أفادت تقارير صحفية إنجليزية، أن نادي ليفربول يسعى لتجديد عقد الدولي البرازيلي أليسون بيكر، حارس مرماه، رغم أن عقده ما زال ساريًا حتى 3 سنوات قادمة.
أليسون بيكر انضم إلى ليفربول في 2018 قادمًا من روما الإيطالي، ولديه عقد حتى 2024 مع النادي الإنجليزي.
طالع أيضًا.. كلوب عن احتفال محمد صلاح بـ هدف آليسون: لم أشك لحظة في حبه للنادي
صحيفة “تيليجراف” الإنجليزية، أفادت أن ليفربول يسعى لتعديل عقد أليسون بيكر وتمديده إلى عام 2026، ليكافئ الريدز حارسه بعد المستوى المميز خلال السنوات الماضية.
ربما تكون المكافأة خصيصًا بعد هدف أليسون الذي قد يكون تاريخيًا، في مرمى وست بروميتش يوم الأحد الماضي في الدوري الإنجليزي، والذي ربما يتسبب في إنقاذ موسم الريدز وتأهلهم إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا الموسم المقبل.
رغم ذلك، صحيفة “تيليجراف” تنفي أن يكون هدف الحارس البرازيلي له أي تأثير على محادثات العقد المخطط له من جانب النادي.
وأشارت الصحيفة إلى أن ليفربول تضرر بسبب فيروس كورونا، مما أدى إلى خسارة قدرها 46 مليون جنيه إسترليني قبل الضرائب لموسم 2016/2020، ومن المتوقع أن تكون الموارد المالية قد انتعشت قليلًا هذا الموسم.
The future of Mauricio Pochettino is up in the air at the moment with both him and his team looking in despair following a run of one win in seven games.
He admitted himself that he could be out of a job if results don’t pick up soon and that has led to speculation about who could possibly take over, with Rafa Benitez one name some fans are keen on, and Jose Mourinho amongst those linked.
The latter appeals to some fans and after seeing him paired alongside the outspoken Roy Keane on Sky Sports’ coverage of Manchester United vs Liverpool, with the former Republic of Ireland international saying the Red Devils should sign Harry Kane, some fans have imagined the pair working together.
Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below
Their no-nonsense attitude and high expectations of players is exactly what some feel the current squad needs, with one fan stating he is tired of the “Mr Nice Guy” approach from Pochettino.
Spurs’ recent downturn in form is a result of players underperforming, in part, and that is why Mourinho is viewed as an ideal replacement, as players who don’t meet his standards often find themselves out of the team, such as Luke Shaw during the Portuguese’s tenure at Old Trafford.
Here are some of the reactions from fans who would like to see a partnership of Mourinho and 48-year-old Keane at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…
Aston Villa have found life tough in the Premier League so far this campaign, recording just one win from their seven matches.
One of the most significant issues facing manager Dean Smith has been goalscoring as his side have netted just eight goals, which ranks them as the fifth-worst in the division.
Summer arrival Wesley Moraes hasn’t yet lived up to his club-record £22m fee as he’s scored just two of those eight goals, with John McGinn bagging one more from midfield, which makes him their top scorer for the season.
As a result of their fortunes to date, it is believed the club are making £20m available for another striker in the January transfer window.
This week, Villa were linked with a move for Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos, which would suggest that those earlier reports had some sort of substance. Per Transfermarkt, he’s rated at £6.75m.
The potential signing has caused a bit of a stir amongst some members of the Villa faithful, with many labelling him a ‘loose cannon’ and a ‘liability.’
But are they right?
It’s quite clear to see that he would arrive with some baggage as he has picked up five red cards throughout his Ibrox career.
The most recent of which came in the Old Firm derby back in March when the striker received his marching orders after just half an hour.
However, this season, there clearly has been a mark of improvement on his temperament as he’s yet to be sent off and has picked up just the three bookings.
The 23-year-old’s goalscoring exploits have been nothing short of outstanding since joining Rangers in 2017 from Finnish giants HJK.
In his first season, he managed to net 14 goals while providing seven assists, which only improved the next year in five fewer appearances.
Morelos bagged 18 goals and provided eight assists in just 30 league appearances – that’s quite a return.
He’s continued that rich vein of form in front of goal into this campaign having already scored five goals.
The Colombian wouldn’t need as much time to adapt as Wesley considering Scottish conditions which makes this an instant positive. The quality differs but the environment is largely the same.
There have been numerous players that have been a success having come from the Scottish Premiership too, most notably McGinn, who is becoming a star at Villa. If Morelos could replicate what he’s achieved at Villa Park, he’d be an instant hit.
Gary Hooper and the two Steven’s, Naismith and Fletcher, have forged decent careers in England at some point.
Naismith played over 100 times for Everton while Fletcher managed 53 goals in 189 appearances in the top-flight – Hooper, who is without a club, has scored 61 times in 166 Championship matches.
That’s not to mention how Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson have impacted Liverpool in recent times, albeit in a different position.
Those players prove the quality is there to be had in the Scottish Premiership and Morelos is a player with definite potential.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Things might be looking a little bit brighter for Birmingham after their win against Middlesbrough.
However, there is one man who seems to find himself playing more as a passenger than a contributor, and that man is Alvaro Gimenez.
On the chalkboard
What is most concerning when it comes to Gimenez and his form is just how few chances he has managed to create for himself.
If you take a look at some of his statistics from WhoScored, he’s averaging only 1.1 shot per game. Compare that to someone like his teammate Lukas Jutkiewicz who is getting off almost three times that many efforts.
Whether or not the chances go in is a different matter, but it’s like that old saying ‘you can’t win the lottery if you don’t buy a ticket’ – if he isn’t getting any shots away, it’s no wonder that he’s struggling to find the net.
It’s not just his own chances that he’s struggling to create either, it’s the chances for other players that he is failing to string together as he is averaging 0.6 key passes per game.
Perhaps you can just put this down to a case of struggling to adapt to unnatural surroundings and that we are being too harsh on him. After all, he has only been there a few months.
However, there aren’t too many Birmingham players that are standing out at the moment. Jutkiewicz is their top scorer with just three so perhaps there is some argument for giving him the benefit of the doubt.
At the same time though, he has to start producing some tangible results if he wants to continue getting selected as part of the team.
Birmingham aren’t exactly blessed with a large number of centre-forwards right now and if Jutkiewicz gets injured, Gimenez could find himself incredibly exposed and under pressure at St Andrew’s.
Tottenham Hotspur will look to bounce back from a disappointing week when they face Colchester United in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.
Spurs surrendered leads against Olympiacos and Leicester City in the last seven days to end up with just a point to show for their efforts, and manager Mauricio Pochettino will want to see a big improvement on the road in Essex following successive sub-standard performances on their travels.
The Argentine manager has the chance to rotate his squad given they are coming up against League Two opposition, and we expect him to take full advantage of the opportunity.
Here is our predicted Tottenham XI to face the U’s…
Paulo Gazzaniga deputised for Hugo Lloris against the Foxes at the weekend following the birth of his baby, and we expect him to do the same against Colchester.
Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below
There may well be a completely new defence from the one beaten at the King Power Stadium too, with Ben Davies, Juan Foyth and Kyle Walker-Peters coming in, as well as a full Tottenham debut for Japhet Tanganga, with Danny Rose, Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld and Serge Aurier all dropping out.
In midfield, Pochettino has reportedly already decided that Eric Dier is going to make his first appearance of the season, and we expect Oliver Skipp to be given an opportunity alongside him at the base of the midfield in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Ahead of them, Christian Eriksen, Lucas Moura and Dele Alli take up the three attacking midfield positions, and it is a big opportunity for the latter – rated at £81m by Transfermarkt – to find some form and really get his season kick-started following injury troubles.
Last but by no means least, there is another debut up top for Troy Parrott, who fully deserves his chance in the starting XI.
In today’s Newcastle United roundup, we take a look at what news has been doing the rounds for the Magpies. 16-year-old Luke Matheson has been linked with the club after scoring at Old Trafford in the EFL Cup, there is a fresh takeover bid from Peter Kenyon, and Rafael Benitez has named the best players he signed for the club.
Kenyon launches fresh takeover bid
Soccer Football – Premier League – Newcastle United v Leicester City – St James’ Park, Newcastle, Britain – September 29, 2018 Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley REUTERS/Scott Heppell EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Report: According to Sky Sports, Kenyon’s new American investment fund GACP Sports is trying to buy Newcastle for £300m which will be paid in installments over three years. A detailed 46-page brochure has been sent out to potential investors, explaining their plans for the club, states the report.
Verdict: No doubt this will be music to the ears of anyone who follows the Toon Army. For over a decade now, fans have been desperate to see the back of Mike Ashley, with the Sports Direct owner refusing to delve into the transfer market enough, and thus having played a huge role in the club being relegated twice during his reign.
Kenyon’s GACP Sports also owns French side Bordeaux, whilst the man himself has been chief executive of both Chelsea and Manchester United and clearly knows how to run a football club as a result.
As has been the case in previous bids from Kenyon, there needs to be a large sum which Ashley would fancy or it is unlikely he will sell the club. Indeed, in recent times Amanda Staveley’s PCP Partners, the Bin Zayed Group as well as Kenyon have all attempted to purchase the club, with Ashley turning down each offer.
It seems it is going to take a bid in excess of £350m, as Sky Sports reports, and Newcastle fans will be hoping and praying this comes sooner rather than later.
Benitez on his best signings for the club
Report: In a Q&A with The Athletic (as quoted by Shields Gazette), former Magpies boss Benitez revealed who were his best signings during his time at St James’ Park. The Spaniard was asked ‘who would you say was your best value signing at Newcastle (Fabian) Schar, (Florian) Lejeune, (Martin) Dubravka?’, although Benitez was quick to point out Solomon Rondon as a name he never forgot during his time in the North East.
He replied: “I agree the three of them are quite good signings for the money we paid. Also I would add Rondon was good value as a loan.”
Verdict: Dubravka has turned himself into one of the better goalkeepers in the Premier League over the last few years, keeping 17 clean sheets and making 139 saves in 56 appearances. Although the Slovakian has conceded 67 times, only five of them have come as ‘errors leading to a goal’, according to official statistics of the Premier League.
Schar is continuing to prove his importance for the club this season, averaging a 7.16 performance rating and playing a huge role in Newcastle conceding eight goals in six games – only Crystal Palace boasts better in the bottom half.
As for Rondon, he has linked up once again with Benitez, joining him at Dalian Yifang in China. During his time at Newcastle, however, the Venezuelan finished as the second top scorer for the club, bagging 11 goals and seven assists in 31 Premier League appearances.
Lejeune is currently out injured, but the Frenchman did average a 7.05 performance rating with the Magpies in his first season under Benitez.
Bruce keeping tabs on Matheson
Report: According to the Chronicle Live, Newcastle have been scouting the Rochdale teenager even before his heroics against Manchester United. It is reported that the Magpies have kept tabs on the defender ever since he made his first-team debut in the Checkatrade Trophy last year.
Verdict: 16-year-old Matheson has jumped into the limelight after scoring the equaliser in the Dale’s Carabao Cup tie at Old Trafford. The right-back has been involved heavily for the League One side so far, playing all three of the EFL Cup games until Rochdale were knocked out. Matheson has also played twice in the league for his boyhood club this season and has even stepped out for the England U17’s on one occasion.
It is always wise to keep tabs on the younger guys around because clubs can never know what youth teams are prizing away the best young talent in the country – sometimes it is not always the Premier League teams who acquire the best young products from around England.
If Newcastle were to sign Matheson, it would be highly doubtful he would see first-team action more than a handful of times in a year. Nevertheless, if his performance at Old Trafford is anything to go by, it is a good idea to keep an eye on his progress.
These Southampton fans on Twitter believe they have identified the player the club has submitted a late deal sheet for on transfer deadline day – Augsburg centre-back Kevin Danso.
Daily Echo journalist Adam Leitch was the first to tweet that Saints were still trying to get a signing over the line after the initial 5pm deadline, with clubs given an extra two hours to get a transfer completed if they are some way down the line.
Freelance football writer Lars Pollmann tweeted late on Thursday afternoon that Kicker expected Danso to move to a unnamed Premier League club, and it makes sense that it would be the south coast outfit.
After all, he is a centre-back – a position that has been a priority ever since Southampton signed Che Adams according to The Telegraph – he fits into manager Ralph Hasenhuttl’s new signings age policy of being under 24 as he is 20, and he is Austrian, the same nationality as Hasenhuttl.
Saints supporters believe they have put two and two together to come up with Danso, who has made 44 first-team appearances for Bundesliga outfit Augsburg.
According to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur have made progress over a move for Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon in this summer’s transfer window.
The report claims that Spurs are now confident of landing the teenager in a £25m deal, which could go through as early as next week.
The capital outfit are seemingly in the market for a new left-back this summer with Danny Rose being left out of their pre-season squad.
Paris Saint-Germain are said to lead the race for Rose, who could be allowed to leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for £20m this summer.
According to Football Insider, Spurs have a potential replacement lined up, with a £25m swoop for Sessegnon close to going through following weeks of speculation.
Watch the best UCL final reactions from Liverpool and Spurs fans (and their enemies) in the video below…
The Tottenham fans have been on social media offering their views on the transfer claim and a number are looking forward to potentially watching the 5 ft 10 man next season.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Following the signings of Tanguy Ndombele and Jack Clarke, it appears that Spurs are determined to continue their summer recruitment.
Real Madrid’s Dani Ceballos has been heavily linked with a move to north London in recent weeks, and football.london report that Spurs are seriously interested in the player.
It’s also reported that the Spaniard is seeking a loan move away from Los Blancos, while Spurs are only willing to proceed with a loan deal if an option to buy the player is included.
The midfielder was mostly a rotational figure in La Liga last season with the Spaniard only starting 13 of his 23 appearances.
Given Tottenham’s interest in his services, Football Fancast has collated the opinions of three experts on a key Tottenham transfer target.
Sam Tighe, Bleacher Report journalist
“That’s what Ceballos is, in pure footballing terms: An electric, exciting, dazzling, smart midfielder. If he can set aside his documented off-field issues and control his emotions, the sky’s the limit for him.”
Analysing Ceballos’ performances at the under-21 European Championship in 2017, Tighe identified the Spaniard’s immense potential, per Bleacher Report.
That same summer, Ceballos made the seismic switch from Real Betis to Real Madrid.
While that move hasn’t bred the results Ceballos would have hoped for, his contributions during his sporadic La Liga involvement last season attest to Tighe’s glowing assessment.
Even though almost half of his appearances were as a substitute, Ceballos averaged one key pass per game last campaign. Similarly, he flaunted an impressive passing ratio of 92.6% while proving difficult for opponents to negate, as he was fouled 1.7 times per game on average.
One senses if Ceballos is handed consistent involvement and sincere appreciation he could produce his best form and begin to fulfil the monumental potential that Tighe described.
Luis Enrique, former Spain and Barcelona manager
“I saw Dani Ceballos countless times with Spain’s Under-21s, and he did the same on his debut with them as he did with us, a different player. He’s special, there aren’t many like that.”
Another individual who has been very complimentary of Ceballos’ skill set has been the former Barcelona and Spain manager, Luis Enrique, as ESPN reported.
Ceballos was handed his debut by Enrique in Spain’s comprehensive 6-0 drubbing of Croatia in the Nations League and has since earned a further five caps for the national side.
Given Enrique’s pedigree and the remarkable honours he collected both as a player, a three-time La Liga winner and as a manager, having won La Liga twice and the Champions League once, his words carry significance, and favourable analysis of the playmaker further legitimises claims of his enormous promise.
Luis Enrique has managed some of the best players in football, most notably the likes of Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos.
If anyone is well-placed to judge a player’s credentials then it’s Enrique.
Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below
Rubén Pardo, Real Sociedad and former Spain under-21 midfielder
“Dani is a player with a lot of quality who makes everything easier for his team-mates. He always gives you the right pass so you can move the ball more comfortably. He makes everything simpler.”
A player who has amassed 180 La Liga appearances and has featured in both the Champions League and the Europa League, Pardo is adequately qualified and astutely aware of Ceballos’ quality and his potential, as cited by UEFA.
Pardo played alongside Ceballos at Real Betis during a brief loan move in the second half of the 2017-18 season.
Given the extent to which Pochettino has revolutionised Tottenham’s style of play, a strategy that places huge emphasis on possession and creativity, it appears that the Spaniard’s technical attributes are accordant with Spurs’ style.