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Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Vincent Janssen is enduring a season to forget with Liga MX Apertura side CF Monterrey, a-year-and-a-half on from his costly spell in north London.

What’s the word?

Mauricio Pochettino sought to lure Janssen to White Hart Lane in 2016 as his second signing of the summer, joining Victor Wanyama in putting pen to paper with Spurs after Chairman Daniel Levy struck a £17million deal with AZ Alkmaar for the Dutch forward.

Janssen was believed to have chosen Tottenham over rival interest from Ligue 1 heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain and Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg, having attracted suitors from around Europe after striking 32 goals in 49 games during his debut top-flight season to earn the Eredivisie’s young player of the year award.

Pochettino was overjoyed to have been able to welcome Janssen to the club, describing the then-22-year-old as the “perfect fit” for the side he strived to assemble.

“He has a profile that fits perfectly for us,” the Argentine told Spurs’ official website. “He has quality in the box and he’s a striker that likes to fight and work for the team. That is perfect for us.

“We are very happy and excited that he has joined us. His human profile is perfect for the team, we always care about that. In general, he’s a player that fits the team. We’re all excited. It’s early in pre-season, just the second week and he will have time to adapt. We wish all the best for him.”

But Tottenham would never see such impact from the attacker, with Janssen racking up just six goals and four assists in 42 appearances across all competitions before leaving north London for Mexico and joining Monterrey for €7m (£6.2m) in 2019.

Professional, not personal

With Janssen struggling to make an impact for Tottenham, he would have hoped to kick his career back into gear by joining Monterrey, putting any thoughts of his time in north London far into the past and never giving a second to consider the financial loss Levy had to pay.

Things have not turned out quite like that, though, with the 26-year-old enduring a season to forget in Mexico with just one goal in 11 games after overcoming coronavirus and a later toe injury.

Janssen’s debut campaign in the Liga MX was not much better, either, with the 17-cap international striking just twice in 13 league games on route to 12 goals across all competitions thanks to seven in 10 Copa MX ties.

Monterrey’s €7m signing is not a guaranteed starter any longer, as well, with Janssen only opening six of his league appearances this term as his career continues to stumble four years on from clinching the Eredivisie’s young player of the year award.

It was never personal for Pochettino to omit Janssen before his exit, as the Argentine insisted the striker was simply not up to the task even after injuries to Harry Kane and Dele Alli in January 2019.

“I am so open to improve the squad and add players, with Harry Kane and Dele Alli fit or not fit,” he said, via quotes by FourFourTwo. “It’s difficult for us to add players that can help us or improve our squad. But it’s not that now we suffer some injuries, we are going to change our strategy. Our strategy is so clear.

“It’s one year and a half that he [Janssen] is not in our plans, and that is okay. He is not in the club’s plan. 18-months ago, we took the decision to try to find for him a different place to play. For different reasons, it didn’t work. That happens in football. Some relationships between player and club will not work.

“I saw him every day here in the changing room and the restaurant. That is not a personal problem. It’s the professional side. For different reasons, when that professional relationship is not working, we need to find a solution.”

Jose Mourinho will no doubt have been glad that Levy was able to offload Janssen before the Portuguese replaced Pochettino in November last year, but the Spurs Chairman will forever have the Dutchman’s failed career on his record thanks to Pochettino.

AND in other news, Jose Mourinho will be ruing Daniel Levy’s handling of a “magic” Spurs man backed to quit the club in January…

Antonio Conte could be about to help fund Chelsea’s lavish transfer spending by raiding his former club’s squad. 

The Blues have made major moves in the transfer window so far by signing the likes of Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva. However, Frank Lampard isn’t finished splurging and is still eyeing up other potential targets.

Conte could be about to aid this by making a triple swoop from his old club, according to the Daily Express.

The report claims that N’Golo Kante is one of Inter Milan’s top priorities, but Chelsea are demanding a mammoth £80m before they let the Frenchman leave. Despite the fact that Lampard doesn’t see room for Kante in his future plans, the club aren’t budging on their asking price.

Conte’s interest doesn’t stop there either – the Italian is also interested in snapping up Emerson Palmieri and Olivier Giroud, who could both turn out to be surplus personnel once the new Premier League season starts.

Emerson has been linked with a move away from west London but Giroud’s place could also be under threat. With both Werner and Tammy Abraham in the picture, the 33-year-old could used as a pawn in Lampard’s transfer game.

Chelsea have outlined the urgency to recruit a replacement for Kepa Arrizabalaga, who has lost the faith of the manager. A centre-back is also a priority, according to a recent report from the Daily Star.

Declan Rice is among the names heavily linked with a Chelsea move, along with Kai Havertz. who will cost the Blues about £90m.

If Conte can find the funds to sign the Chelsea trio, he could provide his former club with a mountain of cash, which could further fuel an already spendthrift transfer window for Lampard.

Which of the three potential Conte signings would you most like to see leave? Join the conversation in the comments below…

Leeds United have signed plenty of exciting players in the three years Victor Orta has been at the club, but they appear to be on the verge of one major miss this transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the Yorkshiremen’s top-flight rivals Crystal Palace appear to have won the race for impressive Brentford attacker Said Benrahma this summer.

They claim that the Eagles are confident of striking a £20m agreement with the Championship playoff finalists.

Last month, Marcelo Bielsa’s side were linked with a move to sign the 25-year-old by the Mirror, whilst the ever-reliable Phil Hay told fans to not rule out Leeds’ interest soon after.

Another Orta miss?

Just like Emi Buendia, Dan James and more recently, Eberechi Eze, United appear to have missed out on a potentially game-changing signing – coincidentally in the attacking department once again.

You can argue that Benrahma was one of the best players in the Championship last term after he provided the Bees with 17 goals and nine assists whilst averaging a whopping 3.8 shots, three dribbles and 2.1 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

Not a single Leeds player scored more goals than the Algerian on their way to the league title nor did Patrick Bamford or Pablo Hernandez fire off as many shots.

It’s no secret that Bielsa appears to be in the market for another winger with reports linking the Whites to both Liverpool’s Harry Wilson and Rangers’ Ryan Kent.

His dazzling displays have often earned high praise.

Brentford B coach Sam Saunders claims Benrahma “could nutmeg a mermaid” whilst EFL pundit Don Hutchinson told ESPN that he believes the winger is a Premier League ready player.

Thomas Frank won’t want to lose his “magnificent” star but it could well be the Yorkshire giants who live to regret not signing him this summer.

He could well turn out to be exactly like James, who has gone on to feature regularly for old foes Manchester United.

Orta should have done more to secure him.

AND in other news, we’ve ranked Leeds United’s summer signings so far…

Brighton mathematically ensured their place in next season’s Premier League with a drab goalless draw at home to Newcastle yesterday evening.

A match which had just four shots on target is unlikely to live long in the memory and, in reality, the Seagulls were effectively safe before the Magpies rocked up in Sussex yesterday. However, Graham Potter will no doubt be relieved that they are now officially over the line and can enjoy their final day trip to Burnley with the pressure off.

Unsurprisingly given that there were no goals in the game, those in defensive positions will probably feel the most satisfied with their evening’s work, and Brighton’s Adam Webster should certainly be happy with his contribution at the Amex Stadium.

There had been some doubts as to whether the 25-year-old would feature after he suffered a hip injury in last week’s draw at Southampton but Potter declared before yesterday’s encounter that he was confident the centre-back would play (as per Brighton & Hove Independent) and so it proved.

The 1.91m-tall defender put his height to good use by winning five headers against Newcastle, more than anyone else on the pitch, along with making two interceptions, two clearances and two blocks. [via WhoScored]

Webster didn’t just stand out for his defensive work, either. He was largely composed in possession, completing 68 of his 77 passes for an 88.3% success rate, and he even had one of his team’s three shots on target, taking a 75th-minute shot from distance which forced a good save from Magpies goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

The post-match player ratings were modest all round due to the largely tepid nature of the game but the 25-year-old’s contribution still met with appreciation from some reporters. Sussex Live’s Matthew Davies wrote that “he brought the ball out of defence well and together with [Lewis] Dunk headed away everything that Newcastle threw at him”.

Derren Howard of Brighton & Hove Independent said that the ex-Bristol City man “defended well and forced a good save from Dubravka with a stinging long range effort”, giving him a match rating of seven.

The Seagulls’ ninth Premier League clean sheet of the season made sure that they will be playing in this division again next term. Considering that Webster had to win a race against time to play his part yesterday and ultimately wasn’t far away from netting a superb winning goal, he can take plenty of pride in his efforts in getting Potter’s team over the safety line.

Brighton fans, how impressed were you with Webster’s performance against Newcastle? Comment below with your views!

According to an update courtesy of Gazzetta dello Sport via Milan News.24.com, Tottenham defender Serge Aurier could be on the verge of a near-£18 million move to Serie A giants AC Milan – with negotiations at an ‘advanced’ stage. 

As per this report, Aurier could leave for the San Siro imminently as manager Jose Mourinho reportedly plans a squad reshuffle ahead of the 2020/2021 Premier League campaign.

The new season commences in just over two weeks, with clubs running out of time to make necessary adjustments to their teams for the best chance to achieve glory.

A lot has happened in north London so far in terms of concluded business, with Ivorian colossus Aurier now looking close to heading out the exit door for a maximum fee of £18m. 

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who signed last week, and Joe Hart have been added to the Spurs roster so far (Sky Sports) – but it looks like chairman Daniel Levy is about to make his first sale of the summer.

Back in 2017, when Tottenham brought Aurier to the capital, reliable football.london journalist Alasdair Gold labelled him a ‘beast’ in an extensive scouting report – but it’s debatable whether most Lilywhites will believe it was money well spent. 

Now, after a mixed stay, Aurier looks to be departing for pastures new – at least according to Gazzetta dello Sport. 

The 27-year-old has made 83 appearances for the club in all competitions since putting pen-to-paper on a deal (Transfermarkt), assisting 14 goals in that time with his powerful overlaps, but his often error-prone performances arguably justify a sale.

Spurs fans, should your club offload Aurier this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

After conceding a disappointing 51 goals in the Premier League last season – only Manchester United and West Ham let in more in the top ten – Arsenal were understandably on the look-out for a centre-back all summer. And following Laurent Koscielny’s controversial departure, that need intensified greatly.

Watch Arsenal Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Gunners eventually brought in William Saliba, but he was loaned straight back to St Etienne for the season. And on deadline day, the north Londoners raided their Premier League rivals Chelsea for David Luiz’s signature. But one man who they were reportedly keen on all summer but couldn’t get their hands on by the end of the window, was RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano.

Watch Bournemouth vs Arsenal Live and Free with Amazon Prime on Boxing Day

And in Tuesday night’s game against Borussia Dortmund, the Frenchman enjoyed a fine performance. As per Sofascore, his 7.4 match rating was only second behind Timo Werner amongst his teammates, and he made five tackles, won eight ground duels, had 111 touches and even created two big chances. And after seeing his performance, Arsenal fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on their summer target.

Some Gunners fans even raised the tantalising prospect of potentially seeing Upamecano partner up with French compatriot Saliba at the Emirates next season.

The more performances like the one he produced on Tuesday night, the more expensive Upamecano will become. The Gunners perhaps missed a trick by missing out on him in the summer, but they will be hoping that they don’t live to regret that.

Meanwhile, Arsenal fans react to this starlet’s goal-scoring display for the U23s.

Key Information about Blundell Park

Blundell Park is one of the most historic stadiums in League Two, and it first opened on 2 September 1899.

The ground now holds an all-seated capacity of just over 9,000, and comprises four famous stands; The Main Stand, The Pontoon Stand (Home Supporters), The Young’s Stand, and The Osmond Stand (Away Supporters).

A history of Blundell Park

Grimsby Town Football Club first became tenants of their new ground in the summer of 1899 after moving out of their previous home of Abbey Park.

The first-ever match at Blundell Park was between Luton Town during a Football League Second Division fixture – 4,000 fans watched the new residents draw 2-2 with Luton. Two years after opening, the new Main Stand was built, and over 50 years later the first floodlights were installed around the ground which enabled Grimsby Town to play matches in darker night-time conditions. The famous Pontoon Stand was rebuilt and modernised in 1961, and almost 20 years later the stadium was refurbished to allow the Main Stand to become an all-seater stand.

Following the Taylor Report, in 1995 all four stands of Blundell Park became all-seater. The new renovations of the ground attracted their largest ever crowd of 9,528 on 3 March 1999 during a Football League Division One match between Sunderland. Expansion seating was removed from the ground at the end of the 2003-04 season after the club was relegated, and it would only make a return for larger-scale fixtures such as cup ties.

Despite the club’s new record attendance for an all-seated crowd, the highest ever attendance recorded at Blundell Park was 31,651, originally set during an FA Cup Fifth Round match back in 1937 – a record which will stand indefinitely.

The stadium’s Main Stand is the oldest stand in the Football League with many parts standing since it was built in 1901. Ahead of the 2016-17 season, a new sponsorship deal was agreed with Young’s Seafood which subsequently resulted in the Findus Stand to be renamed the Young’s Stand. The tiers of the Young’s Stand are now known as the Upper Young’s and Lower Young’s Stands.

The most recent improvements to Blundell Park came in April 2015 after Grimsby received a £19,000 grant from The Football Stadia Improvement Fund to enable the club to repair and maintain the floodlights at the ground. In recent months, the leader of the North East Lincolnshire Council stated his desire to build a new stadium on the newly regenerated Freeman Street area in the town.

Tickets to Watch Grimsby Town at Blundell Park

Single matchday tickets stand at around £20 for adults, £5 for juniors (1-14), £13 for seniors (65+),

Young adults (15-18), and students/unemployed.

Early bird tickets are available for a discounted price if purchased in advance of matches. Season tickets are priced from £325 – £360 for adults, £70 for juniors, £100 for unaccompanied juniors, and £230 for senior citizens.

Related Links

https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/ – Official website of Grimsby Town

https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/tickets/ – Grimsby Town Ticket Office

Roberto Firmino is definitely a huge part of Jurgen Klopp’s system over at Liverpool. No one in the world of football can quite do what the Brazilian does for the Reds: he’s hardworking, puts the team first, supports their build-up and at the end of the day, bangs in the goals when necessary.

That much is visible from his career tally of 70 goals and 55 assists for Liverpool in a total of 212 games. But at 28 and fast approaching his 30s, even Firmino will soon need someone to take over – or at the vest least share – the mantle.

So for that reason, here are three players Liverpool should target to support Firmino: one who could outright replace him now, one veteran to serve as back-up and one understudy to become the Firmino of the future.

The replacement: Paulo Dybala – Juventus

The problem with finding a suitable replacement for Firmino is basically in the first couple of sentences of this article: no forward in the world can really replicate the Brazilian’s contribution to Liverpool or do it in a similar manner, and including Lionel Messi or Harry Kane on the list seems like too big of a reach.

But Dybala just might be the next best thing. The Argentine is 26, so even a bit younger, can play both as a centre-forward or in a deeper role as a second-striker, as per Transfermarkt’s database for the games they have covered, and is prolific in banging in the goals and linking up with his teammates.

The fact that he has already scored seven goals and assisted three in the ongoing campaign is proof enough of that. Dybala may not be the exact replica of Firmino but no one is and the Argentine might be as close to him as one can be.

Not to mention that Klopp could potentially mould him into the profile he wants to have in the squad.

The understudy: Lautaro Martinez – Inter Milan

The second player, and interestingly enough the second Argentinian, on the list is Inter Milan’s 22-year-old forward, Martinez.

Even though no one really paid that much attention to him just a year ago – when he could only muster nine goals in 35 games – now he is quite a hot prospect over in Serie A. After all, he has already netted 11 goals and three assists in the ongoing campaign, scoring five goals in his last four Champions League clashes as well.

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Needless to say, he’s fully emerged to the scene but is still young enough to develop even further.

Even though he is currently very much a starter at his club, a chance to play for the European champions and current leaders of the Premier League could no doubt be an interesting prospect for the young forward.

The veteran: Mario Mandzukic – Juventus

There are not many names in the world of football that would be willing to sacrifice their own individual glory for that of the team as quickly as Mandzukic.

His time at Juventus seems all but done and dusted since the Croatian still doesn’t have a single minute under his belt in the ongoing season and has been linked with a move away already.

He may not really be the perfect Firmino replacement but he’s a workhorse that will be more than happy to both play second-fiddle – seeing how he’s going towards the twilight of his career – and do the dirty work for his gaffer, if needs be.

And seeing how he’s 33 already and coming as an out-of-favour player with only a year left on his contract, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the Reds might get a discount as well.

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…

When Crystal Palace Sporting Director Dougie Freedman sanctioned the two-year loan departure of Alexander Sorloth back in the summer to Turkish side Trabzonspor, he may have made a slight mistake during negotiations – albeit, in fairness, unbeknown to him at the time.

The Norway international striker had scored just one goal in 20 appearances for the Eagles following a £9m move from FC Midtjylland back in 2018, and after a string of lumbering performances in attack, few eyebrows were raised when Sorloth was shipped out.

Freedman’s mistake? Well, The Athletic reveal that there is a €6m (£5m) obligation for Trabzonspor to purchase the 24-year-old at the end of his two-year loan, and following a turn of expected events, that sum may now be looking like a bargain for the Super Lig side.

“But transfer fees were apparently an issue, meaning Palace negotiated a 24-month loan, with associated fees, and a purchase obligation set at €6 million in January 2021, by which time Trabzonspor, already cleared to compete in the Europa League, expect to have restructured their debt, implemented new financial monitoring regulations and met UEFA’s targets.”

Sorloth has been on fire this season. The 6 foot 3 hitman has netted 12 goals already this term in just 23 appearances, while also grabbing four assists.

Compare that to his wretched time at Selhurst Park, in which – as aforesaid – he scored just one goal in 20 appearances, with that strike coming in unspectacular fashion in the form of a Carabao Cup game against Swansea, and you’re looking at a completely different player.

So, to see the same man tear it up over in Turkey is presumably very unexpected on Palace’s behalf.

As the saying goes, hindsight is a wonderful thing, and when Freedman shook hands on a €6m (£5m) obligation for Trabzonspor to purchase Sorloth, he probably didn’t think twice about that sum turning out to be a bargain for the Turkish side, which is now looking to be the case.

Given his excellent goalscoring form, one assumes that the south Londoners probably would’ve been able to get more than a measly £5m for a striker who is still fairly young, as well as one who is playing and having an impact in Europa League football and also boasts six goals in 22 caps for the Norway national team.

However, the deed is done – Freedman doesn’t deserve any blame for setting such a low obligation to buy price, for Sorloth really didn’t set the world alight in south London, although the forward’s unexpected form is making that figure look like nothing.

In other news, this Crystal Palace target was his side’s biggest goal threat in a recent Champions League outing against a European giant…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Penny pinching will not end in success.

That’s the policy that Nottingham Forest need to adapt when they approach the upcoming transfer window, or they could end up regretting it big time.

What’s he said?

Speaking during a Q&A on Nottinghamshire Live, journalist Barry Cooper was asked about what the chances were Forest would go in for someone like Dwight Gayle in January. However, he provided a rather glum response.

“Because of the system that Forest operate with, bringing somebody in of genuine quality, that would make a difference is not going to be an easy task, especially when you’re trying to balance risk against reward and stay within FFP.”

A risk they have to take

Whilst we have raised on FFC how going for someone like Gayle might not work for Nottingham Forest, the principle remains the same, whether it be about signing him or any other player, striker or not, that Forest think will help them get promoted.

With the amount of money that waits on the other side in the Premier League, you can’t afford to penny pinch, you simply have to take that risk.

You don’t get anywhere in this division without a little bit of aggression giving you a boost.

If you take a look at Fulham back in 2017/18, they were sixth going into January transfer deadline day, then they went out and signed Aleksander Mitrovic, 12 goals later, they find themselves lifting the playoff trophy at the end of May as they got promoted.

The same goes for West Ham United in 2011/12, they went out and brought in Ricardo Vaz Te on transfer deadline day, and he went on to score the winner in the playoff final.

If there is a player that you truly believe will be of benefit to you in the hope for promotion, then you have to go out and get him and damn the expense.

The fans won’t blame you for being ambitious and missing out, because at least you showed that you were willing to put your money where our mouth was, literally in this example.

Deal with the consequences later, but when the opportunity presents itself, don’t be scared to push the boat out and make the deal, rather than end up regretting it when he puts on past you to keep you down.