This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
According to The Daily Mail, Southampton keeper Fraser Forster is a target for Liverpool, who have just six days left to get their business done before the deadline.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Reds still have Simon Mignolet on their books as backup to No.1 glovesman Alisson Becker, although reports had previously surfaced suggesting that the Belgian wanted to leave in search of game time.
The former Sunderland stopper remains at the club for now, although The Daily Mail have reported that Forster is on their list of targets.
Sky Sports had revealed that the England international had been put up for sale by the Saints this summer, along with another England international and Liverpool target in Alex McCarthy, so one would assume a deal wouldn’t be too difficult to complete if the Merseysiders were seriously interested.
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How can Jurgen Klopp trust Forster?
There comes a fair amount of ambiguity over a new signing even when they’ve been playing well for their previous employers, so you can only begin to think of how many question marks are looming over Forster given his recent history.
The former Celtic man has featured just once for Southampton competitively since a 5-2 defeat against Spurs on Boxing Day back in 2017, with his most recent appearance coming in a 3-0 loss to West Ham in the penultimate game of last season.
In that time, the 6 foot 7 stopper has slipped behind McCarthy and Angus Gunn in the pecking order, and he hasn’t even appeared in a cup game during his time on the sidelines.
Even some Southampton fans on Twitter don’t appear to be too fussed by the possibility of him leaving St Mary’s, judging by the way they reacted to Liverpool’s interest in him – one supporter described it as “a Southampton to Liverpool transfer I can get on board with.”
As a result of the 31-year-old’s severe lack of football over the last year-and-a-half, you could easily argue the fact that Jurgen Klopp wouldn’t have a clue what he’d be getting if he brought Forster to Anfield – it would almost be a complete stab in the dark, and there’s no way the German can trust the 31-year-old to step in when needed given his complete lack of football.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
Arsenal have pulled out of the running to sign Celtic’s Kieran Tierney after their third bid was rejected, according to The Daily Record.
What’s the story?
The 22-year-old has been a target for the Premier League side all summer but it looks like the saga has come to an end. The bid was believed to have totalled £25m but unrealistic add-ons put off Neil Lennon’s club, who wanted more of the fee up front, per the report by the reputable Alison McConnell.
The left-back is interested in going to Unai Emery’s men but doesn’t want to push for a move away from the club he’s supported his entire life. This, coupled with ambitious add-ons offered by the Gunners, has lead the North London side to turn their attention elsewhere.
The bonuses and top-ups included in the third bid were related to Arsenal’s qualification into the Champions League, something the Hoops felt was unrealistic.
What next?
With Lennon bringing in Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo in a £3m deal from Rapid Vienna this summer, Tierney staying at Parkhead throws up a bit of a conundrum.
£3m is far from an insignificant amount of money for Celtic and it’s been fair to assume anyone signing for the club at the fee would expect to play a lot. Yet with the fan favourite not going to Arsenal, Lennon might have to figure out a way to get them both in the side.
It’s not a problem the Bhoys boss will have to deal with immediately given the Scot’s injury issues, but it won’t be long before he has a decision on his hands.
Thankfully for everyone involved, both are flexible and versatile; we’ve seen Tierney play at centre back and on the right for Scotland, and Bolingoli-Mbombo has the hallmarks of a winger.
Of course, having too many good players to choose from isn’t exactly the worst problem in the world anyway, but after Lennon’s recent comments on Bolingoli-Mbombo being a tad rash, the new arrival may well be used further forward if Tierney does indeed stay put.
Slaven Bilic started his reign today as West Bromwich Albion manager by taking charge of his first training session. The Croatian will be wanting to get his squad ready as soon as possible for the new season. Today’s Baggies transfer roundup includes interest in their 19-year-old midfielder, an update in regards to a transfer target and the pursuit of a 23-year-old Benfica player.
Giants interested in Harper
According to the Daily Mirror, Juventus, Liverpool and Tottenham are all interested in signing West Brom’s 19-year-old midfielder Rekeem Harper. The player is out of contract this month and is yet to sign a new deal.
Lowe wants Portsmouth exit
West Brom target Jamal Lowe has told Portsmouth that he wants to leave the club this summer according to Sky Sports. The winger has one year left on his current deal, so Portsmouth may need to let him go now to be able to get good money from him.
Interest in Krovinovic
Portuguese outlet Record is reporting that West Brom are interested in Benfica’s Filip Krovinovic. The Croatian 23-year-old has been with Benfica since 2017 and has so far made 28 appearances for the club’s senior side.
After a disappointing campaign by his standards, it’s been little surprise to see Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku seemingly on his way out of Old Trafford this summer.
Having scored just 15 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions, the Belgian may have played his final game for the club last season and reports in recent weeks had suggested Serie A giants Inter are interested in his services.
Now, in an update from ESPN, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are expected to reject the Nerazzurri’s opening offer of a two-year loan deal worth £9m with an obligation to buy at £53.7m.
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The latest news saw United fans take to Twitter and many were relieved that the club were not planning on accepting such a low offer for the forward.
Some labelled Inter’s offer as being “terrible” and pointed back to the side’s negotiation tactics when United were interested in signing Ivan Perisic as a marker of how the Red Devils should play the “hard game” with them.
A few fans of the Manchester side however felt the club needed to sign a replacement for Lukaku before letting the 26-year-old go and urged United not to sell him unless the offer was right.
Check out some of the reaction of United fans on Twitter below:
أشاد ميكيل هانسن نجم منتخب الدنمارك لكرة اليد، وأفضل لاعبي العالم في النسخة الماضية من بطولة كأس العالم لكرة اليد، بالإجراءات الاحترازية المطبقة في مصر 2021.
وتستضيف مصر بطولة كأس العالم لكرة اليد في نسختها الـ32 في الفترة من 13 يناير الحالي حتى 31 من نفس الشهر.
أقرأ ايضًا.. موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة مصر ومقدونيا الشمالية في كأس العالم لكرة اليد
وقال هانسن في المنطقة المختلطة لمباراة فريقه ضد البحرين: “عدم حضور الجماهير للمباريات كان القرار السليم في ظل فيروس كورونا”.
وأوضح “حتى الآن، الأمور على ما يرام في الفندق، أتفهم أنه من الصعب السيطرة على تلك الأمور. نبقى في الدور الخاص بنا ولا نجازف، ونستمتع بوقتنا معا”.
وعن الفوز ضد البحرين 34-20 قال هانسن: “قمنا بعمل جيد، سيطرنا بشكل جيد وكان يوما جيدا بالنسبة لنا”.
وشدد: “أظن أننا في مستوى عال، هناك ضغط علينا كوننا قادمين للحفاظ على اللقب لكن هناك ستة فرق يمكنها المنافسة. مصر تقدم أداء رائعا حتى في غياب الجمهور، وكذلك النرويج وإسبانيا وكرواتيا وسلوفينيا وألمانيا والسويد. لو لم نكن في 100% من جاهزيتنا، سنعاني”.
Liverpool fans have been on social media discussing whether their club need to sign another centre-back in this summer’s transfer window.
Virgil van Dijk has been an absolute colossus at the heart of the defence.
Meanwhile, Joel Matip deserves huge credit for biding his time in the early stages of the 2018-19 campaign before taking full advantage of Joe Gomez’s absence through injury.
Dejan Lovren is easily the least popular centre-back with the fans.
But it is certainly worth remembering that Lovren helped Croatia reached the 2018 World Cup final and is a capable operator at the highest level.
There are a number of Liverpool supporters who feel that central defence is not an area in need of strengthening in this summer’s transfer window.
You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…
However, not everyone agrees as Ajax’s exceptional teenager Matthijs de Ligt has been mentioned by Liverpool fans as a desired signing.
A selection of the Twitter discussion can be seen below:
As the Premier League title race reached its zenith on Sunday, there had been a glaring absence of clichéd twists and turns in the weeks which preceded matchday 38. Title races have become renowned for their unpredictability but Man City and Liverpool simply refused to conform to historical norms, to play by the rules or to succumb to the heft of the pressure which the final weeks induced.
Brighton & Hove Albion provided what seemed to be a sting in the tale just moments after Liverpool had taken the lead at Anfield. For a transient blip in time the fairytale ending was a real possibility, for those supporters leaning towards the Reds, at least. Brighton supporters bellowed out the latest scoreline at Anfield in the minutes before the ball was flicked into Ederson’s net at the Amex Stadium.
The fear was suddenly plastered over Guardiola’s face; City fans were mute and stunned.
The sleepless nights and vivid dreams of a Premier League trophy embroidered in red ribbons that visited Liverpool fans in the build-up to the grand finale suddenly became a tangible reality.
What everybody seemed to forgot in a moment of time so scarce that it hardly feels real in hindsight was that City have been and done it all before. They were not allowing a header from Glenn Murray – a player who, for all of his goal scoring prowess, must be a Sunday League player masquerading as an actual Premier League footballer – to thwart their path to back-to-back domestic titles.
The old guard kicked into gear: David Silva – a player who has come under scrutiny this season for the first time in his esteemed career – controlled a heavy-weighted incisive pass from Aymeric Laporte with a deft touch of ingenuity, providing just enough weight to roll the ball into Serio Aguero’s path, ensuring that there was no requirement to break stride. A sweeping left-footed drive slammed through Matt Ryan’s legs with laser-like precision. Two revered legends of the club combined to unlock a defensive unit who have often been so unbreakable against the very best in the division.
The result then became a formality when Aymeric Laporte nodded home a second goal with seven minutes remaining before the interval. Riyad Mahrez made a stride forward in his endeavour to win over a fanbase who haven’t warmed to his style – or his penalty-taking prowess, which is apparently modelled on Jonny Wilkinson’s conversion technique – by taking the result beyond the hosts before Ilkay Gundogan finished the season with a free-kick so exquisitely placed that it seemed to encapsulate the grace, finesse and perfection of the defending champions with one scintillating swipe of the boot.
Soccer Football – Premier League – Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester City – The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain – May 12, 2019 Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan scores their fourth goal REUTERS/Toby Melville 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. P
As the party unfolded on the south coast, pundits, journalists and spectators alike naturally began to dissect the season, striving to explain an almost unexplainable level of supremacy.
Silva, Aguero, Vincent Kompany and Fernandinho, four immortal members of City’s old guard, will go down in the annals as the pioneering talents of a full scale revolution at the club. Replacing them is a task which Pep Guardiola, Txiki Begiristain and the club’s owners will need to lend a serious weight of thought to in the coming years.
John Stones could yet be the man to replace the Belgian but there is a stark and credible feeling that there is simply no match for the club’s insatiably popular man both on and off the field. He is an ambassador for the sport, Manchester City and the city of Manchester; replacing him would be akin to finding another Sir Alex Ferguson, forming another Oasis or building a new Hacienda.
Fernandinho’s qualities, meanwhile, are remarkably distinct but there are talents in waiting who could adapt to replicate his function. Replacing the club’s all-time top goal scorer will be similarly impossible. That just leaves Silva, a player who possesses such mystical tendencies that replacing him has seldom been viewed possible.
Guardiola, though, has done the unthinkable: he has signed a player in Bernardo Silva who is already threatening to usurp the playmaking king of the Etihad Stadium. As he was held aloof in front of the delirious City supporters, who belted out a rendition of an Abba-inspired chant which has been tailored to their diminutive hero, it felt as if this was the Portuguese wizard’s coronation: the moment in which the proverbial baton was passed over from one Silva to another.
He deservedly earned a place in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year and is a strong favourite to scoop Man City’s player of the season accolade. At just 24-years-old it’s clear that Bernardo is a player with the credentials to follow in the footsteps of both his namesake and the other aforementioned members of City’s history-defining golden generation.
But what is pertinently remarkable about the narrative unfolding at City is that the former Monaco man is not merely an upgrade for El Mago: he could even be an upgrade.
Uttering a sentence of this ilk would have been considered blasphemy about six months after he joined the club. Heads would have been mounted on spikes for even suggesting that David Silva’s reputation and achievements could ever be toppled. Now the fans find themselves in a position where the impossible has become possible. In Bernardo we find creativity synonymous with that of his namesake, bundles upon bundles of relentless work-rate, a capacity to eat up the turf at a rate Forest Gump would be proud of and a surprising tendency to bounce off colossal central defenders no matter how rotund.
Don’t forget to add in an infectious personality and popularity amongst both teammates and supporters. I repeat: he is just 24.
The curtain comes down on the season, narratives unfold, eulogies rain down and reflections on arguably the most high-quality title race the Premier League has even seen are offered. Amidst all this City fans can look both backwards and forwards in time with equal fondness and optimism, envisaging a future of further success with at least one member of the celebrated old-guard adequately replaced – or even upgraded.
Bernardo epitomises just about everything that is utterly ethereal about this current Manchester City squad and one only has to listen to pundits of varying allegiances deliver gushing appraisals on the midfielder to appreciate that his popularity transcends far and wide.
Guardiola has made the impossible possible in more ways than one since arriving at City and, through the £43 million signing of Bernardo, he has done something that was once considered beyond the realms of possibility.
At the culmination of a second season with the champions, it’s safe to say Bernardo has successfully passed his audition for the role of Silva’s long-term successor.
In recent years we have seen teams promoted from the Championship when they have been built around a group of players from one specific nation.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves were built around Portuguese players, while Daniel Farke’s Norwich side had a plethora of German talent in their ranks.
With Victor Orta in charge of transfers at Leeds they have quietly been applying a transfer policy that favours the signings of Spaniards, and according to reports in Marca they may be set to add another in the shape of Rafa Mujica.
Who is he?
Mujica is a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, but now aged 20 he is yet to make a first-team appearance for the European giants.
He has played 63 games for the Catalan club’s B team where he has scored just 10 goals, so it seems that despite being a product of one of the best academies in the world Mujica is yet to make a real impact in his career.
This wouldn’t be the first time Leeds have looked towards Camp Nou when they have been looking for players. Kun Tumenzhukov came from Barcelona’s youth setup to Elland Road and has been brilliant for their U23s this season.
Have to be careful with this policy
With the links to Mujica and Ander Iturraspe, it seems increasingly likely that Leeds are looking to bring in more Spanish players this summer.
Kiko Casilla, Pablo Hernandez and Samu Saiz are already on the books at the Yorkshire club, and several other youngsters are in the reserves.
Orta’s Spanish influence is filtering into the first team, but the Whites must be careful when purchasing from one of the world’s great footballing nations.
Spaniards have often had a hard time settling in England the likes of Jozabed at Fulham, Vicente Iborra at Leicester and Nolito at Man City have shown that their talents often don’t translate over to the English game.
Leeds have already fallen victim to this problem as Saiz had to go out on loan in January due to homesickness after a fantastic first season with the club.
The policy could work wonders for the Whites, but they mustn’t put all their eggs in one basket as it may backfire.