According to various reports, Xherdan Shaqiri has a €14million (£12.75m) relegation clause, and the stats show exactly why Newcastle should take the plunge.
Every year there are several Premier League standard players that jump ship from relegated clubs.
Stoke City are the first team to suffer the drop this season, and two players that have been heavily linked with moves are Jack Butland and Xherdan Shaqiri.
Newcastle certainly don’t need a new goalkeeper thanks to the amazing signing of Martin Dubravka, so that just leaves Shaqiri.
The Swiss winger has some problems with consistency, but he has still managed eight goals and six assists this term in a Stoke side that rarely scores more than one in a match.
The dazzling wing wizard has also created 13 big chances, which shows his assist numbers could be doubled if he played in a more clinical side.
Whether or not Islam Slimani and Aleksandar Mitrovic stay or go at Newcastle is yet to be seen, but either way it is pretty clear that Rafael Benitez likes a target man.
With that in mind, Shaqiri’s 200 crosses this season could be right up Rafa’s alley, as he looks to add the goals to his well organised side.
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One area that the 68-cap Swiss international will need to improve if he wants to be a Magpie is his defending and work ethic, making just 24 tackles this season.
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To put that in perspective, Newcastle’s current right midfielder Matt Ritchie has made 44 tackles this season, something Benitez expects from his front players as the bare minimum.
Shaqiri has a rare star quality that very few players have, and with a bit of fine-tuning and motivation from Benitez he could be everything Newcastle fans want from this summer transfer window.
Newcastle fans, would you back bargain summer swoop for Shaqiri? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
Everton’s 2017-18 Premier League campaign ended with a 3-1 defeat at West Ham United on Sunday afternoon.
The Toffees still managed to secure eighth in the table, however, after Leicester City lost at Tottenham Hotspur.
There is no question that the majority of Everton fans are unhappy with what they have seen from their team this season, and many want Sam Allardyce to leave ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.
Tom Davies is still just 19 years of age, but the midfielder played in 33 of Everton’s 38 Premier League matches during the 2017-18 season, which is very impressive.
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The midfielder has not impressed the Everton fans with his performances in recent weeks, however, and many took to social media at the weekend to criticise the Englishman.
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Davies does not turn 20 until the end of next month, and there is no question that he has made steps forward this season. The Everton fans, however, are not convinced that he has what it takes to become a first-team star.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Should lifting the FA Cup on Saturday prove to be Antonio Conte’s last act as Chelsea boss, he’ll join a strangely unique club. Just one manager to serve under Roman Abramovich has lasted longer than a year at Stamford Bridge after winning England’s most coveted cup competition, yet the calibre of the personnel involved is beyond exceptional – Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Guus Hiddink are not only amongst the greatest managers in Chelsea’s modern history, but also amongst the greatest of their eras.
So in many ways, for Conte to be formally dismissed after beating Manchester United on Saturday is as much an endorsement of his potential for further success elsewhere as it is an indictment on Chelsea’s disappointing title defence, ending the Premier League campaign in fifth place.
It also highlights why although Abramovich has brought unprecedented success to Stamford Bridge, 14 major trophies and counting so far, there’s always a feeling that the club’s hire-and-fire culture has resulted in wasted opportunities, and prevented a real dynasty from growing in west London. Only once since Mourinho’s first dismissal in 2007 have Chelsea held onto any trophy for more than one season – Hiddink ending his interim spell with the 2009 FA Cup and Ancelotti pulling off a successful defence a year later.
So, what happened after each manager brought the FA Cup to Abramovich’s trophy cabinet, and what does that mean for Conte? Here’s a brief but important history…
Jose Mourinho
FA Cup final: Chelsea 1-0 Man United. Failing to hold onto the Premier League title for a third consecutive term, Didier Drogba brought a positive end to the Blues’ season by scoring a 116th-minute winner over the Red Devils during the first ever cup final at the new Wembley.
How long did he last? 124 days later, Mourinho and Chelsea unexpectedly agreed to a contract termination by ‘mutual consent’. It followed a slow start to the new season by Mourinho’s standards, losing to Aston Villa and drawing with Rosenborg in the Champions League. But the backdrop was the Portuguese’s resentment towards the club’s transfer policy, something Conte can undoubtedly sympathise with.
What happened next? A year later, Mourinho was appointed by Inter Milan. His first season ended with the Serie A title and his second ended with the San Siro giants completing an illustrious treble, including the 2010 Champions League title. Three years on from that, Mourinho would find himself back at Stamford Bridge after a turbulent spell at Real Madrid.
Guus Hiddink
FA Cup final: Chelsea 2-1 Everton. Stepping in for the short-lived Phil Scolari, Hiddink ended a hugely popular interim spell with silverware as Chelsea fought back to beat Everton 2-1 after Louis Saha had opened the scoring in the first minute.
How long did he last? Officially, Hiddink’s reign came to an end just one day later, although it was as much his decision as Chelsea’s not to make his temporary appointment a permanent one. The Dutchman had only been brought in to steady the ship, doing so with a 77% win rate, and wanted to return to international management.
What happened next? That actually proved to be the last great success story of Hiddink’s managerial career, one that has seen him take underdogs to the semi-finals of major international tournaments and win the European Cup with PSV. Spells with Turkey, Anzhi and the Netherlands bore little fruit and Hiddink ended up stepping in at Stamford Bridge once again in 2016, following the disastrous end to Mourinho’s second stint with the west Londoners.
Carlo Ancelotti
FA Cup final: Chelsea 1-0 Portsmouth. Ancelotti marked his first season at Chelsea with a domestic double, setting a Premier League record for goals scored in the process. They required another Drogba goal to overcome a resilient Pompey side that exited the Premier League in bottom place.
How long did he last? Just over a year. Ancelotti brought instant success back to Chelsea – who hadn’t lifted the Premier League title for four years prior to his arrival – but paid the price the season after when he couldn’t follow it up with more silverware. The Blues were eliminated from the Champions League by Manchester United and finished as runners-up behind them in the top flight after losing to them again in May. Following a defeat to Everton on the final day of the season, the Italian was sacked.
What happened next? Ancelotti went onto establish himself as one of the greatest managers of all time, becoming only the second to lift Europe’s top title on three occasions during a short and sweet spell with Real Madrid. Either side of that, he guided PSG and Bayern Munich to domestic titles. Still one of the best in the business, it wouldn’t be a huge shock to see him return to Stamford Bridge and replace Conte this summer.
Roberto Di Matteo
Football – Chelsea v Liverpool FA Cup Final – Wembley Stadium – 5/5/12 Chelsea manager Robert Di Matteo is tossed into the air by his players after winning the Final Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Jason Cairnduff Livepic
FA Cup final: Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool. Di Matteo pulled off the most unexpected of doubles after replacing Andre Villas-Boas. A severely weakened Chelsea team not only beat Liverpool 2-1 but also overcame Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena to lift the Champions League in 2012. Still the club’s greatest achievement under Abramovich.
How long did he last? 201 days. There was always a feeling that Abramovich had only given Di Matteo the job permanently because he felt obliged to, and the club legend inevitably struggled to live up to his early success. The following season, the Italian oversaw Chelsea’s early elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Juventus and a Premier League defeat to key title rivals Manchester United. Rafa Benitez was controversially brought in as his interim successor and guided Chelsea to a Europa League title.
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What happened next? In fairness to Abramovich, Di Matteo’s struggles since leaving Chelsea largely justify his decision to swiftly part with the former midfielder. He lasted less than a full season at Schalke, missing out on Champions League football following a run of just two wins from his last ten games, and was ousted after just twelve games at Aston Villa, winning one of them before being replaced by Steve Bruce. Di Matteo is yet to find another job since.
Antonio Conte?
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FA Cup final: Due to face Manchester United this Saturday, a team Chelsea have won and lost to already this season in the Premier League. Especially when combined the fact Conte’s never won a cup as a manager, varying league form probably means United enter the weekend as the favourites.
When will he be sacked? It’s all rumours and conjecture at this moment in time, but it’s unlikely Conte will survive Chelsea’s poor Premier League campaign regardless of whether the Blues win on Saturday, especially bearing in mind how public he’s been in criticising the club’s transfer policy. The timing feels right for both parties to move on, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Conte’s departure was announced immediately after the FA Cup final.
What next for Conte? There’s no question Conte will be in demand should he leave west London this summer. He won’t be returning to the Italy job and a Juventus reunion seems unlikely, but Arsenal will have a vacancy this summer – could the Italian make the bold step across the London divide? There’s also a chance of an opening at Real Madrid, which would represent the most illustrious job of Conte’s career so far.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was spotted in the crowd at Austria’s friendly with Russia on Wednesday night, and while many reported that he was there to watch West Ham United attacker Marko Arnautovic, Bayern Munich left-back David Alaba, rated at £45m by Transfermarkt, may have been another player he was there to scout.
The 25-year-old has established himself as the Bundesliga champions’ first-choice in that position in recent seasons, and it would certainly be an audacious move by Mourinho if he was somehow able to prise the 62-cap international away from the Allianz Arena.
The Portuguese boss seems certain to bring in a new left-back/left wing-back this summer having seen Ashley Young been his preferred choice there during the 2017/18 campaign, and it is something that the Old Trafford faithful, who have delivered their verdict on a potential move for a 23-year-old Portugal international described by one fan as “worse than Rashford”, would like to see.
We asked Man United supporters to vote on our poll to see whether they would back an ambitious move to bring Alaba to Old Trafford, and a huge 72% said they would, which is rather unsurprisingly given the quality and experience he clearly has.
It would certainly take a large offer from the Red Devils to convince Bayern to sell, but Mourinho has certainly been backed well in the transfer market previously and there is no reason why that wouldn’t happen again for the right player.
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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.
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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West Ham target Javier Pastore is reportedly nearing a switch to Roma instead, but West Ham fans think they may just have dodged a bullet.
According to Calciomercato, Pastore is set for a medical with Champions League semi-finalists Roma.
The PSG man has been heavily linked with a move to East London, but it appears his wage demands have halted any chance of a move to the London Stadium.
The Argentine playmaker, who has 2 goals in 29 caps for his country, is incredibly talented, but injuries have plagued his career since moving to PSG, and fans are thinking it might be a blessing in disguise to lose him to Roma.
Joao Mario is another player fans are discussing, and it seems plenty of them agree he would be a better signing than Pastore.
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The Portuguese international, who spent the second half of last season on loan with the Hammers, is younger, more versatile and far less injury prone than the PSG superstar.
Mario has been linked with re-joining the Hammers on a permanent basis, as Manuel Pellegrini seeks more attacking impetus to replace the injured Manuel Lanzini.
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You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…
According to the Daily Mail, Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers are interested in signing Newcastle United winger Yasin Ben El-Mhanni.
What’s the story?
El-Mhanni signed for Newcastle in 2016 but has failed to make a single league appearance for the Magpies since moving to the north-east.
The 22-year-old came to prominence after making an official complaint about coach Peter Beardsley who he accused of bullying and discrimination.
According to the Mail, El-Mhanni is due to leave the club this summer, and Watford, Wolves, Leeds and Sporting Lisbon are interested in signing the tricky winger.
A fresh start
It’s fair to say that El-Mhanni hasn’t enjoyed the best of times at Newcastle and it’s good to see that he’ll get a fresh start again at a new club this summer.
Having not made any Premier League appearances and only played two FA Cup games for Newcastle means it is hard to judge whether he would be a good addition to any squad.
He will be available of a free transfer so there is little risk in the transfer, and you can expect that El-Mhanni will want to prove himself after suffering a difficult period.
Perhaps a move down to the Championship would be a good idea for the winger where he could excel for Leeds and feel the love from the Elland Road fans.
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New boss Marcelo Bielsa is ushering in an exciting new era at the club and the pacy winger could be a big part of that project if he’s willing to take a step down, rather than fighting it out for a place in the starting line-up at Wolves in the top-flight.
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For the Liverpool fans in the Transfer Tavern, forwards don’t come much better than Roberto Firmino, who is rated at £72 million by Transfer Tavern. That begs the question, then: should the Brazilian still be at Liverpool?
After all, on current form, the 26-year-old is up there with the world’s very best. Last season, he bagged a pretty remarkable 15 league goals, which is a testament to his lethality in front of goal. Furthermore, with 7 assists, the Brazilian is clearly contributing to Liverpool’s play in more ways than one, and the attack often begins to struggle without his presence. Given the fact that some of Europe’s best teams have forwards that can only dream of having that sort of impact, it’s fair to say that he deserves to play for a team that is competing on every front.
What do you think of the World Cup so far? Let us know
Liverpool as a club, meanwhile, though they are improving, are hardly a club that is challenging for every trophy that they’re in contention for. They had a great run to the Champions League final last term, but were outclassed in the final, and their form in the Premier League and in the domestic cups was mixed at best. He’s played a key role as Liverpool have continued to develop, but there is somewhat of a disparity between his form and Liverpool’s as a collective.
Not to mention, Firmino’s playstyle is also something to consider. He’s a player that is unique in the context of Europe. He’s not just a goalscoring forward. If anything, he’s much more than that. The way he brilliantly links up with other players, and the amount he runs, means that he would be an invaluable player for most of Europe’s clubs. In particular, the way he links up with a three-man attack would likely entice clubs like Real Madrid, who rely heavily on goal-scoring wingers. Whilst Liverpool are obviously a huge club, it doesn’t come much bigger than a move to Madrid – and there’s no doubting that he’s good enough to turn out for Los Blancos.
Liverpool fans – thoughts?
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Ireland will play a quadrangular Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka, involving Sri Lanka A, Afghanistan and Canada
Cricinfo staff18-Dec-2009Ireland will play a quadrangular Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka, involving Sri Lanka A, Afghanistan and Canada, as part of their preparations for the ICC World Twenty20 qualifier in the UAE in February.Ireland will travel to Sri Lanka after the completion of their Intercontinental Cup match against Afghanistan and the four-team tournament will be held from January 31 to February 4,”This will give the squad a good work-out ahead of the UAE leg of the tour. It’ll get the players into the mindset of the shorter format of the game,” Phil Simmons, the Ireland coach, said. “We still haven’t played a lot of 20-over cricket, although the experience of playing in the finals in England last year will help us. There are only two places up for grabs for the finals in the West Indies, so it will be difficult for all the teams. There will be a lot of pressure games with so much at stake, but we have a lot of experience in our camp, which is so vital as we showed last year when we won the World Cup Qualifiers in South Africa.””I and the players want to make it four in a row in terms of qualifying for the major tournaments – when you get a taste of the big time, you want more. The players are still hungry for more success, and for me there would be the added bonus of coaching Ireland in the West Indies. We did fantastically well there in 2007, as that’s where we really announced ourselves on the world stage. Ireland has happy memories of the West Indies – it’d be great if we could have a few more in 2010.”