Tag Futebol

Glasgow Rangers forward Ryan Kent likely ‘wants to stay’ in the Scottish Premiership despite all the exit rumours, according to BBC pundit Alan Hutton.

The Lowdown: The story so far

The Light Blues ace will be out of contract in the summer, and despite being offered fresh terms, is yet to put pen to paper and commit to extending his stay at Ibrox.

Sporting director Ross Wilson admitted in December that the club are keen to tie the 26-year-old down having rejected an offer from an unnamed suitor for him, though interest is building again ahead of the upcoming window.

Premier League outfit Leeds United have been credited with an interest in the Liverpool academy graduate, but they aren’t currently in the best run of form to attract potential transfer targets.

The Latest: Hutton’s verdict

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton was asked whether he thought Kent would be tempted to join Leeds if they were to be relegated over staying at Rangers, to which he replied:

“I would not if it was me.

“I can only talk from my point of view and when I left Rangers I would not have wanted to leave playing in the Champions League or European competitions to go to a team in the Championship.

“That is no disrespect to that league, it is just sometimes the grass is not always greener.

“I have got a feeling that he wants to stay. I think he can do good things at Rangers. Your head would only turn if it was a good option for you and I do not see the Championship as being that.”

The Verdict: Don’t let him go

Whether Kent will end up signing on the dotted line to seal his future at Rangers remains to be seen, but it’s important that they do everything they can to not let him leave.

The Oldham-born talent has posted 89 goal contributions in 214 appearances since making the switch north of the border and has been a revelation under the guidance of Michael Beale.

The Nike-sponsored ace currently ranks in the 91st percentile for successful take-ons and is averaging 2.2 key passes per league game, where he’s received three man-of-the-match awards in the Premiership.

Kent has also been spoken highly of by journalist Josh Bunting who said the Gers star is ‘aggressive’ in his press and causes ‘so many problems’ for opposition defenders with his pace, making him a hugely valuable asset in Glasgow.

Tottenham Hotspur may have been on the end of a wrong decision as an image has emerged showing they perhaps should have been playing against 10 men.

The Lowdown: Spurs fail to impress once again

Spurs can have no excuses last night about being dumped out of the FA Cup embarrassingly by Championship side Sheffield United as the Blades put up a good fight and even squandered a huge chance in the first half.

Christian Stellini decided to bench star striker Harry Kane last night and when he came on he did very little to impact the game apart from missing a free header late into the second half.

However, some Tottenham fans may well be fuming that John Brooks didn’t make the pretty obvious decision to send off George Baldock for his late and reckless challenge on Ivan Perisic.

The Latest: Refereeing decision may have changed the game

Brooks clearly thought that Baldock didn’t make sufficient contact with Perisic as he didn’t even award Baldock a yellow card which is quite crazy judging by the image below.

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The score was indeed all square at the time of this tackle and many will know that if Spurs were playing against a Championship side and held a numerical advantage then it would have been a major shock for them to not progress into the quarter-final.

The Verdict: A clear red card ignored

We believe that this challenge is deserved of a red card. The Sheffield United player clearly has his studs showing and foot raised high enough to make contact with the shin area, as well as flying into the tackle at force which endangers the Tottenham man.

While Tottenham can have no gripes about the result and performance with Stellini even claiming some of his players lacked the energy required to win, this decision could have changed their season.

If Tottenham had ended up playing against 10 men for the majority of the game then many would have fully expected them to progress into the next round and then they’re one win away from Wembley and just two away from a final in May.

However, Spurs have now been dumped out of the FA Cup, have no chance of winning the Premier League by sitting 15 points off top spot, face an uphill battle against AC Milan in the Champions League as they head into the second leg 1-0 down and look set for yet another trophyless season.

Luke Edwards of The Telegraph has labelled Newcastle United’s Allan Saint-Maximin as ‘rusty’ following his performance at the weekend.

The Lowdown: Underwhelming ASM

In their latest Premier League clash, Saint-Maximin lost possession on 13 occasions for Eddie Howe’s side and only completed 65% of his passes in 69 minutes.

The match against West Ham United was the Frenchman’s first start in the league for the Magpies since August against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Towards the end of 2022, the player had a number of injury issues which led to him missing several matches in a black and white shirt.

The Latest: Saint-Maximin looks ‘rusty’

Edwards claimed that the player looks a little bit off the pace when speaking about his recent performances on Sky Sports’ Sunday Supplement.

He stated: “Allan Saint-Maximin was Newcastle’s star player, their bright spark amid the gloom, as it were, under Steve Bruce – and to a certain extent again last season under Eddie Howe.

“He looked rusty, [it was] his first start since August. They need more from him because he hasn’t taken on his fair share of the workload this season. He’s back in the team now, they need a lot more from Allan Saint-Maximin.”

The Verdict: He needs time

We believe that Saint-Maximin needs time to settle upon his return from the injuries he suffered recently, and they could still be a factor in his recent performances.

Since the match against Wolves, the 25-year-old has not been handed a lot of minutes on the pitch, and sometimes it is hard as a substitute to hit your stride and settle into the tempo of a game.

The Frenchman showed glimpses of his former self against Southampton in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

Howe praised Saint-Maximin when speaking to NUFC TV, lauding his performance at St Mary’s and claiming he offered a ‘different dimension’ to the side.

Before last season, the winger was a real creative force for the Toon and was close to sustaining 10 goal contributions a season.

Talent doesn’t disappear overnight and we believe that there will have to be some patience if we’re to see the best of Allan Saint-Maximin at Newcastle before the end of the current campaign.

Leeds United have already begun speaking to manager candidates but Marcelo Bielsa is unlikely to be an option at this time, reports Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Marsch sacked

Leeds confirmed on Monday afternoon that Jesse Marsch has been relieved of his duties at Elland Road.

The Wisconsin native won Premier League matches in charge.

Marcelo Bielsa and Carlos Corberan initially emerged as the early candidates in line for the gig, but Romano has immediately taken to Twitter to rule out the former.

The Latest: Bielsa not a candidate

The Italian transfer guru shared news on Twitter almost as soon as Marsch’s departure was confirmed, dropping an update on Bielsa and revealing the board are already speaking to possible replacements.

“Marcelo Bielsa return is described as ‘unlikely’ at this stage — huge respect for what he did in the past but plans look now different as things stand. Leeds are speaking to other candidates while Jesse Marsch has been fired.”

The Verdict: Right decision?

There’s no doubting Bielsa’s special relationship with Leeds fans is a deserved one, having guided the club back to the big time with an incredible title winning campaign in 2019-20, winning the league by ten points with an incredible +42 goal difference.

That said, the Argentine was let go for a very similar offence to Marsch, losing five of six league games and leaving the side hovering just above the relegation zone.

Called a ‘genius’ by former Poland manager Czesław Michniewicz, the 67 year-old will forever be an almost mystical figure at Elland Road, but Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers Group need to look forwards, not backwards.

Corberan, who has won ten of 13 Championship fixtures since taking charge of West Brom, looks a much more fitting appointment for a long-term vision.

ESPN pundit Gabriele Marcotti has questioned what Arsenal see in transfer target Ivan Fresneda.

The Lowdown: Arteta wants strength in depth

The Gunners have reportedly taken the lead in the race for Fresneda amid competition from clubs such as Newcastle United and Borussia Dortmund, with their ominous lead at the top of the table potentially playing a part.

As things stand, Mikel Arteta is playing Ben White at right-back in most games despite the former Brighton defender being a natural centre-back for the majority of his career thus far.

Fresneda is clearly still very raw at 18 years old and has just 10 first-team appearances in the top flight under his belt, but that’s seemingly not put off the Gunners in ploughing ahead with their interest.

The Latest: Fresneda could be flattering to deceive

Marcotti has admitted on The Gab & Juls Show that he’s watched Fresneda twice this season and is still yet to be impressed by the youngster amid Arsenal’s interest.

He said: “I have to say, I saw this dude – maybe it’s because Valladolid aren’t very good – [but] I watched two entire Valladolid games. In one he was okay, and in the other one, he wasn’t very good, although Valladolid weren’t good. Are we getting a little bit carried away, what are they seeing?”

The Verdict: Arsenal preparing for the future

Fresneda is still very young so will have a lot to learn, but given that a lot of Arsenal’s star players this season are at the beginning of their careers as well, the defender may yet thrive in such an exciting up-and-coming squad and environment.

The Gunners are in need of reinforcements this month, particularly in midfield due to Mohamed Elneny’s injury, and while right-back may not be a priority position as of yet, if Cedric Soares leaves on loan, it quickly will be.

It should also be considered that Takehiro Tomiyasu hasn’t had a clean bill of health this season, so having someone young such as Fresneda coming into the club could be just what Arteta needs in case of an emergency given he already possesses plenty of ‘technical ability’ and ‘athletic’ attributes, according to La Liga expert Matt Clark.

Phil Hay has admitted he would be surprised if Daniel James returned to Leeds United this month.

The Lowdown: Unclear situation

James was seemingly shoved out the door during the summer by Jesse Marsch after spending just 12 months at Elland Road to make way for a young star in the form of Wilfried Gnonto.

However, he’s failed to impress on loan at high-flying Fulham this season, having started just three Premier League games – while Marco Silva hasn’t ruled out a mid-season return.

The Fulham boss claimed that ‘many things can happen’ when asked about James amid his alarmingly low number of starts this season, which may hint at his loan being cut short.

The Latest: James not set to return

Hay, however, has now admitted on The Phil Hay Show that a James reunion is looking unlikely due to the way he was pushed out of the door and his unhappiness at having to leave Leeds.

He said: “I would be very surprised [if James returned]. I don’t think James was particularly happy at all with the way it all played out over the summer. If you’re declaring him surplus at that point, it becomes very difficult at this stage to say, ‘listen, come back in and help us’.

“I was never quite convinced that James ever settled in properly under Bielsa, and I think I’m less and less convinced about how he would fit into the structure and the system that Marsch uses. So no, that would be a bit of a bolt from the blue.”

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The Verdict: Leeds should be aiming for better

If Leeds want to push away from the bottom three, they shouldn’t be looking to bring back players who were part of their squad that almost went down last season – they have to be going for better than James.

Despite having splashed out £25m on the Wales international, James never lived up to that transfer fee, managing just four goals and four assists in 32 appearances last season, which was a huge reason Leeds found themselves struggling as he couldn’t contribute going forward.

Leeds have been linked with players such as Noa Lang, who has Champions League experience and is still very young, so going for that calibre of target could be a much better move from Victor Orta, although he could be keen to try and get the ‘outstanding’ talent out of James that saw them shell out a huge fee not too long ago.

Charles Watts has provided an update on Arsenal’s pursuit of Mykhailo Mudryk, with the Gunners’ latest bid rejected.

What’s the word?

The Gunners have had two bids for the Ukrainian winger rejected so far according to Watts, as they seek to add to their attacking options in the January window.

Mikel Arteta’s side currently sit top of the Premier League, but want to strengthen the depth of their squad as they aim to stay above the chasing pack, and arguably need more firepower within the squad to do so.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts explained that Shakhtar are holding out for more money, and could even pull the plug on negotiations if the two clubs cannot agree a deal.

He said: “Arsenal’s latest offer was around the sort of £62m mark all-in – that’s including add-ons.”

“Shakhtar still very much saying, ‘no, that’s not what we want, we want €100m to do business’. As far as I’m aware, they are very, very much sticking to that. And that is what they are telling Arsenal, and that they are more than willing, I’ve been told, that they will put an end to all talks and postpone them until the summer if it becomes abundantly clear that that valuation is not going to be met.

“Now, of course, this is a negotiation period. It could be a case of who blinks first. I don’t know if that’s absolutely 100% certain what will happen – if they would just pull the plug on it – we’ll have to wait and see.”

How high should Arsenal go?

Arsenal are in a tough spot in these negotiations in that they are clearly keen on an attacker joining in January, and ideally would complete a signing before the North London derby halfway through the month.

However, the player appears eager to join Arteta’s side, and if the 22-year-old forces through a move, they may have no choice but to accept an offer from Arsenal which does not meet their valuation.

It is a big fee for a player with limited experience, but a dynamic attacker being added to Arsenal’s depth could be a game-changing signing in the title race, and ultimately Arteta will not want to lose out on a priority target as a result of difficult negotiations.

Like many of Europe’s elite football clubs, Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing Borussia Dortmund and England sensation Jude Bellingham, and the teenage midfielder could reignite a phenomenal partnership with Erling Haaland if he moves to the Etihad Stadium.

It was reported earlier this month by Football Insider that the Premier League champions could look to cash in on £100m club-record signing Jack Grealish in order to fund a move for Bellingham, who would likely cost any interested suitors around €150m (£129m).

The former Birmingham City gem may well have increased his asking price further with some superb displys at the World Cup with England, averaging a 7.58 rating from WhoScored for his performances after impressing in all five of his appearances in Qatar.

This ranked him as the second-best player in Gareth Southgate’s squad as they fell against France in the quarter-final stage, which emphasises how important he already is to England despite his tender age.

He has also been in fantastic form for Dortmund so far this term, with nine goals and three assists to his name in all competitions for the Bundesliga giants, including four goals in the Champions League group stage.

His performances in Germany’s top flight have seen him average an excellent 7.45 rating from WhoScored, which comfortably ranks him as the best player in Edin Terzic’s squad, while the same rating would see him ranked behind only Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne at Man City.

City are hopeful that Bellingham’s friendship with Haaland could be a deciding factor in his next club, as the two played brilliantly together at Signal Iduna Park last season, with only one player in Dortmund’s squad setting up more goals for the Norweigian striker than the teenage English sensation.

The prospect of having another “generational talent” in Pep Guardiola’s squad – as dubbed by Raphael Honigstein – to play alongside the likes of Haaland and Phil Foden would surely be too good for City to turn down, regardless of the astronomical fee that it will no doubt take to bring Bellingham to the Etihad.

Therefore, Txiki Begiristain should do all that he can to ensure that Bellingham joins Guardiola’s squad in 2023.

West Ham United continue to be linked with a sensational swoop for a Barcelona legend…

What’s the latest?

As per journalist Pete O’Rourke, should the Hammers lure Jordi Alba to the London Stadium, it could mark a sensational swoop.

According to reports in Spain, the east London side are one of the teams to have registered an interest in the Spain international and whilst it’s thought that he does not want to leave the Nou Camp, he is out of contract in 2024 and isn’t getting any younger at 33.

His £350k-per-week salary is another reason to why manager Xavi Hernandez may be keen to get him off the books.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the reliable reporter delivered his verdict on the rumour, he claimed:

“David Moyes, I think, is interested in signing a left-back to improve the squad. It would come as a massive surprise if they did pursue a move for Jordi Alba, who is probably coming to the end of his career, but he’s won everything.

“He’s been a brilliant left-back, one of the best around, so I think it’d be a real statement signing if West Ham did bring him to the London stadium.”

Their new Julian Dicks

Known as “The Terminator” by fans of the club, Julian Dicks is widely regarded as one of the best fullbacks ever to play for the Irons.

Having featured 170 times for them over two spells, his record of 27 goals made him unlike many others in his position at the time. He offered an offensive ability that was unrivalled for the era.

Now, in this 33-year-old, they could actually be getting an upgrade on their legendary defender.

Alba boasts 441 games for Barcelona, and across that period has scored 25 and assisted 96.

His performances for Spain in his World Cup have acted as proof that these numbers are not rooted in the past, as he has recorded a 7.75 average rating whilst winning one penalty and claiming two assists, via Sofascore.

The veteran star boasts an ageless and relentless play style, but his Catalonian football education has blessed him with composure on the ball unlike few others in world football.

In his side’s 7-0 opening game win over Costa Rica, Alba averaged a pass accuracy of 94% across his 107 attempted passes.

It was prophesied by Ives Galarcep just how “scary” and “dangerous” the acquisition of Alba would make Barcelona, and these stats serve to prove him correct.

Having spent such a long period playing for such a prestigious footballing outfit, his trophy cabinet has unsurprisingly benefitted. He has won pretty much every competition available to him, including an unprecedented treble during the 2014/15 campaign.

To lure him to the London Stadium would trump almost any transfer that has come before, and likely will come after.

Moyes must be salivating at the prospect of having him bomb down his left flank, whilst fans of the club will be reminiscing of the days when Julian Dicks would be doing the same, in the expectation they will once again be blessed with a legendary presence at left-back.

Express & Star reporter Lewis Cox has described an update on West Bromwich Albion’s home stadium The Hawthorns in the last 24 hours as ‘significant news’.

The Lowdown: Asset of Community Value

A number of Baggies supporters showed their frustrations towards owner Guochuan Lai during the 1-0 win over Blackpool on Tuesday night. Hundreds of supporters put their lights on their phones and chanted against Lai, signing “where’s the money gone?”

Cox has stated that there have been ‘concerns’ that the ground could be sold, but news emerged on Wednesday that Shareholders 4 Albion have nominated The Hawthorns for an Asset of Community Value, which will help ensure that the stadium is secured for the long run.

The Latest: Cox reacts to Hawthorns update

Cox took to Twitter to share the news regarding The Hawthorns on Wednesday morning, along with a corresponding article from the Express & Star.

The reporter labelled it as ‘significant news’ for West Brom and said that the club have ‘absolutely zero plans to sell The Hawthorns’.

The Verdict: Good news for West Brom

As Cox mentions, some West Brom supporters may have been worried that Lai and co could have looked into selling buildings owned by the club, but it won’t be The Hawthorns following this update.

That will come as good news to everyone associated with the club, especially after it emerged in the summer that Lai took out a £4.95m loan from Albion.

Nonetheless, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if there were more protests staged against Lai from the West Brom faithful, with reports that further demonstrations are planned, and much of the fan base may well be hoping that he decides to sell up and move on as soon as possible.