Manchester City are reportedly eyeing Sevilla’s Jesus Navas – though doubts remain as to whether he would be willing to make the move, according to ESPN.
Reports in the English press suggest that the recently deposed Premier League champions are ready to activate a £27million release clause in the player’s contract.
Though the club are currently without a manager following the sacking of Roberto Mancini earlier this week, director of football Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano are believed to be spearheading their recruitment drive.
Their extensive knowledge of the Spanish leagues is a key reason behind the club’s moves to sign Navas, though there is no guarantee the 27-year-old would be willing to move to England.
The Spain international has suffered from chronic homesickness in the past, to the extent that he often refused to go on pre-season tours with Sevilla and briefly retired from international football.
The condition also caused him to turn down a move to Chelsea in 2006 and is believed to have put off Arsenal from making a move to sign him last summer.
Navas has been receiving treatment and was able to return to the international scene, playing for Spain at last summer’s European Championships in Poland and Ukraine.
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However, it remains to be seen whether it has improved sufficiently for him to make a long-term move to another country.
Robin van Persie says that he has joined Manchester United to ‘achieve greatness’ and believes he can fulfil all his personal ambitions at Old Trafford. The Dutch striker wants to win titles and Champions Leagues, something he was unable to achieve during his years at Arsenal. Van Persie said he listened to the boy inside him that was screaming Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson hailed the signing and believes his arrival will bring some much needed maturity to his United team. The Dutchman marks a change in transfer policy in recent years, where Fergie has moved for proven quality, rather than just potential.
Elsewhere in the news Arsene Wenger suggests that new signings maybe forthcoming at the Emirates; Di Matteo says he will use Juan Mata sparingly, while Roberto Mancini brushes off a frustrating week at Manchester City.
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Headlines
Chelsea say they will use Juan Mata sparingly after the forward played in both Euro 2012 and the Olympics – [Guardian]
Paul Lambert has asked the Aston Villa supporters for patience as he seeks to end two years of misery by rebuilding the club from top to bottom – [Guardian]
Sir Alex Ferguson has warned Rio Ferdinand to be careful when tweeting in future after the defender was fined £45,000 by the Football Association – [Guardian]
Clint Dempsey has told Fulham he does not want to play for them again – [Independent]
RobertoMancini believes Robin van Persie has ensured United will the side to beat in race for the title – [Daily Telegraph]
Brendan Rodgers will use legacy of the past to forge a brighter future for an underachieving club – [Daily Telegraph]
Nigel Adkins believes Gaston Ramirez’s proposed move to Southampton highlights the club’s ambition – [Sky Sports]
Toulouse defender Cheikh M’Bengue has revealed he is wanted by Arsenal – [Daily Star]
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is considering making a fourth bid for Wolves winger Matt Jarvis – [Daily Telegraph]
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AVB wants a single newcomer to compete with Defoe and young Harry Kane to be his lone frontman ahead of three attacking midfielders – [Mirror]
PLEASE NOTE – click on the sources to view the original article
West Ham United manager David Moyes has made two changes to the side that was beaten 4-1 by Manchester City at the London Stadium last weekend for the crucial trip to West Ham United on Saturday, and Irons fans have been quick to react.
Arthur Masuaku and Joao Mario come into the XI in place of Patrice Evra – Moyes was slated on Twitter for praising the Frenchman this week– and Edimilson Fernandes respectively, with Adrian keeping his place between the sticks as Joe Hart misses out through injury having been ineligible against his parent club previously.
The east London outfit, who have Pedro Obiang back on the substitutes’ bench after three months out with a knee injury, looked to be cruising to safety after they beat Southampton and drew with Chelsea at the end of March and into April, but they have since taken just one point from a possible nine to leave them just two points above the relegation zone.
West Ham supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on Moyes’ selection, and while one said “#MoyesOut”, another simply said “depression”.
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has praised the signing of Burnley striker Danny Ings, according to reports from the Daily Star.
Ings will join the Merseyside club when his contract with the Clarets expire on July 1 after agreeing to terms earlier this month, however the transfer still awaits the agreement of a fee that will be set by a tribunal.
And Reds idol Steven Gerrard, who has joined LA Galaxy, is looking forward to watching the striker play for his former club, but has warned fans that they have to be patient with the 22-year-old.
Liverpool Transfer News | Latest Transfer News
Gerrard said: “The Ings one I’m really excited about because he can be what he wants to be – I know the talent’s there, he’s very young, he’s fresh.
“I think if he carries on learning and developing he can become a top striker and we love top strikers, so it’s there for them, the stage is there and I wish [him] the best of luck and I’m looking forward to watching [him] play.
“He might be the type of player that needs that bigger club, and does thrive on the pressure.
“He’s certainly got the platform there at one of the best clubs in the world to showcase his talents.
“For me, the supporters just need to be patient with him, he’s still very young and I’m sure he’ll get eased in gently. But, as I say, I’m really looking forward to watching him play.
“Hopefully he can get some goals early on which will give him the confidence that’ll make him feel like he belongs there.”
Ings was Burnley’s stand-out performer in their Premier League season, scoring 11 goals but was unable to stop his side from being relegated into the Championship.
Tottenham Hotspur were also heavily linked with a move for the Englishman, but Liverpool acted quickly to finalize the switch.
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Kop manager Brendan Rodgers will hope that Ings eases the pressure on his misfiring strikers, who have struggled to score on a consistent basis all season.
I have a feeling the current Premier League season won’t be looked back upon too fondly unless you’re a Manchester United fan. The battle at the foot of the table has been much more exciting than that at the top, despite the fact that the two now relegated clubs, Queens Park Rangers and Reading, have been adrift for some time.
Yet, in comparison to the one-horse title race, with that horse being an ever-consistent team that has avoided complications to their aims of monopolising the English top flight all year, we at least have the prospect of it coming down to a whirlpool of emotions on the final day of the season in regards to the final relegation spot.
While some have referred to it as being a ‘vintage season’ for United, with a vintage cast to boot, others, including myself, are not so sure. Although a number of their players appear to have come of age – Rafael, David De Gea and Phil Jones for example – the only major difference in terms of personnel from last year is the acquisition of Robin van Persie. It begs the question – is the Premier League’s top scorer the only difference between the two Manchester clubs this season? And to extend that hypothesis further; was the domestic title decided in the summer, with his £20million move from Arsenal?
The Netherlands international has certainly played his part. A record of 25 goals and 8 assists in 35 Premier League games speaks for itself, and his first-half hatrick against Aston Villa, including arguably his greatest ever strike considering the magnitude of the situation, epitomises how van Persie has not simply been a new recruit at Old Trafford this season and added quality to the first team, but rather that he’s become a leader, a focal point of the starting XI, and most importantly, the difference between a win and a draw, or claiming a point rather than coming away with nothing.
At 29 years of age, and having been one of Europe’s most talented striker since his mid-twenties, the desire for a deserved accolade in the form of a title or trophy, the kind of historical recognition of his ability that was only ever in touching distance whilst at the Emirates, has been the driving force behind van Persie’s fantastic season, and lifting the title has no doubt been at the forefront of his mind ever since signing on the dotted line in the summer. It’s the kind of personal motivation that is impossible to value in monetary terms, which Sir Alex Ferguson would love to tap into and take advantage of.
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With a combination of talent and motivation it was always going to be van Persie’s season, which makes you wonder what would have happened had the striker opted for the blue side of Manchester in the summer. There’s no doubt his decision to move to Old Trafford rather than Eastlands tipped the balance from last season. Whereas City’s prolific strike force was unrivalled in the Premier League last year, with Edin Dzeko, Sergio Aguero and Mario Balotelli firing on all cylinders and Carlos Tevez still on the books, the acquisition of the former Arsenal forward suddenly created an equally as desirable selection of strikers of Van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandes, whom are all capable of twenty goals a season, in addition to the hardworking styles and link-up play of Danny Welbeck.
Van Persie’s season has been sensational, yet it would not have been so easy to pull off had the Wayne rooney not been providing such uniquely effective supporting role at the tip of the United midfield. They’ve benefited greatly from each other’s presence and individual characteristics, and United have benefited from their astute partnership. Goals has been the key to the Red Devils’ success this year, with the league’s highest goal tally of 79 from 35 games, a long way above City’s 61, and spurred on further by the Red Devils’ bad habit at the start of the year of conceding first.
Back to the former champions, the after effects of not bringing in the Dutchman during the off-season have been duly felt. As many expected, it was not long before Mario Balotelli’s City career imploded, triggering a move to Serie A, and furthermore, the Citizens fell victim to their most prolific forward, Sergio Aguero, spending the majority of the campaign on the sidelines, with the Argentine finding the net just 11 times thus far – a long way shy of last year’s 23.
But furthermore, there must have been a considerable psychological effect on the Citizens camp. Despite them being Champions, with a bottomless wage budget at their disposal, they let the Premier League’s most desired prize purchase slip through their fingers to the local rivals. Roberto Mancini has spent much of the season discussing it in the media and ruing over the failings of City officials such as Bryan Marwood, which has no doubt rubbed off on the players whom at least in their manager’s mind, have become second best in comparison to United’s newest recruit.
The difference between the two managers has also been crucial this year – one criticised for his use of a 3-5-2 system early in the season, failing to control his players from constant infighting, and furthermore, scrutinising player performances in public, whilst the other has kept his players level-headed, avoided the media circus that appears to have engulfed City and Chelsea, and focused solely on the club’s dominance of the domestic league.
It illustrates an intangible difference between the two clubs, which has been overlooked in the debate over United’s season due to van Persie’s sensational form. Whilst United represent a constant stability- highlighted by the fact they’ve recorded an average of two points per game from all but three of their years in the Premier League – that has been created out of hard graft alone, the Citizens are still yet to mature into a team rather than a collection of incredibly talented individuals, and furthermore, they are yet to develop into an elite club.
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They’ve took the fast-track to success, backed by unprecedented foreign investment and finance at their disposal, which in turn has allowed for a complacency amongst the players, shown by City’s inability to secure convincing results against the smaller teams, that Mancini has failed to stamp out, and that Ferguson would never stand for.
Manchester United is a club built around winners, and much of that is an extension of the United gaffer’s mentality. I am not suggesting that the City roster cares any less about picking up trophies in comparison to their local rivals, but it is a club built on finance rather than deserved reward, and thus I feel the desire to retain the championship was perhaps less institutional as it would have been at Old Trafford.
Unfortunately for the Citizens, all you need to give the Red Devils is a way in. Their desire to achieve keeps them ever-consistent, and thus, a spell of poor form, champions or not, is enough for United to capitalise upon. It would be wrong to suggest that van Persie’s presence alone has created a 14 point gap between the two Manchester clubs, and I believe this season’s successes at Old Trafford should be more attributed to the sheer presence of Sir Alex Ferguson and the stability he provides, than the former Arsenal man’s summer transfer. Yet, had he opted to sign for the former champions, you can’t help but consider the prospect of the Skyblues rather comfortably retaining their title, with the Red Devils lacking their unique cutting edge.
Newcastle United’s four-match winning streak in the English Premier League came to a shuddering halt on Monday night after they were defeated 1-0 away to Everton at Goodison Park.
Now safe from relegation, there isn’t much left to play for in the final few games of the season for Rafa Benitez’s men, but a strong top half finish would send a message that the Magpies mean business next term.
Fans were left frustrated with the result and performance, with particular criticism aimed at defender DeAndre Yedlin, who failed to intercept a cross that led to Theo Walcott’s winning goal.
Many supporters feel he is the weak link in Benitez’s starting eleven and some are at the point of seeking a replacement at right-back when the summer transfer window opens.
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Should the United States international be replaced or has his improvement this season demonstrated he can still come good in the top-flight?
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Newcastle vs Tottenham has always been one of the Premier League’s least predictable fixtures. The last six encounters between the two sides are split equally with three wins each – albeit, with the Lilywhites boasting an aggregate score of 12-6.
And today’s installment didn’t disappoint, producing four goals in a feisty clash as the momentum swung from side to side.
Tottenham opened the scoring through Nacer Chadli after half an hour, his swerving shot outfoxing Tim Krul, only for Jack Colback to cancel out the Belgium international’s effort just moments into the second half.
A Christian Eriksen inswinging free-kick, evading the pack to bounce in the box and sneak past Krul at the far post, reinstated the visitors’ lead, which was capped off in the 91st minute by who else but Harry Kane.
In case you missed the clash, however, we at Football Fancast have listed its three biggest talking points:
HURRIKANE RISES TO SERGIO AGUERO’S CHALLENGE
With Chelsea’s Diego Costa stuck in the physio room for the next few weeks, the Premier League’s Golden Boot award will almost certainly go to either Sergio Aguero or Harry Kane this season. The Manchester City star threw down the gauntlet earlier today, netting the second in a 2-0 win over West Ham to bring his tally for the campaign to 20.
It was a tough afternoon for Kane at St. James’ Park – and for a while he looked set to record his third consecutive Premier League appearance without finding the net, having not scored for Spurs since returning from international duty with England last month.
Although he popped up in pockets of space in habitual fashion, his first three attempts at goal went straight at Newcastle No.1 Tim Krul – a lot of huffing and puffing, but not much to show for it.
That was until stoppage time, of course, when the 21 year-old finally ended his dry spell by finishing off a Spurs counter-attack.
Desperate to claim a point, the Magpies had everybody in Tottenham’s box for the final moments, but a breakaway left Kane with almost an entire half of the pitch to run into, honing in on Krul’s goal. As the Dutchman attempted to close the space, the Spurs forward calmly passed the ball into the corner of the net.
If Kane does finish up as the Premier League’s top scorer this year, he’ll be the first Englishman to claim the Golden Boot since Kevin Phillips – all the way back in 2000.
NEWCASTLE WEREN’T ACTUALLY THAT BAD
If you didn’t see the game today, you’d be forgiven for assuming Newcastle were a complete shambles.
This was their sixth consecutive defeat in the Premier League, a dire situation further amplified by the huge pre-match protests against Mike Ashley and Sunderland fans flying this plane above St. James’ Park, reminding the Toon of their terrible record in the Tyne-Wear derby:
Banterous stuff. But actually, Newcastle weren’t that bad this afternoon when compared to their apathetic performances of recent weeks. Take a look at the stats, with Newcastle in orange and Spurs in blue:
They suggest the visitors had the upper-hand, and they were certainly the more assured sides for large periods. But 45 tackles shows Newcastle were at least applying themselves, whilst they had more than enough opportunities at goal to have got something out of today’s game.
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Amid a stronger run of form and with a bit more luck, things could have been very different.
NEWCASTLE ARE NOW IN A RELEGATION FIGHT
That being said, it’s becoming harder and harder to see where the next positive Newcastle result will come from. Looking at the league table, they probably only need one more win to avoid the possibility of relegation to the Championship:
But every defeat is making that needed victory seem all the more unlikely. The Magpies are in complete free fall and John Carver is quickly running out of ideas. Here’s a look at their final run-in:
Away defeats to QPR and Leicester City, by no means unimaginable considering their current form, could put the Tynesiders right into the mix for relegation with just a few games remaining – and when the pressure’s on in the Premier League, anything can happen.
It feels as if every rumour that places Luis Suarez away from Anfield was irremediably linked to the bite incident with Branislav Ivanovic in the Premier League clash against Chelsea. However, as much as the idea of Liverpool selling their main star could seem unthinkable without being explained by his misconducts, giving up on the Kop idol could be argued by purely sporting reasons, as life without the striker could bring better days to come for Brendan Rodgers’ side.
It cannot be denied the infamous bite is one more reason to add to the list of reasons Liverpool could have to sell Suarez. The unjustifiable action by the Uruguayan has been seen by many as the straw that broke the camel’s back, a reason to open the exit door and send a double message: there is an ethic code to follow at the club, and no one is indispensable. Selling Suarez could be seen as a good gesture by a league that, putting the Anfield club aside, seem to have run out of patience with the striker – Suarez’s name being booed at the PFA ceremony is a self-explanatory argument.
If we merely assess him as a footballer, more than one would think it would be a suicide to sell him. He has been outstanding for Liverpool, bagging 23 league goals and providing 10 assists, being involved in half of the team goals. He has won games by himself and showed up when the team needed him. Why sell him then?
Well, it is precisely that dependency on Suarez what could be holding Liverpool back from being a better team, a better squad. As much as he is being helpful, the team results inevitably rest, to an extend, on how inspired Suarez is on that day, with all the consequences that imply. The first and more obvious one: if the 26 year-old has a bad day, Liverpool see their chances of winning notably undermined.
There is a second consequence of building a team around one player, and that is that the team becomes more predictable. Regardless formations, tactics or the talent of the rest of the squad, players inevitably will try to find that star and rely on him when in need of inspiration, to the point of trying to find him too often. That is exactly why sometimes we have the impression that Liverpool play better without Suarez, Real without Ronaldo or Sweden without Ibrahimovic, to give some examples. The teams lack that focal point and therefore use a wider range of options when building up the attack.
Does that mean Liverpool are better without Luis Suarez? Of course not. The fact that the winning rate in the few games Suarez has not featured this season is much better than the rate in the game he has, is nothing else than a happy coincidence, and it would be cynical to defend the opposite. If anything, the rest of the players let out a better version of them, but no one would dare leaving the Uruguayan on the bench if Liverpool faced a crunch game that could decide a title, for example.
However, would Liverpool be a better team if Suarez’s was cashed in and his value was wisely invested in making a more solid and even team? Quite possibly. Of course, suggesting the possibility of selling the Reds’ striker is not an invitation to find a like for like replacement, mainly because it’s practically impossible to sign another player of his quality. Spending the income in three or four signings that come to improve three or four positions, though, could really make an impact in the overall strength of the team.
It seems convenient to remind than, controversies aside, Suarez is one of the most desired players in the current market for the top European clubs. He could improve every single squad he would go to and Liverpool could take advantage of the amount of clubs interested in him to make the most of the sale. There are no doubts that a sum around £40 million, together with what the club is willing to spend this summer, could improve the team line by line and make of Liverpool’s starting XI a stronger team with a wider variety of options when facing the rivals.
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Liverpool are going through a rebuild period, and a solid team is key to climb back to the top. Once there, it will be time to think of that player capable of winning games by himself. In the meantime, relying so much in one figure, although it can work, it’s probably much more of a risky option. There is no need for twisted thoughts of another hypothetical ban; simply imagining the scenario of Suarez suffering a serious injury and being left out for a whole season can draw an accurate picture of how heavily Liverpool’s aspirations could be affected by a stroke of bad luck.
Liverpool are the only English club left standing in the Champions League, and they are just three games away from winning the tournament.Jurgen Klopp’s side were underdogs heading into their quarter-final tie against Manchester City, but they got off to the perfect start in the first leg at Anfield.Inside 31 minutes, Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane found the back of the net for the Reds.City were unable to respond, and despite Gabriel Jesus scoring in the second minute of the second leg at the Etihad Stadium, Pep Guardiola’s side failed to overturn the deficit.In the end, Salah and Roberto Firmino killed off the game to send Liverpool into the semi-finals for the first time in a decade.Earlier today, it was confirmed that the Merseyside outfit will take on Roma in the final four, with the possibility of meeting either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the showpiece in Kiev.Not many would have given Liverpool a sniff prior to the start of the tournament, but former England international and BBC host Gary Lineker has tweeted a good omen for the fans to get excited about.
To increase the optimism even more, Liverpool defeated Madrid in the final in 1981.
As thousands of fans descend Wembley Way for this weekend’s FA Cup semi-finals, Football Fancast try to pick out the best value bets from the two showpiece games.
Reading v Arsenal
Despite the Royals run to the last four of the FA Cup, this season has been one of immense disappointment for Steve Clarke’s men. One of the early season favourites for promotion, they sit only eight points off the relegation zone. If it wasn’t for the respite of the domestic cup competition there would have been little to shout about at the Madejski this term.
In their last 10 league outings they have managed only a solitary victory, conceding at least one in nine of those fixtures.
Compare that to the form of their illustrious opponents and it really does highlight the task that the Championship side face. Arsenal have won all but one of their last 10 fixtures and have managed to bring themselves to the edge of the title race. They are in undoubtedly their best run of form of the season and as winning the Premier League seems a bridge too far, retaining this trophy will be their number one objective from now till the end of the season.
Reading manager Steve Clarke has suggested his team need to be perfect to have any success at all come Saturday evening. However, even a perfect display for Reading would still leave them well short of their opponents, currently one of the form sides in European football. Unfortunately for Reading, their Wembley day out could have a sour ending.
Back Arsenal to win -2 @ 7/4
Liverpool v Aston Villa
Sunday’s semi-final is definitely a more difficult one to call as Tim Sherwood seems to really be getting the best out of his struggling Villa side. Their away win over Tottenham last weekend all but quashed their fears of relegation and will leave them full of confidence for their date with Liverpool in the capital.
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Although results are still not perfect at Villa Park, they seem to have finally realised that football is about scoring goals and have managed 12 in their last eight league outings, matching their total from the previous 25.
Their opponents Liverpool are still on the coat tails of the top four and need to keep winning in order to keep their Champions League dream alive. Their form has been impressive, their only defeats coming to those above them in the league so they will rightly feel confident going into this clash with lowly Villa.
In terms of the league fixtures between the two, both sides have managed one victory each. Villa secured all three points during their superb start to the season, whereas Rodgers men dispatched easily of their opponents in the most recent clash.
With Villa finally being able to hit the back of the net, matched with both team’s suspect defences, expect this one to have goals. However, the forward prowess of Liverpool, particularly the superb Coutinho and the always dangerous Sterling, will prove too much for the team from Birmingham.
Back Liverpool to win and over 2.5 goals @ 11/8
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A £10 double on the selections will return, on average, £65.