Newcastle fans react as journalist delivers takeover update

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Loads of Newcastle fans are reacting to some tweets from BBC journalist Saj Chowdhury, who has delivered a positive update on the potential takeover of the club.

According to Chowdhury, the Bin Zayed Group (BZG) have agreed terms with Mike Ashley to purchase the club, and are currently being assessed by the Premier League.

The group must undergo a test to show they are fit and proper owners, though one has to wonder about the validity of such a test considering Ashley has been allowed to destroy the club from within for so many years.

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Chowdhury continued with more details, tweeting that Rafael Benitez’s departure from the club will not affect the takeover process, with their “proposal and suitability” still being looked at by the league.

Of course, the news of Benitez’s departure was the last straw for much of the Toon Army, and while a few are feeling positive about the update from Chowdhury, most simply don’t believe a word anymore…

Tough one: West Ham face an uphill battle in convincing Maxi Gomez to sign

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According to Sky Sports, West Ham have had a £29m bid accepted by Celta Vigo for their powerful centre-forward Maxi Gomez, whilst Valencia have made the same offer which has also been accepted.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Hammers were keen on the Uruguayan back in January but did not want to meet his huge £43.3m release clause, which saw Gomez stay in La Liga for the rest of the season.

The 22-year-old hit 13 goals and recorded five assists for Celta Vigo last term, impressing in Spain’s top flight once again after hitting 18 goals the year before.

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The east Londoners are showing real intent with their transfer moves this summer, already swooping to sign Villarreal forward Pablo Fornals in a £24m deal, whilst they have also launched a £13m offer for Eibar midfielder Joan Jordan – it may turn out to be another busy summer for the Irons.

West Ham face an uphill battle to land Gomez

Gomez is quite obviously on the Hammers’ radar after extensive talks were held over him back in January, but they face a real battle to land a player they clearly want at the London Stadium and surely Valencia are the favourites at this point.

Valencia have submitted a similar £29m offer with add-ons, and they also have the pull factor of Champions League football to offer Gomez as well as a chance to stay in La Liga and closer to familiar surroundings.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side don’t even have Europa League football to offer the Uruguay international for next term, so it could prove to be a difficult deal to negotiate in terms of convincing Gomez to choose them over Valencia.

The ambition on show from West Ham is admirable and will definitely get the fans excited this summer, but they may have ventured too far this time in getting involved with Champions League clubs for multi-million pound signings.

Mourinho makes ridiculous Eriksen decision after Champions League campaign

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Jose Mourinho has made a ridiculous decision to include Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Christian Eriksen in his Champions League Team of the Year, per RT via Football365.

The Denmark international helped Spurs to the final of the competition, where they lost to Liverpool in Madrid on Saturday.

The attacking midfielder was anonymous in the game, though, and was similarly absent throughout the majority of the tournament.

He scored in the group stage encounter with Inter Milan but since then he has been nothing more than a passenger.

An assist against Borussia Dortmund in the 3-0 victory was fine but his credited assist against Manchester City at home is a fallacy; that was all Son Heung-Min’s own work.

And at the Etihad, he almost dumped his own side out of the competition, playing a brainless ball from midfield back into defence that was diverted into Sergio Aguero’s path. He laid it on a plate to Raheem Sterling, who scored, but VAR stepped in and ruled it out.

He then did the square root of nothing against in both games against Ajax and in the final he was absolutely absent.

This is a player who has been linked with Real Madrid and is clearly rated by the best coaches in the world but it is genuinely difficult to see why.

Mourinho has included him in his team, perhaps, because he wanted a Tottenham representative.

He could have picked Jan Vertonghen, the steadfast centre-half who has barely put a foot wrong and was one of Spurs’ best players in the final; or Danny Rose, reborn this season; or Heung-Min Son, the scorer of some of the most important goals in the campaign; or perhaps Lucas Moura, who netted that immortal hat-trick in Amsterdam against Ajax.

Instead, he seems to have plucked Eriksen’s name out of a hat.

It is a bizarre decision at best and makes one wonder if he has actually watched Spurs in the Champions League this season.

Leeds & Middlesbrough eyeing Liverpool youngster Kent

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Middlesbrough and Leeds United both want to sign Ryan Kent from Liverpool this summer, per the Northern Echo.

What’s the word?

The 22-year-old is a versatile forward who can play across the front three, though he primarily plays as a left winger.

Kent has made just one senior appearance for the Reds, playing 57 minutes in an FA Cup draw with Exeter City in 2016.

He has gone on five separate loan spells during his time at Anfield, playing for Coventry City, Barnsley, SC Freiburg, Bristol City and Rangers.

He grabbed headlines last season, of course, for an alleged punch on Celtic captain Scott Brown during an Old Firm derby.

And it now appears that he could be heading out on loan again, with both Championship clubs reportedly expressing an interest in acquiring his signature.

He is valued at £12m by the Reds according to the Northern Echo, so a permanent deal is said to be unlikely.

Kent has also won six caps for England at Under-20 level.

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Let him leave permanently

Kent appears unlikely to ever make a first-team breakthrough at Liverpool.

He has been given precious little chance during his time at the Reds to make a breakthrough and, with his only first-team appearance coming three years ago, one feels that now might be the time to allow him to move on.

He has had plenty of first-team exposure while out on loan and he played 43 times in total for Rangers last season.

Keeping him on the books at this stage simply seems cruel; allowing him to leave on a permanent basis would give Kent the chance to strike out on his own and perhaps even prove Liverpool wrong.

It isn’t like the Reds don’t have options; Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane are unlikely to be usurped any time soon.

Liverpool, then, should get an exit sorted this summer.

Good prospect: Aston Villa fans react to Andres Martin speculation

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According to Cordopolis, via Sports Witness, Aston Villa are interested in a summer deal for Cordoba teenager Andres Martin.

Indeed, the report has claimed that Villa sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch has actually travelled to Cordoba to watch the player in action.

However, Real Madrid, Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano have also all been credited with an interest in the 19-year-old ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.

Martin found the back of the net on seven occasions in 32 appearances for his Spanish outfit during the 2018-19 season.

Cordoba will be a decent position when it comes to any potential negotiations, though, as the youngster is contracted to the club until the summer of 2022.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

The Villa fans, who recently revealed their delight at the club’s capture of Anwar El Ghazi on a permanent deal, have been on social media offering their views on the speculation.

And a selection of the Twitter reaction is available to view below:

Spurs fans split over Tielemans update

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Tottenham Hotspur have dropped their interest in AS Monaco midfielder Youri Tielemans, per Football Insider, leaving fans split over the news.

The Belgium international spent the second half of last season on loan at Leicester City, with Spurs linked with a move in the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Ligue 1 club have quoted Spurs a price of over £40m for the 22-year-old, who the Foxes would like to sign on a permanent basis.

However, the north London club are said to believe that Lyon’s Tanguy Ndombele and Real Betis’ Giovani Lo Celso are higher-quality targets this summer as they bid to make their first signing since 2018.

Indeed, The Guardian claim that Spurs are in talks with Lyon over a deal for the France international, while Lo Celso is said to be keen on working under Mauricio Pochettino in north London.

Nevertheless, fans are split over this decision, some believing that Tielemans, having proven himself in the Premier League with three goals and five assists in 13 games, would have been a shrewd addition, and others pleased that Tottenham are focusing their efforts on Lo Celso and Ndombele instead.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

Manchester United fans unhappy as move to sign Sean Longstaff inches closer

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After a breakthrough season in English football’s top-flight, Sean Longstaff seemingly has the world at his feet.

The Newcastle midfielder has been a revelation at St James’ Park since making his Premier League debut before the end of 2018, and understandably has had his name linked with some of the division’s biggest sides.

Reports in recent weeks had suggested that Manchester United were interested in bringing the 21-year-old to Old Trafford this summer, and now The Mirror claim that the Red Devils are ‘confident’ of getting their man in a £25m deal.

Despite appearing to close in on their second major signing of the summer after securing Swansea’s Daniel James, many United fans took to Twitter to voice their disappointment at the potential deal.

Some supporters of the Old Trafford side felt underwhelmed by the prospect of signing an inexperienced midfielder with just nine total games in the Premier League.

Indeed, a few seemed to take the decision to even target Longstaff in the first place as showing “no ambition”, and questioned why the club weren’t in for Lyon’s Tanguy Ndombele.

With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side ending a dismal campaign last year in sixth in the Premier League, some United fans felt that Longstaff’s signing was another indication of them finishing outside the top four again next season.

Check out some of the disappointed reaction of United fans below:

Real Madrid set to pursue Eriksen in major boost to Spurs

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Real Madrid are set to pursue a deal to sign Christian Eriksen from Tottenham Hotspur this summer after manager Zinedine Zidane grew frustrated with the club’s attempts to acquire Paul Pogba from Manchester United, per Bernabeu Digital.

What’s the word?

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Real, the report claims, attempted to secure a deal for the France international but were told that they would have to pay over €150m (£134.2m), while Pogba is also wanted by former club Juventus.

As such, Zidane is said to have grown tired of pursuing the 26-year-old and has subsequently given the green light to a bid for Eriksen.

The Spurs star confirmed earlier this summer that he is keen to leave the club in this transfer window and Real have long been linked with a potential interest.

Now the Spanish giants are keen to seal a deal before the beginning of pre-season, on July 8th, with Eriksen already looking for a home in the Spanish capital and Spurs willing to negotiate.

The north London club, after all, are closing in on the signing of Lyon’s Tanguy Ndombele, though they want €80m (£71.5m) for the Denmark international.

A major summer boost

Spurs need funds for the summer.

The club are already working on a deal to sign Ndombele and are also said to have targeted Real Betis star Giovani Lo Celso.

The latter has an £88m release clause in his contract, however, and an Estadio Deportivo report claims that the club may need to sell Eriksen to have any chance of affording him.

That Zidane has now seemingly given the go-ahead of Real to pursue a deal for the 27-year-old will be music to the ears of Mauricio Pochettino.

He needs to refresh his squad and, while Eriksen has been a key part of his plans in recent years, moving him on can only be a good thing if it means that the money is properly reinvested.

The signing of Lo Celso would almost certainly be proper reinvestment.

Arsenal Transfer Roundup: Brahimi deal close, Tierney competition, Zaha update

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Arsenal manager Unai Emery is yet to make a signing during this summer transfer window, but that could be about to change if recent reports are to be believed. Today’s Gunners transfer roundup includes advanced talks for a free agent, competition from Serie A for a Scottish international and the potential exit of a midfielder.

Brahimi talks

According to Algerian outlet La Gazette du Fennec, Arsenal are in talks with former Porto winger and current free agent Yacine Brahimi. The 29-year-old, who has also been linked with a trio of Turkish clubs, as well as Premier League duo Everton and West Ham, netted ten times in the Portuguese top flight last season.

Competition for Tierney

The Daily Mail is reporting that Napoli are trying to beat Arsenal to the signing of Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney. Manager Carlo Ancelotti is reportedly very interested in the player, and scouts from the Serie A side have apparently been to Celtic Park on a number of occasions to watch the 22-year-old.

Zaha bid

Arsenal have tabled a £40m bid for Crystal Palace attacker Wilfried Zaha, according to Sky Sports, however that’s way below the south London club’s valuation of £80m. Nonetheless, Zaha’s brother and agent Judicael insists the Ivory Coast international wants to play for the Gunners and hopes the two clubs can reach an agreement.

What about Brewster? Liverpool "make contact" with Lyon for Moussa Dembele

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According to Thursday’s edition of L’Equipe (via Sports Witness), Liverpool have made contact with Ligue 1 side Lyon over the availability of Moussa Dembele.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the former Celtic man is hot property right now.

Manchester United reportedly submitted a bid for the Frenchman, and now the Reds and Arsenal have spoken to Lyon about acquiring the forward’s signature.

You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…

Dembele hit 23 goals last season across all competitions to truly prove that he has found his feet in France’s top-flight after a £19.7m move from Celtic, form that has clearly attracted the attention of England’s finest clubs.

Even Barcelona have asked about the 22-year-old’s availability, so he is definitely a striker in demand.

The former Fulham man has enjoyed a prolific, but short, career so far in which he has netted 102 goals in 220 games – an average strike rate of a goal every 2.15 games. Impressive.

What about Jurgen Klopp’s plan for Rhian Brewster?

The Times, a very respectable source for Liverpool news especially when it is Paul Joyce, reported that Klopp sees 19-year-old Rhian Brewster as a replacement for the departed Daniel Sturridge.

The former Borussia Dortmund boss has shown a great deal of faith in the teenager already, going as far to say that he was ‘ready’ to make his Anfield debut against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final; he never did, but that isn’t the point.

Already a Champions League winner, Brewster has shone for the youth sides over the years and looks like a very exciting prospect for the Reds.

However, if Dembele were to turn up, he would immediately be back where he started in the pecking order – a trio of Roberto Firmino, Divock Origi and Dembele would almost unquestionably hog most of the game time, even League Cup games.

A Dembele move to Anfield would leave Brewster back to square one.

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