What on earth was going through Rafa Benitez’s mind when he spent £5 million on Joselu from Stoke City? The Spanish striker has proven at both Stoke and now Newcastle that he’s utterly useless, and with just three goals in 20 games this season he’s done himself no favours. However, he could this summer, finally make his St James Park bow.

There is not a lot that the Magpies would love to see more than Joselu leave the club, but the problem is finding another professional football club who are willing to part with real money and pay the wages for the Spaniard who frankly cannot hit a barn door with a banjo. According to AS, though, mid-table La Liga club Alaves are supposedly prepared to take a punt on the 29-year-old.

In his time in England with both Stoke and Newcastle, Joselu has racked up 79 games, yet in those games, he’s only found the net a paltry 11 times, and as far as the Geordies are concerned the sooner that the £3.6 million-rated man, as per Transfermarkt, is off their books, the better. His goal record is nothing short of woeful, and if he’s to leave then it forces the club to sign a new striker.

At first this, season back in August and Septemeber, whilst Salomon Rondon was still bedding in, Benitez put a lot of faith in Joselu, but that faith was soon revoked as Rafa obviously realised how useless his countryman was out on the pitch. Now it looks like the 29-year-old’s failed spell in England is coming to an end, and the St James Park faithful will be delighted.

Newcastle fans, will you be pleased to see the back of Joselu? Let us know!

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How would Leicester cope if they lost Harry Maguire this summer? It’s difficult to tell but they’d almost certainly be worse off.

The central defender attracted the interest of Manchester City last weekend with the Foxes staring down the barrel of losing another one of their key players.

However, in Josh Knight, they have a rising star who after a loan spell away, has never looked more ready to make his senior Leicester bow.

Knight has been impressing whilst on loan at Peterborough and should Maguire leave, it’s players like him that can help soften the blow.

The 21-year-old is an authoritative and imposing player that bears similarities to the Foxes’ current number 15, and under the guidance of Brendan Rodgers he’ll be one to watch.

He has a history of developing young players, particularly at Celtic, and that should be encouraging for both Knight and supporters of the club. Rodgers took Filip Benkovic under his wing whilst still in charge of the Hoops and progressed his game significantly.

With Benkovic returning to the King Power next season, he’s another man capable of stepping up in place of Maguire. The Croat is also 21 and with him and Knight they could have their future centre-back pairing in the making.

However, the latter is still some way behind. His loan spell in League One has gone well but it’s a significant step down from the Premier League. It would be foolish to put him right into the first team next term but it’s definitely worth seeing what he can do.

He’s already made one first team appearance, albeit from the bench in the League Cup, but it shows how highly rated he is at the Foxes. A new contract in January provides further evidence.

The fact Knight is versatile should also work in his favour ahead of next term. He can play at right-back whilst for Peterborough last weekend he played in defensive midfield and didn’t look out of place.

Leicester’s midfield is strong but it’s another option worth bearing in mind for Rodgers. Next year could be a breakthrough campaign for Knight, but that will likely depend on whether Maguire does move on.

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According to a report in The Scottish Sun, Neil Lennon is keen to re-sign striker Gary Hooper for Celtic if he gets the job permanently this summer, and the link is exactly what he shouldn’t be handed the role.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Scottish Sun report that the 31-year-old, who is available on a free having been released by English Championship club Sheffield Wednesday, is on the former Hibernian boss’ transfer wish-list.

The Scottish Sun report that the centre-forward would be keen on a return to Parkhead, where he scored a remarkable 82 goals in 138 games during his previous spell with the Glasgow giants.

Of course, Lennon is still to find out whether he will be Brendan Rodgers’ long-term replacement, having steered the club to the Scottish Premiership title following the Northern Irishman’s mid-season decision to depart for Leicester City.

Exactly why he shouldn’t get the job

The fact that Lennon reportedly wants to bring Hooper back to the club is one of the reasons why the Bhoys should be looking elsewhere for their new manager.

Controversial. Uncompromising. Leader. C’mon the Hoops’ Keith talks the future of Celtic’s evergreen captain Scott Brown in the video below…

With Steven Gerrard and Rangers set to be stronger next season, and with the club needing to make big improvements in the Champions League, Lennon and Hooper are not the men to help them do that.

The latter has been plagued by injury issues during the latter part of his spell with the Owls, making just five appearances in all competitions this term.

Celtic need to look to the future instead of the past and add a younger and more exciting striker to their frontline for the 2019/20 campaign if they want to progress – re-signing Hooper would ultimately be a backwards step.

It’s time for Dermot Desmond and Peter Lawwell to show some ambition, and if they do then the 31-year-old won’t be lining up in a Hoops shirt for the second time in his career.

[ad_pod ]West Ham United’s pursuit of their striker targets may be linked to the future of Javier Hernandez, per Ex-West Ham United Employee.

What’s the word?

Hernandez has been placed on the transfer list by the club this summer and the report claims that a number of suitors have come forward to enquire about his availability.

Valencia, who Football FanCast understands were eyeing the former Manchester United forward in January, have again expressed an interest.

Ex-West Ham employee also claims that there are Mexican and American clubs monitoring the 31-year-old.

His current contract runs until 2020 and his future is said to be intrinsically linked with the club’s transfer strategy.

The Irons are monitoring Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic and have also made checks on West Bromwich Albion forward Salomon Rondon, who spent the 2018-19 season on loan with Newcastle United.

It remains to be seen if either will be secured if Hernandez does not depart the club, however.

A mess of a transfer strategy

The chickens are coming home to roost for West Ham.

Their strategy of recruiting experienced strikers who are, for all intents and purposes, over the hill, has simply not worked.

Andy Carroll has already been slated for release, while both Lucas Perez and Chicharito are being pushed out of the door this summer.

That leaves just Marko Arnautovic, the Austria international striker who requested to leave in the January transfer window.

It is something of a joke, really, as the Irons’ scattergun approach to picking quantity rather than quality has well and truly come back to bite them.

The Hammers simply can’t afford any similar mistakes this summer.

Ah. How many times have we seen it before, a promising young talent absolutely ruined by injury. It’s a curse, it really is.

Former Manchester United man and Denzil Haroun Reserve Team Player of the Year winner, Giuseppe Rossi, knows all too well about the pain and anguish of a career decimated by reoccurring problems.

Goodness, if only this one panned out differently. It was obvious from the off that the Italian international had the potential to turn into something special. A goal at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light showed the eagerly awaiting United fans that he was capable of doing the business in the Premier League and he continued his run of form in an FA Cup replay win over Burton Albion at Old Trafford, admittedly not the best club in the world – but if you can survive a good kicking from a lower league side then you tend to turn out invincible (at least, that’s what we thought).

It was all going so well, he could have been the ‘next big thing’ until ambition got the better of him – if that’s even a thing – and he decided to move on. For all those involved with the club it was incredibly disappointing to see him go, but like a parent who’s waved goodbye to their child on their first day of school, supporters eagerly awaited his transformation.

In 2007, La Liga outfit Villarreal, where he contributed an impressive 82 goals and 25 assists in 191 games in all competitions, were the first to enjoy the immense ability he honed amongst some of the finest players Manchester United have in the previous two decades.

Unfortunately, since his meteoric rise, Rossi has battled with reoccurring injury problems and desperately struggled to reach the superstar potential that was anticipated of him so early on.

After spending time with Fiorentina, Levante, Celta Vigo and Genoa over the years, Rossi has sadly been without a club since 2018.

While Solskjaer has confirmed that Manchester United are not looking to recruit Rossi this summer, they have recently allowed the forward back to train at the AON Complex and improve his fitness as he seeks out future ventures in the game.

Manchester United fans, what are your standout memories of Rossi? Let us know the comments below… 

نفى حازم الحديدي وكيل أعمال محمد الشناوي حارس مرمى الأهلي الأنباء التي ترددت بشأن إصابة اللاعب بفيروس كورونا قبل مواجهة الزمالك.

ويلتقي الأهلي مع الزمالك مساء الجمعة المقبل في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا، المقرر إقامته على استاد القاهرة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. بدون 3 لاعبين.. الزمالك يدخل معسكرًا مغلقًا استعدادًا لمواجهة الأهلي في نهائي إفريقيا

وقال حازم الحديدي في مداخلة هاتفية عبر قناة “الحدث اليوم”: “محمد الشناوي بصحة جيدة وشارك في تدريبات الأهلي اليوم، وهذا الكلام غير صحيح”.

اختتم: “الشناوي سيكون حاضرًا في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا”.

ومن المنتظر أن يخضع فريقي الأهلي والزمالك لمسحة طبية للكشف عن فيروس كورونا من قبل الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف” قبل موعد المباراة بـ 48 ساعة، ويتم خلالها عزل أي لاعب يثبت إيجابية عينته، ومنعه من المشاركة في المباراة.

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Real Madrid are concerned by the prospect of Tottenham Hotspur winning the Champions League as they attempt to sign Christian Eriksen this summer, per AS.

What’s the word?

The Denmark international has long been a target of the Spanish giants.

But AS report that the Spanish giants are worried that Spurs could beat Liverpool in the Champions League final, having qualified after an unforgettable victory over Ajax on Wednesday, and suddenly ramp up their asking price.

Madrid, AS claim, believe they will have to pay a maximum of €70million (£60.5m) to secure Eriksen’s signature, though Spurs have thus far demanded €100m (£86m).

But a victory over the Reds, Madrid believe, would complicate matters and, despite reaching a verbal agreement with the Denmark international over a transfer, the club are said to be worried about the prospect of Eriksen extending his current contract.

His deal expires in 2020 and if no extension is agreed, he will be available on a free transfer at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season.

Ambitions fulfilled

The best players want to win the biggest trophies.

There has long been a debate over whether Tottenham can reach the next level and keep their stars happy.

A win in the Champions League final, with Spurs crowned European champions, would do just that.

It remains to be seen if Eriksen, however, would view it as a swansong or a reason to stay.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will surely hope for the latter, particularly if Spurs want to go one step further and attempt to win the Premier League.

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According to German outlet Kicker, Manchester United have inquired about the availability of Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, along with French champions Paris Saint-Germain.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Red Devils have asked about the Poland international’s availability with Lewandowski still yet to agree terms over a new contract – his current deal expires in the summer of 2021.

The 30-year-old hitman has scored 38 goals and recorded 13 assists in all competitions across the 2018/19 campaign, and still has one Bundesliga game to play as Bayern look to fend Borussia Dortmund away from their crown.

Will OGS still be in charge of Man Utd come next May? The Flying Pig discusses in the video below…

Lewandowski is undoubtedly one of the best forwards in Europe, and has produced an excellent strike rate wherever he has gone; he hit 103 goals in 187 appearances for Dortmund, and has 189 in 240 games for Bayern.

Having said that, he would be a terrible signing for United.

Why would it be a bad move?

354 goals in 541 games across his career, and no signs of slowing down. Why would it be a bad move for United to swoop for the Pole?

Well, to put it simply, it would show that the Red Devils aren’t learning from their previous mistakes.

Alexis Sanchez. Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Nemanja Matic. Bastian Schweinsteiger. Big names, signed with little thought in regards to the long-term future of the club, and presumably all on mega salaries; why were they signed?

Sanchez is now desperately trying to be offloaded by the club, whilst Matic was amongst their worst performers in the season just gone; Ibrahimovic performed well for about a year before being moved on in the twilight of his career; Schweinsteiger was a ghost of the player who lifted the World Cup with Germany.

Even if Lewandowski does hit the ground running, it is such short-term thinking from United. He could score 30 goals in two seasons at the club, but the Pole will still need replacing in no time and would not command a transfer fee anywhere near what he would cost United right now.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side must learn from their previous mistakes and stop signing these marquee names with little sell-on value or long-term potential.

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It has been reported that Manchester City could be hit with a one-season ban by UEFA, which would exclude them from competing in the Champions League due to alleged Financial Fair Play breaches.

The Citizens allegedly inflated the value of a multi-million pound sponsorship deal, although they have denied any wrongdoing; they received a £49m fine for previously breaching regulations back in 2014.

Should the ban actually happen, Pep Guardiola’s side will be left competing in just the Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup, a trio of competitions that they are already close to winning just this season alone and would sweep up again with ease should they fall out of Europe.

Relive all the drama of Man City v Spurs through the eyes Spurs’ fans in the video below…

The Citizens’ squad is huge. Even the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Riyad Mahrez struggle to get consistent game time. If they are able to focus all of their efforts on the Premier League, we could see them reach levels that have never been seen before.

It’s worth mentioning that City became centurions in 2017/18, and finished on 98 points this time around whilst also competing in the Champions League – imagine what they could do if they weren’t in it at all.

To further reinforce this point, you only need to take a look at what Chelsea managed to do in a campaign where they weren’t involved in European competition.

The Blues ended the 2016/16 season in 10th place, leaving them free to focus on the league for the next term.

Under Antonio Conte’s management, and with considerably less players of genuine quality in comparison to City – only Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and N’Golo Kante were of true class in that side – the west Londoners won the league comfortably by seven points, winning 30 of their games.

Manchester United are the only team in Premier League history to win three successive Premier League titles on the bounce, with arguably one of the greatest teams in English top-flight history containing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Edwin van der Sar and many more.

If City do find themselves banished by UEFA for next season, they can take solace from the fact that there is a very real chance of them emulating the greatest achievement in Premier League history.

حصل فريق مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي على بطاقة التأهل إلى دور الـ16 من دوري أبطال أوروبا، وذلك عقب فوزه مساء اليوم على فريق أولمبياكوس اليوناني.

وتلاقى الفريقان في الجولة الرابعة من دور المجموعات، في ملعب كارايسكاكيس باليونان، حيث فاز مانشستر سيتي بهدف دون رد. هدف فوز مانشستر سيتي أمام أولمبياكوس

وجاء هدف فوز مانشستر سيتي والمباراة الوحيد في الدقيقة 36 عن طريق اللاعب الإنجليزي الشاب فيل فودين.

وغاب اللاعب المصري أحمد حسن كوكا عن أولمبياكوس في تلك المباراة، بسبب استمرار إصابته بفيروس كورونا المستجد.

بتلك النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد مانشستر سيتي إلى 12 نقطة في المركز الأول في المجموعة الثالثة، بينما تجمد رصيد أولمبياكوس عند 3 نقاط في المركز الثالث.

ويُعد مانشستر سيتي خامس الفرق المتأهلة إلى دور الـ16، هذا الموسم، بعد كل من تشيلسي وإشبيلية وبرشلونة ويوفنتوس.