Gerard Pique has insisted that he has no interest in a January move back to Manchester United as he intends to finish his career with Barcelona.
The Red Devils have been linked with a £20m raid for their former youth star in January amid reports that he’s no longer seen as a key player at the Camp Nou.
Although he’s been a big part of Barca’s recent successes, a dip in form has seen the 27-year-old slip in and out of Luis Enrique’s XI this term.
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United and Chelsea are watching the Spaniard – who has a World Cup winner’s medal – but the commanding centre-back is adamant that he has no desire to leave his boyhood club for a return to Old Trafford:
“I was really happy and left a lot of friends [in Manchester], even if I didn’t play as much as I’d wanted, but I’ve always said I want to stay here all my career and retire at Barcelona,” he is quoted by Goal.
“At Manchester United I had Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic ahead of me, players who were never injured, never red carded … f**king hard [to dislodge] but this is the first time at Barcelona I’m not playing as much as I want to.
“A lot of people say: ‘Pique is not fit or not playing well’ but Pique is really playing well. After the World Cup I admitted I maybe hadn’t been at my level but, in pre-season, I worked really hard and I’m really happy about my performances during the season.
“At the moment I’m not thinking about leaving. I’m really happy if it’s true that United want me but I’m a Barcelona fan, I have been since I was a kid. I want to stay here.”
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Marouane Fellaini has outlined qualification for the Champions League as Everton’s main goal for the season.
The Toffees have made a fine start to the Premier League season, notching 26 points putting them fourth.
Fellaini has been key in the Merseysiders’ performances so far, weighing in with vital goals and assists.
He believes that finishing in their current position is the squad’s main aim and believes that with some hard work it could be possible:
“Everybody wants to play Champions League next season.” He told the club’s official website.
“So we work hard for this and hopefully we can finish in the top four.”
The Belgian has been used by manager David Moyes in a more attacking role this term, with positive results.
The 25-year-old was named as the player of the month for November and is happy with his current form:
“At the moment I am playing well. I am happy – but the most important things are the team and the club.
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“I try to give my maximum in every game. The manager likes it when I play in attack. I’ve been scoring the goals and I work hard on the pitch.”
Fellaini has been linked with a potential move away from Goodson Park, with Arsenal rumoured to be interested.
Some Manchester United fans are not keen to see the club make a move for Adnan Januzaj this summer, despite his sumptuous winning goal against England on Thursday night.
Januzaj’s winner in the 1-0 victory ensured that Belgium topped their World Cup group at the Three Lions’ expense, leading to speculation that Man United may be interested in re-signing him.
Outlets such as the Manchester Evening News reported in the wake of his goal that United had a buy-back clause with regards to the winger, after selling him to Spanish club Real Sociedad last summer.
At club level last term he did fairly well, scoring four goals and assisting six times in all competitions, winning his place in Belgium’s talented squad.
It’s also true that United need a natural right winger ahead of next term if they are to compete for major honours on multiple fronts.
Supporters though don’t appear especially keen to activate that on the back of one World Cup goal.
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These fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on a potential return after he scored his winner…
The West Ham United fans are an extremely frustrated bunch at the moment.
There have been some brilliant highs since David Moyes replaced Slaven Bilic as head coach, but there have also been plenty of lows.
The Hammers have lost their last two Premier League matches 4-1 – including away to fellow relegation candidates Swansea City on Saturday afternoon.
A number of players are currently struggling to find their best form, and the West Ham fans have revealed their displeasure with Aaron Cresswell’s performance levels.
The 28-year-old has made 30 appearances in all competitions for the Hammers this season, but has struggled to put together any sort of consistency when it comes to his form.
That said, Cresswell, who is believed to pick up £50,000 a week at the London Stadium, has managed six assists from left-back, and there are certainly more guilty parties when it comes to shirking responsibility.
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A selection of the Twitter reaction can be found below:
The Championship is increasingly becoming a breeding ground for Premier League future stars.
The top clubs loan their young stars down to the second division to get some first-team football in an extremely competitive league where, week in, week out any side can get a result.
Here are three players we believe are calling out for a chance with a Premier League side.
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CLICK ON TROY DEENEY TO REVEAL THE THREE
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Jordan Rhodes
Jordan is now 24-years-old and his goalscoring record is phenomenal. In his first season with Huddersfield in League One, the then 19-year-old scored 21 goals in all competitions. He scored 22 in the following season as Huddersfield lost in the playoff semi-final for the second consecutive season. Huddersfield reached the playoffs again and this time were promoted via a penalty shootout. Rhodes scored an incredible 40 goals in just 46 appearances in all competitions, including 5 versus Wycombe and 4 versus Sheffield Wednesday. His first season in the Championship and the Scottish international showed no chance of slowing down as he bagged another 33 goals including 3 for Scotland. That was enough to trigger a club record bid for Rhodes from Blackburn Rovers and in his first season with them he netted 25 goals.
It would be costly for any club to sign Rhodes but it doesn’t look particularly likely that Jordan will get his chance with Blackburn Rovers anytime soon as they are looking more like a comfortable mid table side with each passing season.
Troy Deeney
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The 26-year-old has been a consistent goalscorer in the Championship and he scored 24 goals last season and 19 in the season before. The Englishman is a real threat in front of goal and he has been rumoured to be joining numerous of Premier League clubs in the past few transfer windows – he was linked with all three promoted sides recently. He led Watford into the playoffs in 2012/13 season, and they have started very well this season. He may get his chance in the Premier League with Watford but the Championship is notoriously difficult so don’t be surprised if he moves when a true offer is made.
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Tom Cairney
Like Rhodes, Cairney was born in England but has so far represented Scotland at international level, and like Rhodes he is currently plying his trade at Blackburn Rovers. Cairney has already had a small opportunity in the Premier League with Hull City back in the 2009/10 season as The Tigers were relegated. He has mixed feelings at Hull and since joining Blackburn he has been growing in confidence and his performances last season were outstanding. Tom is an attacking midfielder and he netted 5 goals last season and contributed a further 6 assists. Cairney was voted Blackburn’s Player of the Year in his first and so far only season with the club so far, and he was competing with the likes of Jordan Rhodes. He is still only 23-years-old and if he can prove himself again with Blackburn this season, he would be a shrewd signing for any ‘lesser’ side in the Premier League next year. One to keep an eye on this year and he has already netted twice.
It’s for very good reason that Arsenal supporters demand excellence in the transfer market. The stance from the club to push ticket prices to the maximum, while housing a football team in one of the country’s most modern and impressive stadiums, drives the need for something inspired with regards to player recruitment.
Fans do not always want to hear about the latest wonderkid who may or may not turn out to be the new saviour or poster boy for the club. Arsenal have a fine tradition of attacking football under Arsene Wenger, thus forcing the demand for quality over bargain bin signings.
But every now and then, it always raises a sense of hope and a different level of excitement when a club pulls an ace out of their sleeve, a diamond in the rough and one who was a bargain signing in the most positive sense of the word.
Iago Aspas isn’t a name that would normally send the excitement levels rising among Arsenal’s supporters. The fans want something in the vein of Santi Cazorla, a player of exceptional quality with the reputation to back it up. For simply the lack of reputation, Iago Aspas certainly doesn’t strike the same chord.
That is unless you’re oblivious to La Liga beyond the stars of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Diego Simeone’s diamond of a striker at the Vicente Calderon. But Iago Aspas, currently of Celta Vigo and who last season played in the Segunda division, falls comfortably into that bracket of players who are exciting Spanish football and winning a host of admirers. There’s no glamour in looking to teams like Betis, Celta and Rayo, but this season is showing the incredible depth of quality right through La Liga.
Iago Aspas currently operates in the striker role for Celta, but is more than well equipped to handle the duties of a wide player. He’s a forward with incredible pace but also clinical enough to be his team’s focal point in attack.
When Celta went to the Camp Nou three weeks ago, it would have been easy to mark that one off as an easy victory for the Catalans. But Aspas put forward another excellent showcase of his talents, stretching the Barcelona back four and threatening Victor Valdes’ goal on a number of occasions.
Aspas has comfortably been Celta’s standout performer this season, just as he was last season when they won promotion. He’s also a player who is playing well above his current level, and a move to a bigger club even in Spain shouldn’t be out of the question.
It was Guillem Balague, however, who brought up the idea of Arsenal looking at the Celta forward, alongside Fernando Llorente and Adrian Lopez. Off the bat, it’s easy to see why Wenger may look to Aspas as an option for strengthening his attack at the Emirates. The Spaniard is incredibly quick, but plays with the technical excellence you’d normally associate with Wenger’s recruits. He has a fearless attitude about his play, something that should be looked at from that performance against Barcelona. There’s no hiding away for him from the bigger and much more powerful opponents; this is very much a player who knows how good he is and how much damage he can do.
At 5’9 it would be a little foolish to completely write-off his potential contributions to Arsenal and in the Premier League. Luis Suarez is doing an excellent job in leading Liverpool in attack, Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez are the regular starters at Manchester City over their bigger team-mates, and Arsenal’s leading players this season have been Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla and Mikel Arteta – all under 6 foot.
There should be no reservations about Arsenal targeting a player of Iago Aspas’ quality. The club will never willingly splash out on players who command fees of £20 million and up, but it is imperative the club identify the best players who do fall into their price range.
Aspas is still building towards his prime, being only 25, but everything he’s displayed so far this season ticks the boxes of a typical Arsene Wenger signing, even more so than Llorente and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. As mentioned, he’s quick and very mobile, but his versatility will also be a big help to the club with his ability to play on the flanks when Olivier Giroud takes up the target man role.
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But above all, the fee to land the Spaniard should be minimal. He’s already expressed a desire to stay with Celta, having recently signed a contract extension and having come through the Galician team’s youth set up. But should an approach from Arsenal be put forth, the player would almost certainly jump at the chance to elevate his status in European football.
What Wenger could have here is another project, another opportunity to turn a very good player into an exceptional one. He has a poacher’s instinct, and only needs the right environment and coaching to transfer his 23 goals of last season in the Segunda division into 20-plus in the top-flight (he already has five goals in 12 appearances for what you’d obviously call a poor Celta side ).
He is by no means the glamour signing that Arsenal need to give them a lift and a new lease of inspiration, but he’s very much a player of quality who will improve the level of depth in the squad at the Emirates.
West Ham United have made a surprise £12million bid for West Bromwich Albion’s Craig Dawson which has been rejected by the Baggies, according to The Telegraph.
The Hammers have already been in the transfer market this summer, having signed right-back Ryan Fredericks from Fulham on a free transfer, Toulouse defender Issa Diop and Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
Clearly new boss Manuel Pellegrini is keen to strengthen the defence as he has made a bid for 28-year-old Dawson.
According to the report, West Brom boss Darren Moore rates the centre-back closer to £20million which seems steep for a player valued at £7.2million on Transfermarkt.
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Dawson made 28 appearances for the Baggies last season, scoring twice, but his consistent defensive displays could not prevent the side being relegated to the Championship.
West Ham fans have been reacting to the latest transfer news on social media and it appears they aren’t too happy with Pellegrini’s decision to move for Dawson.
Practically since first moving to Celtic from Fulham, Moussa Dembele has been discussed as a future star striker of the Premier League, the previous successes of Virgil van Dijk and Victor Wanyama after leaving the Scottish champions for the English top flight only making that predicted transition seem all the more inevitable.
But Dembele is by no means the only promising youngster at Celtic. Olivier Ntcham has proved to be a strong signing since Brendan Rodgers snapped him up from Manchester City last summer in a £4.5million deal, going on to bag seven goals and five assists across all competitions, and at the age of 22 the potential is there for further improvement.
Likewise, boasting an abundance of power and energy, the 5 foot 9 midfielder seems like a natural fit for the rigours of Premier League football. So with Dembele struggling for form recently, netting just once since the start of December, we asked Celtic fans last week to vote for which young Frenchman would be the bigger hit over in the English top flight.
And while 59% still back Dembele to make a bigger impact, our poll proved much closer than expected, with 41% believing Ntcham would be a greater success should he return to the Premier League after leaving the champions-in-waiting back in July.
What kind of price-tag would you place on Ntcham, Celtic fans? Let us know by commenting below…
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Like the majority of us, it looks like Liverpool have well and truly taken notice of Xherdan Shaqiri’s exploits at the World Cup. The stocky Swiss attacker made a slow start to the tournament, but since his opening performance he has really risen to the occasion. After impressing in the defeat to France he smashed in a stunning hat-trick against lowly Honduras last night to ensure that his nation will be in the tournament’s last 16 – something England cannot boast.
Reports today suggest that the 22-year-old has agreed a £95,000-per-week contract at Anfield after growing frustrated with a lack of playing time at Bayern Munich and that a fee of around £15m-£20m is likely to quickly settled for his services.
The potential move may well spell the end of Liverpool’s interest in Adam Lallana, but it is by no means a statement that the Merseysiders’ doors are now closed for the summer. Brendan Rodgers is known to be chasing a number of players to bolster his side for Champions League football, and here are six that might follow Shaqiri in the next few months…
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Alberto Moreno
Like the Adam Lallana saga, Moreno’s move to Liverpool appears to be on the rocks due to a disagreement over a fee. A matter of weeks ago the Spaniard was said to have had his bags packed ready to travel to Merseyside for a medical ahead of a £16m move, but this talk was quickly dismissed as Sevilla announced their £20m+ demands.
Since then the trail has gone a little cold, but there are still suggestions that Rodgers has his heart set on the 21-year-old as he looks to address his left-back concerns once and for all.
The stats show, Moreno was impressive last season as Sevilla ran to Europa League success, maintaining a good pass success rate while notching three goals.
Toby Alderweireld
Liverpool chased the silky Alderweireld last year but ultimately lost out to Atletico Madrid. Yet just 12 months on the Belgian is said to be back on the market, with reports indicating that the Reds are discussing a £7m move.
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After conceding a whopping 50 goals in the Premier League – only three fewer than promoted Hull City – it’s clear that something has to be done to plug the holes in the Anfielders’ backline, and Alderweireld could be just the man to help. The classy defender can operate at either left-back or right-back but is most comfortable in the centre of the defence and has been praised for his reading of the game and composure in the tackle. An upgrade on Daniel Agger? Looks like it.
Alexis Sanchez
It looks like Liverpool’s dream summer signing is Alexis Sanchez, with club idol Phil Thompson having suggested that a deal is almost done for the Chilean. This move could hinge on Suarez’s fate, but should the spikey striker head to Barcelona or Real Madrid the 25-year-old could well be the ideal man to replace him.
Tricky, nimble and electric quick, Sanchez is being chased by a host of clubs and could form a fearsome front three with Shaqiri and Sturridge. Life after Luis? Maybe…
BOOM!
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Guillermo Ochoa
With Brad Jones well out of the picture at Liverpool and Pepe Reina likely to be shipped out permanently, Simon Mignolet could be short of back up next season. Rodgers has faith in the Belgian, but an able challenger could be needed, and Ochoa looks about as able as they come.
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The Mexican has been starring at the World Cup lately and after being released by Ajaccio he is available for free. FREE. Arsenal are also keen, so Rodgers may have a job convincing the Central American to sit on the bench at Anfield, but it may well happen.
Yevhen Konoplyanka
A botched move for Konoplyanka’s signature in January doesn’t look to have deterred Liverpool from chasing the Ukrainian star as they look to add yet more goals to their ranks. Dnipro held form over the winter to keep their star man, but this time around a £12m release clause is likely to leave them powerless.
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‘Kono’ is understood to have agreed terms with the Reds almost six months ago, which would suggest that a deal could be tied up quickly this time around. Manchester United are also circling, but Champions League football at Anfield may be a decider.
Watch the wing wizard twist Kyle Walker in circles!
Divock Origi
19-years-old, World Cup goal and comes from a nation responsible for producing some of European football’s top players in recent years. Things indeed look bright for Divock Origi. Since he helped Belgium make the last 16 in Brazil with a late effort against Russia the teenager has found his name aligned with some of the Premier League’s top sides, including Liverpool.
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Although by no means a like-for-like replacement, Origi has been mooted as a potential arrival if Luis Suarez leaves thanks to his eye for goal and potential. As this video shows, he really knows how to find the back of the net.
Manchester United midfielder Anderson has dismissed any talk that he may be leaving Old Trafford either in January or in the summer as reported by Sky Sports News.
The Brazilian international has become a bit part player under Sir Alex Ferguson due to persistent injuries, but despite that the midfielder feels United would not let him leave Manchester.
The 24-year-old however did concede that if a move away from the Red Devils materialised, he would only ever want to return to Portugal to play for his previous club Porto.
“In Portugal, I have only ever played for Porto and if one day I came back, I would play for them,” Anderson told A Bola.
“But the return to Portuguese football is far from happening. United will not let me go and I will not put myself in that scenario.”
Anderson is now fit and ready to return to the first team and fight for his place in a midfield that can be chosen from up to 12 players.
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