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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

The rumours of Qatari Sports Investments investing in Leeds United just won’t go away.

This week the rumours once again resurfaced, much to the disdain of the fanbase.

Le Parisien this week reported that the financial group that owns PSG want to buy shares in the Yorkshire club in order to make them the French champions’ ‘little brothers’.

We’ve heard in previous reports that Leeds would be able to loan players from the European giants, but other stories this week have states that QSI see the Whites as something of a feeder club for PSG.

This part of the story just doesn’t add up. If QSI wanted to invest in a team in order to use them as a feeder club, Leeds United certainly aren’t the best option.

This might sound a bit harsh on the Whites’ academy, but it’s been almost 20 years since they have produced a player anywhere near good enough to play alongside world superstars such as Kylian Mbappe and Neymar at PSG.

Indeed, when looking at a list of Leeds’ academy graduates the only real candidate from the past two decades who can be considered good enough for the French giants is James Milner.

During that time Leeds have had academy graduates they can be proud of. Fabian Delph and Lewis Cook have become England internationals, and Charlie Taylor has become a Premier League regular after playing 38 games for Burnley last season. But if we’re being honest none of those players are good enough to play for Thomas Tuchel’s side.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

If QSI are indeed seriously interested in investing in the Elland Road outfit, then there must be more factors at play than wanting to use them as a feeder club as their track record of producing top-class talents just isn’t up to scratch.

Harry Maguire is likely to join Manchester City this summer after huge contract offer gives them an advantage over rivals United, as per the Mirror.

The Englishman is apparently set to complete a world-record £80million switch to Manchester City this week after being the subject of a transfer tug of war between Pep Guardiola and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, both of whom are chasing defensive reinforcements for very different reasons.

City are rumoured to be prepared to pay Maguire a huge £280,000-a-week to leave the Foxes and move to the Etihad this summer.

The defender is considered to be a natural successor to Vincent Kompany, who recently left City to re-join Anderlecht, the club he left 11 years ago. So, what does that mean for the Blues current starters?

As it stands, Manchester City have Aymeric Laporte, Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones at their disposal in the central position.

Frenchman Laporte made the 2018-19 PFA Premier League Team of the Season after a mightily impressive first full campaign in English football and doesn’t look to be going anywhere anytime soon. And while Otamendi has apparently admitted he would be open to a move away from Manchester this summer, the Argentine also noted he isn’t actively looking for a way out.

That leaves John Stones. The Englishman made 24 Premier League appearances last season but managed just 239 minutes in the final 10 games as City closed in on their second title in a row, ultimately finishing a point ahead of rivals Liverpool. But why?

The England defender was once considered one of the brightest young talents in English football in his playing days at Everton. However, the poor run of form he experienced would suggest that he has somewhat fallen off the wagon of late and could quite easily be perceived as a lack of faith shown by Pep Guardiola. And that’s hardly surprising if his recent UEFA Nations League performance is anything to go by, with his “stupid” decision leading to a Netherlands goal which would subsequently see the Three Lions out of the competition, according to former stars Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher.

With the Premier League as tight as it is, there is no room for error, and Pep Guardiola, who will be chasing the hat-trick, might just turn to Harry Maguire to free John Stones of pressure. Where that leaves the former Everton man, however, remains to be seen.

Manchester City fans, who would you play at the back if Maguire arrived? Do you think Stones is in danger? Let us know in the comments below…

كشفت تقارير صحفية سودانية النقاب عن موعد وصول المدير الفني الجديد لفريق الكرة الأول بنادي المريخ.

ويستعد المريخ لمواجهة الأهلي في أولى مباريات دور المجموعات من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا لنسخة الموسم الحالي 2020-2021. 

وأوضحت صحيفة كوفروتر السودانية، أن نصر الدين النابي سيصل إلى الخرطوم يوم السبت المقبل لتولي مهمة فريق المريخ رسميًا بعد التعاقد معه.

طالع | مجموعة الأهلي.. المريخ يشكو ديديه جوميز بعد تعاقده مع سيمبا التنزاني

ومن المقرر أن يصل النابي رفقة جهازه المعاون، وأن يكون في استقباله مسؤولي نادي المريخ.

تجدر الإشارة إلى أن مجموعة الأهلي والمريخ السوداني تضم إلى جوارهما فيتا كلوب الكونغولي وسيمبا الكونغولي.

ويذكر، أن نصر الدين النابي قد تولى مهمة الإسماعيلي، قبل أن يعلن مسؤولو الدراويش إقالته في يناير 2016.

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

Tottenham Hotspur have entered the race to sign Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, per the Daily Mirror.

What’s the word?

Spurs have already signed Jack Clarke from the Championship club and are now hopeful of concluding a second deal with the Whites.

The Mirror reports that Aston Villa, Newcastle United, AFC Bournemouth and Wolves are all interested in the 23-year-old, who currently earns £10,000-per-week at Elland Road.

Villa, recently promoted to the Premier League, have already made an £11m bid, per the piece, though it was rejected.

Indeed, Leeds want to receive £30m for Phillips, who can play as a midfielder and a centre-back.

Versatile option

This is a potentially smart deal for Spurs.

Phillips impressed throughout the 2018/19 season as Marcelo Bielsa’s side went close to achieving promotion to the Premier League.

He made 46 appearances in all competitions and would be a relatively low-cost addition in what has turned into a frenzied summer of spending.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Spurs have already broken their transfer record to sign Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon and one feels that they may not have another such acquisition up their sleeves, such was the outlay.

A move for the Englishman would add some depth in midfield and offer cover in defence, too, having featured 13 times as a centre-back last season.

Relations between the two clubs should be in good shape after the signing of Clarke and Phillips could well be an understated gem of a transfer.

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According to Sky Sports, Crystal Palace have rejected a bid worth up to £50m from Manchester United for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, although the report also states that the Eagles would accept the same fee up front, with the Red Devils currently offering an initial £35m plus £15m in add-ons.

If this discrepancy is to be the final obstacle between the player and a switch to Old Trafford, then it seems possible that the 21-year-old will leave Selhurst Park this summer. However, there is no doubt he will be sorely missed, even at that price.

On the chalkboard

Palace’s number 29 is likely to only get better and – especially considering the premium placed on young, English talents these days – he could command a greater fee even after just one more season of top flight football with the SE7 outfit.

On the other hand, the 6 ft talent has just one full season of Premier League action under his belt and full-backs, generally speaking, are amongst the more replaceable players in any team. Palace would arguably be more than justified, then, in snapping United’s hand off if they do indeed come back with £50m upfront.

So why would Wan-Bissaka’s departure be felt so much at Selhurst Park?

A significantly weaker right side

With £50m in the bank, Palace could easily sign a solid right-back and then have some to spare, but rarely can full-backs get fans on their feet if they’re not whipping in inch-perfect crosses or firing home long-range efforts – Wan-Bissaka is a key exception.

The academy graduate’s timing in his tackle and sheer determination to get back and snuff out danger has made him a fan favourite amongst the Selhurst Park faithful, while also making the Eagles’ right side near impenetrable.

Are Crystal Palace right to slap a £100m valuation on Wilfried Zaha’s head? Check out the video below to see why they are…

Last season, Wan-Bissaka averaged 3.7 tackles and 2.4 interceptions per game. To illustrate how impressive that is, he ranked in the top ten of all Premier League players on both fronts. The local lad was also dribbled past just 0.3 times per game in 2018/19 – the least in his position for players who have made more than 15 appearances.

It’s pretty safe to assume then, barring some incredible scouting, that Palace will struggle to replace that level of solidity this summer – a level of solidity that has the club rating Wan-Bissaka at £50m. And for a team whose survival last term very much owed to a mean defensive record, ranking sixth for clean sheets, losing such a reliable presence could have a very big effect. It chips away at Palace’s greatest strength, Wilfried Zaha’s talismanic performances excepting.

£50m is a lot of money for a team like Palace, but that doesn’t mean they’d be better off in Wan-Bissaka’s absence.

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Former Celtic favourite Frank McAvennie expects manager Neil Lennon to use Scott Brown in a reduced role next season, as reported by The Scottish Sun.

What’s he said?

With Brendan Rodgers leaving and new manager Lennon embarking on a new era at the club, this summer is something of a transitional one for Celtic.

Plenty of players have left already, most notably in defence, and at the very least it’s a good opportunity for the new boss to assess mainstays in the Celtic side and determine whether they still offer the team everything they once did.

McAvennie reckons that one player who could play less football next season is Brown, who, at 33 years of age, is now entering his 13th season with the Scottish champions.

How can Celtic improve next season? A Hoops fan tells us how in the video below…

As quoted by The Scottish Sun, the former Hoops striker said:

“Neil needs to make sure they are ready to hit the ground running on July 9 or 10. The positive thing is he knows this. He knows the club and the demands.

It’s not like Celtic have appointed a new manager who needs time to get his feet in the door. Lenny will return for pre-season this week ready to go.

He needs to find a balance with the likes of Callum McGregor, who played his last game of the season for Scotland just last week.

I don’t expect Scott Brown to play every week, either. He’ll still be a huge influence on everything that goes on but I think he’ll be used more sparingly.

And I’m also sure Lenny will be especially keen to get some new faces on board by the time they play that first qualifier.”

Should Brown play less next season?

Celtic arguably played their best football of the season last year when Brown was injured and out of the Hoops team.

A midfield three of Ryan Christie, Callum McGregor and Tom Rogic were in superb form in October and November, with a run of four games standing out as particular highlights.

A 3-0 win against Hearts at Murrayfield was followed up directly with 5-0 wins away to Dundee and then at home to the Jam Tarts.

It was in Europe that it truly all came together though, with the team winning 2-1 against RB Leipzig with what was perhaps the best 90 minutes of Celtic’s season in terms of quality of performance.

Brown didn’t play in any of those matches and it does highlight that the team can play some scintillating stuff in the middle of the park with the captain absent.

It must be said though that his leadership qualities shone through in the second half of the season and he is by no means done at Celtic.

Perhaps next season there should be more experimentation in that area, especially in matches where the team doesn’t need his defensive contribution as much.

The Hoops need to plan for life without Brown one day, so why not make it a gradual process?

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

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed to the broad strokes of a loan agreement to sign Dani Ceballos from Real Madrid, per AS, via Sport Witness.

What’s the word?

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The midfielder, who won the European Under-21 Championships with Spain this summer, is expected to step away from Los Blancos.

Indeed, Real are said to be targeting one of Manchester United’s Paul Pogba or Spurs’ Christian Eriksen this summer, which is likely to push Ceballos even further down the club’s pecking order.

He does not want to leave the club on a permanent basis, however, with Marca reporting that he would rather go out on loan.

And AS, via Sport Witness, now claim that Spurs have agreed to take him on a short-term basis, though they have only agreed to the outline of the deal, “opening negotiations” and yet to decide any official details.

There is no mention of a fee being involved and it appears that there has yet to be any talks with the player himself over possible wages or whether, indeed, he wants to move to north London, indicating that a completed deal is still quite far off.

A win-win

This would work brilliantly well for Spurs.

Ceballos is an immensely talented midfielder with a high ceiling – he has already won six senior caps for Spain at the age of 22 and won the Player of the Tournament award at the European Under-21 Championships in 2017.

He is capable of playing through the middle, on both flanks and in defensive midfield.

However, he has made just 56 appearances for Real and a move to north London, where he could work under Pochettino, would be a win-win.

Firstly, he doesn’t leave Real on a permanent basis and the door remains ajar for him to return and make an impact; secondly, he works under an elite coach who can help him progress as a player and thirdly, Spurs don’t have to pay a massive transfer fee.

The Premier League club have already signed Jack Clarke from Leeds United and Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon.

Adding Ceballos into that mix would make this a very exciting summer indeed for Spurs.

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Following three successive seasons of Championship football and a narrow defeat in the 2018 play-off final, Aston Villa have returned to the top-flight.

Villa have been determined with their summer recruitment having already secured four acquisitions, including a club-record deal for the striker Wesley from Club Brugge and the permanent arrival of playoff hero Anwar El Ghazi. A purposeful start to the summer indeed.

And while the club have been decisive in their transfer conduct, perhaps the most important signing of all has yet to be completed. The Guardian reports that Aston Villa are interested in signing Chelsea’s Ethan Ampadu on a season-long loan. The 18-year-old was restricted to a mere five first-team appearances in all competitions last season, yet during his limited outings for the Europa League winners and in his eight international caps for Wales, Ampadu has proven to be a fearless player.

With a combative nature and authoritative demeanour, Ampadu is one of the most promising talents in the Premier League – after all, how many other 18-year-olds have featured regularly for their country and stuck themselves on the periphery of a top four squad? Whenever he plays, the Wales international is in constant dialogue with teammates on the pitch, instructing more senior players where to position themselves. For such an inexperienced player, Ampadu plays with a staggering degree of maturity.

Proficient at either centre-half or at the base of midfield – where he thrives for Wales – the teenager displays an excellent understanding of the game, but he’s also so comfortable in possession. He can deliver intelligent and measured passes and his passing accuracy in Europe last season was a whopping 91.6%.

The fans in the video below had some very strong words for Michel Platini who was detained over alleged corruption this week…

Not many 18-year-olds shoulder such importance on the international stage as Ampadu. The Chelsea youngster has amassed eight international caps and has held his own against the likes of France, Denmark, Spain and Croatia. Wales are a more accomplished side in Ampadu’s presence, a testament to his versatile and refined skill set.

One senses that the youngster requires continuity to further his progression, and a loan move to a team of Villa’s stature and top-flight experience would be hugely beneficial. Dean Smith experimented with a variety of formations in the Championship last campaign, with Villa often alternating between the 4-1-4-1 and 4-4-1-1 formation. Therefore, a player of Ampadu’s versatility and tactical flexibility should be of great use to Villa.

Furthermore, given the departures of Glenn Whelan and Mile Jedinak, Villa’s need for a commanding midfield presence, one that can balance the creativity that John McGinn and Jack Grealish provide, is abundantly clear. The Welshman would be the perfect anchor in Villa’s creative and skilful midfield.

While it remains to be seen whether seemingly soon-to-be Chelsea manager Frank Lampard will look to utilise Ampadu in his squad next season, Villa provide an exciting alternative to the Welshman. The know-how and immense success that John Terry has enjoyed coupled with the presence of other Welsh internationals James Chester and Neil Taylor should make the Villans an attractive proposition for Ampadu.

As Smith embarks on the task of restoring Villa’s former glory, the acquisition of a gifted and courageous young player would be a significant step in the right direction, continuing what has already been a very promising start to the summer transfer window.

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Dani Alves has revealed that he will be leaving Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract on June 30.

The 36-year-old arrived at PSG from Juventus in 2017 and has won back-to-back Ligue 1 titles during his time in the French capital.

Alves is currently representing Brazil at this summer’s Copa America.

But he will not be returning to Paris for the 2019-20 campaign.

Alves is incredibly the most successful player in football history when it comes to trophies, having picked up 42 during a stunning career at the top level.

And a number of Arsenal fans have called on their club to move for the experienced right-back ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

For all of his success, Alves is yet to try his hand in the Premier League. He has, however, recently expressed a desire to play in England.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Gunners supporters can be seen below:

أصبح لاعب وسط الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي يوفنتوس، سامي خضيرة، على أبواب العودة مرة أخرى إلى الدوري الألماني بعد غياب دام أكثر من 10 سنوات وقبل نهاية الميركاتو الشتوي.

ورحل خضيرة عن الدوري الألماني في صيف عام 2010 عندما انتقل من صفوف شتوتجارت إلى ريال مدريد، بعد نهائيات كأس العالم في جنوب إفريقيا.

وينتهي عقد خضيرة مع يوفنتوس في نهاية الموسم الحالي في 30 يونيو المقبل، ولكن يبدو وأنه لن يكمل ما تبقى من عقده مع البيانكونيري، بحسب صحيفة “كيكر” الألمانية.

اقرأ أيضًا.. رانييري بعد هزيمة سامبدوريا: جعلنا فوز يوفنتوس سهلاً

وأفادت الصحيفة الشهيرة أن خضيرة من المقرر أن يخضع للكشف الطبي خلال ساعات اليوم في نادي هيرتا برلين، بعدما فقد مكانه في تشكيل يوفنتوس مع المدرب الحالي، أندريا بيرلو، والذي استبعده أيضًا من قائمة بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وكانت آخر مباراة مع يوفنتوس له تعود إلى يونيو 2020 مع المدير الفني السابق، ماوريسيو ساري، حيث لم يشارك أبدًا مع بيرلو.

وبحسب التقرير الألماني، من المتوقع أن يكون عقد خضيرة مع هيرتا برلين لمدة عامين ونصف ليعود من جديد إلى البوندزليجا.