Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati put in a match-winning performance as Barcelona romped to a 5-0 victory over Real Madrid in El Clasico.
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Manchester City are expecting offers for Kevin De Bruyne from Saudi Arabia in the summer amid uncertainty surrounding his contract situation.
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The teenager has the talent and commercial appeal to become the face of the Catalan club but can he succeed where past prodigies failed?
In 2006, a young player out of the Barcelona academy signed a deal with adidas. The agreement, reportedly worth around $500,000 per year, felt like a hefty investment for a 19-year-old. After all, the player hadn't yet played a full season of professional football. By the end of the previous season, he had scored six goals and added three assists. He only had 11 top-flight starts to his name.
That deal, for that player, Lionel Messi, proved to be a bargain for Adidas. Now, 18 years later, another La Masia graduate has done the same thing. Lamine Yamal, another right-winger out of the Barcelona academy, penned a long-term agreement to be one of the faces of adidas' global football brand. He will be the only other player in the world to wear Messi's exact boots – adding a visual link to a spiritual connection that has been drawn between the two for some time.
And though it will lead to immense pressure on the teenager, it is an ideal arrangement for the Balugrana. Since Messi left, the Catalan club have lacked a central marketable star – a world class presence who can not only change a game but also sell shirts in spades. Yamal, the newly minted face of adidas, can be that player.
Newcastle United have a realistic chance of signing Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin this summer, claims talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook.
According to 90min, Everton could be forced into selling one of Calvert-Lewin or Richarlison this summer, as the club face financial difficulties amid the beginning of a much needed rebuild.
It is believed that the Toffees are more willing to part ways with the England international.
As a result, a number of clubs have been linked with the Toffees man; the most prominent of which has been Arsenal, who are desperate to sign a striker this summer.
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Football Insider recently reported that Newcastle have held preliminary talks with Calvert-Lewin ahead of a proposed summer switch.
TalkSPORT journalist Crook has weighed in on the situation, claiming that he can ‘see the attraction’ of signing for Newcastle.
Speaking with GiveMeSport, he claimed:
“Yeah, I can see the attraction because I think they are a more upwardly mobile club than Everton at this stage.
“Obviously, it’s a World Cup year as well, so he needs to be playing at the best level he can. So, I could see that happening.”
Valued at £37.8m by Transfermarkt, Calvert-Lewin apparently has a £60m price tag, but would be a great signing for an emerging Newcastle side if they can get that fee down closer to the neutral valuation.
Hailed by former Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti as a “top striker”, it is easy to see why a number of Premier League teams are interested in securing his services – according to FB Ref, the 25-year-old ranks in the 95th percentile for aerial duels won across positional peers in the whole of Europe’s top five leagues.
This suggests that the Englishman would fit the Magpies’ current system, with Eddie Howe utilising Chris Wood as a singular centre-forward, while Wood has not exactly set the world alight.
With constant questions over the fitness of Callum Wilson, having Calvert-Lewin to call upon alongside Sunday’s match-winner would be superb for Howe.
In other news: Newcastle United: Magpies are already ‘looking’ at three ‘quality’ signings, claims pundit
Newcastle United supporters ‘will be disappointed’ with the news that the Magpies were the only Premier League club to have claimed furlough money two seasons running, claims football finance expert Kieran Maguire.
On 16 May, Newcastle submitted a report on Companies House which showed that the club’s turnover had fallen from £153m to £140m in the year ending on 30 June 2021.
The Tyneside outfit attributed £40m of the lost income to the damaging effects of the Covid pandemic, with home supporters unable to attend matches.
The report also highlighted how the Magpies claimed £900,000 through the furlough scheme that year, with a further £1.15m claimed in 2019/20.
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As a result, Maguire, featured on Sky Sports, has now asserted that Newcastle fans will not be happy with the club’s actions.
Speaking with Football Insider, he claimed:
“A lot of people will be surprised and fans will be disappointed that they took advantage of the coronavirus job retention scheme in both of the last two years.
“I certainly haven’t seen any other Premier League club take this route.
“We have seen the fans of certain clubs kick up a bit of a fuss about the owners trying to take advantage. But Mike Ashley was an immovable object.”
Many Magpies supporters will be livid with the club’s actions, whereas others would have become so desensitised to Ashley’s actions whilst in charge, this sort of behaviour would have been expected.
Especially now with the colossal investment made by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, these actions may seem worse than ever.
Either way, Magpies fans’ opinion of Ashley will likely remain unchanged, and they can look to a brighter future under Eddie Howe, who has helped completely transform the mood on Tyneside.
In other news: Newcastle United: Magpies are already ‘looking’ at three ‘quality’ signings, claims pundit
Aston Villa remain interested in signing midfielder Yves Bissouma from fellow Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion, according to journalist Fabrice Hawkins.
Initially linked during the January transfer window, a report from The Athletic claimed that Steven Gerrard would return with a swoop for the Mali international in the summer.
Since then, the Villans have added versatile French ace Boubacar Kamara to their squad as NSWE look to back the manager in his quest to take the club to the next level.
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Despite the ex-Marseille midfielder’s arrival, it appears that a move for Bissouma could remain in the offing…
Taking to Twitter, reputable French journalist Hawkins discussed the possible interest from AS Monaco in the Brighton colossus, as well as the ongoing admiration from Villa Park.
Translated from French, he said: “To replace Aurélien Tchouaméni, Monaco is thinking of Yves Bissouma. The Brighton midfielder has several offers. Aston Villa is still there. ASM is in the process of completing the sale of Aurélien Tchouaméni. It still blocks on the transfer fee.”
During the 2021/22 campaign, the 25-year-old Brighton enforcer scored twice and provided a further two assists in 28 appearances across all competitions in a disjointed season interrupted by injuries and Africa Cup of Nations duty.
Overall he earned an impressive 7.07 Sofascore rating whilst winning 5.6 duels and making 1.9 interceptions and 1.8 clearances on average per top-flight match, demonstrating a particular competency in the defensive facets of a midfielder’s game.
With the futures of Douglas Luiz and Bodymoor Heath academy graduate Carney Chukwuemeka up in the air, Gerrard may certainly be hoping to bolster the central midfield options at his disposal in the coming weeks.
With Bissouma heading into the final 12 months of his contract on the south coast (Transfermarkt), signing the 18-cap star – who was dubbed ‘world class’ by former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour – could well be a statement signing by Villa to add to the captures of Kamara and Philippe Coutinho already this month.
In other news: NSWE now eyeing another defender; Villa chiefs sent to club after Gerrard approves
Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has made a teasing summer transfer claim involving midfielder Weston McKennie.
Having already announced the signing of Ivan Perisic from Inter Milan on a Bosman deal, Spurs have wasted absolutely no time in showing manager Antonio Conte they’re serious.
Guiding the Lilywhites to a top-four Premier League finish, Conte will have a near-£150 million kitty to play with as the bulk of Tottenham’s recently announced equity increase will be re-invested into the team.
Sharing news on who transfer chief Fabio Paratici could target in the next few months, Gold has made a teasing claim involving McKennie.
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According to the football.london journalist, Tottenham ‘held talks’ with the USA international’s representatives in January and he wouldn’t be surprised to see McKennie emerge back on Paratici’s radar – especially given the club director is a ‘big’ fan.
He explained:
“Weston McKennie is someone Paratici is a big fan of and I reported back in January that he held talks that month with the player’s representatives about a potential summer move. I wouldn’t bet against him following up on that this summer but much depends on how willing Juventus are to let him go after a season in which he was a regular starter before suffering a metatarsal fracture in February which all but ended his campaign until the final match.
Still just 23-years-old and already possessing a glowing reputation, his reported valuation of around £34 million is arguably a snip.
Described as a ‘pressing machine’ and ‘supremely underrated’ attacking threat by MLS expert Chris Smith of 90min, the starlet’s sell-on value appears to only be matched by his ability as a tenacious midfield presence.
As Conte looks for fresh additions who can shore up his options in that position, McKennie may well be someone to look out for.
In other news: Alasdair Gold also suggests £122,000-per-week ‘genius’ is open to joining Tottenham, find out more here.
Pundit Paddy Kenny has been left bemoaning some worrying news that he has now heard from Glasgow Rangers.
As per The Daily Telegraph, chief scout at Ibrox Andy Scoulding is now set to join Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the start of the new season.
He has played a big part in some successful signings for the Gers over the years, including Joe Aribo from Charlton Athletic, Calvin Bassey from Leicester City’s academy and Ryan Kent after a loan spell from Liverpool, all who have seen their market value increase significantly and attract interest from the Premier League during their time at the club.
Speaking to Football Insider, Kenny has now given his reaction after hearing the news, with the 44-year-old claiming that it is a ‘massive, massive blow’ for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team:
“It’s important for Rangers to get these sorts of players in.
“It’s important to get them in for cheap or on a free before moving them on for big money, that’s how they keep going.
“To lose someone like him to Spurs, I’m sure it will be a massive, massive blow to Rangers going forward.
“I’m sure there are other scouts there who can do that job but if this guy is going to Tottenham then he must be good.
“Rangers have never struggled with transfers but to lose a guy like that, who has signed those players, it’s a blow.”
It certainly is worrying for the Light Blues going forward to lose someone in Scoulding who has such a big influence at the club.
The summer transfer window is now open, and they will no longer be able to rely on his expertise in terms of finding hidden gems in the market.
Nonetheless, the Teddy Bears will need to bring in a replacement as soon as possible, so that they can continue the great work that Scoulding has done.
In other news, find out which ‘unstoppable’ predator RFC now hold an ‘interest’ in here!
Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson has been left excited over a possible swoop for Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino.
The Whites have been linked with a move for the 27-year-old in recent weeks after securing their Premier League status on the final day of last season.
The Japan international, who contributed to 20 goals in 22 games under Jesse Marsch at Red Bull Salzburg, is free to leave Anfield this summer if his £17m valuation is met.
The Athletic claimed that the Reds have given the green light for Minamino’s agent “to hold talks with suitors about a potential move”, name-checking Leeds as a club who have contacted the forward’s representatives.
Robinson, who contributes as a pundit for Sky Sports, was talking to MOT Leeds News regarding a possible move for the Liverpool man.
He said that signing Minamino would be ‘like having two players in one’ and backed the Japan international to play as an ‘out-and-out number nine’ when required.
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Robinson stated:
“I like Minamino and he fits the bill of a player who can play when Patrick Bamford doesn’t and he’s also a player who can play wide.
“The difficulty of signing a back-up striker for Bamford is that he doesn’t play at any other time.
“But with a player like Minamino, he can go out wide. It’s like having two players in one.
“He can play behind the striker, he can go in the wide areas and when Patrick’s not fit, he can play as the out-and-out number nine.
“The likelihood of getting a full season out of Patrick is slim so he’s the type of player Leeds need to be looking for.”
Minamino made 24 appearances in all competitions last term, playing as a centre-forward, attacking midfielder and on the wing, scoring 10 times and providing one assist. That is a very impressive record considering that he only made nine starts under Jurgen Klopp, averaging a goal for every 100.8 minutes on the pitch.
Leeds could do with attacking reinforcements over the coming months, and as Robinson mentioned, Minamino could fit the bill at Elland Road due to his versatility.
He has 40 games of Premier League experience under his belt, so now could be the perfect time to reunite with Marsch and become a regular under the American once again.
In other news – As well as Roca: Leeds and Marsch now want to sign another ‘incredible’ midfielder
Everton are reportedly interested in signing Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks this summer, although his performances in recent years suggest that the 26-year-old would add very little to Frank Lampard’s squad at Goodison Park.
The former England international has been regularly linked with a switch to Merseyside in recent weeks, with reports suggesting that it would cost Everton £20m to prise him away from the north London club.
Winks’ form during his time at Spurs does little to spark hope that he would be a good addition to Lampard’s side ahead of next season.
Last term saw the 26-year-old make just 19 appearances in the Premier League, 10 of those from the bench, in which he contributed no goals and just one assist, averaging a disappointing 6.46 rating from WhoScored for his performances.
This would have ranked him as Everton’s 20th-best player last season, below the likes of Fabian Delph, Alex Iwobi and Allan despite their respective poor seasons, which demonstrates why Winks probably wouldn’t be a good signing for Lampard.
This transfer link perhaps emphasises the Toffees’ fall from grace in recent years. While Spurs are being linked with one of Everton’s best players in Richarlison, the Toffees are being linked with arguably one of Antonio Conte’s worst.
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The Toffees should really learn from past experience here, as they brought in Dele Alli from Spurs in January and he has been something of a disaster so far, with no goals or assists in 11 appearances and Lampard regularly leaving him on the bench.
While Winks is tidy on the ball, he has never contributed to more than two goals in any Premier League season, and the lightweight midfielder also lacks defensive qualities and physicality.
Former Spurs man Graham Roberts spoke about Winks to FootballFanCast last year, saying: “He’s gone Mr Conservative, he plays simple, and if I don’t give the ball away, I’m a great player. You’re not, he’s become an average player, and that’s being fair.”
Everton have been guilty of overspending on poor-quality players in recent seasons, and Winks could be yet another transfer mistake if Lampard does bring him in for £20m this summer.
In other news… Moshiri now plotting Everton swoop for “superb” £43m dynamo, Lampard will love him