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According to Football Insider, Arsenal are preparing a bid for Hungary international Dominik Szoboszlai.

Indeed, according to the report, the Gunners have joined a host of elite European clubs vying for the £10.8million-rated (per Transfermarkt) player’s signature this summer.

Borussia Dortmund and Juventus are the main proprietors of interest, which gives you some indication of the level of potential he has shown. In fact, the RB Salzburg ace is commonly regarded as one of the best young talents in the world after impressing on the domestic and international stage in the last year, as per Goal.com’s reckoning, who ranked him in their ‘NxGn 2019 50 wonderkids in football’.

As it stands, Arsenal have a couple of top-class talents rising through the ranks of the club who can operate in a similar attacking midfield role as Szoboszlai. Both Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith-Rowe are highly regarded players in north London and have spent time on loan out in Germany, an arena rapidly building a reputation for developing English youngsters like Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho.

Right now, there’s every reason to believe that opportunities will be opening up in the first-team, considering Emery’s use of young players last season across the Europa League, as well as the departures of Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck in attacking areas.

Out with the old in with the new. Indeed, this is an ideal time for Arsenal to usher in fresh new talent; ones who are ready to stamp their authority and give their all for the badge.

Szoboszlai produced 11 goals and 10 assists in 29 appearances for Austrian giants Salzburg during the recently completed campaign. As far as we’re concerned, that suggests he’s ready for a step up. And Arsenal could, and should, be the ones to provide him that opportunity.

Arsenal fans, do you think signing for the future should be your priority? Let us know in the comments below…

This one may be tough for some Newcastle fans to come to terms with, but when the money on the table is that of £20 million, it’s hard to argue that Dwight Gayle should be kept. The Express are reporting that Scott Parker wants to sign the Newcastle man, and if the fee is as high as they state then the Magpies have to part with the 28-year-old.

There’s a sense of deja vu about this particular deal. Last summer Fulham parted with a similar fee of £22 million to prise Aleksandar Mitrovic from St James Park, via the BBC. This time, though, it should be a much easier decision for the Magpies. Mitrovic had goalscoring prowess in the top flight, Dwight Gayle does not.

In Gayle’s four full seasons in the Premier League in his career to date with Crystal Palace and Newcastle United, he’s managed just 21 goals in 99 games. In comparison, his Championship record is a much more impressive 59 strikes in 100 games, stats via Transfermarkt.

Whilst the Newcastle man might be after one more go in the top flight with the aim of finally cracking it and becoming a goalscoring regular at the top level, he just doesn’t warrant another attempt after flopping in the Premier League on four separate occasions.

That’s where this bid from Fulham comes in. Scott Parker is in danger of losing Aleksandar Mitrovic as The Daily Star reports that Real Betis are edging closer to securing the 24-year-old’s signature. The fee for the Serbian could be as high as £30 million and would almost certainly fund the Gayle move.

If Newcastle are coy they could potentially aim to make a little bit more out of Gayle in the knowledge that Parker’s Fulham are in the money, but when you’ve got a striker who hasn’t done a lot in the top tier, receiving a fee of £20 million would be massive, especially considering that money could then be reinvested back into the squad this summer.

Newcastle fans, would you be happy with £20m for Gayle? Comment below!

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According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, Leeds United are one of a number of clubs chasing the signature of Jordan Hugill.

It’s no secret that the Whites could do with a fresh look up top after their struggles in front of goal cost them dearly last season.

Indeed, the Yorkshire outfit had the worst conversion rate in the division last term, and something needs to change on that front.

The 6 ft striker spent last season out on loan at Middlesbrough where he wasn’t too effective, scoring just six times for the Riverside outfit.

He has previously been a handy player in the Championship having scored 12 goals in the 2016/17 season, and his good performances at Preston earned him a £10m move to West Ham.

If he can reproduce the form he showed prior to joining the London club he could be a good signing, but that is no doubt a risk considering his struggles in recent campaigns.

Football FanCast’s writers have had a go at delivering their verdicts on whether or not Leeds should really be targeting for the Hammers outcast…

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Matt Dawson

“Hugill has had a turbulent few years after signing for West Ham but a move to Leeds could be exactly what he needs to kick start his career after a promising loan spell with Middlesbrough. However, the concerning thing for me about Hugill is his lack of goals and whether he can actually benefit Leeds, considering finishing the amount of chances they made was the biggest failing of Marcelo Bielsa’s side last season.

“The Whites had three members of their squad that scored double figures, but none scored more than 15, whilst Bamford found the net on nine occasions (Whoscored). With that in mind, I don’t think they’d be any better off by signing Hugill, who has never scored more than 12 times in a single Championship campaign. If they are to achieve promotion, they need to sign a striker with a far better record in front of goal. This is a move that Leeds should forget about.” 

Harry Sherlock

“Hugill simply isn’t very good. He hasn’t made any sort of impact at West Ham United and he wasn’t overly impressive on loan at Middlesbrough. His time at Preston was a little more productive – 30 goals in 114 games – but one still has to wonder why on earth the Hammers signed him. Leeds United are a club that should be chasing promotion next season after their play-offs near miss last term and Hugill isn’t going to be the man to take them into the Premier League. His goal record stinks and for  West Ham looked desperately out of his depth. Leeds should avoid him like the plague.”

Ben Goodwin

“After Patrick Bamford mustered a measly nine Championship goals last term, the last thing Leeds need is another inconsistent striker. Only once in his career has Hugill scored double-digit league goals in a season, and the 27 year-old is actually getting worse not better – he scored two fewer goals last season than in 2017/18, despite playing ten more matches, meaning his tally has now decreased from the previous season in each of the last two campaigns (Whoscored). Leeds should be looking to sign hungry players determined to progress who can, ideally, really hit their stride in the next few years when the Whites are hopefully in the Premier League. Hugill’s career seems to be going in the opposite direction to that.”

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West Ham United fans love the fact that Marko Arnautovic has left the club.

The Hammers confirmed on Monday that the Austria international has completed a move to Shanghai SIPG after again requesting to depart the London Stadium.

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Football FanCast understands that he first asked for an offer to be accepted last week after Shanghai tabled a bid worth £19.7m.

The Hammers rejected that offer but opted to accept a second worth £22.5m over the weekend, with manager Manuel Pellegrini telling the club to sanction the sale, per FFC sources.

Indeed, FFC was told that the club were well aware of how poor the finances within the deal were – the Hammers rejected an offer worth £30m for Arnautovic in January – but that they were willing to take a hit in order to shift him off the wage bill.

And fans have applauded the club for taking such a stance, insisting that they did not want to keep such a disruptive influence in east London.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Darren Bent insists he was surprised by Tottenham Hotspur’s decision to loan young winger Jack Clarke back to Leeds United immediately after signing him, per Football Insider.

What’s he said?

Spurs have already secured two signings in this transfer window, with Tanguy Ndombele joining in a club-record deal on the same day as Clarke’s acquisition.

Reports state that Spurs paid around £10m to sign the winger from Leeds but he will not be a part of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad in the 2019/20 season.

Instead, he will continue to work under Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road, despite making just four starts in the Championship last season.

And Bent, who played for Spurs between 2007 and 2009, is surprised by the tactic.

He said: “I think it is a really exciting signing Jack Clarke, he really impressed me for Leeds, he was brilliant. I thought it was only a matter of time before somebody came and got him.

“He’s at the right club for him. I mean I’m slightly surprised that a club like Spurs – they got to the Champions League final without signing a single player – so it seems funny that they signed someone and sent him back to Leeds, it’s a bit of a crazy one.

Time will tell, I mean I’m all for that but maybe not in Spurs’ situation because Spurs need players. You saw how thin their squad was last season when they lost Harry Kane, Dele Alli was out for a little bit.

“They were thin, they were quite light so you’d think buying someone like a Jack Clarke, you’d want to get him ready now unless they’re planning on signing someone else.”

Nail on the head

Bent is completely right.

Spurs’ squad was stretched to its limit throughout the 2018/19 season, to the point where even Vincent Janssen was given three Premier League appearances due to an injury sustained by Kane.

Bringing Clarke in would have added some depth on the flanks and, while he may not have played all that often, he could have become a useful option off the bench.

As it is, Spurs have effectively only bought one player in this window – Ndombele – and he is a central midfielder.

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The load has not been lightened on the club’s attackers and keeping Clarke around could have done that.

As it is, he’s not likely to pull on a Spurs shirt until 2020; it feels out-of-keeping with the club’s usual approach when it comes to bedding in youngsters.

The likes of Oliver Skipp and Kyle Walker-Peters, for example, have all been kept around the first-team, and both have the ability to fill in when required.

Clarke could have done the same thing. Bent, then, isn’t the only one surprised.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Football Insider pundit Jackie McNamara thinks if Alan Hutton arrives at Rangers this summer, it’ll be to replace James Tavernier, not sit on the bench.

What’s he said?

The outlet previously reported on Wednesday that Rangers were weighing up a move for the 34-year-old full-back, who is available on a free transfer after leaving Aston Villa at the end of last season.

With Nottingham Forest, Wigan and Hull City also said to be in the chase, Hutton is apparently a wanted man.

Former Scotland international McNamara reckons that it makes sense for him to arrive at Ibrox if captain James Tavernier leaves the club, with Hutton unlikely to be happy warming the bench.

Check out some amazing tekkers in the video below…

As quoted by Football Insider, the 45-year-old said:

“I’m not sure what position (he’d play).

“They’ve obviously got Tavernier, who was probably their best player last year or one of the best.

“Unless he’s cover for him but I don’t see where he would fit in unless Tavernier was leaving.

“At this stage (of his career) he’ll want to play, is he going to fight it out for Tavernier’s spot? It will be interesting to see with that as well.”

Is Hutton a viable signing?

McNamara is right to suggest there is little room for Hutton at Ibrox if Tavernier is still around.

Matt Polster is already providing direct back-up to the attacking full-back, so the need for another right-back isn’t apparent.

If Tavernier leaves, with Villa said to be weighing up an offer last month, Hutton would surely only be a stop-gap option given his age, but could do a job until Rangers find a player who can excel in the position in the long-term.

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The former Villa man still has the ability to play at a solid level, making 34 appearances last season as Dean Smith’s side won promotion to the English Premier League.

With a playing history at Rangers behind him too, he knows all about the standards required to shine at Ibrox.

The past three seasons have been amongst the most successful in Celtic’s history as they have completed the treble-treble. The Bhoys will no doubt want to continue their incredible domination of Scottish football in the coming season, and they will be looking to bring in some new faces in their attempts to do so. Here, we look at five players the SPL champions could bring in before the window shuts on September 2nd…

First up is Brentford captain Romaine Sawyers. The 27-year-old has been linked with a move away from Griffin Park this summer, and Celtic have been mentioned as a potential destination. West Brom are also hoping to sign the midfielder and are even said to have had a bid rejected, so Neil Lennon and co do have competition. A recent report from Football Insider stating that the Glasgow-based club are preparing to give up the chase may pour cold water on the rumours, but there is plenty of time for a change of heart.

Celtic may already have a solid marksman in Odsonne Edouard, who scored 22 goals in all competitions for the Bhoys last season, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t in the market for another forward. Recent reports suggest that they have entered the race to sign Middlesbrough’s Britt Assombalonga. The 26-year-old netted on 16 occasions in the past campaign.

Kieran Tierney has been targeted heavily throughout the summer by Unai Emery’s Arsenal and could still leave Glasgow before the English transfer window closes on August 8th. Should he depart, Celtic could look to bring in Greg Taylor from Kilmarnock. The Scotland international has been linked with a move to Celtic Park, albeit along with Hull City and Rangers. The 21-year-old made 41 appearances for Killie last season as they qualified for the Europa League.

Another player who could be making a move to the Scottish champions is Rennes’ James Lea Siliki. RMC had previously reported that Celtic had made an approach for the 23-year-old midfielder. The France U19 international has so far made 73 appearances in the middle of the park for the Ligue 1 outfit, 34 of which came just last season.

A new midfielder seems to be likeliest arrival if this gallery is anything to go by, and to finish we have another one that could be on their way to the Scottish Premier League. According to Calcio Buzz (via The Daily Record), Celtic are close to a deal to sign former AC Milan player Andrea Bertolacci. The 28-year-old is currently without a club having recently left the Serie A outfit, and a confirmation of his arrival could come very soon.

Arsenal are said to be frontrunners to secure the signature of goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, according to an exclusive report from Read Arsenal.

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Thought to be valued at £2.5m, the report claims that Arsenal are on the lookout for a backup goalkeeper following Petr Cech’s retirement at the end of last season, and are eyeing up the Egyptian, who played at the 2018 World Cup, to replace him.

Meanwhile, David Ospina has also recently left the club, departing for Napoli after a successful loan spell in the previous campaign.

Those departures have left a clear run for Bernd Leno – who became Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper during Unai Emery’s first season in charge – to claim the No1 spot again at the Emirates Stadium.

To add further weight to that end, Leno was handed the No.1 jersey ahead of the 2019/20 season.

However, El Shenawy would not necessarily come straight in as prime backup for the German shot-stopper, with Emiliano Martinez still currently on the Gunners’ books – and recently revealed in an interview with Goal that he wants to fight for the chance to be Arsenal’s number-one goalie.

With that in mind, Arsenal may not require El Shenawy to beef up goalkeeping options at the club should Martinez – a Gunners player since 2010 – finally be given an opportunity to challenge for a sustained run in the first team.

And with the side reportedly low on funds, it may leave Emery best-placed to avert any finances to seal El Shenawy’s arrival towards other targets – despite the ‘keeper’s bargain-level fee.

Though with Arsenal’s financial resources limited, spending on a potentially third-choice goalkeeper could be wasted in the long run given Martinez’s desire to stick around for game time at the Emirates.

Indeed, Arsenal have seen goalkeeping departures during the off-season. However, the return of Martinez from his loan at Reading has arguably given the Gunners a ready-made replacement for Petr Cech – which could dispel the need to search for further alternatives in that position.

Martinez’s inclusion in pre-season could point towards plans to include him in the first-team picture when needed next year, and given he has stated he would be happy to stay if a chance to become first-choice at Arsenal is within reach, jeopardising that by spending money considering the club’s current financial situation may put doubts over the merits of this mooted move for El Shenawy.

Arsenals fans, Martinez or El Shenawy? Discuss below!

[ad_pod ]This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…Football.London’s Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold is excited about the prospect of the club signing Ryan Sessegnon this summer.

What’s he said?

The club are reportedly closing in on a £30m deal to sign the 19-year-old, with attacking midfielder Josh Onomah likely to go the other way in part-exchange.

Confirmation of the deal would bring to an end a long-running summer saga, with Mauricio Pochettino finally landing one of his top targets.

And Gold, who covers Spurs every single week, is excited by the prospect of seeing the teenager develop in north London.

He tweeted: “For me, Ryan Sessegnon under Pochettino’s tutelage is one of the most exciting match-ups of the summer.

“Sure he didn’t destroy the Premier League in a struggling team but 2 goals & 6 assists for a then 18-year-old who wasn’t starting every game isn’t too shabby. So much potential.â€

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Nail on the head

Sessegnon could blossom under the tutelage of Pochettino.

Look at the likes of Harry Winks, Dele Alli and Juan Foyth; they have all become first-team stars under the management of the Argentine.

Sessegnon stuck out like a sore thumb in a very poor Fulham team last season and he could become one of the finest wing-backs in the league if he is given the right opportunities and the right management.

There can be no better coach for him than Pochettino and, while £30m may be steep, it is an investment in the future.

He can grow in north London; Gold has hit the nail on the head.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

As quoted by Sky Sports, Tottenham star Harry Kane has insisted the north London side have “full belief” they can sustain a Premier League title challenge this season.

What did he say?

Mauricio Pochettino’s side were in the mix for a potential title fight for a long time last term, before Manchester City and Liverpool hit another gear and made it a two-horse race by the end.

Now, Kane is adamant that Spurs have got the confidence in themselves to push last season’s top two right to the very end.

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He said: “We kept up with them for a while last year but they blew ahead after January. We have to make sure we get off to a good start. Liverpool set the standard on Friday night and City before us, so it’s important that we stay in touch as long as we can.

“We have full belief that we can go all the way but there’s a long road ahead and we’ve got to be fully focused.”

Actions speak louder than words

Catching City and Liverpool is easier said than done. The duo were in a league of their own last season, but out of all the other sides in the top six, Spurs were undoubtedly the closest.

Pochettino’s impressive summer additions of Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso will add some much-needed creativity and spark to the side. Indeed, even with question marks surrounding the long-term future of Christian Eriksen, Spurs look well-stocked in midfield.

The one big concern will be whether Kane can stay fit for an entire season. The England international has had some troubles with ankle injuries in recent years, but if he can maintain his health, then there is no reason for Spurs to not target a title challenge for this campaign. A positive result against Pep Guardiola’s side on Saturday will certainly give them even more belief that they can.

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