All posts by n8rngtd.top

Time to Bale: Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale offered a way out of Bernabeu nightmare with shock return to former side Spurs.

According to SunSport, Gareth Bale has been offered to Tottenham for the small sum of £10milion for a season-long loan.

As Zinedine Zidane attempts to raise his Madrid side from the ashes this summer, Gareth Bale is one of the names he is looked to offload.

The Madrid giants are that keen on offloading the player that they’re prepared to cover half his £600,000-per-week wages. Eye-watering stuff, and we don’t doubt Daniel Levy burst a few blood vessels just looking at the numbers.

It is said that Real will take an offer where a club pays around £250,000 a week for Bale’s wages, not forgetting the £10million fee they expect for a season.

Battling against one of the most spoilt and hostile rabble of fans known to the modern game, Bale has been booed at the Bernabeu for the entirety of this season, and almost 90 per cent of his haters have voted for him to be sold this summer.

Zidane has left him out of the squad for the previous two matches and is willing to let him rot in the under-23s team in an attempt to force him from the club. But Bale, ever the martyr, is said to be prepared to “see out” his contract by agent Jonathan Barnett – collecting him a cool £100million in the process.

You’ve got to say that if Spurs pulled off a summer move for Gareth Bale, it would be an absolutely sensational coup on their behalf. Renowned for spending relatively small amounts of money in the market – and none at all in the previous season – Pochettino has squeezed out of every last drop of ability from his team like valiantly scraping out the final smatters of butter for your morning toast.

If someone was to hand him access to actual quality in the market, then we dare say Spurs could do some serious damage in the league next year. Indeed, it’d ensure that this stunning journey to the Champions League final is merely the start of something special, not the end to a great team’s cycle.

A Son-Kane-Bale forward line-up is a bit filthy isn’t it, after all?

Spurs fans, would you like to see Bale back? Do you think his superstar status would interfere with current chemistry? Let us know in the comments below!

For a billionaire, Mike Ashley sure lacks knowledge in how to spend his money.

Indeed, while fellow members of the 1% of the 1% across the league are taking their clubs to newer heights, the Magpies are stuck in a rut under Ashley’s reign. Frankly, his incompetence has nothing for their development and making them sink further away.

However, there’s still time for the Sports Direct mogul to right his wrongs, somewhat anyway. Obviously, starting by extending Benitez’s contract would be nice. Secondly, he needs to stop encouraging Newcastle as a selling club, having let the likes of Andy Carroll, Demba Ba and Yohan Cabaye leave over the course of his ownership.

According to reports (via Sky Sports), Sean Longstaff’s meteoric rise has attracted Manchester United’s interest this summer. Apparently, the Red Devils want to add youthful exuberance to their midfield with the exciting 22-year-old.

Well, Ashley simply cannot allow Longstaff to leave after witnessing his superb rise to fame last season. Any big bid shouldn’t be entertained at this stage of the Benitez project, if there is to be one going forward.

The academy graduate’s brought life to his boyhood charges’ midfield with his tireless running, ruthless pressing and intelligent movement, connecting the fans to the team in a way only hometown heroes can. Ashley cannot allow his greed for profit into selling away another prized asset. Indeed, as if prematurely offloading Giorginio Wijnaldum or Mohamed Sissoko wasn’t enough damage.

If the Newcastle owner truly wants to see them as a rising force, he needs to make tough decisions. This really is one of them.

Newcastle fans, would you be disappointed by Longstaff’s potential departure this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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The Virgil van Dijk that we all know is a cool, calm, collected guy with an abundance of footballing talent under his belt.

Standing at 6 ft 4 and towering over anyone that stands in his way, the Dutch colossus is a dominant presence who just oozes swagger – Troy Deeney even said that the Liverpool No.4 smells ‘lovely’. What more do you need?

It goes without saying that the former Celtic man is up their with the coolest players in the Premier League, both on and off the pitch.

Luis Suarez certainly had no qualms about celebrating against his former employers in the video below…

Whether he’s picking up his PFA Player of the Year award in a tuxedo and bow tie, or strolling past hapless attackers with that luscious man bun of his, you just know what you’re getting with the 27-year-old.

But has it always been this way?

On the evidence that we’re about to show you, most would say it probably hasn’t.

The image above shows Liverpool’s all-conquering £75m man wearing some of the baggiest jeans you’ll ever see, but let’s be honest, that’s not what we’re looking at is it?

Those clogs!

Just look at them. Huge. Green. They’re basically the footwear equivalent of Shrek; why Van Dijk decided to slip them on and let someone take an actual photograph of him is baffling.

Thankfully for Liverpool fans, their record signing now has a much better dress sense and more confidence as a result, helping him swat aside opposition forwards with ease.

Who knows, if the back-to-back Champions League finalist carried on in this clog-wearing vein throughout his career, would he be in the lofty position in football that he currently is?

Probably not, as nobody would want to be seen dead alongside him whilst he’s wearing those monstrosities, let alone sign him to play for their football club.

In all seriousness though, they are truly awful.

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Sunderland fans have taken to Twitter to slam Jack Ross after they watched their side lose the League One play-off final to Charlton in the most heartbreaking of circumstances.

The Black Cats took an early lead after Naby Sarr’s backpass trickled under Dillon Phillips’ boot and into his own goal, but that freak incident was one of few moments that had Charlton worried.

Sunderland fans have suffered a lot of heartache over the years but one fan manages to pick his ultimate low in the video below…

Ross’ men simply didn’t do enough to win the match and eventually lost the tie courtesy of a 95th-minute strike from Patrick Bauer, breaking Sunderland hearts with the last meaningful kick of the game.

It is now the second time the Wearsiders have lost at Wembley this season after losing the Checkatrade Trophy Final to Portsmouth earlier in the year.

Having suffered that embarrassing day and now this one against the Addicks, Sunderland fans are livid with Ross for his inability to guide the team to promotion.

Let’s see what the supporters on Twitter have been saying about the Scotsman…

With the League One season all done and dusted, attention can now all turn to the summer transfer window, and for Portsmouth, they are likely to be one of the more busier sides in the market.

Kenny Jackett’s side came close to an automatic promotion spot in the league and will likely be favourites next season to seal one of these positions in the table, but to do that, Portsmouth have to play the transfer market well, bringing in players that push the south coast side over the finish line whilst trying to retain the stars that flourished, and one of these names is Matt Clarke.

The defender has continued his incredible rise to prominence with another outstanding season with Pompey, and his performances have caught the eye of Premier League side Brighton, who according to the Portsmouth News are the frontrunner for Clarke this summer.

The 22-year-old, who is valued at £180,000 on Transfermarkt, no doubt has the potential to one day play in the Premier League, but at this stage in his career, a move to the English top flight might be too soon for Clarke.

Clarke will barely feature for a team that bolsters one of the better defences in the bottom half of the Premier League teams, meaning unless the former Ipswich academy product goes out on loan, the defender could miss a season or two of first-team football.

The money would be helpful for Portsmouth, but for both club and player, it will be best if Clarke remains with the League One side for another season.

Portsmouth fans, can the club keep hold of Clarke this summer? Let us know!

[ad_pod ]David Prutton urged Leeds United to bring Dwight Gayle in on loan in his Yorkshire Evening Post article on Monday.The striker spent the previous campaign at West Bromwich Albion where he flourished, netting 24 goals in the Championship.

What’s been said then?

The former midfielder highlighted the one man that Leeds should target this summer. It has been reported that the Whites will have to rely on loan deals in the upcoming transfer window, and the 37-year-old wants his former club to bring in Dwight Gayle.

“Leeds are expected to rely mainly on the loan market, and loan signings from Premier League teams made the difference last year, not just at Aston Villa but at West Brom too,” he said. “Look how many goals Dwight Gayle scored. If he is someone that is available I would look seriously into that.â€

Tough to do

PruttonÂappears to be forgetting how hard it was for West Brom to broker the deal for Gayle.

Newcastle are no fools, they know how much the striker is worth, and if they can avoid loaning him out again they will. The Baggies were only able to bring him in because Salomon Rondon was headed the other way.

Leeds could follow West Brom’s example in using Newcastle’s interest in one of their players to leverage a loan deal for Gayle. The Magpies have been linked with United’s star midfielder Kalvin Phillips, and Victor Orta can certainly use that to his advantage, but that feels like a very big price to pay for a 28-year-old striker.

The Whites definitely won’t be the only club in the Championship looking at signing Gayle this summer either. Fulham have been heavily linked with the £20m-rated attacker, and if it’s a choice between getting a permanent fee or loaning Gayle out to Leeds, surely Newcastle will opt for the former.

Manchester United are apparently prepared to go into a new season without a centre-back signing, if they cannot land Ajax prodigy Matthijs de Ligt, according to the Independent.

Manchester United have fallen behind in the race to sign 19-year-old Ajax captain De Ligt despite a ‘persuasive cash offer’, with Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona both front-runners.

Surely it’s clear (Roy Keane recently said on Sky Sports via Football365 they need a whole new back four) that the club are in need of a new signing in defence, having shipped 54 goals in the Premier League last season and keeping just two home clean sheets. Still, executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is said to be unwilling to spend money on anyone other than a top-class centre-half, since United already have multiple options there (Jones, Smalling, Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelöf, Marcos Rojo and Axel Tuanzebe).

It’s surely news no Manchester United fan wants to hear, the apparent unwillingness to sign a new centre-back.

The performances towards the back end of last season, which saw United win just two of their remaining 12 matches, were atrocious to say the least, and it became abundantly clear that the club couldn’t simply rely on David de Gea to bail them out anymore, with the Spaniard making four errors leading to goals this year and only managed seven clean sheets in total – that’s four more than last year and 11 fewer clean sheets, according to Premier League official statistics.

Keane’s comments speak to a problem in the backline and fellow United legend Gary Neville echoed such comments back in April, so it’s easy to see what those who’ve enjoyed success at the club before think.

Yet here we are, discussing the very real prospect that they could be stranded in defence again next year; that Phil Jones and Chris Smalling could be turning out for the club for their eighth and ninth season, respectively. And Eric Bailly, a man who was hauled off early in the Paris Saint-Germain game because he was so poor, and has managed just 1,123 minutes of football this year, will also be trusted with carrying the club forwards.

Manchester United fans, what are your thoughts on not signing a new centre-half? How desperately do you think your club needs one? Would you be willing to wait another year to get the target Ed Woodward wants? Let us know in the comments below…

While it’d be unfair to criticise the strong partnership of Declan Rice and Mark Noble in West Ham United’s engine room, it’s fair to say they didn’t contribute much going forward. Granted, the Hammers captain scored and assisted 5 goals apiece last season, but a worrying average of 0.7 and 0.3 key passes per 90min perhaps indicates a lack of attacking prowess.

Obviously, after such an expensive outlay last summer, the European dream Manuel Pellegrini has previously spoken about needs to be realised sooner rather than later. That’s got to be the target, right? Largely settled into the London Stadium, a pretty expensive squad and a big-name manager, the Europa League seems like a natural target.

Well, with that in mind, the Chilean is reportedly looking for a more complete midfielder, who can contribute at both ends of the field. According to Sky Sports, the Hammers have apparently launched a £13 million bid for Eibar’s midfielder Joan Jordan.

Now, it’s hard to deny the strength of the current midfield core but perhaps Jordan’s 4 goals and 4 assists (via Transfermarkt) for an Eibar team who only managed 46 goals last season shows he can chip in. Indeed, when you look at his superiority over Noble and Rice in terms of forward passes, chances created and shots on target (stats via Squawka), you can start to imagine him making new-boy Pablo Fornals’ creative job easier.

Andy Carroll has obviously departed and a regular source of goals were a problem for the Irons last season, with only Marko Arnautovic and Felipe Anderson reaching double figures in all competitions, so spreading strikes throughout the team might be a good idea.

When you consider the fact that they, Everton, Watford and Leicester City all scored roughly the same amount of goals in the league, getting more firepower in across the field could give West Ham a better chance of competing in any mini-league below the top six, vying for that seventh spot or beyond.

WhoScored pinpoint the Spaniard’s strengths in taking long-shots, key passes and dribbling through the middle, useful tools for a side potentially looking to improve their engine room.

Moreover, when you look at his superior 1.8 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 1.4 dribbles per 90 mins compared to Noble’s average 1.5 tackles, 0.7 interceptions and 1.2 dribbles, clearly Jordan’s got the skillset to go either way to help the side.

Hammers fans, do you think Jordan can potentially create a more complete midfield next season? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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With a third of the summer transfer window having been and gone, it remains to be seen what wonders Unai Emery can come up with on a shoestring transfer budget. Today’s Gunners transfer roundup includes an update on a Scottish international, a blow in regards to a French youngster and foreign interest in one of the club’s midfielders.

Tierney is top target

According to the Daily Mail, Emery has identified Celtic’s Kieran Tierney as his number one left-back target. Tierney, however, is under contract with the Scottish champions until 2023, and the Emirates outfit may need to part with a fee in the region of £20m to secure his signature.

Claude-Maurice prefers Mönchengladbach

Despite strong interest in the player, Arsenal are set to miss out on 21-year-old Lorient star Alexis Claude-Maurice according to L’Equipe via Sky Sports. Earlier reports had suggested that the forward was prepared to reject as many as ten clubs to move to north London. However, Claude-Maurice has now confirmed that he wants to sign for Borussia Mönchengladbach instead.

Atletico after Xhaka

The Mirror is reporting that Atletico Madrid are interested in signing Granit Xhaka. The Spanish club are looking for a replacement for Rodri, who is in talks with Manchester City, and the 6 foot midfielder is seen as a good option. Inter Milan are also believed to be pursuing in the Swiss international but Arsenal don’t want to sell.

Son Heung-min is a player that you just cannot hate – that is the view of Bhav, an avid Arsenal fan.

The Korean magician is a dream to watch and last season was a stellar one for the 26-year-old, notching up 20 goals and 10 assists in all competitions.

But his peak moment was his stunning individual goal against Chelsea. Picking the ball up on the right flank, Son twisted Blues defenders inside out before slotting past Kepa.

Bhav, who can be seen in the video above filling out his Panini Tabloid, says he “Ended the careers of Jorginho and David Luiz.”

Check out Bhav’s thoughts on Son in full in the video above.

The Premier League Panini Tabloid is a special commemorative newspaper sticker collection celebrating the exciting new partnership between the greatest league in the world and the legendary name in football publishing, Panini. As the official collectable licensee to the Premier League, Panini are delighted to bring consumers a new era of collectables and the best collecting experience. See more here: http://bit.ly/PaniniFFCEditorial