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According to the latest reports from the Portuguese outlet A Bola, Arsenal are pushing for the transfer of Sporting Lisbon’s 17-year-old sensation, Joelson Fernandes.

The youngster also has a release clause that’s apparently worth €45m (£41m) and the Gunners would activate that to bring him to the Emirates soon.

In fact, the same report states that Arsenal’s top brass will fly over to Portugal between Monday and Tuesday in order to close out the deal. And precisely because of that, Fernandes has been excluded from the squad for the derby against Benfica. If all of that adds up, it seems that Mikel Arteta could be getting a brand new wonderkind sooner rather than later to go along other potential acquisitions in the summer.

Fernandes has scored five goals in 28 games during his breakout season and since he shares a similar path through Sporting’s academy to his fellow countryman Cristiano Ronaldo, he has already been dubbed the ‘new Ronaldo’ by the media. Of course, such a comparison is surely flattering but it also puts a lot of pressure on his young shoulders.

Speaking about the comparisons and the transfer, he said, as quoted by Express: “It is true that being compared to these players puts a little extra pressure on me. I try to follow their example and play the best I can in each game. I did not look at that alleged interest very much, I am happy where I am and fighting to achieve my dream, which is to play for Sporting’s first team”

Either way, it seems he won’t be at Sporting for much longer and could instead don the Gunners’ colours in the near future.

Verdict

A Bola mention that Sporting were initially asking for a sum around €100m (£90.4m) and then €80m (£72.3m), suggesting they truly value the 17-year-old a lot.  However, with the release clause, Arsenal could very well get a huge discount and still land one of the players of tomorrow.

He may be extremely young but if groomed properly, something Arteta should definitely be able to do, the Gunners could be looking at a huge, huge prospect for the squad in the near future.

The expected takeover of Newcastle United recently fell through after the investors withdrew their offer.

It was an extremely disappointing day for Toon fans as the exciting prospect of a lucrative £300million takeover collapsed after months of high interest. Indeed, supporters are demanding answers from the Premier League after it was revealed that the league board took too long to sign off on the takeover, leading to the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) growing tired of waiting (via BBC Sport).

Darren Bent has voiced his opinion on the situation and has placed the blame solely on the Premier League. He feels the officials ‘were unwilling to make a decision’ and as a result, the investors ended their interest.

“I felt they dragged it, dragged it, dragged it out and in the end, obviously, it was those guys that pulled out, said it was taking too long and pulled out the deal,” Bent told Football Insider. “I would have liked to see the Premier League make a decision.”

The proposed change of hands would have seen Mike Ashley end his ownership of the club and start a new era on Tyneside. Instead, Newcastle fans are now forced to wait even longer for their side to be re-established.

“They’ve [Premier League] still not even made a decision and it is really disappointing,” the former striker continued. “It’s massive, humungous and the Premier League have to take some of the blame here because they dragged their feet, didn’t make a decision and they’ve been forced into this.”

A Saudi takeover could still happen if the Premier League comply, but both parties must be on the same page moving forwards or a deal will simply not be on the cards.

Do you think a deal with Amanda Staveley and Co could still go ahead? Join the discussion in the comments below…

Key information about Plainmoor

Plainmoor was opened in 1921 and now houses National League’s Torquay United FC. The ground is located in the Plainmoor suburb of Torquay in Devon and was previously also the home of Truro City.

Its current maximum capacity stands at 6,500 – with 2,950 seated places – and with a pitch that measures 112 by 74 yards. The surface is covered with grass and there is no running track surrounding it.

The record attendance at Plainmoor was set on 29 January 1955 when 21,908 people watched the hosts clash with Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup fourth round.

A history of Plainmoor

Even though it was in 1921 when Torquay United FC first moved into Plainmoor, the pitch had already been in use in the 19th century and more often than not, by rugby teams. Officially, the ground was the home of Torquay Athletic Rugby Football Club and in 1904, a football side Ellacombe settled into the stadium once the rugby team was gone to, interestingly, secure a lease at Torquay United’s Recreation Ground instead, leaving them without a place to stay.

But Torquay United would then merge with Ellacombe to form Torquay Town, which then subsequently merged with Babbacombe to once again become Torquay United in 1921. That team would then become the sole residents of Plainmoor that same year. Of course, there wasn’t much of the stadium to speak of back then.

All it had were wooden structures that were not exactly impressive nor sturdy. That much was evident when the roof of the main stand was blown off in 1930, prompting the club to start the redevelopment. But even with that being said, the following years were slow in terms of improvements despite the popularity of the club being on the rise.

So much so that, for a while, it really did seem like Torquay United had outgrown their own home as they reached the peak of attendance in 1955 when 21,908 fans watched the hosts’ game with Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup fourth round. That was also the year when they installed floodlights, becoming one of the first lower division clubs to do so.

In the early 1980s, with the arrival of David Webb, Plainmoor finally got some refurbishment with some changes to the terracing. But then, disaster struck as the old grandstand was destroyed by fire in 1985. Luckily, no one was injured but that incident did decrease the ground’s capacity by 5,000. Surprisingly, not even that would prompt big changes and Plainmoor had to wait until the 1990s for that.

The all-seating Family Stand was added instead of the Mini Stand, while that same old mini-stand replaced the Cowshed and the new Sparkworld Stand was also erected for the away fans for the 2000/01 campaign.

In 2011, they also demolished the main stand, replacing it in 2012 with one that filled the complete length of the pitch and in December 2012, a big screen was also added. There was some talk of a potential relocation for the club but nothing has been officially confirmed just yet.

Tickets to watch Torquay United at Plainmoor

All tickets to watch Torquay United play at Plainmoor can be found on the club’s official website. An adult ticket can be bought for £17 and it’s important to note that Bristow’s Bench and Family Stand have designated seat numbers, meaning that you may be asked to move if you sit in another seat.

The club also offers a season ticket scheme and more information can be found on the aforementioned website.

Related links

https://torquayunited.com/ – Official website of Torquay United

Key information about Proact Stadium

Proact Stadium was opened in 2010 and is now the home of Chesterfield FC who play their football in the National League. The ground is located in Whittington Moor on the site of the former Dema Glassworks and interestingly, also houses Sheffield United U23s and Sheffield United Women’s team.

Its current capacity stands at 10,504 with a pitch that measures 112 by 74 yards. The surface is covered with natural grass and there is no running track surrounding it.

The record attendance of 10,089 at Proact Stadium was set during the clash between Chesterfield and Rotherham back in 2011.

A history of Proact Stadium

Chesterfield FC moved to Proact Stadium back in 2010 following around 130 years spent at their old ground, the Recreation Ground at Saltergate. Needless to say, that stadium was actually one of the oldest around and was, by that time, falling into disrepair and the club needed a change.

The first plans to move to a different stadium were actually drawn up as early as October 2004 and an agreement between the club and the local authorities was done in the following year. Still, even with all of those things out of the way quite early, complications ensued and it wouldn’t be until 2008 that they would actually get the planning permission and in 2009, the land was handed over to Chesterfield to finally start building.

The official construction began in February 2009 and it would take them about a year to finish and open it for business in 2010. 24 July was the date Chesterfield played their first game at their new home, hosting Derby County in a pre-season friendly clash. The first competitive clash, however, followed suit about three weeks later when Barnet came to town.

If reports are to be believed, the approximate cost of the erection of Proact Stadium was around £13m and it is comprised of four different stands which give it a maximum capacity of 10,500. Still, if Chesterfield need more room in case too many fans flock into the ground, the corners can also be filled in to further boost that figure to 13,000.

Interestingly enough, various sponsorship deals have resulted in Proact Stadium changing names on multiple different occasions. In 2009, when it was still in the process of being erected, the ground was actually called the b2net Stadium. But that wouldn’t last and two seasons later, following the acquisition of b2net by Swedish company Proact, the name changed once again, this time to Proact Stadium, which was officially announced on 13 August 2012.

As of August 2020, however, the name will change from Proact Stadium to Technique Stadium due to the latest sponsorship deal struck by the club.

Away from the footballing facilities and on the exterior of the East Stand is a £1.7m community facility commonly known just as the HUB. And this is where the rest of the stadium’s features are located with a cafe, ‘Chester’s Den’, a martial arts dojo, a play centre, a gym, a therapy pool, a multi-use sports hall, classrooms as well as the offices of the Trust and other tenants.

Apart from Chesterfield, Proact Stadium is also used by Sheffield United U23s and Sheffield United Women’s team.

Tickets to watch Chesterfield FC at Proact Stadium

All tickets to watch Chesterfield FC play at Proact Stadium can be found on the club’s official website. The price depends on the age group of the buyer as well as the stand chosen with the cost ranging between £18 and £22 for an adult ticket.

Of course, the club also offers a season ticket scheme which can give fans a discount over the course of the season.

Related links

https://www.chesterfield-fc.co.uk/ – Official website of Chesterfield FC

Tottenham Hotspur appear to have been handed a major opportunity to put an end one of their biggest ongoing issues this week…

What’s the word?

According to the Express, Spurs are expected to make a move for Napoli striker Arkadiusz Milik to provide much-needed competition to Harry Kane.

They claim that the north Londoners have been monitoring the 26-year-old all summer and now that interest from Serie A duo Juventus and Roma has fallen through, the door has been opened for Daniel Levy to pounce.

Napoli value Milik at £26m and it is thought that he’d be open to a move to the Premier League this summer.

Llorente 2.0

Spurs have been crying out for a backup centre-forward for the best part of a year and now they may have finally found their man – albeit at a premium price.

Levy failed to replace Fernando Llorente last summer and once again during the January transfer window, leaving Jose Mourinho with a selection nightmare after Kane picked up a long-term injury at the start of the year.

It’s time for him to make amends for that and swoop for Milik.

The Polish international enjoyed another goal-laden campaign despite only starting 21 matches. He bagged 14 times whilst averaging 2.5 shots and 1.5 aerials won, via WhoScored.

His imposing 6 foot 1 frame draws some similarities to the Spanish veteran and that’s merely reinforced by his comparisons to fellow compatriot, the Champions League winning Robert Lewandowski.

Whilst he’s even been likened to arch-rival Dennis Bergkamp following a 4-1 devouring of Roma back in March 2019. During that match, Milik tore apart former Spurs centre-back Federico Fazio – the 33-year-old picked up a low 6.4 rating by SofaScore and was well beaten for the Pole’s strike.

Carlo Ancelotti, his old boss at Napoli, has previously described the prolific talisman as “sensational” whilst his successor Gennaro Gattuso believes there aren’t many players in the game stronger than Milik.

Kane needs a number two and the 26-year-old appears to be the perfect foil to either partner him or to use as a plan B, Levy must actually get this deal done – even for £26m.

AND in other news, Spurs must win transfer tussle to sign £27m trophy winner…

A number of West Ham fans have been reacting to a claim made by former Irons defender Don Hutchison regarding Bayern Munich’s Michael Cuisance.

The 21-year-old midfielder is reportedly closing in on an £18m move to Leeds, as per the Daily Mail, having been part of the Bundesliga side’s Champions League-winning squad earlier this year.

Hutchison took to Twitter (via @donhutch4) to claim that he had recommended the French youngster to West Ham three years ago when he was a teenager at Borussia Monchengladbach.

Indeed, the ex-Hammers defender also brought that up at the time of Cuisance’s move to Bayern last year, saying that the youngster has a “wand of a left foot” and “fantastic vision” as well as being a “great athlete”.

While the 21-year-old, who already has a rich CV, could soon be on his way to Leeds, West Ham are left searching for their first new arrival of the transfer window with less than a week remaining, amid massive discontent from many supporters towards the club’s owners.

These Irons fans on Twitter feel that the club should make more use of Hutchison’s eye for a player by offering him a formal role at London Stadium:

West Ham fans, how sickened would you be if Cuisance goes to Leeds? Have your say by commenting below!

Castaway Liverpool winger Harry Wilson looks set for yet another loan stint as Jurgen Klopp looks to offload him to a Championship side before the transfer window closes (via Evening Standard).

The Merseyside outfit was reportedly looking to offload the Wales international permanently, but clearly the manager has had a change of heart. Or perhaps Michael Edwards is looking to get the best deal possible by placing Wilson in the shop window for one last time.

Potential plan from Edwards

Liverpool’s deal savvy sporting director recently revealed he was hoping to bring in a handsome £50million by offloading Wilson, Marko Grujic and Rhian Brewster (via Goal.com). The latter has secured a permanent move to Sheffield United, but the other two fringe Reds will both be heading out on loan once again.

For Wilson, Edwards may be hoping to advertise his skills in hopes of a big money sale next year. Given the current financial climate, Championship sides may not be able to justify splashing the cash on him full-time. But given his impressive loan records so far, it could twist the arm of some interested clubs.

The 23-year-old spent the 2018/19 season with Derby County, where he established himself as a notorious free-kick taker. Wilson scored a total of 18 goals for the Rams, which 15 coming from their league run. His following loan move was slightly quieter but still impressive, netting seven times for Bournemouth last term (via Transfermarkt).

Wilson has proved he can perform at the highest level and that will be appealing to other clubs. If the Welshman has another strong season in the Championship this season, he will bring in a pretty penny this time next year.

In other news, New proposed FSG investment will take Liverpool to the next level…

Nottingham Forest were far from convincing as they got their first win of the season against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.

The Reds were bailed out by a last-minute winner via a deflected Joe Lolley shot, but three points are three points and Chris Hughton now has a platform to build upon.

Despite the East Midlands outfit not being at their very best against the Lancastrians there were a few impressive performances to rave about, and one man who was simply fantastic was Harry Arter.

The Irishman may have come off due to an injury after 49 minutes, but he was arguably the best player on the pitch for that period.

The former Bournemouth man was everywhere on Saturday, he made four tackles, a higher tally than any other player despite playing just 49 minutes, while two interceptions and one blocked shot made sure that Forest weren’t conceding a goal while he was on the pitch.

Going forward he didn’t do all that much, completing just one dribble, but he added some much-needed steel into a midfield that has been lacking in the opening weeks of the season.

Samba Sow was the man Forest looked towards for that type of performance last season as he averaged 3.4 tackles per game alongside 1.4 interceptions, but with the Malian consistently struggling with injury, Forest needed a replacement, and they look to have found that in Arter.

This is exactly what Forest expected from Arter when he joined this summer, Eddie Howe’s comments on him back in 2018 are certainly worth looking back on after this incredible midfield display.

“He’s a fighter, a winner and someone with incredible spirit and determination to go again,” Howe said.

That’s exactly the profile of player Forest need if they are to get into the playoff picture this season, and everyone at the City Ground has to pray that his injury isn’t too bad as he should now be the first name on Hughton’s teamsheet going forward.

Celtic have suffered another cruel blow ahead of this weekend’s top-of-the-table Old Firm clash at Parkhead.

Hoops centre-back Hatem Abd Elhamed has been ruled out after testing positive for Covid-19 and will now be forced to self-isolate for the next two weeks.

The Israeli defender reported feeling unwell after playing in their 2-1 defeat against the Czech Republic on Sunday afternoon, just three days after he played against Scotland in a Euro 2020 qualifier, in which they lost on penalties.

Both Bhoys midfielder Callum McGregor and Gers maestro Ryan Jack started for Steve Clarke’s Tartan Army too. They then went onto beat Slovakia 1-0 thanks to a resolute showing from Declan Gallagher on Sunday.

Elhamed joins fellow international teammate Nir Bitton in missing the crucial derby match, adding to Neil Lennon’s nightmare as star playmaker Ryan Christie is also out too.

Even though he hasn’t tested positive for the virus, he has to self-isolate due to his close contact with former Celtic star Stuart Armstrong.

It doesn’t end there though as there will be serious doubts over leading talisman Odsonne Edouard, who will return to training just one day before the match, putting his fitness and wellbeing into question.

That is a total of four first-team players that Lennon could be without as they face Rangers, who sit above them in the table on Saturday.

Elhamed and Bitton are two defensive options, meaning he could be forced into starting Christopher Jullien, which may be a gamble seeing as he’s only just returned from injury.

Likewise in the attack, it’ll have to be Albian Ajeti, who has also been on the treatment table recently, paired with a rarely-seen Leigh Griffiths or a winger like Moi Elyounoussi playing out of position once again.

This is far from ideal when the Hoops are playing chase in the title race already, such injuries and set-backs could well put their unbeaten start in jeopardy – all against their only true challenger too.

Lennon will be glad to see the back of this international break, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Celtic can’t repeat their Stuart Armstrong-like mistake with £10m STAR…

After easing to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Dundalk in the Europa League on Thursday night, Arsenal return to Premier League action when they renew their rivalry with Manchester United.

The Gunners are in the midst of a difficult patch in the top-flight, falling to defeats to the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Leicester in a short few weeks, leaving them stumbling.

And with United seemingly flying at the moment after a couple of huge Champions League victories, including over PSG and RB Leipzig, things look ominous for Mikel Arteta’s side when they travel to Old Trafford on Sunday.

Below is a look at the line-up Arteta may put out as he seeks for a momentum-boosting win in the Premier League.

After dropping out for summer signing Runar Runarsson in midweek, Bernd Leno will surely reclaim his number one spot in between the sticks.

In front of the German, the Arsenal boss may revert back to a five-man defence in order to give his team more security, and having rested a few of his key first-team stars on Thursday, will surely all return at the weekend.

That could see Kieran Tierney, Gabriel, Hector Bellerin and Bukayo Saka come in, with Shkodran Mustafi keeping his place from the game against Dundalk.

With Granit Xhaka surprisingly named as a starter in the clash against the Irish high-flyers, the Swiss star may be the man to drop out against United, with Thomas Partey and Dani Ceballos holding down the midfield.

And further forward, Arteta could make the huge call of giving Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the nod up front, with a returning Willian and Nicolas Pepe flanking him on either side.

Predicted XI: Leno; Bellerin, Mustafi, Gabriel, Tierney, Saka; Partey, Ceballos; Pepe, Aubameyang, Willian.