All posts by h716a5.icu

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Football.London’s Arsenal correspondent James Benge has revealed what he believes the north London outfit’s budget will be this summer with and without Champions League football, and Gunners fans have been quick to react on Twitter.

Unai Emery’s side are in real danger of missing out on a top-four finish in the Premier League following a dreadful run of recent form that has seen them lose three consecutive top-flight fixtures.

It is getting to a point where winning the Europa League may well be their best chance of appearing in Europe’s elite club competition again next term, considering they are in the semi-finals.

Benge believes that the Spanish manager will have less than £50m to spend should Arsenal miss out, but around £70m should they make their long-awaited Champions League return – all before player sales.

Gunners supporters have been quick to reply to the story via the afcstuff fan account on Twitter, and it’s fair to say that they are fuming.

One fan is happy (but very confused) after Wolves beat Arsenal in the video below…

While one said “with £50m it will be a miracle if we make top 6 next year”, another simply said “Kroenke out” to show how they are feeling right now.

It isn’t an enjoyable time to be a fan of the team from the capital as the moment, but Europa League success may change that.

Here is just a selection of the reaction…

[ad_pod ]Chris Sutton was quick to praise Celtic winger James Forrest after he was voted PFA Scotland’s Player of the Year, beating teammate Callum McGregor and Rangers duo Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos.

The Scottish international, who has been at Celtic for his entire career, has had a superb season as the Bhoys secured their eighth consecutive league title.

Sutton, a Celtic legend, has probably summed up most Celts fans’ feelings on the 27-year-old.

Forrest’s season has seen him score 11 whilst providing 12 assists for his teammates.

The Scottish international has always had pace but this season he has added some serious end product to his game and must now be considered one of the best players in the league.

Sutton certainly seems to think so and so do many of his opponents. The question for Forrest then is whether or not he can continue his fine form next season.

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James Milner has contributed seven goals and seven assists in 44 appearances for Liverpool during the 2018-19 campaign.

His numbers are excellent for a central midfielder.

But Milner has brought so, so much more to a Liverpool team who just fell short in the Premier League but are in yet another Champions League final.

As it stands, Milner will be leaving Anfield on a free transfer this summer.

However, the Liverpool fans have taken to social media to call for the 5 ft 9 ace to pen an extension at Anfield.

The versatile midfielder is already 33, and will turn 34 in the middle of next season.

Check out the video below to see how Brazil fans reacted to being asked how Cristiano Ronaldo would perform for them in a hilarious prank by Pl>ymaker FC…

The former England international is still incredibly fit, though, and will certainly feel that he has another two years or so left at the top level.

It remains to be seen what plans Jurgen Klopp has for Milner, especially when considering that the Reds could move for a new midfielder this summer.

The Liverpool fans, however, have made their feelings pretty clear, with an overwhelming majority hoping he will remain on Merseyside.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

It looks like Reece James is set to remain at Chelsea next season and, for those who have been following his development at Wigan Athletic this term, that will come as no surprise.

Under Paul Cook, the 19-year-old has really impressed as both a right-back and midfielder, clearly showing enough at the DW Stadium to convince the Blues that he is both their present and future.

Not only do the west London club look keen on keeping him in the squad for the next campaign, but they also seem intent on having him in their ranks for years to come.

Despite still having three years to run on his current contract, according to The Independent, Chelsea are preparing to offer James a new long-term deal in the summer.

They will be hoping to have better luck than what they have had with Callum Hudson-Odoi and his contract talks. But at the end of the day, like the 18-year-old winger, James needs actual minutes on the pitch and not just half-hearted words from his manager and club.

Without them, this potential contract will just be an empty gesture — and there have been too many of those going around Stamford Bridge in recent years.

For young players such as James and Hudson-Odoi, game time, rather than new contracts, will show them how much they are truly valued by their club.

Chelsea fans, are you excited over the prospect of having James in your squad next season? Join the discussion by commenting below.

Manchester City became the first team to win the domestic treble and that speaks volumes of how good Pep Guardiola and his players have been.

Despite their stunning achievement, Guardiola is ever wanting more as he aims to win it all next season.

Even with four trophies this campaign, Guardiola will be hoping he can sign some more players this summer, in order to give his side the best chance of continuing their domination.

And now that club legend Vincent Kompany is leaving, City have to sign a centre-back in his place that has the capabilities to be even half as impactful as he has been.

Harry Maguire is the man currently linked (as per the Metro at the start of the week) to the Etihad Stadium and it’s no wonder why. He has been brilliant for Leicester City for two seasons in a row now.

Maguire (who is valued at £40.5 million on Transfermarkt) could join Riyad Mahrez who signed for Man City from Leicester last summer for a fee that could cost the Premier League champions a record-breaking amount.

The 26-year-old centre-half has enjoyed the best years of his career as he continues to shine for both club and country.

Guardiola was full of praise for Maguire when the two met in April, which has only intensified speculation.

And whilst the England international signed a new five-year deal with Leicester in September 2018, the opportunity to move to the best club in the country and one of the best in the world is something he will find hard to turn down.

Do you agree that Manchester City should look to sign Harry Maguire this summer… Join the discussion and let us know!

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According to Football Insider, Crystal Palace are one of three top flight clubs set to join Aston Villa in the hunt for Luton Town’s James Justin, who has enjoyed a brilliant season with the League One winners.

The right-footer is predominantly left sided, with Jack Stacey occupying the right-back spot, and his arrival at Selhurst Park could therefore represent a threat to Patrick van Aanholt, whose 2018/19 wasn’t so impressive.

What’s the news?

Well, Football Insider reports that the versatile Justin is also a target for Leicester, Southampton, Fulham and Villa, who have already tabled a £7.5m bid this summer.

The local lad made an impressive 52 appearances for the newly-promoted Hatters in all competitions, scoring three goals and chalking up nine assists, incredible creative numbers for a full-back.

He now looks likely to leave Kenilworth Road in the coming months with his contract expiring next summer.

Palace have started to put some emphasis on developing young talent in recent seasons, with the meteoric rise of Aaron Wan-Bissaka the chief example, and Justin could become the next young star to flourish at Selhurst Park, albeit at the expense of van Aanholt.

A problem for PVA

The former Sunderland man’s pace and surprising finishing ability make him a threat on the front foot but his defensive ineptitude has cost his side at times this season, with the Dutch international far too often losing track of his man or being caught out of position.

It’s something that many of the SE25 faithful have picked up on and it’s safe to say that they would welcome an upgrade…

Are Crystal Palace right to slap a £100m valuation on Wilfried Zaha’s head? Check out the video below to see why they are…

Despite having wrestled the starting left-back spot from fellow January 2017 arrival Jeffrey Schlupp over the course of the past couple of years, the player’s poor form has sometimes led Roy Hodgson to start right-back Joel Ward in his place this season for more defensive stability.

Clearly the 5 ft 10 ace’s place in the back four isn’t guaranteed and the arrival of a young, hungry rival could see him relegated to the bench permanently if Justin can find his feet in the top flight.

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Celtic manager Neil Lennon has a lot of big squad decisions to make this summer and figuring out which players need to be moved on will be as important as determining which players he should sign.

It’s a massive transfer window and with plenty of Celtic supporters expecting revolution in terms squad make-up, the reality is it will likely be more of an evolution.

Making too many changes too quickly will miss the point of what is needed at Celtic. This is a successful squad with players with ability well beyond the rest of Scotland. They need a bit of squad depth and a bit of quality in the team, they don’t need Lennon to rip everything up and start again.

One of the players whose Hoops future is unknown is Nir Bitton, who was speaking to the media over the weekend about his desire to play under the manager who signed him.

Keith from C’mon the Hoops throws back to Celtic legend Charlie Mulgrew in the video below…

On the chalkboard

Bitton’s last 18 months at Celtic have been severely hampered by injury, suffering a knee injury that required surgery last year and later admitting he feared it was something that would end his footballing career.

Returning to action in January, he came into the team and quickly looked sharp enough to get regular action, playing the full 90 minutes in massive matches away to Hearts and Hibs immediately after Brendan Rodgers departed as manager.

Subsequent action was limited but Lennon did include him in his team on trophy day, perhaps hinting he intends to use him heading into the summer and next season.

What can his role be next season?

It’s unlikely that the 21-cap Israeli international is ever going to be a first pick in the Celtic starting eleven. The days of him being an emerging prospect worth investing playing time in are long gone.

That’s not to say he isn’t worth having around at the Hoops though, even if he does just have a year left on his contract.

Calm in possession and defensively sound, he’s an excellent alternative midfield option to have, especially in Europe, when the majority of Celtic’s midfield show attacking ambition and flair over the less glamorous stuff.

He can also play a relief role against lesser teams in league and cup action, giving players like Callum McGregor some much needed rest in a potential 60+ game season.

As far as midfield depth goes Lennon could do a lot worse and keeping him around would prevent the need to invest in another central midfielder in the upcoming transfer window.

The 27-year-old has proven he can bounce back from injury and has the desire to feature for Celtic. Now entering his peak years, the club should welcome his return to the fold.

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Manchester United fans, we know you’ve spent an awful lot of time complaining about Paul Pogba this season despite his 16 goals and 11 assists, stats via Transfermarkt. If you Red Devils were serious though and really want Pogba gone, we may have some good news for you.

What’s the story?

When playing to the best of his ability, Pogba is a force to be reckoned with. For that reason, it’s no surprise that according to Fabrizio Romano, Juventus are interested in signing the Frenchman once again.

The Italian giants saw Pogba at his very best in his four years in Turin, so after three years of stagnation at Old Trafford, it’s no surprise that they want to re-sign him this summer.

The Serie A champions have supposedly opened talks with Pogba’s agent, the infamous Mino Raiola, about a move, although they are yet to submit a formal bid. United are yet to make a decision about the player’s future also, but with plenty of time left this summer, anything can happen.

One less ego

Up until Jose Mourinho was axed from his role as the Manchester United manager it seemed that everything Paul Pogba did was being scrutinised. The Frenchman’s social media footprint was a lot easier to see than the mark he was making on a football pitch and it was starting to grind the gears of plenty of the Old Trafford faithful, as well as their Portuguese manager.

And if the Red Devils are to finally be rid of the former Juventus man in a move that will take him back to Italy, where he developed into one of the world’s greatest midfielders, then it will be a win-win.

Not only will United be able to cash in and make some money ahead of a summer of spending, but this move would also rid them of one of the dressing room’s biggest egos.

The conundrum here lies in whether or not losing Pogba’s off-field status would be worth it considering they lose his on-field talents. It’s true we’re yet to see the best of the Frenchman, but should Ole Gunnar Solskjaer be able to salvage the current squad then there’s no reason why Pogba can’t become the leader that we all know he can be and start taking his time in Manchester a little bit more seriously.

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A recent report in the Yorkshire Evening Post has stated that Tottenham Hotspur are unlikely to be willing to pay the £20m price tag that Leeds United have set on Jack Clarke.

This means that the winger will either stay at Elland Road or leave for a lesser fee, and this latest development could have a huge knock-on effect in terms of the Whites’ transfer business this summer.

What’s the story?

Newspapers and online sources have been rampant with speculation that the 18-year-old could be on his way to north London, but Leeds have been resilient when it comes to any potential deal for their prized asset and have stood firm on their £20m valuation.

Noel Whelan has recently claimed the Whites were overpricing their hot prospect and it seems that Daniel Levy has agreed with that sentiment as Spurs don’t want to pay such a hefty fee for an unproven quantity.

Knock-on effects

Failure to sell Clarke for £20m may have severe knock-on effects for the rest of Leeds’ transfer window.

Phil Hay has previously stated that he thinks Leeds’ transfer model will force them to sell players before thinking about new arrivals. This means that the Whites may have to swallow their pride and sell the youngster at a lower price or let another one of their players go.

There has been no shortage of interest in Kalvin Phillips with Aston Villa reportedly preparing a £14m bid, and if Leeds aren’t going to sell Clarke, then they may allow the 23-year-old to leave Elland Road so that they can make signings this summer.

If the Yorkshire club sell Clarke at a lower price, it will also affect the calibre of players that they can target, so this newest update from Spurs isn’t something Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta will be happy to hear.

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Manchester United are interested in signing West Ham United defender Issa Diop this summer, according to Sky Sports.

What’s the story?

One of the obvious improvements the Red Devils can make ahead of the new season is in defence, with last season’s team conceding more goals than any other side in the English Premier League top six.

Sky Sports reckon one player they are looking at is West Ham star Diop.

The outlet report that United are ready to spend £45m plus offer a player to land the 22-year-old after an impressive debut season in English football.

Watch a Man Utd fan’s epic Ed Woodward rant in the video below…

A viable option?

With recent reports rating other United targets such as a Harry Maguire at £80m, it’s clear that value will be hard to find in the open market when it comes to defenders this summer.

A fee of £45m for Diop, plus an unwanted player, does seem reasonable though when you consider his impressive form last season as a top-flight regular and the fact he is still just 22 years of age.

If the best defenders in the world are not available to United this summer then it makes perfect sense to invest in potential at a lower cost that shell out over the odds for a player like Maguire.

It both fits Solskjaer’s vision of building a young, exciting team and allows him to develop raw talent into the kind of player that he feels Man United need to return as a big force in English football.