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According to Spanish outlet AS, Ricardo Pereira is on Barcelona’s wish list as they eye up a new right-back.

What’s the word?

Pereira has quickly established himself as one of the best right-backs in the Premier League, showing impressive strides since switching Porto for Leicester.

However, after just a season in England he could be on the move.

Mundo Deportivo have reported that current Barcelona full-back Nelson Semedo avoided journalists in the mixed zone following Portugal’s win over Switzerland at the Nations League. That came just a day after the same publication claimed he wanted to leave.

With that in mind, the Catalan club have now drawn up a list of potential replacements.

Among those names, according to AS, is Leicester’s Pereira. The report doesn’t specify how much he is likely to leave for, but Transfermarkt rate the player at £18m.

Disaster on the cards for Leicester

After Brendan Rodgers said he wanted to keep his squad intact over the summer this piece of news will be particularly worrying for fans of the Foxes.

He isn’t the first full-back to be linked with La Liga, though, after Ben Chilwell was the subject of interest from Atletico Madrid.

Both of them were excellent over the course of the 2018/19 season but there was arguably no player more important to Leicester than Pereira.

The 25-year-old had a stunning campaign, being named the club’s Player of the Season and also Players’ Player of the Season.

It was fine reward for a term where he claimed six assists, proving to be a valuable asset down the right hand side.

Was Gareth Southgate wrong to overlook potential England stars from Palace, Leicester and Saints? Fan discuss “big club bias” in the video below…

After seeing Danny Simpson released, Leicester now only have one right back in the squad. Daniel Amartey has been utilised in that position in the past but he doesn’t come close to Pereira’s quality.

As a result, losing someone with the attributes he possesses would be nothing short of a disaster. Considering the transfer window has only just opened, it would be the worst possible way to open proceedings.

He’s a player you sense would be incredibly difficult to replace and considering Leicester’s £85m valuation of Harry Maguire, it hardly seems as though they’re strapped for cash.

In that case, allowing him to leave isn’t in their best interests.

It’s fair to say that Manchester United’s striking department has hit somewhat of a crisis since that dreamy night in Paris back in March. Indeed, despite some of the talent the club has on its books when it comes to forwards, the goals have largely dried up.

Obviously, during their sensational night at the Parc de Paris, Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford built up a partnership akin to the club’s legendary ones in the past. Together, they put the French champions to the sword, but their dip in form has been really rather alarming.

Amazingly, they contributed only a single goal after that historic night. Truly awful stuff. While The Sun reported in May that Lukaku has been told he can leave, Rashford is seemingly going nowhere amid suggestions of a new contract raised by the Daily Mirror back in April. Still, the ‘Manc born and bred’ as he’s called by the supporters clearly needs proper service to reach his peak.

Well, if reports are to be believed, things could be getting better for him.

That’s because, according to the Daily Mail, United are apparently interested in potentially replacing Lukaku with Eintracht Frankfurt heavyweight Sebastian Haller. 15 goals and 9 assists for the Bundesliga outfit this season has seen the Frenchman’s stock rise of late and, in our minds, he’d be an excellent addition.

Rashford, Lukaku and Anthony Martial failed to contribute more goals individually in the Premier League, so it’s easy to see a natural fit here. Moreover, it was Haller’s unselfish work which allowed partner-in-crime Luka Jovic to hit headlines which earned him a Real Madrid move.

Jovic himself spoke to of the ‘chemistry’ he had with the 24-year-old over the course of the campaign and, while there are obviously no guarantees he’d replicate that with someone like Rashford, there’s clearly a talent in his game when it comes to operating in a fluid frontline.

Now, you wouldn’t exactly describe the Red Devils’ attack as fluid right now but, at their best this season on that scintillating winning run when Jose Mourinho was sacked, there were at least signs that it could be considering some of the performances.

For an electric, opportunistic striker like Rashford, Haller looks a natural foil. Having won 6.6 aerial duels on average per 90 mins (thanks to WhoScored), perhaps he’d be ideal to provide both the England man and the aforementioned Martial a platform from which to roam around.

United fans, do you think Haller can help Rashford find his flow? Join the discussion by commenting below…

أفادت تقارير صحفية إسبانية، أن نادي ريال مدريد قرر عدم مغادرة أي لاعب آخر خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية الجارية بعد لوكا يوفيتش.

لوكا يوفيتش غادر ريال مدريد معارًا إلى انتراخت فرانكفورت خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية، بعدما خرج من حسابات المدرب زين الدين زيدان.

طالع أيضًا.. جناح أودينيزي ينُعش آمال ليفربول وريال مدريد

صحيفة “Le10Sport” الفرنسية، قالت إن ريال مدريد قرر عدم رحيل أي لاعب، رغم العروض المقدمه للاعبيه، أمثال إيدير ميليتاو وإيسكو، في ظل عدم مشاركتهما مع زيدان بشكل أساسي.

الصحيفة أشارت إلى أن الوضع سيتغيّر في الصيف بالتأكيد، خاصة وأن ريال مدريد لن يتعاقد مع أي لاعب في الشتاء، مما سيجعله يحافظ على عناصره.

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According to reports in The Sun on Sunday (June 9, page 59), Leeds are set to miss out on Reece Brown as Huddersfield Town are now looking the more likely land the Forest Green Rovers midfielder, who is out of contract this summer.

What’s the story?

The midfielder is available on a free transfer. His contract with Forest Green Rovers is expiring, and it is looking increasingly likely that he will leave after their failed play-off campaign.

The midfielder made it into the League Two Team of the Year, and his impressive performances have drawn interest from Championship clubs.

It looked for a while that Leeds would be the side to secure his signature, but the latest report indicates that their Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield will be the ones to sign him.

Proven entities

Leeds are undoubtedly amongst the favourites for promotion next season, but they may fall short in their top-flight ambitions if they target League Two standard players.

The Whites must identify players that are definite improvements on what they already have, and Brown doesn’t slot into that category.

Indeed he was fantastic in League Two, but it is a huge step up from the fourth tier into the Championship.

In recent weeks, the Whites have shown an interest in bringing Harry Wilson and Luke Freeman, two targets who appear well-suited to the demands of a promotion-chasing outfit.

Wilson netted 16 goals for Derby last season as the Rams were almost promoted to the Premier League, while Freeman has been one of the standout performers in the second tier for the past few years.

It remains to be seen whether Brown can light up the Championship following a move to Huddersfield.

Considering he is available on a free, Leeds fans may feel disappointed at missing out on the League Two star, ions both in the transfer market and in the imminent future.

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Celtic fans aren’t keen on reports linking Aberdeen defender Scott McKenna with a move to Glasgow.

The Scottish Sun reported over the weekend that the Hoops had a £5m rejected for the Scotland international, as the club continue to search for replacements for Dedryck Boyata and Filip Benkovic.

How can Celtic improve next season? A Hoops fan tells us how in the video below…

The Dons are holding firm on their £10m valuation, according to the paper.

McKenna has previously been touted as the best centre-back in the country by his manager after strong defensive displays under Derek McInnes. It’s form that’s been good enough for him to win 12 Scotland caps as well.

With Celtic already possessing good young talent in Kristoffer Ajer and Jozo Simunovic though, there’s an argument to say that McKenna is no improvement on players available to Neil Lennon currently.

Celtic supporters certainly don’t seem to want him in Glasgow, with many taking to Twitter over the last 48 hours to share their thoughts on the transfer report…

Surely Aston Villa simply have to sign a striker on a permanent deal this summer to have some stability at the club. However, we are of the opinion that Andre Ayew would actually be a terrible replacement for Tammy Abraham.

Indeed, Football Ghana reported that the Midlands giants are apparently eyeing a swoop for the Swansea striker who, we think it’s fair to say, has had a pretty woeful loan spell at Fenerbahce this season. Frankly, just five goals from 38 appearances in all competitions is nowhere near good enough for Villa.

The 29-year-old has played for both the Swans and West Ham in England and the fact he was sold to the Hammers for £21.69m and then sold back a season-and-a-half later for £20.52m shows he hasn’t cut it in England. There’s been a lot of money spent on the former Marseille man for fairly little return over the years.

So, why Villa think he’ll be any different if they buy him this summer, we’ve no idea. Currently, he’s valued at £5.4m on Transfermarkt and that seems steep for a player who just can’t seem to find a club where he’s best utilised.

Tammy Abraham scored 25 goals in 37 appearances in the Championship this season, after all. Now, that’s a quality striker’s tally! All in all, if Villa think Ayew will be able to come into the Premier League and get near to replicating anything like that, they’ve got another thing coming.

Villa must do all they can to tie up Abraham, but if they can’t then there’s still no point in signing Ayew. To stay in the Premier League they need consistent goals and he just won’t provide that.

Villa fans, who do you think should be your main striker next season? Join the discussion by commenting below…

رد المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، رونالد كومان، على تصريحات المدير الرياضي لنادي باريس سان جيرمان، ليوناردو أروخو، بشأن اهتمامهم بضم، ليونيل ميسي.

وخرج ليوناردو وأكد في تصريحات صحفية لمجلة “فرانس فوتبول” وأكد على وجود اسم ميسي دائمًا على قائمة اللاعبين المرغوبين في ضمهم بالمستقبل. (طالع التفاصيل)

وعلق كومان على هذه التصريحات في مؤتمره الصحفي لمباراة الغد أمام كورنيا في كأس ملك إسبانيا، وقال: “اعتقد أن حرية الرأي متاحة للجميع في أن يقولوا ما يريدون”.

وتابع: “إذا سألوني عما إذا كنت مهتمًا بضم نيمار ومبابي، فسأقول نعم، وهذا هو ما فعله ليوناردو”.

وأضاف في النهاية: “لا يمكنني التعليق على تصريحات ليوناردو أو بوتشيتينو لأنني لا أعرف ما سيحدث في المستقبل”.

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Many Arsenal fans on Twitter don’t want to see right-back Hector Bellerin installed as the club’s next permanent captain following in the footsteps of Laurent Koscielny.

This came after Football.London Arsenal correspondent James Benge shared his article on why the Spaniard should take up the role on the social media platform.

In the piece he claims that the 24-year-old is the man to lead the Gunners into a new era of unity under Unai Emery with many of the Spanish gaffer’s current captain options heading for the Emirates Stadium exit door this summer.

The club’s present captain France defender Koscielny is comfortably into his 30s, getting more and more injury prone and has just one year left on his current contract in north London. It’s hard to see him not leaving next summer.

However, Gooners have made it clear on Twitter that the 33-year-old’s replacement shouldn’t be his fellow defender, disagreeing with the journalist.

See for yourself, 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…

It’s hard not to admire Aston Villa’s transfer business so far this summer.

They’ve completed shrewd deals by bringing Kortney Hause and Anwar El Ghazi back after their loan spells with the club whilst they’ve also completed a £22m deal to land Wesley Moraes.

The Brazilian is a powerhouse, winning 2.5 aerial duels per game in last season’s Champions League, but he could become even better for Villa if they sign another forward.

On the chalkboard

Last weekend, the Villans were reported to be in the running to sign Lille striker Rafael Leao.

In the past, he’s been described as the ‘Portuguese Mbappe’ by French journalist Julien Laurens, and it’s easy to see why. He’s quick, can get in behind and is a natural finisher having scored eight in 16 starts in Ligue 1 last term.

At 20 years of age, he’s very much one for the future but he’s still shown great strides in the senior game, playing 26 domestic matches in 2018/19.

But how could he benefit Wesley?

Well, playing him alongside another striker could be game-changing. After all, he played in a two when he was at Club Brugge, proving to be a menace for opposition defenders.

Therefore, adding someone who has pace alongside him, could mean a devastating new combination for Villa.

Leao is at his best when he’s on the shoulder of the defender, making clever runs in behind after being slipped through by his teammates.

Wesley stands at 6 ft 3 and therefore they could be an ideal partnership given he plays in a different manner. If Leao does indeed arrive, Villa could opt to play more direct if they choose to play with two strikers.

Their new signing from Belgium could come slightly deeper for the ball, using his strength and excellent ability in the air to flick and feed the ball in behind the defence for Leao to run onto.

Throughout last season, Villa’s new striker supplied his teammates with ten goals, proving to be an efficient creator, as well as a goal scorer, netting 17 times.

His all-around play seems to come to the fore when playing alongside another striker, so the potential arrival of Leao could prove extremely beneficial in terms of Wesley’s creative nous.

Football fans up and down the country can rejoice as the 2019/20 Premier League fixture list is now out.

It means that despite the long break from any actual football, the clubs and fans can start preparing for the opening day of the season. Get your diaries out, guys, those away days need booking up.

Indeed, Southampton are probably one of the teams who will be looking forward to its beginning, after a solid end to the season under Ralph Hasenhüttl will have left the fans feeling optimistic. Clearly, it’s been difficult for the fans over the past few years but a new regime is now in place, though it wouldn’t be fair to suggest that all the worries are gone.

It’s hard to put the last few seasons behind the Saints, such has been their malaise of late. Yes, there are many reasons to be excited but caution must be applied here.

So, let’s have a look at some of the more concerning fixtures ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.

Southampton vs Sheffield United

Now, this is perhaps a rather pessimistic choice. However, with league finishes of 16th and 17th in the last two seasons, it’s somewhat understandable.

Southampton will finish the 2019/20 season at home to newly-promoted Sheffield United.

Indeed, this is not a fixture that alone strikes fear in the hearts of Saints fans. But it’s one that could have so much significance in the race to avoid relegation. Frankly, it would not be at all surprising to see the two clubs fighting for their lives come the last game of the season.

With Southampton playing Arsenal, Watford, Manchester City, Everton and Manchester United consecutive before the final three games of the season, they could well be desperate for a win come the final game.

The history in this one favours Sheffield United, who have won 25 of their meetings, as opposed to Southampton’s 16.

Manchester City vs Southampton

This is a fixture that will terrify most football fans out there

However, for Southampton, the game arrives during a particularly horrific looking spell of fixtures. Southampton travel to City on the 2nd of November, during a run of eight games that sees them play Tottenham, Chelsea, Wolves, Leicester, City, Everton, Arsenal and Watford consecutively. Should Southampton fail to win a single one of those games, it would surprise few.

Perhaps things look even worse when noted that Southampton have won just one of the last 12 meetings between the two, a 4-2 victory at home in 2016. They shipped nine goals against City last season, with a goal difference of -7 so it certainly doesn’t make for pretty reading.

It’s one Saints fans will not look forward to, especially given the number of difficult games surrounding it.

Southampton fans, what do you make of the fixture list? Are there any other noteworthy nightmare games? Comment below…