All posts by n8rngtd.top

[ad_pod ]

Yesterday’s Everton transfer roundup included interest in a Stoke City midfielder, the confirmed loan departure of a Spanish forward and the exit of a defender to a Championship club. Today’s edition includes the confirmed exit of a left-back, bids for one of the club’s youngsters and interest in a USA international.

Collins joins Sunderland

Youngster Michael Collins has joined Sunderland it was confirmed on Wednesday. The 18-year-old defender has signed a one-year deal with the club and will join up with the Black Cats’ U23 squad alongside Ruben Sammut and Ahmed Abdelkader.

Bids received for Williams

The Liverpool Echo is reporting that the Toffees have received several bids in regards to 22-year-old midfielder Joe Williams. Unnamed sides from both the Bundesliga and the Championship have reportedly tabled offers for the player.

Wigan want Robinson

Wigan Athletic are interested in signing Antonee Robinson according to Wigan Today. The USA international spent last year on loan at the DW Stadium, and the Latics want to take him back, potentially on a permanent deal.

[ad_pod ]

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

Sebastian Haller wants to complete a move to West Ham United from Eintracht Frankfurt this summer, per ClaretandHugh.

What’s the word?

The Irons have targeted the French striker as they bid to bring in striking reinforcements in this transfer window.

West Ham have lost Marko Arnautovic, Andy Carroll and Lucas Perez in this transfer window, leaving them with Javier Hernandez and Jordan Hugill as their out-and-out forward options.

The Hammers, the report states, are deep in talks with the Bundesliga outfit as they look to bring in their first forward signing of the summer; Frankfurt are keen to recoup £42m for the forward.

And Haller is said to be keen to make the move to the Premier League before the window closes, with just over a fortnight left to complete deals for English clubs.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Stumbled into a phenomenal signing

Haller is perhaps the best striker West Ham can sign this summer.

The forward is a gifted goalscorer and netted 20 in all competitions last season.

And yet, he wasn’t even the Hammers’ first-choice signing in this transfer window.

Football FanCast sources understand that manager Manuel Pellegrini actually told Director of Football Mario Husillos to complete a deal for Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gomez at the beginning of the transfer window.

That deal fell through, however, as he joined Valencia instead.

And the Hammers have been forced into a rethink, which has led to the identification of Haller as a target.

They may have just stumbled onto a pot of gold.

[ad_pod ]

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…

West Ham United ought to give Josh Cullen a chance.

Charlton Athletic want to sign the midfielder, per sources, in this transfer window on a permanent basis after taking him on loan for the entirety of last season, but he has been taking part in the Hammers’ pre-season tour of Asia.

He started the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United, though he was left on the bench for the 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City.

Cullen has made a total of nine first-team appearances for the Irons and has played just three times in the Premier League. One of those appearances came in the 2015/16 season.

Yet there is an opening in this squad.

The Hammers’ central midfield options are thin on the ground as Pedro Obiang nears a move to Sassuolo in Serie A, per Manuel Pellegrini.

Declan Rice, of course, is excellent and has become an England international thanks to his superb displays in 2018/19, but Jack Wilshere and Carlos Sanchez are injury-prone and Mark Noble is ageing.

Cullen is 23 and has a contract until 2020; this would be the perfect time to give him the opportunity to earn a new deal.

It is no surprise that Charlton are interested; he played an integral role as the club won promotion to the Championship from League One, making 32 appearances in all competitions and turning in some superb performances in the play-offs. He played the entire 90 minutes in the final, as the Addicks beat Sunderland 2-1 at Wembley.

Of course, excellent performances in the third-tier of English football do not necessarily translate to excellent performances in the Premier League.

But with the midfield situation as it is at the London Stadium, there are very few better options out there.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Sources have confirmed that West Ham do not have a huge amount of money with which to operate in the remainder of the transfer window, having already signed Sebastian Haller and Pablo Fornals. The former arrived for a club-record fee of £45m, per sources, with the potential to rise to £50m.

Cullen would not cost the Irons anything and he has done all he can while out on loan to earn a shot.

He deserves the opportunity to prove his worth.

[ad_pod ]

Aston Villa supporters’ plea for a new goalkeeper has been ramped up following their pre-season victory over League One side Shrewsbury Town after some fans weren’t best pleased with the performance of Jed Steer.

Dean Smith’s side were victorious thanks to a second-half Scott Hogan strike but it was the man between the sticks which left much of the Villa Park fanbase worrying ahead of their Premier League return.

One supporter took to Twitter to label the 26-year-old a liability whilst others begged the club to go out and pay for Jack Butland, one of Villa’s reported transfer targets – one even insisted they should break the bank for him.

Steer broke into Smith’s line-up after a mini-goalkeeper crisis at the start of the year as first-choice Orjan Nyland picked up a season-ending injury and Andre Moreira’s loan was cancelled.

As a result, the 6 foot 2 keeper began to cement his name as the first on the team sheet each week, playing 19 games following a recall from Charlton Athletic.

Other fans claimed the shot-stopper isn’t up to the standard of the Premier League with one member of the Villa support saying that strikers in the top-flight would punish his mistakes, calling him a disaster waiting to happen.

The Express & Star reported that the club were going to test the waters with a £20m bid for Butland early last month but Sky Sports have since said the interest was cooled as Stoke City were unwilling to budge in their valuation of the England international.

Here’s the best of the reaction from just a select bunch of the Villa fanbase:

[ad_pod ]

According to Pundit Arena, Newcastle United are one of a number of clubs considering a move for Jonathan Afolabi.

The 19-year-old is available on a free transfer this summer after leaving Southampton at the end of the 2018-19 campaign.

Pundit Arena claim that the teenager’s performances for Republic of Ireland’s Under-19 side at the recent European Championships have led to a host of attention.

Indeed, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Birmingham City and Reading have been listed as possible suitors, in addition to ‘clubs abroad’.

Newcastle are very much in the hunt, though, with the Magpies said to have been impressed with Afolabi’s form this summer.

Watch Newcastle United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

A host of the Newcastle fans have been on social media reacting to the speculation.

And it would be fair to say that too many are enthused by the idea of the free agent arriving at St James’ Park ahead of the new campaign.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

[ad_pod ]

Many Southampton fans have expressed their discontent after it has been revealed that winger Josh Sims is set for a shock move to New York Red Bulls.

Football Insider revealed that Southampton are prepared to agree a deal to see the 22-year-old join the club on a season-long loan deal.

A source from Southampton has allegedly said that Ralph Hasenhuttl feels he has enough cover in his squad to allow Sims to depart the club to get more first-team action this season.

New York Red Bulls are currently third in the Eastern Conference as they look to reach the MLS play-offs.

The former England U20 international went on loan to Reading last season before his deal was cut short in January. He went on to make 17 appearances for the club before returning, registering three assists. On his arrival back at Southampton, he featured a further seven times in the Premier League, where he assisted one goal.

Many Southampton fans don’t seem to have taken lightly to the news. Some described it as ‘odd’ and ‘dumb’, and one supporter even compared it to a signing on Fifa. Alternatively, some fans understood this as being a confirmation for Sofiane Boufal staying at the club.

Here are some of the responses below…

[ad_pod ]

Leicester City and Wolves battled out a 0-0 stalemate in their season opener at the King Power Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

A moment of controversy marred the contest after Leander Dendoncker’s strike was disallowed following a review from the video assistant referee.

The goal was ruled out after VAR showed the ball had hit Wolves defender Willy Boly on the arm seconds before the Belgian fired home, which under new laws of the game is illegal.

Any goal now scored or assisted through the use of the hand or the arm has to be disallowed regardless of whether it was intentional or accidental.

Amidst all the drama, one player stood out from the rest for Leicester and that was Caglar Soyuncu.

One fan labelled him a ‘gladiator’ whilst another said he cruised ‘like a Rolls-Royce,’ making it look so easy as the 23-year-old kept a clean sheet.

The Turkey international won five aerial duels, averaged a pass success rate of 92.2%, registered three successful tackles and three clearances – in what was only his seventh-ever Premier League appearance.

Others simply questioned ‘Harry who?’ whilst another reminded people that Soyuncu was proof the club didn’t need to go out and sign another centre-back to replace Harry Maguire as he looked ‘fantastic.’

You can read the best of the reaction below:

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

Last weekend, Danny Welbeck made his

/B1US1jyHPsI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->debut forWatford, the club whose colours he’ll now be defending.

As of earlier this summer, the 28-year-old has been a free agent, having been officially released by his former club, Arsenal.

The ex-Gunner then agreed a permanent contract with the Hornets during the 2019 summer transfer window and made the switch to Hertfordshire.

And now, upon his big return to the Premier League pitches, he shared an emotional message on Instagram, once again thanking Arsenal for everything they’ve done for him during his stay at the Emirates.

The message was long and heartfelt as Welbeck looked back on his five years at the club and shared his love with all the friends he made and support he received.

He also had a colourful career even before Arsenal. Welbeck came through Manchester United’s youth system and went on to play 142 games for the Red Devils, winning the Premier League once alongside two League Cup crowns.

His move to Arsenal happened in 2014 and since then, he made 126 outings for the Gunners, scoring 32 goals and assisting 15.

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

Birmingham City picked up their second win of the season on Tuesday night as they downed Barnsley by a two-goal margin.

Blues boss Pep Clotet adopted a new formation for the game, potentially to avoid their previous issues as highlighted by Football FanCast earlier this week, by utilising two strikers in attack.

The move paid off as both of them got on the scoresheet late in the second half.

Watch Birmingham City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Blues had to wait till the 69th minute for Lukas Jutkiewicz to head home his fourth consecutive home goal, rising highest to meet Wes Harding’s cross.

Alvaro Gimenez then bagged his first for his new club beating the Barnsley defence to dink a delightful chip over the onrushing opposition goalkeeper.

It was the performance of the Spaniard which sparked a lot of reaction post-game with many fans delighted by his showing.

One fan predicted Gimenez would bag 20 or more goals in the Championship this season whilst others believed the goal was the first of many.

The 28-year-old joined Birmingham from UD Almeria after his €1.5m (£1.4m at the time) release clause was met, as stated by BBC Sport. He finished as the Spanish second division’s top goalscorer last season with 19 goals.

Amazing and quality were just two words to describe the 6 foot forward’s impact in the victory.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking on BBC 5 Live Sport, Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has drawn comparisons between Mason Greenwood and Robin van Persie.

What did he say?

Greenwood stole the limelight for the Red Devils on the club’s pre-season tour this summer, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has insisted the 17-year-old will be given first-team opportunities this season.

Amidst an injury to Anthony Martial, the teenager could be in line for just his second league start of his career when United take on Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday. And Giggs has now revealed the club have every right to be “excited” with the forward.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He said: “I think you can get excited about his talent. You never know when players step up to the first team how long it will take them to get used to being at a big club.

“He’s talented. I’ve seen a lot of him. Both feet. He actually looks and moves like Robin van Persie. He’s a talent. It will help if he’s coming into a team that’s scoring goals. That always helps if you’re a young player coming into the first team.”

Responsibility

Talk about trying to keep a lid on expectations. At 17, and with barely any senior football to his name, Greenwood’s name has been front and centre of every conversation that revolves around United’s ‘youth revolution’.

But for Solskjaer and Giggs to come out with statements that they feel he is ready to essentially take the Premier League by storm does him no favours whatsoever. Whatever happened to protecting youngsters and keeping them away from the spotlight?

United have a responsibility with Greenwood to nurture him the right way, and hyperbolic comments and extravagant comparisons are certainly not going to ease the burden on the young prodigy’s shoulders.

Giggs of all people should be aware of how difficult it must be to handle the pressure and expectation that comes with being a fledgling star, and he would do well to remember his own days when next deciding to lavish praise on a United youngster.

[ad_pod ]