All posts by z3u9t.icu

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According to SPORT, Liverpool are eyeing up a move for Real Betis left-back Junior Firpo as they attempt to find a replacement for the outgoing Alberto Moreno.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Champions of Europe decided not to extend Moreno’s contract and the Spanish international will be leaving Anfield when his contract expires at the end of the month.

As a result, Liverpool should probably find a back-up to Andy Robertson as they have no senior player in that position behind the Scottish international.

Firpo impressed in La Liga last season, making 24 appearances in Spain’s top flight whilst recording an impressive three goals and four assists – he can also play on the left of midfield, where his attacking qualities come in handy.

You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…

The Spain Under-21 international has a €50m (£44.6m) release clause and is under contract at Betis until 2023 – the club have demanded that any interested party must pay his full buyout fee.

Barcelona are also said to be keeping tabs on the 6 ft full-back.

Liverpool would be crazy to pay that

Liverpool would be absolute fools to pay that much for a second choice left-back.

Andy Robertson is arguably the best left-back in Europe right now having just recorded 13 assists last term on the way to winning the Champions League, and is also an ever-present in the side – one would assume that 22-year-old Firpo would barely feature if he signed.

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The Reds also proved that it is possible to get a quality left-back for a minimal fee when they signed Robertson for just £10m two summers ago – in that respect, paying over four times that figure for Firpo would be downright crazy.

Robertson suffered just one injury last term ruling him out for 12 days, but it didn’t result in him missing a game – as aforesaid, Firpo would presumably only play in cup matches as the former Hull man rarely gives Jurgen Klopp an excuse to drop him.

This would be a monumental waste of money from the Merseysiders.

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According to The Sun, Crystal Palace are the subject of a potential takeover bid from four groups which include former Manchester City owner and Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

What’s the deal, then?

Steve Parish has owned The Eagles since 2010 after he and his group ‘CPFC 2010’ saved them from liquidation.

The opportunity for a takeover arose after American’s Josh Harris and David Blitzer decided to sell their shares in the club.

But it will be difficult for Shinawatra to be able to get the takeover done given his past conviction for corruption back in 2008.

However, if the deal is to go through, the new owners would be taking on a £350million project which involves a £100m renovation of Selhurst Park and £30m towards the academy set-up.

Watch Crystal Palace Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

No shortage of strikers but a shortage of goals

Fresh new owners who back Roy Hodgson in the transfer window could put an end to their torrid times without a prolific goalscorer.

The London side’s top marksman in the Premier League last season was Luka Milivojevic with 12 goals.

Michy Batshuayi was Palace’s highest-scoring striker with just six goals, while Christian Benteke struggled again as he netted a solitary one.

The club also had Connor Wickham on their books, however the former Sunderland man featured very little, making just six appearances and failing to score a single goal.

If Palace sell Wan Bissaka and Zaha, will they be in another relegation battle? One fan gives his opinion in the video below…

On top of that, Alexander Sorloth was sent out on loan to Gent after scoring just one goal in 16 outings in the first half of the campaign.

All of these failings have resulted in Hodgson desperately needing a man to lead the line, and new owners could help him solve that problem – in fact, it should be one of their first priorities.

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West Ham United can’t say they didn’t see this coming.

Marko Arnautovic is a troublemaker and he’s tried to leave the club once before, in January, as he attempted to engineer himself a move to China.

That deal fell through, however, and he was persuaded to sign a new contract at the London Stadium. It contains a £45m release clause.

And yet, here we are, once again analysing Arnautovic’s words as he looks to leave the club.

This time, he has yet to hand in a formal transfer request, despite reports to the contrary.

What has happened instead is this: According to Football FanCast sources, a bid came in from an unnamed Chinese club for €22m (£19.7m) and Arnautovic asked the Hammers to accept it. They didn’t and they don’t intend to; the clause in his contract is not there purely for banter.

And yet, one has to feel that this will be yet another saga involving the Austrian and the club who, really, might well be better off rid of him.

Indeed, it seemed like the Hammers were getting rather a good deal in January. They wanted to sell Arnautovic and buy Maxi Gomez from Celta Vigo. It would have worked out perfectly.

The deal, as stated, didn’t happen, though, and they were saddled with a white elephant, a player with a penchant for the dramatic and the ridiculous, both on and off the pitch.

He is a talented player, there is no doubt about that, and he scored 11 goals in all competitions last season. He also went 11 games without scoring after the transfer kerfuffle and ended the season with three goals in two games, just in time for the window to reopen. Coincidence?

He is volatile and his agent, who is also his brother, simply cannot resist shopping him around.

Danijel Arnautovic released a statement in January asking the club to let his sibling go, and he claimed earlier this month “you can change everything” in regards to the player’s future.

That has certainly happened.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

And yet West Ham should, really, have known this was the endgame. Yes, he signed a new deal in January, but even then this writer wrote that the move weakened the club’s hierarchy, as they gave the striker a pay rise while effectively agreeing to sell him in the summer.

This is not the time, then, for David Gold and David Sullivan to act indignant at the fact that another bid has come in and, shock horror, Arnautovic wants to go.

It is fair to say that the offer isn’t high enough; the bid in January was £30m.

Perhaps the Hammers would do business at that sort of price, but this offer feels like it is designed to turn Arnautovic and his brother’s heads.

They appear to be after a get rich quick scheme and a move to the Chinese Super League would almost certainly see the Irons’ star’s pay packet increase, with Oscar and Graziano Pelle’s respective moves to China underlining the beaming financial incentives for moving East.

The conclusion, though, is that the club brought this on themselves. They had the chance to cash in at the turn of the year and they opted against it.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on West Ham United.

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

Newcastle United could be about to appoint Steve Bruce as their new manager, and while it may seem like a bit of a disaster for Sheffield Wednesday right now it may actually not turn out to be a really bad thing.

Bruce has undoubtedly done a fantastic job since becoming Wednesday manager. He’s lost just three times while in charge of the Yorkshire outfit and one would think that losing him could only bring negatives for the Steel City outfit.

One fan described the 58-year-old’s departure as a ‘nightmare’ but after recent developments, it could end up being positive for the Championship side.

What’s the story?

A report from The Times (subscription required) states that the Magpies would have to pay the Owls a minimum of £5m in compensation to make Bruce their new manager.

This money could certainly help the Owls, and losing their current boss may be worth it due to the number of replacements that are available at the moment.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

A good thing

Although losing a manager with a record as impressive as Bruce’s is bound to have an impact on the pitch, the money they receive in compensation could do wonders off it.

It’s been no secret that Wednesday have been cutting it fine in terms of financial fair play, and a windfall of £5m would go a long way towards helping them alleviate their struggles – they even had to sell Hillsborough previously before leasing it back.

This also may be the best time for Bruce to go as there are a number of experienced Championship managers who are currently unemployed who the Owls could go for.

Gary Rowett, Aitor Karanka, Tony Pulis, Garry Monk and Chris Hughton are all available without the need to pay any compensation, so the Steel City outfit could pocket the cash they receive for Bruce rather than spend it on a replacement.

Find out which stadiums fans have nominated for the worst atmosphere in football in the video below…

All in all, this trade-off could end up being a positive for Wednesday. They will be receiving £5m for a manager they’ve only had for six months, and there is a long list of bosses proven at this level who could adequately replace him.

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Having joined from Spanish side Athletic Bilbao in the summer of 2014, Ander Herrera endured a rather inconsistent career at Manchester United.

The all-action midfielder featured heavily in the early years of his time at Old Trafford, but began to see his first-team opportunities at the club become more and more limited, playing just 22 out of 38 league games last season.

After letting his contract expire this summer, it was confirmed that Herrera had joined French giants PSG on a free transfer. Now, speaking to Marca, the Spanish international has revealed that differences in opinion over his importance in United’s future plans saw him make the decision to leave Old Trafford.

After hearing the 29-year-old’s comments on his United exit, fans of the Manchester side took to Twitter to voice their opinion and many were seemingly divided about the issue.

Some seemed to take Herrera’s comments with a pinch of salt and instead suggested that the Spaniard’s reported wage demands were the main reason behind him choosing to join the cash-rich French side.

Others however seemed to be on the midfielder’s side and empathised with his comments that United’s offer had “arrived late” and felt it was a massive symbol of the current plight at Old Trafford.

Check out some of the mixed reaction of United fans below:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Expert Roundup feature, which provides three quotes from those in the know in order to illuminate a reported transfer target’s fundamental strengths, weaknesses, quirks, kinks, stylistic comparisons and general observations.

According to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport (via Daily Mail), Tottenham target Nicolo Zaniolo is enticed by the prospect of playing his football in north London next season.

Zaniolo has been linked with a move to Spurs for a large portion of the transfer window, with some reports claiming that Toby Alderweireld could be used as a makeweight in a potential part exchange deal.

The Italian was deployed in a variety of positions last term, scoring six goals and chalking up two assists in 2,256 minutes across all competitions, spread over 36 appearances – add to that record the fact that the player is only 20, and it’s clear as to why Spurs want to add him to their squad this summer.

Having already smashed their transfer record to bring Tanguy Ndombele to north London, Mauricio Pochettino and co have given Lilywhites fans plenty to be excited about after two transfer windows bearing no arrivals.

Competition in the former Southampton boss’ midfield is already hot and the addition of a young, hungry attacker to the mix will only make it more so.

Here’s what those in the know have had to say about the coveted talent’s ability and potential…

Roberto Mancini, Italy manager

Italy boss Mancini didn’t hesitate to draw comparisons between the left-footed star and an established Premier League midfielder:

“I have seen some qualities he has, and some he doesn’t. He is different from [Nicolo] Barella, Jorginho or [Marco] Verratti.

“The comparison with Pogba is there. But we need to be calm and show some patience because he will at some point struggle as well.”

Both Pogba and Zaniolo excel given freedom in the attacking third and license to get up and support the strikers in a number 10 role, while their surprising technical and athleticism given their respective frames is also shared.

Manchester United man Pogba completed 1.7 dribbles per game in the league last term, while Zaniolo completed 1.5 per game – given that the World Cup-winning number 6 is renowned for his powerful bursts forward, this stat is a testament to the young Italian’s ability on the ball.

Pogba also enjoys playing on the left of a midfield three, where he can drift outside before coming back in to cause damage – this dynamic features in Zaniolo’s game, as the Italian is able to play on the right wing, where he can chop inside onto his stronger left foot.

Daniele De Rossi, Roma legend

The recently-departed midfielder was full of praise for his teammate after Roma’s 2-1 victory over Porto in February:

“It’s another small milestone, perhaps not even a small one, that adds to what he is showing game after game and even training session after training session.

“He has an incredible natural physique for someone who is only 19 and also has great technical quality. In my opinion, as perhaps with everyone now, he is already a very good player – and can become a great one.”

The youngster stole the show in his side’s Champions League first leg victory over their Portuguese opposition, scoring both goals and thus becoming the youngest-ever player to net a brace in the competition on his first-ever knockout rounds appearance.

Clearly, the number 22 has ice in his veins to not just prevent the undoubted nerves he must have been feeling from throwing him off his game but to produce one of his best displays of the season.

De Rossi already rates the starlet very highly it would seem and is confident that he can become even better – what better environment for him to hone his abilities than Spurs, where he will have the opportunity to work with a manager who is renowned for his development of young players?

Francesco Totti, Roma legend

Roma’s all-time record goalscorer suggested that the 20-year-old was beyond his years in terms of both skill and physical abilities:

“He’s like a veteran. He keeps it simple. Little by little, he’s finding continuity and showing his ability. Nicolo is explosive – he’s strong, skillful. He’s got everything to become a great player. But don’t let him know I said that. If anything changes, it’ll be my fault.”

Totti is right to be wary; heaping so much praise on a young player is risky but the legendary number 10 isn’t far wrong – Zaniolo’s decision-making and extraordinary power on the ball betray his age and it’s frightening to imagine what the midfielder could become in the future.

Given the form of Son Heung-min and the heroic rise of Lucas Moura in 2018/19, Zaniolo will have a job on his hands to displace either from the starting XI but there’s little doubt that Totti thinks he’s absolutely capable.

You’d be foolish to bet against a player who has earned such high praise from a legend of the game.

[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…BBC Sport journalist Tom English has declared his confusion at Steven Gerrard’s stance on Alfredo Morelos’ potential departure.

What’s he said?

English has stated his bemusement at Gerrard’s latest revelation that Morelos must state whether he wants to stay or go. The Gers boss spoke after his side’s 1-0 win over Derby and exclaimed that the decision on the Colombian’s future lies purely with the player.

Speaking to The Scottish Sun, Gerrard said: “Instead of me answering this question every single press conference, I’m going to do everything I can to put Alfredo in front of you guys. The decision lands with Alfredo.”

This shocked English, who felt the manger could’ve been more diplomatic in his answer after the friendly win. The striker has been linked to many clubs across Europe this summer but nothing appears concrete yet and he’s very much still a Rangers player.

Time to make a decision

Morelos was pivotal to Gerrard and the Gers last season so it’s about time they sorted the situation out. The Colombian scored 30 times in 48 appearances for the Ibrox club last season, as he finished as the top scorer in the Premiership.

It’s fairly clear to see that the Light Blues boss was exasperated by the question but now isn’t the time to lose his cool. Providing a stock answer would’ve been the right way to go, rather than suggest that he sticks the non-English speaking striker in front of the world to answer a tricky question.

Not only did his answer add to the confusion and speculation, it could also irk Morelos. As well as being far from fluent in English, the poacher would hope for support from his manager in a time like this rather than being saddled with the extra responsibility.

The striker has scored a lot of goals for his boss and, despite a woeful disciplinary record, deserves protection for the joy he has given the fans and results he has sealed for the club.

The whole situation is a bit of a mess, as English suggests, and there’s no guarantee that we’ll see a solution until the transfer window shuts, by which time Rangers will have decided their European fate and be four games into the Premiership season – hardly ideal is it?

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Leigh Griffiths is back after a lengthy lay-off, and Neil Lennon’s early-season formation experiment could be the secret to helping him return to his best.

On the chalkboard

Griffiths wasted little time showing Celtic fans what they had been missing upon his return to the starting XI against Nomme Kalju last week, scoring a stunning free-kick in his side’s 5-0 win.

It was the striker’s first goal since November, having taken time away from the game to deal with his mental health. Yet, upon his return, he showed signs, none bigger than the emphatic set-piece strike, that his talents didn’t diminish during his spell out.

It’s a welcome return for not just those of a green and white persuasion but Scotland fans too, who know exactly what he’s capable of for his country.

His return does however provide his manager with something of a problem – how does he get a fit and firing Griffiths into his starting line-up?

A change of shape

Lennon has experimented with a change away from his favoured 4-2-3-1 during the early season, adopting a 3-5-2 at points. This alteration was mainly down to not having a right-back he could totally trust, with Anthony Ralston not risked in the early Champions League qualifiers.

Yet, while it looks a temporary solution as the club brought in Hatem Abd Elhamed to play as a right-back (and continue to chase another, according to The Scottish Daily Mail), it may be the system best suited to Griffiths.

Given Odsonne Edouard’s scoring rate last season and the £9m invested in him, he’s a certainty to be picked, but a fit and happy Griffiths is as prolific a scorer as any, and Lennon’s usual 4-2-3-1 leaves no room for two strikers.

Sticking with the 3-5-2 to fit the 28-year-old Scot and Frenchman in the side would allow the duo to build a partnership, something we’ve not seen yet. If they hit it off, their scoring records suggest they would be a devastating duo up front.

Also, in Scott Sinclair, Vakoun Bayo and Mikey Johnston, they have options to rotate and keep the duo fresh for the important ties.

The temporary fix of three at the back was designed to buff up the defence while Lennon was without a first-choice right-back, but it also happens to be the perfect way to get Griffiths in the team alongside focal point Edouard, which could be just what the popular forward needs to get back in his stride.

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Potentially good times ahead for Arsenal in the future, then.

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Many members of the Wolves fanbase don’t appear to be best pleased with the club’s latest decision as the transfer deadline rapidly approaches.

According to the Express and Star, Wolves have ended their pursuit of highly-rated Benfica centre-back Ruben Dias with both clubs reportedly far apart on their valuations of the player.

The 22-year-old has a £57m release clause at the Primeira Liga champions but the club are not prepared to fork out that amount on the player – Benfica do not necessarily have to sell either after claiming £113m from Atletico Madrid for forward Joao Felix.

Watch Wolverhampton Wanderers Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Dias has transcended quite rapidly to European acclaim after cementing his name in both the Benfica and Portugal starting line-up – already at his young age.

Last season, he featured 55 times in all competitions as Benfica won the Portuguese league and he also played every single minute of Portugal’s Nations League triumph – making him quite an ideal target this summer in the eyes of some Wolves supporters.

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One fan blasted the club for having an awful transfer window, suggesting that manager Nuno Santo, Diogo Jota and Ruben Neves would all be off next summer whilst one labelled it a ‘pretty disappointing window.’

Others were rather worried about the squad incase injuries creeped in, especially with the extra number of games they are likely to play due to competing in the Europa League with one calling it a ‘dangerous game.’

You can read the best of the reaction below:

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