A top European Court has ruled that FIFA's transfer rules breach EU laws regarding freedom of movement.
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A Manchester United scout was reportedly left "bewitched" by the performance of one of the club's summer transfer targets, having flown to watch him in action earlier this week.
The Red Devils have had such a disappointing season, having gone into the campaign as contenders to finish in the top four in the Premier League. Instead, they have rarely looked like achieving that goal, and crashed out of Europe after finishing bottom of their Champions League group.
For that reason, it is paramount that a number of new signings come in during the summer transfer window, with improvements, from their ageing defence to their goal-shy attack, needed all over the pitch.
RB Leipzig and Slovenia striker Benjamin Sesko is a reported target for United at the end of the season, having scored 14 goals in just 17 Bundesliga starts this season. He is seen as a player who could provide much-needed competition for Rasmus Hojlund in the centre of attack, especially with Anthony Martial expected to move on.
Another top target appears to be Crystal Palace maestro Michael Olise, whose quality and end product have consistently caught the eye this season – when he has been fit. Fabrizio Romano has said of the situation: "Olise remains a player who is really appreciated at Manchester United, also by people on the scouting team since one year ago."
According to Tuttosport (via Sport Witness) a Manchester United representative was left "bewitched" by Gleison Bremer when watching him in action for Juventus against Atalanta in the Coppa Italia final on Wednesday, as they won 1-0 thanks to a Dusan Vlahovic goal.
The individual in question "flew to Italy specifically" to watch the Brazilian in action, and the Red Devils are now "ready to get serious" with regards to a move for him. A bid of €70m (£60m) is expected to be enough to get him.
Bremer is precisely what United need this summer in terms of a dominant centre-back who is at a good age to come in and be Lisandro Martinez's long-term partner at the heart of the defence.
The 27-year-old has impressed for Juve throughout this season, averaging 4.1 clearances and 2.9 aerial duel wins per game in Serie A across 35 appearances. He has even chipped in with three goals for good measure. Meanwhile, former Brazil manager Tite once waxed lyrical over him after calling him up for international duty, saying:
"Bremer had this opportunity to be called up thanks to his career and performances of a high level at Torino and Juventus. Perhaps we got it wrong and didn’t observe him closely enough, because he deserved more of our attention a lot earlier. When he arrived here, in the games and the training sessions we did together, he gave such a sense of certainty. He really is a player of great quality."
At 27, Bremer is younger than the likes of Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans – the former has confirmed that he is leaving United this summer – and he arguably possesses the physical attributes to adjust to the Premier League with ease.
Vinicius Jr's dedication has reportedly been questioned by some at Real Madrid, despite the Brazilian scoring again in the win over Real Sociedad.
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It's been a real up-and-down Premier League season for Tottenham Hotspur this year.
They started with a miraculous ten-game unbeaten streak but then lost four on the bounce in the last month or so.
Ange Postecoglou hasn't got everything right in his first year in England, but there are certainly signs that he could lead the Lilywhites to glory if given the proper backing, and based on recent reports, that might happen, as the club have been linked to a star who could be their very own Robin van Persie.
According to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Spurs are 'pressing ahead' in their pursuit of Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez ahead of the summer transfer window.
The report has revealed that the North Londoners have been sending scouts to watch the Mexican international play throughout the season, and as things stand, Postecoglou has 'pinpointed the Feyenoord star as a priority.'
The bad news for the Lilywhites is that they are likely to face stiff competition for the marksman's signature, as previous reports have linked fierce rivals Arsenal to the 23-year-old, and if they do get ahead of the Gunners, they'll have to stump up around £87m to get the deal done.
It would certainly represent a massive investment from Daniel Levy and Co, but with Richarlison still underwhelming in White with just 15 goals to his name in 66 Spurs appearances, it would be one worth making, especially with the parallels to Van Persie.
Now, comparing a player yet to test himself in Europe's top five leagues to a striker who scored for fun in England and won the Premier League to boot is undoubtedly a lot, but there are some similarities.
For example, both forwards have found their feet in European football with Feyenoord. In the 76 appearances the Dutchman made in his initial spell with the Rotterdam side, he scored 21 goals and provided ten assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 2.4 games.
In comparison, Gimenez has an even better record with the Eredivisie side, scoring 49 goals and providing 11 assists in 86 games so far, meaning he is averaging a goal involvement every 1.4 games.
|
Gimenez vs Van Persie's initial stint in the Netherlands |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Gimenez |
Van Persie |
|
Appearances |
86 |
76 |
|
Goals |
49 |
21 |
|
Assists |
11 |
10 |
|
Goal Involvements per Match |
0.69 |
0.40 |
|
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
||
The next significant similarity is their deadly left feet. In the last two seasons, the Mexican "nightmare," as talent scout Jacek Kulig vividly described him, has scored 22 of his 38 league goals with his left, nine with his right, and seven with his head, showing that while he's not entirely one-footed, he does heavily favour his left.
Similarly, while the former Arsenal forward could use his right, he would more often than not go with his left and, as things stand, he has scored the third most left-footed Premier League goals in history at 94, behind only Mo Salah and Robbie Fowler.
|
Players with the most left-footed goals in PL History |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Place |
Player |
Goals |
|
1 |
Mo Salah |
125 |
|
2 |
Robbie Fowler |
105 |
|
3 |
Robin van Persie |
94 |
|
4 |
Ryan Giggs |
83 |
|
5 |
Riyad Mahrez |
65 |
|
Via ESPN & the Premier League for Salah's latest tally |
||
Lastly, if the Lilywhites were to get their man, then he would be following in the footsteps of the 102-capped Dutchman by moving to north London, and based on his impressive goal tally over the last two years, it looks likely that he would also become a goal machine in England.
Ultimately, Gimenez might not quite reach the level of Van Persie, but there are apparent similarities, and if he can even replicate a fraction of his output, then Postecoglou will have a very useful striker on his hands next season.
Spurs eyeing "wonderkid" who could be their next Modric
The incredible talent could be transformational in N17.
By
Jack Salveson Holmes
May 15, 2024
Few would deny West Ham United of their pride in yielding a range of high-level quality in their senior squad, but this collection of talented footballers has not been in concert of late and David Moyes' future as manager is now looking uncertain.
Moyes has done a sensational job at the London Stadium and has cemented his legacy after winning the Europa Conference League trophy last season but given that he's out of contract this summer it seems like his time in the dugout has reached a natural conclusion.
It's a critical juncture in West Ham's journey, blessed with such quality but ending a three-year streak in European competition. Securing the perfect successor is pivotal, should the 61-year-old Scotsman indeed leave this summer.
Hammers sporting director Tim Steidten had drawn up a longlist of figures to replace Moyes in the dugout but, as yet, nothing concrete has materialised following Ruben Amorim's face-to-face meeting in east London last week – something the Sporting Lisbon boss later admitted was "a mistake".
Julen Lopetegui has also been of interest but Serie A club AC Milan appear to have a foothold in that race, which could see West Ham focus their pursuit on a dream alternative in Lille manager Paulo Fonseca.
Multiple reports, including a recent revelation from Foot Mercato, suggest that Steidten is hoping to advance interest in the Portuguese, though with Marseille also pushing for a deal, swiftness is needed.
Fonseca is an experienced manager with an attractive playing style that could provide West Ham supporters with the tactical brand that has been craved.
Moyes, while raining success on the east London outfit, has divided opinion with his perceived negative tactics – though, be that as it may, he has gifted the club three successive seasons on the continent, as well as winning European silverware in emphatic circumstances.
The 51-year-old Fonseca won a wealth of silverware with Shakhtar Donetsk but hasn't gleaned any major honours in a top-five European league. Nonetheless, he has impressed with his playing style in France after leaving Roma in high regard, having won the fans over with his football, beset with ageing players and a testing situation relating to the coronavirus pandemic and a change of ownership that made true success difficult.
Arriving at Lille in 2022, Fonseca has guided Les Dogues back to a position of comparative stability and success after an acute nosedive following the stunning Ligue 1 title triumph of 2020/21, recording a fifth-place finish last year and presently perching in fourth.
Out of contract this summer, West Ham really do have a fantastic opportunity to swoop in and land their man, albeit facing fierce competition for his services.
It would be something of a gamble to bring Fonseca to West Ham but his principal 4-2-3-1 formation aligns with the Irons' current set-up, with his desire to dominate possession and take initiative in attacking sequences certainly falling into the ballpark that the general fanbase wishes to see instilled into the first team.
Fonseca's tactical flexibility is one of his sterling attributes as a manager and he has demonstrated this throughout his career thus far, with his sharp mind and clear vision possibly even convincing Lucas Paqueta to remain at the London Stadium next season.
Much has been said of Paqueta's future with West Ham and with Manchester City pursuing the Brazilian last summer, offering £85m before an FA betting investigation halted their advances, his top-level quality was rubber-stamped.
Signed for West Ham from Lyon for a club-record £51m fee in 2022, Paqueta has been exceptional in his multi-layered role, scoring 13 goals and supplying 14 assists across 81 appearances and being praised for his "mind-boggling" quality by former teammate Declan Rice.
Ranking among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 8% for progressive passes, the top 2% for tackles, the top 17% for interceptions, the top 15% for clearances and the top 4% for aerial duels won per 90, as per FBref, Paqueta is truly one of the most dynamic and hard-working around.
He might even be irreplaceable for West Ham, and every option must be exhausted in convincing the player to remain at the club, enticing him with an enterprising new style of play and a new lease of life as the beating heart of the project.
|
West Ham PL 23/24 Stats without Paqueta |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Fixture |
Date |
Result |
|
Brentford (A) |
04/11/23 |
3-2 loss |
|
Brighton (H) |
02/01/24 |
0-0 draw |
|
Sheffield United (A) |
21/01/24 |
2-2 draw |
|
Bournemouth (H) |
01/02/24 |
1-1 draw |
|
Man Utd (A) |
04/02/24 |
3-0 loss |
|
Arsenal (H) |
11/02/24 |
6-0 loss |
|
Nottingham Forest (A) |
17/02/24 |
2-0 loss |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
||
Given that Romano remarked that Fonseca is "perfect in the dressing room", he might just have the man-management skills and promise of a healthy and providential atmosphere that could convince Paqueta to remain at his current stomping ground, where he has established himself as a major player.
With the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus unleashed in a more attacking system, Paqueta's string-pulling expertise would ensure that the talented West Ham squad rises to a new level entirely.
Convincing him to reject the likely interest of Manchester City this summer will be difficult – especially if Pep Guardiola's side meet his £85m release clause – but he could be the key to ensuring this talented team's meteoric rise does not fizzle out, should Moyes part ways in east London.
West Ham could take Kudus to new heights with "perfect" Amorim alternative
This tactician would be a fantastic alternative to Ruben Amorim
By
Angus Sinclair
Apr 27, 2024
Harry Kane is ready to move on following a difficult Euro 2024 campaign and explains why he's hoping to emulate Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Fans hailed Wayne Rooney's stunning free-kick for Manchester United legends while claiming he is still better than the current crop of players.
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Tottenham Hotspur were a day late and a dollar short against Arsenal in the Premier League, with an infuriating North London Derby defeat exposing defensive frailties that have blemished a promising campaign.
Ange Postecoglou's side were ravaged by an error-strewn opening half that was aggravated by some contentious officiating decisions, but the fact remains that there is a canyon of quality between the Lilywhites and their title-chasing arch-rivals.
A second-half rally spoke of the desire, spoke of the ability of this brewing project, but there is much for Postecoglou to stew over and much for bruised Tottenham to reflect on, with the hopes of reclaiming a position among Europe's elite next year narrowing.
One such issue is that of central midfield. Yves Bissouma was dropped after a string of poor displays but his stand-in, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, failed to impress once again from the outset.
Hojbjerg has not started often this season but his Malian counterpart's struggles called for intervention, and the Dane's express purpose of controlling and organising in the centre of the park convinced Postecoglou to throw him back into the mix.
It, quite literally, backfired, with Hojbjerg's skewed header following Bukayo Saka's corner handing Mikel Arteta's side a venomous opener down N17, 15 minutes on the clock.
His travails led him to a substitution just after the hour mark, having failed to contain the slick-moving visitors and being branded with a 4/10 match rating by football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold, who wrote: 'Making only his seventh start in the league and within 15 minutes he had headed the ball into his own net from a corner. Wasn't Spurs' worst player but it's another defeat to his name when he starts.'
As per Sofascore, the Dane might not have been the worst performer – James Maddison, ensnared still in the webbed net of post-injury strife – and he was at least at the heart of the action, taking 83 touches across his 64 minutes, completing 87% of his passes, pushing forward with two dribbles, making three tackles and winning six of his 11 contested duels.
But he choked on the big occasion once again and was too conservative in possession, failing to make a single key pass and losing possession 12 times.
Does Hojbjerg have a future at Spurs? Does he fit the Ange-ball prototype, requisite for success and sharpened for prominence in this flowering new system at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?
Likely not. The 28-year-old was fiercely linked with a move away back in January and, out of contract in 2025 with just seven Premier League starts to his name this season, it would seem unlikely that he will retain his bit-part position in the side next season – especially with present interest from teams such as AC Milan.
|
Spurs PL 23/24 Stats: Hojbjerg Starting |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Fixture |
Date |
Result |
Minutes played |
|
Fulham (H) |
23/10/23 |
2-0 win |
90' |
|
Wolves (A) |
11/11/23 |
2-1 loss |
90' |
|
West Ham (H) |
07/12/23 |
2-1 loss |
67' |
|
Brighton (A) |
28/12/23 |
4-2 loss |
90' |
|
Man Utd (A) |
14/01/24 |
2-2 draw |
90' |
|
Everton (A) |
03/02/24 |
2-2 draw |
89' |
|
Arsenal (H) |
28/04/24 |
3-2 loss |
64' |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
|||
Moreover, let's just glance at the table above. It hardly denotes Hojbjerg's success, his compatibility in the fast-moving, free-spirited style that this craggy-faced Australian has blessed an outfit seeking respite from an interminably challenging series of campaigns, following the warm and sure football that Mauricio Pochettino instilled.
Hojbjerg was a product of Jose Mourinho's arrival, signed from Southampton for a shrewd £15m fee, but his time is surely up and it's difficult to imagine Postecoglou will be convinced to start him again this season, instead using his crisp in-possession quality in the later stages of matches.
Hojbjerg is a cultured midfielder, strong in the tackle and commanding in his short-placed passing game, but he faces yet another year of inactivity under Postecoglou's wing and he must now be sold.
Spurs 2-3 Arsenal: Player ratings & match recap
Arsenal took on Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
By
Matt Dawson
Apr 28, 2024
Barcelona still haven't registered Dani Olmo to play and now another La Liga game against Rayo Vallecano is rapidly approaching.
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Sunderland can pick up two victories on the trot in the Championship for the first time since December last year when Millwall travel to the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
It won't be a walk in the park to make it two wins on the bounce for Mike Dodds' side however, with the Lions revitalised under new boss Neil Harris who steered the South London side to an impressive three points against Leicester City recently.
Sunderland will want the likes of Jack Clarke to be firing on all cylinders when Harris' men rock up to Wearside, undoubtedly still the Black Cats' main star whenever he's fit.
In an alternate reality, Sunderland could well have had this star on their books who is as flashy as Clarke but has made a name for himself as a slick and skilful player who is too tricky for a number of Premier League defences.
Many clubs in the Championship have no doubt been left plagued with regret about not tying down a trialist to a fully-fledged deal, with the unassuming youngster then going on to become a major star.
Southampton even had Bayern Munich sensation Jamal Musiala in their youth set-up at one point, not knowing he'd go on to be a main man in attack for the Bavarian giants down the line when exiting St. Mary's.
When Southampton let an £83m star in the making leave as a boy
Southampton have been made to regret getting rid of this exceptional talent ever since he left as a boy.
By
Kelan Sarson
Mar 24, 2024
Sunderland have fallen victim to this too, having taken dazzling Crystal Palace talent Eberechi Eze on trial for a brief period before moving him on to eventually join Queens Park Rangers.
Revealed by the entertaining Palace number seven in a recent tell-all interview, the likes of fellow second-tier sides Millwall and Bristol City also had a good look at the once unproven gem when he was trying to make a name for himself.
The rest is history from Eze's perspective, who is now being touted for a mega-money move away from Selhurst Park after once being rejected by the underperforming Black Cats.
According to Football Transfers, Eze's worth now stands at a hefty €40.2M (£34.3m) but Palace will know they can get an even more lucrative deal out of their golden £19.5m buy when push comes to shove.
Manchester City reportedly bid £60m to try and land the spell-binding 25-year-old's services before a ball was even kicked this season, with Tottenham Hotspur also now interested – who must know paying an outrageous amount will be the only way they can be successful in landing Eze's in-demand signature.
Firing in a wonderfully worked winner against Liverpool last match, to take his season goals total to seven in the top flight, Eze would be a fantastic asset for whatever top club in the Premier League he lines up for next campaign.
Described as being "magical" on the ball ever since his eventful youth days by Paul Hall, who helped Eze become the star he is today at QPR, Sunderland must play the decision to reject the fantastic Eagles midfielder over and over in their heads as a major blunder.
Dodds will just hope that Sunderland can stumble across their very own Eze in the plethora of emerging young talents coming through at the Stadium of Light in time, all whilst the much-talked-about Palace man goes from strength to strength himself in the division above.