According to the Manchester Evening News, Manchester United have been told that it will take £53m to sign Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred in this summer’s transfer window.
The 25-year-old has been strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent months, and it had been thought that the Red Devils were in pole position for the Brazil international.
That said, it is now understood that Paris Saint-Germain have expressed an interest in a player who will represent his country at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
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United boss Jose Mourinho is said to be keen to sign at least two new midfielders this summer as he looks to put together a squad capable of challenging Manchester City for the Premier League title next season.
The United fans have been reacting to the latest transfer report surrounding the seven-time Brazil international, and whilst many would welcome the midfielder to the club, there are those that are not too sure whether it would be the correct deal.
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A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Manchester United enjoyed dominance of the ball at Wembley against Chelsea but could not turn it into goals as the Blues ran out 1-0 winners to clinch the final domestic trophy of the season.
Jose Mourinho’s safety-first football ensured that United did not take the handbrake off until the second half but the individual performances of the players did not help as Chelsea managed to keep their opponents at arm’s length for much of the game.
Paul Pogba did not impress the fans, unable to create a great deal given the amount of possession he had but when we asked them to rate the performance of the players, three men who started the match came out worse.
Phil Jones was at fault for the goal that decided the match, caught on his heels by Eden Hazard before losing composure and ploughing into the Belgian – who he could face at the World Cup – to give away a spot-kick.
Going forward, Mourinho fielded something approaching a front two of Alexis Sanchez and Marcus Rashford but both, along with Jones, made up the bottom three among the starters.
Check out the full player ratings results below…
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Newcastle fans have been debating a shock swoop for Arsenal man Santi Cazorla, and fans are split on the classy but fragile midfielder.
Santi Cazorla will not renew his Arsenal contract this summer, meaning the little Spaniard will be available on a free transfer.
The 33 year-old has had a torrid time with injuries in recent seasons, not playing a single minute for the Gunners this season.
Despite that, there is bound to be a whole host of clubs lining up to secure his services, as the crafty playmaker can dictate the tempo of a game at any speed he likes.
Newcastle have of course found a formidable pairing in centre midfield with Mo Diame and Jonjo Shelvey, but they are still lacking a little creativity, and Cazorla could play in any of the five midfield positions in Rafael Benitez’s 4-2-3-1.
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The Arsenal fan favourite’s injury issues mean he simply cannot be relied upon as the first option, but fans have been debating whether they’d take him for depth.
Cazorla will be desperate to get back to playing football as he reaches full fitness again this summer, and the Spaniard seems like the type who would relish playing in a passionate atmosphere with a manager like Benitez.
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Some fans are desperate for a player of Cazorla’s class, but others simply can’t look past his injury record.
Either way, some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
Danny Rose was one of Tottenham’s best performers in 2016/17, establishing himself as a guaranteed starter for the England team as well, but last season was not so productive for the left-back.
The former Leeds United man angered Mauricio Pochettino on the eve of the season, arguing the case for expensive new signings, before a season in which he lost his starting spot to Ben Davies for much of the campaign.
That has led to links with Everton and Manchester United over a summer move as Pochettino can be notoriously ruthless when one of his players is on the wrong side of him, although he has integrated Rose back into the side to the extent that he has included in Gareth Southgate’s plans for the World Cup in Russia this month.
So, with Bayern Munich reportedly willing to listen to offers for left-back Juan Bernat among others, we asked Tottenham fans whether they thought the Spaniard would be a good Rose replacement.
The answer came back in favour of the England international with 64 per cent of the voters claiming that he is the superior talent, as you can see from the full results below…
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As reported by The Sun, Liverpool are ready to bid for Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope this summer, potentially ending their pursuit of Roma shot-stopper Alisson.
What’s the story?
After the UEFA Champions League Final horror-show from Loris Karius, Liverpool need to be on the hunt for an elite goalkeeper this summer that can at least compete with the German for the number one spot at Anfield.
The Sun report that Jurgen Klopp eyes Burnley man Nick Pope for that role, ready to bid £15m for his services this summer.
The paper say that he would be a far cheaper choice than the £70m-rated Alisson, with Burnley likely to let him leave due to having Tom Heaton also at the club.
Would Pope be a good signing for the Reds?
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Settling vs ambition
There’s no doubt that Pope has proven himself to be a capable goalkeeper in the English Premier League, conceding just 35 goals in 35 appearances for Burnley last season, also keeping 12 clean sheets.
He wasn’t just a bystander contributing to that record, making a string of impressive saves and showing good enough form to win a place in the England squad for the 2018 World Cup.
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It’s also true though that he wouldn’t automatically be first-choice at Liverpool should he make the switch, whereas Roma’s Alisson undoubtedly would be. The Brazilian shot-stopper carries a bigger presence and brings more confidence to goalkeeping than pope and is the prime choice for Liverpool this summer if they can push the boat out and pay the £70m it’s reported it would take to sign him.
It may be a more difficult negotiation and it may last all summer, but if Liverpool are to win major honours next season they need the very best at the club and Alisson represents that.
World Cup performances always add new names to the Premier League’s transfer rumour columns, but sometimes it churns up old ones too. Fabian Schar is a fantastic example – back in summer 2014, during the World Cup in Brazil, he was strongly linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur having impressed with FC Basel in the Champions League the season previous.
The switch never quite materialised and Schar’s career ended up taking a somewhat more modest path instead, joining Hoffenheim a year later and then moving to Deportivo in summer 2017, who were unfortunately relegated last season.
But that only suggests the Switzerland international will be on the move once again this summer so the World Cup has come at a perfect time for him – and his opening performance has given due cause for revived interest from his former suitors.
Indeed, after an explosive start from Brazil, Switzerland managed to curtail the impact of Neymar, Philippe Coutinho and company as the Group E clash ended in a 1-1 draw, and Schar played a key role in that. In fact, he won the most headers, made the most clearances and blocked the most shots of any Switzerland player while recording two tackles and two interceptions.
Curiously too, Tottenham find themselves in need of a centre-back option once again this summer, with Toby Alderweireld potentially leaving the north London club due to his contract situation. So, Spurs fans, should Pochettino revive his interest in the Deportivo defender, who Transfermarkt value at just £2.7million? Let us know by voting below…
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According to reports by Sport Italia, via Football Italia, West Ham United are in talks to sign Genoa centre-back Armando Izzo, who is rated at £8.5m according to The Sun, and Birmingham City should be watching developments closely.
What’s the word, then?
Well, Sport Italia, via Football Italia, reports that the east London outfit are keen to bring the 26-year-old Italian to the London Stadium as Manuel Pellegrini looks to strengthen his defensive options ahead of the new campaign.
The Hammers conceded a joint-high 68 goals in their 38 Premier League matches last term, and it is no surprise that the Chilean boss is looking for reinforcements given the club has lost Jose Fonte and James Collins in recent months, and with Winston Reid often hampered by injury issues.
Izzo has four years remaining on his contract at the Serie A side, but he could be available for something of a bargain fee before the English top flight window closes on August 9.
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Why should Birmingham be monitoring the situation?
Well, Blues boss Garry Monk will be determined to add new faces to his own squad this summer to ensure they don’t find themselves in another relegation battle in the upcoming season, and while one of his side’s main issues last term was their failure to put the ball in the back of the net, it doesn’t mean that he won’t look to strengthen at the back, too.
One player that may well have caught his eye is 6ft 2in West Ham centre-back following a successful season-long loan spell with Bolton Wanderers last time out, and he is likely to definitely be available should the Irons push through a deal for Izzo.
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Burke is a tall centre-back who is strong in the air, and he has proven that he can be a more than useful central defender at Championship level for Birmingham, who would be making their best signing in years if they snap up 19-year-old World Cup ace.
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According to RMC Sport, Tottenham have made a move for prolific Nice striker Alassane Plea. Ultimately, much of the talk among our Tottenham supporters in the Transfer Tavern has been about that second striker position at the club, with neither Vincent Janssen nor Fernando Llorente doing an adequate enough job of providing back-up to main man Harry Kane.
The Breakdown
Unquestionably, 24-year-old Kane is one of the best strikers in world football at present having netted 140 goals in just 213 games for Mauricio Pochettino’s men, with his tally of 41 last term his best return in a single season during his professional career to date.
And with the Englishman continuing his fine form into this summer’s World Cup, having netted five times for Gareth Southgate’s side in their opening two group matches, it’s clear that Spurs have a huge asset in their squad, and one they will rely on to take them towards major honours in the years to come.
However, it’s imperative that the Pochettino has another striker in their ranks to call upon if and when Kane gets injured, suspended, or endures a testing run of form, and quite simply messrs Janssen and Llorente have been unable to do that in the last two years.
Yet £16.2 million-rated Plea (as per Transfermarkt) could finally be the man to not only be the ideal deputy to Kane, but to also give the England captain something to think in terms of the number one starting berth.
Ultimately, the 25-year-old former France youth international has enjoyed a fine few years at Ligue 1 side Nice, having netted 14 goals in the 2016/17 campaign for the French outfit, before bettering that last term with 21 goals and seven assists in all competitions.
How far will England get in Russia? Tell us now
And while some will point to the prolific goal-scoring record of Janssen in the Netherlands prior to his arrival at Spurs, and indeed that of Llorente in the Premier League, they had both only really produced the goods for one season prior to their arrival – Plea has done so for the last couple.
And with adeptness at playing on the left wing, having scored seven goals from that position last term, Plea would also offer Pochettino more than just another centre forward option, thus raising the possibility of getting both he and indeed Kane in the starting eleven.
Significantly though, the 25-year-old appears to be exactly what Tottenham will want from a so-called second-choice striker – he has been prolific in the last few seasons, he has scored goals at European level, and has the versatility in playing down the left-hand-side to give the manager another attacking option.
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In fact, while Kane is without doubt one the best strikers in world football, it remains to be seen how much the World Cup could take out of him ahead of the 2018/19 season, and were he struggle in the early phases of the campaign, Plea appears plenty good enough to deputise.
Thus, not only would the Frenchman be an ideal squad addition, but he also has the attacking ability to give Kane something to think about ahead of the new season.
Chelsea are in for a big summer and their fans here in the Transfer Tavern are a concerned bunch at the moment.
With the future of manager Antonio Conte still unclear and plenty of the clubs around them already acting in the transfer market to strengthen their squads.
The Blues were FA Cup winners last season but their league form faltered, and this season, whoever is in charge will hope to get the Londoners back in and among the Champions League places where many feel they belong.
To make an impression, the Blues are going to have to look for some top talent to bring in, and one player our landlord has been keeping a close watch on this summer is £40m-rated Croatia star Ivan Perisic.
The flying winger has once again impressed on the world stage for his country over in Russia, and it would be a huge surprise if there are not clubs sniffing around the 29-year-old Inter Milan star during this window.
His age might not represent value for money in some fans’ eyes, but rest assured, Perisic has plenty left in the tank and is a class act.
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Pacey, good in front of goal, and willing to put the work in, Perisic would be a superb addition to a Chelsea side which risks losing the likes Eden Hazard and Willian this summer.
Blues fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know in the comments!
Peter Siddle will be nursed through the next week in the hope he can recover from a hamstring problem to appear in the final Test against West Indies
Cricinfo staff09-Dec-2009Peter Siddle will be nursed through the next week in the hope he can recover from a hamstring problem to appear in the final Test against West Indies in Perth. Siddle limped through the final days of the drawn second game and was expected to be unavailable for the decider, but the selectors avoided any changes when a scan on the injury showed no major damage.Clint McKay stays with the outfit in the hope of a debut at the WACA while Doug Bollinger, who took five wickets in Adelaide, should hold his spot whether Siddle makes it or not. “Peter Siddle experienced some hamstring soreness during the Adelaide Test and underwent a scan on Wednesday which has cleared him of any serious damage,” the team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said. “He will continue to be treated and monitored before a final decision will be made on his availability to play.”Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said Siddle would be assessed daily leading up to the match. “We are hopeful he will recover in time to take his place in the side for what should be an exciting climax to the three-match Test series,” he said. Australia hold a 1-0 lead after winning in Brisbane, but West Indies controlled much of the second game to put some pressure on the hosts.Ben Hilfenhaus was not included in the 12-man squad due to his persistent tendon injury in his left knee and will be held back in the hope he is fit for the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan. “He has not made sufficient progress to select him for the Perth match and he will remain in Hobart to continue his rehabilitation,” Kountouris said.Australia squad Simon Katich, Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Marcus North, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger, Clint McKay.