Fulham have moved in with a pre-January offer to sign a Man City forward who Pep Guardiola has likened to Phil Foden, according to reports.
Marco Silva is keen to strengthen his attacking options next month and avoid a repeat of last summer’s transfer failures, with only Aston Villa ending the previous window having spent less money.
The Portuguese has also made clear his desire for fresh faces in the winter, telling Sky Sports in November that January signings are an absolute necessity.
Reports suggest that Fulham have already held talks with Raheem Sterling and his representatives ahead of January, with Silva looking to offset the major losses from AFCON.
Defender Calvin Bassey, midfielder Alex Iwobi and winger Samuel Chukwueze have all departed to represent Nigeria at the tournament in Morocco, leaving Fulham even more short of quality across multiple positions.
Silva endured considerable frustration during the summer when marquee signings Chukwueze and Kevin both arrived on deadline day, by which time Fulham had already stuttered through their opening three games without a single win.
The delayed arrivals prevented Fulham’s new players from integrating properly into the squad during pre-season preparations, and Silva openly voiced his frustration at the club’s recruitment policy.
Now, with Adama Traore heavily linked to joining West Ham next month, the need for a new forward in particular is pretty evident.
Fulham make pre-January offer for Man City forward Oscar Bobb
According to CaughtOffside, the player most likely to depart Man City next month is Norwegian international Oscar Bobb, and it could well be to Craven Cottage.
The 22-year-old represents another attacking talent to have lost prominence under Guardiola following his return from a serious leg fracture that derailed his entire 24/25 campaign.
A loan move has been heavily touted for the winger, and Fulham have apparently tested the water already.
It is believed that Bobb has an offer ‘on the table’ from Fulham ahead of January, but they face stiff competition from Crystal Palace, Borussia Dortmund and Seville, who have also made proposals.
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He was expected to have even more minutes under his belt at City by now after making his senior debut over two years ago, but that crushing leg break last summer really put his development on hold.
Now, a host of sides, including Fulham, are offering him the chance to build his career elsewhere.
Despite being tipped for the exit door, Bobb is a player who Guardiola rates very highly.
Fulham now readying £31m bid for "incredibly prolific" Champions League striker
The Cottagers are preparing an offer for a centre-forward.
Half-centuries from Dinesh Karthik and Ganga Sridhar Raju and a five-wicket haul from fast bowler Aswin Crist helped Tamil Nadu thump Tripura by 262 runs at DRIEMS ground in Cuttack to recording their fifth win in six matches and top Group B. Chasing 338, Tripura lasted just 18.2 overs and were shot out for 75 to finish with three wins and as many losses.Sent in to bat, TN started cautiously through a 71-run opening stand between Kaushik Gandhi and Raju (77) in 14.5 overs. B Aparajith built on the platform with 41 during the course of a 99-run second-wicket stand before the dismissal of both set batsmen in the space of three balls reduced TN to 166 for 3 in the 30th over. Karthik, who had struck a century and two fifties coming into the match, got into his groove straightaway; hitting 11 fours and two sixes in his 63-ball 81 to help TN more than double their score in the last 20 overs.Vijay Shankar, M Mohammed and Washington Sundar also came up with sprightly cameos to shore up the total. Smit Patel, the wicketkeeper, was one of three Tripura batsmen to get into double digits; his 22 at the top of the order being the highest of the innings. Crist was complemented by Mohammed and R Rohit, who picked up two wickets apiece.Returning to the side after being left out earlier in the tournament, Unmukt Chand finished with two back-to-back fifties•PTI
Unmukt Chand’s 78, the highest score of the match, helped Delhi sign-off with a 112-run win over Uttar Pradesh at KIIT ground in Bhubaneswar. Delhi, who were bowled out for 220, also found a hero with the ball in Kulwant Khejroliya. Playing in just his fifth List A game, fast bowler Khejroliya took 5 for 22 to skittle UP for 108. Both sides ended their campaign with three wins and three losses.Delhi, who were tottering at 85 for 4, were rescued by Chand and Himmat Singh’s 86-run stand before losing their last six wickets for 49. Ankit Rajpoot, the fast bowler, was finished with best figures – 3 for 32 – for UP. In reply, they slumped to 16 for 5 in the seventh over, before Rinku Singh (43) and Praveen Kumar (28) swung their way through to delay the inevitable.Sanju Samson was one of three half-centurions for Kerala•BCCI
Half-centuries from Mohammed Azharuddeen (73), Vishnu Vinod (93) and Sanju Samson (51) helped Kerala end a disappointing campaign on a winning note at the Barabati Stadium they finished with one win in six matches. Kerala, who posted 297 for 9, overcame a late fightback from Himachal to squeeze a 42-run win.Fabid Ahmed, the offspinner, first sent back the well-set Ekant Sen (43), and then returned to dismiss Sumeet Verma (59) and Pankaj Jaiswal off successive deliveries to tilt the scales in Kerala’s favour. He finished with 4 for 38 off 10 overs.Himachal were bowled out for 255 in 47.1 overs to end the tournament with a solitary win. Opener Prashant Chopra, who struck 50, was one of their bright notes, finishing the tournament as the sixth-highest run-getter, with 329 runs in six matches.
The Athletic’s Leeds United correspondent Phil Hay has claimed that the club are due to make an announcement regarding a new manager on Monday.
The Lowdown: Bielsa gone; Marsch agreement
The Whites officially parted ways with Marcelo Bielsa on Sunday morning following the 4-0 defeat to Tottenham less than 24 hours earlier.
Leeds confirmed that plans for a permanent tribute to the 66-year-old at Elland Road are already underway, as is the club’s pursuit of a new manager.
Fabrizio Romano revealed shortly after Bielsa’s departure that a verbal agreement has been reached with Jesse Marsch, with work permit issues needing to be finalised.
The Latest: Hay’s claim
Hay shared an in-depth story regarding Bielsa on The Athletic and touched on the topic of his successor on Sunday morning.
When it came to Marsch, Hay admitted that the American is the 66-year-old’s probable successor, with an announcement due on Monday.
The Verdict: Huge few months
Leeds chiefs obviously feel that they have a better chance of Premier League survival with Marsch in charge instead of Bielsa, and with the Whites now just two points off the relegation zone, the next few months will be crucial in terms of the club’s long-term project.
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Should Marsch hit the ground running and steer the Whites away from trouble, it could prove to be an inspired call with the American leading the club for years to come. However, if he fails to turn things around, Leeds could end up being back to square one just two years after returning to the top flight.
In other news: ‘I’m told’ – Phil Hay drops hint of possible return date for injured Leeds duo
Arsenal’s pursuit of Luis Suarez this summer depends on one man. It’s not Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis, it’s not Arsene Wenger, it’s not their Liverpool counterparts or even Suarez himself, unfortunately for the Gunners it’s a star of a different summer transfer saga on the opposite side of North London – that’s right, it’s the Welsh Wonder Gareth Bale. But whether the Tottenham talisman stays put this transfer window or makes his long-awaited move to Real Madrid, it’s hard to see a positive outcome for Arsenal.
It’s looking more and more likely that GB will become a Los Blancos player by the end of the summer. The 24-year-old is one of a number of Premier League stars who have coincidentally been reported injured and subsequently absent from pre-season fixtures at the same time as serious doubts linger over their futures, along with Suarez as well as Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney.
It suggests Bale’s not in the right frame of mind to put on a Spurs jersey, even for non-competitive affairs, but most damning is Chris Coleman’s inclusion of the winger in his Wales squad for next week’s international friendly clash with the Republic of Ireland, implying that Bale’s perhaps not so injury-stricken after all. At the same time, Tottenham director Sir Keith Mills admitted to the Evening Standard earlier this week: “If a player is desperate to leave, it’s very difficult to force him to stay. We’ve seen it in other clubs. Even if he has a contract, you can’t force somebody to play for you,” whilst Spurs chairman and transfer chief Daniel Levy holidayed in Miami.
So it seems that Bale is inching towards leaving for Spain by the day, with his bags already packed and his passport in a safe but accessible location on his bedside cabinet. In terms of next season, it should bode well for the Gunners, who are desperate to not spend the 2013/2014 campaign looking nervously over their shoulders at their local rivals as they did last term. The Lilywhites have invested well this summer in Nacer Chadli, Paulinho and Roberto Soldado, but could easily find themselves unstuck without Bale’s knack of scoring match-winning goals.
That being said, Arsene Wenger, despite his declaration that the Arsenal roster can compete with or without new signings next season, still needs to sign Suarez if he’s to stand any chance of affecting the Premier League title race, but Bale’s departure could bring an abrupt end to his pursuit of the Liverpool forward.
[cat_link cat=”Arsenal” type=”tower”]
The Reds are determined to hold all the cards round the negotiating table, with owner John W Henry playing hardball by declaring this morning that Suarez is unavailable to any club at any price. Brendan Rodgers has been more realistic in his discussions on the Uruguayan’s future, but still expects a huge return on the Anfield outfit’s original £20million investment to spend on new recruits, and compensate for the fact losing Suarez will end all hopes of the Reds claiming fourth spot next season.
Rodgers has never uttered an official valuation for his star striker, but alluded to his price-bracket by suggesting that Edinson Cavani’s £55million move to PSG from Napoli midway through July had now become the benchmark price for strikers this summer, along with Monaco’s £53million acquisition of Radamel Falcao. But the audit of Suarez’s worth is likely to increase as we get closer to deadline day, especially if Gareth Bale makes the switch to La Liga.
Daniel Levy has already turned down a record-breaking £86million offer for the Welsh winger, and if Los Blancos don’t want to wait until January or even next summer to get their man, they’ll have to make an improved bid within the next month. Quite rightly, the Liverpool management don’t want to miss out on unprecedented transfer revenues whilst one of their closest divisional rivals cashes in, especially considering Suarez was equally as influential as Gareth Bale in the Premier League last season.
And Rodgers has already remarked that the Welshman’s fee will affect his forward’s price tag: “Every player has a valuation but you have to look at the market. With Gareth Bale they are talking about £100m and Gareth Bale and Luis Suarez were arguably the two best players in the Premier League last season.You can’t say that Gareth Bale is valued at over 100 per cent more,” the Liverpool gaffer recently told reporters from Sky Sports News.
Granted, the Tottenham man has specifically unique qualities and a certain aestheticism about him that makes him so electrifying to watch and capable of pulling in the punters world wide. He is very much seen as the future of the beautiful game, in terms of his pristine athleticism at least, and at the age of just 24, has the world at his feet.
But Suarez too, can claim a unique style and equal pedigree. The Liverpool man out-scored and out-assisted Bale’s efforts last term, but his ability spans well beyond consistent end product. The Uruguay international is not only one of the best finishers in the English top flight, he’s also one of the best creators, generating 90 opportunites to score for his team mates last term according to OPTA, one of the best dribblers, averaging 2.9 successful dribbles per game, and by far the hardest working centre-forward off the ball.
There are few strikers in Europe who can claim to synergise the roles and abilities of a natural poacher and an attacking midfielder so well, and like Bale, Suarez is very much a world-class player – the only difference is the latter was putting in his individual and talismanic displays at a club that couldn’t even escape the Premier League’s bottom half until the turn of the year.
So it wouldn’t be that surprising if Liverpool demanded £60million, £65million or even £75million for Suarez, considering firstly the campaign he had last season, and secondly the impact his departure will have on the Merseyside club’s immediate future. And with Arsene Wenger yet to improve on his rather limp £40million plus a quid bid made earlier in the summer, it remains unlikely the Gunners gaffer will match Liverpool’s current valuation of £55million, let alone what it could rise to if Bale moves to Real Madrid and the Lilywhites cash-in big time. By the end of the summer, even Arsenal’s club record-breaking £40million and a pound bid could look horrendously out-dated.
But saying an unlikely situation occurs, where Gareth Bale decides he’s not ready for La Liga and Daniel Levy somehow manages to keep the Bernabeu wolves at bay, it doesn’t bode well for the Gunners. Spurs have been knocking at the Champions League door for the last four years in the Premier League, and now with Bale in full swing, as well as three additions to the starting XI this summer, it seems unlikely Arsenal will be able to stave off the Lilywhites’ threat for another season, especially without new recruits.
And plans to sign Suarez will have to be thrown completely out of the window. New Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is desperate to flex the Spanish giants’ financial muscle this summer, and if he can’t land Bale, he’ll almost certainly turn his attentions to Suarez – the only world class striker excluding Wayne Rooney readily available at this point in the summer, and Los Blancos are yet to source a replacement for former Arsenal target Gonzalo Higuain, who is now with Napoli.
The club make a point of sourcing the top performers of any given footballing year every summer, as part of the Galacticos programme that has seen Zinedine Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka join the Bernebeu for monumental fees in recent years. Having already missed out on Neymar this summer to Barcelona, and with Bale staying put in North London, the Madrid outfit will be desperate to splash the cash on Suarez, to make a statement of their financial strength and institutional power rather than any particular footballing reason.
And as if the lure of playing at such a prestigious club wasn’t enough to end Arsenal’s chances of attracting Suarez to the Emirates, any offer Perez is willing to make for the Liverpool striker’s services will blow Arsene Wenger’s £40million to £50million valuations for 26 year old completely out of the water.
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So what is Wenger to do – w ith his hopes of signing Suarez depending almost entirely on another player at another club, but neither outcome looking particularly favourable from the Gunners’ point of view?
Well, there’s not a lot you can do in a lose-lose situation; perhaps he should have been more bold in his pursuit of Gonzalo Higuain, or more realistic about the prospect of signing a striker from a divisional rival for comparatively cheap whilst every other European forward is jumping ship for ground-breaking fees. He could wrap up the Suarez deal before Bale’s fate and more importantly his fee is decided, but that will take meeting Liverpool’s current valuation for Suarez, which at this point seems incredibly unlikely.
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Celtic have been dealt a late injury concern ahead of their upcoming Scottish Premiership clash.
What’s the latest?
According to a recent report by the Glasgow Evening Times, Ange Postecoglou revealed in his pre-match press conference that Giorgos Giakoumakis, who missed the 0-0 draw with Hibernian last weekend due to illness, is once again a doubt for the visit of St. Mirren this evening – with the 56-year-old suggesting that the centre-forward has a 50/50 chance of making the squad.
In their report, the Glasgow Evening Times write: “Speaking to the media, Postecoglou revealed he will have a 50/50 chance of making the squad.”
Postecoglou will be fuming
Considering just how lacklustre Celtic were in the final third against Hibs on Sunday, the news that Giakoumakis could once again be unavailable for selection for tonight’s clash with St. Mirren is sure to have left Postecoglou fuming.
Indeed, the £1.8m-rated Greece international almost singlehandedly secured all three points in the Hoops’ close-fought encounter with Dundee FC towards the end of February, scoring a hat-trick in an extremely unconvincing 3-2 victory over the bottom of the table Dark Blues.
He has been in red hot form beyond that clash too, scoring five in his last nine outings taking his tally to six in all competitions.
And, with both Kyogo Furuhashi and Albian Ajeti remaining sidelined due to injury, and Daizen Maeda having drawn a blank in his last three outings for Celtic, the continued absence of the £8.2k-per-week Giakoumakis would undoubtedly come as a huge blow to the Bhoys’ chances of picking up three points this evening.
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Anything but a win potentially brings with it disastrous consequences to the Hoops’ hopes of going on to reclaim their Premiership crown this season.
In other news: Ange can unearth Celtic’s new Rogic in “talented” 17 y/o who “knows where the goal is”
Crystal Palace’s record of developing first team talent – particularly wide players – has been admirable, with Wilfried Zaha, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Nathaniel Clyne all making names for themselves after graduating from the Eagles’ academy.
Most recently, left-back Tyrick Mitchell has become a first team regular, while Jeserun Rak-Sakyi has become one of the most promising young players in England after his sensational performances this season at under-23 level.
However, one player who could have an excellent career but was let go too soon by Palace is Watford winger Kwadwo Baah, who has become a three-time Germany under-19 international, scoring twice.
After leaving the Eagles aged just 14, the winger moved to Rochdale, where he quickly established himself as a member of the first team despite his young age, playing in seven games during the 2019/20 season, before making five goal contributions in 30 league games in the following campaign.
After Baah first broke into the Rochdale first team, his then-manager Brian Barry-Murphy said: “His talent is exceptional and he’s someone we’re very excited about for the future.
“He’s made a huge impact on the squad already and now he’s working hard behind the scenes with the Youth Team and the Integration Squad to get fully in sync with how we do things at the Club.
“He’s a very special talent and someone who has been asked to play an extraordinary number of minutes because of the situation of our squad over Christmas and New Year.”
However, Baah has struggled this season with an ankle injury after signing for Watford from the League Two club on a free transfer last summer.
The 19-year-old is not yet nearing a return to action, having suffered another ankle injury last week in training, but the latest setback may not keep him out of action for too long.
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Valued at £720k, Palace chairman Steve Parish will be frustrated that a talented young player with youth caps at international level for Germany, as well as England, was released for nothing, while the Selhurst Park faithful will have been gutted to see him go.
Baah will always remain a cult hero among Palace fans regardless of what team he represents, as he once stopped then-West Ham keeper Adrian from time-wasting in a match against the Eagles by running onto the pitch as ball boy and putting the ball on the goal-kick line himself.
In other news: Vieira facing his first Crystal Palace disaster with £16.2m-rated “Rolls Royce”
Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard will be livid with the circumstances of Arsenal’s goal in Saturday’s Premier League encounter, BT Sport pundit Joe Cole has said.
The lowdown
Villa lost 1-0 to Mikel Arteta’s side in the lunchtime clash, with Bukayo Saka’s first half goal proving the difference. It stemmed from a wide free-kick, with Villa failing to clear the danger and the 20-year-old firing in from the edge of the penalty area.
It was the 11th time Villa have conceded from a set-piece situation this season, the joint-fifth worst record in the Premier League (via WhoScored).
The latest
Cole said that Gerrard will be ‘furious’ that Arsenal were able to outnumber Villa on the right-hand side as they took the free kick short and worked the ball into the penalty area.
He feels it was inevitable that they would be punished, saying at half-time on BT Sport’s live coverage: “From Steven Gerrard’s perspective, he’ll be furious with that. If you get a three on two [situation] in that kind of area, you’re going to get hurt.”
The verdict
Perhaps Villa should have been more alert to the danger, but surely the bigger source of frustration will be his team’s lack of attacking threat for the first hour of the game.
Alarmingly, they weren’t able to muster a single shot in that period. John McGinn finally broke their duck with an effort from outside the box around the 60-minute mark. They had a 47% share of the possession too, but they struggled to do anything meaningful with it.
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From Gerrard’s point of view, it proved to be too comfortable an afternoon for the visitors, and as Cole said, he will surely be raging over the nature of the decisive goal from Saka.
In other news, Gregg Evans issues a Villa Park contract prediction
Celtic midfielder Scott Robertson has returned to Parkhead following a season-ending injury on loan at Crewe Alexandra.
The Lowdown: Robertson’s loan spell
Robertson, who made the bench under Ange Postecoglou in Champions League and Europa League qualifiers over the summer, was sent to Crewe for the 2021/22 campaign.
The 20-year-old turned out in a variety of midfield roles for the League One side, making 23 appearances in all competitions.
He scored twice and provided one assist for the club but hasn’t been seen since February due to injury.
The Latest: Successful operation
Crewe shared an official update on Robertson on Thursday, revealing that the midfielder has returned to Glasgow to undergo rehabilitation.
They added that the youngster, labelled as ‘terrific’ by Crewe boss David Artell, has undergone successful surgery.
The Verdict: Injury problems just won’t end
The Hoops’ injury problems just haven’t stopped this season, and they have now spread to a loanee, whose season is now over.
Postecoglou already has concerns over Daizen Maeda and Tom Rogic during the current international break, whereas young forward Johnny Kenny was also stretchered off in recent days playing for Ireland’s U19 side.
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Kenny may now be joined by Robertson on the Lennoxtown treatment table, and hopefully, this will be the final injury problem for Postecoglou in his first season in charge.
In other news: ‘Worrying…’ – Sky Sports man claims ‘brilliant’ Celtic ace may now have suffered ‘bone damage’.
Everton have the option of terminating Frank Lampard’s contract with the club at the end of the season, claims insider Dean Jones.
The Lowdown: Lampard’s struggle
Since arriving at Goodison Park, the new Toffees boss has seriously struggled in turning the Blues’ season around.
In his first seven league games in charge, 17th place.
Most recently, Lampard’s side were destroyed 4-0 by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the FA Cup, denying them a place in the semi-finals.
This has of course raised questions over the former Chelsea man’s future with the Merseyside club, with plenty of media outlets left debating his merit in the aftermath.
The Latest: Jones’ reveal
Jones has revealed that Everton have the option of parting ways with Lampard at the end of the season, without having to go through the compensation process.
Speaking with GiveMeSport, he claimed:
“From what I’m told, Everton do have the option to part ways with Lampard at the end of the season.
“I think it’s only a one-way thing, so it doesn’t count for Lampard too, as far as I understand it.”
The Verdict: Survive or go
The Toffees sit three points ahead of 18th place Watford, having played two less games than the Hornets. However, 19th place Burnley have also played the same number of matches as the Blues, and sitting just four points behind, Everton’s Premier League status is anything but guaranteed.
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One would have to think that Lampard will be sacked if he cannot guide the side clear of the bottom three come the end of the campaign, and fans should be relieved they won’t have to shell out a big compensation fee given the financial struggles at the club, allowing them to rebuild once and for all from the ground up with a clean slate.
Even if the former England international keeps his side up, the board at Everton could decide to part ways in the summer, given the convenience of this clause in his contract.
In other news: Everton: Frank Lampard shares Andros Townsend injury update
Tottenham manager Antonio Conte could be on his way out of north London at the end of the season.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to a report by Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claimed that, despite having only been appointed at Spurs last November, the 52-year-old could be in line for a move to Paris Saint-Germain this summer, with the Ligue 1 leaders seemingly set to part ways with current manager Mauricio Pochettino at the end of the campaign.
The report added that, even if the former Inter Milan manager doesn’t go on to join PSG, he could still move on to pastures new prior to the end of his current deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with a return to his homeland said to always be on the cards for the Italian.
Partici must avoid Conte disaster
While it is true that life at Tottenham has not exactly got off to the best of starts for Conte, the argument that losing the 52-year-old at the end of the season would be a disaster for Fabio Paratici and Spurs is nevertheless an easy one to make.
Indeed, having won 15, drawn three and lost nine of the 27 games he has managed at Tottenham, the club’s form under the Italian can certainly be improved. It seems to have done in recent weeks, with Spurs having picked up 12 from a possible 15 points in their last five Premier League outings.
The longer that Conte remains in north London, the more accustomed the Tottenham players will become to the tactical instruction of the former Italy manager, which considering his impressive trophy haul can only be good for the club.
Furthermore, Paratici brought in Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski in the January transfer window, both of whom are quite clearly Conte-style signings. Therefore, should the 52-year-old ultimately leave Spurs after just seven months, the club’s next manager would more than likely have his own targets, potentially making Tottenham’s considerable outlay on the former Juventus duo redundant.
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As such, it is clear to see that losing the £15m-per-year (£288k-per-week) coach who Pep Guardiola dubbed a “master” would be a devastating blow to everyone involved with Tottenham – and something Paratici must do all he can to avoid.
AND in other news: Conte can unearth his next 243-goal talent in THFC prodigy who “runs over every blade”