-year-old.

It means that decision makers at Ibrox may receive an offer too good to turn down and the Gers boss must have one eye on what his team might look like in Tavernier’s absence.

Is anyone at the club capable of stepping up and filling his boots?

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

On the chalkboard

The most obvious candidate to replace Tavernier in the event of his departure is January signing Matt Polster, who arrived from MLS outfit Chicago Fire.

To date he’s only managed three minutes of action in a Rangers shirt, but does have decent experience and was signed specifically as back-up for Tavernier, despite the presence of Jon Flanagan at the club already.

The fact he has played plenty of games in midfield as well as right-back for Chicago Fire is evidence he is very comfortable on the ball and can perhaps be that driving right flank force that Tavernier has been at Ibrox for years now.

His lack of action at the club to date is a little bit of a concern for Rangers supporters, but that’s as much to do with making the transition from life in America to life in Scotland.

What’s Gerrard said?

Intriguingly Gerrard seems to be a big fan of the defender, despite his lack of playing time, and has hinted he could play a big role in the team in the months to come.

As quoted by The Evening Express, the Gers boss said in April:

It is a big, big change for him so we had to get him used to the dressing room, get him used to Rangers and the pressure of Rangers.

He has settled down really well, has performed really well in the reserve team and the idea was always to get him in before the end of the season and then get a strong pre-season into him to get him ready for next year.

He is a good player – I think he might surprise a few.

Coupled with his comments on Tavernier’s potential departure earlier this week, is the Rangers manager already eyeing Polster to fit in and make Rangers fans forget all about their captain?

If the right-back does move on, Polster could have a massive opportunity to cement himself in the team and build a successful Rangers career.

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According to Thursday’s edition of L’Equipe (via Sports Witness), Liverpool have made contact with Ligue 1 side Lyon over the availability of Moussa Dembele.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the former Celtic man is hot property right now.

Manchester United reportedly submitted a bid for the Frenchman, and now the Reds and Arsenal have spoken to Lyon about acquiring the forward’s signature.

You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…

Dembele hit 23 goals last season across all competitions to truly prove that he has found his feet in France’s top-flight after a £19.7m move from Celtic, form that has clearly attracted the attention of England’s finest clubs.

Even Barcelona have asked about the 22-year-old’s availability, so he is definitely a striker in demand.

The former Fulham man has enjoyed a prolific, but short, career so far in which he has netted 102 goals in 220 games – an average strike rate of a goal every 2.15 games. Impressive.

What about Jurgen Klopp’s plan for Rhian Brewster?

The Times, a very respectable source for Liverpool news especially when it is Paul Joyce, reported that Klopp sees 19-year-old Rhian Brewster as a replacement for the departed Daniel Sturridge.

The former Borussia Dortmund boss has shown a great deal of faith in the teenager already, going as far to say that he was ‘ready’ to make his Anfield debut against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final; he never did, but that isn’t the point.

Already a Champions League winner, Brewster has shone for the youth sides over the years and looks like a very exciting prospect for the Reds.

However, if Dembele were to turn up, he would immediately be back where he started in the pecking order – a trio of Roberto Firmino, Divock Origi and Dembele would almost unquestionably hog most of the game time, even League Cup games.

A Dembele move to Anfield would leave Brewster back to square one.

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There is plenty of news currently surrounding Tottenham Hotspur. The main reports so far are in regards to Christian Eriksen, who may be on the move this summer after telling Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet he would be open to a switch to Real Madrid. Spurs, meanwhile, are looking to bring in some new faces, and may yet even lose another star name. Here’s a look at the latest rumours involving the north Londoners…

Bizarre Lo Celso report

Despite BBC Sport reporting that Spurs have already tabled a £53million offer, ABC Sevilla claim Spurs have bid just €40m (£35.66m) for Real Betis’ Giovani Lo Celso – which the La Liga club, allegedly but also understandably, scoffed at. Lo Celso joined the club from PSG in April following an initial loan period and after a stunning season in the Spanish top flight appears to be one of Tottenham’s main targets this summer. The ABC Sevilla update is certainly a strange one and doesn’t appear to fit the majority of the information given on Tottenham’s pursuit so far this summer.

Sakai to solve right-back problem?

Spurs are currently light at right-back, with neither Kieran Trippier or Serge Aurier looking to have a secure future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. As such, Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly interested in Marseille’s Hiroki Sakai according to Sky Sports. At 29 years old, he does not fit the club’s usual transfer target profile, but the Japanese international has still made the shortlist as a reliable option.

Lloris on PSG shortlist

Along with Eriksen, Tottenham may also lose captain Hugo Lloris this summer, according to the Sun. PSG are fans of him, and may make a move for the Frenchman if a deal for first-choice target David De Gea cannot be completed.

[ad_pod ]Just how much will Arsenal rue the day they pulled the plug on a new deal for Aaron Ramsey? The Wales international proved in the closing stages of the season that he could have been an integral part of Unai Emery’s future side, but financial factors have meant the midfielder will be on his way to Juventus when his contract expires.The Gunners will of course need a new central midfielder to replace Ramsey and according to Football.London, RB Salzburg prospect Dominik Szoboszlai is amongst those names being considered.After hearing that their side might be in for the highly-rated 18-year-old, Arsenal fans took to Twitter to voice their opinion on their new transfer target.Would you take a job at your fiercest rivals stadium? The Spurs fan in the video below wasn’t going to let football stand in the way of a bit of dollar…Given Szoboszlai’s age, many seemed encouraged by the profile of player the Gunners were looking for this summer and felt that signing the likes of William Saliba and Kieran Tierney along with the Hungarian would give the north London side a great platform for the years to come.Indeed, some felt excited by Szoboszlai’s comparisons with Real Madrid star Toni Kroos and urged Unai Emery’s side to get the deal done as soon as possible.Check out some of the reaction of Arsenal fans below: