Premier League
Report: Everton keen to poach £5m midfielder from Premier League rivals
Everton are keen to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers ace Owen Otasowie, according to a report from Voetbalkrant. Toffees boss Rafa Benitez desperately needs to bolster his central midfield ranks at Goodison Park this summer. The Spaniard should be looking to add more energy, dynamism and tenacity to his engine room. Everton have not been the same since Idrissa Gueye left to join Paris Saint-Germain. However, cash doesn’t seem to be as free-flowing as it once was at Everton. Benitez will have to be thrifty in his player recruitment. Everton target Otasowie in action for Wolves Everton chasing Otasowie Voetbalkrant reckon that the Toffees are in a three-way chase for the young Wolves starlet’s signature alongside Club Brugges and West Ham United. The 20-year-old is available for a bargain £...
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Player may have played final game for Chelsea after manager snub [Opinion]
Tiemoué Bakayoko faces an uncertain future at Chelsea after falling down the pecking order and being ignored by Thomas Tuchel. The Sun recently revealed Chelsea are willing to cash in on the 26-year-old amid interest from Lyon, so the writing appears to be on the wall. Bakayoko has spent the last three years of his Chelsea career out on loan and was overlooked by Tuchel in Wednesday’s Super Cup win, so it’s hard to see him staying at Stamford Bridge. The Blues are likely to take a big hit on his sale as Bakayoko’s stock has fallen considerably since he arrived. The French international joined from AS Monaco for £40 million in 2017 and has made 43 appearances in all competitions. After underperforming in his debut season, Bakayoko was loaned out to AC Milan (August 2018 – June 2019), Monaco...
Turkish giants enter talks to sign Chelsea star who was previously bought for €39m – report
Turkish giants Besiktas have entered negotiations with Chelsea to sign striker Michy Batshuayi, French publication Footmercato claims. Batshuayi has been with the Blues since 2016, but he has been restricted to just 77 appearances for the club across all competitions. He has spent the past two-and-a-half seasons away on loan, and it now appears that he could be heading for a permanent move elsewhere. Besiktas have opened talks with the Blues. Batshuayi is keen to join a club where he can play regularly and secure a World Cup spot with Belgium. Sportslens view: Batshuayi had a productive loan spell with Crystal Palace during the back end of the 2019/2020 season, registering five goals from 11 league outings. He returned to the Eagles on loan last term but was surprisingly ignored by manager...
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Another midfielder could leave Chelsea this summer [Opinion]
Tiemoué Bakayoko could be on his way out of Chelsea before the summer transfer window shuts as he’s surplus to requirements and has interest from Lyon, but the 26-year-old isn’t the only Blues midfielder with an uncertain future. Ross Barkley finds himself in a similar situation as the French international as he’s returned to Chelsea following a loan spell away and doesn’t appear to be in Thomas Tuchel’s plans. Whether Chelsea can find a suitor for the 27-year-old remains to be seen, as he’s struggled with inconsistency for years. Barkley joined Chelsea on a five-year deal from Everton in January 2018 and has made 86 appearances in all competitions, scoring 11 goals with 11 assists. The England international struggled for consistency at Chelsea and no longer commands a starting place....
Report: Dean Smith leading race to sign Aston Villa ace’s brother
Aston Villa are front-runners to sign Northampton Town ace Caleb Chukwuemeka this summer, according to a report from All Nigeria Soccer. Tottenham Hotspur were keen to sign the 19-year-old attacker, but the Villans are now thought to have a big advantage. Chukwuemeka’s younger brother Carney Chukwuemeka is on the periphery of Villa’s first team. And that is thought to be the factor that could tip the scales back in Villa’s favour. Aston Villa leading Chukwuemeka race All Nigeria Soccer reckon that Dean Smith’s Villa side are now leading the race for the talented teenager’s signature. The young striker would be an exciting signing for the Villans. He only scored one goal in 22 league games for Northampton last season. However, that doesn’t tell the whole story. Chukwuemeka po...
Mark Lawrenson states his prediction for Manchester United vs Leeds United
BBC football expert Mark Lawrenson has stated his prediction for tomorrow’s Premier League clash between Manchester United and Leeds United at Old Trafford. The Red Devils finished as runners-up in the league last term, but they ended the campaign on a disappointing note with a defeat in the Europa League final. They will kickstart the new league season with an early kick-off on Saturday. The club are favourites against old rivals Leeds, and Lawrenson has backed them for a 2-1 win. He said: “I’m looking forward to seeing Jadon Sancho in action – I think everyone is except for Leeds fans. “This will be a lot closer than the 6-2 win that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side enjoyed at the end of last year, but I’d still expect them to take the points.” “They need to improve on their home form from la...
Report: Everton plotting move to sign 23-cap international from Premier League rivals
Everton are keen to sign Aston Villa midfielder Marvelous Nakamba this summer according to a report from The Telegraph. The Villans signed the 27-year-old ace from Club Brugges in the summer of 2019 for around £11 million (Telegraph). And it is claimed that the Toffees will have to pay at least that amount if they want to bring the Zimbabwean to Goodison Park this summer. Rafa Benitez will be very keen to bolster his central midfield ranks at Goodison Park this summer. And the Villa ace could be just the man for the job. Everton target Nakamba in action for Aston Villa last season – Copyright: xRichardxHeathcotex 59965522 Nakamba to swap Aston Villa for Everton? The Telegraph reckon that Rafa is keen to bring the 23-capped Zimbabwe international to Merseyside this summer. It its alleg...
White and Lokonga set for debuts, Predicted Arsenal line up (4-2-3-1) vs Brentford
Arsenal make the short trip to west London for the Premier League opener against newly-promoted Brentford on Friday night. The Gunners have won on the first matchday of the previous two seasons, and they are favourites for the London derby. However, they can’t afford any complacency. Thomas Frank’s side can provide a genuine scoring threat on the counter-attack. Formation: 4-2-3-1 Predicted Line up: Arsenal’s backline appears sorted. Bernd Leno is the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper, and he is expected to start between the sticks. New signing Ben White is set to make his debut at the heart of the defence. He is likely to be accompanied by a left-footed centre-back. With Gabriel Magalhaes injured, Pablo Mari appears most likely to accompany the England international in central defence. C...
Report: Wolves have made contact with £14m ace’s agent, player issues immediate response
Wolverhampton Wanderers are keen to sign Amadou Diawara and have approached the Roma ace’s representatives, according to Gazzetta dello Sport (print edition August 12, page 12). The problem for the Black Country outfit is that the 24-year-old isn’t too keen on a move to Molineux. Wolves boss Bruno Lage will be keen to bolster his central midfield ranks this summer. Joao Moutinho is set to turn 35 next month, while Ruben Neves has been heavily linked with a move away from the club. Wolves target Diawara in action for Roma last season Lage needs to add more energy, dynamism and tenacity to his engine room. Wolves chasing Diawara Gazzetta dello Sport reckon that Lage is very keen to bring the 12-capped Guinea to Molineux this summer. However, the Roma midfielder isn’t too keen on jo...
West Ham make fresh bid for 25-year-old who won 3.5 aerial duels/game last term
West Ham United have made a renewed bid for Rennes defender Nayef Aguerd that has been rejected, Football Insider reports. The Hammers are desperate to bolster the central defence this summer, and they have been linked with numerous names in recent weeks. Aguerd is one of those on their radar. They recently failed with a £15 million bid for the Moroccan. Rennes made it clear that he was not for sale. Their improved transfer offer of £17m has also been snubbed. The Hammers are unlikely to make another bid and will look at alternative options. Sportslens view: Aguerd joined Rennes from Dijon last summer. He made a good impression in Ligue 1 with 2.9 clearances and 3.5 aerial duels won per game. The 25-year-old also likes to carry the ball. He was successful in delivering 90.4 perce...
Report: Tottenham now prepared to spend club record fee on ‘world-class’ striker
Tottenham are willing to pay up to €70 million (£60m) to sign Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic, according to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport. Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo needs to bolster his front-line this summer. However, much will depend on what happens with Harry Kane. If the 28-year-old remains in north London, Tottenham will probably only sign a cheap back-up striker. Tottenham target Vlahovic in action for Fiorentina If he leaves, then the arrival of an elite centre-forward at Spurs can be expected. Tottenham willing to spend big on Vlahovic GDS claims that Fiorentina want around £60m for the brilliant 21-year-old. Spurs are reportedly ready to meet the asking price, but only if Kane leaves. What an incredible signing the Serbian ace would be for Nuno. The 6ft 3in ...
Burnley to compete with Brighton & Hove Albion to sign versatile €20m-rated star – report
Burnley are prepared to go head-to-head with Brighton & Hove Albion in the race to sign Getafe defender Marc Cucurella, The Telegraph reports. Cucurella has been with La Liga outfit for the past two seasons, where he has impressed with four goals and eight assists from 85 appearances. The Spaniard started his career as a left-back, but he was vastly played on the left side of the midfield for Getafe in their preferred 4-4-2 formation. Brighton have been heavily tipped to sign him this summer, but it appears that they could now face competition from Burnley for his services. Sportslens view: Cucurella has played with lesser possession at Getafe, and he has regularly backtracked to help out his left-back with defensive duties. Brighton appear the perfect fit for him with their possession...
