This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
Everton are looking to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Goncalo Paciencia in January, as reported by Goal.
What’s the story?
Marco Silva has asked Everton to go back into the transfer market for another striker during the January transfer window and Pacienca is their answer.
When recently speaking to FFC about Everton’s situation in the position, Tony Cottee said: “Well, they’ve spent a lot of money so far, that’s the thing. So, hopefully the answer’s at the club already.”
However, it seems as though the Toffees are now looking to someone who has had success elsewhere this season, with 25-year-old Paciencia having scored 6 goals and got 1 assist from 9 Bundesliga starts and 2 substitute appearances.
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Fixing a problem position
This comes at a time when Everton’s strikers are still struggling to truly produce, with specific focus being put on Moise Kean – his dad has claimed the move to England was a mistake, as reported by Centro Suono Sport (via Sky Sports).
The teenager has started 2 league games, coming off the bench in 7 more, with a return of just 1 assist and no goals so far.
Cenk Tosun has managed just 1 start and 2 substitute appearances, scoring the equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur.
Their current top scorers are Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison, who both have 3 strikes to their names in the Premier League.
Their struggles in front of goal can be encapsulated by the fact that there are just five teams in the top tier who have scored fewer times than Everton.
If the Toffees want to reach the European places again, they simply must improve their scoring record, and Paciencia’s form this season suggests he can be the key to doing just that.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
According to a new report coming from Tuttosport, Juventus are preparing to part ways with Mario Mandzukic who is bound to go to Manchester United in January. But this transfer might actually hurt their big star, Cristiano Ronaldo.
What’s the word, then?
Tuttosport claim it’s the Croatian’s dream to go to United as soon as possible.
Not only that but they also believe he wants to depart for England in December already so that he can have a month to get used to the new environment and settle into his new club.
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Of course, the transfer wouldn’t be official until January, which is when the winter transfer window will open, but Mandzukic would get a good head start.
And with the same source claiming the forward is not even training with the squad anymore, the separation seems inevitable. But it could also negatively affect their big star.
A helping hand
Ronaldo doesn’t really need a special introduction, does he?
The Portuguese superstar is a name well-known to the footballing world but despite his incredible quality, we still haven’t seen the very best of him this season.
After all, he has “only” bagged six goals and two assists in 14 games played for Juventus across all competitions.
And the reason behind his struggles could very well be linked with Mandzukic’s disappearance from the scene. If we look back at Ronaldo’s days at Real Madrid, we can remember how he always had Karim Benzema next to him.
The Frenchman did the dirty part of the work, often setting up goals, releasing Ronaldo or just enabling him to do what he does best – score goals.
This is something the player himself addressed before when talking to RMC Sport (via Goal), stating:
“Here, the finisher was Cristiano. I played a different role. I was involved more in the construction of moves and trying to open up spaces. For me, he was the best goalscorer even if he played on the left. I moved away to open up space and let him score.”
Most of the glory would go to him, granted, but Benzema was the unsung hero of that partnership. And now that the Portuguese star is no longer at Real Marid, Benzema is firing on all cylinders, already scoring 11 goals for Los Blancos across all competitions.
So in a way, Mandzukic could represent Benzema for Ronaldo over in Italy.
Someone who’s a work-horse if nothing else; someone who will gladly do the dirty work so that the big star can bag all those goals.
Last season, the Croat managed to record 33 games under his belt across all competitions and Ronaldo’s tally was reminiscent of his old days with 28 goals in 43 games.
Maybe there is a connection here after all and for that reason, Juventus might lose much more than just an ageing star if they really let Mandzukic go to Manchester United.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Leeds United are doing quite well at the moment aren’t they?
The Whites are unbeaten in their last seven and they’ve taken 12 points from the last 18 available to them as they sit third in the Championship.
The old adage goes ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, but Marcelo Bielsa may be tempted to tinker with his team once one injured star returns to action.
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Forshaw’s return
Phil Hay confirmed in a Q&A session with The Athletic that Adam Forshaw is edging closer to a return to the side.
Bielsa quite clearly rates Forshaw very highly as he’s recently claimed that he combines the best of Kalvin Phillips and Mateusz Klich, so his return leaves the Argentine with a big decision to make in the middle of the park.
Bielsa’s headache
This is going to be one of the biggest selection headaches that the 64-year-old has had to deal with since taking over at Elland Road.
At the moment Klich and Tyler Roberts are Bielsa’s midfield pairing, but it seems that only one of those two are likely to be dropped anytime soon.
The Poland international has started every single league game Bielsa has managed at Leeds, so it’s fair to say that his position in the team is pretty safe.
Instead, Forshaw would likely come in to replace Roberts, but dropping him would be an incredibly harsh decision.
The Welsh attacking midfielder has drawn a lot of praise from the fanbase for his performances in recent weeks, and he’s also been producing the goods having netted against QPR.
Forshaw is clearly highly-rated by the manager, but he’s got to consider his options wisely when contemplating how and when he will put him back into the team.
Celtic have a number of youngsters currently in the squad who could be destined for bigger and better things, though they are at different stages of their development.
Jeremie Frimpong has broken into the team this season and has earned praise from fans over the course of the season, though another prospect coming through – Armstrong Okoflex – could also show his talent soon.
The 18-year-old joined from Arsenal in 2018 but is still yet to make his debut for the Bhoys, and instead has had to prove himself in the Celtic youth team instead.
He has done that on occasion, and in order to take part in the #nutmegchallenge on social media he took footage from one of his previous games on his Instagram account, with an audacious bit of skill on show.
From the short video it is clear to see the midfielder possesses great technical ability and the confidence to match, as he picked up the ball from deep inside his own half before running at the opposition and putting his side on the front foot.
Celtic lack central midfielders with that pace and dynamism, so he could provide Neil Lennon with a different option.
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It will be intriguing to see how he fares if he does indeed get a chance to shine for the first-team, but up until that point fans will probably have to keep their eyes peeled on the youth team to assess how he is progressing.
Meanwhile, this poignant image of a Celtic transfer target says a lot about Neil Lennon’s big decision…
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard played during a period full of absolute legends of the game.
In fact, he played with some of them at Liverpool as he lined up alongside the likes of Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso, whilst he also faced the likes of Paulo Maldini, Alessandro del Piero and Kaka as well.
Picking an XI of players who have played during his lifetime would be tough, but he has given it a go after being asked to do so by Sky Sports. Not only that, he couldn’t name two players from the same country, whilst no two players can have played for the same club. Talk about difficult.
In the end, his XI consisted of: Jan Oblak, Cafu, Vincent Kompany, Kalidou Koulibaly, Andrew Robertson, Toni Kroos, Roy Keane, Kylian Mbappe, Alessandro del Piero, Lionel Messi and Didier Drogba.
The Gers’ official Twitter account decided to share the side, and it has led to plenty of responses from the club’s supporters. They have taken to the social media platform to share their thoughts, any you can see some of the best comments below.
What do you make of Gerrard’s team? Let us know below!
Tottenham Hotspur have certainly given us some Spursy moments over the years on the pitch but what about off it and in the transfer market?
Well, things have been just as comical at times with the Lilywhites there too. They may have recently enjoyed a pretty successful period in their history, their transfer strategy remains a little suspect to say the least. They even became the first Premier League team to go two transfer windows without making a single signing.
But when they have made signings, Spurs have often made many mistakes along the way.
Here’s their 20 worst signings of the Premier League era…
Gilberto
Of the two Gilberto da Silvas to have plied their trade in north London, Tottenham certainly had the lesser one in Gilberto da Silva Melo.
The left-back turned up at White Hart Lane initially in January 2008 with some pedigree in the form of 30 Brazil caps and four strong years in Germany with Hertha Berlin but could never adapt to the pace of the Premier League and left in July 2009 a complete flop.
Sergei Rebrov
The first of a fair few strikers to feature on this list, Ukraine legend Sergei Rebrov managed a mere 16 goals in a depressing four-year spell with the Lilywhites.
What makes it worse is that Glenn Hoddle threw away a gut-busting £11m, we are talking in 2000, to bring him in based on his form with Dynamo Kyiv – although it’s far from the last waste of money we’re going to be looking at today.
Paolo Tramezzani
Tottenham new signing 14/7/98 White Hart Lane Pic : Andrew Budd / Action Images Paolo Tramezzani with new team-mate Nicola Berti Tottenham Hotspur
Speaking of foreign players who just couldn’t get to grips with English football, Paolo Tramezzani was a calamitous left-back if there ever was one.
Pictured above with fellow Italian Premier League failure Nicola Berti who’s bizarrely wearing a t-shirt from the Four Seasons hotel in New York to training, Tramezzani would make just six forgettable appearances in north London.
Bobby Zamora
Football – FA Cup – 3rd Round – Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace – 3/1/04 Tottenham’s Bobby Zamora is challenged by Palace’s Danny Butterfield Mandatory Credit : Action Images / David Jacobs
Bobby Zamora would go onto enjoy an accomplished Premier League career with the likes of West Ham United, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers, but not before his own sorry spell at the Lane.
The Lilywhites were the team to give the future England man his big break when they signed him for Brighton & Hove Albion for a lofty £1.5m in summer 2003, however, he would only contribute the one goal for Spurs before being shipped off as part of the deal that saw the legendary Jermain Defoe arrive in N17.
Mbulelo Mabizela
Football – Tottenham Hotspur Training – Spurs Lodge – 3/10/03 Mbulelo Mabizela – Tottenham Hotspur during training Mandatory Credit:Action Images / Paul Childs
Remember him?
Prior to the 2003/2004 season, the Lilywhites decided to sign ill-disciplined centre-back Mbulelo Mabizela based on a performance he put in for Orlando Pirates against them in a friendly, it worked out just about as well as it sounded it would.
David Bentley
What did David Bentley ever really do in a Spurs shirt apart from score THAT goal against his former club in the North London derby?
Well, you could list any number of hilarious off-field pranks and incidents.
But it’s what happens on the pitch that really matters and the ex-Three Lions star never really lived up to his potential or his £15m price tag at White Hart Lane before bizarrely retiring at the age of 29.
Bongani Khumalo
Football – Kaizer Chiefs v Tottenham Hotspur 2011 Vodacom Challenge – Pre Season Friendly – Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane, South Africa – 11/12 – 16/7/11 Bongani Khumalo – Tottenham Hotspur in action Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Felix Dlangamandla
The picture above more or less sums up Bongani Khumalo’s Tottenham career, as the former South Africa captain looked so out of his depth on loan at the likes of Preston, Doncaster and Colchester and in matches for the reserves that he somehow managed to not make a single competitive first-team appearance for the entirety of his four-and-a-half-year spell.
Spurs haven’t had much luck with South Africans, have they?
Roberto Soldado
A striker who doesn’t play too badly and works hard for the team but is also hampered with an uncanny inability to score goals, sounds odd, though Roberto Soldado was that very thing for Tottenham.
It will still send shivers down the spine of Spurs fans that their club flushed £26m of their Gareth Bale money down the toilet on the Spaniard for him to score 16 times in 76 games for them.
Need we say anything more?
Calum Davenport
When the Lilywhites beat others in the race to sign England U21 international defender Calum Davenport from Coventry City in 2004, they would have thought they’d unearthed a real £1.3m gem.
However, the centre-half embarked on a bizarre career that would never see him get close to the level he was once thought to have the potential to reach – he appeared a mere 20 times for Spurs.
Paulinho
After an impressive 2012/2013 campaign for Corinthians in his native Brazil, Paulinho was noticed in Europe by Andre Villas-Boas and another chunk of the Bale money would be allocated to obtain his signature.
It would take the Lilywhites two seasons to work out the Brazil man just wasn’t up to Premier League standard after he was only able to register nine-goal involvements in 45 matches and he was disposed of by Mauricio Pochettino in one of the early lucrative Chinese Super League transfers.
Members of the Tottenham faithful will most recently remember him being oddly brought back to the continent in 2017 by Barcelona.
As Newcastle United’s prospective takeover edges closer and closer to completion, the number of audacious transfer rumours linking the club to an elite string of players increases.
This week has been no different with the Magpies being mooted with a move for Barcelona duo Philippe Coutinho and Carles Alena, according to Marca.
Cameo Clubs: Which obscure teams did these football legends play for?
Both players are currently out on loan, the former Liverpool star is at Bayern Munich whilst the young Spaniard has been impressing at Real Betis.
Alena, a product of the La Masia academy, has played 13 times this term, including one appearance in the Champions League where he played the full 90 minutes against Inter Milan, recording four key passes, three dribbles and a 85.1% passing success rate, via WhoScored.
While Coutinho has found the net nine times and also provided eight assists in 32 appearances for the Bundesliga champions this season.
Although, many at St James’ Park only have one thing on their mind – the takeover being complete.
Here’s what has been said…
AND in other news, Newcastle swooping for this PL FLOP would be so foolish…
The common belief is that a goalkeeper is like a fine wine, maturing with age and reaching their peak years in the latter stages of their careers.
This theory is well-supported by acclaimed shot-stoppers Edwin Van Der Sar, Brad Friedal, David Seaman, David James, and of course Gianluigi Buffon who have produced brilliant displays at club and international level deep into their thirties and early forties.
However, in more recent times the likes of Buffon now appear to be the anomaly rather than the norm.
It is widely regarded that the top ‘keepers across the globe currently are Ederson, Alisson, Jan Oblak, and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen who are all aged between 26 and 28. This is no coincidence.
The trend of goalkeepers being in their prime during their mid-twenties to early thirties, rather than the commonly perceived early to late-thirties has been evident for longer than many may realise.
Iker Casillas, Victor Valdes, Joe Hart, Manuel Neuer, and David De Gea lead a growing number of keepers to peak in their mid-twenties before falling away in their early thirties or sooner in Hart’s and De Gea’s case.
Whilst it may be harsh to brand United’s number one with the same brush as Burnley’s number two given the chasm between their current status’ it is important to put it into context.
Hart was Manchester City’s first-choice keeper at just 23-years-old and won the Golden Glove for keeping the most clean-sheets throughout the season for three years in a row, claiming two Premier League titles along the way.
But by the age of 29, he was public enemy number one in England after disappointing displays in the 2016 European Championships heavily contributed to the Three Lions embarrassing early exit.
New City boss Pep Guardiola didn’t fancy him either, and he was shipped out on loan to Torino just a few months later.
The similarities to De Gea’s career are striking but the Spaniard’s dip in performance has been much less severe.
Despite initially struggling to adapt to his new surroundings for the first couple of years De Gea helped United to win their last Premier League title back in 2013 aged just 22.
After his transition period was over, De Gea blossomed into one of the best keepers in the world and won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award three out of the next four seasons, as well as being included in four consecutive PFA Team of the Year sides.
In December 2017, in a 3–1 win over Arsenal at the Emirates, De Gea recorded 14 saves and equaled the Premier League record for the greatest number of saves in a single game. In the same campaign, he won his first and, so far only Golden Glove.
But just like Hart, it was a major tournament that started the decline.
Disastrous errors against Portugal and Morocco in the group stages were compiled by his failure to save a single spot-kick in the last 16 as hosts Russia dumped the Spaniards out of the 2018 World Cup.
De Gea kept just five clean sheets in his first 25 appearances the following season. He was criticised by fans and pundits for the atypical mistakes made in losses to Barcelona, Everton, Manchester City and a 1-1 draw against Chelsea.
He ended the season with just seven clean sheets in 38 Premier League appearances, his lowest tally during his time at United. At only 29-years-old many believe De Gea has already begun a steady deterioration.
His lack of ability with his feet is in stark contrast to those of his Premier League rivals; City’s Ederson and Liverpool’s Alisson have added another dimension to Neuer’s evolution of the position.
The imposing Germany and Bayern shot-stopper has suffered somewhat of a decline himself though since a recurring foot injury in 2017.
Neuer won the Champions League, World Cup, three Bundesliga’s, two DFB Pokals, as well as being named in the UEFA Team of the Year for three consecutive seasons during his prime. This resulted in him finishing third in the 2014 Ballon d’Or voting behind only Ronaldo and Messi when he was 28-years-old.
However, at just 31, Neuer began his own decline in unfortunate circumstances. A fractured left foot in April 2017 ended his season early and a recurring fracture in September of the same year restricted the once invincible German to only four appearances for the entire 2017/18 campaign.
Neuer has found it impossible to regain the form he once produced with alarming regularity since his initial injury setback and at 34 is fighting a losing battle to keep Barcelona’s Ter Stegen at bay in the national side.
Iker Casillas is perceived as Neuer’s predecessor as the best goalkeeper in the world and his record-breaking run of six consecutive UEFA Team of the Year awards from 2007 to 2012 (aged 26 to 31) before the Bayern man took over lay’s testament to that.
He played a crucial part in the all-conquering Spain side that won the 2008 European Championships in the same year that he finished fourth in the Ballon d’Or. The Spaniards went on to claim their first World Cup title in 2010 where Casillas kept a record five clean sheets. Two years later they managed to retain their Euro’s crown, where the Madrid man set a new record by going 509 consecutive minutes without conceding.
Casillas never returned to his previously dizzy heights after a serious injury in January 2013. Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho signed Diego Lopez from Sevilla and Casillas’ compatriot kept his place for the remainder of the campaign despite the iconic ‘keeper’s return from the sidelines.
Real Madrid’s goalkeeper Iker Casillas (L) greets Barcelona’s goalkeeper Victor Valdes at the end of their Spanish first division soccer match at Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona, October 7, 2012. REUTERS/Sergio Carmona (SPAIN – Tags: SPORT SOCCER)
Even when Carlo Ancelotti replaced the enigmatic Mourinho in the dugout, Casillas found himself limited to cup competitions and went 238 days without starting a Los Blancos match.
Casillas managed to reclaim the Madrid number one jersey the following season, but he was no longer the player he once was and left his boyhood club for Porto aged just 34.
Victor Valdes, Casillas’ former international deputy, suffered a similar fate leaving his boyhood club Barcelona at just 32 to embark on a road to nowhere. Disappointing spells at Manchester United and Standard Liege led to a relegation campaign with Middlesbrough and subsequent retirement at 35.
Not the send-off one the most highly decorated goalkeepers in the world deserved.
It was Bayern’s Neuer that was the catalyst for the evolution of what is expected of the modern-day goalkeeper.
It is now a prerequisite for ‘keepers to be able to play with their feet to an exceptional standard, a proficiency less essential before the German giant ripped up the rulebook.
It was not by chance that Neuer replaced Casillas in the UEFA team of the year in 2013. It marked a huge shift in what is now expected.
The onus is now on goalkeepers to be as astute on the ball as they are with their hands, as comfortable sweeping up loose balls and starting attacks as they are clawing a 30-yard strike out of the corner of the net.
It’s a young players game between the sticks where technique, pace, and ball control are as important as balance, agility, and a commanding presence.
Danny Mills has backed Tottenham star Son Heung-min to continue his fine form when the season restarts this month.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Manchester City defender believes Son will be able to hit new heights as he has finished his mandatory military service.
Last month, the 27-year-old returned to training for the first time since the nationwide lockdown began after completing national service in his home country. The South Korean international impressed officers and finished among the top five performers of his class (Daily Mail).
The outlet recently revealed Son, Harry Kane and Moussa Sissoko are ready for selection when the season kicks off on June 17.
Mills feels the strict conscription may have given the winger a new incentive.
He told football writer Dylan Childs “goals win you games. Son is absolutely excellent. He is superb. I expect him to come back even hungrier after what he has been through on national service.
“He might be thinking, “Wow. That is what I could be doing every single day of my life. How lucky am I?”
“So he might come back with a renewed freshness and vigour. When the games start he will be raring to go.”
It is difficult to disagree with Mills on this one, given Son’s performances so far.
Indeed, the South Korea captain has been excellent for Jose Mourinho’s side this season, as he is the club’s second-highest goalscorer at the time of writing, merely a goal behind star striker Kane, and he has provided more assists than the England international up until now (BBC).
He has scored 9 goals and created 7 assists in the Premier League, taking 3 shots per game, averaging 1.4 key passes and making 2.3 dribbles on average (via WhoScored).
At present, Mourinho’s men are eighth in the English top flight table, four points behind Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United, and a point clear of derby rivals Arsenal.
Evidently Son has been on a tremendous run this season, despite missing a chunk of games due to a broken arm. His return will no doubt give Spurs a massive boost as the Lilywhites look to mount a challenge to the top four spots in the remaining fixtures to come.
Tottenham fans, do you think Son Heung-min’s return will make a massive difference? Let us know by commenting down below!
According to Football Insider, Brentford have entered the race for Glasgow Rangers transfer target Ivan Toney.
The ‘Gers are said to be interested in signing the Peterborough striker.
They are not the only side in for him, though, with Celtic and West Brom also mentioned, and now they have even more competition in the form of the Bees, as per Football Insider.
This is far from the best news for the ‘Gers. As it stands, it is said that Posh are looking for £8m for the 24-year-old, who netted 24 goals in 32 matches in League One last season – that is likely to be a stretch for the Ibrox outfit and could well depend on whether Alfredo Morelos, who has been linked with a move elsewhere, leaves the club.
Whilst the Championship is still a second-tier league, there is arguably more money in that division than in the Scottish Premiership – Ruben Neves is the record transfer in the English second tier at £16.11m, whilst Tore Andre Flo holds the Scottish top-flight record for his £12m move to the Gers in 2001.
The Bees have made a profit of £63.78m in transfers since 2015 – £8m could well be a drop in the ocean for them. This, unfortunately, is a blow to the Light Blues’ hopes of securing Toney’s services.
‘Gers fans, are you confident that the club can sign Toney or will he stay in England? Let us know what you think by commenting below!