As reported by The Mirror, Spurs, Everton and Southampton are all interested in signing in-form Norwich winger Jacob Murphy.
What’s the story?
Despite Norwich pushing for promotion back to the Premier League, they could be facing a battle to hold on to one of their top performers this season with clubs in the top division circling young winger Jacob Murphy.
The Mirror reports that three big clubs are after his signature; Everton, Spurs and Southampton. That comes after what has been an impressive season for young Murphy, Norwich’s top scorer this campaign with seven goals in 19 appearances.
Canaries fans will be hoping they can retain their star man with the race for promotion as tight as ever in the Championship.
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Where’s he come from?
Murphy has until now struggled to make an impact at Carrow Road, spending the majority of his time at the club out on loan. Incredibly, at the age of just 21, he has already played for seven clubs.
It was his impressive form for Coventry City in League One last season which alerted Alex Neil he could be ready for first team football in the second-tier, scoring 10 goals in 42 appearances from a wide position.
His twin, Josh Murphy, also plays for Norwich and similarly has been getting on the scoresheet for the Canaries, as part of a side that has scored 34 league goals this season.
Both of them have made appearances for England’s U20s and could become the new Neville brothers in years to come, albeit in more attacking roles.
The Premier League fixture list has been particularly kind to us in the pre-Christmas congestion. With top of the table clashes and big derbies aplenty, there’s an assortment of matches to get excited about. Perhaps most crucially, though, are the relegation-deciding fixtures. With Burnley hosting Bournemouth, Crystal Palace visiting Hull and Sunderland travelling to Swansea, this weekend will have a seismic effect on the bottom of the Premier League table. The added impact too, will be on the future of several managers.
Only three points separate 14th placed Crystal Palace from 19th placed Hull City. The foot of the Premier League table will be a long, arduous battle for safety. The Eagles visit Mike Phelan’s Hull City with some rare confidence after a good performance (and victory) against Southampton last weekend. Palace have scored more goals than any other team outside the top five, while Hull are the league’s lowest scorers. Phelan’s side are not quite in the territory of must-win, but defeat at home to a relegation rival would be a painful blow to their campaign.
The harm to Hull of failing to win would be amplified if Swansea – sitting bottom of the table and two points behind – could claim victory against Sunderland. Bob Bradley’s side produced heroics to nick a 5-4 victory over Palace two weeks ago, but a completely abject display against Spurs last weekend does little to suggest they can turn their fortunes around. Swansea have been poor – very poor – for much of this season. Sunderland, having looked doomed to relegation a month ago, have won three of their last four. David Moyes is no longer the man with a target on his back, his side have looked the most convincing of the strugglers in recent weeks.
Then there’s Burnley and Bournemouth. The Cherries pulled themselves away from a relegation battle with a comeback victory over Liverpool last weekend, but their hosts have struggled of late and could slip into the relegation zone with a defeat. Sean Dyche’s side are built around a resolute defence – well, they usually are at least. Burnley have conceded 10 goals in their last four league games: the sign of a team that could slide down the table. Home form will be the cornerstone of any success for the Clarets, so these are the kinds of games that will determine their Premier League fate.
West Ham, Middlesbrough and Leicester City all face higher-in-the-table opposition this weekend. Each team would be happy to notch even a solitary point. Hull, Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Swansea and Burnley cannot afford defeat, in some cases they cannot afford anything other than a victory. Ahead of a round of midweek fixtures, negative results can spiral into something even more detrimental. This weekend will not decide the destiny of any of these clubs, but it will give a good indication of the state or play in avoiding the drop.
The intriguing managerial subplot remains, too. Alan Pardew, Phelan and Bradley remain under intense pressure. Roberto Mancini and Sam Allardyce (the most unlikely of duos) wait in the wings and each defeat will see their names ring louder around the clubs in the relegation battle.
As reported by The Sun, Arsene Wenger is the subject of rumours linking him to a switch to Paris Saint-Germain next summer.
Wenger has been a polarising figure at the Emirates in recent seasons with many ordaining him with untouchable legend status and others wanting him to leave the club due to a lack of trophy success in recent seasons.
This season had been going so well for the Frenchman and his side, but a horrendous week away to Everton and Man City has left their season on the verge of collapse once again.
Despite excelling in Europe this season, speculation about his Arsenal future has begun again.
The Sun reckon PSG are desperate to land him after attempting to woo him to Paris previously. This time they’re willing to pay up to £10m to take him back to his homeland and manage the club.
Rumours like that often provoke significant reaction and this one has been no different with fans taking to Twitter to give their thoughts on the potential move…
Liverpool star Adam Lallana is being tracked by European heavyweights Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, according to The Times.
What’s the story?
Sensationally, the England international has reportedly attracted interest from some of the biggest clubs in the world due to his fine season so far.
The 28-year-old took time to settle at Anfield when he joined the club from Southampton in a rumoured £25m deal in the summer of 2014.
Some questioned whether he was worth the price tag, but under manager Jurgen Klopp, Lallana has begun to thrive.
The midfielder has scored seven goals and created seven assists in the Premier League so far this season.
The Times exclusively reports that Juventus, PSG and Spanish giants Barca are considering swoops for the player.
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However, the publication claims that due to the wealth of talent within the teams, Lallana would not be deemed first choice, suggesting that he would spent quite a bit of time on the bench.
Why Liverpool need to keep him.
As mentioned, Lallana has become an influential player under Klopp this season.
He has developed his game and although predominantly right footed, the former Southampton man is comfortable and just as strong on his left.
Lallana has become so much of an important player to Liverpool that he was looked upon by a lot of fans as the team’s main man when Philippe Coutinho got injured in November.
However, the midfielder has not quite reached a level where he can win a game single-handedly – that was evident against the Saints in Wednesday night’s EFL Cup semi-final first leg at St Mary’s.
Nevertheless, Liverpool must do all they can to ensure that Lallana is not lured away by the foreign big boys, so qualifying for the Champions League would be a good way to do it.
By any stretch of subjectivity Liverpool have endured a pretty miserable January, a slump in results and performances that contrasted greatly with the ferocious, exhilarating fare that preceded it.
Two unexpected cup exits and a measly trio of points from four league games that extinguished their title hopes truly made this Jürgen Klopp’s mensis horribilis. This wasn’t just a couple of bad days at the office. This was a shocking reversal of fortune.
After each defeat or disappointing draw rival fan-bases rubbed their hands in anticipation, awaiting the same degree of hyperbolic criticism from the media that was unleashed upon their own club when they similarly underachieved at earlier junctures of the season.
Rare unity emerged between supporters of both Manchester giants as they recalled how their respective clubs and managers were treated during sustained dips in form. Their club held by the head and drowned in crisis. Their managers accused of ‘losing the plot’. Chelsea fans thought back to the apocalyptic reaction that followed their 3-0 walloping at the Emirates, while Gooners saw the bigger picture and the numerous occasions Arsene Wenger had been disrespectfully caricatured in the press when results went against him.
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Yet here there was very little of that. Only reason and measured opinion pieces with the ‘media darling’ Klopp given an easy ride. Even a primal scream inches from a fourth official’s mush brought only discussions about passion.
This evidently wasn’t fair; this wasn’t a level playing field and consequently we’re in the highly unusual situation of turning up the volume of criticism for the lack of media criticism. It equals the criticism Klopp and Liverpool arguably should have received in the first place. Or, to put another way, there has been a hysterical crisis over the fact there was no hysterical crisis.
Though condemnation of the double standards is understandable I can’t help thinking that we should be approaching this differently; that we’ve played the right game but we’re facing the wrong way.
Maybe the measured response to Liverpool temporarily losing their mojo is the correct manner in which to report on such matters? Maybe we should instead be railing against the culture of over-the-top negative campaigns that are attributed to any top side undergoing a tricky patch to the extent where we now reside in manufactured farce? I believe it is Arsenal’s turn next, should they lose this weekend to Chelsea. After that Spurs are due an unwarranted flogging with United’s next execution by headlines due around April.
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‘Crisis’ has become the go-to punishment we constantly demand for our rivals; it has been hijacked for cheap thrills and as such has become a currency that has lost all real value.
The fact Liverpool lost their way is not a crisis, nor was City’s stuttering implementation of Pep Guardiola’s complicated mandate, or for that matter was Jose Mourinho’s initial struggles to impose his personality onto a United squad that was losing theirs.
What is happening right now at Coventry City is crisis, a perpetual one that should sicken every supporter across the land and is absolutely deserving of thunderous headlines that dominate the back pages. The same goes for Charlton and Blackburn and any other club you care to mention whose owners do not have the supporter’s best interests at heart. At each lies scandal deserving of widespread outrage. And yes crisis; life-impacting, soul-wrenching crisis.
It would be wholly unrealistic to expect tabloid editors and websites to suddenly switch their focus from the Premier League circus – with all the huge interest and revenue it generates – and give these ongoing situations their undivided attention. But do they – and we – have to steal the language that is legitimately theirs to use, too?
The level of anger and astonishment that erupted on social media at Jürgen Klopp’s supposed ‘free pass’ from ‘crisis’ this past month wasn’t merely heard, it was deafening. Imagine what could be achieved then if we tweaked that sense of injustice to collectively ask why those in genuine crisis are ignored altogether for those who aren’t.
Manchester United have lined-up a summer move for Benfica ace Victor Lindelof after agreeing a pre-contract with the Swedish ace, Tuttomercatoweb reports.
What’s the word?
22-year-old Swedish international Victor Lindelof is a name Manchester United fans will be extremely familiar with given their consistent links to the centre-back over recent transfer windows and it finally seems like the Red Devils have found a breakthrough.
Despite a late rally from Italian sides, Manchester United are reported to have agreed a pre-contract agreement with Lindelof that will see the young defender arrive at Old Trafford from Benfica during the summer.
Jose Mourinho has been targeting the talented defender, who increased his reputation on the continent with a bold performance in Benfica’s 1-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, since the summer and the deal will be a major boost.
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It will see United land another top-class youngster to shine alongside last summer’s recruit Eric Bailly and could be the start of another busy window for the Red Devils, who splashed a world-record fee on Paul Pogba last year.
Who’s also keen?
The disappointed parties in the race for Victor Lindelof will be Serie A giants Roma, who had targeted the Swede as the ideal replacement for Kostas Manolas, whilst French champions Paris Saint-Germain had also expressed interest.
United’s deal will signify a major coup, particularly if they fail to reach the top-four, but the full details of the transfer are yet to be agreed as the Red Devils will still have to negotiate a fee with Portuguese outfit Benfica- who hold a release-clause in the player’s deal.
That figure is believed to be a whopping €45m (£38m) but The Guardian reported in December that Manchester United are confident they won’t have to match that figure fully, which could save some funds for other pursuits this summer.
Everton fans will be crossing their fingers that the above won’t be the case come the end of the season.
Romelu Lukaku has been the Toffees’ standout player over the past four seasons, netting 16 times during his debut campaign at Goodison Park – when he was on loan from Premier League leaders Chelsea – and his form earned him a permanent move come the summer.
That move and the big £28m price tag certainly did no harm to his form, as over the next two seasons, the Belgian striker scored 20 then 25 goals as he again showed the Premier League and indeed the world his abilities. This season, that fine form has continued as Lukaku has 17 goals already, and looks on target to beat his best ever total of 25.
While the striker is clearly thriving on Merseyside, form like that does not go unnoticed by Europe’s big boys and it’s likely there will be interest in him when the season ends.
So if he does part ways with the club, who could be his replacement? They are big boots to fill but we think it could be one of these FIVE…
Michy Batshuayi
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Romelu Lukaku back to Chelsea? Well, there certainly isn’t room at Stamford Bridge for two young Belgian strikers…
If the move does go ahead, as rumoured, Everton should be looking at Batshuayi as their top priority to replace Lukaku. The ex-Marseille man – signed for a massive £33 million during the summer transfer window – has had little chance to impress at Stamford Bridge, but has excelled when given an opportunity.
It could be a case of Lukaku 2.0 for the Blues if they let him go, however, as a move for first-team football at Goodison Park would only see him thrive and once again leave Chelsea wondering why they let such a talent go to waste.
Christian Benteke
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The Belgian national team really don’t have a bad bag of forwards to choose from, do they?
Benteke has once again proven his doubters wrong this season, continuing to score an impressive amount of goals (eleven) despite being in an altogether poor Crystal Palace side who look doomed for relegation as things stand.
If Palace do to go down to the Championship, the Belgian will almost certainly leave the club, with his talents far excelling that of those required in the second-tier, so he could be a bargain option should any club want to steal his services.
Abel Hernandez
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This may seem an odd one considering the Uruguayan really hasn’t hit any sort of form for Hull City in the Premier League this season, however, the striker has recently been rumoured to be a transfer target for the Toffees.
Hernandez has shown glimpses of his talent throughout his career, having had a terrific season with Hull during their promotion campaign of 2015/16, and previously in 2013/14 with former side Palermo. His international form is even more impressive, having notched eleven times in 27 outings for his country.
Consistency is a problem, however, but could Everton help him find it?
Ishak Belfodil
A January transfer target for Everton, Standard Liege striker Ishak Belfodil could be one of those on the club’s radar come the summer, especially if Lukaku is to leave Goodison for pastures new. While he is having a decent season this time round, the striker has flopped in former spells at both Inter Milan and Lyon, where he failed to score a single goal for either club. He was also poor for both Parma and Livorno, scoring one goal in a combined 40 appearances for the Serie A sides. Fair to say Belfodil is unlikely to be the man to replace Romelu
While he is having a decent season this time around, the striker has flopped in former spells at both Inter Milan and Lyon. He was also poor for both Parma and Livorno, scoring one goal in a combined 40 appearances for the Serie A sides. Fair to say Belfodil is unlikely to be the man to replace Romelu
It’s fair to say Belfodil is unlikely to be the man to replace Lukaku, unless Koeman has seen something the striker the rest of the world has thus far missed.
Oumar Niasse
Big things were expected of Oumar Niasse when he signed for Everton just over a year ago, however, he went AWOL quickly, making only five cameo appearances for the Toffees before disappearing into the realms of non-existence.
His loan move to Hull City, however, has thus far been prosperous, as the striker has scored two goals and been generally impressive for the Tigers as they climb the Premier League table towards safety. It could be a gamble, but if Hull do stay up, Niasse’s confidence will be flying high and it would be great to see him take that forward and fulfil his potential with Everton, not to mention it would save them some money!
Arsenal are at risk of losing three first-team players in North London this summer as Kieran Gibbs, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere’s contract situation has not been resolved, The Evening Standard reports.
What’s the word?
Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have all found it difficult to secure regular first-team football at the Emirates Stadium but they’re still regarded to be an important member of the squad, all of whom could be amongst the first names on the team-sheet in the future.
However, The Evening Standard reports all three players are awaiting contract negotiations with the Gunners as they enter the final 18 months of their deals- and Arsenal run the risk of losing all of them.
Arsene Wenger has gone on record to say that he wants all three players to stay but new deals have not been forthcoming, which will be a concern to the fans- especially as both Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil also have question marks hanging over their future.
Who will go?
Probably the most likely to leave Arsenal is Jack Wilshere, as the England international left on Deadline Day last August to join Bournemouth on a season-long loan deal. Whilst he’s impressed on the South Cast, making 19 appearances, he’s still unlikely to become a first-team regular at Arsenal immediately.
With Granit Xhaka, Francis Coquelin, Mohamed Elneny, Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla already well established ahead of Wilshere in the pecking order, the talented midfielder could elect to move on elsewhere and earn first-team assurances- and the same could be the same with Oxlade-Chamberlain.
The Ox has impressed this season, including with a number of performances at centre-midfield, but faces competition from the likes of Lucas Perez, Theo Walcott, Danny Welbeck and Alex Iwobi for a wide role in the side.
Meanwhile, Kieran Gibbs probably has the best chance of becoming a starting player once again, with Nacho Monreal unimpressive at full-back, but the Gunners are reportedly seeking new signings in this area- which could push Gibbs out the door.
According to reports in the Liverpool Echo, Everton will face competition from a number of top European clubs if they want to sign highly-rated Anderlecht midfielder Youri Tielemans this summer.
What’s the story, then?
Well, the 19-year-old midfielder has long been touted as one of the best young players in European football, and it finally seems as though he could leave the Belgian side this following an outstanding season.
Everton have previously been linked with Tielemans, but Italian website Tuttomercatoweb suggest that Arsenal and AS Roma are just two of the heavyweights also taking a very close look at the Belgium international.
How good is he?
Very.
He has always been highly-rated but has really stepped it up another gear this season.
In 39 appearances in all competitions for Anderlecht this term, he has scored an amazing 17 goals and provided 10 assists from midfield.
He’s going to be really expensive, then?
Incredibly, despite the furore surrounding him, the central midfielder is said to be available for around €20m, and it is that asking price that will have ignited the interest of all of the top clubs across Europe.
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Do Everton stand in a chance of getting him?
Well, usually you wouldn’t think so.
However, quotes from the player himself suggest that were he to leave Anderlecht this summer, he would prefer to move to a club where he would be playing regular football, rather than one where he might find himself sitting on the substitutes’ bench more often than not.
Tielemans was recently a guest on Belgian radio with Marc Degryse, a former Belgium international, who suggested he should move to a club like Everton.
The 19-year-old seemed to agree, saying:
“It’s best to progress step by step. It’s good to not burn steps and to avoid ending up on the bench and not getting game time.”
The Merseyside outfit might also be helped by the fact that Tielemans is good friends with Toffees striker Romelu Lukaku, who himself is said to be on the verge of signing a new five-year deal at Goodison Park.
Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse has taken to Twitter to sum up his feelings after making his England debut.The 22-year-old was one of four Saints players to be named in Gareth Southgate’s senior squad for matches against Germany and Lithuania.On Wednesday night in Dortmund, Ward-Prowse came on against Germany with seven minutes left on the clock in the international friendly.It may have been a brief cameo, but he did not hide his joy when tweeting about the game, which ended in a 1-0 defeat for England.
The Three Lions have done little to inspire on the pitch in recent years, but even though they lost on the night, Southgate’s men put in a decent performance.
It is worth noting that Joachim Low did not field a full-strength side for the friendly, and it was a fitting result for the world champions as Lukas Podolski scored the one and only goal on his 130th and final appearance for Germany.
In total, three Southampton players featured on Wednesday evening, with Ryan Bertrand starting the game and Nathan Redmond figuring in the 66th minute.