All posts by z3u9t.icu

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According to reports from Football Insider, Tottenham are ready to offer Jack Clarke an ‘enormous pay hike’ in order to convince him to join the club.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side’s pursuit of the winger is quickly becoming one of the transfer sagas of the summer after weeks of speculation, but the move may be heading towards completion as Spurs reportedly promised him a lucrative package if he joins the club.

What’s the story then?

The article also states that the 18-year-old will receive a five-year contract with a massive pay rise, major bonuses and a signing-on fee if he chooses to swap Elland Road for north London.

This latest development may tempt Leeds into offering Clarke better terms on his current deal, but that would be one of the worst things they could do.

Don’t try to keep him

Although last month I wrote an article stating that Leeds should try to keep their young star, these latest developments mean that it would make more sense to let him go. There has been speculation that Leeds are operating on a sell before they buy policy, and with Spurs offering the wide man such big wages they should allow him to leave.

Due to the fact they’ve been outside the top-flight for 15 years now, Leeds can’t compete with the wages on offer in the Premier League, and in this case, they shouldn’t even bother trying.

Shelling out big money for Clarke is a risk due to the fact he has only played 814 minutes of league football in his entire career. Spurs would be paying for his potential, and the danger is that he may never reach the heights that are expected of him.

The Champions League finalists can afford to take this risk, whereas Leeds certainly can’t, and they shouldn’t attempt to offer Clarke a bumper contract to make him stay.

In keeping with their reported transfer model, they would be better off cashing in on him and using the funds they get to bring in Helder Costa on loan.

Costa’s performances and statistics in the Championship show that he is a more useful player than Clarke at this moment in time.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Of course, letting him go may backfire if the 18-year-old becomes a top player in the future, but with Leeds’ current financial situation and aspirations of promotion, it isn’t a risk worth taking.

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According to French media outlet L’Equipe, Arsenal will face competition from north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur this summer for the signature of William Saliba.

The report claims that the coveted teenager prefers a move to Arsenal, and any deal would see him immediately return to Saint-Etienne on loan for another season.

To some onlookers that may seem like an odd clause to include in any potential deal given the Gunners’ defensive problems and the fact Saliba’s estimated value falls in the region between €25 and €30m.

However, there are two major reasons why a season long loan deal could be beneficial…

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A full season of first-team football

Although Saliba’s imminent arrival is likely to generate excitement at Arsenal, it’s easy to overlook the teenager’s glaring inexperience. The 18-year-old only played 16 Ligue 1 games last campaign, and after his glowing introduction to first-team football, you would expect Saint-Etienne to utilise Saliba on a regular basis if he does indeed return to the French club.

The step up from the French top flight to Premier League football has proven to be a bridge too far for a handful of players in the past – take Newcastle United flop Florian Thauvin, for example – and without adequate experience there’s no question Saliba could struggle to make a smooth transition.

With a full season at the heart of Saint-Etienne’s defence, Saliba would return to Arsenal with a more complete set of technical, physical and mental attributes, and that in turn should put him in a strong position to challenge for a starting berth.

Arsenal have two returning loanees to call upon

With Saliba away on loan at Saint-Etienne, two returning players, namely Callum Chambers and Krystian Bielik, would help to bolster the strength in depth in Arsenal’s defensive unit.

The duo both enjoyed extremely successful loan spells away from the Emirates last season, with Chambers winning Fulham’s Player of the Season award and Bielik claiming the Man of the Match award in Charlton’s play-off final win to see the Addicks return to the Championship.

Both players have made strong cases to be handed first-team opportunities next season and their collective presence should ensure that Emery has enough depth to justify sending Saliba back to France.

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Having joined the club from Nice in 2014, David Ospina’s career at Arsenal has been wildly inconsistent. 70 appearances, the man in between the sticks for the 2017 FA Cup final win, but never really the side’s number one.

The Colombian shot-stopper spent his last couple of seasons at the Emirates behind Petr Cech in the pecking order, and following the arrival of Bernd Leno last summer, found himself out on loan at Napoli.

Now, the Gunners have confirmed that Ospina has completed a permanent move to the Serie A giants. After hearing the news, fans of the north London side took to Twitter and many were left frustrated at the amount of money they would be receiving for the 30-year-old.

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Reports had suggested Unai Emery’s side would be receiving just £3.6m for the Colombian and many supporters questioned how it was possible that an international goalkeeper could command such a small fee.

Indeed, a few fans expressed their anger at how Ospina’s sale would have a limited effect on the club’s overall transfer budget and wondered how it would help with their pursuits of targets like Wilfried Zaha and Kieran Tierney.

Check out some of the disappointed reaction of Arsenal fans below:

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Sheyi Ojo has been left impressed by the passion of the Rangers support and in turn they’ve let him know the best is yet to come.

Ojo made his debut for the club on Tuesday night in Gibraltar, playing all 90 minutes of the match against St Joseph’s in the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round.

Getting himself on the scoresheet in a 4-0 win, the on-loan winger got his first taste of playing in front of Rangers fans, with many making the trip to watch their team.

Check out some amazing tekkers in the video below…

He loved that experience, claiming that Rangers could have the best fans in the world.

However, compared to the 50,000 capacity of Ibrox, the Liverpool man has barely experienced what the Gers support can offer in Glasgow and he can look forward to crowds of that size for most home games this season.

If he can continue to bang in the goals then his relationship with supporters will only improve.

These fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his comments…

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Lots of Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to mock Everton’s reported interest in Lille forward Nicolas Pepe, who is rated at £58.5m – the same report also states that they are interested in David Neres, Malcom and Bertrand Traore.

The Ivory Coast international is hot property right now after hitting 22 Ligue 1 goals last term for Lille, helping them finish second and earn a place in the Champions League as a result – only Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe scored more with 33.

“It reminds me of a bus seat!” – Watch a damning verdict on Chelsea’s new kit in the video below…

That form has led to heavyweights such as Inter Milan, PSG and the European champions Liverpool being interested in his services.

Perhaps that is why the Liverpool fans on Twitter have found their Merseyside rivals’ interest in Pepe as a source of humour. Realistically, why would he leave to join Everton when he could play Champions League football with his current side or any of the aforementioned clubs interested?

It would certainly be a real statement of intent from the Toffees if they signed Pepe or any one of the other names mentioned, no matter how unlikely it may be.

Let’s see what the Liverpool fans on Twitter think of their rivals’ interest in the 24-year-old and their other ambitious transfer targets…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Celtic assistant manager John Kennedy has insisted that Liam Morrison isn’t for sale amid interest from Bayern Munich, according to The Scottish Sun.

What’s the story?

Morrison is one of the brightest talents in Celtic’s academy, evidenced by his links to the Bundesliga champions. Kennedy has moved quickly to squash claims that the 16-year-old has agreed terms with Bayern though, as some reports had suggested earlier.

The 16-year-old impressed as part of the Celtic squad that flew to Austria for pre-season this summer, and The Scottish Sun report claims he has already rejected a professional contract earlier this year.

With Celtic still in the market for players, particularly defenders after many of last season’s squad departed, there could be a chance for the centre-back to get game time this season, despite his inexperience.

His short-term future could have a knock-on effect at the club too, particularly with the likes of Ewan Henderson and Karamoko Dembele on the precipice of the the first-team at a similar age.

The ramifications of Morrison going

Morrison going to Bayern Munich would give fellow academy graduates Dembele and Henderson something to think about. The duo are thought of in similar standing to the young centre back and would likely have no shortage of suitors due to their age.

Dembele in particular has been courted by Barcelona in the past and massive things are expected of the tricky winger long-term, but at 16 years old and 5 foot 3 he will likely see his first-team opportunities limited this season.

There isn’t quite as much expectation on Henderson, but the 19-year-old featured five times for Neil Lennon’s first team last season, and drew loads of praise from fans in a recent pre-season clash.

The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…

The likes of James Forrest and Callum McGregor have shown exactly why the Bhoys regularly look to their academy for players who will become consistent first-team stars, but if Morrison is lured away to Munich then it could have huge knock-on effects.

The likes of Dembele and Henderson will be looking at English players who have already impressed in Germany, like Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson or England starlet Jadon Sancho, and they may well fancy their chances to follow suit if Morrison goes.

Given the regular presence of youth products in the first-team, fans better hope Kennedy is correct and the defender does not leave, or the implications could be massive.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Italian publication Tuttosport, Juventus forward Paulo Dybala would not turn down the opportunity to join Manchester United if he were to leave Turin this summer.

What’s the word?

The Argentina international endured a rather frustrating campaign in Italy last season, playing second fiddle to the arrival of former Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Now, the report claims that Dybala is deemed to be surplus to requirements at Juventus and is now seriously considering whether to leave the Serie A champions this summer.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It adds that the Argentine would not reject a move to either United or French giants PSG.

Escaping Ronaldo’s shadows

Prior to Ronaldo’s arrival last summer, Dybala was regarded as the top dog at Juventus. The 25-year-old, valued at £76.5m by Transfermarkt, was both a goalscorer and creator, and was made to be the heart of the Italian side’s attack under Massimiliano Allegri.

However, as Allegri quite understandably opted to go with Ronaldo as his star man, Dybala’s influence waned dramatically, and in the 42 appearances he made last season, he registered just 10 goals and five assists; a far cry from the 26 strikes and seven lay-offs he had the previous campaign.

At Manchester United, Dybala could seamlessly fit into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side as the number ten in a 4-2-3-1 formation. The Argentine would bring some much-needed goals and creativity from behind the striker and ease the burden on the likes of Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard to score for the side.

Indeed, Dybala’s profile would also feel like the club had made a ‘blockbuster’ signing and that feel-good factor could propel them back to where they belong. Escaping Ronaldo’s shadows at Juventus to potentially create a new legacy at one of the Portuguese ace’s former clubs would feel like the start of a fresh beginning for Dybala.

It might not be an official trophy, but Mauricio Pochettino has finally proven he can win silverware for Tottenham.

Spurs were crowned Audi Cup champions after beating Bayern Munich in the final on penalties 6-5 after playing to a 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena.

Goals from Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen put the north London side 2-0 up, but Bayern were able to level the game with strikes from teenagers Jann-Fiete Arp and Alphonso Davies.

Paulo Gazzaniga ended up being the hero on the night as the Argentine keeper made two saves in the penalty shoot-out to see Spurs end their pre-season with a win against one of Europe’s elite and a piece of silverware.

Of course, the result was a pleasing one for Tottenham fans, and many of them took to social media to react to the penalty shoot-out win over Bayern.

Here is what some fans had to say on Twitter…

Spurs made it to the final by beating Real Madrid 1-0 a day earlier.

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Eros Grezda looks like he’s on the verge of ending his Rangers spell and the fans are delighted with the news.

The Albanian winger’s agent, Ives Cakarun, has admitted that his client is close to agreeing a move away from Ibrox to France, per BBC Sport.

The wide-man has been a massive flop since arriving from Croatian outfit Osijek in a £2m deal last summer.

The Albania international has not started for Steven Gerrard’s side since December and not featured at all for the first-team since April.

The 24-year-old has been reduced to appearances for the Gers reserve side, starting in the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Cup against Berwick Rangers on Tuesday night.

The Ibrox faithful don’t seem too sad to see the back of the wide-man. They’ve watched him arrive as an expensive star and turn into little more than a bit-part squad player, so it’s perhaps little surprise.

Here’s what some of the fans had to say about Grezda’s imminent departure on Twitter…

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Loads of Crystal Palace fans on Twitter have urged their club to sign free-agent Daniel Sturridge following their deadline day disappointment.

Coming into Thursday it looked as though the Eagles could sign a right-back and a striker to complete their summer business, with Kyle Walker-Peters, Fedor Chalov and Jean-Kevin Augustin among those heavily linked with a move to Selhurst Park.

However, manager Roy Hodgson confirmed 90 minutes prior to the window slamming shut that there would be no more incomings, and that Wilfried Zaha would be staying after he handed in a transfer request earlier this week.

The news left many Eagles supporters fuming – with some taking personal aim at sporting director Dougie Freedman and owner Steve Parish – as they now have Joel Ward and Martin Kelly fighting for the right-back spot, and Christian Benteke and Connor Wickham as their only out-and-out centre-forward options.

While Palace can no longer sign any players on loan or permanently until January, they can still bring in those who are currently unattached, including former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge.

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That is the name on the lips of many of the Selhurst Park faithful on Twitter as you can see below, and why not seeing as he has 77 Premier League goals in 218 top flight appearances to his name.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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