Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has confessed that there is not much he can do to keep Demba Ba at the club.
The Senegal international has been heavily linked with a move away from the Premier League outfit, with his much reported buy-out clause tempting the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal.
It is thought that a fee in the region of £7m will allow Ba to leave St James’ Park, and Pardew admitted that if such a bid is received, the decision will be entirely down to the player himself:
“It’s unfortunate that the contract he has leaves open a lot of questions because we have this clause and every window that comes around, I have to answer the same questions.
“It would be disappointing for him to leave in this window for this club and for his team-mates here, but the decision will be his, ultimately, because that clause is there.
“The most important things we have got with Demba is he is someone who is a goalscorer and he is scoring goals, and that’s very, very important to a side. His commitment to and work-rate for the team, I don’t fault.”
Ba was critical of the Magpies’ current tactics in an interview with Canal+, but Pardew insists that no disciplinary action will be taken against him:
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“It was quoted in England not correctly, and that’s unfair on Demba and unfair on us.
“There will be no disciplinary procedure against him. There was one procedural matter where he could have informed us and should have, really, but that’s neither here nor there.”
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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Liverpool put themselves into a commanding position in the race to finish in the top four of the English Premier League on Saturday, beating Newcastle 2-0 at Anfield to go seven points ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea.
Knowing the Blues have a hugely difficult match away to Manchester City on Sunday, Jurgen Klopp’s side knew victory was a must against the Magpies and didn’t disappoint, scoring a goal in each half to secure the victory.
Their attacking talents took centre stage once again, but another player supporters were raving about was teenager Trent Alexander-Arnold.
With 21 appearances this season, the 19-year-old has emerged as a trusted member of Klopp’s team and was in classy form against Newcastle, easily intercepting the opposition and having a go in attack down the right flank.
Still not the finished article, fans are nonetheless delighted with his progress and can’t wait to see how he develops no he has cemented his place as first choice right-back.
Alongside Andy Robertson, the Reds have two of the best young full-backs in the league and supporters couldn’t be happier.
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They took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his performance…
With the future of Glen Johnson still unknown, it is tipped that he will be leaving Anfield either in January or once his contract expires at the end of the current campaign with Roma keen on acquiring his services.
It is likely that Brendan Rodgers will want to cash in on the England right-back before losing him for free so that he can use his sale in the hopes of reinforcing his wing back role as well as his shaky defence.
So, if Johnson decides to depart during the upcoming transfer window, here are five possible replacements Rodgers should consider when preparing his team for the second half of the season.
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Mattia de Sciglio
//www.youtube.com/embed/Ych46xXpu3o
Name: Mattia de Sciglio
Age: 22
Position: Right / Left Back
Nationality: Italy
Club: AC Milan
Price: £10 – £15 million
Mattia de Sciglio should be a strong contender to replace Glen Johnson as he has already featured for the Italian national team on 17 occasions despite being only 22; he still has so much room for improvement and could very well become the next long term Liverpool right back.
He surely has the potential due to the fact that La Liga giants Real Madrid are also monitoring his situation so Brendan Rodgers may need to act fast with the January window closing in.
Dani Alves
//www.youtube.com/embed/AgWpBqV708I
Name: Dani Alves
Age: 31
Position: Right Back
Nationality: Brazil
Club: Barcelona
Price: £6 – £8 million
Although Dani Alves is already 31, he is still regarded as a quality right back with huge experience due to his trophy-filled years playing at Barcelona. He is sometimes criticised for his lack of defensive contributions, but he definitely makes up for that with his ability to attack, scoring and creating goals as though he was a winger.
Tipped to leave the Catalan giants in the near future, Liverpool face though competition from Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Chelsea, all of whom are interested in adding him to their ranks for a cut-price deal.
Stephan Lichtsteiner
//www.youtube.com/embed/e25IrtVb9BI
Name: Stephan Lichtsteiner
Age: 30
Position: Right Back
Nationality: Switzerland
Club: Juventus
Price: £8 – £10 million (asking price)
The experienced Stephan Lichtsteiner could be a great addition for Liverpool with his high work rate as well as his attacking and defensive qualities. He is a type of player who is never scared to get stuck in and make last ditch tackles and is often seen playing further up, sometimes like a winger.
Last season he managed to score two goals and provide eight in 24 starts for Juventus and is well on his way to replicating his form again this season, netting two and creating four in his nine starts.
Martin Montoya
//www.youtube.com/embed/VGa-SuCkQVw
Name: Martin Montoya
Age: 23
Position: Right / Left Back
Nationality: Spain
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Club: Barcelona
Price: £16 million (buyout clause)
Another young right back Liverpool can consider is Barcelona’s Martin Montoya, a player that has already proven his quality despite very limited playing time at the Camp Nou. Since Brendan Rodgers is still unsure who his usual wing back pairing are, the ability for him to play on both sides on the defence can be seen as a huge boost.
Having only made one appearance this season and just 12 last season, a possible switch to Anfield could mean that he is given a lot more regular first team opportunities, increasing his chances of a bigger role for his national side.
Nathaniel Clyne
//www.youtube.com/embed/kTzoYIBfhGA
Name: Nathaniel Clyne
Age: 23
Position: Right Back
Nationality: England
Club: Southampton
Price: £14 – £18 million
Having already bought three Southampton players during the summer, Liverpool may regret not signing Nathaniel Clyne as well because he is now currently seen as England’s best right back. He featured in all 11 matches for the Saints this season and is enjoying his football as his team now sit in second place of the Premier League.
Due to his recent call-up to the national team as well as his rise in form, Ronald Koeman knows that interest in Clyne is on the rise as he is urging the club to offer him a new deal in order to make sure he stays. However, with Brendan Rodgers needing a quality right back, there is no better Englishman for the job.
Liverpool midfielder Lucas has targeted a run of good results in December to help the club qualify for the Champions League.
The Brazilian returned from a lengthy injury absence during the Reds’ 1-0 victory over Southampton on Saturday.
His restoration gave the club’s midfield a greater feeling of solidity and with some winnable games coming up over the festive period, he believes that the Merseysiders could shoot up the table:
“It shows the Premier League is very tight at the moment,” He said when talking about Liverpool being just seven points off of third spot.
“The gap to third place is not too bad. If we had had a few more wins we would be closer but we can’t change that.
“We have a lot of games now and if we can get three or four wins in a row I think we will be very close to the top four.
“We just have to think to move on to get more points, especially in the crucial time which is coming.
“If we can turn draws into wins it will be even better but we have to keep believing as there are a lot of positive things at the moment.”
Lucas believes that his presence in the midfield will improve the club’s attacking displays:
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“My role is especially key for players like Stevie and Joe, Jordan Henderson, Nuri Sahin and Jonjo Shelvey – the offensive players.
“When you have a player who is not really a holding midfielder (Allen performed the role in Lucas’ absence) the players feel maybe feel a bit worried to join the attack and leave too much space
“If I give that opportunity for them to shine I will be very happy.”
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.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”257599″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Leeds’ opening fixtures for the 201819 Championship season”]
Anyone who has ever seen Christian Pulisic play, for either the USA or Borussia Dortmund, will know he is a precocious talent.
At 19, he has the world at his feet. In his home country – the USA, who he represents, rather than Croatia, who he could have chosen to play for through his grandfather – there is a real belief that he can go on to become their first genuine superstar player.
Born in 1998, he has already cemented a status of potential world-beater on this side of the pond, and is regarded in America as someone with the ability to propel their side forward in the same manner that Gareth Bale has with Wales.
With 20 international games under his belt, and nine goals so far, as well as 55 Bundesliga appearances yielding eight goals and 15 assists, and 15 Champions League appearances, he already has pedigree at the top level.
Skilful, quick, mature and focused, the creative attacker has cemented a place in the Dortmund team and has looked confident and assured.
Both Liverpool and Manchester United are said to be keen, and rightly so. Both have American owners and large stateside fan bases; in a football world where revenue is king, this could be the perfect deal to seal.
At the perfect age for Jurgen Klopp to mould, Pulisic would be ideal as a player. He is already a good player, but will need more guidance to fully exploit his potential.
Primarily a wide man, he can also play as an attacking midfielder, potentially making him someone the Merseyside club could target to replace Philippe Coutinho.
It is no secret that United wanted a winger last summer, and still will, having failed to acquire Ivan Perisic from Inter Milan, despite the arrival of Alexis Sanchez, and Pulisic – valued at £40.5m by transfermarkt.com – fits the bill.
Like with Liverpool, it is logical from the perspective of the money-men as well as the scouts.
No doubt the fee to prise him away from the Rhine area would be astronomical. Given Ousmane Dembele set Barcelona back around an inflated £130 million last summer, a similar price-tag would likely be demanded.
Soccer Football – Europa League Round of 32 First Leg – Borussia Dortmund vs Atalanta – Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany – February 15, 2018 Borussia Dortmund’s Christian Pulisic in action with Atalanta’s Etrit Berisha REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler
But neither side are short of cash, with Manchester United’s financial power well-documented and Liverpool flush with the Coutinho money, and so that would not be a problem.
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Simply for his marketability the transfer fee would be vast, but the reward of having a player of his level is a guaranteed income for the next 15 years.
For both Manchester United and Liverpool, the American fan base is enormous, but a signing like this would propel that to another level.
Securing the USA’s prodigy would represent a smart move for either. It might be that he moves this summer, or at some point in the future, and all the top clubs will be in for him.
The optimal blend of ability and exportability, both Liverpool and Manchester United should be right at the front of the queue for Christian Pulisic.
Are you a frequent reader of footballing publication ‘The Blizzard’? Is your favourite formation Glenn Hoddle’s 3-6-1 from the early 2000s? Do you own a replica Real Mallorca shirt with ‘Hutton, 2’ printed on the back? Have you always felt that Michael Carrick, over Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, deserved to be England’s key midfielder? Do you more frequently check the results of Icelandic top flight Pepsi-deildin than you do the Premier League?
Have you ‘always rated Danny Welbeck even when everyone thought he was dross and way before people started comparing him to Daniel Sturridge’? Then you my friend, are a football hipster.
Since signing for Arsenal on summer deadline day in a £16million deal, Danny Welbeck’s personal bandwagon has taken the nation by storm, as if the football hipsters reproduce by mitosis. His brace for England last week has only exacerbated the situation – justifying ‘long-held’ theories that a move up top would see him bang them in for fun.
Friends, foes, acquaintances, neighbours and pundits are now all fighting over credit for spotting the 23-year-old’s potential first, as if Gary Neville will come down from a spaceship, shake your hand in recognition and then beam you up to his home-planet of footballing superiority.
Not that I have anything in the slightest against Danny Welbeck. Of course, my praise for him will now be laced with hypocrisy, but even the Arsenal forward’s biggest critics would admit that he’s a decent, hard-working, earnest footballer, unfortunate to find himself competing with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Javier Hernandez at Manchester United.
Yet the drastic change in public opinion since deadline day has been nothing short of embarrassingly fickle. A few months ago, Welbeck was relegation fodder, a player who epitomised everything wrong with the England national team, someone who had earned his places for club and country by potential and apparent favouritism, rather than merit. A few months ago, Welbeck was being compared to Emile Heskey.
One headline-grabbing transfer and a decent performance against Switzerland later, suddenly Welbeck is destined for greatness. Stan Collymore believes he should be starting over Wayne Rooney for England, John Cross has labelled the £16million striker ‘the bargain of the transfer window’, whilst The Telegraph’s Jeremy Wilson, Chris Cutmore of the Daily Mail and by The Guardian’s Amy Lawrence, albeit considerably less rigorously, hypothesise Welbeck’s move to north London will trigger a Daniel Sturridge-esque transformation on his goal tally.
Pay no mind to Daniel Strurridge probably being the best finisher of his English generation. Pay no mind to him reaching 30 league goals for Liverpool faster than any player since the 1890s. Pay no mind to the fact quality finishing, throughout underwhelming spells at Manchester City and Chelsea, was always Sturridge’s stand-out characteristic, whilst Welbeck’s biggest flaw is unquestionably his inconsistency in front of goal – even the forward’s first strike for England at St. Jakob Park bounced into the net off the his shin.
I have no doubts that joining Arsenal, receiving a greater share of game time and deployment in a more suitable role will bring a higher confidence to Danny Welbeck’s game. Alas, it seems logical to suggest he’ll improve upon his return for Manchester United, 20 goals in 90 league appearances, at the Emirates.
But let us deal with realities and not potential extrapolations. The 23 year-old’s unreliability in front of goal was part of the reason, in combination with his work-rate, tactical understanding and athleticism, that he found himself more commonly out wide than up front for United. He made nearly 150 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils, but never even came close to making that role his own.
Arsenal’s acquisition – the idea that they’ve pulled off a masterstroke by signing a player for a position he’s yet to excel in – should be viewed as a major risk. Would any other Premier League club sign Welbeck as one of their two leading strikers in a year they’re meant to be challenging for the title?
Even Arsene Wenger clearly has doubts, after revealing this morning he preferred a loan move and wouldn’t have signed the striker permanently if he was in London, as opposed to refereeing a charity match in Rome, on deadline day.
Diverse opinions are the underlying beauty of football. Everyone has a right to their own and, amid a game that’s developing, evolving and changing all the time, no opinion can be considered the absolute, impenetrable truth. It’s all a matter of perspective.
But how much of this support for Danny Welbeck is true opinion, and how much of it is simply the power of vogue? It’s almost as if genuinely enjoying Welbeck’s performances whilst he contributed just two goals in 27 appearances to United’s last successful title bid became so uncool, it’s now somehow emerged as cool again – like overpriced vintage clothing from an independent boutique that wouldn’t look out of place in your grandmother’s wardrobe. Does that really make you any more of an individual than shopping in Primark?
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If you’ve always appreciated Danny Welbeck’s talents (or rather, his lack of), then good for you. Well done – you’ve finally reached the promised land after three years of unjustifiable performances, you truly are a football hipster.
But, if deep down, like the rest of us, the prevailing pleasure Welbeck has given you in that same time period is the licence to heckle your television, bemoaning every misplaced pass for England, every squandered opportunity for Manchester United, whilst regularly commenting on his inadequacies not just as a winger, but as a goal-scorer, only to completely u-turn this opinion because of the positive reaction to his Arsenal move in the British press and Media, then shame on you – there’s nothing worse than a football hipster than a wannabe football hipster.
Then again, in this modern age of world-wide exposure to every player in every league, irreverent statistics and 24-hour football news channels, whether we like it or not, to echo John Prescott in 1997; perhaps we’re all football hipsters now.
Tottenham Hotspur star man Gareth Bale has claimed that if the right club came in, he would consider a move away from England.
Bale captained Spurs for the first time in midweek and despite his meteoric rise over the past few seasons, the Welshman is keeping his feet firmly on the ground.
“I never really think about being famous,” Bale told the Daily Mirror.
“As long as you don’t get too carried away, you are usually okay. You just go along with what is going along. You never really take too much notice.
“As soon as you realise how big you are, that is when you lose yourself.
“I just try to keep going. You just have to take the attention in your stride. The main thing is to concentrate on my football.
“My agent (Jonathan Barnett) has been great, we have been very close. And my family help me keep my feet on the ground. I have got a great group around me which helps me a great deal.
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“If the time comes and a team that is right comes in for me, then I will look at it seriously. I will see what happens.”
Durham bowled out for 262 after being harried by home side’s six-man seam attack
ECB Reporters Network17-Sep-2024Durham battled hard to reach 262 all out at the Kia Oval but it was still Surrey who had the better of day one as they seek a third successive Vitality County Championship title.Colin Ackermann’s unbeaten 78 was a particularly creditable effort but the 33-year-old was left stranded as Dan Worrall snatched two quick wickets with the second new ball and finish with figures of 4 for 39.In 12 overs’ batting before the close, Surrey then raced to 52 without loss in late afternoon sunshine with Rory Burns completing 1000 Championship runs for the season as he tucked into some loose new ball bowling to pull a six and also hit seven fours in a 46-ball 40 not out.Surrey, county champions in 2022 and 2023, began the penultimate round of Division One matches eight points clear of second-placed Somerset, who beat them at Taunton last week, and still in control of their own destiny.And, when they had reduced Durham to 134 for 5 by mid-afternoon, after opting to bowl first, it looked as if Surrey were on course to bowl their visitors out for a modest first-innings total.Ackermann and Bas de Leede, however, then added 70 in a punchy fifth wicket stand to blunt a six-pronged Surrey pace attack, in which only Conor McKerr – not introduced until the 49th over and whose four overs cost 33 – proved ineffective. De Leede struck six fours in his 36 from 54 balls before splicing a pull at a short ball from Tom Curran and offering a simple catch to wide mid-on.Sam Curran’s removal of Callum Parkinson for 1 just after tea, caught behind by Ben Foakes, left Durham uneasy again on 216 for 7. But Ackermann, straight driving the younger Curran brother for one glorious four, continued to flourish while 19-year-old paceman Daniel Hogg, making his fourth first-class appearance, helped him to add a further 30 for the eighth wicket.Hogg’s innings of 6 ended with a pull at Tom Lawes that went straight into Tom Curran’s hands at deep square leg and 16-year-old left-arm fast bowler James Minto managed two fours off Clark on his first-class debut before Worrall swung one back between bat and pad to bowl him for 8.Two balls later Chemar Holder was leg-before to a Worrall near-yorker, while Ackermann struck ten fours in his 125-ball knock.Alex Lees and Ben McKinney had earlier given Durham’s innings a solid start although the former, when he was on 23 and the total 44, was bowled shouldering arms to a Sam Curran no-ball.Both openers fell in Worrall’s second spell, the leader of Surrey’s attack having switched to the Pavilion End to better utilize a gentle cross breeze. On 60, McKinney fell for 23 when he pushed away from his body and edged to Foakes and fellow left-hander Lees, captaining Durham in the injury absence of Scott Borthwick, was bowled for 36 by an absolute beauty from Worrall that ducked back into him late.In between those wickets Tom Curran had Emilio Gay leg-before for a duck, ending an uncomfortable 12-ball stay on his Durham debut for a player who has joined on-loan ahead of a permanent move from Northamptonshire this winter.David Bedingham, dropped by a diving Dom Sibley on 14 when he miscued a hook at Lawes towards point – Sibley having run from second slip to try to get to the dropping ball – put on 51 with Ollie Robinson either side of lunch, but Surrey’s seamers would not let them get away despite Bedingham hitting consecutive fours off Lawes, through extra cover and wide of mid-on.Jordan Clark pinned Robinson leg-before for 17 and Lawes had his revenge on Bedingham by producing a perfect away-swinger to have him caught behind by a tumbling Foakes, before Ackermann marshalled the lower order to good effect.