Daniele De Rossi is reportedly unhappy with the changes made at Roma, alerting Premier League suitors Manchester City and Chelsea, according to Mirror Football.
The combative midfielder has spent his entire 12 year career with the Stadio Olimpico club, but is said in the Italian press to have failed to adjust to new coach Zdenek Zeman’s way of thinking.
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini in particular is said to be an admirer of the Italian international and had a number of summer bids for the star rejected by the Giallorossi.
Chelsea have also been accredited with an interest in De Rossi too, who is valued at around the £20 million.
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It remains to be seen whether the English duo will revisit their interest in De Rossi come January however, with City having bought alternatives in the form of Jack Rodwell and Javi Garcia, and the Blues looking to inject youth into their squad.
According to a report by Italian media outlet ANSA, Arsenal are closing in on the £26m signing of Sampdora midfielder Lucas Torreira, and West Ham United should move quickly to sign Mohamed Elneny if a deal for the Uruguay international goes through.
What’s the word, then?
Well, ANSA report that the highly-rated 22-year-old has been on the Gunners’ radar for a while, but a deal had been in doubt as he looked set to stay after a move to Serie A rivals Napoli stalled.
However, ANSA says that now Sampdoria have secured a replacement in Lokomotiv Zagreb’s Lovro Majer, which means that they are now willing to let Torreira go.
The report adds that while the player has a release clause of €25m (£22m) that must be paid within 60 days after the transfer is confirmed, the north London club are willing to pay €30m (£26m) but with the fee split into instalments.
Meanwhile, Elneny struggled to get a regular starting spot for Arsenal last term and despite signing a new long-term contract in March having initially joined the club in a £5m deal from Basel in 2016, his future would surely be in doubt if Torreira arrives at the Emirates considering they already have the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Granit Xhaka and Jack Wilshere – if he pens a new deal – competing for the midfield spots.
Why should West Ham look to sign Elneny?
Well, the Irons, who should also move for a 6ft 4in England international if Chelsea complete a mega £45m transfer, seemingly need to sign a new defensive midfielder this summer with Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate – and in particular the Senegal international – struggling for form throughout the 2017/18 campaign.
While Elneny has never been a regular fixture in the Arsenal starting XI, he has shown that he has plenty of energy and is more than adept from a defensive point of view as he is something of an enforcer, and he could help tighten up the east London outfit’s leaky defence.
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Meanwhile, he is trustworthy in possession and doesn’t often give the ball away – as shown by the fact that he had a passing accuracy of 93.6% in 25 appearances in the Premier League and Europa League last season, as per WhoScored.com.
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After a testing evening against Arsenal in midweek, Antonio Conte is widely expected to make some changes when Chelsea host Newcastle in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup on Sunday – especially with Bournemouth due at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.
And with plenty of options to choose from this season, the defence could be the department that sees the most rotation. In fact, captain Gary Cahill seems almost certain to come back into the side after sitting out the 2-1 defeat to the Gunners in the League Cup.
With that in mind, we asked Chelsea fans earlier this week whether they’d like to see 17-year-old Ethan Ampadu, 56-cap Brazil international David Luiz or both brought into the starting XI for Sunday’s 1.30pm kickoff.
And according to our poll, the majority of Chelsea fans – 52% – want to see the prodigious Welshman start ahead of Luiz, who has found himself an increasingly peripheral figure this term.
How would you set up the Blues against Newcastle? Let us know by commenting below…
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Tottenham are planning to make an official complaint to the FA about Stoke midfielder Charlie Adam, after a challenge on Paulinho which has ruled the Brazilian out of action for at least a month, according to the Daily Mail.
Adam was late in the tackle on Paulinho during Tottenham’s 3-0 win at White Hart Lane on Sunday, making it the fourth time he has left his mark on a Tottenham player since being promoted to the Premier League with Blackpool in 2010.
Adam had previously been involved in controversial incidents with Scott Parker, and twice with Gareth Bale.
Paulinho has suffered ankle ligament damage, and is likely to be ruled out for at least a month.
Adam was booed following his arrival as a second half substitute at White Hart Lane, whilst Paulinho made his feelings clear by exchanging heated words with Stoke boss Mark Hughes as he left the pitch.
Adam was quick to defend himself however, after receiving plenty of abuse from Tottenham fans for his actions.
Adam said: ‘Just for the record and the people tweeting me abuse saying so, I don’t and never have had anything against Spurs and I would never intend to injury a fellow professional.’
However Tottenham are still set to take the unusual route of writing to the FA to complain about Adam.
Gareth Bale branded the Scot a ‘coward’ after a rash challenge on the Welshman during a pre season friendly whilst Adam was playing for Liverpool.
Adam had previously caused Bale ankle ligament damage during his Blackpool days.
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‘What he did was over the top,’ said Bale at the time. ‘Some people are like that and it’s just wrong. There are pictures on the internet of what he did before when he snapped all my ankle ligaments. I was out for three months that time and one player told me he went out to do it again.’
Southampton scored in the last minute against Fulham on Sunday to grab a 2-2 draw at St Mary’s Stadium.
Jose Fonte put the hosts one up after four minutes, however a Jos Hooiveld own goal and a late Kieran Richardson strike looked to have sealed all three points for the Cottagers.
Fonte popped up once more to hit the back of the net with the final whistle on the horizon, much to the delight of the home crowd.
Despite getting a point Nigel Adkins admitted that his side are capable of better performances.
“I’m trying to be positive,” Adkins told Sky Sports.
“We’ve got a point. We’ve come from behind at the very end there so I suppose that’s good character. The last five minutes were exciting for the crowd.
“But the second-half performance for me is nowhere near what we have been producing and can produce.
“We’ve been talking about it on the training ground all season – different ways to give ourselves a good defensive platform.
“Our first half is a little better when pressing up there but if you don’t press as a unit…
“If you look at the second half we were far too open, far too deep and there was far too much space for the opposition to play through us.
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“And in the end we’ve conceded a couple of goals because of that,” he concluded.
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The squad has been selected and discussed, Harry Kane has been named as captain and excitement is beginning to build around the World Cup and maybe even about England’s prospect of relative success.
Gareth Southgate’s men will step up their preparations for the forthcoming summer showpiece in Russia by hosting Nigeria at Wembley to finetune their approach.
It could well be a last-ditch opportunity for some fringe players to force their way into the forefront of Southgate’s plans and it could also represent a chance for you to win big!
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Question 1 – What will the result be?
England are unbeaten in their last eight matches and it is difficult to look past them for this one, especially as Nigeria have only won one of their last four matches.
However, the visitors are finetuning their own approach for Russia and will want to put in a good performance to boost confidence ahead of the tournament.
Nigeria also stunned Argentina 4-2 in November, and if Southgate chooses to experiment as opposed to selecting his first-choice World Cup eleven, this one isn’t a foregone conclusion.
Question 2 – How many goals will be scored?
England haven’t scored more than once in any of their last six games, despite their move towards a more adventurous passing style under Southgate.
Therefore, two goals or fewer, as unappealing as a spectacle as that may be to watch, might be a shout to earn some money here.
Question 3 – Pick a player to score in the game
This market does depend a great deal on whether Southgate picks an experimental eleven, but it would be fair to expect the players who have not played in a post-season final – consequently spending longer training with England – to feature heavily here.
Southgate will also surely be keen to field captain Kane from the off and the Spurs man will be typically keen to bag and show that the armband isn’t weighing heavily.
Looking beyond the obvious, Jesse Lingard – valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt – could well be in competition with Dele Alli for the most advanced central midfield berth and scored the only goal in England’s last victory, the 1-0 win over the Netherlands in March.
Question 4 – How many corners will be taken in the game?
There were 11 corners in England’s last match, the 1-1 home draw against Italy but only seven in the game before that against Holland.
That means that nine or fewer – always a reasonably safe bet in this market – or ten or more look the best shouts on this one.
England’s new patient style does tend to mean that they get in behind less, reducing the prospect of corners, which is also something to bear in mind.
Question 5 – Pick an event to occur in the match
There is a wider variety of choice here but the one that stands out is a substitute to score a goal.
England friendlies tend to contain a number of late changes and while they can disrupt the rhythm of a game, it could lead to a replacement, eager to impress, bagging one in the closing stages.
An own goal, a scored penalty or the Nigeria goalkeeper – Francis Uzoho played the last match, against DR Congo – to make five saves could be on the cards if England click into gear and pile on the pressure.
Question 6 – When will the first card be shown?
The Times report that Gareth Southgate has elected for an Asian referee to oversee proceedings at Wembley, because they are instructed to apply the letter of the law more strictly than their European and African counterparts.
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That may see an early yellow as the man in the middle stamps his authority on proceedings or if Southgate’s men are conscious of their challenges – and it is a friendly after all – a caution may come later.
This is a tough one to call but 61-75 minutes, much later than usual, may be a way to call one right that nobody else will have.
Question 7 – In which minute will the first goal be scored?
As has already been mentioned, England are not the heaviest scorers these days and they prefer a patient approach, so will not be concerned if an early strike doesn’t come their way.
The opener coming in the minutes after half time looks the most likely here, if you want to make this bumper bet achievable.
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As reported by The Sun, Celtic are interested in signing Newcastle United defender Chancel Mbemba during this month’s transfer window.
What’s the story?
Brendan Rodgers has already made an addition to his defensive line this month after RB Leipzig star Marvin Compper made the switch to Glasgow, however it seems that the Celtic boss’ work isn’t done in the transfer market.
The Sun report that he is weighing up a move for DR Congo captain Chancel Mbemba, who is finding first team opportunities at St James’ Park difficult to come by this season.
The paper say that the Hoops will be battling former UEFA Champions League opponents Anderlecht for his signature, who sold the defender to the Magpies back in 2015.
What can he offer?
Mbemba may be on the fringes of Rafa Benitez’s side this season, making just eight starts in the English Premier League this season, but he has experience that shows he could be a hit at Celtic Park.
Alongside his 58 appearances for Newcastle in the English top-flight and Championship, he is a former regular at Anderlecht, where he shone in a title winning season and picked up Champions League group stage experience, where he scored two goals against Galatasaray.
Rated at £6.3m by Transfermarkt, the 23-year-old is also captain of his country, demonstrating he has leadership qualities of interest to the Scottish champions.
What’s more, he versatile too, having made a number of appearances for Newcastle at left-back this season.
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It all adds up to a rather attractive package for a club like Celtic, who can provide Mbemba with European football, trophies and regular action, the perfect platform to reach his potential.
Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal has expressed his desire to stay with the Turin club for the long term, as reported by Sky Sports News.
Manchester United have been keen on the Chilean international who was injured when his national team came to Wembley last week.
United were expected to make a January bid for the Juventus star man as boss David Moyes continues to be frustrated by his lacklustre midfield, with new boy Marouane Fellaini yet to impress.
Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich have also been linked with interest of the holding midfielder who has become a key man in Turin over the past 18 months alongside former United youngster Paul Pogba.
Despite being linked to some of the biggest clubs in the world, Vidal is more than happy to stay with Juve and go on and win more trophies with the Old Lady.
“I am fine in Turin and my family is very happy in the city,” Vidal told Italian press.
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“In addition to that, I want to keep on winning titles with Juventus.”
Southampton are reportedly considering drastic action to halt their defensive frailties by dropping Kelvin Davis and signing free agent, Craig Gordon, Eatsleepsport.com reports.
The Saints have leaked 14 goals in their opening four Premier League games since returning to the top-flight, including six against Arsenal on Saturday.
Manager Nigel Adkins may feel a change of personnel in goal could be the answer to making his side more solid at the back.
Former Scotland number-one, Gordon, was released by Sunderland at the end of last season as the Black Cats lost patience with the goalkeeper’s ability to remain fit after a series of injuries.
He broke the British transfer record in 2007 by becoming the most expensive goalkeeper – Sunderland signing him from Hearts for £9million.
The 29-year-old made just one appearance for the Black Cats in 2011/12 before Martin O’Neill decided Gordon was no longer in his plans.
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But the player insists he has put his recent injury troubles behind him and is ready for a new challenge.
The move could go ahead as the south coast side have only confirmed 23 players in their 25-man squad, meaning Gordon could still become a Saints player this season.
Having both fallen well short of Manchester City in the Premier League’s title race, the FA Cup final gives Chelsea and Manchester United one last chance to end the campaign with silverware. The two top flight juggernauts meet in the Wembley showpiece on Saturday and it’s shaping up to be a tight, cagey and incredibly close encounter.
So, how will the 2018 FA Cup final pan out? This week’s experts, Football FanCast’s very own Sam Preston and Chelsea FanCast’s FBA-nominated wizzkid Llion Carbis, share their thoughts and predictions ahead of Saturday’s 5.15pm kickoff…
For Antonio Conte, Saturday’s clash isn’t only a chance to end this season but also potentially his Chelsea tenure with a trophy. Nothing has been confirmed just yet and there are plenty who believe the Italian will stay, but the feeling of dissatisfaction behind the scenes has grown throughout the season and the Blues’ underwhelming title defence has only added fuel to recent rumours.
Will this be Conte’s last game in charge and who should replace him for next season?
Llion: “Personally, I feel that his position has become untenable and he’ll leave the club at the end of the season. I appreciate his frustrations, and acknowledge the insufficient support from the board. That said, he has continuously undermined the confidence of his players, which has clearly impacted their performance. Leonardo Jardim has displayed his willingness to develop young players, and he has won trophies. He could be an adequate replacement. Likewise, Luis Enrique has enjoyed tremendous success with Barcelona – although it is likely that his resources won’t be as expansive with us.”
In terms of their head-to-head record, Conte currently stands one win ahead of Mourinho from their five encounters in English football. But it was United who came out on top during the most recent meeting, a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford back in February with star striker Romelu Lukaku scoring and assisting against his former club.
What needs to be replicated from that performance to ensure United win again on Saturday?
Sam: “United started incredibly slowly on that occasion and slipped behind but found that Chelsea have a soft centre when actually put under pressure. That afternoon, Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez were granted greater creative freedom and if Mourinho can unlock them in a similar way at Wembley then Chelsea may have problems. The other aspect is keeping Eden Hazard quiet. Every time we face Chelsea, Mourinho is absolutely obsessed with stopping Hazard and how successful he is in doing so tends to decide the match. We managed it last time out and if we do it again, we should win.”
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And what must Chelsea to do to stop Lukaku this time around?
Llion: “Antonio Rudiger’s critical to preventing Lukaku. The German is strong, tenacious and quick, the perfect attributes to negate a player of Lukaku’s ability. We must ensure that we dictate the physical battle, which will limit Lukaku’s impact on the game. Rudiger is our best defender in those physical confrontations.
For how impressive Lukaku has been during his first season at Old Trafford, netting a career-best 26 times including five goals in the FA Cup, his importance to Mourinho has resulted in one underlying frustration – a lack of game-time for Marcus Rashford, especially since Alexis Sanchez’s arrival in January. But the youngster has such a strong record for United in big games, the most recent Northwest Derby providing a key example, and the FA Cup is about as big as it can get.
Would you find a way of getting Rashford into the starting XI on Saturday?
Sam: “I’d start Rashford up front. He rarely lets the side down in big matches, scoring with his only opportunities in the home games against Liverpool and Manchester City this season. Lukaku hasn’t played for three weeks and his touch isn’t great at the best of times so I’d hate to see it when he’s rusty and not fully fit. Rashford netted twice against Chelsea last season as a striker as well, in what was arguably United’s best performance of the Mourinho era. Jose played something approaching a 4-2-2-2 last time out against Chelsea with Anthony Martial up alongside Lukaku so there might be scope for both Rashford and Lukaku to start together.”
United’s other key selection dilemma is at the heart of defence. Who forms United’s strongest centre-back partnership?
Sam: “Phil Jones and Eric Bailly. Mourinho has done everything he can with Chris Smalling to get him into the England squad but now that he’s been left out definitely, it’s time for the former Fulham man to drop to the bench. Bailly has the physicality to match Olivier Giroud but also the speed to deal with passes in behind. I’d be tempted by Victor Lindelof – I want him to become first-choice next season – but that’s too much of a risk on the big occasions, so Jones gets the nod.”
Perhaps the biggest selection issue at Chelsea right now relates to their formation. Conte’s fluctuated between 3-5-2 and 3-4-3 this season with mixed results, and while the latter setup tends to be more popular with Chelsea fans because it creates a space for Willian, the former seems more appropriate for an FA Cup final due to the extra protection it gives in midfield.
Which formation is best suited to Saturday’s game?
Llion: “I’d prefer to play with a 3-5-2 formation as opposed to the 3-4-3 system. The former provides us with greater stability, and better cover for Cesc Fabregas which in turn allows him the freedom to influence the game. Similarly, Giroud and Hazard share an excellent relationship – it’s crucial that their understanding will be present on Saturday.”
Where will this game be lost and won?
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Sam: “I’ve already touched on it but United’s ability to keep Hazard quiet will be the key. Mourinho has tried everything to stop him in the past – man-marking from Ander Herrera, a series of tactical fouls and reformatting his midfield to deal with his threat – with varying levels of success. If he is fielded just behind the striker as a number 10, United might find it easier to stifle him but if he comes from wide, it could be a long afternoon for Antonio Valencia. From an attacking perspective, it’s a case of getting Lukaku, Sanchez and Pogba – and hopefully Rashford – all in close proximity, linking up to see how much stomach this Chelsea defence really has for the fight.”
Llion: “As previously highlighted, the physical battle will be a key aspect of the game. We must ensure that we dominate proceedings at the heart of the pitch, preventing Nemanja Matic from disrupting our rythym, and thus, giving Hazard and Giroud the platform to influence the game from an attacking perspective. It would be quintessential Mourinho to produce a tactical surprise, and as Fabregas emphasised in midweek, we must be prepared for anything that they throw at us. That adaptability and tactical awareness will be key.”
And finally chaps, let’s hear your score predictions…
Llion: “2-1 Chelsea.”
Sam: “2-0 to United. Even if United play well, this isn’t going to be a high-scoring encounter but Mourinho will be looking for his side to start better than they have in other big games lately; the most recent Chelsea league game, the 3-2 against City and the Tottenham semi-final. If United do that and score first, they should see off a Chelsea side managed by a man who knows he’s on his way out.”