All posts by z3u9t.icu

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According to reports in Ecuador, Leeds United are looking at signing U20 World Cup star Alexander Alvarado.

The winger looked excellent at the tournament, scoring once and assisting once as he played almost every minute for the third-placed South Americans, but United must be careful to not fall into the trap of signing a player who hit form at an international tournament as he may not be as good as his performances suggest.

Falling for the trap

Players who perform well at the U20 World Cup can flatter to deceive at times. Yefferson Soteldo was in a similar position to Alvarado a couple of years ago as his displays at the U20 World Cup had fans of some of the world’s biggest clubs clamouring to sign him.

The youngster was brilliant as Venezuela reached the final of the competition back in 2017, but since then he hasn’t gone on to do very much.

Alvarado could be a similar story as one assist in 10 games in the Ecuadorian league doesn’t make for great reading.

Can’t take risks

Heading into 2019/20, Leeds really can’t afford to be taking risks like this as they target promotion.

They have previously been linked with the likes of Ryan Kent and Jack Harrison, and while these two aren’t the most inspiring of signings they are certainly safer options than the U20 World Cup star on the flanks next term.

Both players at least have an element of Championship experience, whereas Alvarado would join having only ever played in his home country, and never in European football.

Indeed, the Ecuadorian’s skillset looked fantastic in the tournament this summer, but it may not be reflective of what he would produce if he did end up arriving at Elland Road in what is a notoriously difficult division of English football.

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Liverpool fans are eager to sign Nicolas Pepe this summer after reports claimed his preferred destination is England.

African football journalist Sega Diallo reckons the winger wants to plays his football in the Premier League, snubbing interest from Bayern Munich.

The update comes after the Anfield club dismissed reports they were discussions to sign the Lille player last week.

“It reminds me of a bus seat!” – Watch a damning verdict on Chelsea’s new kit in the video below…

Pepe, who has a market value of £58.5m according to Transfermarkt, had a remarkable season in Ligue 1 last term, scoring a magnificent 22 goals and assisting 12 more.

It’s the kind of contribution that suggests he’d be a potent addition to Liverpool’s right flank, even though they are hardly lacking for attacking talent right now.

The player is currently with his Ivory Coast national team at the African Cup of Nations, so any imminent news of a move from Lille seems unlikely.

Liverpool supporters are eager to see him at Anfield though, with one fan even suggesting he could be the new Mohamed Salah.

These fans have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts…

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According to Voetbal International, Southampton have joined the race for Club Brugge winger Arnaut Danjuma.

What’s the deal, then?

It was recently reported that the 22-year-old was ‘getting ready for a transfer’ and that Spurs were interested in him.

However, the same article stated it would take some time for a deal to get over the line between Tottenham and the Belgian side.

And now it is thought Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men could snap up the Dutchman, although his price tag is yet unknown.

The former NEC Nijmegen player only moved to Brugge in the summer of last year, but is already said to be attracting interest from major outfits in England, Spain and Italy.

Watch Southampton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Saints’ money could be better spent elsewhere

The youngster’s record in the Jupiler Pro League will hardly blow you away – six goals and four assists in 24 appearances during the previous campaign.

In fact, his only real breakthrough season came in the second tier of Dutch football where he bagged 11 goals and 17 assists in 28 games.

It is by no means guaranteed then that the PSV youth team player will hit the ground running at St Mary’s, so should Hasenhuttl bother adding yet another attacking player to his squad?

With the signatures of Moussa Djenepo, Che Adams and Danny Ings already having been completed this summer, there are undoubtedly areas which need strengthening more than on the flanks and upfront – like at centre-half.

Southampton’s new man Moussa Djenepo divides opinion amongst fans in the video below…

The Mirror’s live transfer blog (July 2, 13:29) have linked defender Jack Stephens with a move to Aston Villa, while Wesley Hoedt is someone who, according to The Telegraph, could also be leaving south coast in the window.

If that is to be the case, it is critical Hasenhuttl turns his attention to filling the void in the middle of defence, especially considering they conceded the sixth-highest number of goals in the Premier League last year.

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Aston Villa’s transfer plans continue to mount with the pursuit of Turkey international, Emre Mor, per The Sun.

The 21-year-old is attracting the interest of all three newly-promoted Premier League clubs; Villa, Norwich and Sheffield United.

A winger by trade, he is currently playing for Celta Vigo after previously developing at Borussia Dortmund.

However, reacting to the news of a possible switch on Twitter, a host of Villa fans were left divided over whether he’d make a good addition to the Villa squad.

Some fans were unconvinced as one claimed he was more interested in cars and women, making reference to some of the attitude problems he’s had at Vigo. Another suggested they didn’t want bad egos at the club.

Yet, some supporters were keen on the 15-cap Turkey international. One said that they could have a class player on their hands but a further commented he had good skills.

Mor played ten times in La Liga last season but failed to score or assist a single goal. In his career to date his development hasn’t really gone to plan, scoring just two goals in his last 50 outings for his respective clubs.

Here’s the best of the reaction from Villa fans.

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Rangers have confirmed the signing of Swedish international defender Filip Helander.

The centre-back has joined on a four-year deal from Serie A side Bologna, becoming Steven Gerrard’s eighth signing of the summer transfer window so far.

The Scottish Sun have reported he has joined for a £3.5m fee, making him an expensive signing for the Scottish Premiership side.

You won’t believe which of Liverpool’s Champions League winning side of 2005 is still playing in the video below…

He has a strong profile though having gained experience in Swedish and Italian football, winning titles with Malmo before playing regularly with Hellas Verona and Bologna.

He’s also a recent regular with the Swedish national team, starting their last four matches in Euro 2020 qualifying.

He joins to compete for a spot in the heart of the Gers defensive line, with the club already boasting Connor Goldson, Nikola Katic and George Edmundson in the position.

Fans are absolutely delighted with the ambition shown with the signing, with many taking to Twitter to share their thoughts after the news was made official…

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Yesterday’s Championship transfer roundup consisted of Leeds’ interest in a French defender, West Brom’s eyes on a Sporting Lisbon winger and Fulham’s completed loan move for a Premier League forward. Today’s edition is made up of the Whites’ pursuit of a top-tier 26-year-old, the Baggies closing in on a deal for a rival full-back and QPR’s short-term move for a Chelsea youngster.

Leeds want Gibson

Since signing for Burnley last August for a joint-record fee, things have not gone well for Ben Gibson. In the past season, he played just five games in all competitions for the Clarets, which was partly down to him missing three months through injury. The 26-year-old could be on the move this summer, and Leeds are interested in taking the former Middlesbrough centre-back to Elland Road according to The Northern Echo. Marcelo Bielsa is not the only one who would like to get his hands on the Gibson, though. Newcastle, Aston Villa, Norwich City and Sheffield are also mentioned.

Furlong close to West Brom move

So far during his tenure as West Brom boss, Slaven Bilic has brought in three new faces, with Benfica’s Filip Krovinovic being joined more recently by Kenneth Zohore and Semi Ajayi. And there may be soon be a fourth, according to The Express and Star. They are reporting that the Baggies are close to the signing of QPR’s Darrell Furlong. The Midlands outfit will pay £1.5m for the 23-year-old, with his arrival allowing Allan Nyom to complete a move to Spanish club Getafe.

QPR to bring in Sterling

With Furlong therefore expected to be leaving Loftus Road soon, a new right-back would not go amiss for the Rs. Fortunately, they may plug that hole in their defence imminently. According to The Independent, Dujon Sterling is close to completing a loan move from Chelsea to the Hoops. The 19-year-old will stay with Mark Warburton’s side for the duration of the 2019/20 campaign, where he will most likely get more opportunities than at Stamford Bridge. The Blues already have Cesar Azpilicueta, Davide Zappacosta and Reece James in his position.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Lining up in a midfield against the likes of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, Arsenal’s 19-year-old starlet Joe Willock was the man who stole the show in the pre-season clash against Real Madrid.

The teenager looked at ease against his more illustrious counterparts and it was fair to say that he more than held his own in the middle of the park. The England U20 international was energetic, powerful and composed on the ball. Unai Emery essentially put out his strongest possible eleven for the game against Los Blancos, and it was telling that Willock was amongst those names.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Arsenal academy product really came to the fore last season under the Spanish manager, and enjoyed some impressive performances for the first-team. His brace against Blackpool in the FA Cup spoke of his abilities to eventually become a goal-scoring midfielder, whilst his substitute appearance in the Europa League final when he came on for Mesut Ozil felt like a huge moment.

The 19-year-old has perhaps been the one teenager on this tour who has really been pushed to the hilt by Emery, who included him against both Madrid and Bayern Munich; the north London side’s two toughest opponents of the International Champions Cup.

Despite the prospect of Dani Ceballos arriving on a season-long loan, Willock has more than proved his worth in pre-season. Whilst as an Arsenal player his astute work on the ball is far from surprising, his tenacity and willingness to run the hard yards to fit his manager’s philosophy of pressing from the front is certainly eye-opening.

In combining those technical skills with a work-rate that has warranted starts against two huge clubs, the youngster is tailor-made to play for Emery, who demands a lot from his troops.

Aaron Ramsey’s departure has left a massive void for the Gunners to fill, but if Willock can continue to grow and progress like he has done under Emery so far, then there is no reason why he cannot be the Welsh superstar’s long-term replacement at the club, and one perfectly suited to the manager’s desires.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Ryan Sessegnon is finally set to complete his long-awaited move to Tottenham Hotspur this week, per The Daily Mail.

What’s the word?

Sessegnon has been linked with Spurs throughout the summer transfer window.

And it now appears that the club will get their man, with the 19-year-old having told Fulham of his desire to make the switch, per the report.

The Mail claims that Josh Onomah will move the other way, with the deal set to be worth £30m.

Indeed, Scott Parker, the Fulham boss, is said to have a keen interest in working with the attacking midfielder and Spurs are willing to include him in their offer to finally complete the deal.

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Door opens for Rose

Football FanCast sources understand that Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino regards Sessegnon as a long-term replacement for current left-back Danny Rose.

And there is a confidence at the club that a deal for the teenager will be completed; indeed, there has been all summer.

There was initially a suggestion that Sessegnon would not be signed until Rose was sold, but it now appears to be the other way around, with the Cottagers full-back, who can also play as a winger, arriving prior to his new team-mate’s departure.

That makes sense.

FFC understands that the club have yet to receive any bids for Rose but there is interest from the continent, with PSG exploring a move for the player and attempting to gauge his interest in playing in France.

With Sessegnon set to arrive, Rose, who was left out of the club’s pre-season tour earlier this summer, has seemingly never been closer to the exit door.

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have hailed midfielder Eric Dier after the club commemorated the anniversary of his arrival at the club.

The England international moved to Spurs from Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2014 and kicked off his career at the club by scoring the winner in a London derby against West Ham United.

Indeed, Dier has gone on to make 209 appearances for the club, while also winning 40 caps for England.

The 25-year-old endured a difficult season in 2018/19, however, with injuries restricting him to just 28 appearances in all competitions.

He completed the full 90 minutes just 12 times in the Premier League and was absent from much of the club’s historic run to the Champions League final; sitting on the bench in both of the semi-final clashes with Ajax and missing the quarter-final victory over Manchester City through injury.

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But fans believe that he remains a quality player, with many insistent he will recover his best form in 2019/20.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Leeds’ deadline day didn’t spark too much by the way of incomings but one player who did arrive was Illan Meslier.

The Whites sold Bailey Peacock-Farrell earlier in the window and therefore seeking competition for Kiko Casilla was going to be crucial.

The latter arrived in January and quickly took over the mantle from the younger Peacock-Farrell but was particularly poor in the playoffs for Leeds.

Whether he’ll be ousted by a new arrival, however, remains to be seen.

On the chalkboard

Meslier walks through the doors with what appears to be a heavy reputation.

In France last term he starred for Ligue 2 outfit Lorient, keeping nine clean sheets in 28 matches. At 19 years of age, he’s very much one for the future and could yet become a permanent fixture at Elland Road after an option to buy was included in the loan deal.

Yet, despite being a regular in France as a teenager, his arrival in England should be met with caution and he must be given time to settle in.

The fact is, that this move could go horribly wrong unless he improves in one major department.

Back in November 2018, Lionel Rouxel, the goalkeeper’s coach at U17 level for his country, told Goal: “He still has details to improve on his positioning and his communication.”

For a ‘keeper, speaking to your defenders is everything, particularly for a side who already have question marks about their defence lingering from pre-season.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

However, if he doesn’t improve his communication, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to boster Leeds at the back.

He will likely have elevated his communication qualities since being introduced to regular first-team football but in a foreign league and in a different environment, talking will be imperative.

Football is a universal game but this could be a sticking point for Meslier unless he improves quickly.

Having the experienced Casilla to learn from should help, but it goes without saying there is an element of risk to this deal.

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