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Rio Ferdinand picks three players that Arsenal must build around

Former Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand has named three players that Arsenal must build their team around. Although it has been a frustrating season for the Gunners, the emergence of some promising youngsters has undoubtedly been positive news. When discussing the state of the London club on his YouTube channel FIVE, Ferdinand highlighted three players that have been shining lights this season. “The only good thing to come out for Arsenal are Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka and Kieran Tierney this season. “They’ve been top – they’ve been the best players, and that’s what he’s (Mikel Arteta) got to build around going forward.” Ferdinand also praised Joe Willock, who has spent the second half of the season on loan at Newcastle United. “Even Joe Willock has gone to Newcastle and kept...

Juventus eyeing up return for former striker if Cristiano Ronaldo leaves

Juventus have set their sights on two strikers in case star man Cristiano Ronaldo departs this summer. Ronaldo came to Juventus in the summer transfer window of 2018 for a club-record fee of €100 million. 33-years-old at the time, it was hoped that the Portuguese would be the man to bring them to European glory, having not lifted the Champions League trophy since 1996. On an individual level, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has been a smashing success in Turin. He is just one goal short of the century mark for the Old Lady, having made 130 appearances in all competitions. As things stand, he leads the Serie A Golden Boot race with 27 – six more than Romelu Lukaku, Dusan Vlahovic and Luis Muriel in joint second. Ronaldo is on the verge of hitting the 100-mark at his third club In contrast,...

Leeds reportedly looking to pip Bayern & Ancelotti to winger compared to Arjen Robben after scouting trips

Everton and Leeds United are keen on signing Wolfsburg winger Josip Brekalo this summer, according to Express Sports. The Croatian international has been in fine form in the Bundesliga this term, scoring seven goals and assisting three more in 28 league games. Bayern Munich and Napoli are also keen on the 22-year-old who has been compared with Dutchman Arjen Robben due to his style of play. Brekalo loves to cut inside and shoot from distance, and defending against him on his day does not yield a lot of success. Liverpool have also been linked with the Wolfsburg star, but it is Leeds and Everton that have run the rule over him in the past few months. Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa wants to bolster his attack and has already been linked with a renewed interest in Rangers winger Ryan Kent. ...

Euro giants reportedly in the hunt to sign £10m Spurs player in the summer

Real Madrid are reportedly interested in signing Tottenham Hotspur defender Serge Aurier in the summer transfer window.  According to reports from French outlet, Foot Mercato, the La Liga giants are looking to sign the Ivory Coast international who is set to enter the last 12 months of his contract. The report claims that Aurier has spoken to Raphael Varane about a potential move. The 28-year-old’s future in north London looks to be uncertain, although he has prominently featured under Ryan Mason. Spurs apparently want around £10 million for the full-back and Madrid are keen to sign him. They want him as a cover for Dani Carvajal. SL View Aurier has been a source of frustration for Spurs in the past few years, with managers finding it hard to trust him completely. He is a player with ...

England international reportedly on verge of leaving Aston Villa for Man Utd

Manchester United are edging close to signing Aston Villa goalkeeper Tom Heaton on a free transfer this summer, according to The Telegraph. The Red Devils will be without Sergio Romero at the end of the season, and they have identified the England international as a replacement. Heaton has not featured for Villa since January 2020, with an anterior cruciate ligament injury keeping him on the sidelines and treatment table until last December. The 35-year-old has since lost his spot in Dean Smith’s starting XI to Emiliano Martinez as a result, and he is not keen on playing second fiddle to him. The two-year deal Heaton was offered when he joined Villa from Burnley in the summer of 2019 expires at the end of this season, and while the club would love to hand him an extension, an exit is now o...

Celtic finally set for windfall as Arsenal reportedly eye £25m 51-goal hitman

Arsenal are weighing up a move for Lyon striker Moussa Dembele ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Telegraph Sports. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is looking to strengthen his attack, and while it appears that he has missed out on Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard, another Frenchman and former Hoops star is now on his radar. Dembele is currently on loan at Atletico Madrid, but he has not scored or assisted in six appearances across the La Liga and Champions League. Injury and fitness issues have hindered the 25-year-old from impressing, and whether Diego Simeone’s side will be keen to activate the option to buy him for around £30 million remains to be seen. Dembele’s form has not stopped Arsenal from casting glances at him, though, and he is available for £25 million this summer. Celtic a...

Ligue 1 POTY: Who deserves to win player of the year for 2020/21?

The nominees for Ligue 1 player of the season have been announced, with Paris Saint-Germain, Lille, AS Monaco and Lyon players all involved. While the Ligue 1 title race is yet to reach its conclusion, Lille remain three points ahead of Paris Saint-Germain with just two games remaining. The latter do have a significantly improved goal difference, so any slip up from Christophe Galtier’s side could change everything. Who are the nominees Neymar (PSG) Kylian Mbappe (PSG) Memphis Depay (Lyon) Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco) Burak Yilmaz (Lille) Neymar Starting with Brazilian star Neymar, it is quite frankly a surprise to see him on this list. Neymar has only featured in 16 Ligue 1 matches this season, due to being injured for the vast majority of the campaign. Despite scoring eight goals and ...

Spurs make contact with 47-yr-old, manager very keen on taking over next season

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for the Belgium manager Roberto Martinez. According to Football Insider, the 47-year-old is on the London club’s shortlist to replace Jose Mourinho and Martinez is keen on the job. The report further states that he is willing to leave his role as the Belgium national team manager immediately after the European Championship in order to take over at the Premier League club. Apparently, the Premier League side have already made contact with the 47-year-old manager and he remains a strong contender to take over from Ryan Mason at the end of the season. The Belgium manager is thought to be ‘pushing strongly’ for the managerial post at Tottenham and it remains to be seen how the situation unfolds over the coming months. Martinez did an impressive jo...

NUFC reportedly in contact with ‘most gifted player of his generation’ Ancelotti dubbed fantastic

According to Foot Mercato, Newcastle United are keen on RC Lens midfielder Gael Kakuta ahead of the summer transfer window and have contacted his representatives over a possible move. The former Chelsea prodigy, once dubbed by the Blues’ French scout as the most gifted player of his generation, has been in fine form in the Ligue 1 this term, scoring 11 goals and weighing in with five assists in 33 league games. Having confirmed their Premier League status for next season following Fulham’s relegation last night, Newcastle are keen to bolster their midfield this summer. Signing Arsenal loanee Joe Willock permanently could cost the Magpies around £20 million, and they are looking for cheaper alternatives. Kakuta’s creativity has seen Lens emerge as surprise contenders for a Europa League spo...

£5m Hammers defender & £17m Villa star make Jamie Carragher’s TOTY

Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher has included Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and West Ham United right-back Vladimir Coufal in his Premier League Team of the Year. The duo have been impressive for their respective teams since joining them last summer, and they have played key roles in helping to improve their fortunes on the pitch. Coufal joined West Ham from Slavia Prague for £5 million and has featured in 31 Premier League games thus far, contributing six assists. The 28-year-old is having an impressive debut season in the English top-flight, and he is one of the reasons why the Hammers are pushing for Europe. Arsenal are probably still ruing letting Martinez join Villa for just £17 million in the summer as he inspired the Midlands outfit to Premier L...

La Liga title race: Barcelona and Real Madrid playing catch-up, but can the league leaders manage a win?

In what looked set to be a crucial round of fixtures in the La Liga title race, points dropped by Atlético, Barcelona and Real Madrid over the weekend leaves us with no clear title favourite with three games left to play. Atlético maintained their two-point lead at the top of the La Liga table despite their stalemate with the Catalans on Saturday afternoon, as Real Madrid also drew with Sevilla on Sunday night in an entertaining 2-2 clash. The tense race for La Liga glory will continue, and with the unpredictable nature of the chasing pack’s results – we can expect plenty of surprises as the season draws to a close. Will wasteful Barca rue missed opportunity? Ousmane Dembélé was guilty of missing a glaring opportunity five minutes from time Victory over Atlético Madrid at the Camp Nou woul...

Steve Bruce makes Joe Willock admission as Newcastle transfer decision looms

Newcastle manager Steve Bruce has confirmed that the Magpies will look to sign Arsenal youngster Joe Willock this summer. Willock joined Newcastle on loan in January, having been tipped as a player with top potential. Having scored in his first game against Southampton, that goal was a sign of things to come. Despite Newcastle then going seven games without a win, Willock continued to impress with the Magpies. The Englishman has also stepped up his performances in recent weeks, with four goals in his last four games, including one last-gasp goal against Liverpool. Bruce has now confirmed that the club will look to sign Willock permanently this summer. “All of us would love to [make it permanent],” Bruce explained to talkSPORT. “He’s 21, a midfield player, and he’s got five goals since the ...