According Brazilian media outlet UOL Esporte, Tottenham Hotspur have been given the green light to sign reported target Malcom, rated at £45m according to the Daily Mail last month, after he confirmed that Bordeaux have promised him that he will be able to leave this summer.
What’s the word, then?
Well, Spurs were heavily linked with a move for the exciting winger during the January transfer window, but a deal never materialised as the Ligue 1 outfit were keen to hang on to the highly-rated 20-year-old.
However, the Brazilian’s latest comments via UOL Esporte suggest that the French club are ready to let him move on at the end of the season.
What did Malcom say?
The attacker said, as repoted by UOL Esporte: “Yes, there was a promise that I will be negotiating in June. I will choose the team, and Bordeaux will let me go.”
How has he done this season?
He has been excellent.
The 20-year-old has scored eight goals and provided a further six assists in 24 Ligue 1 outings, with his goals including a number of stunning long-range strikes.
The Brazilian likes to play on the right-hand side and cut in on to his left foot, and according to WhoScored.com he has made 56 key passes in the French top flight this term and successfully completed 63 of the 91 dribbles he has attempted.
Would he be a good signing for Tottenham?
He certainly would be.
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The winger is one of the most exciting young players in European football right now, and the potential he has means he would be a brilliant addition for the north London outfit.
Mauricio Pochettino has proven time and time again that he can develop and improve young talents, and Malcom is certainly one of those.
Will they get him?
They stand a good chance given they pushed hard for him in January, but with reports suggesting that Arsenal and Manchester United are all also interested, it could prove to be a big battle and perhaps even involve a bidding war.
While Manchester United are spending heavily to help repair the damage caused by David Moyes’ spell in charge at the club, Manchester City have kept themselves relatively quiet in the transfer market thus far.
In Willy Caballero and Bacary Sagna, they’ve signed two low-key veterans to help fill out the squad, while Porto’s Fernando will likely be a rotation option with Fernandinho.
City’s title win last season wasn’t a given, nor were they standout favourites at any stage of the season. The Jose Mourinho factor at Chelsea had many tipping them for the title at the start of the campaign, while Liverpool’s heroics during the second half of the season had them as frontrunners to land the league title. On top of that, doubts remained about Manuel Pellegrini’s credentials, or lack thereof, in taking City to the title, having never guided a team to major honours during his time in European football.
On the pitch the team didn’t always play up to the imperious feats displayed at the Etihad. Games such as the away loss to Cardiff City highlighted the defensive frailties in the side, both in goalkeeper Joe Hart and his back four.
The team’s lack of depth at centre-back also became an issue; while Martin Demichelis had to fight off his undeserved early detractors, Vincent Kompany was far more at fault for poor defensive displays throughout the season.
The problem City had in the summer following their 2012 title win was that they didn’t build on what they had. Players like Robin van Persie were chased and the team very much needed a strong midfield presence to play alongside or in place of Yaya Toure. Instead of moves that would have taken the club forward, the signings of Javi Garcia, Jack Rodwell and Scott Sinclair were even less than sidesteps, with the club failing to mount anything resembling a serious title challenge, something made even more clear following Alex Ferguson’s departure from United after landing the 2012-13 title.
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Despite their form at home for much of last season, few can say for sure City will defend their title amid the kind of strengthening taking place at Chelsea and Manchester United – the latter of which is surely not over.
Sergio Aguero had a torrid World Cup with Argentina, one which came off the back of another frustrating domestic campaign due to injury. Stevan Jovetic, similarly, struggled to get going, while there was plenty of concern that Alvaro Negredo hit only one league goal in the entire second half of the season.
If the league season isn’t a sure bet, the club are also in need of strengthening to further themselves on the European stage. The Champions League is a competition where Pellegrini has a good track record, but the loss at home to Bayern Munich displayed the gulf in class between City and the team widely considered the best in Europe.
Yaya Toure’s agent has become a nuisance more than anything of late, a fire which the club will want extinguished as quickly as possible. But it is a problem. Toure was the team’s most valuable cog in winning the league title last season in the prolonged absence of Aguero. Losing him, either altogether physically or just mentally, will have a resounding effect on the club’s efforts to retain their title.
As good as they can be, there are still holes in this side. City have a squad full of fantastic players, but it’s difficult to think of any beyond Toure and Aguero who can drag the side over the line to major silverware.
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The makeup of the behind-the-scenes staff differs from what it was two years ago, and there’s something about City’s quiet behaviour that plays to Pellegrini’s natural demeanour. But the Premier League can be unforgiving. City didn’t win the league last season because they had the best or strongest squad. Instead, they were gifted that opportunity through the self-inflicted mistakes of others. Chelsea, in particular, have moved quickly to address those shortcomings.
There is nothing certain about the state of City’s three most important players, Kompany, Toure and Aguero. But based on recent events, it could prove costly if the club set out to rely too heavily on those three individuals to see them to the top of the mountain once again.
Luis Suarez earned Liverpool a deserved point at home to Newcastle, who had Fabricio Coloccini sent off with seven minutes remaining.
The Uruguayans second half equaliser, which canceled out a spectacular Yohan Cabaye opening goal, ensured it was another winless trip to the red half of Merseyside for the Magpies.
Alan Pardew’s men last won at Anfield in April 1994 under the stewardship of Kevin Keegan and looked certain to continue that the trend as the home side broke out of the traps with venom.
But for all their pressure Brendan Rodger’s side couldn’t fashion out a clear goalscoring opportunity, with Suarez going closest with a free kick that skimmed the top of Tim Krul’s net.
As the first half wore on the visitors gradually grew into the game and took the lead in spectacular style through Cabaye’s sublime volley just three minutes before half time.
Hatem Ben Arfa was instrumental in the build up, beating former Toon defender Jose Enrique down the right before picking out his French compatriot at the back post, who controlled and smashed the ball past Brad Jones in one fluid movement.
That seemed to fire Liverpool up and they fully warranted their equaliser in the 67th minute and it was Suarez who did the damage, controlling Enrique’s long punt on his chest before rounding Krul and slotting the ball home.
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Both teams pressed hard to find a winner with Ben Arfa having a shot saved by Jones and Papiss Cisse volleying wide, while Jonjo Shelvey and Raheem Sterling both wasted chances for the hosts.
However , the game was to end on a decidedly low note as the usually placid Coloccini was shown a straight red card by referee Anthony Taylor following an ugly late challenge on Suarez.
Villarreal attacker Denis Cheryshev came on as a substitute in Russia’s emphatic 5-0 win against Saudi Arabia in the opening match of the 2018 World Cup and scored two brilliant goals, and Everton fans want their club to sign the left winger.
The 27-year-old has played for Sevilla, Valencia and Real Madrid in the past, but his career has dwindled in recent years having left the Champions League holders to join Villarreal in 2016.
The Russian wideman, who would likely compete with Yannick Bolasie and Ademola Lookman for a spot on the left flank at Goodison Park, only played 920 minutes of La Liga football across 24 appearances last term, but he showed the quality that he has with a goal with a neat touch and finish for his first against the Saudis, before a peach with the outside of his left foot into the top corner for his second.
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Everton supporters, who may feel that Marco Silva’s pursuit of an £8m left-back deal would prove he can’t match Farhad Moshiri’s ambitions, were quick to have their say on Cheryshev’s display via social media, and while one said “sign up Denis Cheryshev”, another said “announce Cheryshev”.
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The Manchester United fans here in the Transfer Tavern don’t really know how to take the latest rumour flying around about Marcus Rashford.
Much has been made of the conversation between the United manager, Jose Mourinho and Ajax young gun Justin Kluivert at the end of the Europa League final last season. With that in mind, there’s no surprise that the latest reports are breaking over a move for the talented winger this summer.
However, if that was to happen, our regulars are wondering what would happen to United prodigy Rashford. The England international has seen himself drop down the pecking order slightly in recent months due to the form of Anthony Martial and the arrival of Alexis Sanchez.
Mourinho could opt to move Rashford into the position he originally made his name in as a striker, but he would play second fiddle to Romelu Lukaku. It may be Rashford, not United that could push a move away from Old Trafford in search of regular football, although United may consider selling the youngster this season after the World Cup when his stock would surely be at his highest…
Post World Cup Prices
After any World Cup, especially a successful one, many of the player’s prices are driven up. United after a fair few windows of spending should be looking at balancing the books a little.
If England use Rashford and he lights up the tournament like many of the punters in the bar believe he can, United could capitalise on the situation. Considering the ridiculous premium put on English players most of the time, imagine how much money they could get after a promising World Cup.
Balancing the books
The Red Devils know that if they were to put Rashford up for sale, there would be a line of suitors ready to take the talented youngster on board. A bidding war could commence and with today’s prices alongside Rashfords potential, United could recoup some of the money they have laced out over the seasons following Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
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Many clubs are more interested in balancing the books within their business nowadays than team success, and United are no different.
Arsenal can’t win the Champions League. The be all and end all of qualifying for European football means nothing to those who value sporting achievement over financial gain. Arsenal are very much in Uefa’s top competition to feel the windfall of its revenue, not to challenge the best on the continent.
It’s a harsh reality that doesn’t require much digging to support its claim. Arsenal do have the resources to match the best in Europe. That’s why the club fought initially to move into the Emirates Stadium and then feed of its success, first through gate receipts and then to maximise on commercial sponsors, which we’re finally starting to see.
Arsenal far outstrip Atletico Madrid’s capabilities in building a squad. Borussia Dortmund’s wage bill of last season was smaller than QPR’s, and yet they finished as the runner-up to Bayern Munich, annihilating Real Madrid in the semi-final in Germany.
It’s the mentality that Atletico and Dortmund have that Arsenal can’t come close to. Atletico wiped the floor with AC Milan, beat Zenit and Porto in the group stages, and have now beaten Barcelona to advance to the semi-final. Arsenal don’t have that kind of mental capacity. They don’t have the organisation to hold a lead and withstand an attack that features Lionel Messi and Neymar. There is no motivation to turn over one of the biggest clubs in Europe at home.
For sporting reasons, Arsenal’s participation in the Champions League is built on the modern thinking that the competition adds prestige to a club’s name, as well as the fear that missing out for one season will result in years without top European football.
Like the struggles faced by David Moyes at Manchester United as an excuse not to change the manager at Arsenal, Liverpool’s fall out of Europe and Tottenham’s inability to build on that solitary season in the Champions League are the only two references used to tell of the importance of qualifying each and every year.
Arsenal don’t have the capacity to challenge on four fronts. They barely have the strength to do so on two. Injuries play a part, but the destruction of the squad on a year-on-year basis is the club’s own doing. Freak injury plagues occur, seen this season at Borussia Dortmund, who went the majority of the season without three of their first-choice back four. But what is happening at Arsenal can’t be dismissed or explained away as misfortune.
A year out of the Champions League for Arsenal will provide perspective. It will provide perspective to supporters who fear the unknown, just like with a change of manager. It will also provide perspective to the board and management, who seem to think that making do every season with a half complete squad will be enough; that a manager who has done it before, seemingly against the impossible, will continue to do it no matter what is going on around him at other clubs.
Investment is needed, and not just in new players. Atletico Madrid of this season and Dortmund of the past two or three years should be the models Arsenal follow. Neither of those two teams have invested or are capable of investing in the way their domestic title rivals are. For Arsenal, it’s now a matter of choice not to invest in the way Manchester City or Chelsea do.
Instead, those teams are buying into a strong idea, a footballing identity that is far more solid than what their cash reserves should allow. Diego Simeone’s players will break down walls for him; the same is true of Jurgen Klopp’s team, at least those who are have become accustomed to his coaching style.
They’re drilled to play in a way that speaks of their manager’s mindset and ideals. Atletico Madrid don’t play the prettiest football; Dortmund do and have done so. But vitally neither team can be accused of fragility. Their strengths come from in house, in terms of fitness – of which there are mountains of evidence – and the excellent and effective development of youth. At Arsenal, problems with the former has had a knock-on effect with the latter.
Like Atletico and Dortmund, the way Arsenal play and the attitudes of the players speaks of the mentality of the manager and club overall: a perceived lack of interest in bettering what’s currently available. Stagnation is rife at Arsenal, and only something as big as a drop out of Europe can change the attitude of the club.
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Arsenal may yet fall out of the top four this season, meaning a season in the Europa League is on the cards. But even that might be a distraction – and not because it should be seen as a pointless trophy.
This is not a club capable of handling four competitions with the way it is currently run. There may be comparisons to Liverpool’s season and that they’ve had the fortune of not being distracted by midweek travels around Europe, but they also have a manager who is able to adjust to what he has and bring the best out of his squad.
Arsenal may have to be forced into taking action through failure to qualify for Europe. It shouldn’t be the only option for a club of its resources, but dropping out of the Champions League can do a lot more good than bad.
Former Everton midfielder Ian Snodin has said that the club can still beat Liverpool despite losing Steven Pienaar.
The South African midfielder was unlucky to get shown a second yellow car with replays showing it was a harsh decision from referee, Jon Moss.
Losing Pienaar for the Merseyside derby is a massive blow to the club and could well decide the clash on Sunday.
Snodin admits that as soon as referee John Moss showed the red card, his thoughts immediately turned to the big derby.
“It’s a massive blow ahead of the Liverpool game to be without a player like Steven,” Snodin told the Liverpool Echo.
“We can’t afford to feel sorry for ourselves or fall into the mindset of making excuses already, there is time to plan for the game without him and pretty quickly after I got over my frustration on Sunday I realised I still believe Everton can beat Liverpool.
“We have got the players who can come in and provide the bite and controlled aggression you need to win the key battles in a derby.”
Heading into Sunday’s Premier League tie, Everton are 12 places above their rivals, and are hoping to continue to build on the gap between the two sides.
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“When it comes to winning on Sunday it will be about blood and thunder – who is prepared to put their body on the line, and hopefully we’ll have Marouane Fellaini for the game because he was a big loss in West London,” Snodin added.
According to reports in The Mirror, West Ham United are lining up a summer move for Southampton midfielder Mario Lemina, who is rated at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, but could face competition from Napoli and Manchester City for his signature.
What’s the word, then?
Well, The Mirror says that the Irons are keen to bring the Gabon international to the London Stadium, with new manager Manuel Pellegrini wanting fresher and younger legs in the middle of the park next season – something that will please supporters, who have been quick to respond to a link with an exciting 22-year-old attacker with one fan saying “he reminds me of Dybala”.
The Mirror says that Saints boss Mark Hughes faces a battle to keep hold of the 24-year-old, who showed glimpses of the quality he has in his locker during the 2017/18 campaign following his move from Juventus last summer.
Pellegrini’s need to strengthen his midfield options has become even more of a priority following the news that Manuel Lanzini could be out for around nine months having ruptured his ACL while in World Cup training with Argentina ahead of the tournament in Russia later this month.
How did Lemina do last season?
It was a difficult campaign for the 24-year-old and the team as they struggled down the wrong end of the table under Mauricio Pellegrino, before Hughes led them to safety.
The Gabonese midfielder suffered a couple of injury niggles throughout the campaign that clearly hampered his performances at times, and while he produced some brilliant displays, he also endure his fair share of poor ones as well – including in the 3-0 defeat to West Ham at the London Stadium in March, where he was dominated by Irons man Cheikhou Kouyate in the centre of the park.
Lemina certainly has that energy and ability to take on opponents and bring the ball forward however, as proved by the fact that he successfully completed 55 of the 62 dribbles he attempted in 25 Premier League outings, as per WhoScored.com.
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Would he be a good signing for West Ham?
He certainly would be, and perhaps a more realistic one than someone like Paris Saint-Germain’s Javier Pastore given they are struggling to meet his £190,000-a-week wage demands, according to Sky Sports.
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The 24-year-old would certainly help plug the gap that Lanzini’s absence will undoubtedly leave, although Southampton are likely to demand big money for a player they signed less than 12 months ago.
Southampton failed to win for the 11th consecutive match in the English Premier League on Sunday, this time earning a point against Tottenham Hotspur at St Mary’s.
While it will be seen as an important point against Mauricio Pochettino’s men, Saints are at serious risk of relegation, finding themselves in the bottom three with just 14 games remaining before the end of the season.
They got their goal in Sunday’s 1-1 draw through Davinson Sanchez, who diverted Ryan Bertrand’s cross into his own net. Spurs rallied immediately, Harry Kane equalising just minutes later.
Fans were happy to take positives from the 90 minutes but did have some frustrations with their attacking intentions again, with many criticising Manolo Gabbiadini in particular.
The Italian, who signed for a reported £14m last January, has scored just three goals in 23 appearances so far this season and fans are hoping for more from him in the months to come.
A variety of solutions have been suggested including playing him alongside Shane Long, insisting he works harder when given opportunities or even selling him as soon as possible.
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Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts…
It takes a special kind of man to believe that the best person to replace themselves is them-self. But this appears to be exactly Sir Alex Ferguson’s thinking when it came to choosing his successor. In appointing David Moyes, Ferguson believed he had found the man who was most like himself, and therefore the obvious choice to continue his good work at Old Trafford. Tragically, it seems that in this great narcissistic act, Ferguson managed to overlook vanity.
One of the oft-quoted mantras from Ferguson’s time at Manchester United was ‘no one is bigger than the club’. However, it’s quite clear that he did not include himself in these rankings. He had established himself a position of unrivalled power within the Premier League club that is rarely seen in world football. Such was the extent of his influence that even in the corporate-driven world of modern football, no one questioned who would be in charge of picking his replacement once the venerable Scot decided to retire.
In his final speech at Old Trafford, the Scot laid heavy emphasis on the fan’s duty to support the next manager. Not the club, or the team, or the players, but the manager. For Ferguson, it seems that this was what football had come to be about: management. The sport itself was just a secondary aspect. It only mattered to the extent that it provided an arena in which he could have complete control of all aspects within it; the players, the media, the transfer dealings, the image of the club.
Anyone who didn’t like it was quickly discarded, regardless of value or talent. What mattered was that you subjugated to the control. Players became divided into two strict groups: ‘Manchester United players’ and ‘not Manchester United players’. It was possible to move from the first group to the second, but once you entered the second, there was no turning back.
Ferguson obviously felt that the most likely way to continue the success of Manchester United was to keep this structure in place. But in order to do so, he needed to find a man capable of handling the demands of such power. In looking for the criteria, Ferguson looked at himself. And then who better than David Moyes? A hard-working Scotsman, from a similarly humble background, with a fierce temperament and the requisite loyalty to create a second dynasty.
However, in choosing the man that most resembled himself, it seems Ferguson overlooked the one quality that he was indulging: vanity. Moyes is clearly not an egomaniac. He lacks the supreme confidence and infallibility necessary to fill the grand puppet master role that Ferguson created at Old Trafford. How can you be the main decision maker on all facets of a club as big as Manchester United if you do not have absolute conviction in your decisions?
That David Moyes is lacking in this complete belief is evident. His reaction to his side’s lame defeat at Olympiakos was that he ‘hoped’ for another big night at Old Trafford in the return leg. Hope? Ferguson never hoped. His teams could only lose when the world had conspired against him. Some may argue that Moyes’ confidence is just low given the rough start that he has endured at Man United. However, it’s hard not to feel that Moyes was doomed for failure from the moment he revealed that Ferguson summoned him to his house to tell him he was the next Manchester United.
Anyone with the requisite ego for the Manchester United job does not get ‘told’ anything. In the vanity of trying to pick the man who was most like himself, Ferguson failed to realise that this man was different in one very important aspect: vanity itself.
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