It has been revealed that Everton showed interest in signing Manchester City’s Phil Foden on loan last December.
According to The Athletic reporter Sam Lee (relayed via @EvertonNewsFeed), the Blues registered their desire to bring the midfielder to Goodison Park last year.
Foden has risen to stardom with this current Man City side, having played a part in their last two Premier League titles. The 20-year-old is starting to become a regular part of the first team under Pep Guardiola, particularly after making 37 senior appearances and bagging eight goals and nine assists this season (via Transfermarkt).
After climbing up the City academy ranks, Foden is now valued at £36million. With David Silva calling time on his decade at the Etihad, it could be the perfect time for the Stockport-born playmaker to cement a starting slot in Pep Guardiola’s lineup.
Loads of Everton fans are discussing the idea of having Foden on loan, with many agreeing it would be a good piece of business. One Blue think that ‘he would be good for us’ whilst another has urged Everton to ‘break the bank’ to sign him.
Read more replies from the Goodison faithfull here:
If the chance re-emerged, would you to to see Everton sign Phil Foden? Join the discussion in the comments below!
Amidst suggestions Tottenham are keeping an eye on Eberechi Eze ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, the QPR starlet himself has admitted to being a big fan of one Spurs player in particular: Dele Alli.
Speaking on The Beautiful Game podcast (Episode 80), the 21-year-old opened up on how Alli has inspired him.
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He said (as quoted by Football.London): “He’s shown that it’s possible to go from lower league and fit right in and even become more than what people expected you to be. When you look at guys like that, just like Raheem (Sterling) and (Jadon) Sancho, you appreciate what they’ve done and you look at them and it’s a round of applause to you because they’ve actually done it.”
And after hearing what Eze had to say, Spurs fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on their rumoured transfer target’s admission.
A couple of fans compared Eze to former Spurs midfielder Adel Taarabt, with one supporter in particular suggesting that the QPR prodigy has “more drive and work-rate”.
Just as Eze himself says, he could be the kind of shrewd signing Spurs make in terms of bringing in a player from a lower league and watching him flourish like Alli has done.
With the Premier League announcing today that action won’t resume at the end of May as previously planned, it could be a long time before we see Newcastle back on the pitch.
Whether that’s a good or bad thing remains a matter of debate – before beating Southampton in their last match, the Magpies had won just once in ten Premier League games.
Nonetheless, Newcastle are one of the most well-supported clubs in the country and it’s inevitable some sections of the Toon Army will be getting withdrawal symptoms around now.
And we just might have something to cure that itch, in the form of a quiz that all Newcastle fans will be able to dig their teeth into.
This piece of trivia has a simple premise – we show you a picture of an obscure former Newcastle player, you select the according name from four possible answers.
Sounds easy, doesn’t it? We can assure you this’ll be anything but…
Well, well, well. Talk about making an introduction. Having shown glimpses of his enormous potential in the Carabao Cup and Europa League, Gabriel Martinelli put the Premier League on notice with a terrific performance on his first start in the competition.
The Brazilian arrived to relatively little fanfare in the summer, but had gotten his Arsenal career off to a flying start with seven goals in his first 13 appearances. He had yet to make the breakthrough into the team that featured in the league however, and fans of the north London side had even been clamouring for him to play from the off against Brighton in mid-week.
They may not have seen that come to fruition, but after his goal-scoring display against West Ham on Monday night, it was well worth the wait. The Brazilian scored to haul his struggling side level, before the Gunners went on to secure an impressive 3-1 victory away from home. And having seen his performance, Arsenal fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the teenager.
Some Gunners fans were keen on hailing not just his goal, but his overall work ethic and hunger, with the Brazilian often seen haring after West Ham players in an attempt to win back possession – as per Sofascore, he actually made a team-high three tackles.
Understandably, some Gunners fans were so excited about the 5 foot 11 man that they couldn’t help compare him to some of the north London side’s talented and iconic forwards of yesteryear.
Lofty praise indeed. But in such a difficult season that led to the sacking of Unai Emery just a couple of weeks ago, Martinelli’s performance offered a rare silver lining. And that is something for the Gunners to desperately cling on to.
Meanwhile, Arsenal turning to this man who masterminded a humiliation of Tottenham would be a smart move.
أعلنت شبكة بي إن سبورت القطرية، عن معلق مباراة الأهلي المصري وصن داونز الجنوب أفريقي، التي ستجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.
ويلتقي الأهلي مع صن داونز في التاسعة مساء غدٍ السبت على استاد الأهلي we السلام، في ذهاب دور ربع نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا، على أن تُقام مباراة العودة يوم 22 من الشهر الجاري في جنوب إفريقيا.
طالع | تشكيل الأهلي أمام صن داونز
طالع | مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة الأهلي وصن داونز في دوري أبطال إفريقيا معلق مباراة الأهلي وصن داونز
من المقرر، أن يقوم المعلق الكروي علي محمد علي بالتعليق على أحداث مباراة الأهلي وصن داونز. القناة الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي وصن داونز
تُذاع مباراة الأهلي وصن داونز عبر قناة bein sports 4.
Everton fans have reacted to the news that summer signing Moise Kean was dropped for the trip to Southampton because of a disciplinary measure. As reported by BBC Sport, the forward was late to a team meeting for the second time this season, resulting in his absence in the matchday squad at St. Mary’s.
Kean signed for Juventus for £27.5m and has since had a torrid time since swapping Turin for Merseyside.
The Italian has started just two Premier League games so far and has not been seen in the league since the West Ham United win last month.
The 19-year-old has struggled tremendously in front of goal up until now, averaging just one shot per game in the league. Now, after many poor performances and now this incident, it seems some Everton fans are losing patience.
One supporter said he must “step up or he moves on”, whilst another fan believes his disciplinary concerns could be the reason Juventus sold him in the first place.
However, some other fans are sticking by Kean, with certain followers alluding to the potential language barrier and the fact he could be adjusting still.
Here’s what a select few have had to say on his latest troubles…
This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Mason Holgate may have been given a career lifeline at Goodison Park as Yerry Mina’s injury could see the Colombian miss this weekend’s clash with Brighton.
On the chalkboard
Mina sustained a hamstring problem in the win over West Ham United last weekend, and Everton have reported that the Colombian remains a doubt for the trip to Brighton & Hove Albion.
In his press conference, Marco Silva said: “[On Mina] it’s not such good news at the moment. Of course, we have two more days until the game, so let’s see how he is tomorrow and on matchday as well.
“It’s not a serious, serious injury but it’s something that until now hasn’t put Yerry ready to work with the team in a full session.”
In place of the 25-year-old will most likely be Holgate: “Mason is ready and prepared,” Silva said. “He’s showed me every single day that he’s working hard to achieve and get his chance.
“He already did in two Carabao Cup matches. He did well, performed well and, in the game against Sheffield Wednesday, he did a very good game.
“I’m 100 per cent sure if he gets the chance he’ll be ready to perform at his level because we believe in him.”
Not many chances left
Holgate is now 23 and is at an age where he should have tied down a regular spot within the squad. If the situation continues where Holgate is out of the starting XI, surely he will have to consider plans elsewhere.
The Englishman has seen just 18 minutes so far in the Premier League this season, but the 90 minutes he could get against the Seagulls may be his most important for the Blues to date.
Both Mina and Michael Keane have started every game so far in the league, but they have let in 13 goals in nine games at the back despite some glimpses of improvement.
Although they were both impressive against West Ham, neither of them have proven themselves to be un-droppable, and so a top performance from Holgate this weekend could just rescue his chance to become a Toffees regular.
At 23 and out of the starting XI, this is his golden opportunity – a mistake-riddled display that ends in defeat would surely put the nail in the coffin of his future at Goodison.
Sunderland fans have been reflecting on the career of Darren Williams and sharing the love for their former player after he recently marked the 23rd anniversary from when he joined the club.
It seems the supporters have been reminiscing about their former defender, touching on the great commitment and work ethic he had whilst seemingly using the opportunity to take aim at the current bunch of players they have now.
Some Black Cats supporters have described how Williams epitomised what it was like to play for the club, as opposed to some players at the Stadium of Light now.
Check out the current frontrunners for the Sunderland job in the video below…
Williams played 144 times for the club over six seasons and scored three goals from centre-back. The Englishman later left the club to join Cardiff City and eventually retired from football at Gateshead in 2010.
Nowadays at central defence, the Sunderland supporters have the likes of Jordan Willis, who has averaged just 0.5 tackles per games so far in League One, and Alim Ozturk who has averaged only 0.4.
The Black Cats’ defence has been responsible for conceding 14 goals in the 11 fixtures so far in League One, which has put the club in ninth on just 19 points.
Here’s what some fans have had to say about their legendary player…
We have just under three months until the transfer window reopens again and, unlike the summer, Crystal Palace look like they could be busy this winter.
The Athletic reports that the Eagles will have a “chunk” of the £50m generated from Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s exit to spend in January, and a striker is “almost certainly” on the south Londoners’ list according to Matt Woosnam.
“Come the January transfer window, Palace will have a chunk of the £50 million from the sale of Aaron Wan-Bissaka to spend. They are sure, regardless, to look for someone — almost certainly a striker — to ease the burden on the defence by scoring more frequently.”
It would be a sensible place to start.
Roy Hodgson’s side sit 6th in the Premier League table, boasting one of the best defensive records having conceded just a goal per game on average with eight concessions.
However, they have also scored just a goal per game on average – Jordan Ayew is the club’s current top scorer with three goals.
Last season, the Eagles’ most prolific striker in the league was again the Ghanaian, joint-top with Christian Benteke with one goal, excluding loan players – that tells you everything you need to know about Palace’s problems.
There have already been a handful of targets mooted, so let’s take a look at their suitability…
[snack_break title=”Michy Batshuayi”]
The Daily Mail report that Palace are targeting a January reunion with the man who scored five goals in nine league starts for them while on loan in the second half of last season.
Batshuayi, in that respect, is arguably the safest option that the south Londoners could go for this winter, although he would perhaps be one of the most expensive.
The Belgium international would reportedly cost £22m, and would likely demand a huge salar given he is currently earning £90k-a-week at Chelsea.
A pricey deal, yes, but one that Palace will know exactly what they’re getting.
Suitability: 8/10
[snack_break title=”Fedor Chalov”]
Soccer Football – Champions League – Group Stage – Group G – Real Madrid v CSKA Moscow – Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain – December 12, 2018 CSKA Moscow’s Fedor Chalov celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Juan Medina
The Eagles bid £23m for the promising young Russian’s signature back in the summer, but were rebuffed in their advances by CSKA Moscow.
Now, this is a dangerous one.
That is a lot of money for a 21-year-old who has only proven himself in Russia – it must be remembered that even Alexander Sorloth had hit 15 goals in 26 Danish Superliga appearances before Palace signed him in January midway through the 2017/18 campaign.
Chalov scored that same amount in the league in 2018/19, and also netted against Real Madrid in the Champions League, but the warning signs over this one are definitely there.
Suitability: 6/10
[snack_break title=”Ollie Watkins”]
This is a player who the south Londoners seem sold on, having tried to sign him for a number of years – firstly in 2018, and then again in the summer of 2019 when they saw an £11m bid fail.
Watkins has scored 10 Championship goals in each of the last two campaigns, and already has seven this season in just 11 appearances.
Young, English and seemingly improving year-on-year, this is a signing that would be a good one for Palace by all accounts – it is arguably the type of deal in which they should be doing more of, given how lucrative English commodities can be – Harry Maguire, we’re looking at you.
Suitability: 9/10
[snack_break title=”Gabriel Barbosa”]
Soccer Football – Copa Libertadores – Round of 16 – Second leg – Flamengo v Emelec – Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – July 31, 2019 Flamengo’s Gabriel Barbosa celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes
If Chalov is to be deemed as a potentially expensive flop, then the same can be said of Gabriel Barbosa.
The Brazil international – also known as Gabigol – has an absurd scoring rate in Brazil, netting 23 in 28 games for Flamengo having previously scored 43 times for Santos.
However, he has already had his big move to Europe when Inter Milan shelled out a reported €25m (£21.6m) for his services, only for the Italian giants to see him score just once in ten games before loaning him to Flamengo.
Passione Inter exclusively report that the 23-year-old’s value has risen to around €30m (£25.9m).
For that kind of money, Palace have to be sure of what they’re buying, and there really is no way they can be given his lack of credibility outside of Europe.
Suitability: 4/10
[snack_break title=”Francesco Caputo”]
A strange link, but a link nonetheless.
Passione Inter report that Hodgson has a ‘particular interest’ in Sassuolo striker Francesco Caputo, a player who many Palace fans will presumably have never heard of.
It cannot be denied, however, that the Italian has started the season in fine form with three goals in five Serie A games. He also netted 16 last term, although his age is a concern – Caputo is 32.
The Athletic recently revealed that Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman are keen to target players in their early 20s, so if that is to be true, Caputo should pretty much be off the list of targets.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…
Garry Monk’s reign as Sheffield Wednesday boss has got off to a pretty decent start as the Championship takes a break for the second group of international matches in the 2019/20 calendar.
The 40-year-old has steered his side to ten points from a possible 15, which sees them sit one point outside of a playoff position.
As highlighted here, Monk has acted shrewdly with a methodical approach to things, considering he’s inherited this whole squad from former manager Steve Bruce and caretaker boss Lee Bullen.
The Owls’ chief has started by shoring up their defence, and now he should be able to move onto his attack.
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It’s a part of the pitch that will be bolstered by the return of Fernando Forestieri this weekend as Steven Fletcher may finally be able to receive a regular and more solid partner up top.
However, they still lack proper depth out wide as they only have three wingers for two positions, with Kadeem Harris and Adam Reach often being preferred over Jacob Murphy with the pair both starting ten or more games this season.
This sort of hierarchy often allows complacency to creep in, and with the January transfer window still a while away, it may be wise for Monk to call up a promising youngster from the academy to help stop that from occurring.
He has the perfect player in wait too in Fraser Preston, who has had a taste of first-team football in the past.
The 20-year-old has made three appearances for them in the Championship, all of which came last season, per Transfermarkt.
Monk is known for bringing through youngsters at a club – he had a part in Jude Bellingham’s rise at Birmingham while Lewis Wing was brought into the fray while he was in charge of Middlesbrough.
Preston’s attacking threat can be most displayed by this corker of a goal he scored back in 2018 for the U23s.
Wednesday’s website describes him as a ‘pacey winger’ so that gives an indication of the type of direct player Monk would have on his hands.
It may be a good idea to bring him into the senior setup, particularly as there have been doubts over Newcastle United loanee Murphy and with Reach being very much a marmite figure at Hillsborough.