BBC Sport journalist David Ornstein revealed on Wednesday that a deal had been agreed between Crystal Palace and Manchester United for the transfer of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, but Eagles fans were left far from happy with chairman and owner Steve Parish at the details involved.
The Guardian reported on Monday that the south London outfit were keen to not only get a guaranteed £50m up front for the 21-year-old, but to also cancel or at least reduce the 25% sell-on clause in Wilfried Zaha’s contract.
However, Ornstein confirmed on Wednesday that the initial deal is worth £45m – which could rise to £50m with add-ons – while the Red Devils will retain their clause for the Ivory Coast international.
While it has to be seen as a decent agreement for Palace seeing as the player has only made 42 first-team appearances for them, many obviously feel that Parish should have stuck to his guns in negotiations.
Supporters have been quick to show their unhappiness with the 53-year-old on Twitter, with one saying “Parish has bottled it”, and another saying “Parish caved in and we lost”.
If Palace sell Wan Bissaka and Zaha, will they be in another relegation battle? One fan gives his opinion in the video below…
The pressure – perhaps at least from these fans – will now be on the hierarchy to ensure that the club spend the Wan-Bissaka money wisely in the remainder of the window.
Here is just a selection of the reaction from the popular social media platform…
Wolves were perhaps the surprise package of the Premier League last season and, with a midfield base of the likes of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho, earned praise from the likes of Jose Mourinho for their ability in the engine room.
The midfield pairing of the two Portuguese was a pleasure to watch last season. Described as perfect partners by Premier League analyst Adrian Clarke last summer, it largely looked like a midfield pivot most other sides in the division would be envious of.
Still, Wolves are seemingly not looking to rest on their laurels, with Calciomercato reporting they are interested in 22-year-old Lyon midfielder Lucas Tousart in what would be a stunning move.
The Frenchman largely made a name for himself in the 2016-2017 season, described as the new N’Golo Kante after an impressive breakthrough campaign (per Goal). They stated the midfielder was developing into an all-round midfielder, increasingly making an impression on the Lyon fans.
Well, they seemed to be correct, with Tousart locking down a permanent role in a highly talented Lyon side that includes Tottenham bound Tanguy Ndombele. Indeed, he has made 67 league appearances in the last two seasons, also playing seven times this season in the Champions League in which he scored against Barcelona.
So, who is the talented youngster?
Tousart is a defensive midfielder that – similarly to Kante – appears to cover every blade of grass, while also being highly competent on the ball. The Frenchman finished the season with an impressive 86.5% pass completion, which could help Wolves in their attempts to play through teams who defend deep against them, an obvious problem last season.
Going the other way, he also averaged 2.5 tackles a game, more than Kante (2.1) but the Chelsea man did marginally outperform his countryman in interceptions, while also being dribbled past on fewer occasions (per WhoScored).
Obviously, Kante is a World Cup winner, playing at a top club in the prime of his career, but it’s easy to see why there are comparisons.
But where would he fit in the team? Well, while Wolves were indeed particularly impressive last season, they scored just 47 goals, the lowest in the top 12 and this is despite having two impressive attackers in Raul Jiminez and Diogo Jota.
Ruben Neves, one of Wolves’ most creative talents (averaging 2.1 shots and 0.8 key passes a game according to WhoScored), scored just four goals last season, two down from the season prior. Indeed, not a drastic decline, and perhaps representative of the step up in opposition but the Portuguese international is perhaps somewhat wasted further deep.
Should Neves be afforded the opportunity of more regularly operating higher up the pitch, it could seriously enhance Wolves’ attacking prospects. With that in mind, the potential introduction of Tousart would be an excellent idea.
Wolves fans, what do you make of the proposed transfer? A deal that makes sense? Let us know!
Stand by for a day of high emotion at the Etihad Stadium next May when David Silva salutes the Manchester City fans for one last time. The 33-year-old Spain international said earlier this week that he plans to leave the club at the end of next season, which will be his 10th in Manchester.
When Silva arrived at the club in 2010, they were only two years into the Abu Dhabi group’s ownership and were still looking to break into the top four in the Premier League. By the time the iconic winger says his final goodbye in just over 10 months’ time, he could depart with five league titles to his name and a third Premier League triumph in a row.
Silva’s status as one of the Premier League’s greatest ever Spaniards is beyond question. These fellow countrymen have also added plenty to England’s top flight over the last two decades…
Adrian
Only a year after being promoted to Real Betis’ first team, the goalkeeper was brought to West Ham by Sam Allardyce in summer 2013. He had to wait four months until making his Premier League debut but, by the season’s end, he had supplanted Jussi Jaaskelainen as the Hammers’ first choice goalkeeper.
Perhaps his most memorable West Ham moment came in an FA Cup penalty shoot-out against Everton – not for saving a spot kick, but for scoring one that took his team into the next round. He was a hugely popular figure among Hammers fans but had to play second fiddle to Lukasz Fabianski last season and he was released last month after 43 clean sheets in 150 appearances for the club.
Marcos Alonso
The full-back first came to the Premier League with Bolton in 2010 and, despite being relegated two years later, stuck with the club for one season in the Championship. He returned to the top flight in 2014 with a loan spell at Sunderland and helped to keep them up, but he will be best remembered for his time at Chelsea.
Antonio Conte signed him from Fiorentina for £24million in 2016 and Alonso became a mainstay of the team that won the Premier League the following season. While Chelsea’s two subsequent campaigns have been disappointing, the left-back has provided an impressive total of 18 goals in three years, including a famous double against Tottenham in August 2017.
Xabi Alonso
The midfielder was among Rafael Benitez’s first signings at Liverpool in 2004 and he quickly made a name for himself as an exceptional passer of the ball. He scored the Reds’ equaliser in the 2005 Champions League final and was hailed as one of the team’s best players that season.
He twice scored from his own half for Liverpool, against Luton in an FA Cup tie and Newcastle in a league game later in 2006. Despite consistently strong performances from Alonso, Benitez unsuccessfully pursued Gareth Barry in summer 2008 and the relationship between the Spanish pair was soured. He left a year later as an Anfield legend.
Mikel Arteta
The midfielder initially joined Everton on loan in January 2005 before solid performances in helping the Toffees finish fourth persuaded David Moyes to sign him permanently. He won a series of individual accolades at Goodison Park during a six-year spell in which he was part of the furniture in a consistently high-performing Everton team.
He couldn’t resist the lure of Arsenal in 2011, moving to north London from Merseyside, and finished out the remaining five years of his playing career at the Emirates. He captained the Gunners to victory in the 2014 FA Cup final and was soon given the armband full-time. In 11 years in the Premier League, he scored 42 goals in 284 games.
Cesar Azpiliceta
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The man affectionately known as ‘Dave’ has been one of the few constants at Chelsea over the last seven years. He cost only £7m from Marseille in 2012 and helped the club to a Europa League triumph in his first season at Stamford Bridge. He was Chelsea’s Player of the Season the following year, drawing huge praise from manager Jose Mourinho.
Azpilicueta won two Premier League titles in his next three seasons, playing every single minute of the 2016/17 triumph under Antonio Conte. He played in a centre-back three under the Italian, a departure from his usual left-back role. He has already racked up 235 Premier League games for Chelsea and has continually impressed a succession of managers.
Bruno
Very few players make their Premier League debut at 36, but that was Bruno’s reward for five years of sterling service to Brighton when they reached the top flight in 2017. The veteran right-back was a steady presence for the Seagulls in their inaugural Premier League season, playing a captain’s role as they beat the drop.
A hamstring injury in the early weeks of last season curtailed his involvement for 2018/19, but just as Brighton were looking destined for relegation and helped them to cling to their Premier League status before retiring at the end of the season. Bruno was the embodiment of a committed, unselfish right-back who was a gladiatorial figure at the Amex Stadium.
Santi Cazorla
The attacking midfielder joined Arsenal from Malaga in 2012 and he became an instant hit at the Emirates, scoring 12 goals and providing as many assists in his first season. He was a constant presence in the side that won the 2014 FA Cup, a trophy he helped them to retain the following year.
Cazorla frequently appeared near (or at) the top of Premier League assists and passing accuracy tables but a knee injury in November 2015 set in motion a string of injury problems that led to skin grafts being added to an infected Achilles tendon. It was not an appropriate way for such a gifted and honest player’s Premier League career to end.
Diego Costa
The hot-tempered striker arrived at Chelsea in 2014 and he made an instant impact in England, scoring seven goals in his first four games. He was in the PFA’s Team of the Year and scored 20 goals as Chelsea won the Premier League in his first season in London.
Sadly, Costa’s time in England was marred by controversial incidents such as a stamp on Steven Gerrard and a nasty challenge on fellow Spaniard Adrian. He was a damn good player, though, hitting another 20 goals in the Blues’ 2017 league triumph before being told by Antonio Conte via text that he was free to leave Chelsea, which he did later that year.
Gerard Deulofeu
Having been unable to break into Barcelona’s first team, the talented forward signed on loan for Everton in 2013 at the start of Roberto Martinez’s reign. He caught at the eye at Goodison Park as he helped the Toffees to finish in the top six, being recalled by Barcelona in summer 2014.
Just over a year later, he was back at Everton permanently but did not have the same impact second time around. Since joining Watford in January 2018, though, Deulofeu has evolved into a consistent performer with far greater end product, scoring 10 goals in 30 games for the Hornets last season.
David de Gea
Edwin van der Sar would be a tough act to follow at Manchester United and a mistake on De Gea’s Premier League debut did not bode well. However, after being dismissed as too physically light to succeed in English football, the goalkeeper bulked up and soon showed that he was even better than his predecessor as United’s number one.
Indeed, he went on to be widely regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world. He was in the PFA Team of the Year four times in a row from 2015 to 2018 and has constantly produced logic-defying saves and imperious performances, such as that at the Emirates in 2017 and against Tottenham last season.
Liverpool have reignited their interest in Iranian striker Sardar Zamoun.
Russian publication SovSport report that Liverpool scouts were in attendance for the Russian Super Cup to watch Azmoun play for Zenit Saint Petersburg, who scored twice in a 3-2 defeat against Lokomotiv Moscow.
The 24-year-old striker, once dubbed as ‘The Iranian Messi’ by the Metro in 2016 following rumours about a move to Everton, was crucial to Zenit’s Russian Premier League title win last season as the former Rostov attacker hit 13 goals and assisted another six in the league.
Azmoun is a player that is no stranger to Liverpool. Indeed, speaking to the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar via Four Four Two in 2017 the attacker admitted that he was in talks with the Merseyside club that January, however, he turned down a move to the Premier League giants due to a lack of first-team opportunities.
The attacker said: “There were talks of Liverpool having expressed an interest in me during the past winter transfer window. However, I did not feel the time to move was right. I would have ended up playing a few games and then spent a great deal of time on the bench as Liverpool were only looking to fill a void for a particular part of their season.”
It proved to be the right decision from Azmoun, as a couple of years later the striker earned a move to Zenit for a reported £10.5 million (as per Reuters) to play regularly (made 12 league appearances following his winter transfer) and win the Russian league title. Indeed, when you compare the Iranian with Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi from last season from stats from WhoScored, it is understandable as to why he might be of interest.
Azmoun averaged more shots per game at 3.3 than both Sturridge and Origi, who managed only 1 and 1.1 in the league. The Zenit striker also averaged more dribbles per game at 0.7 to the Merseyside duo’s 0.3 and 0.5.
With Jurgen Klopp eyeing quality on the bench as per Goal this summer, Azmoun would be an improvement over the German’s options last season when it comes to testing the goalkeeper, and given the club’s previous links with the player, it is seemingly a deal that could really help the Reds.
Liverpool fans, would Azmoun be a good signing? Let us know!
Tuesday’s Manchester United transfer roundup reported on the price set for an Argentinian international, an enquiry made for a Southampton midfielder and comments from a Swede’s agent. Today’s edition focuses on another update on Paul Pogba, the future of a former Chelsea forward and the pursuit of a 6 foot 3 centre-back.
Pogba news
The Sun is reporting that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will ask Frenchman Pogba to stay one more year at Old Trafford before he leaves the Red Devils. The Norwegian wants the former Juventus man to stay with the club as he puts his rebuilding plan into action.
Inter still after Lukaku
According to Sky Sports, Inter Milan officials are to fly to the UK this week as they step up their attempt to sign United’s Romelu Lukaku. In recent days, Juventus have also reportedly made an approach for the 26-year-old Belgian, who scored 15 goals in all competitions for the Premier League team last campaign.
Maguire keen on move
Leicester City’s Harry Maguire is “flattered” by Manchester United’s interest in him according to Goal.com. The report also adds that the 26-year-old England defender would like to join Solskjaer’s rebuild, which has already seen Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Dan James join the club.
Lots of Newcastle fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was reported by The Daily Star that Tottenham left-back Danny Rose is on Steve Bruce’s radar, as he looks to seal his first signing as manager on Tyneside.
The former Sunderland boss has already identified the left-back department as a problem position at St James’ Park, and has Rose in his sights as the man to solve the issue.
The prospect of Steve Bruce at the helm has Newcastle fans calling for the return of a very unpopular former manager in the video below…
The 27-cap England international impressed for Spurs last season as they made the Champions League final, but appears to be a victim of the club’s full-back revamp after being left out of the pre-season tour – fellow full-back Kieran Trippier has already left for Atletico Madrid.
The Magpies are weighing up a £15m offer for the 29-year-old, who has played for bitter rivals Sunderland in the past, and Rose would compete with Paul Dummett for the left-back spot if he did end up on Tyneside.
Let’s see what the Newcastle fans on Twitter have been saying about the news…
[ad_pod ]This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…West Ham United may not be able to afford Isaac Hayden this summer, per Ex-West Ham United Employee.
What’s the word?
The Hammers were linked with a move for the Newcastle United midfielder at the beginning of the summer transfer window.
Since then, the club have signed attacking midfielder Pablo Fornals and striker Sebastian Haller.
And the Irons insider, responding to a question from a fan, doubts that the club will be able to meet the Magpies’ asking price unless they sell players first.
He said: “Budget is very dependent on players out at (the) moment so I’m not sure we will be able to afford him.â€
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Two steps back
West Ham have spent over £60m already this summer but this is one step forward, two steps back.
The club need to sign a midfielder, particularly with Pedro Obiang reportedly nearing a move to Serie A.
If they cannot afford a move for Hayden, who has actually confirmed his desire to leave the Magpies and move south to be nearer his family, then serious questions should be asked.
They have strengthened the squad on the surface but depth is needed, too.
A move for Hayden should be relatively inexpensive in this transfer window but the Hammers appear to have already spent all of their budget.
That is not a good thing, particularly with holes still needing to be filled at the London Stadium.
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…
Speaking on ESPN FC, former Liverpool star Steve Nicol has told Manchester City to sign veteran right-back Dani Alves this summer.
What did he say?
Alves is currently a free agent after leaving French giants PSG at the end of the last campaign and has been linked with a possible move to City and even Premier League rivals Arsenal.
However, Nicol insists that Alves would suit City’s style of play and that his relationship with Pep Guardiola from their Barcelona days would see the move pay off.
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He said: “For him to go to City, you’re basically looking at him to play in the FA Cup, the League Cup. There’s the connection with Pep, so he’s going to be happy in the dressing room. There won’t be any problems with it (him signing). He doesn’t want to go and play for a run of the mill team where he’ll have to defend for 80 minutes of the 90.
“He can come to Man City and play in the other side, the other half of the pitch, for most of the game. This makes a whole lot of sense. Most of it is to do with the relationship between Alves and Pep Guardiola.”
A smart move
For those who thought Alves’ career was finished, then the Brazilian’s displays at the Copa America certainly silenced the doubters. The 36-year-old was named the player of the tournament as Brazil lifted the trophy, and it undoubtedly offered encouragement that he could still perform at the highest level.
As Nicol suggests, City’s dominance of games would help Alves’ own plight. The amount of time he would spend running back towards his own goal or having to defend would be significantly smaller than were he to join Arsenal. At the Etihad, the Brazilian can continue to wreak havoc with his offensive work and would allow Guardiola to give first-choice right-back Kyle Walker a rest.
Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…
The City boss has had to make do with the versatile Danilo as Walker’s back-up, but Alves’ arrival would give him a tried-and-trusted option that he knows perfectly well from their time together at Barcelona.
An added bonus that Nicol didn’t touch on – Alves’ scarcely believable haul of trophies at club and international level would help replace some of the winning mentality that walked out the door with Vincent Kompany. A smart move for all parties involved.
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…
Former West Ham United striker David Connolly is shocked the club did not move to sign Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic this summer, per The Sun (2 August, Goals pull-out, page 12), via HITC.
What’s he said?
Football FanCast understands that the Hammers did have Mitrovic on their shortlist of possible signings at the beginning of the summer and actually explored whether or not the striker had a release clause in his contract.
However, no move came of it and he subsequently signed a new deal with the recently relegated Cottagers.
And Connolly, who played for the Hammers in the 2003/04 season, is stunned that his old side did not make a move.
He said: “The fact that Fulham have managed to keep Mitrovic is massive. He is a Premier League player in every regard.
“I can’t believe that no other club, such as West Ham, signed the striker.”
Forgetting about Haller
West Ham may have backed off a deal for Mitrovic but they promptly went and signed Sebastian Haller from Eintracht Frankfurt for a club-record fee.
Sources have confirmed to Football FanCast that the deal comes to an initial £45m followed by a potential £5m in add-ons if certain performance-related bonuses are met.
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Haller, of course, scored 20 goals in all competitions last season in a Frankfurt team that also featured one of Real Madrid’s latest signings, Luka Jovic.
If it came down to a straight choice between securing one of the best strikers in the Bundesliga last season or a recently relegated Premier League striker, West Ham chose wisely.
Having Haller at the club will surely soften the blow for supporters, and Connolly, over their non-existent Mitrovic swoop.
According to ExWHUemployee, Jose Mourinho is actively looking for a new managerial position but West Ham United have not made a move for the Portuguese.
Mourinho, who has recently joined Sky Sports as a pundit, has not been employed at a football club since leaving Manchester United in the latter stages of 2018.
ExWHUemployee has denied suggestions that the experienced manager could possibly be an option for West Ham, insisting that Manuel Pellegrini is in a strong position.
However, it has led to an interesting debate on social media, with some of the Hammers fans revealing that they would take Mourinho whilst others are entirely against the idea.
It did not work out for the 56-year-old at United but he still left Old Trafford with three trophies, which were all earned during the 2016-17 campaign.
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Meanwhile, there is no doubting that the head coach is a serial winner.
A selection of the Twitter reaction from the West Ham supporters can be seen below: