According to reports in The Mirror, Everton are interested in signing £25m-rated West Bromwich Albion defender Jonny Evans in the summer, although he could be available for as little as £3m.
What’s the word, then?
Soccer Football – Premier League – West Bromwich Albion vs Huddersfield Town – The Hawthorns, West Bromwich, Britain – February 24, 2018 West Bromwich Albion’s Jonny Evans warms up before the match Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please c
Well, The Mirror says that the 30-year-old has a clause in his Baggies contract that will allow him to leave for just £3m if the west Midlands outfit suffer relegation to the Championship.
That is certainly on the cards right now as Alan Pardew’s side lie seven points from safety with just 10 Premier League matches left to play this term.
The Mirror says that Sam Allardyce is keen to bring the Northern Ireland international to Goodison Park if he is to stay in charge next season, although he could face competition for his signature from top flight rivals West Ham United and Leicester City, while Arsenal and Manchester City were also keen on the West Brom captain during the January transfer window.
How has Evans done this season?
The Baggies skipper missed their first three Premier League matches of the season – in which they picked up seven of the 20 points they currently have – and the club and the versatile defender went 19 games without tasting success before they beat Brighton and Hove Albion in January.
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Evans has played at both centre-back and left-back for the west Midlands outfit during the current campaign, but he was also involved in the incident during a mid-season training break in Barcelona where he and three of his teammates stole a taxi, which saw him stripped of the captaincy for one game before he was reinstated into the role by manager Alan Pardew.
Would he be a good signing for Everton?
He certainly could be, yes.
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Evans would arrive at Goodison Park with plenty of experience and quality, and his leadership skills would come in handy in a Toffees backline that has struggled in particular this season.
The 30-year-old is also a very good defender and is calm in possession, and the fact that he could cost just £3m should mean that he is a no-brainer target for the Merseyside outfit, whether Allardyce is in charge next term or not.
It’s almost here! After months of checking release dates, countless play throughs of the demo and anxiously waiting for the postman/shop to open, FIFA 15 lands tomorrow.
You probably don’t need us to tell you who to use, but we’ll offer some gentle guidance and point you in the direction of Manchester United. Unlike in reality, the Red Devils look to be a very good team of choice for your living room, and here are FOUR reasons why…
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CLICK ON FALCAO TO REVEAL THE FOUR REASONS
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It could be worse Nando, you could be one of these guys…
With Radamel Falcao, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie, Manchester United have three players in the top 25 rated on the game. Rooney is the weakest option, but with a rating of 86 he’ll still be his usual self and could be a real threat in an attacking midfield role.
Angel di Maria
Away from the strikers, Angel di Maria is one to look out for. Rated at 86 with four stars for skill moves, the Argentine will be a real threat from a deeper role, and the sort of player you can use to humiliate opponents with just a touch of the right joystick.
A challenge on career mode
United’s quest to get back into the Champions League can become your aim in career mode. To be fair, it should be a lot easier than Louis van Gaal is actually making it look, with the club’s armoury the envy of many sides across Europe.
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Defence shouldn’t be the issue it actually is
United’s backline in the right hands should be okay on FIFA 15. Get your tactics right and drop Tyler Blackett, and who knows, you may be able to keep a clean sheet at Leicester… Besides, Mats Hummels should be easier to sign in career mode than in real life.
As the ‘Golden Generation’ of the last decade begin to close the book on their England careers, the need for an injection of fresh blood to the squad has never been more apparent.
The temptation to repeatedly select players long in the football tooth has seemingly become difficult to resist for Roy Hodgson as he attempts to guarantee safe passage to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Stalwarts like Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have had their time in the sun on the international scene and, while effective against inferior nations; their influence is minimal against countries sitting in the upper echelons of the FIFA rankings.
That’s not to imply that Gerrard or Lampard are necessarily bad players, but a perennial lack of success warrants change. Continually relying on senior players year after year has proven to be a backwards step for the Three Lions in the quest to end 46 years without a major tournament success.
Upon Hodgson’s appointment in May it was expected that he would re-evaluate the selection process and alter the makeup of a squad that has operated with an indistinguishable core since the turn of the Millennium.
Establishing a new youthful backbone and building a fresh, vibrant team from the nations most promising talent is an unsatisfied craving that supporters have been unable to shake.
Taking a leaf out of the Capital One Cup’s book would be a positive step for a start. A competition now regarded as the premier breeding ground for clubs to educate their young players.
Sir Alex Ferguson and then Arsene Wenger pioneered the idea that the competition would better serve the younger members on the fringes of the first team squad and exposure to top-level football would aid in their development. Furthermore it’s an exhibition of faith from a manager to a wild-eyed teenager taking his first steps into the professional game
Initially the concept was dismissed as undermining and disrespecting the heritage of a cup held in high regard by English football’s elite. Ferguson’s decision to use it to nurture his young stars caused such a stir that his selection policy was even raised at the Houses of Parliament in 1994.
It even went as far as Port Vale fans signing a petition against the Manchester United manager’s plans to field a weakened side. Yet more and more teams are following his and Wenger’s lead in giving their fresh faced brood an opportunity to impress, showcase their talent and ultimately prove whether they have what it takes to become a regular part of the senior setup.
David Beckham certainly reaped the benefits of Ferguson’s plan, as did Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Nicky Butt, Simon Davies and Keith Gillespie. They all featured in that controversial tie with Port Vale and all went on to become regulars in the Premier League and for their countries at international level.
That’s not forgetting Cesc Fabregas either who, at 16 years and 177 days old, become the youngest player in Arsenal’s history, making his debut in the League Cup against Rotherham United at Highbury and literally ran the show.
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Sticking with youth and fostering a new ‘Golden Generation’ is the unenviable task laid out in front of Hodgson. Replacing the likes of Gerrard, Lampard and John Terry was never going to be easy, but persevering with youth is certainly the way forward if England are to progress.
Thankfully it seems as if Hodgson has heeded the demand for change with 28 of his recent call-ups aged 25 or under and 14 members of the current squad coming in under that radius. Of course a few familiar faces remain but it’s clear that the core of the team is taking on a new identity.
And as Ferguson and Wenger have shown in the League Cup in years gone by, being bold and persisting with youth propagates success. Whether Hodgson stays bold and sticks with this policy remains to be seen.
The Steven Gerrard era is underway at Rangers. The new boss and his assistant Gary McAllister have started building their squad as they look to challenge Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic for the Scottish Premier League title in the coming season.
Liverpool legend Gerrard has already signed six players on permanent deals, including former Burnley midfielder Scott Arfield, ex-Hull keeper Allan McGregor and former Liverpool right-back Jon Flanagan all on free transfers. Gerrard has also used his Anfield connections to bring youngster Ovie Ejaria to Ibrox on loan.
With more business expected before the transfer window closes, we asked Rangers fans who they would like to see sign for their club. Here’s a rundown of the three players who received the strongest backing in our poll…
3. Kyle Bartley
The current Swansea centre-back is valued at £3.15m by Transfermarkt. Bartley spent time on loan at Ibrox while on Arsenal’s books during 2011 and 2012, scoring his first senior goal in a 1-0 win over St Mirren in 2011.
The Scottish Sun have reported that Swansea want £5m for the 27-year-old, but Rangers are confident of getting him for half of that fee.
2. Harry Wilson
Wilson, 21, is regarded as one of the brightest prospects at Liverpool at the moment. Predominantly a right-winger, the Welshman scored seven goals and provided four assists in just 13 games while on loan at Hull in the Championship for the second half of last season.
Those performances have no doubt alerted a number of Premier League clubs and in all honesty, a loan deal for one of Wilson’s young Liverpool teammates such as Ben Woodburn is more likely.
1. Dominic Solanke
With 1350 up votes and only 78 down votes, the player Rangers fans most want to sign this summer is Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke. The 20-year-old made 21 appearances in the Premier League last season (mostly off the bench) as he played back-up to Roberto Firmino at Anfield.
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Solanke eventually got his first Premier League goal against Brighton on the last day of the season but has proven he can be prolific with his scoring record for the England youth teams. If Jurgen Klopp brings in another striker Solanke may well find himself on loan north of the border.
Southampton advanced to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup as they beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at the Hawthorns on Saturday, but Saints fans are still struggling to see much progress being made on the pitch under manager Mauricio Pellegrino.
The south coast outfit picked up their first Premier League win since November when they also beat the Baggies in the west Midlands earlier this month – this time by a 3-2 scoreline – to move themselves out of the relegation zone in the top flight.
However, a 2-0 defeat at home to Liverpool plunged them back into the bottom three and increased the pressure on Pellegrino, who is still struggling to win over the St Mary’s faithful despite goals from Wesley Hoedt and Dusan Tadic giving them a victory on Saturday.
Southampton supporters have been speaking about their team’s situation via social media, and while one said “it’s like watching Burnley without the long ball”, another said “I have no idea what Pellegrino is trying to do”.
Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…
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Tom Cleverley to Arsenal is one of the oddest transfer rumours of this summer. Then again, you wouldn’t put it past Arsene Wenger moving for the Manchester United midfielder. The Arsenal boss either sees a project or a bargain in Cleverley, though neither will be seen as a good enough excuse from the Arsenal supporters.
Cleverley, beyond his work rate, would offer very little to this Arsenal team, and it shouldn’t be forgotten that Wenger always talks up the importance of finding quality his team don’t already have.
There’s no doubt Wenger needs at least one central midfielder this summer, but the England international is not the option, after failing to develop his game at Old Trafford.
With many fans hoping this rumour has little substance, here are five alternatives for Arsenal to consider as a midfield addition.
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Click on Toni Kroos to reveal
Football – Real Madrid v Bayern Munich – UEFA Champions League Semi Final First Leg – Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain – 13/14 – 23/4/14Real Madrid’s Asier Illarramendi in action against Bayern Munich’s Toni KroosMandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl RecineEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
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Sami Khedira
Football – Germany v Portugal – FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 – Group G – Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil – 16/6/14Germany’s Sami Khedira in action with Portugal’s Raul Meireles (R)Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Paul ChildsLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Sami Khedira had a surprisingly good game against Portugal for Germany on Monday evening. The Real Madrid midfielder missed most of last season due to injury but was straight into the German squad this summer, with Joachim Low well aware of Khedira’s importance on and off the pitch.
Arsenal were recently linked with a £16 million move for the midfielder, who’d help to address the need for a defensive player in the middle of the pitch.
As well as his qualities in front of his back four, Khedira showcased his ability to get forward and latch onto passes from Germany’s hugely talented midfield. Khedira at £16 million would be one of the better signings of this summer.
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Clement Grenier
Football – Celtic v Olympique Lyonnais – The Emirates Cup 2010 – Pre Season Friendly Tournament – Emirates Stadium – 31/7/10Clement Grenier – Olympique LyonnaisMandatory Credit: Action Images / Paul Childs
Arsenal are one of a couple of teams in England reportedly chasing Clement Grenier.
Arsene Wenger was said to have bid for the Lyon midfielder last summer before Grenier signed an extension and opted to stay in France, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if Wenger went in again for the 23-year-old. Grenier would make a lot of sense as a midfield addition this summer, with a few of the midfield regulars at Arsenal either the wrong side of 30 or approaching their thirtieth birthday.
Grenier may not convince many who saw Arsenal opt out of re-signing Cesc Fabregas, but above all Arsenal need depth and Grenier would certainly provide that.
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Toni Kroos
Football – Real Madrid v Bayern Munich – UEFA Champions League Semi Final First Leg – Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain – 13/14 – 23/4/14Real Madrid’s Asier Illarramendi in action against Bayern Munich’s Toni KroosMandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl RecineEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
If rumours are to be believed, Toni Kroos will be available for £20 million this summer. Arsenal may have opted against re-signing Cesc Fabregas, but there’s no reason why any world-class midfielder can’t be accommodated in the squad.
Kroos, known for his distribution, is exactly the kind of player Arsenal need in the centre of the pitch, someone who can pick up the ball from the defence and initiate attacks. It would be foolish if Wenger ignored Kroos’ potential availability this summer.
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Morgan Schneiderlin
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Morgan Schneiderlin failed to make it off the bench for France’s win over Honduras, but few are blind to the qualities of the Southampton midfielder.
The 24-year-old looks to be one of the better fits for Arsenal’s midfield needs this summer, and a bid from Wenger should be thought of as out of the question. Southampton are likely to lose a large number of first-choice players this summer, so they’ll look to gain as much from each player’s sale.
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Schneiderlin is still young and has adapted extremely well to the Premier League since winning promotion with his current club. He’d be a fine addition at Arsenal this summer.
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Daley Blind
Football – Holland v Wales – International Friendly – Amsterdam Arena, Holland – 4/6/14Daley Blind – Holland Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Paul ChildsEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
A lot of major clubs around Europe are said to be getting in on the act of chasing down Daley Blind’s signature after his performance against Spain for the Netherlands.
Among the admirers was Arsene Wenger, who is keen on adding a defensive midfielder to his squad this summer. Blind, who played as a left wing-back against Spain, operates equally as well from a central midfield position.
His versatility is likely a key factor in Wenger’s interest. Such is the rumours of a move and the rise of Blind under Frank de Boer at Ajax, it appears that the 24-year-old will move on this summer. Arsenal would be wise to make a move.
Gareth Barry has dismissed claims that Manchester City’s poor performances in Europe are due to the club’s inexperience in the Champions League.
The England international has admitted that the Citizens have been simply “found out” by other top European clubs. Man City are currently rock bottom of Group D with just one point from three games.
Tonight, the Premier League Champions take on Ajax, who beat the Manchester club in a resounding 3-1 victory at the Amsterdam Arena on their last Champions League outing.
The poor performance lead to criticism of City boss Roberto Mancini, partly due to his decision to use a 3-5-2 system to little effect for short periods during the match. Pressure on the Italian coach has since continued, with speculation over his future at the club following the appointment of Txiki Bergiristain as Director of Football at Eastlands.
Whereas some pundits have blamed Roberto Mancini for City’s poor European performances, others have cited the Sky Blues’ inexperience and lack of history in the Champions League, despite many of the squad having individual experience in the tournament for previous employers.
Gareth Barry however, has rejected that notion, telling reporters: “We’re certainly not using that [inexperience] as the main excuse. We are finding it tough to put our finger on exactly why it has been tough.
“It is quite clear that we have not produced our best performances against the quality of opposition that are in the Champions League and, when it comes to these games, when you’re not producing your best you get found out. That seems to be what has happened.
“We have been punished on nights when we have not been top of our game.”
City are now all but eliminated from qualifying for the knock-out stages of the Champions League, with three games left to recover a five point gap between themselves and second place Real Madrid.
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To stand any chance of progressing in the tournament, the Citizens must claim all three points in tonight’s fixture against Ajax.
Victor Wanyama had a difficult 2017-18 season at Tottenham Hotspur due to injury problems.
The midfielder missed the majority of the first half of the campaign, but when he did regain fitness he struggled to break back into the team.
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In fact, the Kenya international, who has earned 50 caps for his country, made just 24 appearances in all competitions, and 18 of those outings were in the Premier League.
Wanyama – valued at £27m by Transfermarkt – had a memorable moment when he struck a thunderbolt of a strike against Liverpool in the top flight, but other than that, his campaign was fairly lacklustre.
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According to a recent report in German publication Bild, Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund are keeping a close eye on the strong midfielder ahead of a potential move.
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Wanyama has publicly indicated that he wants to remain at Tottenham, but given that manager Mauricio Pochettino did not feel any urgency to play him, leads to questions about his future.
We asked you if the club should sanction a move to Dortmund and focus on other targets, and the outcome was very clearly in favour of the midfielder staying put.
Former Newcastle United defender Daryl Janmaat starred in Watford’s brilliant 4-1 win against the Premier League holders Chelsea at Vicarage Road on Monday night, and Magpies fans were all left saying the same thing about their ex-man.
The 28-year-old scored his third goal in 13 top flight appearances this season in a more advanced role on the right-hand side, cutting in from the wing, playing a one-two with Roberto Pereyra before beating another couple of Blues players and then producing an impressive finish with his left foot.
The Netherlands international now has more goals in 43 matches for the Hornets than he did in 77 outings for the Toon, and his performance against Antonio Conte’s men certainly left the St James’ Park faithful confused about why he never showed the same quality for them.
Newcastle supporters were quick to have their say on the Dutchman’s display via social media, and while one said “pretty sure Janmaat never did anything close to that for Newcastle”, another questioned “when did Janmaat ever do anything like that for us?”
How many false dawns can there be before you begin to believe that the sun won’t rise?
At Arsenal, it’s hard to count. But it seems that yet again reality has failed to align with the future that we’d expected. However, I’m not sure if it’s even expectation anymore. Hope, would be a better word. With Arsenal, we hope that the future will be brighter. We hope that tomorrow will be better than today.
But in the end, that’s all it is: hope. Because the reality is never as good as the future promised at the Emirates. And even the present is starting to look a lot bleaker than the past.
Francis Jeffers, Jermaine Pennant, Jeremie Allidiere, Justin Hoyte, Nicklas Bendtner, Carlos Vela. All were once reasons to believe that tomorrow will be better. When Manchester United were winning tittles. When Chelsea were winning titles. And when the titles were going to Manchester again.
Arsenal’s future remained bright. Perhaps, even brighter than all the others.
‘You just wait until the stadium is built. You just wait until Financial Fairplay comes into force. You just wait until Benik Afobe scores 20 goals a season. You just wait until Sir Alex Ferguson is gone.’
And so we waited. And in darkness we remain.
Today, it’s the turn of Gedion Zalalem and Serge Gnabry to carry the torch for hope. To be that shining beacon. To be the reason to believe. But hope is no longer enough for Arsenal.
‘We’ve had our hope. It’s overrated. Now let’s have some glory.’
Arsenal fans have long satisfied themselves on just the idea of something good alone. But the difference between this idea and reality this season has been so stark as to leave it shattered.
6-3 to Man City. 5-1 to Liverpool. 6-0 to Chelsea. The idea of Serge Gnabry terrorising defences in 3 years time is no longer sufficient. One cannot sustain themselves on hope for the future alone when the present so consistently diverges from it.
After all, it’s the present that counts. The idea of future is just the best guess at how things might turn out. It’s intangible. It doesn’t mean anything. You can’t judge a club on how their future looks. You can only make judgments on the past.
And the past has been a disappointment. In every one of the last 8 years there was reason to believe that the next one would be better. And every year reality has made fools of us.
Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Robin van Persie – they all left.
Karim Benzema, Gonzalo Higuain, Julian Draxler – they never came.
Reality has been at odds with expectations for so long so to leave us bereft of hope, of expectations, of promise. All except Arsene Wenger.
Wenger believes in his players. It’s part of what has made him such a successful manager. Arsenal have been able to play attractive football because Wenger has given them the confidence to do so. And instilling this belief can go along way to making it self-fulfilling.
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But the players can only believe for so long when reality consistently suggests different. Arsene Wenger talked of nerves being at fault for Arsenal’s heavy away defeats in the Premier League this season. But it’s no surprise the players were nervous. They had been sent out to play in an open style that had already proved itself unsuccessful with nothing more than hope that this time things would be different.
But there was no logical reason to believe that it would be. And it wasn’t.
Arsene Wenger may be the last man at the Emirates to stand by this belief. To be able to convince himself that tomorrow will be better than today. To still be able to hope.
But at Arsenal, the sun never rises quite as brightly tomorrow. And today we are left to wonder whether it will ever rise at all.