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Speaking to Football Insider, Noel Whelan has expressed concerns that Kemar Roofe could be on his way out of the club this summer.

The former Leeds player is worried that Roofe’s agent could turn his head this summer and push him out the door at Elland Road.

What’s been said then?

The 44-year-old believes that the Whites’ top scorer could be swayed into leaving the club in the upcoming transfer window.

“If the player wants to leave, then there is a good chance he will,” Whelan said.

“The agent will be whispering in his ear and thinking about the pound signs.

“He will be telling him he can double his salary at a new club this summer, or he can see out his contract and get a bumper deal and signing-on fee next year, with Leeds losing out on a £10million transfer fee. That would be terrible business for Leeds.”

Right to be concerned

Whelan has every right to be concerned about this one. Phil Hay has previously speculated that the 26-year-old will want a hefty payrise so that he earns as much as Patrick Bamford, but if Leeds are unwilling to offer that type of pay packet, he could be tempted to leave.

Footballers have short careers, and with Roofe well and truly in his prime, he will want to earn as much money as he can and play at the top level.

Last year he proved that he is one of the most effective strikers in the Championship, and if a Premier League team come calling he may not be able to afford to turn them down.

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in the striker. His departure would certainly sting Whites fans, but you can’t blame him for wanting to capitalise on his rising stock after an incredible season.

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have trolled a tweet from the club marking their anniversary of signing Victor Wanyama.

The club confirmed a deal to acquire the midfielder from Southampton on June 23rd 2016.

He has gone on to make a total of 93 appearances for the club, scoring seven goals.

The tweet, of course, comes at a time when Spurs supporters are eagerly anticipating their first signing since January 2018.

Lucas Moura was the last player to sign for the club, joining from PSG over two transfer windows ago, unsurprisingly leading to plenty of frustration amongst the fan base.

Spurs have been linked with a number of players this summer, including Lyon’s Tanguy Ndombele, Real Betis’ Giovani Lo Celso, Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon and Leeds United’s Jack Clarke as the club look to build on their top-four finish and progression to the Champions League final.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

But fans hijacked the tweet by calling on the club to announce another new signing in the near future, as they are simply desperate for some more transfer action.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

To say Manchester United struggle defensively would, clearly, be the understatement of the year. Indeed, having conceded 54 goals in the Premier League alone over the course of the campaign, the likes of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones must have invoked the ire of fans this season, as well as some of the players. 

According to the Times towards the end of May, figures within the club’s dressing room were annoyed at the sight of those two – as well as Ashley Young – being handed big new deals not viewed as reflective to their standing in the team. So, not an ideal situation by any means.

Well, to cheer you all up, as is always likely to happen at this time of year, the club have been linked to some pretty exciting names when it comes to potentially fixing problems. That’s because, according to A Bola via Sports Witness, the club are looking to sign Benfica’s highly-rated defender Ruben Dias.

The young Portuguese centre-back has hit headlines with the Lisbon giants, establishing himself as somewhat of a defensive tower in their backline. Indeed, Joao Felix might be the star seemingly everyone has their attention on, but Dias is just as exciting.

Impressively, he’s also a player suited to play onto Victor Lindelof’s strengths. Dias averaged 3.4 clearances, 3.2 aerials won and 1.2 tackles per game (stats via WhoScored) last season, while putting in dominant performances in Europe as well. Obviously, a move to the Premier League would take some getting used to, but that kind of physical presence alongside the aforementioned Swede (who boasts a fairly impressive 88.2% passing success rate) looks like a natural foil.

United need to start building from the back, giving their midfield a base to go off before releasing some of the clearly talented forwards the club have on their books. Obviously, it’s going to be a process, but the potential signing of Dias could go some way into helping that transition.

United fans, do you think Dias can be the solution to the defensive problems? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Tottenham Hotspur have been surrounded by rumours in recent days, with Jack Clarke’s and Tanguy Ndombele’s transfers to North London seemingly on the verge of being complete. However, maybe everything isn’t as clear as it seems. Today’s Spurs transfer roundup includes an update on that Ndombele deal, a blow in the pursuit of a La Liga midfielder and the pursuit of a French central defender.

Nothing confirmed for Ndombele

Lyon President Jean-Michel Aulas has said that nothing is yet confirmed for midfielder Ndombele. Talking to the Team Duga podcast on Thursday, Aulas said, “If I wait eight more days, it will be €80m (£71.7m). Tottenham made an offer of €45m (£40.3m). Since, we’ve been talking. Nothing is done, I can assure you.” Spurs and Lyon were reported to have agreed on a deal in recent days.

Ceballos wants Madrid stay

Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos does not want a move away from the Spanish side this summer, according to Marca. The 22-year-old reportedly still dreams of succeeding at the Bernabeu and does not want to be sold. Tottenham have been credited with an interest in the player.

Spurs to make Saliba bid

Tottenham have told Saint-Etienne that they will be making a bid for their defender William Saliba according to RMC Sport. It had been believed that Saliba was close to a move to Arsenal, but Spurs’ revelation may throw a spanner in the works.

قاد لوكا يوفيتش، مهاجم آينتراخت فرانكفورت الألماني، فريقه للفوز على شالكه بثلاثية مقابل هدف في منافسات الدوري الألماني.

وعاد يوفيتش لفرانكفورت على سبيل الإعارة من ريال مدريد، إلى نهاية الموسم الحالي.

وتقدم أندريه سيلفا لفرانكفورت بهدف في الدقيقة 28 وتعادل ماتيو هوبي سريعًا لشالكه في الدقيقة 29.

وشارك يوفيتش في الدقيقة 62، من عمر المباراة بدلًا من زميله إريك دورم.

اقرأ أيضًا.. بعد يوفيتش.. ماركا تكشف موقف أوديجارد من الرحيل عن ريال مدريد

وبعد نزوله بديلاً في أول مباراة له عقب العودة لفرانكفورت، نجح يوفيتش في تسجيل هدفين، الأول في الدقيقة 72 والثاني في الدقيقة الأولى من الوقت المحتسب بدلاً من الضائع.

بهذا الفوز يرتفع رصيد آينتراخت فرانكفورت للنقطة 26 في المركز السابع وتوقف رصيد شالكه عند النقطة 7 في المركز الأخير. هدفا لوكا يوفيتش في مباراة فرانكفورت وشالكه

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West Ham United are closing in on the £24m signing of Pablo Fornals from Villarreal, Football FanCast can confirm.

The Hammers have thus far signed two goalkeepers in this transfer window, Roberto and David Martin, but are now poised to bring in their first outfield signing of the summer.

Multiple sources have claimed that a deal to secure the attacking midfielder’s signature has accelerated over the past 24 hours and that the club are now confident of announcing the transfer in the next few days.

And Football FanCast can confirm that a deal has been struck between the two clubs, which will see the Hammers pay £24m for the 23-year-old, a player for whom Manuel Pellegrini has explicitly asked.

Co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan are determined to deliver the manager the targets that he has requested and a move for Fornals is a key part of that strategy.

A full Spain international who has won two caps for his country, he scored five goals and registered six assists in all competitions in 2018/19.

A bid for Celta Vigo’s Stanislav Lobotka, a deeper-lying midfielder, had been mooted but the Irons cooled that interest after the cost spiralled and they discovered that they would not be able to sign both the Slovakia international and his team-mate, Maxi Gomez, for under £60m.

West Ham’s Director of Football, Mario Husillos, has driven the signing of Fornals, and there is a confidence at this stage that the deal is all but done.

He has yet to sign his contract but sources expect that to be a formality. It would be a surprise were the move to fall through at this stage.

It remains to be seen how the Hammers will approach the remainder of their summer business but their interest in Gomez remains strong and the club would also like to acquire a defender.

Along with Gomez, the club have scouted Salomon Rondon at West Bromwich Albion – he spent the season on loan at Newcastle United – and Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Following his arrival at Atlanta United prior to the start of the 2017 MLS season, Miguel Almiron lit the league up. He was one of the main stars of the side, along with Josef Martinez, as they won the MLS Cup in 2018 with the Paraguayan scoring 12 goals and assisting 13 more during the campaign. Although it was amidst the lower quality of US football, Almiron stood out, and it seemed only a matter of time before a European side snapped him up.

It therefore came as no shock when he got his move in January of this year. What was surprising, however, was that Newcastle United won the race to sign him, especially considering they parted with £20m to bring him to the Premier League according to the Panini Tabloid.

For a lot of clubs, that sum would represent pocket change, but not for the Toon as it set a new club-record transfer fee. It had previously been set by the capture of Michael Owen in 2005 from Real Madrid, for whom they had paid £17m and therefore taken them over 13 years to break their highest fee, but for some clubs such a milestone is a near-annual occurrence. The fee paid for Owen is lower than the highest paid by all but two of last year’s 20 Premier League clubs.

As such, it was a big deal for Newcastle, and a lot was expected of the attacking midfielder. But, whilst he impressed with his performances, he flattered to deceive from a numbers point of view. In his 10 games in the Premier League following his arrival, he failed to register a single goal or assist. Next season, he will need to do a lot more to prove he has what it takes to make it in the Premier League.

The transfer record may soon be broken again, of course. Recent reports suggest that the Bin Zayed group may soon purchase the club from Mike Ashley and while there is no guarantee they will spend lavishly, if the example set by fellow Sheikh owners at Manchester City is anything to go by, Newcastle fans shouldn’t be waiting another 13 years to see a record purchase.

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West Ham have reconsidered their transfer targets and are now ready to bid £24m to bring Villarreal’s Spaniard, Pablo Fornals to the Premier League, The Guardian understands. This versatile and attacking-minded midfielder has been named as one of the players to lead the Hammers’ rebuild project and seemingly fits the profile wanted by Manuel Pellegrini who’s aiming to strengthen his midfield this summer, the same sources claim. If really true and West Ham manage to get this one over the line, it would definitely be a job well done. So with all of that being said, here are two main reasons why Fornals would be a great signing for West Ham.

Fornals brings quality for a (relatively) low price

It’s not easy to find available players who bring quality for a relatively low transfer price nowadays. Pablo Fornals is only 23 and has a lot of room for improvement, that’s for sure, but he also brings about a certain dose of experience and a fairly established skill set. This season alone, the midfielder has scored five goals and assisted a further six in all competitions for the Yellow Submarine, making him one of the more creative pieces at the Spanish club.

The £24m price tag West Ham have reportedly set out to bid for the player is roughly the same as his estimated market value and sounds like a fair amount for someone who’s already showing certain qualities but is by no means the finished product and should not be treated as such. If the Hammers can hammer this one home, it would definitely be business well conducted, leaving the English side deserving some plaudits.

He fits West Ham’s rebuild project plans

If Pellegrini is truly looking for someone to further bolster his midfield, Fornals sounds like a match made in heaven. Even though he is a bit more attack-minded than Stanislav Lobotka, who was West Ham’s previous reported target, this Spanish international is somewhat of a jack of all trades, so to speak. Just this season alone, Fornals has played in a total of six different positions in and around the midfield area, compensating for his teammates’ absences.

But what makes him even more attractive is his willingness to help the team at all costs, which goes hand in hand with the multiple position swaps mentioned above. Sure, his technical ability and work-rate cannot be called into question, but the main thing would be for Pellegrini to find a way to utilise him properly as one of the Hammers. This is where his versatility could play a crucial role as the coach can test him out on multiple positions, making necessary tweaks if needed, not worrying about Fornals potentially protesting about it. And at only 23 years of age, Fornals is a talent that is yet to fully grasp his own potential. In theory, this sounds like a perfect signing for West Ham.

أكد كاسيميرو لاعب وسط ريال مدريد أن الفوز على ديبورتيفو ألافيس لم يكن سهلًا، رغم النتيجة الكبيرة التي حققها النادي الملكي.

ريال مدريد فاز برباعية مقابل هدف على ديبورتيفو ألافيس، ضمن الجولة 19 من الدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى “طالع التفاصيل”.

طالع أيضًا.. بنزيما: سعيد بهدف هازارد وأتمنى أن يكتب قصة جديدة مع ريال مدريد

وقال كاسيميرو في تصريحات للموقع الرسمي لـ ريال مدريد: “لقد تعرضنا لخسائر كبيرة خلال الفترة الماضية، لكننا أظهرنا مرة أخرى أننا نستطيع بهذه الروح أن ننافس على البطولات”.

وأكد: “هذه هي الروح التي يجب علينا أن نواجه بها كل التحديات، لقد كانت النتائج الأخيرة ليست جيدة، لكننا أظهرنا أننا سنقاتل حتى النهاية”.

وأكمل: “لعبنا مباراة رائعة من الدقيقة الأولى حتى النهاية، يجب أن نهنئ كل من في ريال مدريد، وكل من ساهم في هذا الفوز، لقد كانت مباراة صعبة”.

وشدد: “إذا كنا سنختار المواجهة الأفضل لنا هذا الموسم، ربما سأختار هذه المباراة”.

واختتم بالحديث عن الهدف: “الأهداف عادة ما تكون من اللاعبين الأفضل في الهجوم، أنا سعيد بالهدف بالتأكيد، رغم أن وظيفتي مختلفة”.

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Former Rangers favourite Nacho Novo has told Steven Gerrard and his squad to prioritise league action over Europe next season, as reported by The Daily Record.

What’s he said?

Rangers already know their season will start in Europe, playing either Prishtina of Kosovo or St Joseph’s of Gibraltar in the first round of UEFA Europa League qualifying on July 11th.

After making great progress in the competition last season, expectations will again be high that Gerrard’s side can reach the group stages, but Novo reckons that if they get there, league action must take a priority.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

As quoted by The Daily Record, the former Ibrox attacker said:

“For me, stopping nine in a row is more important than Europe. Of course, you always go for a win in every game – draws are no good – but if you had to ask me what the priority is then I’d say the league.

It will be good when the club can really make a big impact in Europe because the fans love those nights but the priority is stopping nine in a row – forget about 10, they need to stop nine.

The fans are all looking forward to the new season and the European games because those nights are fantastic.

Rangers did well last season against good teams like Villarreal but unfortunately we didn’t progress to the knockout stage but it was Steven Gerrard’s first year and it looks a happy place.

I just hope this season the team can qualify for Europe and win the league. But if one has to go, for me, it would be Europe.”

Can Rangers fight on all fronts?

The start of the season will be exceptionally busy for Rangers with Scottish Premiership, Scottish League Cup and European action to contend with prior to the winter break.

Domestic success right now is seen as the main barometer of progress being made under Gerrard so Novo is right to suggest that’s where their priorities lie, and stopping number nine is indeed absolutely crucial.

Rangers haven’t won a major trophy since 2011 and for a club of their size that’s too long for many supporters.

Europe should be an added bonus for the club and an opportunity to pick up momentum in the early summer, but when the Scottish Premiership kicks off in August, that is the competition that Gerrard must build around.