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Manchester City fans are far from happy with Pep Guardiola following comments from Ilkay Gundogan which appeared to criticise the Spaniard.

While the Citizens will have been happy to win the Premier League and the League Cup last term, they will have been particularly disappointed to lose the Champions League final to Chelsea in Porto.

For that match, Guardiola made a questionable tactical decision, deciding to start the game without Fernandinho or Rodri for almost the first time during the season (The Daily Mail).

£36m-valued Gundogan (Transfermarkt) was selected in a more defensive midfield position despite generally being a more attacking player. He spoke to German journalist Christian Falk about the move, and it is fair to say that he was not too happy with the choice from Guardiola.

The comments were shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and attracted plenty of attention from the City supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on what Gundogan said.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Gundogan comments below

“Says it all really..”

Credit: @bigmacwills

“No wonder he wants out”

Credit: @kafimcfc

“Pep should have learned from the experiments with Lyon, Chelsea in the FA Cup and Premier League, stop experimenting in important games, play the best side, play the players in their rightful positions, it’s not about you and your genius ideas but about winning the match.”

Credit: @fidbee

“So all this squad overhaul may be Pep trying to bring newcomers who would be fooled for his experimental tactics. The existing players are tired of it.”

Credit: @jpcancelo27

“I knew it. Players looked confused on the pitch. Doubt then knew what the hell they were doing. Guess we now know why half the squad are looking for the exits.”

Credit: @_TrueInBlue

“He didn’t overthink in quarters and semi’s we won, he chose a new plan for the finals and we lost  still hurts not because we lost but we literally gave it away.”

Credit: @furqan00055

In other news, Man City fans want to sign this Champions League-winning midfielder.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Ridvan Yilmaz to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Turkish media outlet Turkiye Gazetesi (via Sport Witness), who claim that Fabio Paratici has submitted an €8m (£6.75m) offer for the Besiktas left-back, with the player himself thought to be extremely keen on a move to the Premier League side.

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The report goes on to state that the 20-year-old has asked his current team not to stand in the way of his proposed switch to Spurs, however, it is believed that the Super Lig outfit are hoping to receive an offer closer to €10m (£8.5m) before sanctioning the Turkey international’s sale this summer.

There’s no one “identical to him”

Considering how impressive Yilmaz has been since breaking into the Besiktas first team as a 17-year-old back in 2019, coupled with the fact that left wing-back has been something of a problem position for Antonio Conte this season, it is easy to see why Spurs would be interested in a move for the defender this summer.

Indeed, over his 25 Super Lig appearances this season, the £4.95m-rated full-back has been a constant threat for Valerien Ismael’s side, scoring three goals, registering four assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.8 shots and making 0.8 key passes per game.

The £3k-per-week dynamo has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, helping Besiktas keep four clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.7 tackles, 1.2 clearances and winning 3.9 duels – at a success rate of 56% – per fixture.

These returns have seen the player about whom was it was claimed in comments made to Breaking The Lines that “there isn’t really a well-known full-back that’s identical to him” average a SofaScore match rating of 6.89, ranking him as his club’s ninth-best player in the top flight of Turkish football.

And, with recent reports suggesting that Sergio Reguilon could be on his way out of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer, as well as Ryan Sessegnon continuing to struggle with injuries, the signing of a new left-back could very much be one of Paratici’s priorities ahead of 2022/23.

As such, considering his tender age, undoubted ability and huge potential – not to mention his extremely reasonable asking price – it would indeed appear as if landing Yilmaz this summer would be a fantastic piece of business for the Tottenham sporting director to get over the line – as the 20-year-old’s unique abilities would certainly be put to extremely good use in Conte’s left wing-back role next season.

AND in other news: “From what I understand…”: Gold drops transfer claim that Spurs supporters will love

Speaking to Sky Sports, Rafael Benitez has dropped a hint on possibly returning to the Premier League, coming after reports of interest from Tottenham Hotspur. 

The Lowdown: Benitez on the shortlist

The Spaniard has emerged as a recent shortlisted candidate for the Spurs job according to reports, with the Daily Mail claiming he is among the managers being considered alongside the likes of Nuno Espirito Santo, Brendan Rodgers and former Juventus coach Max Allegri.

Last week, the Mail also said that Benitez would fancy taking the role at Spurs alongside fellow linked target Ralf Rangnick as the list of managerial candidates remains long.

However, the report states both men hardly fit into technical performance director Steve Hitchen’s criteria of a ‘young’ and ‘dynamic’ coach.

The Latest: Benitez drops hint on Premier League return

After the emerged interest, Benitez has now dropped a hint on his future in an interview on Sky Sports News show ‘Inside Football’ – openly admitting his ‘priority’ is the Premier League.

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“I moved to China because there were no top sides here, so I needed to keep competing and doing my job,” explained the 61-year-old.

“But at the moment I’m quite keen to stay in England, in Liverpool. I’m watching every Premier League game and sometimes Championship games so that I’m always ready.

“The priority is England, the Premier League, my family is here and I like the style of football here. I will try to be ready here.”

The Verdict: Benitez, the mixed bag

His CV in terms of silverware is glowing, similar to fellow target Massimiliano Allegri, with the former Newcastle United boss having both a Champions League and Europa League winners medal on his mantle.

He also won La Liga twice with Valencia in both 2002 and 2004 – with Benitez having no shortage of major honours to his name.

However, Spurs reportedly want a manager who promotes open, attacking football the Lilywhites way (The Guardian) and it is debatable whether Benitez fits the criteria.

Out of work and a possible cheaper appointment than someone who would require a buyout, deciding on a formal approach for Benitez could be a real dilemma for chairman Daniel Levy.

The choice could ultimately come down to either sticking with Spurs’ principles or opting for the experienced big name – perhaps akin to Jose Mourinho.

In other news: Spurs now keen to sell 66-cap ace, find out more here.

Aston Villa confirmed the signing of Southampton striker Danny Ings on Wednesday evening.

And, with no rumours of a transfer beforehand, the confirmation led to a number of Villa supporters going wild on social media.

Ings put pen to paper on a three-year deal at Villa Park, with a move thought to be costing Villa £25m.

The 5 foot 8 forward becomes Villa’s fourth summer signing and you’d expect the Englishman may rival Ollie Watkins for a starting spot under Dean Smith, who also has Wesley Moraes in his ranks.

Ings has scored 34 Premier League goals in the past two seasons and leaves Southampton after making 100 appearances.

The 29-year-old turned down a new Saints contract earlier in the summer, which would have made him the club’s best-paid player, but he is now a Villa man after an under-the-radar deal went through on Wednesday.

Villa fans react

The club shared the news regarding Ings on their official Twitter page. This is what some Villa fans had to say in reply…

“Nah it’s actually so scary for the rest of the league. It’s happening”Credit: @HarryUTV”I may be in the minority… but not a fan of this signing. So Watkins wide or we play 352? 30 mil for a 30 year old with injuries who’s had one good season? We are panic buying.”Credit: @pkaza84″YOU WHAT?”Credit: @NCAVFC”Excuse us? I mean, this is GREAT. Lange quietly working his magic again?”Credit: @VillaNoFiller”LANGEEEEEEEEE AT THE BACK POST!”Credit: @lewastbury”Love you Villa”Credit: @MerseMagic

In other news: ‘I’ve heard’ – Dharmesh Sheth shares Todd Cantwell to Aston Villa transfer update on Sky Sports. 

Graham Roberts has scoffed at the possibility of Tottenham Hotspur signing wantaway Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte.

New head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, who was confirmed as Jose Mourinho’s successor in June, has been keen to bolster Spurs’ backline after they fell to a disappointing seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season.

While Cristian Romero has joined from Atalanta for an eye-watering £42.5million, former Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Nuno is eager to welcome further defensive reinforcements to north London.

6 ft 3 beast Laporte is seeking a move away from Premier League champions Manchester City, according to Spanish media outlet Sport. The report reveals the 27-year-old put pressure on the City hierarchy to facilitate a switch to Barcelona earlier in the transfer window.

The Spain international’s wish to depart comes after he made just 14 Premier League starts last season, with boss Pep Guardiola preferring the centre-half pairing of John Stones and Ruben Dias.

Stones was rewarded with a new five-year deal earlier this week, meaning Laporte is likely to start the new campaign out of the starting line-up.

But former Spurs defender Roberts is certain Laporte’s financial demands will hamper his chances of heading to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Roberts said: “I don’t think Laporte will come to Spurs this summer.

“The rumours are that he would want £250,000 or £300,000-per-week. He’s not going to get that.”

Former Rangers star Michael Ball believes that Steven Gerrard could sanction Alfredo Morelos’ departure this summer as he looks to bolster his transfer war chest this summer.

Morelos has enjoyed another productive season, scoring 17 goals in all competitions, in 44 outings.

He has confirmed that he could depart this summer, giving an interview in March admitting that he could move to a bigger club if a bid is tabled.

Ball accepts that selling players such as Morelos can be hard for supporters to stomach at times but he believes that Rangers could well cash in as Gerrard looks to improve a squad that did not suffer a single defeat in the league this season.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Ball said: “It’s a difficult one, you don’t like seeing your good players or your key players leave a football club, no matter what level, but unfortunately when they start getting in the limelight and doing the business worldwide, clubs do want to come in for these players.

“It’s down to Rangers to accept the figure that they demand and if a club want to come in and stump up that fee, I think Steven will be happy for him to move on and wish him well. But then give Steven the treasure chest to go and bring in the new players to keep the club moving forward for the next couple of years.”

Morelos has been a real success story for Rangers since his arrival from HJK Helsinki and has scored 94 goals in 182 games in total for the club.

He is valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt and his contract runs until 2023, meaning that there will have to be an acceptable bid for Rangers to cash in this summer.

Former West Ham striker Frank McAvennie has claimed that Leeds United’s Stuart Dallas could spend the rest of his career at Elland Road.

The Lowdown: Dallas stands out for Leeds

The Whites enjoyed a superb first season back in the Premier League in 2020/21, finishing ninth and impressing neutrals with their entertaining style of play.

The likes of Kalvin Phillips, Raphinha and Patrick Bamford were all key performers, but it was Dallas who won the club’s Player of the Year award. The Northern Irishman was exceptional throughout the campaign, scoring eight goals, registering two assists and thriving across various positions.

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The Latest: Pundit makes big claim

Dallas signed a new three-year deal at Leeds last week, and speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie claimed that he could see the 30-year-old midfielder finishing his career at the club, saying:

“It’s been a long time coming. He just gets it. He is Leeds. But he’s more than that.

“Some players are valuable because they are talented. Some are valuable because of what they bring to a dressing room.

“From what I’ve seen, Dallas is both. He was brilliant all season and some of the goals he scored, wow. He’s one of those where you don’t ever see him leaving. He could be there for the rest of his career.

“I don’t think anyone at Leeds would mind that.”

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The Verdict: Priceless performer

From the outside looking in, Dallas may not always stand out too much, but any Leeds fan can see what an invaluable performer he is for the Whites, as reflected by his Player of the Year prize.

At 30, he still has a few years left in him at the top, and it would be wonderful to see him end his career at Elland Road, potentially even extending his stay there after his current deal expires in 2024.

Dallas will likely be a huge player for Leeds again next season as they look to produce an even better campaign than 2020/21. Hopefully McAvennie’s premonition comes to light.

In other news, Leeds reportedly ‘retain an interest’ in one player this summer – find out who it is here.

Understandably, Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah is the talk of the town at the moment after scoring 15 goals in 12 appearances across all competitions for the Reds.

However, one winger at the Merseyside club that we feel is and has flown under the radar in recent times is Sadio Mane.

Liverpool signed the attacker back in the 2016 summer transfer window from fellow Premier League side Southampton in a deal worth a reported fee of £34m.

Since then, the 29-year-old, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £100k-per-week according to Spotrac, has made a total of 230 appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side in which he has managed to rack up an impressive total of 103 goals and 43 assists in the process.

So far this season, Mane has managed to score six times in 12 appearances across all competitions. In addition to this, the winger has managed to rack up an average of 3.4 shots at goal per game, showing just how much of an attacking threat he is in the team alongside Salah.

All of this has seen his market value rise considerably. In August 2016, shortly after joining the Reds, Transfermarkt had Mane’s value listed at £27m, whereas it now stands at a massive £76.5m, highlighting a massive increase and how much he has progressed and thrived at Liverpool under Klopp.

His rather mesmeric performances saw him star against Barcelona last term which led to him being described as “unbelievable” for his exploits in Merseyside by Liverpool coach Peter Krawietz.

Also, this says to us just how much of a great buy he has been from Liverpool’s owners FSG who have certainly delivered an absolute star to the club.

With the Senegal international’s current contract at Anfield set to expire in 2023, we feel that the club should definitely try and get him signed to a new one to keep him at the club for the foreseeable future to see if he can continue scoring goals and providing assists on a regular basis.

If he does put pen to paper on a new deal, even though he’s reaching the age of 30, we feel that Mane’s overall market value could go up even further if he keeps performing well for the team.

Either way, there’s no denying that he’s been a brilliant signing for the Reds.

In other news: Never mind Salah: “Intense” £90k-p/w LFC gem who made 2 key passes was vital yesterday – opinion

West Ham United have received a massive boost in their pursuit of mooted transfer target Andrea Belotti this week…

What’s the word?

The Irons were linked with a move for the Torino talisman throughout the summer as David Moyes searched for new frontline additions, and they could be able to sign him for nothing come to the end of the season.

Belotti’s contract is up at the Serie A outfit and it has since been revealed that the 27-year-old centre-forward will not be signing an extension in Turin, according to quotes relayed by Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

“Italian striker Andrea Belotti is prepared to leave Torino as [a] free agent in June. Torino manager Ivan Juric confirms: ‘Belotti won’t sign the contract extension,'” he tweeted.

“‘Andrea is not gonna leave in January. He’ll decide his future in June’, Juric added.”

Door opens

The Hammers did not go and sign Belotti during the summer but the problem still remains. Michail Antonio (31) is Moyes’ only senior option in the striker position and he has been rather injury-prone for many a season now.

It’s a risky game to play considering that his side are unbeaten in the Europa League, where they seem sure to go on and progress into the knockout stages.

An injury or setback to Antonio could seriously curtail their chances of success in that competition, as well as the Premier League, where they are currently in fourth place.

Considering that Belotti is valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, getting him on a free transfer would be an absolute steal from Rob Newman in his new role as West Ham’s head of recruitment.

Similarly, the Euro 2020 winner has a very prolific goalscoring record, having bagged double figures in every season since 2015/16, including a career-best of 28 goals in 2016/17.

Former Irons shot-stopper Joe Hart enjoyed a loan spell at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino and waxed lyrical about Belotti’s ability, claiming that he was like no other striker in Europe.

“Andrea is similar to all the great strikers, English and not,” he told Gianluca Di Marzio. “It’s hard to compare him to someone else because he’s special. He’s Belotti and that’s it. He has instinct for goals, personality and he’s a team player: he’s always focused on his team and plays hard to help it.”

It would be inexcusable for the east Londoners to not try and secure Belotti in 2022. He could well be a very cheap but reliable fix to their attacking depth issues.

AND in other news, Moyes could unearth West Ham’s next Joe Cole in 19 y/o gem “similar to Jack Grealish”…

Wolves have been rather quiet in the transfer market this week but that shouldn’t frustrate supporters after the window they’ve had.

Despite rumours of players leaving, they still boast a full quota of top footballers and they’ve also added the likes of Trincao and Jose Sa to their ranks.

What’s the word?

One player who Wolves have been targeting for months now is Milan forward Rafael Leao.

The Portuguese sensation only joined the Serie A side in the summer of 2019 but it looks like an escape route out of the San Siro is likely. Milan are thought to want €25m (£21.3m) in order to sell him, an asking price that’s continued to drop in the last few months.

Leao is working hard during pre-season in order to convince club officials to keep him in Italy but according to a report (via Sport Witness), Jorge Mendes has put forward contacts from Wolves in a bid to lure him to Molineux.

Jota 2.0

Leao is a truly enigmatic character. As he was coming through at Sporting and Lille, he looked like one of the finest young talents in Europe.

He was compared to Kylian Mbappe and the great Brazilian, Ronaldo. He was even hailed as “spectacular” by former striker Rolando Bianchi.

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However, despite providing glimpses of his immense potential in Italy, he has been rather inconsistent.

A review from reporter Zach Lowy epitomises the hardships he has been through: “The fact that Dany Mota — a player at Monza — and Gonçalo Ramos — a benchwarmer at Benfica — overshadowed Rafael Leao during the U-21 Euros should serve as a wake-up call for him. He needs to drastically change his mentality or he’ll be leaving Milan sooner rather than later.”

Heading for the departure lounge wouldn’t be the worst news for Wolves, though. After all, if you compare his qualities to a certain Diogo Jota, they do line up quite well.

Both players possess incredible pace and have the ability to beat opponents for fun, using trickery and close touch control to eliminate opponents in breathtaking fashion. They can both play out wide and through the middle, while they’re equally creative and destructive in front of goal.

During his final Premier League campaign with Wolves, Jota found the net on seven occasions, a tally that the 22-year-old Leao neared last season. He scored six goals in the red and black of Milan, providing half a dozen assists for his troubles as well.

In 2020/21, their dribble tallies were quite similar, with the Wolves target amassing 1.3 per match compared to Jota’s 1.1 per game. Leao managed 0.9 key passes while the former Old Gold star produced 0.6 key passes in the top flight.

Wolves have managed to replace Jota with the effervescent Pedro Neto but, with his own future in doubt, Leao would be a wise addition to the Molineux ranks.

AND in other news, Lage must brutally axe £50k-p/w Wolves dud this summer, Coady said he’s “outstanding”…