West Ham fans are split on the latest transfer reports, after the Mail on Sunday linked the Hammers with moves for Jack Butland and Joe Allen.
It’s been a long season for West Ham fans, but most supporters would agree they do have some very talented players in their squad.
Declan Rice has shown his potential despite his mistake against Arsenal on Sunday, and Arthur Masuaku has proved he can be a valuable weapon for the Hammers if given the correct freedom.
Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic bring plenty of creativity, pace and goals to the attack, but above all else David Moyes’ side is missing a spine.
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Mark Noble has shown glimpses of his former self but been largely underwhelming, and the goalkeeper situation seems to get worse every week.
Given all of this, it is perhaps no surprise to see the Hammers linked to Stoke City’s Allen and Butland.
The pair may be all set to get relegated, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t good enough for the top tier as individuals, and Butland in particular would surely be an upgrade for the Hammers.
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Fans are split on the rumours though, with some asking for both, some wanting neither, and some picking and choosing between the two.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
The Arsenal fans in the Transfer Tavern have been relatively pleased by the recent form that their team has shown signs of, but at this stage in the season – it’s all about results.
With their dream of regaining the Premier League still merely a fantasy at the moment, the attention of our resident Gunners is already beginning to turn to next season.
With Arsene Wenger leaving the club after 22 years this summer, our punters feel that his successor has to arrive with a bang and bring in an array of quality so that the Gunners can improve their luck next season.
A player in the form of Atletico Madrid defensive midfielder Thomas Partey would do very nicely indeed. The 24-year-old is valued at £13.5 million on Transfermarkt, but that doesn’t tell the full story of how important he’s been for the Spanish side over the course of this season.
Having played in over 45 games so far this season, the defensive rock has been exceptional and a big part in providing a shield for the already tight-knit Madrid defence.
Arsenal’s need for a defensive midfielder stretches back over a number of years with the Gunners never really finding an adequate replacement for Patrick Viera all those years ago. Thomas Partey isn’t quite at the level of the French legend yet, but he certainly has the potential to be one day.
A brilliant tackler with decent agility and mobility, he’d be right at home in what is becoming quite an exciting midfield at the Emirates alongside the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere, if the latter renews his contract.
Landlords verdict:
Arsenal are in desperate need of summer recruitments following a mostly disappointing season.
Both quality and quantity is needed at the Emirates, and Thomas Partey is a player very capable of helping Arsenal move up the table.
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Significantly, Arsenal have been needing a defensive midfielder for a while, with a number of signings over the last few years not quite going to plan. Bringing Partey in wouldn’t necessarily solve Arsenal’s problems, but he’d be a great choice to plug the gaps in their midfield.
Departing PSG manager Unai Emery, 46, is the leading candidate to replace Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, according to the Express.
However, the highly-rated coach has endured a chastening experience in France this season and his confidence could have been affected to the extent that he cannot take on a job under such scrutiny right now.
What’s the story, then?
The report states that Luis Enrique and Max Allegri were both ahead of the Spaniard in the pecking order among the hierarchy at the Emirates but have expressed concern over the management structure, which has allowed Emery into the mix.
It goes on to say that one potential stumbling block could be the fact that Emery will demand £8.5m per year to manage in North London and Arsenal may be unwilling to part with that kind of cash.
The report also recalls some support from Wenger for Emery during some of his tougher times at PSG, in which the Frenchman reaffirms his belief in the Spaniard’s competence.
The job is too big for Emery
He showed at Sevilla that he is a good coach and adept at getting slick, adaptable performances from a lesser group of players but Emery has struggled to manage the expectations and egos in Paris.
The task of following Wenger and sating fans who are expecting a brave new era to emerge in the immediate aftermath of the Frenchman’s departure is sure to be as taxing and his confidence may well have been knocked.
Further, Emery lacks experience of English football and the level of scrutiny on these shores are not ideal for someone who is coming off the back of a high-profile failure.
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West Ham United play host to Manchester United at the London Stadium on Thursday night in the penultimate match of their Premier League season, after they preserved their top flight status for at least another 12 months by beating Leicester City 2-0 at the weekend.
The Irons came into their trip to the east Midlands three points above the relegation zone following successive 4-1 defeats against Arsenal and Manchester City, but a straightforward win against an out-of-form Foxes side – coupled with other results – meant that they will be a Premier League team again next term.
That result would have come as a massive relief to the board and manager David Moyes following a tough few weeks, with the Scottish boss coming under heavy criticism from Hammers supporters on Twitter, with them wanting him to go this summer.
The 54-year-old will know that he needs to end the campaign on a high if he is to try and get the London Stadium faithful back on side – as well as convincing co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan that they should extend his contract beyond the climax of the season – although he may also want to give some fringe players an opportunity to impress.
Moyes made two changes to the XI that was beaten by Pep Guardiola’s men for the trip to the King Power Stadium as Arthur Masuaku and Joao Mario came in for Patrice Evra and Edimilson Fernandes respectively, and he may well be considering further alterations against the Red Devils.
Here is how West Ham must line up against Man United, ahead of Adrian in goal…
With a match to come against Everton at the London Stadium on Sunday, David Moyes should be thinking about reshuffling his team against the Red Devils despite the 2-0 win against Leicester last weekend.
The three-man defence of Declan Rice, Angelo Ogbonna and Aaron Cresswell looked much better at the King Power Stadium having conceded eight goals in two Premier League matches previously, and they picked up a much-needed clean sheet.
Hammers fans’ favourite James Collins was pictured in training on Wednesday having returned from injury last week, and Moyes should start the 34-year-old – in what could be his penultimate game for the club – in place of teenager Rice.
Cheikhou Kouyate and Mark Noble were much improved against Leicester following a disappointing season for the duo, and the latter even got on the score-sheet with a brilliant volley.
However, with a match against Everton to come less than three days after this Moyes should look to bring some fresh legs into the middle of the mark against Jose Mourinho’s men, and Pedro Obiang – who was on the bench at the King Power Stadium after three months out through injury – should partner Edimilson Fernandes.
Those two should be flanked by Pablo Zabaleta and Arthur Masuaku as wing-backs, with Patrice Evra not doing enough in his starts to suggest that he should make the XI right now.
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Marko Arnautovic may be a slight doubt for the visit of the Red Devils after picking up a knock against Leicester, and even if the Austrian is almost fit he doesn’t need to be risked now the club has little to play for.
The Austria international can be saved for a start against Everton on Sunday, and Moyes should look to bring in Andy Carroll – who could cause the Man United plenty of problems with his strength and aerial ability – into the line-up as a striker, with Joao Mario and Manuel Lanzini behind him after an impressive showing from the duo at the King Power Stadium.
According to Turkish outfit Fotospor, Besiktas are interested in signing Arsenal forward Danny Welbeck in this summer’s transfer window.
The 27-year-old, who has been called into the England squad for the 2018 World Cup, scored 10 times in 43 appearances for Arsenal during the 2017-18 campaign.
It is understood that Turkish giants Besiktas have identified Welbeck as a possible replacement for Anderson Talisca, and are considering approaching Arsenal over a move.
Welbeck joined the Gunners from Manchester United in the summer of 2014, and he has played over 100 times for the London club in all competitions.
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The attacker will see his current deal with the Gunners expire at the end of next season, however, and his future at the Emirates Stadium has been called into question.
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The Arsenal supporters have been discussing Welbeck’s future, and it would be fair to say that the fanbase is split over whether the 37-time England international should be sold in this summer’s transfer window.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
The Champions League final is the most hotly-anticipated fixture of pretty much any season, and it’s now just around the corner. This season’s showdown feels like a particularly unique one too; underdogs Liverpool represent an emerging and youthful, potent force; back-to-back winners Real Madrid, in contrast, have depended on their unrivalled experience and individual quality on the most-part this term.
So, will Real Madrid become iconic three-time Champions League title victors, or will Liverpool bring about a changing of the guard at the summit of European football? We aren’t privy to a crystal ball, but here’s everything you need to know before kickoff…
Head-to-Head
From their five meetings to date, it’s actually Liverpool who boast the upper hand. However, all three of their victories came from their first three encounters with Real Madrid; the other two being from the Group Stages of the 2014/15 season, when Brendan Rodgers’ side lost both to an aggregate scoreline of 4-0 and swiftly exited the competition.
The key advantage for Real Madrid, however, is how much experience they boast at this stage of the competition. Despite Liverpool being British football’s most successful side in Europe’s top tournament, Real Madrid have won more than double the number of titles, and their final win rate is superior by 9%.
Curiously, every encounter to date has included a clean sheet for the victors. The chances of that trend continuing on Saturday appear incredibly slim.
Referee influence – Milorad Mazic
The ultimate fear for any English side in Europe is how referees tend to have an incredibly different perspective of the game, compared to the rough-and-tumble nature of the Premier League. Despite having something of a reputation amongst Liverpool supporters for awarding Anthony Martial a soft penalty in their 2016 Europa League clash with Manchester United though, that shouldn’t be too much of a problem with Mirolad Mazic in charge.
His ranking from the 37 referees to work in the Champions League proper this season is a little high for fouls per match, but overall he’s pretty much midtable for that alongside fouls per tackle and yellow cards per game. The danger though, rests in the fact Mazic is yet to award a foul or a penalty this season – it feels like the Croatian is due one.
Form Guide
In terms of form from their last six games, there really isn’t much to choose between the Champions League finalists. Liverpool have lost twice compared to Real Madrid’s single defeat, but won their last game against Brighton on the final day of the season which should breed huge confidence ahead of the clash in Kiev. Real Madrid, on the other hand, could only manage a draw away at fifth-placed Villarreal.
Likewise, whereas the Spanish capital outfit have scored more goals, Liverpool boast the better defensive record by an extra clean sheet. In terms of toughest recent opponents too, both come in the form of their respective semi-final losers – Serie A’s third-placers Roma and Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
Perhaps the key difference then, albeit by a single goal, is the surge in form from Gareth Bale, his return surpassing Mohamed Salah’s throughout both clubs’ last six outings. Considering he’s not even Real Madrid’s chief goalscorer – that title belonging to Cristiano Ronaldo – that extra firepower is a massive advantage for Saturday’s final.
Road to the Final
There’s been plenty of criticism over how underwhelming Real Madrid’s performances have been this season both domestically and in Europe. Rather than any fluid brilliance going forward, Zinedine Zidane’s side have relied on their experience, structure and moments of individual quality – the majority being provided by Ronaldo.
But it’s easy to overlook that Real Madrid have endured one of the toughest routes to the final in recent memory. They finished second in a group that also included Tottenham and 2013 finalists Borussia Dortmund, while every knockout round has squared them up with a domestic champion this season. With that in mind, rather than criticising Madrid, perhaps we should be praising the competitiveness of their opposition.
In terms of opposition, Liverpool’s journey has been considerably less competitive, but it did start far earlier, just a week after the beginning of their Premier League campaign. Having finished fourth, the Reds needed to beat Hoffenheim to qualify for the Group Stages but that did give a glimpse of what they’d bring to the competition this year with six goals scored over both legs.
Liverpool then came out on top in their group, only really being troubled by Sevilla, before making surprisingly light work of both FC Porto and Manchester City. The first leg against Roma proved an unexpectedly simple challenge as well, until the final ten minutes when the Serie A outfit were handed a path back into the match – creating an incredibly tense second leg at the Stadio Olimpico. In the end, Liverpool had done just enough, but the game highlighted that they still have huge defensive vulnerabilities.
Team News
The gap between Real Madrid and Liverpool is perhaps encapsulated best by the former club’s superior squad depth. We’ll come onto the Reds in a moment but the truth is, nobody really knows what Zidane will do in Kiev because his squad has so many options. The fact he’ll end up leaving one of Isco, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale on the bench pretty much says it all.
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But because it gives him more scope to change the shape of the team mid-game, a diamond midfield setup seems the likeliest scenario, with Isco playing just behind a front two of Bale and Ronaldo. That means no start for the 81-cap Frenchman, although he’ll still be a fantastic option from the bench. The rest of Real Madrid’s midfield, their backline and the goalkeeper picks itself when everybody’s fit – and Zidane appears to have a clean bill of health.
In contrast, Klopp doesn’t have too many options outside of Liverpool’s likeliest starting XI, partly due to lesser depth (especially up front) and partly due to a series of long-term injuries during the last few months of the season. The good news, however, is that the Reds’ bench will be boosted by the return of Emre Can, in what could well be his last game for Liverpool, and that James Milner should return to the starting XI after a small injury issue. He’s claimed the most assists of any player in the Champions League this season – eight from eight starts – but sat out Liverpool’s 4-0 win over Brighton on the last day of the domestic season.
In terms of potential alterations to Liverpool’s expected XI, Nathaniel Clyne could start ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back due to his experience and Adam Lallana could get a shock nod in midfield simply because he’s so well-suited to what will surely be an incredibly open game. But having both endured injury-thwart campaigns, they’ll likely have to settle for a spot on the bench.
As reported by The Daily Mail, Wolverhampton Wanderers are interested in signing goalkeeper Florin Nita after a move for Sporting shot-stopper Rui Patricio stalled.
What’s the story?
Nuno Santo is looking for improvement and depth in every area of the Wolves first team after winning promotion to the English Premier League.
One name on his radar was Portuguese ‘keeper Rui Patricio according to The Mail, but the deal has stalled after disagreement between his club and the player’s agent.
An alternative option for Wolves is Sparta Prague’s Florin Nita, say the paper, who could be available on a season-long loan deal with a £4.5m option to buy.
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Who is he?
A regular in the Romanian top-flight for years with Concordia Chiajna and Steaua Bucharest, the 30-year-old moved away from his homeland for the first time in January, making the switch to Sparta Prague.
His form last season for both his new club and Steaua was exceptional, conceding just 37 goals in 43 appearances in all competitions, also keeping an impressive 18 clean sheets.
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With two league titles and a cup to his name in Romania, he’s a player who knows what it takes to play consistently and has the experience to add serious depth to the goalkeeping position at Wolves next season.
On a season-long loan, it’s a risk-free move that ticks plenty of boxes for the Premier League new boys.
Scott Parker represented West Ham United on 129 occasions between 2007 and 2011 before making the move to Tottenham Hotspur.
And the fact that the midfielder is still a popular figure with the majority of the West Ham fans despite that move says a lot about the type of performances he put in at Upton Park.
Parker, who joined Chelsea from Charlton Athletic in 2004 before joining Newcastle United, scored 10 Premier League goals during his time with the Hammers.
Parker could not prevent West Ham from being relegated at the end of the 2010-11 season, but he was named the FWA Footballer of the Year for his performances throughout the campaign.
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It was not a surprise when he returned to the Premier League, and West Ham were able to gain a transfer fee of £5.5m from Tottenham for the midfielder.
Despite his connections to Spurs, the West Ham fans still have a lot of time for Parker.
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Indeed, a number of the London club’s supporters were out in force on Wednesday to reveal their respect for the 18-time England international, who retired in June 2017 following four seasons with Fulham.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Tottenham Hotspur have moved ahead in the race to sign Jack Grealish following Leicester City’s decision to sign James Maddison.
What’s going on here?
Both Grealish and Maddison are hot property in the Championship and a number of Premier League clubs were looking to sign the young English midfielders.
They are both attack-minded midfielders with an eye for a goal and an assist, with both commanding large transfer fees.
Leicester City were interested in both players but have decided to sign James Maddison for a reported £22million.
What does this mean for Spurs?
With one fewer rival to contend with, this gives Spurs an even greater chance of landing their target and could also mean a lower price for Grealish, as the bidding war might not be so intense.
It had been previously reported that Aston Villa wanted £40million for their young talent, but with the money problems going on at the club, it is possible they will sell below this steep asking price.
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Either way, it looks like two exciting young English talents could be lighting up the Premier League next season.
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Newcastle United fans in the Tavern will be desperate to see Mike Ashley splash the cash this summer as they look to progress up the table next season.
Against the odds Newcastle managed to finish tenth in the table last year amid rumours of Raphael Benitez’s displeasure at the lack of funds available and Mike Ashley trying to sell the club. If Benitez can make some smart signings this summer, especially up front, the Magpies could well challenge for a top ten spot next season.
Mike Ashley has been fairly frugal with his money in the past but he simply has to give the Benitez some financial backing thus summer or risk losing him.
Newcastle are in dire need of goals, and if they can keep this player fit they could have a potential star on their hands.
That star in question is Liverpool’s forgotten man, Daniel Sturridge.
Sturridge is entering the final year of his contract and according to reports is available for £15 million. The 28-year-old is firmly down the pecking order at Liverpool due to his poor injury record which he again showcased at West Brom last season where in his short loan spell, he only managed six appearances in the league.
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In the past, Sturridge has attracted interest from Sevilla and Inter Milan, who could well be interested in him again. With Aleksandar Mitrovic’s future up in the air and Dwight Gayle failing to perform, a move for Sturridge could well be a wise move. If Newcastle can get the former Chelsea and Manchester City man fit and anywhere near to his best, they could well have a striker that could propel them into the European places.