All posts by h716a5.icu

Manchester United seem to have lost the race to sign Jude Bellingham, as Borussia Dortmund are close to signing him from Birmingham City. 

Bellingham, who broke the record previously held by Trevor Francis as Birmingham’s youngest player, will now follow in the footsteps of Jadon Sancho.

The Blues star has been linked with the likes of Chelsea and the Red Devils but he will move to Germany in the summer instead.

According to German publication BILD, via @ManUnitedZone_, Bellingham’s proposed move to Dortmund is reportedly a done deal already.

BBC Sport reports the transfer is yet to be completed, although a five-year-contract and a transfer fee of £20m are in place to allow him to switch to the Signal Iduna Park.

Bellingham has played 35 games in the Championship, scoring 4 goals and creating 2 assists as well as averaging 1.1 shots per game and making 2.3 tackles on average (WhoScored).

This will be a bitter blow for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, as Man United rolled out the red carpet to try and tempt the teenager to move to Old Trafford, including a personal tour of Carrington with Sir Alex Ferguson.

Unsurprisingly, many United fans slammed Bellingham’s transfer update, with one supporter angrily admitting the “monster” would have been “wasted” at the Theatre of Dreams, while another added his departure is a “big loss.”

Scroll through the scathing reactions so far…

United fans, do you think the board will regret missing out on Jude Bellingham? Let us know down below!

Tottenham meet Arsenal in the first ever north London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend.

Spurs will know they face an uphill battle to reach the top four and beating their arch rivals on Sunday would be a major step in the right direction.

However, they will have to face the Gunners without Dele Alli, who has been ruled out of the clash.

Speaking to a press conference before the game, Jose Mourinho revealed he has not recovered from a hamstring injury in time and will not take part.

The Portuguese has already suffered a setback, as Eric Dier has been banned for four games, meaning he will miss the weekend fixture as a result, although this one will also sting.

Indeed, Mourinho has been hit by a huge blow, as Alli is the club’s third-highest goalscorer this season.

The 24-year-old, who moved to White Hart Lane for £5m from MK Dons, has a solid record against the Gunners, as he has scored 2 goals and supplied 2 assists in 9 previous derbies so far.

Alli had started strongly since the Premier League restart, as he was part of the side that thumped West Ham 2-0 at home, after missing the draw with Manchester United due to suspension.

Spurs have only won one out of the last four games against Arsenal, with their most recent victory dating back to a League Cup win in 2018, which will give Mourinho cause for concern, as he needs to pick up as many points as possible to keep their realistic chances of Champions League qualification alive.

Mourinho may be forced to rely on Erik Lamela instead, which is unlikely to fill him with much confidence. Lamela has struggled for consistency all season and is evidently a downgrade on the Englishman, as he has received a lower WhoScored rating for his performances so far.

Tottenham fans, do you think Alli’s presence will be missed against Arsenal? Let us know down below!

Glasgow Rangers won their latest friendly match against Motherwell on Wednesday night.

The Gers’ clash should have started at 6 p.m, but it was pushed back as the medical tests that are required before matches due to this current pandemic were late in arriving. However, that delay didn’t put the Ibrox outfit off as they won 4-0 at home thanks to goals from Ryan Kent, Ianis Hagi, Joe Aribo and an own goal.

The victory, though, did come at a price, as Jermain Defoe was forced off injured just 20 minutes after coming on to replace Alfredo Morelos. Steven Gerrard confirmed that it was a hamstring issue after the match, saying that it was a disappointment, whilst also admitting that this could well force him into the transfer market for a new striker.

The Gers fans were quick to react to the news of the issue, and it is fair to say they were far from happy – one supporter even called it a “big blow”. They took to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think!

Crystal Palace have a big transfer window ahead of them as they build to remain a mid-table team in the Premier League, and many fans of the South London side are reacting to the news that one player is due to sign a contract extension at the club.

Palace Xtra tweeted out the news from TEAMtalk suggesting that midfielder James McArthur is set to sign a new deal at the club to keep him at Selhurst Park until 2022.

The Scotsman is highly regarded by fans of the Eagles, and it is easy to see why as he is still performing at a very high level at the age of 32. The central midfielder averaged 2.4 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 1.3 clearances per game last season, via WhoScored.

Despite his age, this sees him still valued at £4.32 million on Transfermarkt, and he truly has been a great servant for the club as he has picked up 19 goals and 17 assists in his 208 appearances.

He featured in 37 Premier League games last season, highlighting that he is seen as a vital player at the club, and it is no surprise to see so many Palace fans happy with the reports with one labelling him a “top player.”

Here is what fans have said following the news:

Best news so far should really be given the captaincy no one works harder than him

— LordTwigo (@CPFCwill20) August 18, 2020

Palace fans, what are your thoughts on this news? Let us know down below!

Former Swansea City winger Mason Jones-Thomas featured for Portsmouth against AFC Totton on Tuesday evening ahead of a potential move to the club.

With the new 2020/2021 season fast approaching, Pompey boss Kenny Jackett is under a wealth of pressure to improve his squad after failing to gain promotion from League One to the Championship for a second successive season.

Just one summer recruit has so far arrived with Sean Raggett agreeing a move following his exit from Championship side Norwich City.

With pre-season fixtures coming thick and fast, Portsmouth faced AFC Totton on Tuesday and the inclusion of a former Swansea City player has now seen a transfer link develop.

Portsmouth were held by the non-league side and Jones-Thomas featured in a right-wing role for the Blues, playing a total of 55 minutes.

The 19-year-old won Pompey’s second penalty at the Snows Stadium, which was converted by Alfie Stanley.

Jones-Thomas is now available on a free transfer after leaving Swansea’s under-23 setup and the report of his inclusion in Portsmouth’s side has been followed by a claim that he would link up with Pompey’s second string if he arrived at Fratton Park.

As mentioned in the report, if the 19-year-old does arrive at Portsmouth then he will initially go into the youth team at Fratton Park.

Indeed, the club are already well stocked in the right-midfield/right-wing position with Ryan Williams, Gareth Evans and Marcus Harness all available to Jackett.

Given he is available on a free though, he may be worth offering a contract to so that the club can take a closer look at him over the course of the campaign.

Do you think Jones-Thomas would be a good addition to the club? Let us know in the comments section below…

Even though Rangers have been busy throughout the transfer window themselves, bringing in some quality reinforcement, it still feels like the biggest stories surrounding the Gers are concerning the potential departures.

Of course, we are talking about the possibility of Ryan Kent leaving Ibrox and leaving the Scottish Premie League altogether, which would undoubtedly be a big hit for Steven Gerrard in the ongoing 2020/21 season.

There were, however, recent reports stating the winger would very much be open to staying as he feels settled in Glasgow. But Leeds United are the ones pushing for the transfer to happen, even apparently planning another improved bid, and if the move does happen after all, Rangers would have to go all out to find an adequate replacement for Kent.

At least that’s what the former Ibrox man Andy Halliday thinks they should do. Here’s what he said when speaking on Keeping the Ball on the Ground podcast, as quoted by Daily Record: “I just think it’s not the year for cheap replacements. If they sell him (Kent), they need to spend all the money. I think, and if you’d asked me last year I wouldn’t have wanted to lose either, now Ryan Kent would be the bigger loss (over Morelos).

“You’d like to think they’ve replaced Morelos with Roofe and Itten, they’ve got two other attacking options. If you lose Ryan Kent you need to spend all the money to find a replacement.”

Of course, we still don’t know whether Kent will indeed leave Ibrox but Halliday thinks that if Rangers are to challenge Celtic this year, they must not limit themselves to cheap reinforcements.

Verdict

The Premier League is clearly a very intriguing prospect for any player and for that reason, and because it is Marcelo Bielsa we are talking about here, Kent’s potential transfer should not be entirely ruled out.

He may be happy at Rangers and doesn’t think about leaving but anything can change with a good offer and a solid sporting project.

Brighton striker Viktor Gyokeres is being targeted by Swansea for a potential loan move, according to The Argus.

The media outlet reported that German second tier outfit St Pauli, with whom he was on loan last season, are also interested in taking the 22-year-old back for another campaign.

Sweden international Gyokeres signed for Brighton in January 2018 and has a decent return of 14 goals in 31 appearances for the Seagulls’ under-23 side. However, he has played just five times for Albion’s first team and is still awaiting a Premier League debut.

His loan spell at St Pauli in 2019/20 was a promising one, as he recorded seven goals and four assists in 28 matches, although he did not feature in either of Brighton’s recent friendlies against Chelsea and West Brom.

While Graham Potter has the prolific Neal Maupay to call upon in attack, along with young prospect Aaron Connolly, the Seagulls are in the market for a new striker. They have been touted for a move for Rangers’ Alfredo Morelos in recent days and also embarked on an unsuccessful pursuit for Darwin Nunez, who joined Benfica last week.

That would suggest that Gyokeres is not considered first team material at the Amex Stadium, so another loan exit seems a distinct possibility – and Swansea may well be an ideal destination for him.

It was at the Liberty Stadium that Liverpool youngster Rhian Brewster flourished on loan earlier this year, scoring 11 goals in 22 Championship games for Steve Cooper’s side. The manager, who led England to Under-17 World Cup glory in 2017, seems to be well able to get a tune out of rough diamonds and may fancy his chances of doing likewise with Brighton’s Swedish centre-forward.

A move to Swansea would also enable Gyokeres to obtain valuable first-team experience in English football rather than going back to mainland Europe. Also, having finished in the play-offs last term, the Swans seem well placed to make a strong push for promotion to the Premier League this time around.

Therefore, the Welsh city could be the perfect place for the 22-year-old to try and follow in Brewster’s footsteps by having a prosperous loan spell which could hopefully see him then challenge for a fixed spot in Potter’s first team at the Amex.

Brighton fans, would you be in favour of a loan move for Gyokeres this season? Have your say by commenting below!

Southampton could have a replacement for recent departure Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg lined up.

According to L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), the Saints have their sights firmly set on 21-year-old Ibrahima Diallo from Brest. After attracting interest from Leicester in January, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side become the latest to monitor the Frenchman’s situation.

Who is Southampton transfer target Ibrahima Diallo?

The club have named Diallo as their priority signing to secure before the transfer window closes. The Brest ace has represented his country at an U20 level and has made a total of 53 senior appearances in Ligue 1 (via Transfermarkt).

Diallo operates primarily as a defensive midfielder but he has also been known to play further forward as well.

L’Equipe state that the Saints could sign the France youth international for €15million (£13.6m), despite still having three years left on his current contract.

Where would Ibrahima Diallo fit at Southampton?

Southampton are currently strapped in the engine room, having a mere five midfielders listed on their senior roster. However, the likes of Will Smallbone have only recently been promoted from the youth league. Despite his young age, adding Diallo to the ranks could seriously bolster Southampton’s options.

With Hojbjerg no longer in the picture, Hasenhuttl’s side are really lacking depth. Star striker Danny Ings will also see a dip in performance if the midfield is struggling to feed him the chances he is prolific at latching onto.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg vs Ibrahima Diallo

Despite generally playing in a more defensive role than Hojbjerg, Diallo registered the same amount of assists (1) as the Dane during the 2019/20 season, and tallied a better passing percentage with 86% to the new Spurs signing’s 78.1% (via WhoScored).

Diallo also completed more dribbles per match – 1.4 – to Hojbjerg’s 1.2. His discipline was also much better, receiving just two yellow cards in the league season compared to the 25-year-old’s five.

These stats alone suggest that the Frenchman is a more level-headed player and can pull the strings in midfield, whilst helping to protect the backline. With the Saints finishing in a respectable 11th place last campaign, Diallo could be a signing to help push them further up this table this time round.

In other news, Spurs are keen to sign Southampton striker Danny Ings…

David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady have placed a multi-million-pound weight on Said Benrahma’s shoulders before the Brentford winger has signed for West Ham United.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the Irons will announce the signing of Benrahma on a five-year contract ahead of Friday’s 17:00 deadline for domestic transfers.

The winger will put pen to paper once the second stage of his medical is completed on Friday morning, having discussed and agreed on personal terms on Wednesday evening.

West Ham struck a breakthrough in a deal worth up to £30million during talks with Brentford earlier in the week once issues over a bonus payout were eased, while the Evening Standard propose that the upfront instalment will be £25m.

Benrahma scored 17 goals and penned 10 assists in 46 appearances for Brentford as they reached the Championship Play-Off Final last season, and sits on two goals in all competitions this term after 118 minutes on the field.

The Algerian is not thought to have been Hammers boss David Moyes’ top-target, though, having favoured AFC Bournemouth’s Joshua King, but the Norway international will not be moving to the London Stadium through problems surrounding his wage demands and associated agent fees.

GSB add greater pressure

Gold, Sullivan and Brady pushing through with plans to sign Benrahma will undoubtedly add a vastly talented forward to Moyes’ squad, however in securing a deal with Brentford they appear to have added a great weight around the 25-year-old’s shoulders before the ink has dried.

Reports by TEAMtalk suggest West Ham have agreed on a sell-on clause with Brentford as part of their deal for Benrahma, which will see the east London outfit hand over a further £8m should they sell the 5-cap international at any future stage.

The figure will not be affected by how well or poorly Benrahma performs at the London Stadium, and will not vary in value irrespective of what sum the Irons accept for his services – potentially making the forward’s move worth £33m rising to £38m plus wages if he also meets the add-on clauses.

If those claims are correct, GSB can ill-afford to see Benrahma flop under Moyes’ control knowing they have parted with large sums already and are heavily banking on the former OGC Nice star thriving in the Premier League.

He had no difficulties adapting to life in England upon his arrival at Brentford in 2018, scoring 11 goals and recording 17 assists in his debut campaign with the Bees before going on to improve his direct output, so should be able to make the step up from the Championship to the Premier League with West Ham.

Brentford Co-Director of Football Rasmus Ankersen could see Benrahma’s potential when the winger signed for his second-tier side, telling the Bees’ official club website in 2018: “Said is a player with lots of potential. He has the pace and technical skills to cause many Championship defenders problems.”

Those words have proved true over the following two years and GSB will be more than keen to see those same qualities on full display at the London Stadium for years to come, fearing the financial hit that a failed spell in claret and blue would present.

AND in other news, David Moyes is facing a selection dilemma against Tottenham Hotspur but the West Ham boss must see clear solution.

Crystal Palace may have struggled to a dull 1-1 draw with Premier League rivals Brighton in the A23 derby, but one player stood out from the rest.

What’s the word?

Roy Hodgson heaped praise upon Gary Cahill following an impressive display after his return from injury at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.

He told Palace TV: “First of all he’s a very, very good defender.

“His position is very good, he’s exceptionally good in the air, he’s a strong challenger for the ball and a very good blocker of the ball. These are the defensive qualities we don’t talk about every day… They’re the qualities that get you the clean sheets.

Hodgson has options at the back once again as Cahill, James Tomkins and Patrick van Aanholt have worked their way back from fitness. But the former Chelsea man showed his value as the Eagles secured a point against the Seagulls.

Bargain buy?

It’s safe to say that Cahill has turned out to be one of the club’s best buys in recent memory. The 34-year-old, who previously played for Bolton, Burnley and Everton, made 290 appearances for the Blues, scored 25 goals and supplied 7 assists, whilst he won the Premier League twice, the Champions League, two Europa League trophies and the FA Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge, via Transfermarkt.

Since then, the former 61-cap England international has played 28 games for Palace, and made 25 appearances in the English top flight last term, whilst he averaged 1 block and 4.4 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

The centre-back, who currently earns wages worth £65,000-per-week, was on the receiving end of a reckless tackle from Brighton defender Lewis Dunk, who was sent off in extra time.

SofaScore gave him a high grade of 7.1 for his efforts – if you look at his heatmap, you can see that he was most active inside the box, which explains why he made four clearances, two blocked shots, two tackles, whilst he only lost possession six times, won 100% of his ground duels, and four out of eight of his aerial duels, which shows that he was a threat in the air as well.

SkySports gave Cahill a 7/10 rating, which is fairly accurate, whilst football.london gave him the same score, claiming he “looked comfortable in the opening stages on his return, marshalling the defence well” but “could have picked up an injury late on due to Dunk’s ferocious tackle.”

Palace had a promising start to the season, before back-to-back defeats culminated in a 4-0 defeat to his former side Chelsea at Stamford Bridge before the international break. Whilst Hodgson’s side once again failed to keep a clean sheet, Cahill seems to have shaken off any concerns, which could bode well for the future.

Once lauded as an “exceptional” professional footballer by Steve Parish, the Palace chairman must secure his future at Selhurst Park, as his current contract is set to expire in 2021. If his performance is anything to by, the £2.25m-rated veteran must start against Fulham at all costs.

AND in other news, Roy Hodgson must unleash Crystal Palace ace Eberechi Eze against Fulham…