Of all the positions for Unai Emery to be strengthening this summer, why on earth is a number nine on the list? You could ask a lot of Arsenal fans and the majority of them would tell you that their strike force and goalkeeping department are the only two areas that need leaving alone.
And yet, Assahifa, translated by Fox Sport Asia, have linked them with Youssef En-Nesyri.
Arsenal fans know that a lot of business needs to be done this summer and the sooner that Emery can get things rolling the better. With that being said, though, the Gunners do not want to sign an average 22-year-old Moroccan striker from La Liga. That looks to be what they’re getting in En-Nesyri, though, as the north Londoners look set to beat Real Betis to his signature.
If this move does go through then it will see Emery and the management team at the Emirates part with a sum of €10m, or roughly £8.9m, and that would be a huge waste of money.
A lot of areas need strengthening but if this is Emery’s idea of good business then he may as well give up now, as the reaction that this one has got from the Gunners has been nothing short of woeful.
You can read the Gunners’ verdict on the En-Nesyri links below:
David Prutton’s latest column in the Yorkshire Evening Post has highlighted the need for frugality in the Championship, as transfer fees rise and FFP sanctions become harder and harder to work around.
Prutton highlighted what he thinks is the perfect policy in the Championship, and his words should have Whites fans beaming as he basically outlined Leeds’ transfer policy over the past few years.
What’s been said then?
The former midfielder was writing about Birmingham’s point deduction last season and how that may affect attitudes in the future.
“What’s the damage going to be? It’s created a game of jeopardy for anyone who’s thinking of over-spending. For that reason I think we’ll see a lot of measured work in the transfer market this summer.
“I think the evidence of the season behind us will make a lot of clubs decide that a move away from big-money signings to the little gems no-one else has spotted might be the way to go. There’s never any substitute for quality but in this division and at this level, what matters more is how a team works as a unit and the presence of square pegs in square holes.
“We all love a big transfer deal but it seems to me that the Championship is moving on.”
Ahead of the curve
Leeds United are well ahead of the curve if Prutton thinks that Championship clubs should operate in this way as the Whites have been doing it for years.
The 37-year-old highlighted the need for teamwork in this division, and he may well have been alluding to Marcelo Bielsa’s achievements this season.
The Argentine took a team that finished 13th the season before into third place while not making many changes to the squad, and he achieved that through team cohesion and fantastic tactics.
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Bielsa’s side is also built up of these ‘little gems’ as the likes of Mateusz Klich, Pontus Jansson, Kemar Roofe and Ezgjan Alioski joined the team as relatively unknown players, but became stars almost immediately.
Prutton’s view of the future is already Leeds’ present, and that bodes well for them as their transfer policy doesn’t need huge adjustment even as the landscape around them changes.
In the past few days, transfer news has been aplenty surrounding around Portsmouth, yet not much of it has made for pleasant reading for supporters.
Portsmouth News reported that the club have pulled out of a move for Plymouth Argyle striker Freddie Ladapo due to high wage demands as well as reveal that the club are miles away from agreeing on a fee for Peterborough United attacker Matt Godden.
Couple that with the news from Football Insider that Oldham Athletic defender George Edmundson has snubbed Pompey for a move to north of the border to Rangers, and you have a fairly clear idea in your head that the south coast side aren’t exactly doing well with transfers this summer.
Sure, the news of Scottish winger Gary Mackay-Steven being close to joining Portsmouth according to Aberdeen Evening Express is a promising sign that the club are building upon their sole signing so far this summer in James Bolton from Shrewsbury Town, but for a side that are aiming for a return to the Championship, Pompey can’t keep stalling over deals if they are to build a squad to go one better than what they did last season.
Indeed, as the League One fixture list was announced earlier today and with pre-season starting in just under three weeks’ time, Portsmouth need to see this as a sign that the new season isn’t too far away and that Kenny Jackett needs to ensure the majority of his transfer targets are signed and with the squad come the 10th July.
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Portsmouth fans, who do you expect the club to sign this summer? Let us know!
According to The Sun, Crystal Palace could pounce if Scott McTominay fails to negotiate fresh terms at Manchester United, with the Scotsman uncertain over his future under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, despite having featured far more often since Jose Mourinho was sacked in December.
The 22-year-old remains highly-rated, though, by the Red Devils hierarchy, who are hoping that an improved contract will convince him to snub a switch to Selhurst Park this summer.
Having broken through to the first team setup in 2017, the 6 foot 3 midfielder has gone on to make 45 appearances and score two goals, both of which came in the 2018/19 league campaign, in all competitions for United.
The Lancaster-born star would have Cheikhou Kouyate, Luka Milivojevic, James McArthur, Jeffrey Schlupp and Max Meyer to compete with for a starting berth, although he is exactly the kind of hard-working, industrious midfielder that Roy Hodgson loves.
Would a Palace swoop for the 9-cap international make perfect sense; or would he flop in south London? Football Fancast’s writers give their verdicts below…
Charles Jones
“Scott McTominay is a difficult one to figure out. He looked half decent in a struggling United team, but he did have quality players around him who perhaps masked the weak points of his game. I’m not sure he would be great for a team that will most likely be battling towards the bottom end of the table, so perhaps Palace should avoid this one.”
Harry Sherlock
“McTominay isn’t good enough for United and it’s a sign of how far they’ve fallen that he’s still anywhere near their first-team. That’s not to say he’d be a bad signing for Palace – perhaps he’d thrive in a less pressurised environment – but this isn’t the kind of signing Palace should be looking to make. McTominay has never once stood out as a decent Premier League player; his level is probably below even Palace.”
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There’s some exciting changes happening at Crystal Palace next summer. Find out what in the video below…
Matt Dawson
“McTominay would be a marvellous signing for Palace judging by some of his displays for Manchester United last term. Albeit an inconsistent figure, he was one of the few shinning lights when Barcelona beat United at Old Trafford. On that evidence, it’s difficult to see how he’d turn out to be a bad signing for the Eagles. This is a player who still has his whole career ahead of him and as a result, Palace must leap at the chance to sign him.”
It has been an astonishing few days in regards to the rumours surrounding Leeds, with Gianluigi Buffon and Francesco Totti to name but two linked to Elland Road. Today’s Whites transfer roundup includes an update on the exit of an 18-year-old, interest from a Championship club in two youngsters and a development in regards to that Buffon story.
Clarke medical
Jack Clarke underwent a medical at Tottenham on Wednesday, according to Football Insider. The Sun reported three days ago that the two clubs had agreed an £8.5m fee for the player, and the deal has now taken another step closer to completion.
Barnsley after Leeds duo
Football Insider is also reporting that Barnsley are looking to bring in Leeds pair Mallik Wilks and Aapo Halme. And Leeds could be willing to let the two leave if they are able to bring in their priority summer targets.
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Buffon set for Juve return
Gianluigi Buffon was previously linked with Leeds United (Corriere Della Sera), but it now appears that the Yorkshire-based outfit are set to miss out on the 2006 World Cup winner. According to Sky Italia, Buffon is set to make a sensational return to Juventus during this transfer window.
With Liverpool spending, at the time, a world-record fee for a goalkeeper, it was easy to see that Simon Mignolet would play backup to Alisson. Still, to be frozen out almost completely might have come as a surprise.
The 31-year-old managed just two starts last season as Alisson asserted himself as the first choice in both the Premier League and Champions League, and early exits in the FA Cup and League Cup meant Mignolet’s season largely consisted of watching Liverpool from the bench, which is why it makes sense that clubs are circling the ‘keeper this summer.
According to the Evening Standard, both Crystal Palace and Brighton are interested in the former Sunderland stopper, who is reportedly valued at £8 million, and with another season of being second-choice on the horizon, Mignolet should be jumping at the opportunity to leave for first-team football, and in particular, in south London.
The reasoning behind why Mignolet should prefer a move to Palace over Brighton is a simple one, the Belgian is surely more likely to be the number one at the Eagles rather than at the south coast side, who in Matthew Ryan have a clear and established number one given the fact he has started all but four games for the Seagulls over the past two seasons.
At Palace, though, Roy Hodgson switched between Wayne Hennessey and Vicente Guaita for the majority of last season, switching between the two custodians before settling on the Spaniard, and in Mignolet, the Eagles would potentially be securing an upgrade.
Comparing Guaita with Mignolet from stats from the Premier League’s official website, Mignolet managed the same number of clean sheets as the Palace keeper in his last season playing regular (2017/18) football, as well as making more claims from corners as well as saving more penalties.
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If given a choice of the two rivals, Palace do seem like a better destination. They are a settled Premier League side who boast a fairly stable defence (conceding 53 goals, the 10th best record in the league, with only Newcastle United in the lower half letting in less) and there is a clearer potential path to the No.1 spot.
Liverpool fans, would you sell Mignolet this summer? Let us know!
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Despite some late interest from Premier League side Brighton and Serie A outfit Atalanta, Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic has rejoined Hertha Berlin on another season-long loan spell.
The 23-year-old shone for the Bundesliga side last term, netting five goals and recording one assist in 22 league appearances for the Berlin-based team – head coach Pal Dardai was certainly pleased with Grujic’s contributions, saying: “This isn’t meant as an insult to anyone else, but Marko is by far the best midfielder I’ve seen in my time at the club.”
It sounds simple enough. Young midfielder, bags of potential yet to be fulfilled, and a chance to hone his talents at a club who clearly like him for one more season. However, Liverpool transfer guru Michael Edwards has struck gold with the finer details of this deal.
“It reminds me of a bus seat!” – Watch a damning verdict on Chelsea’s new kit in the video below…
Liverpool currently have seven first-team midfielders in their squad – James Milner, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, Naby Keita, Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gini Wijnaldum. In that respect, the 6ft 3 star being sent away on loan makes perfect sense. The Serbian presumably wouldn’t have played much, and any side keen to take the powerful midfielder on loan would have been doing Liverpool a favour.
But, Edwards has somehow made it so that Hertha Berlin have bent over backwards to make the deal happen.
Edwards has managed to obtain a £2m loan fee from the German club, including £500,000 in potential bonuses. Hertha Berlin will also pay all of Grujic’s wages, whilst there is a penalty structure in place to ensure that the talented prospect gets enough playing time to develop.
We’re talking about a player that presumably would’ve only appeared in domestic cup competitions for Liverpool next term had he stayed – Grujic was simply surplus to requirements for the 2019/20 campaign at least, but Edwards has managed to negotiate a cracking deal in terms of financial benefit to the Reds and in terms of getting the maximum for the Serb’s development.
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There simply isn’t anything to moan about in yet another shrewd piece of business from Edwards.
Scott Arfield has returned to Rangers training and fans are very optimistic about his upcoming campaign.
Arfield had been away with Canada at the Gold Cup before returning to Steven Gerrard’s side. They got to the quarter-finals, but were beaten 3-2 by Haiti, despite going two goals up.
The 30-year-old now returns to Ibrox some way behind his teammates and Gerrard is aware of this. The Rangers boss has said Arfield is: “Only probably on day five or six of pre-season, so he is one we will integrate a little bit slower because we want to be careful with Scott.
“It’s important the fans understand that Scott is three weeks behind the team.”
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Arfield joins the Gers in between the two legs of their first qualifying round for the Europa League. Gerrard’s men recorded an emphatic 4-0 win over St. Joseph’s last week and will look to ease through the second leg tonight.
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He also spoke about his excitement for the season on his return, telling Rangers TV: “What an unbelievable opportunity for anyone playing for Glasgow Rangers at this time, you need to enjoy this experience because we’re all ready to go at it.”
Fans are loving his return and attitude, and plenty took to Twitter to welcome their midfielder back to the club…
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
According to Italian outlet Calcio Mercato, an intermediary acting on behalf of Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren met with Serie A giants Milan to discuss a potential move this summer.
What’s the word?
Amid speculation that the Croatia international could be set to depart Anfield this summer, reports in recent weeks had suggested that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was quite insistent on keeping the 30-year-old at the club.
How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…
However, according to Calcio Mercato, Lovren remains at the top of Milan’s shopping list and that the reported meeting between the agent and the club lasted over an hour; which according to the publication, is a potential sign that “good progress” had been made.
Much-needed squad depth
First and foremost, why would you want to sell “one of the best defenders in the world”? Perhaps Lovren isn’t quite as good as he thinks himself to be, but there is undeniably a Premier League level centre-back in there. The 30-year-old may have slipped down the pecking order last season, but he still has plenty of top-flight experience that Klopp will no doubt have to call upon over the course of a campaign.
Indeed, in his limited 13 Premier League appearances last season, Lovren averaged 1.2 tackles, 0.8 interceptions and 3.9 clearances per game. Compare that to fan favourite and highly-rated Joe Gomez’s numbers of 1.1 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 2.4 clearances per game. Statistically the numbers appear to back up the Croatian maintaining his stay at Anfield next season, and he offers such a reliable option for Klopp.
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Gomez’s injury history is also a cause for concern and is perhaps another huge reason as to why the Reds have so far been reluctant to engage in active talks over Lovren’s exit. As the Reds look to have another crack at the league title next season, the Merseyside club will have to make use of all their resources, and the Croatian is certainly one that they can’t afford to lose at this stage.
Tottenham Hotspur fans were left impressed with Troy Parrott’s senior debut for the club against Juventus at the weekend.
The striker started the pre-season friendly, a part of the International Champions Cup, against the Italian giants in Singapore on Sunday.
Parrott played the first 45 minutes in a game that ended 3-2 to Spurs, with his replacement, Harry Kane, scoring a barely believable winning goal from the halfway line in injury time.
The 17-year-old has been prolific in the youth teams in north London, scoring 15 goals in 13 outings for the Under-18s, while also netting two in 12 for the Under-23s.
A Republic of Ireland youth international, he has won 11 caps for the Under-17s and four for the Under-19s.
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And Spurs fans were impressed with the teenager’s first senior outing in a Spurs shirt on Sunday, taking to Twitter to wax lyrical about the forward’s performance
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