All posts by z3u9t.icu

According to Goal, Tottenham have asked about signing Juventus defender Merih Demiral before the end of the transfer window on Monday.

What’s the word?

With time running out for clubs to bring in the players that they want, Spurs are still looking to add a new centre-back before the window shuts.

Goal claim that Demiral was the subject of an enquiry by Spurs about his potential availability, but that Serie A heavyweights Juventus knocked it back.

The report adds that the Bianconeri view him as a key part of their plans, with the defender only just working his way back to full fitness recently.

Mourinho’s new John Terry

Whilst it appears Spurs’ chances of landing Demiral before the transfer window deadline are fading, there can always be a few twists and turns as clubs become more desperate and make quick decisions.

One thing is for certain though, is that Demiral would be a superb acquisition for Jose Mourinho’s side. The Spurs boss of course had John Terry as a key part of his early title-winning Chelsea reign, and when you look at the way people talk about Demiral now, you can see some very clear similarities between the two centre-backs.

Turkish football expert, Emre Sarigul, said: “He is the type of defender the fans love because he is brave and loves to tackle and when attacking players have a beast like Merih lunging at them they think twice about trying to dribble past him. He is very difficult to beat in the air. The kid is fearless but isn’t arrogant. A real warrior who never gives up. He managed to keep the likes of Mbappe, Griezmann and Giroud quiet just last month when Turkey beat World Champions France 2-0 in the 2020 Euro qualifiers.”

Demiral was also badly wanted by Brendan Rodgers earlier this year, with the Leicester boss not being shy in his praise of the Juventus defender. When asked about the possibility of a deal, he said: “There’s nothing to add, only that he’s a very good defender, and a very good player.” His comments came just a couple of weeks after he played it coy, and simply said that the 22-year-old is a “talented player”. Reports had even suggested that the Foxes saw two bids rejected for the Bianconeri star.

If Spurs can somehow convince Juventus to part ways with the centre-back before Monday, then it would be a massive coup.

And in other news, Daniel Levy may have missed a trick with this man.

Norwich City take on Brighton & Hove Albion at Carrow Road on Saturday in a match that could be crucial in the battle for Premier League survival.

The Canaries have been on a wretched run of form of late and sit bottom of the table with just six matches to play, and will be in desperate need of a win.

Brighton on the other hand have established a healthy buffer between themselves and the bottom three, with a six-point gap now separating the South coast outfit from 18th-place Bournemouth.

Daniel Farke’s side lost 4-0 against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, while Brighton suffered a chastening 3-0 defeat to Manchester United a day prior.

Form

Only fellow strugglers Aston Villa and Bournemouth have endured a worse run of form than Norwich in recent weeks, and with the Norfolk side now six points adrift at the bottom, they need to start winning fast.

Their only points from their last six matches came against Leicester City prior to the suspension of football and they are yet to score a point following the Premier League’s resumption.

Brighton meanwhile have picked up five points from their last four matches, with a last-minute Neal Maupay goal sealing a valuable win over Arsenal in their first game following the resumption of football.

They have also picked up valuable points against difficult opponents including Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester, but will have been disappointed with their defeat at the hands of United.

Team news

Norwich are in the midst of a defensive crisis and were forced to field Alex Tettey at centre-back against Arsenal on Wednesday, in a move that certainly did not work out.

Grant Hanley, Christoph Zimmermann and Sam Byram are once again out of Saturday’s match, but Timm Klose could return from suspension.

Brighton, meanwhile, continue to be without long-term absentees Jose Izquierdo and Steven Alzate, both of whom are unlikely to feature this season.

Adam Webster though could return from his thigh injury and is being monitored ahead of Saturday.

How to watch

The Premier League festival of football continues on Saturday with five televised matches, much to the joy of fans.

Norwich vs Brighton itself kicks of at 12:30 UTC at Carrow Road and will be shown live on BT Sport 1, while you can also follow the game online via football live streams.

A takeover of Newcastle United may still be on as Mike Ashley has reportedly set a deadline for Henry Mauriss to reach an agreement with him over a possible sale.

According to the Daily Mirror, the American businessman will have until August 14th to come up with a deal with the chief executive of Sports Direct, otherwise it looks like there may be no takeover at St. James’ Park before the start of the new 2020/21 season.

Indeed, Ashley had previously challenged Mauriss to put in a firm bid after the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) group decided to pull the plug on theirs.

As per the Mirror, he is understood to be willing to pay £350 million, which is £50 million more than the proposed offer by the Saudi-led consortium.

Chris Ronnie, who is a long-time associate of Ashley and, ironically, an old school friend of Steve Bruce, is steering the negotiations.

There is apparently some hope that an agreement can be made in the coming days, and if this does indeed happen, then it would be in the hands of the Premier League once again to approve of it.

The top flight were accused by the Saudis of taking too long to make their final decision, and so Mauriss may have to wait patiently if he is able to put his bid through.

The teams of the California-based chief executive of Clear TV and Ashley himself are understood to have spoken at length over the past week, as sources claim that the former has the adequate funds needed, but the latter needs concrete proof that Mauriss is in a position to transfer them.

Nevertheless, everything is all speculation up until this moment in time, but this my give some hope to members of the Toon Army.

Geordies, would you be happy with Mauriss as your new owner? Comment below!

Fresh reports from France have sparked Everton fans into all saying the same thing on social media.

According to L’Equipe, via Sport Witness, AS Monaco are ready to cut their asking price for Toffees loanee Djibril Sidibe to ensure a permanent move to Goodison Park this summer.

The Merseyside outfit have a €14m (£12.6m) option to buy but it’s claimed that the Ligue 1 club are needing to offload deadwood and the right-back is among those they are keen to move on.

But supporters clearly don’t want that to happen…

A resounding “no” appears to be the answer to whether or not the Toffees faithful would have him at the club.

The 27-year-old has played 24 times in all competitions this term, where he has provided five assists, via Transfermarkt. Sidibe has also averaged 3.7 tackles, two long balls and 1.8 interceptions per game.

How big of an Everton fan are you? Can you spot Mikel Arteta from Graham Stuart? This quiz will test your knowledge, try it if you’re brave enough…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

Yet he still hasn’t won over fans in Merseyside.

The reported clause of €14m has also caused a stir with some believing they can get much better in the transfer market.

One fan even took a swipe at director of football Marcel Brands for yet another blunder, referencing Jean-Philippe Gbamin, who has just been ruled out for a further six months.

It remains to be seen if Carlo Ancelotti will enact the clause or even try to negotiate a lower fee for Sidibe, but clearly, it would go down like a tonne of bricks at Goodison Park.

WHILE in other news, Everton willing to sell Koeman flop for just £4.5m this summer…

According to The Chronicle journalist Lee Ryder, the issue of piracy has “clearly” been the fact that has “caused tension” behind Newcastle’s proposed takeover.

What did he say?

One of the key reasons behind the Magpies’ takeover still not going through has been the problem brought by the beoutQ channel, and Ryder has revealed that the Premier League is now facing a major dilemma as to whether Saudi Arabia is given an “invitation to the top-flight”.

He said: “People close to the bidding side will still say that this could be approved at any time, but as I mentioned earlier there are fans who are starting to question the length of time. The Premier League are refusing to comment and Newcastle chiefs have said nothing on the record from the boardroom.

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

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

“Having had legal issues with Saudi Arabia before, it appears the Premier League are now facing the dilemma of handing them an invitation to the top-flight. Assurances from those in the Middle East that they will stamp out piracy have been forthcoming. But it is clearly pirate channel beoutQ that has caused tension around this deal. Further reassurance from Saudi Intellectual Property Authority on Tuesday also arrived via another statement but again how much sway this has on the Premier League remains to be seen.”

More waiting

As Ryder points out, the consortium are trying to make it abundantly clear to the Premier League that the issue of piracy is something they are keen to “stamp out”.

The fact that this whole process has now dragged on for months suggests those responsible for deliberating over the plans are still yet to be wholly convinced.

Ryder further added that despite the delay, the message remains the same that they are still optimistic over the deal eventually going through, but that opposition from MPs and Hatice Cengiz, have ensured the Premier League have had to respond to those claims.

It’s very much a waiting game for now.

As Tottenham fans will undoubtedly know, Erik Lamela was one of the big-money signings during the summer of 2013 when the north London side’s entire transfer window was dominated by the Gareth Bale saga.

Lamela became then Spurs manager, Andre Villas-Boas’ sixth signing of the summer, with reports claiming that the Argentine had arrived in a £25.7m deal.

Following Christian Eriksen’s departure earlier this year, Lamela is the final man standing from the group of players Villas-Boas brought to the club back in 2013.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

But if recent reports are to be true, then the winger could be staring down the barrel at the end of his career at Spurs.

According to The Sun, with Bournemouth bracing themselves for a summer revamp, the likes of Manchester United and Spurs “could rekindle their interest” in David Brooks – providing he regains his fitness after missing this entire season with an ankle injury.

Both Brooks and Lamela are very similar in terms of profile, with both naturally left-footed, and comfortable with coming off the right-flank, and even operating as a more central play-maker too.

But at 22, the £27m-rated Cherries ace has far more time on his side, and could be the kind of signing that provide Jose Mourinho’s team with a bit more spark and energy. Last season saw him net seven times and provide a further five assists for Eddie Howe’s men – a record comfortably better than what Lamela managed (six goals and three assists) despite undoubtedly playing in a better team.

Since Mourinho’s arrival, Lamela’s time in the first-team has been very sporadic, with a hamstring injury certainly not helping his cause either. But following his return, the 28-year-old has only completed the full 90 minutes in the Premier League just once, with only three starts in the top-flight to his name.

It’s clear he’s not the most important figure in Mourinho’s plans, and Brooks’ arrival would throw yet another spanner in the works for him.

It would be difficult to see how Lamela could conceivably remain a key part of the squad if Spurs pull off a move for the Bournemouth midfielder, and it’s exactly why it could finally put the nail in the coffin for the Villas-Boas spending nightmare of 2013.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans react to Victor Wanyama’s admission.

Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold has name-checked Totteham starlet Dilan Markanday as a player who “evokes memories of Marcus Edwards”.

What did he say?

With a big spending spree unlikely in the summer considering the current climate, Gold has suggested Markanday could be one to keep an eye on.

He said: “The 18-year-old can either play out on the right or can drift infield to a more central attacking midfield role. Markanday has a bag of tricks and with his low centre of gravity and dribbling ability evokes memories of Marcus Edwards.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

“He has scored three goals and laid on four assists for the U23s this season and he’s one to keep an eye on. We’re going to go for Markanday as the next Lucas Moura, with Markanday’s ability to score goals from the right-hand side.”

Attitude

Edwards of course was seen as a rising star when he initially made his breakthrough in north London, with former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino even suggesting that if he were born in Brazil or Argentina, he would be considered “one of the most interesting prospects in football in the world”.

Unfortunately for Edwards and Spurs, things didn’t quite work out, with the 21-year-old now plying his trade for Portuguese side Vitoria. Questions were raised about the former prospect’s attitude, and if anything, Markanday should be looking to ensure that he doesn’t follow in similar footsteps, even if his playing style might be reminiscent of him.

You can have all the talent in the world, but if you haven’t got the hard work to back it up, then you won’t be going anywhere.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans react to their interest in this Premier League starlet.

Manchester City fans have reacted to the reports that the club won’t receive a ban from the Champions League following investigations into Financial Fair Play.

The news comes from The Athletic’s Sam Lee, who states that the findings on the case are set to be revealed next month, but sources say they will only receive a fine.

Lee also touches on how many within the sport expected Pep Guardiola’s men to be banned from Europe following such expensive spending.

This comes after reports from Der Spiegel suggested the club had lied about spending millions in the transfer market, hiding various costs which should have been calculated for FFP.

Now, with this incredible report, the fans are buzzing with the result. A lot of fans have laughed at the fact they might be free from trouble, as another supporter said: “We can spend what we want”.

Another fan joked by saying “get the bubbly out”, whilst another follower touched on how they will just spend big in the summer again.

Here’s what some of them have had to say…

Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to react after Christian Benteke revealed his January transfer intentions to Belgian news outlet Het Nieuwsblad (via The News Shopper).

The Belgium international recently hinted at an exit from Selhurst Park following a two-goal display against Cyprus, citing his desire to play at the European Championships as a potential reason to leave Palace in search of game time.

However, following his impressive cameo display against Liverpool last time out – in which he played a key role in Wilfried Zaha’s goal – Benteke has revealed that he would like to stay in south London.

“I don’t want to leave. Go somewhere and leave my family in London? I don’t want to. I am 28-years-old; I want stability. I’m not going to leave to play one year somewhere. I’m not a thief.”

The former Aston Villa striker has lost his place in Roy Hodgson’s starting XI to Jordan Ayew this term, and with Celtic and Rangers stars Odsonne Edouard and Alfredo Morelos reportedly on the Eagles’ radar, Benteke’s future at Palace looks uncertain.

His comments do, however, evoke a fighting spirit and should be respected by the Palace supporters.

Let’s take a look at how the Eagles fans on Twitter reacted to Benteke’s revelation…

[ad_pod ]

Meanwhile, find out why an exciting transfer target for the south Londoners could actually be a potential disciplinary nightmare…

West Ham face a tough challenge as Sheffield United visit on Saturday, but if Manuel Pellegrini the necessary changes to his team then they could return to winning ways.

The Blades have adjusted well to the Premier League and their 1-0 victory over Arsenal on Monday put them above the Hammers in the table.

Chris Wilder has organised his team very effectively and made them difficult to break down, as evidenced by their four clean sheets from nine games – the joint-most of any team in the league.

That could be a problem for the East London outfit, who have found the target just 11 times in nine games, and despite four goals in eight league games Haller’s lack of movement has been singled out by Pellegrini as a problem.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Some fans feel that is harsh, blaming a lack of service and support for the German as the real reason behind their poor attack.

In particular, Lanzini has underwhelmed this term, with zero goals and just two assists, and therefore he should make way against the Blades, as he could be crowded out by the combination of their three centre-backs and the deep-lying centre-midfielders, such as Oli Norwood.

To counter that, here is how West Ham should line-up.

The inclusion of Jack Wilshere could surprise a few and please others in equal measure, as although he is yet to prove himself in West Ham colours on a regular basis, he could help breathe fresh life into the team.

Lanzini has disappointed some fans with his recent displays. Not only does he have just the one assist in the league, but he has failed to make a pass into the box in each of his last five league appearances, so it is little surprise that Pellegrini’s side haven’t been scoring.

By contrast, the England international should retain possession more efficiently, as well as providing that crucial support Haller relies upon, with an average of 4.2 passes to the final third from the four matches he has started this campaign.

The other decision which Pellegrini has to make is whether Aaron Cresswell comes back into the starting line-up, but if he is deemed fit enough to play – which he should be after training all week – then he should replace Arthur Masuaku.

The Congo international managed just a 5/10-rated performance against Everton as per Football London, with the opening goal coming down his side. By contrast, the former Ipswich man has scored two goals in four league games so far, though his manager will likely want more from him in regards to crosses and key passes, as he is yet to record any of either.