All posts by h716a5.icu

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Leeds United face Ipswich Town in their final league game of the season on Sunday before embarking on a playoff campaign.

Marcelo Bielsa is unlikely to rotate his team too much despite their pending post-season matches. Bielsa has rarely been a manager who offers up less than 100 per cent and he will want his team to gather as much momentum as possible.

This line-up has only three changes from the side that started against Aston Villa last weekend. Patrick Bamford misses out after he was handed a two-game suspension for simulation in last Sunday’s match.

Kemar Roofe has been passed as fit so he comes into the fold to replace Bamford.

Bielsa confirmed that Stuart Dallas is also nursing a knock, and with nothing to play for in this game there is no need to risk anyone; therefore Gaetano Berardi slots in at left-back.

And on the left-wing Jack Clarke returns for the final day of the season to replace Jack Harrison, who hasn’t impressed recently.

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Celtic fans have been reacting on Twitter following a report by the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday that suggested that midfielder Tom Rogic is a target for English Premier League clubs Leicester City and Southampton, with a subsequent story in The Daily Record suggesting he has a £15m price tag on his head.

The 26-year-old attack-minded player has enjoyed another impressive season for the Scottish Premiership champions, scoring eight goals and providing a further nine assists in 41 appearances in all competitions.

Those stats have come despite the fact the Australia international missed a large chunk of the campaign with a knee injury, returning shortly before Brendan Rodgers left for the Foxes.

Now it appears he wants to be reunited with him at the King Power Stadium, with the Sydney Morning Herald indicating he could fetch up to $37 Australian dollars (£20m).

However, The Daily Record places his valuation at £5m less than that amount.

Controversial. Uncompromising. Leader. C’mon the Hoops’ Keith talks the future of Celtic’s evergreen captain Scott Brown in the video below…

Celtic supporters have been quick to have their say on the exit rumour ahead of the Old Firm derby against Rangers this weekend, and while one “selling Rogic for £15m is a disaster of an idea”, another said “keeping him at Celtic should be a top priority for Lawwell”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

It was a concern at Old Trafford when Jose Mourinho was at the helm that Manchester United had to strengthen their backline if they were to compete at the top of the Premier League table again.

Red Devils chiefs opted against giving the Portuguese manager the men he desired, and, in the end, it proved to be one of the many factors which cost the title-winning head coach his job.

Even an initial surge under then-caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer failed to hide the fact that centre-back is a problem area for United, who would go on to end the season with just two victories in their last 12 games in all competitions.

Now, Ed Woodward is tasked with bringing the next colossus at the back to Old Trafford and provide Solskjaer with a defender who can instil what the Red Devils lost when Nemanja Vidic left for Inter Milan five years ago.

Oddly, the men he will likely target in 2019 are some of those Mourinho had his eyes fixed on a year ago, with reports tirelessly linking United with the likes of Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly, Leicester City’s Harry Maguire, Tottenham Hotspur’s Toby Alderweireld and Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar.

Ajax sensation Matthijs de Ligt is another name frequently on Woodward’s speculated shortlist, just under a year after he had the chance to sign the teenager for half the £75million he is now thought to be worth. No deal was reached in 2018, though, as Dutch scout Marcel Bout – a man brought to the club by Louis van Gaal – feared the defender would follow in his father’s footsteps and lose his pace and power by putting on the pounds.

Character, good attitude, fitness, consistency, and sheer quality are all characteristics United must identify in their new centre-back, and depending on what report you read, that man is either thought to be Koulibaly or Maguire.

Some claim Koulibaly is considered too expensive at £90million, while others state the 27-year-old is the number one target at Old Trafford, as he is seen as one of the best in the business having been a rock in Serie A for Carlo Ancelotti.

If the choice boils down to making Koulibaly the most expensive defender in football history, or settling for Maguire, Woodward cannot baulk at the price he must pay for the towering Senegal international instead of England’s World Cup hero.

Unlike Maguire, Koulibaly would be able to instantly give those around him in Red a lift, and lead the likes of Luke Shaw and Chris Smalling, who have on far too many occasions shrieked back into their shells instead of puffing out their chests and refuse to be beat.

David de Gea, likewise, would benefit from having someone of Koulibaly’s calibre lining up in front of him at Old Trafford come the start of the new Premier League season, and not head into the summer pondering a future where he could either have Phil Jones gormlessly meandering around his box or head back into the continent with either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain.

Making the move to Real Madrid, no matter how good you are, invites a tonne of pressure on how well you perform for the Spanish giants.

We have seen the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema thrive for Los Blancos whereas Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez have faltered in the Spanish capital, and for Dani Ceballos, the youngster falls into the latter.

Since making the move from Real Betis to Madrid for a reported £14.5 million the 22-year-old midfielder has found it hard to find a permanent place in the starting XI and could be on the way out of the club after just two years at Real, and West Ham are interested.

According to the Express, Manuel Pellegrini has opened talks with Madrid over the signing of Ceballos, who could leave for just £20 million, and pulling off such a deal would be a steal for West Ham.

Although game time has been limited at Real Madrid, Ceballos is still a player who could make an impact and impress at a top-division side, and having been likened to Cesc Fabregas in the past, the Spanish international would be a welcome signing for the Hammers.

As well as being an overall quality signing for the club, Ceballos would add much-needed creativity to the Irons, who have been heavily reliant on Felipe Anderson this season. With the Spanish playmaker in the side, though, the burden will be lessened for the Brazilian winger.

Ceballos would be a coup for West Ham if they are able to pull off the signing, and the Spaniard would bring something new to the team that have needed a new dynamic for the past few seasons. If David Gold and Sullivan splash the cash, that is.

West Ham fans, would Ceballos be a good signing? Let us know!

It is without question that the upcoming transfer window is one of Arsenal’s most important to date.

Unai Emery and his team have the task of finding new wingers, replacing Aaron Ramsey, and most importantly, improving the defence.

Arsenal’s backline has at times been comical this season as the Gunners finished fifth in the Premier League table and left a trail of embarrassing defensive displays in their wake.

Improvements are needed in the Gunners defence, and according to Goal, Arsenal are looking at a more youthful approach to signing a new centre-back in the form of Saint Etienne defender William Saliba.

The 18-year-old defender, who is valued at £2.7 million on Trasnfermarkt, has been one of the teenage breakouts this season in European football having made 16 appearances for Le Verts in Ligue 1 and helping the French side to a European finish in the league table, and for Arsenal, Saliba is exactly what the club needs this summer.

At 6’4”, the centre-back will add some much-needed height in the Arsenal defence that has been lacking since Per Mertesacker retired last season, and having impressed in a top league at such a young age, Saliba will have the confidence to impress in the Premier League.

As well as physicality and the proven quality to succeed, playing alongside the likes of Laurent Koscielny and Sokratis will mature Saliba into a more composed defender, and with Rob Holding set to return from injury next season, Emery could have his defensive duo for the next few years set already.

Arsenal fans, would Saliba be a good signing this summer? Let us know!

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Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Bournemouth talent David Brooks this summer, according to The Sun.

What’s the story?

Spurs haven’t signed a player for two transfer windows now and despite an excellent season that has the potential to deliver a UEFA Champions League trophy, the squad is still in need of some reinforcements next season.

The paper say that Mauricio Pochettino is again looking at young British talent to improve his squad, with moves for Bournemouth duo David Brooks and Callum Wilson in the works.

Both would be available for around £40m each, states the report, with Daniel Levy set to loosen the purse strings and let the Spurs boss flex a bit of financial muscle.

What are they offering?

Wilson would be a fine back-up option to Harry Kane in attack, with his 14 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League this season proof enough that he can be a reliable performer in the top-flight.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

The real excitement would likely be with Brooks though, who has had an excellent season with the Cherries, finding himself nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

Showing exciting attacking ambition from central midfield, he produced 12 direct goal contributions throughout the season which isn’t a bad return at all for a debut campaign in the top-flight.

With a bit of Pochettino polish, fans would be expecting him to reach similar levels to other young British talents at the club in recent seasons such as Dele Alli.

Pochettino in it for the long haul

The signing of Brooks would also be a bit of an indication that the Spurs boss isn’t intending to leave the club anytime soon.

With the player just 21 years of age and looking every bit like a Pochettino signing, it’s a signal he is ready to build a new cycle at the club now the transfer restrictions of Levy are being loosened.

The Argentinian has been linked with a big move to Juventus this summer, but investing in exciting young talents would demonstrate to supporters he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

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Leeds United fans on Twitter are hoping that the club don’t try to broker a deal to bring Albert Adomah to Elland Road.

The winger was linked with the Yorkshire club in January, but a move never materialised.

Adomah’s contract with Aston Villa is up this summer, and after the Midlands club’s promotion to the Premier League it seems that he will not be offered a new deal.

The Ghanaian has proven that he can be a top class player in the Championship as he netted 14 goals in the 2017/18 season. His form dipped massively last term though as his goal tally was cut down to just four as well as only crafting two assists.

He may still be a useful player for whoever picks him up, but Leeds supporters are urging their club to avoid signing him due to his recent performances.

It remains to be seen where the 31-year-old will end up, but if he does join Marcelo Bielsa’s side it wouldn’t be a popular signing.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

Under Mark Hughes before his dismissal last December, Southampton looked in real danger of going down.

Thanks to Ralph Hasenhuttl, though, the south coast club managed to turn things around. An ex-Saint, however, is not getting too carried away and believes his former side have got to do much better next season.

“Now it’s a case of building and having a realistic expectation,” Kevin Keegan told the Daily Echo. “If you are Southampton, you are not going to finish in the top-six very easily, but you are certainly capable of finish from seventh down to 14th.”

This is a Southampton side with some very good players. As Keegan has pointed out, they have it in them to do way better than a 16th-place finish.

After losing some big names summer after summer, a decline was inevitable, leaving Hasenhuttl’s squad needing some urgent surgery.

The former RB Leipzig manager, for example, could do with a new No.9. But when you look elsewhere, he certainly has some decent options.

The likes of Nathan Redmond, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Mario Lemina, to name a few players, all bring a lot to the table.

Build on that, and Hasenhuttl could take Southampton far next season, may be even close to where Ronald Koeman and Mauricio Pochettino once had them.

For the 51-year-old, the foundation is certainly there and it is now just about building on it, in the words of Keegan.

Southampton fans, can you see your club finishing in the top half of the table next season? Let us know in the comment section below!

While there are bigger issues afoot on Tyneside at the moment as both the future of Rafa Benitez and a potential takeover obviously rumble on, recent transfer links involving Newcastle United do little to inspire confidence. 

Indeed, frankly, they shouldn’t be considered at all.

That’s because the Magpies are, according to The Sun via HITC, linked with a potential move to sign Scott Dan. Yes, Scott Dann. The very same 32-year-old who appeared only 13 times last season after recovering from an ACL injury suffered way back in December 2017.

Barely inspiring stuff, right?

We think, if they are going to add to their defensive ranks, they need someone younger and far more robust to fit into their side for the long-term. Furthermore, you could probably argue that the club’s defence is literally the least of their concerns this summer, having conceded just 48 goals in the Premier League last season.

Yes, Florian Lejeune is a long-term injury lay-off but the likes of Ciaran Clark, Fabian Schar, Federico Fernandez and Jamaal Lascelles form what could be considered the best backline outside of the top six. When you look at the fact that only Everton and Wolves, outside of the top four, conceded less than Benitez’s Newcastle, you start to get a feel as to why this move doesn’t at all seem necessary.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, a fee of £6m was even mooted in the report, which just seems ridiculous. It’s not as if the club have been particularly open to the idea of spending money in years gone by, so potentially splashing out what is not an insignificant fee for Newcastle United seems crazy.

Newcastle fans, do you think Dann’s the man to solve the defensive problems? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Celtic fans are keen on the idea of signing Toulouse defender Christophier Jullien after he was linked with a move to Glasgow this week.

French outlet L’Equipe reported on Wednesday that the Hoops were interested in securing his transfer from the Ligue 1 club, stating that the player has already made a visit to check out the facilities at the Scottish champions.

How can Celtic improve next season? A Hoops fan tells us how in the video below…

With the paper reporting a potential transfer fee of €8m to €10m (£7.1m to £8.9m), clearly it would be a massive transfer for the Hoops if it comes off, having rarely spent that kind of cash in the past.

The centre-back area is a problem position though with Dedryck Boyata and Filip Benkovic both leaving at the end of last season.

Celtic badly need replacements and Jullien would appear to fit the bill having racked up good experience playing in the French top-flight.

Supporters certainly seem eager to see the transfer go through, with these fans taking to Twitter to share their thoughts on the links…