General Football News
Report: Arteta believes Arsenal midfielder needs a move to a club like NUFC
According to The Telegraph, Newcastle United are looking to land Arsenal midfielder Joe Willock on loan for the rest of the season before the end of the day. The 21-year-old could complete the move to St. James’ Park in the coming hours as manager Mikel Arteta has urged him to leave on loan. The Spaniard believes a move to a club like Newcastle is precisely the sort of challenge Willock needs at this stage of his career, but whether the player is willing to swap North London for the North East for the second half of the campaign remains to be seen. Magpies manager Steve Bruce is expecting a definitive answer from Arsenal in the next few hours as he looks to bolster his squad for the remainder of the campaign. Sportslens View Willock has featured 16 times across all competitions for Arsenal...
Report: EPL man joins Celtic for rest of the season, Tuesday debut likely
According to The Daily Mail, Celtic will sign Everton right-back Jonjoe Kenny on loan for the remainder of the campaign. Manager Neil Lennon needs some quality additions to give his squad a new lease of life, with 23 points separating his side from runaway Scottish Premiership leaders Rangers. Kenny could make his debut against Kilmarnock on Tuesday, and the England youth international will be eager to prove himself at Parkhead in the coming months. Sportslens View Having sold a wantaway Jeremie Frimpong to Bayer Leverkusen last week, Celtic needed to bring in a replacement and Kenny could be a fine addition. The 23-year-old struggled to break into manager Carlo Ancelotti’s plans at Goodison Park, featuring in just four Premier League games this term, with just one coming from the start. E...
Phil Hay shares what he’s heard as Spanish club plot move for Leeds star
The Athletic’s Phil Hay has revealed that Spanish second-tier outfit Castellon want to sign Leeds United midfielder Pablo Hernandez before the end of the January transfer window. Hearing from Spain that Castellon were hoping to tempt Pablo Hernandez back there this month but it won’t happen. Leeds not willing to lose him. #lufc — Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) January 31, 2021 However, the 35-year-old is set to remain at Elland Road beyond tomorrow’s deadline as the club are not keen on losing him right now. Sportslens View Despite playing 36 league games in the Championship last term as Leeds secured promotion, Hernandez has had to play a bit-part role in the Premier League this season, starting just two of the seven appearances he has made in the competition. Nevertheless, he has weighed in with t...
‘His eyes lit up’ – Report shares how Gerrard reacted to recent Man Utd result
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard continues to keep tabs on the Premier League despite managing in the Scottish Premiership, and he remains a staunch Liverpool fan. The former midfielder has never liked Manchester United given his links with the Anfield giants, and that does not appear to have changed. According to the Sportsmail, Gerrard’s eyes lit up when a journalist told him on Wednesday that the Red Devils were losing to Sheffield United at Old Trafford, and he made sure to watch the highlights when he got back to his apartment that night. The 1-0 defeat prevented Man Utd from returning to the top of the league table, and that would have left the Liverpool hero very delighted. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men could not bounce back from mid-week’s shocker when they visited Arsenal yesterday, playi...
‘Happy days’ – Hammers co-owner reacts as Everton suffer loss against Bruce’s men
Everton suffered a 2-0 loss at the hands of Newcastle United at Goodison Park today, remaining in seventh place in the Premier League table as a result. A victory for the Toffees would have seen them move to fifth, leapfrogging both West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur in the log, and the defeat has dealt a slight blow on their chances of breaking into the top-four. Hammers co-owner David Gold was left delighted with Newcastle’s victory over Everton as it ensured that his side remained in fifth place, and he took to Twitter to react thus to the result: Newcasle beat Everton at Goodison Park 2-0 to keep West Ham in sixth place above Tottenham, Everton, Chelsea and Arsenal. Happy days. dg — David Gold (@davidgold) January 30, 2021 West Ham have picked up 10 wins, five defeats and five losse...
Report: Liverpool want defender Mourinho once dubbed ‘a monster’, enquiries made
According to The Athletic, Liverpool are looking at a loan signing or a free transfer as manager Jurgen Klopp looks to bolster his defence ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline, and sources close to West Ham United centre-back Issa Diop claim that they have enquired about the French defender. However, the Hammers are not likely to sanction a loan for the £20 million-rated defender should the Reds come calling, unless it came with an obligation to buy. Sportslens View Liverpool were dealt a massive blow during the week following injuries to Fabinho and Joel Matip, and they are now left with Jordan Henderson, Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips as their only options at centre-back. Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez could both remain out of action for the rest of the campaign as they recover from their ...
Report: 28y/o now fighting to save Spurs career after reaction to Jose’s decision
According to Sportsmail, Tottenham Hotspur right-back Serge Aurier is now fighting to save his career at the North London club following an outburst during mid-week’s 3-1 defeat at the hands of Liverpool. Spurs found themselves trailing 1-0 to the visitors on the stroke of half-time, with the Ivory Coast international failing to properly mark Sadio Mane before the cross that led to the goal. Aurier stormed out of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of the restart after boss Jose Mourinho withdrew him during the interval, leaving teammates shocked at his reaction, and that could now put his future at the club in jeopardy. Sportslens View The 28-year-old has less than 18 months left on his current contract, and it does not appear that an extension is forthcoming from the look of things. His ...
Report: Liverpool plotting January deal for 28y/o who once wanted West Ham move
According to Football Insider, Liverpool are looking to sign New York Red Bulls centre-back Aaron Long on loan before the January transfer window closes on Monday. The United States international is available on a three-month short-term loan with no option to buy as the Major League Soccer season is currently on hold until April as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and Reds manager Jurgen Klopp is keen on doing a deal. Sportslens View Liverpool are currently stripped to their bare bones at the back, with recent injuries to Fabinho and Joel Matip further compounding their woes. While last night’s 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur got their title defence back on track, failure to strengthen at the back this month could prove costly going forward. Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez could both rem...
Report: Barcelona star Lionel Messi learning French alongside his family
Barcelona star Lionel Messi is understood to be taking French lessons alongside his family, as per Canal + journalist Geoffroy Garétier, speaking to El Mundo Deportivo. The Argentine’s future has been a regular topic of speculation since the summer and he currently has less than six months remaining on his Blaugrana deal. So far, the club have been unable to negotiate a renewal with the six-time Ballon d’Or winner and it is reported that he and his family are learning French. The 33-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Manchester City last summer and it has been claimed that they could sign him on a free transfer later this year. However, Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in Messi and Garétier has hinted that the Argentine, who is learning French, could be on his way ...
Offside rule changed following controversial Bernardo Silva goal vs Aston Villa
Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) have announced tweaks to the offside rule following Bernardo Silva’s controversial goal against Aston Villa. The Portuguese winger opened the scoring in the 79th minute, firing into the top corner from the edge of the box. However, he received the ball from Rodri, who had dispossessed Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings from an offside position. The goal caused outrage among the visiting staff, with manager Dean Smith given a red card and a subsequent touchline ban for his outbursts. PGMOL came out after the game and defended the decision to let the goal stand, claiming that Rodri was not offside due to Mings’ choice to play the ball. The defender admitted his mistake after the game on Twitter, but was also left baffled by the lack of VA...
Report: Club want to offer Newcastle Denmark international in exchange for 31y/o
According to The Sun, Championship side Bournemouth have a long-term desire to bring Newcastle United winger Matt Ritchie back to the Vitality Stadium, and they are ready to let Philip Billing go the other way in a swap deal. Sportslens View The 31-year-old left the Cherries in 2016 after four seasons that produced 31 goals in 142 appearances across three different divisions, and has since established himself as a key player for the Magpies. Ritchie left the top-flight to link up with Newcastle in the Championship, helping them seal an immediate return to the EPL with 12 goals and seven assists in 42 league games. He has played just eight times in the Premier League for Newcastle this term, and while he does not have a goal or assist yet, Bournemouth are keen on his expertise when it comes...
‘Never said that’ – Wilshere sets the record straight over alleged West Ham comments
Jack Wilshere signed a short-term deal with Championship outfit Bournemouth earlier this month having briefly trained with them. The English midfielder was keen to keep fit while searching for a new club after parting ways with West Ham United by mutual consent on summer transfer deadline day, and he eventually linked up with the Cherries once again. The 29-year-old had a loan spell at the Vitality Stadium in 2016-17 towards the end of his Arsenal career, and they decided to hand him a deal till the end of 2020-21 after he impressed during training sessions. West Ham fans came for Wilshere’s head afterwards, mocking him for joining Bournemouth after he allegedly called the Hammers a small club. The former Gunners midfielder has now cleared the air and set the record straight, insisting he ...
