Tag Futebol

Wolves have Jorge Mendes to thank in some way for their success having brought many of his clients to Molineux, but the latest name linked with a move to the Midlands is one they should look to swerve completely…

What’s the word?

According to French outlet Le10 Sport, Nuno Santo’s side are thinking about a swoop for Atletico Madrid flop Thomas Lemar this summer with Premier League rivals Everton also keen.

It’s claimed that Mendes’ relationship with both the player and the club could help clinch the 24-year-old ahead of the Toffees.

Two years ago, the France winger joined the La Liga outfit for a whopping £52.7m but he has failed to hit the ground running under Diego Simeone.

Hero-to-zero

Perhaps it is quite a surprise to learn that Lemar is still only 24 given that he was tipped for such great things from an early age, and whilst he undeniable still can turn it on at the click of a finger, those days have been far and few between.

He made his first-team debut for Caen aged just 17 and had grown up with comparisons to his childhood hero Andres Iniesta for his ‘vision and footwork.’

Lemar has also received plenty of plaudits from managers and teammates.

Ex-Monaco Leonardo Jardim boss called the winger a “top player,” former Gunners legend Robert Pires believed he’s a player “who can make a difference” and Spurs skipper Hugo Lloris lauded him as “extremely talented and lethal in front of goal.”

But this season, the 5 foot 8 speedster has failed to deliver, providing zero goals or assists for Atletico. Across La Liga and the Champions League, Lemar averaged just 0.9 dribbles, 0.6 shots and 0.4 key passes, via WhoScored.

Now valued at just over £21.5m by Transfermarkt, the French winger just doesn’t seem like a plausible option for Nuno at Molineux – even if Adama Traore is sold, they could do a lot better than this Mendes client.

AND in other news, Wolves can forget Matt Doherty with move for “formidable” £31.5m starlet…

The future of Rangers superstar Alfredo Morelos has been under a question mark for quite some time now as recent reports suggested he might be packing his bags for Ligue 1 in the ongoing summer transfer window.

Of course, this would’ve been a huge blow for Steven Gerrard’s squad, seeing how instrumental he’s been for their campaign. Still, according to the latest update from Daily Record, Morelos is set to stay at Ibrox despite strong links with Lille.

The two parties have apparently agreed terms for his potential switch but the French outfit has now opted against going through with the deal as they are on the brink of finalising the transfer of Gent’s Jonathan David for £27m instead.

Morelos was happy to join Lille but Rangers were the ones blocking the transfer as they believed an offer of £17m – which is reportedly what the French team had offered them – just wasn’t enough for them to part with their prized asset.

Of course, with his ever-growing popularity, the Colombian forward is attracting a lot of interest from the Premier League as well but, as Daily Record explain, he is still committed to the Scottish Premiership titans and will gladly continue at Ibrox.

Either way, it will be interesting to see whether Gerrard can fend off all the inquiries as his in-demand player continues turning heads from abroad. Rangers have secured the signings of Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe but retaining Morelos is a huge boost for them going into the season.

Verdict

Needless to say, losing Morelos would’ve been a big blow for Rangers but alas, it seems that the Colombian is set to stay at Ibrox for a while longer. This, without a doubt, will come as a relief to Gerrard for the time being.

But the transfer window is still open and we’ll have to wait and see what the future holds for the coveted forward.

It looks like Sheffield United will have a transfer battle on their hands as they look for a new midfielder in the upcoming transfer window.

According to a report in Greek media outlet SDNA, Sheffield United are interested in signing Mady Camara from Olympiacos but fellow Premier League side Newcastle United are also in the hunt.

The report highlights that both sides have made bids for the Guinea midfielder, although Olympiakos want more than what the Magpies and the Blades have proposed and will only sell the 23-year-old for more than £18m.

Camara is only 23 but seems to be a consistent player in the Olympiakos squad as he has played Transfermarkt.

Sheffield United usually play with three centre midfielders, so it is crucial that they have a lot of squad depth in that position, but Camara has the potential to break into that first team and become a key player for years to come.

The fact that Newcastle are also interested highlights that various scouts can see Premier League quality in the midfielder, and if the Blades want to continue battling in the top half of the division next season, then Camara would likely be an effective addition to their midfield ranks if they can land him.

Blades fans, would you like to have Camara at Bramall Lane? Comment below with your views!

Leeds United’s promotion push has been put on hold for several months now with no real sign over whether or not the Championship will even resume to conclude the season, but left-back Barry Douglas has put a smile on the faces of some supporters this week after footage emerged on social media.

Marcelo Bielsa’s squad were one of the last teams to put an end to training when the pandemic first hit the country, and whilst they are no doubt being put under the Argentine’s strict fitness regimes, they are still clearly enjoying time with their families.

Can you get full marks on the Ultimate Leeds Quiz? Test your knowledge below…

Douglas is a player who fans have rarely seen this campaign – he’s featured in just 13 matches for a total of 615 minutes this campaign, via Transfermarkt.

Earlier this year, Football Insider reported that the 30-year-old could be let go this summer with the club looking to move on from him after slipping down the pecking order at left-back.

Here’s how fans have been reacting to the footage on Twitter…

AND in other news, Leeds fans torn over ex-star Samuel Saiz…

Leicester City welcome Crystal Palace to the King Power Stadium on Saturday in a battle between two sides trying to recapture their best form.

The Foxes are now eight points adrift of second-placed Manchester City following two consecutive draws and a defeat to Everton, and will be looking over their shoulders at Chelsea, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United below them.

Palace, meanwhile, seem to have opened up a big enough gap over the bottom three to be sure of their survival, but can still be hopeful of a top 10 finish.

Roy Hodgson’s team are only three points adrift of Tottenham Hotspur in seventh and while they have suffered two defeats since the resumption of football, European qualification remains a possibility.

Form

Leicester have not found their best form following the resumption of Premier League football and are now just three points clear of Wolves in sixth.

Brendan Rodgers’ side have just one win from their last six matches following a disappointing 2-1 defeat at Goodison Park in midweek and were also knocked out of the FA Cup against Chelsea last weekend, so a return to winning ways would be very welcome.

Palace also lost to Burnley on Monday following a 4-0 defeat at the hands of champions Liverpool but had won their four games prior to that.

Goal scoring remains an issue for the South London side, but their five goals conceded in their last two will perhaps be of more concern to coach Hodgson.

Team news

Daniel Amartey and Ricardo Pereira are Leicester’s only injury concerns going into the game at the weekend, with neither player likely to feature again this season.

James Maddison is one player who could come back in after starting on the bench against Everton, while Demarai Gray, Ayoze Perez and Kelechi Iheanacho could all be pushing for recalls.

Crystal Palace meanwhile will continue to be without long-term injury worries Martin Kelly, Jeffrey Schlupp and James Tomkins, although Kelly and Schlupp are being assessed with an eye to a return shortly.

Christian Benteke is a major doubt due to a thigh injury and is facing a race against time if he is to feature.

How to watch

One of five live matches happening in the Premier League this Saturday, the game at the King Power Stadium kicks off at 15:00 UTC.

The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, while fans can also follow the game by watching live stream football.

With UEFA suspending the Europa League and Champions League until further notice, it’s still unclear whether the domestic game will resume at the end of April as planned or be out of action for a while longer.

Nonetheless, Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira has been discussing potential solutions to ensure the 2019/20 campaign actually finishes.

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He’s revealed to ESPN that he would be willing to play one game every day for a whole week to ensure there is a formal conclusion to the current season and believes the Red Devils could cope with such a hectic schedule.

But Pereira’s comments haven’t gone down too well with Red Devils supporters. Some clearly think it’s a bad idea and have told him to quieten down, while others have simply used the comments as an opportunity to blast the 24-year-old.

In fairness, Pereira hasn’t really taken the chances afforded to him by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Despite usually operating in an advanced midfield role, he’s returned just one goal and three assists from 23 Premier League outings this season, 18 of those being starts.

Clearly United fans aren’t too happy with that contribution and have let their feelings be known on social media…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Injury News series, which considers the impact of the latest updates on players’ fitness.

Macauley Bonne has been cleared to play in Charlton Athletic’s match against Cardiff City, as reported by London News Online.

What’s the story?

The 24-year-old striker had been forced to pull out of international duty with Zimbabwe due to what he referred to as “unforeseen medical grounds” on Twitter.

He has had cardiac tests since releasing his statement, which have cleared the Charlton man to carry on playing, though he will continue to be checked on.

Charlton’s statement on the matter, via London News Online, stated: “The club’s medical team can confirm that Macauley Bonne underwent some planned cardiac investigations last week following a recent routine cardiac screen.

“The results of these investigations have been discussed with the sports cardiologist and the player will continue to play and train as normal. The club will continue to regularly screen his heart as recommended, as we do with all our players from U15 through to the first team.”

Watch Charlton Athletic Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Vital inclusion

Bonne has become a vital player for Charlton, having signed from Leyton Orient in the summer and coming to prominence in the absence of Lyle Taylor.

The 24-year-old has made 8 Championship starts this campaign, coming off the bench twice, scoring 5 goals, including the only strike of the game in a victory against Leeds United.

He has dealt with the step up from the National League to Championship football admirably and he can definitely play his part against Cardiff.

It is uncertain whether or not Taylor will be able to feature in the game, as he looks to make his return from injury, but Bonne should be able to impact the game regardless of whether that is from the start or off the bench.

More importantly though, they will be relieved to know that Bonne is okay and able to carry on with his career without any potential health issues looming over him.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…

Some of Everton’s youngsters have been making a lot of noise down in the youth ranks over the past year, with the likes of Anthony Gordon earning a place on the bench against Southampton.

Plus, other forwards such Ellis Simms have also been making a name for themselves at Finch Farm, as he has netted 41 goals in 44 games for the U18s.

However, one man who has not quite been talked about as much is attacking midfielder Antony Evans.

Evans is one of the elder players for David Unsworth’s men and, at 21 years old, the academy star has already had loan spells with Blackpool and Morecambe, playing a combined total of 26 games for the two clubs.

Now, it seems as if the versatile attacker could get another loan move, which might be the most important one in his career.

His manager Unsworth told the Liverpool Echo in September when asked about the prospect of Evans leaving the club: “I still think it will materialise, I just think it will be in January because he’s producing levels of performance and he’s scoring goals now.

“It gets his name on the sheet, his profile raised and I think, I’ve no doubt, that he’ll get a move.

“He’s consistently putting the ball in the right areas and he’s a threat, not just centrally to score goals, but wide areas.

“The assists he’s getting, the opportunities he’s creating, it’s a great weapon. It really is a great weapon.”

So far this season, Evans has an impressive four goals and four assists for the U23s in just nine games, which would have surely put him on the radar of Marco Silva if the Portuguese manager was interested in offering him an opportunity.

But it seems a first-team place is probably beyond his reach, with the likes of Alex Iwobi and Gylfi Sigurdsson battling it out in the number 10 spot.

However, it does look as if Evans will be set for a move away from Finch Farm for what will be his third loan spell or his permanent exit from the club.

With no obvious sign that Silva is looking to promote him into the senior squad, the writing appears to be on the wall.

Now, at 21, this could be his most important move to date and should he excel away from the club, a place amongst Silva’s men may not be so far away.

Georginio Wijnaldum is one of six Liverpool players to be included in the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or, with the winner set to be crowned in December.

The Netherlands international joined Liverpool from Newcastle United in the summer of 2016 and has developed into a key player for the Merseyside giants.

Last season, the midfielder contributed two goals and one assist in 12 Champions League appearances as the Reds won the competition.

Meanwhile, he managed three goals in 35 Premier League outings as Jurgen Klopp’s side came incredibly close to landing the title.

There are perhaps more glamorous names on the shortlist, but Wijnaldum’s spot among the elite is fully deserved, according to the opinion of the Liverpool supporters at least.

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Indeed, after learning that Wijnaldum had been included, a number of the club’s fans took to social media to lavish praise on the former Feyenoord youngster.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Football Insider, Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund have their eyes on Wolves teenager Chem Campbell.

What’s the word?

The reports suggest that the German club are keen on continuing the trend of bringing young English talent across Europe as seen first-hand with Jadon Sancho, while more recently the likes of Ademola Lookman and Jonjoe Kenny have made similar moves to the Bundesliga.

Wolves are at serious risk of losing the 16-year-old as he is unable to sign professional terms at Molineux until he becomes 17 in December, and by then, he may well have had his head turned by such a big club as they have competed in the Champions League in eight of the last nine seasons.

Campbell is yet to feature for the west Midlands club on the senior stage, but he has clearly caught the eye of manager Nuno Santo after he was invited to train with the first team during pre-season.

He’s also currently playing well above his age group following his promotion to the U23 squad.

Would go against Fosun’s aims

Fosun have made it clear in the past that they would like to build something special at Wolves, and the first stages of that have occurred with the club winning the Championship in 2018 before earning a spot in the Europa League after just one season back in the top-flight.

Nuno’s men romped through the qualifying rounds to make the group stages of the competition, too.

Now the owners want to see the west Midlanders begin to build from within with Morgan Gibbs-White being the only real academy graduate to properly breakthrough in recent years.

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The 19-year-old has gone on to make 63 appearances since making his debut aged 16 back in January 2017.

Meanwhile this season, the likes of Taylor Perry and Luke Cundle have been able to feature in the Carabao Cup.

Losing Campbell would be a hammer blow to Fosun’s ambitions considering the Wales U17 international clearly has something about him as he is playing several years above his own age group – if he continues at that rate, he could well be part of the first-team fold before he leaves his teenage years.

The promising starlet has netted twice from midfield in six appearances so far this campaign, per Transfermarkt.

Wolves simply need to tie him down to a professional deal in December if they want to truly stay on track with their academy aims.