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According to Sky Sports, AS Monaco are interested in signing Serge Aurier from Tottenham this summer.

What’s the word?

The Ivory Coast international arrived from PSG back in the summer of 2017, and has gone on to make 77 appearances for the club, scoring six times and providing 14 assists.

His time with the Lilywhites has also been riddled with some high-profile mistakes however, with numerous penalties conceded – by October of last year, he had already committed four fouls that led to a spot-kick.

Now, Sky Sports claim that with Monaco’s recruitment now being led by Paul Mitchell – formerly of Spurs himself – they are keen on bringing Aurier back to French football this summer.

Ending the misery

Whilst Aurier has undoubtedly shown flashes of promise, particularly when going forward given that he has an impressive 14 assists, he is just too much of a liability defensively for someone like Jose Mourinho to ever fully trust.

Can you name every one of Spurs’ top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…

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And aside from conceding penalties on a regular basis, the £70k-a-week star has also had his fair share of issues off the pitch, not least during this whole lockdown period. The right-back has been investigated by Spurs for breaking restrictions on three separate occasions, and it all points to someone who just doesn’t seem to learn from his mistakes.

But with Monaco now said to be interested, Daniel Levy has the perfect opportunity to finally cut his losses on the man Mauricio Pochettino brought to the club a couple of years ago.

Key Information about Blundell Park

Blundell Park is one of the most historic stadiums in League Two, and it first opened on 2 September 1899.

The ground now holds an all-seated capacity of just over 9,000, and comprises four famous stands; The Main Stand, The Pontoon Stand (Home Supporters), The Young’s Stand, and The Osmond Stand (Away Supporters).

A history of Blundell Park

Grimsby Town Football Club first became tenants of their new ground in the summer of 1899 after moving out of their previous home of Abbey Park.

The first-ever match at Blundell Park was between Luton Town during a Football League Second Division fixture – 4,000 fans watched the new residents draw 2-2 with Luton. Two years after opening, the new Main Stand was built, and over 50 years later the first floodlights were installed around the ground which enabled Grimsby Town to play matches in darker night-time conditions. The famous Pontoon Stand was rebuilt and modernised in 1961, and almost 20 years later the stadium was refurbished to allow the Main Stand to become an all-seater stand.

Following the Taylor Report, in 1995 all four stands of Blundell Park became all-seater. The new renovations of the ground attracted their largest ever crowd of 9,528 on 3 March 1999 during a Football League Division One match between Sunderland. Expansion seating was removed from the ground at the end of the 2003-04 season after the club was relegated, and it would only make a return for larger-scale fixtures such as cup ties.

Despite the club’s new record attendance for an all-seated crowd, the highest ever attendance recorded at Blundell Park was 31,651, originally set during an FA Cup Fifth Round match back in 1937 – a record which will stand indefinitely.

The stadium’s Main Stand is the oldest stand in the Football League with many parts standing since it was built in 1901. Ahead of the 2016-17 season, a new sponsorship deal was agreed with Young’s Seafood which subsequently resulted in the Findus Stand to be renamed the Young’s Stand. The tiers of the Young’s Stand are now known as the Upper Young’s and Lower Young’s Stands.

The most recent improvements to Blundell Park came in April 2015 after Grimsby received a £19,000 grant from The Football Stadia Improvement Fund to enable the club to repair and maintain the floodlights at the ground. In recent months, the leader of the North East Lincolnshire Council stated his desire to build a new stadium on the newly regenerated Freeman Street area in the town.

Tickets to Watch Grimsby Town at Blundell Park

Single matchday tickets stand at around £20 for adults, £5 for juniors (1-14), £13 for seniors (65+),

Young adults (15-18), and students/unemployed.

Early bird tickets are available for a discounted price if purchased in advance of matches. Season tickets are priced from £325 – £360 for adults, £70 for juniors, £100 for unaccompanied juniors, and £230 for senior citizens.

Related Links

https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/ – Official website of Grimsby Town

https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/tickets/ – Grimsby Town Ticket Office

According to ESPN, Leicester striker Islam Slimani has been offered to Tottenham this summer.

What’s the word?

One of the big talking points during the January transfer window earlier this year, was how Spurs could provide Harry Kane with some much-needed back-up.

The England international’s injury exposed the lack of depth in the striking department, and there were talks of the club bringing in Olivier Giroud. That deal failed to materialise, but according to ESPN, the club are still keen on bringing in a new centre-forward.

Can you name every one of Spurs’ top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…



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They claim that Foxes ace Slimani, who has been on loan at AS Monaco, has been offered to Jose Mourinho’s side, whilst former Spurs man Fernando Llorente is also considered an option.

Steer clear

Whilst Slimani enjoyed a relatively decent season with Monaco – he bagged nine goals in 19 games across all competitions – his time in England with both Leicester and Newcastle suggest that he simply isn’t the man to provide competition for Kane.

In 39 games in the Premier League, he managed to find the back of the net just eight times, meaning that he scored one goal every 4.8 games. Compare that to ex-Spurs ace Roman Pavlyuchenko, who netted 21 times in 78 games in the competition – an average of one every 3.7.

Plain and simple, Slimani was a major flop in the Premier League, and at the age of 32, it’s difficult to see how he gets any better. And with him also reportedly earning around £80k-per-week as per his contract with Leicester, that’s the kind of number Spurs could desperately do without in these testing times.

Rangers are surely loving the new campaign as they sit top of the Scottish Premiership after the first three rounds of fixtures.

Steven Gerrard’s men have been thoroughly impressive, picking up a 100% win record and are even yet to concede a goal – could this be the year the club truly contends for the title?

Being five points clear of their arch-rivals Celtic at this early stage is certainly a testament to the possibilities.

On Wednesday evening, the Gers ran riot at Ibrox to defeat St Johnstone 3-0 thanks to goals from Borna Barisic, Ryan Kent and Joe Aribo, who all had the game wrapped up by the 50th-minute mark.

Indeed it was the Croatian defender that was the standout performer on the night – aside from his goal, he provided the assist for their second and also recorded four tackles, four accurate crosses and two successful dribbles, via SofaScore.

The 27-year-old was pivotal to Gerrard’s men picking up the three points as he was heavily involved in the proceedings – 82 touches and two key passes only emphasise that.

Perhaps, it’s no surprise to see him linked with a move elsewhere. Roma, Spurs and Leeds have all been touted with interest this summer, although luckily for those in Glasgow, no bids have come forward… yet.

If Ross Wilson has any sense after witnessing last night’s display, then he simply must reject any advances should they fall at his door.

There’s only really one other player suited to the role and that’s new signing Calvin Bassey, who can also play centrally.

Signed by Mark Allen in 2018, Barisic has been a fantastic servant to the Rs and it’s nights like Wednesday that show just how integral he is to the club and their chances of winning their first championship since the 2010/11 campaign.

AND in other news, Massive boost as club makes big transfer decision on Gerrard’s prized asset

Speaking to Football Insider, ex-England international defender Danny Mills has heaped praise on Spurs defender Matt Doherty after the club managed to secure a £16 million deal to sign him from Wolves last week – with the pundit going on to describe his traits as ‘what Mourinho wants’.

Doherty, who started 32 games for the Molineux outfit last season, proving an old reliable under Nuno Espirito Santo, has now completed a switch to north London to become part of Spurs’ Champions League qualification push next season.

His signing also opens the door for Serge Aurier to leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and pundit Mills thinks the acquisition is an ‘upgrade’ on the Ivorian.

The new Premier League campaign starts in just under a fortnight, and Mills has been in awe over Spurs’ tackling of the transfer market so far – going on to worship the signing of Doherty to Football Insider.

Jermaine Jenas has also proved to be a fan of the right-back in past seasons, with the ex-Spur once calling him ‘sensational’ to Match of the Day via Sports Joe. 

Mills, branding Doherty as ‘solid’ and ‘reliable’, certainly appears to admire the 6ft 1 stalwart, and he could be a coup if the ex-top flight veteran’s verdict is anything to go by.

“He is an upgrade on Serge Aurier. He has done incredibly well at Wolves over the past few seasons,” explained Mills to FI.

“Lots of people coming out and saying he is an Arsenal fan and so what? It makes no difference.

“I have been very impressed with him at Wolves. He has a good skill set, great ability in the final third and a very, very good work ethic. He is solid, reliable and that is what Mourinho wants from his players.”

Mourinho, having now secured deals for Doherty, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Joe Hart this summer, with chairman Daniel Levy spending around £30 million in the process, could see the squad significantly bolstered just in time for his first full debut season in charge.

The Republic of Ireland international comes in as an alternative to polarising defender Aurier, with the Lilywhites right-back now potentially on his way out this summer as AC Milan become continuously linked (Fabrizio Romano via Football Italia).

Spurs fans, is Matt Doherty a bargain coup? Have your say in the comments below…

After being linked with a summer move, Leicester City are now the odds-on favourites to sign Burnley attacker Dwight McNeil according to some bookmakers, via Leicestershire Live, with manager Brendan Rodgers looking to snap up a creative outlet ahead of a busy 2020/21 Premier League campaign. 

This also comes after Demarai Gray’s future has at the King Power Stadium has become more doubtful, especially after a report from The Telegraph linking him with a move to Newcastle United, and now the Foxes are ‘favourites’ to sign McNeil as a potential replacement.

Left-back Ben Chilwell has already departed the East Midlands in a £45m move to Chelsea, putting pen to paper on a five-year deal, and McNeil could be high on the list of candidates to come in and strengthen Rodgers’ squad.

Defender Timothy Castagne is reportedly set to join Leicester as Chilwell’s direct heir, but the Burnley youngster has been strongly tipped to follow him.

Valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, the left-sided midfielder started all 38 Premier League games for the Clarets last season, marking himself out as a key figure under Sean Dyche by scoring two goals and providing six assists from the flanks (WhoScored).

Out of Burnley’s entire squad, only Ashley Westwood managed to provide more key passes per game, perhaps attracting Rodgers and his staff at Leicester to a player deemed to have vast potential.

Speaking to Sky Sports via Lancs Live, pundit Jamie Redknapp has also waxed lyrical over McNeil’s ‘real quality’ and correctly predicted that top six sides would be after him in this window, now that Leicester could be in the chase.

Given the quick run of games over 2020/21, strength in depth may well be key, and the Englishman could provide a new dimension for the Foxes going forward.

Foxes, would you be happy to sign McNeil? Join the discussion by commenting below…

It appears that light has been shed on the reason behind Liverpool’s failed move for recent Chelsea signing Timo Werner. 

The Reds looked certain to be the ones to welcome the German talent over the threshold, but a shock change of direction saw him end up at Stamford Bridge instead.

Now, according to Paul Gorst from his recent Q&A session (relayed via @AnfieldEdition), it appears Fenway Sports Group pulled the plug after a controversial decision to place staff on government furlough.

During the UK lockdown, Liverpool announced they would be utilising the government scheme to pay their non-playing workers. The club quickly made a U-turn on this decision, but the backlash apparently played a huge part in why a move for Werner was not pursued.

A large amount of Reds fans are furious over this revelation and feel it’s a poor explanation for why FSG allowed the highly-speculated move to slip through the net.

One supporter has replied saying it’s a ‘disgrace’ whilst another has branded FSG as ‘joke owners’. One Kopite has commented that they simply ‘have no words’ on the matter.

Read more replies from the Twitter selection here:

How do you feel about this recent update, Reds? Have your say in the comments below…

Speaking to Football Insider, pundit and ex-Leeds United striker Noel Whelan claims new Tottenham signing Gareth Bale looks ‘fit as a fiddle’ as he works his way back from injury ahead of his hugely anticipated return – and his arrival along with more signings could get Lilywhites ‘buzzing’. 

Bale, who has made a sensational Spurs comeback seven years after leaving for Real Madrid in a world record deal, is currently side-lined with injury issues and reportedly won’t be seen sporting a Tottenham shirt for at least one month (Marca).

The Welsh superstar re-signed in north London on a season-long loan deal from the Galacticos, with his parent club footing a portion of the wage demands, and Bale has the potential to stay for an even longer time past his temporary agreement.

Rumours first came to light over a return after a piece from the Telegraph, which broke Real’s willingness to pay half of Bale’s £600,000-per-week salary before tax.

Thereafter, Mundo Deportivo claimed he could sign permanently for any club in a meagre £18.2 million deal, prompting intense speculation that Tottenham had reignited their interest.

After his signing came to fruition, with supporters going crazy on social media, news then came to light about his medical – with it being revealed that his Spurs debut will be postponed for now.

However, Whelan has now claimed that the 31-year-old looks ‘fit as fiddle’ as he works his way into contention, and his arrival along with other star names could have supporters ‘buzzing’ as the 2020/2021 season kicks off.

“Gareth Bale coming back to the Premier League at 31, he still looks as fit as a fiddle, from what I’ve seen of him recently. He still feels he’s got loads to prove and offer.

“I think he’s going to be a real good influence inside that changing room.

“The more professionals that you have like Gareth Bale in the changing room the better your team gets.

“At the minute, I’m not sure what’s going on with a couple of their players but it doesn’t seem like the harmony is there right now. A couple of transfers will freshen that changing room up and get people buzzing again.”

Spurs fans, are you ‘buzzing’ to see Bale make his debut along with potential more signings? Join the discussion by commenting below…

One thing Leeds United were crying out for this summer was depth at centre-back.

Liam Cooper was the only fit senior centre-half at one point, but after the arrivals of Robin Koch and Diego Llorente, it didn’t look as though the Whites would be caught short in that position.

However, just as Murphy’s law states, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, and United have somehow found themselves with a problem surrounding their amount of depth at centre-back.

Indeed, the international break has seen both Cooper and Llorente sidelined with problems, and it’s at times like these where Marcelo Bielsa must be rueing the day that Gaetano Berardi got injured.

Leeds were already promoted and Berardi tore his ACL in one of the final games of the season, sidelining him for nine months, and this was just before Leeds were reportedly set to give him a new contract.

If Berardi had been fit and available, Cooper and Llorente’s injuries wouldn’t have been such a big deal. Now, however, Leeds will have to either move Luke Ayling across to a position he isn’t fully comfortable with or look towards an inexperienced option like Oliver Casey or Pascal Struijk.

Nobody would have thought that Berardi’s injury would come back to bite Leeds like this, especially not after just four games of the season, but here we are. United have an injury crisis at centre-back, and Berardi’s ACL issue back in July is now looking extremely unfortunate.

Of course, there are plenty of question marks around whether or not Berardi would be up to the task of playing in the Premier League, but he has previously been described as a “loyal” player by his manager.

It will certainly be interesting to see how Marcelo Bielsa navigates his way around this problem, and more importantly, it will be intriguing to see whether or not Wolves can exploit it on Monday as they head to Elland Road in what is likely to be another blockbuster affair.

Fingers crossed, the Argentine has a solution in mind that can keep Raul Jimenez at bay.

Former England international centre-back Steve Howey has been sharing his thoughts on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, the recent injury he sustained against Everton and how the club will cope without him in the team for the foreseeable future.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, the 48-year-old had this to say on van Dijk and how the club can move on without him in the team.

He said: “You’ve got to look for [Joe] Gomez and the likes of [Joel] Matip and people like that to step up to the plate. You’re hearing calls now that possibly Jurgen Klopp might have to go into the transfer market to buy and replace him [Van Dijk]. Not that you can replace Virgil van Dijk, but these are the opportunities, this is what happens in football, this is what happens in life.

“Sometimes somebody’s misfortune is your chance to actually shine and grab your chance, so now it’s up to the likes of Gomez and Matip [to step up].

“It’ll be interesting to see how they cope because not only is Van Dijk a fantastic player, he marshalls that back four very well, he is a captain really so it’ll be interesting to see how they cope without him. I think Matip and Gomez are good players  but where would they go really if they get another injury in that position?”

The Dutchman was forced off the pitch in the early stages of Liverpool’s match against Everton after being on the receiving end of a bad tackle from Jordan Pickford, damaging his knee in the process.

Later, the official Liverpool club website revealed that Van Dijk will have to undergo knee surgery and then begin a “rehabilitation programme with the club’s medical team to enable him to reach full fitness as soon as possible.”

Before suffering this injury, Van Dijk was having a pretty underwhelming season for the Reds with WhoScored giving him a season rating of 6.45/10 for his performances in the five Premier League appearances he’s made.

Liverpool’s first game since Van Dijk picked up this injury saw them beat Dutch side Ajax 1-0 away from home in the Champions League.

Although, the club would undoubtedly want the Dutchman back fit and ready for action as soon as possible, this match against Ajax showed that they can perform well defensively and keep a clean sheet without him playing.