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Isaac Hayden has been identified as a possible West Ham United target after the club missed out on the signing of Andre Gomes, per ClaretandHugh.

Hayden is a solid if unspectacular midfield player and the report claims that he would cost £15m in this transfer window, but would he improve the Hammers’ midfield?

On the chalkboard

The club currently have Mark Noble, Declan Rice, Pedro Obiang and Jack Wilshere as their main options in the centre of the pitch.

Per WhoScored, Hayden averages 2.9 tackles per game in the Premier League, 1.6 interceptions, 1.1 clearances and is dribbled past 0.7 times. He also has 0.9 key passes in each game, along with a pass completion rate of 79.4%.

By comparison, Noble makes 1.5 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, 0.4 clearances and is dribbled by 1.2 times each game. His key passes rate is 0.7, while his pass completion rate is 85.3%.

Rice, a far more defensive talent than Noble, averages the same number of tackles as Hayden per game, 1.5 interceptions, 1.6 clearances and is dribbled past 1.5 times each game. His key pass stat is 0.6 while his pass completion rate is 86.4%.

Obiang fares even worse: 1.7 tackles, 0.5 interceptions, 0.6 clearances and being dribbled by once mean that he is worse than Hayden in every conceivable defensive area. His key passes number is a mere 0.3 but his pass success rate is 80%.

Wilshere, who has barely played any football for the Hammers, averages 0.9 tackles and interceptions while he does not even have a clearance stat. He is dribbled by 0.5 times per game, makes 0.6 key passes and has a completion rate of 89.8%.

Hayden, then, may well be the man to improve Manuel Pellegrini’s midfield.

Sort out his radar

Hayden needs to be more accurate with his distribution.

Other than that, he has a higher tackle rate than every other West Ham player including England international Rice and is only bettered in one area: clearances, by the former Chelsea youngster.

This is a player who would come in and instantly improve the Hammers but he simply has to learn how to pass the ball more successfully.

It is all very well winning it back but if he is merely going to give it away again, there isn’t much point.

If he does rock up in east London, he will need some accuracy training; other than that, he appears to be Pellegrini’s ideal midfield player.

He will add steel and assiduity and could even be Mark Noble’s long-term replacement.

At £15m, he’s an absolute snip.

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According to The Sun, Manchester United may be forced to pay £350k-a-week to Marcus Rashford in order to keep him at the club and away from the clutches of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the England international reportedly wants to stay put at Old Trafford and play for United – where he spent years in the academy – but would not find it a hardship to go and play for one of the big boys in Spain.

Alexis Sanchez’s £505k-a-week earnings have skewered the wage structure at United, and Rashford knows that all too well – he is asking for £350k-a-week due to his importance in being Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s main striker.

Could United be in the hunt for an £85m blockbuster signing this summer? Check out the video below…

Madrid reportedly invited Rashford’s brothers – who are his advisers – to a game, whilst Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde is a big fan of the 21-year-old.

He should be made an example out of

21 years of age. 13 goals last season. And on current earnings of £45k-a-week.

Rashford is still a baby in the footballing world and a club of United’s stature should not stand for being held to ransom by a footballing child.

Some of the club’s supporters have already grown tired of Rashford’s ineffective performances out on the pitch – he ended the campaign in miserable form with no goals in his final eight games.

Other than Sanchez’s huge earnings, there is no valid argument for Rashford to earn that much – it would place him on £150k more per week than Mohamed Salah earns in comparison.

£150k-a-week, coincidentally, is just £30k less than what PFA Player of the Year Virgil van Dijk earns. How on earth can Rashford justify asking for so much?

With just 12 months left on his deal, United shouldn’t pander to the youngster’s demands and should make an example out of him by allowing him to leave the club.

He could easily be replaced, and is simply pushing his luck in asking for so much money. He may be a local lad, but United can’t be pushed around by sentiment either.

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Celtic manager Neil Lennon is keen on Mikael Lustig staying at the club next season, despite his contract expiring shortly, as reported by The Scottish Sun.

What’s the story?

Lustig, who was signed by Lennon back in his first spell as Hoops boss, is one of the longest serving members of the Celtic squad but to date there’s been little sign of movement when it comes to extending his stay at Celtic Park beyond another treble winning season.

Lennon though has confirmed talks have taken place regarding an extension, explaining to The Scottish Sun:

“I have spoken to him, but not to his representatives. I had good feedback from Mika.

“I would like him to stay. I think he still has a year or two in him.

“He has been a fantastic player for the club. He has been pivotal on and off the field.”

With a notable decline in his playing performances over the last 18 months, is a renewal of Lustig’s contract wise, especially if it’d be a potential two-year deal?

Keith from C’mon the Hoops throws back to the ‘Battle of Britain’ from the 2003 UEFA Cup quarter-finals in the video below…

Should Celtic keep Lustig?

The argument for keeping the veteran Swedish international is strong, but with certain caveats.

With Cristian Gamboa and Jeremy Toljan leaving the club this summer, there’s little chance of Celtic entering the market and signing two quality right-backs, so keeping Lustig for another year makes some amount of sense.

There’s no doubt he is a leader on and off the pitch, but he is also a critical weak link in the team on a consistent basis, with opposition often directly targeting Celtic’s right flank when he is playing.

In bigger matches and against better teams that could prove costly.

Signing him up to a new deal then should come with the promise to supporters that the club are seeking a new first-choice right-back to play regularly and Lustig should be informed his role would be strictly as back-up or as relief against lesser teams.

No sentiment

A two-year deal, as hinted at by Lennon, seems excessive and is surely capitulating to sentiment that dictates the long-serving player should be here for a potential 10-in-a-row winning season.

The evidence he can play at the top level for another two seasons is not there and if Celtic are to maintain the incredible success they have enjoyed over the last few years then there is no room for such sentiment or complacency.

The Hoops need the best players available in all positions and can’t afford to carry Lustig for too long beyond his use by date.

يواجه فريق الأهلي نظيره البنك الأهلي مساء اليوم الأحد، في إطار منافسات الدوري المصري الممتاز.

الأهلي يتصدر ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 16 نقطة، فيما يتواجد البنك الأهلي الصاعد حديثاً للدوري الممتاز في المركز العاشر بـ7 نقاط.

طالع | تشكيل الأهلي أمام البنك الأهلي.. وليد سليمان في الهجوم وعودة محمد هاني

طالع أيضًا.. مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة الأهلي والبنك الأهلي في الدوري.. إعلان التشكيلين موعد مباراة الأهلي والبنك الأهلي

تنطلق مباراة الأهلي والبنك الأهلي اليوم الأحد في تمام الساعة الخامسة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 6 بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي والبنك الأهلي

تُذاع مباراة الأهلي والبنك الأهلي عبر قناة أون تايم سبورت 1.

يمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنا.

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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.