Fulham haven’t spent all that much in this transfer window, with the majority of the deals they’ve completed being loan moves.
Alphonse Areola, Ola Aina and Ademola Lookman have all arrived on loan from abroad so far, while Mario Lemina joined on a temporary basis from Southampton.
The signing of Lemina means that, due to the rules, the Whites can only bring in one more Premier League player on loan, and with both William Saliba and Ruben Loftus-Cheek on the Whites’ radar, they may soon have a big decision to make.
Only one of Saliba or Loftus-Cheek can now be brought in on loan, and with both of those players seemingly being better options than Lemina, Fulham’s August swoop for the Gabonese midfielder is beginning to look rather silly.
Would you rather have a centre-back valued at £27m and an England international or a Southampton flop? It seems like a no-brainer to us, and Tony Khan’s move for Lemina is already starting to look daft.
Khan wasn’t to know that Saliba and Loftus-Cheek would become viable moves on deadline day, but using up a valuable loan spot on a midfielder who can’t even get into your first-team wasn’t the best idea in hindsight.
Lemina is yet to start a single league game for the Whites, and if Loftus-Cheek is brought in he may drop even further down the pecking order, and even worse, that would leave the London club unable to sign Arsenal’s French defender.
Fulham are no strangers to bad decisions in the transfer market, but their bad signings usually take more than a couple of months to be judged as such.
Khan has now been left with a huge dilemma to choose between the Chelsea man and the Arsenal youngster, and it will be interesting to see who they opt for.
Celtic skipper Scott Brown is on the wrong side of 30 and won’t be around forever, but their reported move to find his successor could have Neil Lennon on the verge of one major mistake…
What’s the word?
According to 90min, the Scottish giants have set their sights on Crystal Palace midfielder James McCarthy as the heir to the captain’s throne.
It’s claimed that the Hoops have concerns over the 35-year-old’s ability to see out the season and would like to recruit a replacement sooner rather than later.
McCarthy is their primary target with Brown’s contract set to expire in a year’s time.
Brown heir
Whilst it is a rather smart decision to try and find a new midfielder to take the legend’s reins, Nick Hammond could be on the wrong path with the 29-year-old Eagles ace.
Celtic are staring down at a historic season as they attempt to retain the Scottish Premiership for a tenth successive season and despite starting every match, Brown’s lack of mobility and pace has been a cause for concern.
But McCarthy shouldn’t be the man to take his position as he’s a pretty average midfielder. This season, the Irishman averaged 2.5 tackles, 0.5 key passes and 0.2 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.
Since 2014 in the Premier League, he’s only provided a total of three assists, so it would be a rather baffling move. McCarthy only joined Selhurst Park last summer for £8.5m and is known to be a boyhood Celtic supporter.
Maybe the club should put more faith in Olivier Ntcham instead and save themselves a substantial eight-figure fee. The Bhoys midfielder is a wanted man in the PL, but at just 24, he would be the better long-term option in the role.
Dubbed a “class act” by Roy Hodgson, McCarthy must be avoided at least until the Frenchman is given a proper chance to impress at Celtic Park.
It could save the club millions in the transfer market, something that would be wise given the report claims the champions would need to sell before they buy.
AND in other news, Celtic could be planning for life after Ajer with swoop for 6 foot 4 colossus…
Napoli have lowered their asking price for Tottenham Hotspur target Arkadiusz Milik, as reported in the Sunday issue of Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness).
They had previously been demanding €40m (£37m) for the Poland international, a fee Spurs were not willing to match, though they have now reduced that to €25m (£23.1m).
Can you name every one of Spurs’ top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…
This decision comes after Roma came in with an offer of €15m (£13.9m) plus a couple of youth players in an effort to sign the 26-year-old, who scored 14 goals across all competitions for Napoli last term.
Spurs are looking to sign a frontman who can act as back-up to the talismanic Harry Kane, and it is claimed they have already sent an offer to Milik’s entourage in the hope it will help to bring about a move.
The offer is said to relate to wages, which could see the former Ajax man sign a pre-contract agreement and join next season, when his contract comes to an end.
However, Napoli want to get rid of Milik, the player is keen to leave and Jose Mourinho feels he needs another striker as soon as possible, so it is likely that work will be done to make the move come about sooner.
As things stand, Spurs don’t have a single recognised senior striker to fill in if anything were to happen to Kane.
Gareth Bale and Tottenham Hotspur are a love story of old. Of course, their relationship goes way back to the times when the Welshman was one of the hottest players on the planet, blazing through teams in the Premier League. And all those years ago, Real Madrid made him the most expensive player in the world at that time.
But, his stay at the Spanish capital was all but rewarding. Yes, Bale won trophies and delivered some excellent performances but his relationship with the current gaffer, Zinedine Zidane, is mostly non-existent. As a result, the forward is no longer being used and he spends his time either yawning in the stands or playing golf under the Spanish sun.
Recently, however, he was tipped to join Spurs once again by former teammate Andros Townsend. He explained that the 31-year-old would be much happier back in London despite sitting on a £600,000-per-week contract at Real Madrid. Here’s what he said, as quoted by Express: “I think if anything Bale wants to go back to Spurs, the memories of Spurs, his happiness… he was the main man, he was loved. He was at the top of his game. So, if anything I think it would work the other way.”
Reportedly, the Welshman is refusing to be transferred despite Real’s best efforts and is adamant on seeing out his contract that runs until 2022. This is seen as some kind of vengeance for the club blocking his mooted move to China at the 11th hour last year and this is how he’s punishing them.
A move back to Spurs, however, at least according to Townsend, would be a much better alternative for everyone.
Verdict
It may not seem that way but Bale still has a lot to offer despite already being in his 30s. The Welshman has enough quality to play at the top level for at least a couple more years and maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea for Jose Mourinho to pull the trigger.
Real are desperate to get rid of him and that means the price could be just right. If Daniel Levy was to ever open the war chest, this is the time to do it.
Jose Mourinho is growing increasingly confident that Tottenham Hotspur can sign Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma this summer, according to the Daily Express.
While Zouma has fought his way back into contention at Stamford Bridge, Frank Lampard is still looking to sign a new centre-back in the summer. He has pinned all of his hopes on signing West Ham’s Declan Rice and, if the former Chelsea academy player arrives at Stamford Bridge, Zouma could be sacrificed in his place.
Both Spurs and the Blues have obvious problems at the back, as they have conceded more goals than Arsenal, Premier League newcomers Sheffield United and newly-crowned champions Liverpool this season.
Mourinho is a massive fan of the Frenchman and has made no attempt to hide his open admiration (Sky Sports). He brought Zouma to the Premier League in the first place after signing him from Saint-Etienne back in 2014 (BBC Sport).
The Portuguese has made it clear that the 25-year-old is one of his top priorities in the summer. However, Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti, who has previously managed Chelsea, has tagged Zouma as a possible target. The Daily Express claimed that Spurs and the Toffees have hit a stumbling block, as the Blues value the Frenchman at £25m.
Zouma enjoyed a loan spell at Everton in 2018/19, but Mourinho’s relationship with the French international could still play a part in negotiations. As it stands, he could certainly be an upgrade on the Tottenham defence at the moment, as he has earned a higher WhoScored rating than any of Spurs’ defensive options so far this season.
While Daniel Levy has made it clear that he will not be spending ‘rivers of money’ in the summer, Zouma could be a shrewd signing to make as, given his young age of 25, he surely has plenty of time left in his career to continue to learn and develop.
Tottenham fans, should Daniel Levy sign Kurt Zouma in the summer? Let us know in the comments below!
Leighton Clarkson has put pen to paper and committed his future to Liverpool Football Club.
As reported by the club, the 18-year-old has signed a new long-term contract after coming through the ranks of the academy. Clarkson has been a product of Liverpool since he was just seven and finally went on to make his senior debut earlier this season.
The defensive midfielder has played for both the U18s and U23s this campaign, as well as notching two appearances for the first team. Clarkson has four assists to his name this season and has no doubt added himself to the list of youngsters looking to their chance to impress Jurgen Klopp next term (via Transfermarkt).
Loads of Liverpool fans have flocked to the club’s post to show their support for the teenager’s big announcement. One supporter has sarcastically deemed Clarkson as ‘better than [Mason] Greenwood’ whilst another has replied with ‘FSG in’ as a tongue-in-cheek jibe towards the fans who have been slamming Fenway Sports Group recently over the lack of transfer action.
Read more replies from the Anfield faithful here:
Do you think Leighton Clarkson should be given more senior game time next season? Join the discussion in the comments below!
Jordan Pickford has not had the best season this term with Everton.
The England international has been far from solid in between the sticks – he has a save percentage rate of just 63.8% in the Premier League, which is worse than all but one other goalkeeper in the top flight. He has made plenty of mistakes so far this term – three of his mistakes have led to goals, which again is the second most in the division – and he has come under plenty of criticism as a result.
His England spot has come under pressure as well. The £25.2m-valued man – as per Transfermarkt – was, at one point, a shoo-in, as we saw during the 2018 World Cup when he played in every game, but Dean Henderson’s form for Sheffield United – the Blades shot-stopper has the second-most clean sheets in the Premier League with 13 this season – has put Pickford’s place in jeopardy.
Jonathan Liew of The Guardian, though, appears to believe that his place is still secure. The Everton fans do not appear to agree, and they have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts. You can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.
There are not many youngsters in the world football that are as well-developed and already such big profiles at their respective clubs as Bukayo Saka of Arsenal. Of course, putting the Kylian Mbappes and Erling Braut Haalands aside, who are still very much anomalies in their own right.
But Saka is a Gunner through and through, having practically blazed through their academy to solidify himself as a fully pledged first-team player and even a regular starter under Mikel Arteta’s stern but just hand.
The now 18-year-old ace started the 2018/19 season with Arsenal’s U18s, but by the end of the campaign, he became a star for the Gunners’ U23s before moving up once again to slot right into the seniors’ team.
His stay in the younger ranks at the Emirates, however, was truly successful as he can boast with 16 goals and seven assists in a total of 26 games for the U18 squad and further six goals and ten assists in 25 games for the U23 squad.
But when it comes to Saka, it’s already all about the first team rather than the youth squads and 33 senior appearances can surely attest to that statement. He made his debut aged 17 last year against Vorskla Poltava in the Europa League back in November and has not looked back since, even netting three goals and a total of nine assists for the Gunners in the process as well.
For a player of such a young age, that is undoubtedly a brilliant return and Saka is surely only going to improve even further in the not so distant future. Once football finally makes its grand return, we should definitely expect to see him don the colours of the Gunners, most likely from the starting lineup, once again.
Transfer latest
The most important Arsenal news the fans must be waiting for is the verdict on Saka’s contract extension which is reportedly being discussed as we speak. Of course, that was the only logical course of action but transfer rumours suggesting there was some interest from other big clubs could definitely have forced their hand on the matter.
The likes of ManchesterUnited and Liverpool were mentioned as interested parties and seeing all the hype around the youngster build in the last months, it doesn’t really come as a surprise at all.
In other Arsenalnews, however, Arteta has also talked at length about Saka and his role at the club, and the gaffer has been really optimistic and always seemed rather impressed by his young ace, which can only mean great things for his future at the Emirates.
Whenever there’s such a bright young talent emerging at a big club, there are bound to be transfer rumours surrounding him and Saka is no exception. Now, however, everything seems to be in Arsenal’s hands.
Player profile
Saka was a prolific winger or at the very least a wide midfielder before Arteta joined the squad and injuries and absences forced him to experiment with the young gem. And luckily for him and the whole squad, the experiment was a big success and Saka was a perfect fit, showcasing his extreme versatility and adaptability, something every manager in the world values highly.
According to Transfermarkt’s database, the 18-year-old has played at three major positions in Arsenal’s senior team: left-winger, left midfielder and left-back. At the moment, it definitely seems like Saka will prosper wherever he’s deployed and that’s the best Arsenalnews the fans could’ve gotten when it comes to their young talent.
He also featured as a right-winger as well but that only happened once so it’s not really relevant to the analysis. But the best thing about this versatility means that he’s used to both defensive and attacking duties.
That makes him a huge asset when he’s on the pitch because he will often advance into the opposition half and threaten their defence even when he’s deployed as a full-back and can then use his pace and awareness to still ensure his side remains defensively solid.
He is also especially deadly when he comes at the defenders with pace and his technical skill which enables him to easily beat his markers and carry the ball further up the pitch.
Whether it’s defending or attacking, he seems like a solid overall pick that’s bound to remain in Arsenal’s plans for the future.
Manchester City might now be one of the richest clubs in the world now, but they are still a great example that having loads of money doesn’t necessarily make you perfect when recruiting players.
Even before the takeover, they were guilty of bringing in some big flops and that hasn’t necessarily changed over the last decade or so, although it has admittedly become a little rarer under the guidance of Pep Guardiola.
The successes 0f Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Pablo Zabaleta make the failed transfers a little easier to accept, but sometimes you just can’t ignore how made some of the less successful signings have been at the Etihad Stadium.
So we’ve taken a look at Man City’s 20 biggest flops of the Premier League era, and it could’ve been more…
Maicon
First up is Brazil legend Maicon who would have perhaps have gone down as a completely different signing had the Sky Blues captured him four or five years earlier.
When the right-back arrived at the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2012 for £3m, still a fair sum of money back then, he was the wrong side of 30 and beginning to battle with repeated injuries.
He would only appear 13 times before being shifted onto Roma a year later.
Bernardo Corradi
Would it be fair to say that Man City’s current Bernando (Silva) was inspired by his club’s Bernando from a decade before (Corradi)? No, probably not.
The hot-headed former Italy international striker was signed by Stuart Pearce prior to the 2006/2007 campaign and lasted just one term in Manchester before his loaning out to Parma and subsequent departure the following summer, scoring just three goals and collecting two red cards.
Nolito
Britain Soccer Football- Huddersfield Town v Manchester City – FA Cup Fifth Round – The John Smith’s Stadium – 18/2/17 Manchester City’s Nolito in action with Huddersfield Town’s Joel Coleman Reuters / Andrew Yates Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account
Pep Guardiola’s Citizens forked out the best part of £15m for a Spanish centre-forward in his pomp in the summer of 2016, Nolito – a year later the Spanish international was to return to his homeland with Sevilla.
In reality, the former Barcelona man, who impressed at EURO 2016, never adapted to the English game or way of life, infamously commenting not long before his City exit that he and his family had changed colour due to the lack of sunshine in England’s climate.
Roque Santa Cruz
Early in the reign of what is now known as the City Football Group, the east Manchester outfit were like a teenager after just receiving their first pay packet, splashing their cash on any old thing just because it’s their money and they can.
The £17.5m acquisition Roque Santa Cruz is certainly an example of that having been purchased based on a half-decent scoring record at Blackburn Rovers and a grand total of four goals for the Etihad side goes down as one of their worst PL era signings.
Christian Negouai
How could we not include in this list the only player in Premier League history to have been sent off in his only match in the league?
The great irony here is that Christian Negouai only made 11 appearances in total for the club but he somehow managed to get himself sent off on three occasions, with the other two coming in the League Cup and the FA Cup.
Jack Rodwell
Last seen refusing to give up his extortionate contract on the Sunderland documentary on Netflix, Jack Rodwell was one of the rising stars of English football when he swapped Merseyside for east Manchester in 2012 in a deal worth £12m.
But injuries limited the ex-England central midfielder to just 15 outings in his first season with the Citizens and even fewer the following term meant he was offloaded to the Stadium of Light after just two years, leaving the Etihad in a downward spiral in such contrast to the way he had arrived.
Laurent Charvet
The story of Laurent Charvet is rather similar to that of Rodwell; captured for big money after a couple of impressive seasons in England and moved on after two campaigns having barely made 25 appearances.
The right-back was simply never up to the task, utterly woeful, and the fact that he was deemed not even good enough to play for Sochaux in the year after his City exit says it all really.
Gerry Creaney
Manchester City v Charlton Athletic Nationwide 1st Div. 3/9/96 Pic: Tony O’Brien /Action Images
Manchester City’s Gerry Creaney celebrates his 87th minute winner
City fans might well want to look away for this one.
Imagine swapping one of your best players and fan favourites in Paul Walsh for someone as ineffective as Gerry Creaney, and also paying £500k for the pleasure, well that’s exactly what City did in 1995 and three years and four outbound loans down the line Creaney was released!
Jo
Talking of shocking moves, this one is up there with one of the worst transfers of all time in world football, let alone just for City and in the Premier League era.
Jo, who’s somehow played 20 times for Brazil and scored a few goals as well, signed for a fee believed to be a club-record £19m from CSKA Moscow in the 2008 summer transfer window and the Sky Blues certainly got value for money, if you count that as a miserly six goals in 42 games.
Jerome Boateng
On paper, Jerome Boateng was a huge waste of money for Man City but in reality, the move could have paid off if they were a little more patient with him.
Roberto Mancini saw his potential whilst he was playing for Hamburg, though the centre-back only remained under his reign for one injury-affected season and played out of position at right-back for most of it.
Nowadays we, of course, know Bayern Munich’s Boateng as the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League and seven-time Bundesliga-winning global star.
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…
Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has been speaking to the media ahead of his side’s game against Watford this weekend.
Firstly, he offered a quite hilarious update on the fitness of Sofiane Boufal, revealing that the Moroccan had sustained a swollen toe after stubbing it on a table while running to his kitchen – the former Lille man is a doubt for the game against the Hornets because of the issue, as he hasn’t trained for three days.
However, the former RB Leipzig boss had some more serious words to say on the Saints’ upcoming fixtures.
What did he say?
The Austrian said: “I think every period is important, but this one now against teams around us is very, very important – they are all ‘six-point games’, if you want.
“Wins are massive and losing is also massive, so this is a very, very important period until Christmas.”
“Everybody knows that if you want to be in the end above the (relegation) line, then you must start to take points consistently.”
Absolutely must keep stressing this to his players
Hasenhuttl states that this period is “very, very important” for his side – however, even that is an understatement.
Southampton take on Watford next, before facing games against Norwich, Newcastle, West Ham and Aston Villa, a run of fixtures that is absolutely pivotal to their hopes of staying up, or even getting to Christmas without being the Premier League’s basement side.
That is a very real possibility, as the Saints are just one point off the bottom of England’s top-flight as things stand, and will head into December as the 20th-placed team if they lose to Watford.
History has shown that, if you are at the bottom of the Premier League come Christmas, then your chances of survival are very, very slim – only three sides since 1999/2000 have survived a campaign having been bottom at Christmas.
“Three times since 1999-2000 have clubs — West Brom 2004-05, Sunderland 2013-14 and Leicester 2014-15 — been bottom at Christmas and survived.”
Achieving 12 points from those aforementioned four fixtures is very feasible if the impressive showing against Arsenal is anything to go by, and would leave the south coast side on 21 points from 17 games, which isn’t the worst situation in the world.
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He has already touched on it, but Hasenhuttl absolutely must drill the importance of these next four games into his players until they can’t get it out of their heads – it is that crucial.
In other news, Hasenhuttl’s injury update on this Southampton man – not Boufal – has come at the worst possible time…