Category Uncategorized

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Paul Brown of The Daily Star has revealed what chairman Daniel Levy has personally ‘promised’ Antonio Conte at Tottenham.

The Lowdown: Conte takes charge…

The 52-year-old’s tenure has officially begun and it’s a new era which comes with plenty of promise and excitement.

Calciomercato.it recently claimed that the former Chelsea boss has demanded a €280 million (£239.6m) transfer war chest as he eyes a plethora of Serie A stars and a major Tottenham rebuild.

Meanwhile, The Sun believe Conte will be given a big budget to play with, though not quite as extravagant, with Levy apparently set to grant him a £150m budget to bring in his desired talent.

Now, backing somewhat backing these claims, Brown has shared what he believes to GMS.

The Latest: Brown makes Levy claim…

Speaking to the outlet, Brown has now shared what Levy has personally ‘promised’ Conte at Spurs and it’s quite an intriguing claim which could entice some Spurs supporters.

“He has been promised a fairly big whack, and a good go at things.” said the journalist.

The Verdict: Promising…

If Conte does indeed get the backing required to make Tottenham a force again, perhaps akin to the latter stage of Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure, they could have all the ingredients to become a European powerhouse once again.

Since reaching the Champions League final in 2019, the club have seen Pochettino, Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo sacked whilst also delaying the rebuild process of a squad in need of a big overhaul.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Pochettino himself candidly admitted that his side needed a ‘painful rebuild’ long before he was shown the door and Conte’s arrival could finally mark the beginning of the process.

He will need help from managing director Fabio Paratici as the Italian duo seek to turn Tottenham’s fortunes around.

In other news: Conte personally plotting to sell ‘very talented’ Spurs player who Nuno called ‘unique’, find out more here.

Wolves may no longer be actively looking to sell some of their most important players but after a dismal pre-season, it’s clear that new recruits are needed.

Just how the Old Gold manages that remains to be seen. After all, we were told at the beginning of the window that they lacked financial power.

What’s the word?

One player Wolves have been interested in since the winter months is Divock Origi.

Reports emerged again this week detailing the club’s attraction to the Liverpool forward but they’ve not taken their interest a step further.

According to Ekrem Konur on Twitter, they have now submitted a bid to sign Origi in the final weeks of the market.

That said, it’s an offer that falls short of the Reds’ valuation.

Konur commented: “Wolverhampton have made a £10m bid for Divock Origi to Liverpool. Liverpool are demanding £20m.”

Howler on the cards

Fans should be thankful that Wolves’ bid falls short of Liverpool’s estimations because he would be a questionable signing.

After a horrendous campaign in 2020/21 from an offensive perspective, there’s no denying that Bruno Lage needs to strengthen his options in attack.

Raul Jimenez was missing with a fractured skull from November onwards and those who stepped in for him didn’t exactly set the world alight.

Pedro Neto had an excellent season but finished as their top scorer on just five goals. Fabio Silva only found the net on four occasions after his club-record move while the less said about Willian Jose the better.

The big Brazilian scored once following a loan move back in January. Throw Patrick Cutrone into the mix and their options in the final third look rather shoddy.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Origi, however, would not improve their options. The Belgian was once dubbed a “monster” by Vincent Kompany but his 35 Liverpool goals have come in a less than impressive 156 outings.

Furthermore, the 26-year-old only scored one goal in the entire of the 2020/21 campaign, starting twice in the Premier League.

If Wolves are going to find an able back-up to Jimenez, they should look closer to home. Rafa Mir anyone?

AND in other news, Wolves can find a new Traore by signing “elegant” 13-goal gem with “something special”…

A number of Manchester City fans have been reacting to comments from Pep Guardiola on Sergio Aguero after the Argentine played his last Premier League game for the Citizens.

On Sunday, City wrapped up the league campaign in style as they thrashed Everton 5-0. After the match, they received the Premier League trophy at the Etihad Stadium as they were able to celebrate with the fans – it was a special day for the all involved with the club.

The £22.5m-valued striker (Transfermarkt), who scored twice against the Toffees after coming on from the bench, will depart the club at the end of the season. He has scored 260 goals in 389 matches for City (Transfermarkt), becoming their all-time leading scorer, and he will be an incredibly hard player to replace.

After the match, Sky Sports spoke to Guardiola about Aguero, and he was unable to hold back the tears when describing the 32-year-old, about whom he said: “We love him so much. He is a special person for us…We cannot replace him.”

The manager’s emotional comments have attracted plenty of attention from the City supporters, and they took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Guardiola’s comments on Aguero

“This broke me. And this is why I love Pep & #MCFC”

Credit: @BobbieJack77

“Guardiola got me all emotional with this one”

Credit: @Demmiedgod

“And people say he hates him, have some shame!”

Credit: @poli_thundermc

“Can’t stop the tears! I’m so happy for Aguero but really sad for us fans”

Credit: @omidvheravi

“you can’t do without tears – these are emotions and this is wonderful”

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Credit: @CgON0NIPt523qIA

“in tears”

Credit: @93Noorr

In other news, some Man City fans slammed this man’s performance against Everton.

Aston Villa should target a move for Ademola Lookman in this summer’s transfer window amid Lee Hendrie’s claim.

What’s the story?

The England U21 international is currently on loan at fellow Premier League side Fulham, where he has produced some impressive displays for a side battling to avoid relegation back to the Championship this season – he’s managed four goals and four assists in 27 top-flight games.

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Fulham would have to pay around £15m to make his move from RB Leipzig a permanent one, and ex-Villa man Hendrie has urged his former side to throw their hat into the ring.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Hendrie said: “Lookman stands out for me. He’d be one that I would… I know bigger clubs would be looking at him, but he’d be the sort of calibre of player that I’d be looking at trying to get at the club because he’s creative and got that attacking threat.”

Better than Trezeguet

With his eight total goal contributions in the Premier League this season, the 23-year-old Lookman has already shown him to be comfortably better than Trezeguet when it comes to his end product – the Egyptian has yet to find the back of the net this campaign, and has only managed one assist in the top-flight.

The versatile Fulham winger also betters Trezeguet in all the key in-game metrics, averaging far more shots, key passes and dribbles per game than the Egyptian, really showcasing how much of a massive influence he has been for Scott Parker’s side this season.

Lookman of course burst onto the scene with Charlton before making a high-profile switch to Everton, and England international Michael Keane has raved about the former Toffees gem previously.

He said: “He has got everything. He is the most skilful player at the club along with Bernard. He can go both ways and he can score goals and he is young so he is only going to get better. If he can get consistency every time and keep learning, he will be a great player.”

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Given Hendrie’s wish for Villa to target a move for Lookman, Dean Smith should be going to the club’s hierarchy and putting the winger’s name forward.

Meanwhile, this Villa man had a shocker vs Spurs…

The future seemed so bright for former Rangers winger Jamie Murphy, after he became Motherwell’s top scorer in European competitions in 2010, a record which still stands to this day, but his injury-riddled career has quickly fallen by the wayside.

What was the word?

Speaking to the Totally Football League Show, as quoted by The Daily Record, Burton Albion boss Nigel Clough singled out the one-time loanee for praise after he scored against Oxford United last season.

“He’s been brilliant,” he said. “When we heard that we might have a small chance of bringing him in, we just did everything we could to get him down here. I think he’s got three in five now or something.

“He’s a game-changing player. We’re extremely lucky to have him in our squad in League One because he’s at least a Championship player and he’s proved that.”

The 31-year-old scored seven goals and supplied two assists in ten games for Clough’s side in a loan spell during the second half of last season.

However, it’s fair to say that Murphy is now a shadow of his former self, as he has been plagued by persistent injury problems over the course of his playing career so far. So, it’s perhaps hardly surprising Rangers sold the forgotten man in the summer, as Ross Wilson sought to clear out some of the deadwood in the summer.

Wilson masterclass

Hibernian FC signed the former Scotland international on an initial loan deal which will become permanent at the end of this season, with Murphy signing a one-year extension as well. It could be argued that it was a stroke of genius from Wilson to get him off the wage bill, as he reportedly received wages worth £16,000-per-week during his ill-fated time at Ibrox.

He scored six times and supplied 13 assists in all competitions for his former club, although his appearances were limited to just 29 games in two and a half years due to injury.

There’s no denying the fact that Murphy was once a talented player, but sadly he has been hampered by injuries, and was unable to make much of an impression under Steven Gerrard, who is hardly short of wide options, as he can call upon the services of Ryan Kent, Brandon Barker, Ianis Hagi, Joe Aribo and Scott Arfield as well. And that’s without even mentioning Jordan Jones, who finds himself in a spot of bother after breaking the pandemic protocols.

In actual fact, his luck has gone from bad to worse, as he has been forced to spend a spell on the sidelines so far this season with a recurring hamstring injury.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

By contrast, Kent has become the club’s first-choice left winger, having made nearly a hundred appearances for the Gers since he first arrived at Ibrox on loan from Premier League giants Liverpool in 2018.

In 14 appearances in the Premiership this season, the 23-year-old has bagged four times and four assists so far, which is an impressive return. Getting rid of the aging injury-plagued veteran has arguably given him the time to shine.

AND in other news, Rangers receive huge injury boost as Leon Balogun survives unscathed against Sierra Leone…

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.

Let us know what you think!

According to a recent report from Calciomercato, Matias Vecino could be close to leaving Inter Milan and Everton are interested in prising him away from the San Siro.

What’s the word, then?

Carlo Ancelotti is supposedly looking to reinforce his midfield and the 28-year-old ace just might fit the bill.

Calciomercato emphasise that Vecino has the qualities Everton are looking for and they have already made contact over a move.

Call yourself an Everton expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?

With that in mind, Alessandro Lucci was already at the offices at San Siro, discussing the potential farewell of his player and his transfer to the Merseyside team, despite initially denying the rumours.

It seems that the Uruguayan could be heading out the exit door in the near future.

Verdict

Even though he has somewhat risen in prominence in the ongoing 2019/20 season – stringing together full games throughout December –  Vecino is still behind some of Antonio Conte’s midfielders in the pecking order.

The likes of Marcelo Brozovic, Antonio Candreva, Nicolo Barella and Cristiano Biraghi have also played more than the 28-year-old Uruguayan ace.

Quite clearly, when it comes to midfielders, the Nerazzurri’s gaffer is more or less spoiled for choice and that leaves Vecino in a rather tricky situation.

For that reason, it’s completely possible to see him leave in the not so distant future and Everton are looking like a likely destination.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Recently, FCInterNews stated the player is valued at around €20m (£17m), which doesn’t sound like an unrealistic figure for a club who have spent £50m on Richarlison and £45m on Gylfi Sigurdsson in recent years.

With all the choices Conte has in the middle of the park, Vecino might not even be missed.

In other news, Inter Milan have reportedly been offered one of Manchester United’s biggest young talents…

Leeds United revealed on Tuesday afternoon that Tyler Roberts had been called up the Wales squad for their upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers with Azerbaijan and Hungary.

However, it would be fair to say that the club’s supporters are not overly pleased about it as they are fearful that the attacker could pick up an injury.

The 20-year-old, who has been capped on six occasions by the Welsh national team, scored his first Leeds goal of the season against Queens Park Rangers at the weekend.

Indeed, on his first start for the Whites this term, Roberts scored Leeds’ opener just before the interval before Jack Harrison made it 2-0 in the second period.

Wales are currently fourth in Group E on eight points, four points off second-placed Hungary and six points off leaders Croatia.

Find out what happened when a world-record-holding freestyler attempting skills with the worst pair of boots available on eBay in the video below…

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

It is a huge couple of games for Ryan Giggs’ side, but the Leeds fans are only concerned about the fitness of their young attacker.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Mauricio Pochettino has shrugged off claims that he could leave the club in the next week, per The London Evening Standard.

What’s he said?

TalkSPORT claimed on Thursday that this weekend’s clash with Arsenal could be Pochettino’s last match in charge of Spurs.

The Standard also reports that bookmakers suspended betting on the former Southampton manager walking away but he has now rubbished the rumours, labelling them “stupid”.

He said: “What can I say about a stupid rumour? After five years, now I start the sixth and you know how we work in the summer to try to rebuild and update the squad.

“Now we are 6.0 software. The new version. That stupidity can only happen through some rumours on social media that create a big, big problem that doesn’t exist. I’m not going to walk away after the north London derby.

“I’m going to be here Monday and Tuesday. My plan is to travel – I don’t want to say where – and then Friday [back] again to London, meeting with Daniel (Levy).

“We’re going to watch some national team games live, and then Monday preparing for the new week. I’m not the type of person who sends messages through social. Did you bet [on it]? It’s closed now, eh? You lost your money!”

No surprise

How anyone could actually think that Pochettino was set to leave is baffling.

Yes, Spurs have not started the season in the best form and were appalling as they lost 1-0 to Newcastle United at the weekend.

But does that mean Pochettino is poised to depart? Absolutely not.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He signed a five-year contract in 2018 and has just overseen major surgery on his squad.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

TalkSPORT have a habit of peddling absolute drivel merely to bring in listeners and gain retweets on Twitter.

This is another such example; that Pochettino has had to deny it is nonsensical in itself.

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

Over the years Arsenal fans have had to endure watching some of their finest players leave the club for their greatest rivals.

The likes of Robin van Persie, Samir Nasri, Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor all left the Gunners in pursuit of more ambitious ventures with the North London club constantly having to rebuild and reorganise after such high profile departures.

The latest to leave in this manner was Alexis Sanchez, who signed for Manchester United in January 2018.

Rumours of Sanchez’s desire to leave the club had been circling for months after a collapsed move to Manchester City saw him stay at Arsenal for a further five months before he eventually made his move to Old Trafford.

The Chilean has had a torrid time in Manchester, struggling to make any impact in a team that’s been in decline under both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer despite a few months of improvement with the Norwegian at the helm.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Sanchez may move again this summer and former Arsenal invincible Lauren has been quoted as saying that the Chilean can still have an impact in North London if he were to return one day. But despite the comments coming from a club icon, Gunners fans haven’t welcomed the idea of re-signing their ex-star.