Chris Maguire is attracting interest from a number of League One clubs after being offered a new contract to remain at Sunderland.
With the League One season now over for the Black Cats, boss Phil Parkinson is now putting plans in place to build a squad he hopes will be able to gain promotion to the Championship.
A second successive failure to gain promotion from League One will put Parkinson under pressure and his first job this summer has seen three first team players offered new deals, including top scorer Maguire.
Maguire arrived at the Wearside club back in June 2018, signing a two-year deal with the Black Cats from Bury. Appearing 35 times this season, the Scottish forward netted an impressive 10 goals and supplied 12 assists, thus prompting Parkinson and the Stadium of Light hierarchy to offer him fresh terms.
That contract offer is currently pending, with the Northern Echo now reporting that the winger is gaining interest from a number of League One clubs. Along with a new contract offer for Maguire, Sunderland are also hoping to keep hold of Tom Flanagan and Jon McLaughlin.
It is important that Sunderland keep hold of Maguire and they must do all they can to ensure he signs a new deal.
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Contributing to 22 goals this term, his impact on Parkinson’s team has been nothing short of crucial, and that will likely be the case again next season if he stays on Wearside.
Do you think Maguire will sign a new deal with Sunderland? Let us know in the comments section below…
The prospective takeover of Newcastle United will bring world-class players to the Tyneside club, Noel Whelan has suggested to Football Insider.
As per the outlet, former Magpies striker Salomon Rondon told TNT Sports that he would admittedly be interested in a return to the Premier League and did not rule out a return to the club that he left 12 months ago for China. The Athletic revealed on Monday that the Magpies can spend big in the upcoming summer transfer window whilst remaining within the Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
Whelan has insisted that the proposed new owners will be targeting world-class players but did not hold Rondon in that regard.
“I would expect them to be looking elsewhere,” he told Football Insider.
“He did well at Newcastle but given his age I think it is highly unlikely. They will be looking bigger and better when this takeover is completed.
“Loads of big names being linked with Newcastle – a club that will have the money, that is for sure.
“They are not going for average players, they want world-class players. That is the difference that this takeover will bring.
“Very, very exciting times. Money will be there and they will not be scared to spend it.
“They want to create something really special like Manchester City. Their intentions are to challenge.”
Indeed, Rondon made 33 appearances in all competitions for the Toon in the 2018/19 season, scoring 12 goals and making a further seven assists, according to Transfermarkt.
However, despite these relatively impressive stats, Whelan has claimed that the would-be owners may be looking elsewhere in the transfer market for somebody potentially better than what Rondon was for them.
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Perhaps they may be looking for a top-level striker given that Joelinton has not really performed in this campaign so far, managing just three goals and providing four assists in 34 games in all competitions (via Transfermarkt).
If the new owners are ambitious, then they will surely be looking for more goals and assists in their team in order for them to get to where they want Newcastle to be. However, all of this is merely speculation at this point whilst the Saudi-led consortium wait for their deal with Mike Ashley to be fully approved by the Premier League.
Geordies, do you think the takeover bid will get over the line? What players would you like to see at St James’ Park if it does go through? Comment below with your thoughts!
Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness has written in The Sunday Times (via Football 365) that Wolverhampton Wanderers duo Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez ‘would walk into anybody’s team’.
Speaking in his column about the Wolves team, the former Liverpool man also claimed that Neves and Jimenez are ‘too good to be sitting on the bench anywhere in the Premier League’, although he added that the one player at the club who intrigues him the most is Adama Traore.
Nevertheless, both Neves and Jimenez have shown their merits in this season so far. The Portugal midfielder averages 60.5 touches per top flight game, exemplifying his influence in getting on the ball, and he also wins 3.3 duels per match, showing the work that he does off the ball as well, according to Sofascore.
Meanwhile, Jimenez has been deadly in front of goal, scoring 13 times and making six assists, as per Sofascore. It is also worth mentioning that they have both featured in every league game so far, highlighting their importance to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
However, Souness’ claim is arguably a bit far-fetched. Take Jimenez, who is behind strikers like Jamie Vardy and Sergio Aguero in terms of goals scored this season, as well as Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Southampton’s Danny Ings, whose teams sit below Wolves in England’s highest division at the moment, as per the BBC.
Despite Neves’ work in the midfield, he has still only managed two goals and one assist in 29 Premier League appearances so far this campaign (via Sofascore). He may not walk into other sides with more productive midfielders in this sense.
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However, Souness is right to laud them for what they have contributed to the Molineux outfit thus far.
Wolves fans, do you agree with Souness’ claims about Neves and Jimenez? Comment below with your thoughts!
Ibrox, the home of Glasgow Rangers, is one of football’s oldest and most historic stadiums.
The Gers have played there since they were founded in 1872, although it hasn’t always looked as it is now. Whilst it may not be as big as either Celtic Park or Hampden Park, it is still one of the grounds that is known across the world as being the home of the 54-time Scottish champions.
With the current pandemic, there is plenty of time for supporters of all clubs to fill, and that gap has led to Twitter page RangersHistory sharing photos of the Argyle House. In 1990, it was added to Govan Stand after eight months of work to get it completed.
It hasn’t taken long for the club’s supporters to react to the images – but they don’t appear to be fans of the stand in its current form. They have taken to the social media platform to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments below.
Loads of Rangers fans have been reacting to a video message from Scott Arfield, as the Canada international urged supporters to stay at home and delivered a thank you to the NHS and key workers.
Arfield joined Rangers in July 2018 on a free transfer, and is valued at £2.25m by Transfermarkt.
The 31 year-old has bags of experience at the top level and has proved to be an astute signing for Steven Gerrard, always giving 110%, which is exactly what fans expect from anyone who dons the light blue shirt.
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Across 94 appearances he has managed 21 goals and 12 assists from midfield, finding the score sheet on nine occasions this season.
The veteran posted his message on the club’s official Twitter account this week, reiterating the government’s lockdown guidelines, wishing supporters the best and thanking NHS workers.
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You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where the Ibrox faithful were full of praise for Arfield…
Rangers fans are loving Mark Walters’ latest tweet…
What proved to certainly be a fruitful move for Kyle Walker has turned out to be problematic for Tottenham Hotspur across their backline.
The right-back departed the club back in 2017 for a sum of £45million after Mauricio Pochettino decided to cash in, and the Englishman has certainly reaped the rewards of the transfer. Since his arrival at the Etihad, Walker has enjoyed tremendous achievements, including two Premier League titles and an FA Cup win.
However, it hasn’t been rosy for both parties. Since the 29-year-old left London, Spurs have increasingly let in more goals as they struggle to plug the defensive leak. In Walker’s final season with the club, Tottenham finished second in the Premier League and conceded just 26 goals, less than champions Chelsea and the lowest amount in the entire league.
But following his departure, defensive issues presented themselves and each campaign since Walker’s absence has seen Spurs let in more and more goals. The 2017/18 season – the first without their right-back – saw Spurs concede 36 goals, followed by 39 goals in 2018/19 and their worst yet this campaign having already let in 40 goals.
Despite veteran internationals Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, as well as replacement right-back Serge Aurier, Spurs can’t seem to stop leaking goals. Meanwhile, Walker has contributed to Man City’s extremely low tally of conceded goals since he joined, including their +72 goal difference last season after conceding just 23 times.
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In fact, City’s No.2 has registered an average pass rate of 88.9% which is much higher than his usurper Aurier (78.3%). Walker also averages more passes per match (67.5) than the Ivorian (37.7) – (via WhoScored).
Although Tottenham made a tidy £39m profit on the Sheffield-born ace, the repercussions have been costly with the London side struggling to get near the second-place finish they managed in 2017. They are currently having a torrid season, sitting eighth in the league table, just two points ahead of Burnley and Crystal Palace.
Rightly or wrongly, two distinct characteristics have become synonymous with a career once crystallised by Jose Mourinho’s infamous self-coronation as “The Special One” all those years ago.
The first is a reluctance to trust young players, to the extent that the likes of Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne are now serial trophy winners for Chelsea’s rivals, and the second is the prioritisation of a resolute defence over the free-flowing football you might see at Liverpool or Manchester City, or for that matter Tottenham prior to Mourinho’s arrival in November.
Indeed, as is the case with all seemingly revolutionary figures who last long enough to avert the romantic adage of the good dying young, Mourinho has slowly transitioned from being the standard bearer of football’s new order to becoming a blockade for progress and change.
While Pep Guardiola is busy completely transforming the parameters of stylistic expectation at England’s top clubs, Mourinho’s still deploying a double pivot, keeping his full-backs tucked in and chipping it up to the big man leading his line. At least he would be if Harry Kane wasn’t stuck on the sidelines.
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And thus, news that Mourinho wants to bring Diego Godin to Tottenham is as unusual as it is unsurprising. You won’t see many top Premier League clubs actively look to recruit a 34-year-old who can’t even guarantee himself a starting berth in Inter Milan’s starting XI.
Of course, Godin has enjoyed a fantastic career and remains a top class defender in his own right. He was Atletico’s on-pitch orchestrator for nine years as they continually defied expectations by setting up in the most compact 4-4-2 known to man to lift a Copa del Rey, a La Liga title and Europa League titles. Speed never came into the equation because Atletico always sat so deep, and if a team were to play to his strengths he would no doubt still be an asset at the back.
But that’s precisely the problem. In the tactical context of the current Premier League, where just four clubs have averaged less than a goal per game this season, who wants to be playing to Godin’s strengths? Who wants to sit deep, encourage crosses into their own box, protect ageing centre-halves and hit teams on the counter? Maybe Burnley, maybe Palace, but that’s about it.
Except Mourinho apparently, and Godin is exactly his wheelhouse; an ageing addition akin to bringing back Didier Drogba during his second Chelsea spell or Nemanja Matic to Old Trafford, and someone entirely focused on keeping the ball out of the net rather than putting it in at the other end.
What’s so confusing about this, though, is that Spurs don’t really need another experienced figure at the back. Jan Vertonghen is 32. Toby Alderweireld is 31. Ben Davies is 26. Serge Aurier is 27. Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth, the comparative youngsters of the group, are 23 and 22. Between them, those six players boast an average of 61 caps. Naivety of youth doesn’t seem to be the problem.
Ironically, for Mourinho’s former club Man United, who Mirror Football claim the Portuguese may have to beat to the centre-back’s signature based on their prior reports citing Corriere Dello Sport, the Godin interest makes a lot more sense.
The concerns over having to play to the veteran’s strengths remain but in comparison, the only two defenders aged 30 or over to represent the Red Devils in the Premier League – Marcos Rojo and Ashley Young – went elsewhere in January, either on loan or permanently. If we take Phil Jones out of the equation as well, the 28-year-old having made just two Premier League appearances, United’s oldest regular defender is Harry Maguire at 27. Clearly there’s a void of experience and leadership Godin can fill at Old Trafford.
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Ultimately though, this is a symptom of how different Mourinho and his predecessor Mauricio Pochettino are as managers. Pochettino always angled towards younger players who could be moulded around his philosophy – perhaps the only real exception to that in recent years was the arrival of veteran striker Fernando Llorente. Mourinho, on the other hand, has a penchant for the finished product, or failing that, an old, wise head who knows how to win games pragmatically.
The problem though, and especially in Godin’s case, is that old, wise heads just aren’t as exciting as the next big thing breaking through. This potential swoop won’t win any Mourinho doubters over – in fact, it’s almost textbook Jose.
Tottenham Hotspur will have a chance to make amends this summer after failing to secure a striker during the January transfer window, and they may have been handed one on a plate.
According to the Mirror, Real Madrid flop will be offered to Spurs and Chelsea with there seemingly no way back for him at the La Liga giants.
This comes after he broke self-isolation protocol by flying back to his homeland, Serbia, last week while his teammates were all in quarantine at home.
Both London clubs are said to have held long interest in him and will now be given the opportunity to sign him at the end of the season.
And fans have been discussing the potential of snatching him from their grasp, here’s what has been said…
Many were of the same opinion that the frontman would be most welcome in north London, describing the move as a “no brainer” whilst Jovic was lauded for being “young” and “hungry” as well as a “great player”.
After earning a £55m (€60m) move from Frankfurt following a 27-goal season, the young forward has failed to live up to expectations at the Bernabeu, scoring just twice in 24 appearances.
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This latest saga is surely pushing him closer to the exit door under Zinedine Zidane, but some members of the Spurs faithful have their doubts given Daniel Levy’s tough negotiating history.
One supporter brandished the reports as “funny”as a result.
There was even a call from one fan for the club to swap leading talisman Harry Kane and £30m for Jovic’s services next season so that they can strengthen the rest of Jose Mourinho’s playing squad.
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And in other news, Spurs suffer major blow with John McDermott departure…
Football in England has come to an absolute standstill with no games set to be played before at least April 3rd.
The powers that be have suspended all games for the foreseeable future, and with the peak of the current pandemic predicted to be 10-14 weeks away, it could be quite a while before we see any more football in this country.
While the action on the pitch may have been halted, that doesn’t mean that work behind the scenes is on hold, and where Sheffield Wednesday are concerned that could spell trouble.
The Owls’ FFP case for breaking financial rules after selling their stadium is still ongoing and if they are sanctioned they could see a huge points deduction headed their way.
For one reason or another, there has been delay after delay in this case, with no verdict returning despite the charge coming six months ago.
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The EFL were reportedly worried that the charge would spill into the close-season, but after this delay and the seemingly impending further issues, that may no longer be the case.
The governing body will now potentially have a lot more time before the end of the season to investigate the Owls, and the chances of the Yorkshire club’s 2019/20 campaign being impacted by the impending sanction look to have increased.
It’s quite simply now a race against the clock and with every further suspension past April 3rd, the Owls’ chances of avoiding punishment this season reduce.
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Garry Monk’s team’s performance on the pitch hasn’t helped matters, but it’s Dejphon Chansiri’s financial misconduct that could see the Owls scrapping for their lives in the Championship before the season is up.
Fingers crossed, the season can conclude before the punishment is dished out because if the EFL act sooner rather than later it could be an absolute disaster for the Yorkshire club.
In other news, Wednesday look to have made a big mistake in the summer.
Manchester United edged closer to the top four as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side defeated their local rivals at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
The Red Devils beat Manchester City 2-0 to move to within three points of Chelsea with Anthony Martial and Scott McTominay both getting their names on the scoresheet.
But supporters were far from thrilled with what they saw from winger Daniel James as he squandered numerous chances which would have had United win with a much healthier advantage.
Here’s what fans have been saying on social media…
The Welsh winger was slammed across the board with him being labelled as “garbage” as well as a “waste” while one supporter wanted him sold in the summer even if he doubted the club making such a decision.
Another fan believed if Mason Greenwood had started, then the scoreline would have been one or two goals better off.
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Per SofaScore, James failed to score from two shots, had a dribble success rate of just 50% and managed just eight passes from 32 touches of the ball.
It was hardly a good afternoon for the 22-year-old.
Which is why others have scorned his decision-making qualities…
One member of the Old Trafford faithful likened it to a boiled potato while another claimed he had “no IQ”.
His speed was the only attributed noted in a positive light and James was even lambasted as “criminal.”
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There were a couple of comparisons made to United players past and present – James reminded a further fan of Lee Sharpe with one more suggesting he would rather have Marcus Rashford on one leg than the summer signing.
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