According to reports in The Mirror, Chelsea defender John Terry is a summer target for Stoke City after announcing he will leave the club during the summer, but they may have to pay him £100,000-a-week to lure him to the Britannia Stadium.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the 36-year-old announced last month that he will make an emotional exit from Stamford Bridge at the end of the season following the expiry of his contract, which will bring an end to a 19-year spell at Stamford Bridge.
Bournemouth and West Bromwich Albion have already been linked with moves for the centre-back but now the Potters are said to have joined the chase with doubts over the future of Bruno Martins Indi.
The Netherlands international joined Stoke on a season-long loan deal from FC Porto but Mark Hughes has confirmed that the Portuguese giants don’t appear keen to discuss a permanent transfer.
According to The Sun, they may have to offer Terry at least a £100-a-week deal if they are to be successful in adding him to their ranks.
What else has Hughes said?
The Stoke boss says he spoke to Terry about his future when the two teams met earlier in the campaign.
The Welshman said: “I know John very well but whether or not we’d be able to present anything to John that would make him think, I don’t know.
“But we spoke briefly and had a word after the Chelsea game here this year about where his future lies.
“You’re not just getting John Terry the player, you’re getting John Terry the leader so someone will benefit from that.”
Would he be a good signing for Stoke?
Of course he would.
Playing alongside Ryan Shawcross he could form quite a formidable partnership for the Potters, because he still has the ability and experience to make a real difference at this level despite his advanced years.
What’s the verdict, then?
While reports suggest that his wage demands would be £100,000-a-week, he would likely have to lower those if he is to complete a move to any of the interested Premier League sides.
According to reports from Turkish news outlet ofsayt, via the Daily Star, Manchester United are ready to launch a £17m bid for Benfica attacking midfielder Anderson Talisca.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the 23-year-old has enjoyed an impressive season on loan at Turkish giants Besiktas and it is believed that he won’t return to his parent club this summer.
Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho is said to have been impressed with the Brazilian’s performances this term and he could be ready to launch an offer for the client of Jorge Mendes, who of course also represents the Portuguese manager.
How well has he done this season?
He has made a huge impact for the Istanbul-based outfit.
The 23-year-old has scored 14 goals in 29 appearances in all competitions – providing a further six assists – and Besiktas are in pole position to win the Super Lig title.
Where would he fit in at United?
As we mentioned previously, Talisca has made a huge impact from a central attacking midfield position but it is unclear if he would be utilised there by Mourinho if he made the move to Old Trafford.
He would be able to play either in that position or on the left side of a front three if needed, but he has certainly shown that he could bring a real goalscoring threat to a United side that has struggled to find the net on occasions.
What’s the verdict, then?
Well, after such an impressive season and with his agent being the same as Mourinho’s there could be something in this rumour.
If he is available for £17m, then it would certainly be a risk worth taking for the Portuguese boss as he looks to bring more goals to his side.
Just as many expected, Newcastle United bounced straight back to the Premier League at the first time of asking as Rafael Benitez’s side won the Championship title.
The Magpies were relegated in humiliating fashion during the 2015/16 season, even with the appointment of former Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Liverpool and Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez later in the season.
However, with Benitez staying at St. James’ Park and Newcastle investing money on worthy additions such as Dwight Gayle and Matt Richie during last summer’s transfer window, the club met its goal and now find themselves preparing for the Premier League once again.
Much of this season had been plain sailing for Rafa’s men, besides a poor first few games and minor blip in November in which they lost three on the bounce.
The Championship and the Premier League are two different beasts, however, and safety for next season is by no means a guarantee despite the relative successes of this year.
Given that Benitez is not likely to be given a huge pot of money to spend this summer, where do you think Newcastle will finish next season? Have your say below…
Chelsea fans will have high expectations heading into the transfer window given that they are the champions of England and plan to continue that dominance next season.
This week, two players have agreed to leave the club, with second-string goalkeeper Asmir Begovic joining Bournemouth and youngster Dominic Solanke signing for Liverpool.
In terms of incomings, no official deals have been announced yet, but reports claim that the Blues are closing in on a defensive midfielder.
The Independent states that the West London outfit are in talks with Monaco over the £42m swoop of Tiemoue Bakayoko, who played a role in the French club winning Ligue 1 and progressing to the semi-finals of the Champions League.
The 22-year-old made 47 appearances in all competitions this season, and even though his main attributes are of the defensive variety, he managed to score three goals as well.
If Bakayoko does move to Stamford Bridge, then it perhaps raises questions over Nemanja Matic’s future.
It is likely that Chelsea manager Antonio Conte would want his new signing to work alongside reliable N’Golo Kante.
Supporters have taken to Twitter to give their views on the Bakayoko reports.
According to reports in The Sun, Tottenham Hotspur are lining up a surprise £15m move for Swansea City defender Alfie Mawson this summer.
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino wants to bring in a new centre-back before the start of next season as he looks to provide cover for Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld, with the latter stalling on signing a new contract.
Mawson was certainly one of Swansea’s stand-out performers as they narrowly escaped relegation from the Premier League last term, scoring four goals in 27 top flight appearances for the Welsh side, while he will have impressed many with his ability on the ball.
Tottenham supporters were quick to have their say on the rumour via social media, and they were divided with their opinions.
While some believe that he is a good player and could be a good signing, others say he has an error in him and isn’t good enough for Spurs.
Arsenal fans have been disappointed in the lack of transfer activity by the Gunners board but it seems like the club are finally making moves. The north London have been nearing a deal for Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette and AFTV discusses when that is expected to be completed.
The 26-year old has scored 129 goals in 275 games for the Ligue 1 club and at a rate of over 20 league goals in the past three seasons. Arsene Wenger has been looking to make a splash in this summer’s transfer window and the France international could be exactly what they need.
The French manager is also rumoured to be interested in a wide player and AFTV discusses the possible signings of a pair of top class wide players. And then of course, it would be impossible to talk Arsenal transfer rumours without mentioning Alexis Sanchez.
The Chilean attacker said he would make known his decision after the Confederations Cup, which ended on Sunday with Germany defeating Sanchez and Chile 1-0 in the final.
Watch all the latest Arsenal transfer news in the video above.
Turning 27 today, Danny Rose is widely revered as the best left-back in the Premier League – to the extent that he claimed the No.3 slot in last term’s PFA Team of the Season, for the second year in a row, despite not making a single appearance from February onward due to injury.
Consequently, he’s now England’s first choice in that position when fit and rated by many as one of the best left-backs in Europe.
But just four years ago, aged 23, that wasn’t the case at all. In fact, having followed a sensational debut in the north London derby that saw his volley from long distance embarrass Manuel Almunia with just 16 Premier League appearances in three seasons for Spurs, Rose was very much on the fringes of the first-team squad, seemingly fitting the criteria of relatively young, English and expendable that, once upon a time, Daniel Levy would feel incredibly tempted to cash in on.
That was in part due to injuries and in part due to a number of loan spells away, some more successful than others. But even after what can be considered Rose’s first true full season in the Spurs first team – 2013/14, when he managed the same number of Premier League appearances as Kyle Naughton, 22 – he was hardly considered a future two-time PFA Player of the Year member or potential part of England’s strongest starting XI. Far from it; Rose didn’t actually make his Three Lions debut until March 2016.
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The dramatic transformation in Rose’s stock during the intermittent period is a lesson to us all, about how young players and particularly young English players are built up and knocked down far too soon in the Premier League. In truth, there’s nothing miraculous, spectacular or unique about Rose’s rise, although Mauricio Pochettino’s utilisation of offensive full-backs and their increased popularity in general has certainly helped. He’s simply come into his peak years at the age most footballers should, between 25 and 27.
Yet, the Premier League is overflowing with examples of young English players not being allowed that time to develop. Raheem Sterling has been written off as a £50million flop at the age of 22, Calum Chambers has become Arsenal’s forgotten man at the same age, Luke Shaw’s lost in the wilderness at 21 and at the start of last season, Ronald Koeman warned a 23-year-old Ross Barkley that he’d no longer be treated as a young player, before dropping him from the starting XI due to a bout of poor form.
It’s certainly true that the aforementioned names were fast-tracked to the top end of the Premier League much quicker than Rose and of course, that players who are already producing at a young age – such as Dele Alli and Harry Kane – have a bigger chance of reaching the very top of the game at some stage in their careers.
But to judge all players on the same time-line of development and deciding so young whether they will or won’t make the grade is hugely detrimental in its superficiality; there can be no ‘one-size-fits-all’ in a sport with so many different types of athletes from so many different backgrounds who have taken so many different journeys.
It’s required a decade at White Hart Lane for Rose to reach the full extremities of his powers after being one of the stars of the youth team at Leeds; Dele Alli stepped into the first team with immaculate ease after arriving from League One outfit MK Dons. Both, however, will be crucial to Tottenham’s efforts next season.
Britain Football Soccer – Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea – Premier League – White Hart Lane – Tottenham’s Dele Alli with manager Mauricio Pochettino as he is substituted as Chelsea manager Antonio Conte looks on Reuters / Dylan Martinez Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please con
In fact, there’s an argument thatRose’s path to the first-team was a much safer one than Alli’s, who has been playing in excess of 35 games a season since he was 17 years of age. The demands on Rose have steadily increased as he’s naturally developed the physicality to cope, whereas Alli’s been thrown into the deep end – albeit, he’s done far more than simply stay afloat.
At Athletic Bilbao, one of the best producers of young players in Europe considering the slender size of their self-imposed catchment area, even the most promising young players are sent out on loan to feeder clubs first – meaning they usually don’t feature at senior level for Bilbao until they’re 21 or 22. By that time, in the Premier League, most young players will already have been painted as an overrated prospect who will never reach the potential suggested or a world-beater in the making.
Perhaps Rose benefited from slipping under the radar during that point in his career, meaning he wasn’t under quite the same pressure as some of his contemporaries. Likewise, there is no doubt Pochettino’s appointment was a watershed moment for the England international; whereas Harry Redknapp and Andre Villas-Boas never seemed wholly convinced, Pochettino’s embraced Rose completely, using a philosophy that further amplifies his individual strengths.
Yet, you have to wonder how many young players are out there in the same position as Rose three years ago, written off, or at the very least unfancied, before reaching anywhere near their peak years, just waiting for the right manager and the right opportunities to coincide with their natural development.
It’s time we all stopped expecting all young players to be the finished article at 22 or 23 and condemning to careers of mediocrity those who aren’t. Rose, a two-time PFA Team of the Year member who wasn’t even a guaranteed starter at Tottenham three years ago, provides the prime example as to why.
According to Fanatik, West Ham are close to signing Senegalese international Badou Ndiaye from Turkish side Osmanlispor.
What’s the Story?
Turkish reports have suggested that Senegal international ‘Badou’ Ndiaye is close to a move to West Ham, who are looking to get their summer window moving again after just one signing so far.
Osmanlispor, the Turksih club who Diaye has played for over the last two years, have all but confirmed the 26-year-old’s departure from the club. The teams general manager Ender Yurtgüven turned to social media to announce that a deal had been agreed. It is thought that the midfielder will cost the Hammers around £8million.
How good was Ndiaye last season?
Solid. Ndiaye featured 36 times for Osmanlispor in all competitions last season, netting seven times and providing three assists.
However, it was his dominance of the midfield position that caught the eye of a number of watching scouts. The powerful player was a comprehensive threat going forward, with an (almost) Yaya Toure-like mentality.
Ndiaye has subsequently thrust himself into the European spotlight and it looks as though West Ham are the ones who will be taking a gamble on the 8-cap Senegalese international.
Would Ndiaye be a good signing for West Ham?
A tough call. While Ndiaye has all of the qualities that make up a decent Premier League football, he would be battling for a place in the middle of the park with a number of similar players, including Cheikhou Kouyate, Mark Noble and Pedro Obiang.
The 26-year-old will need to make an instant impact to ensure that he gets the game time needed to establish himself in the Premier League.
Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino confirmed on Friday that captain and Liverpool target Virgil van Dijk was training on his own after telling him that he wanted to leave the club.
The Dutchman has been heavily linked with a move to the Reds throughout the summer but the Merseyside outfit were forced to issue an apology on their official club website after being accused of tapping the 26-year-old up.
However, they could reignite their interest in the Saints skipper following the recent developments, although BBC Football claim that the south coast outfit are adamant that he will be staying.
Liverpool supporters were quick to have their say on the latest twist in the transfer saga via social media, with some saying that now the player has done his bit, the club must do theirs and make a suitable offer, while others believe that if the deal goes through it could be the biggest signing since they signed Fernando Torres from Atletico Madrid.
Chelsea were beaten 4-1 on penalties in the Community Shield against Arsenal at Wembley on Sunday, and Blues fans were particularly critical of former Gunner Cesc Fabregas.
Following the departure of Nemanja Matic to Manchester United and with new boy Tiemoue Bakayoko not yet ready to play because of injury, the Spaniard was named alongside N’Golo Kante in the middle of the park despite often finding himself on the substitutes’ bench last term.
The 30-year-old struggled to deal with the likes of Granit Xhaka and Alex Iwobi in the middle of the park as Victor Moses’ opening goal for Antonio Conte’s men was cancelled out by a header from Sead Kolasinac, when Fabregas played a number of the Arsenal players on-side at a free-kick.
Chelsea supporters were quick to have their say on the performance of the midfielder via social media, with some describing him as the “weak link” and others saying he isn’t good enough to play against decent opposition.