Many Aston Villa fans have reacted to some transfer gossip that claims former striker Christian Benteke is available for sale this summer for £10m.
Claret and Blue boss Dean Smith saw the likes of Mbwana Samatta, Keinan Davis and Wesley all struggle to find consistency last term.
Adding 26 goal striker Ollie Watkins from Brentford last week, Smith now has more firepower in his front line but further transfer gossip has emerged linking Lyon striker Bertrand Traore with a move to the club.
Further to that report linking the Burkina Faso striker with a Villa Park move, Birmingham LIVE have reported that Benteke is available for a small transfer fee of £10m.
The Belgian striker scored 49 goals in 101 appearances for Villa, whilst also supplying 12 assists for his former teammates.
Reacting to the gossip, some Villa fans gave a response via Twitter account @AVFC_News. However, it seems the majority are not keen on a reunion with the big striker, suggesting it would be a backwards step for the club.
Indeed, Benteke has really struggled in recent years and has scored just three league goals in the last two seasons. Here is what some had to say…
Do you think a return move for Benteke would be a good idea? Let us know in the comments section below…
Former Glasgow Rangers striker Kevin Kyle has said that the Gers should look to bring in Martin Boyle from Hibernian if Ryan Kent does leave the club this summer.
23-year-old Kent has been the subject of interest from Leeds United over the past couple of weeks – the Whites have even had a £10m bid rejected for the left-winger. Whilst Steven Gerrard will not want to see one of his star players leave, he will need a contingency plan if the Liverpudlian cannot resist the bright lights of the Premier League.
Kyle believes that the Gers should target Boyle if he does depart. He told Open Goal:
“I think Kent, he could be replaced by a (Martin Boyle, of Hibernian).
“What do you want in a winger? You want somebody to get at the full-backs. Martin Boyle does that week in, week out, so why not? I think he would be a very cheap replacement and I think we would get just as much quality. People might disagree with that.
“I’m not saying he’s at the same level (as Kent). What I’m saying is, we’re in the Scottish game. If Martin Boyle is ripping it up for Hibs against most teams, week in, week out, in the Premier League playing with Rangers, Martin Boyle should be able to do the same. Maybe with a bit more quality because he’s surrounded by a bit more quality. In terms of the league he’s in, Martin Boyle would be able to a job for any of the teams, I would think.”
Boyle would certainly be an interesting choice. He has been a regular scorer or provider of goals during his time with Hibs, managing 36 goals and 36 assists in 193 games for the Edinburgh outfit, whilst he also has two goals in three caps for Australia.
Kent, though, cost the Gers £7m, which they paid as much for his potential as for his current ability. He has started to show just how good he can be this term by scoring three in his first five matches, and the fact that the likes of Leeds are eyeing him shows he has a big future ahead of him.
Valued at £900,000 by Transfermarkt, Boyle would certainly be a cheaper option. Whether he could replace Kent, though, is a different discussion.
Glasgow Rangers showed their intent to strengthen their squad and battle Celtic for the Scottish Premiership as they signed Cedric Itten earlier this week.
The 23 year-old striker came from Switzerland having made 36 appearances last season in the Swiss League, scoring 20 goals and providing 6 assists, per Transfermarkt. Throughout his whole career, including the 2019/20 campaign, Itten made 204 appearances, scoring 78 goals and picking up 26 assists. This highlights his potential to be a prolific striker in Scotland and many will be excited to see how he gets on.
Clearly the player is excited to join the Scottish side as he
/CDjphlOn3EB/”>posted a picture of himself on Instagram in the kit, with the caption: ‘I’m very happy to join @rangersfc. It’s a big honour to play for such a huge club with a lot of glory and a big history. I can’t wait to start with the team’.
His post also showed that he will wear the number 11 shirt next season, and some supporters have written on his post to welcome him to the club. The number has been worn by former Glasgow Rangers players like Denmark Legend Brian Laudrup, who scored 33 league goals whilst at Ibrox.
It is never easy signing for a new club as a striker, as you have a lot of pressure on you to score, and everyone associated with the Gers will hope that he hits the ground running.
Glasgow Rangers fans, are you excited by this signing? Comment below!
Australian defender Matthew Jurman has reflected on his time with Sunderland and revealed that he would like to return one day.
The 30-year-old has recently seen his contract expire at Western Sydney Wanderers and is available on a free transfer this summer.
Having spent the majority of his career in his homeland winning the A-League title on three occasions, Jurman also had a spell in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ittihad.
With Sunderland now looking to bolster their side ahead of a third spell in League One after failing to gain promotion to the Championship for a second successive season, Jurman has seemingly offered himself to the Wearside club.
Speaking to FTBL, Jurman who had a trial with Sunderland at the age of 18, said: “I’d been in Scotland trialling but after they said they wanted me back in pre-season. So I got a trial at Middlesbrough.
“Then I got a chance to trial with Sunderland. I was at Sunderland for a week. The facilities at the training centre in Sunderland were absolutely unbelievable.
“While I was there I watched one of Sunderland’s Cup games at the Stadium of Light. Honestly, it was incredible.
“I stayed near the water in Roker I think, and they really looked after me. It was a nice place.
“I have good memories. Seeing all the training facilities. Everything was really professional. I met Roy Keane [then Sunderland manager] but I was a bit intimidated by someone like him. I was excited to meet him but I mainly worked with Sunderland’s youth coaches.
“And while I was training at Sunderland, they had another young player called Jordan Henderson. I’m a Liverpool fan and now he’s their captain, so that was pretty amazing and I recall the striker Martyn Waghorn was there, too.
“It’d be a mad experience to play at a club like Sunderland.
“You don’t quite know where you’ll be with the way the world is now, but that’s also quite exciting.”
Aside from Jurman’s comments, the FTBL article also comments on Sunderland reported plans to sign Australian defender Bailey Wright this summer.
Why not have a look at Jurman if you are Sunderland? Linking him up with Bailey Wright could be a good thing.
Indeed, the Black Cats do need new recruits at centre-back given that they have already lost three players in that position this summer, including Alim Ozturk.
One thing that may halt a potential deal for Jurman to Sunderland is the fact that he has never played in English football before, and that could be a gamble in itself. But in the current climate where all walks of life are facing financial restraints, he could be worth a punt on a free.
Do you think Jurman would be a good signing for Sunderland? Let us know in the comments section below…
Leeds United’s season has been enough of a rollercoaster as it is, but one sub-plot that has consistently run alongside their campaign has been rumours of a potential investment from Qatar.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a year since the first links between PSG’s owners purchasing a stake in Leeds were reported, but despite so much time passing, things still haven’t been concluded one way or another.
With Leeds finally being promoted to the Premier League they’re now a much more alluring club to any potential investor due to the sheer amount of money that comes alongside being in the top-flight, and it didn’t take long for fans to start asking about QSI after their promotion was confirmed.
What’s been said then?
Phil Hay hosted a special Q&A session after United’s promotion, and one of the key talking points amongst the fanbase was the QSI rumours.
Fortunately, the journalist gave an important update on the situation with the investment group, and unfortunately, it’s not good news for anyone hoping Leeds would be taken over sooner rather than later.
“Every time I ask about QSI, people at Leeds shake their heads. They just don’t see it (although I’d never say never because of the relationship between Radrizzani and Al-Khelaifi). People think a further investment from the 49ers is more likely – but would AR really want to dilute his shareholding just as he’s hit the big time?” Hay wrote.
Not a bad thing
It doesn’t seem as though PSG’s owners have any immediate plans to buy the Yorkshire club, with figures at Elland Road believing it to be unlikely, but there is a silver lining here.
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The 49ers could increase their stake in the club, and that may be a good thing for Leeds.
The San Francisco 49ers group’s sporting business sense seems to be spot on. John Lynch was named as 2019’s NFL executive of the year for the work he did in American Football’s equivalent of the transfer market.
It’s paid off on the field as well with the California-based outfit reaching the Super Bowl at the end of the season, and if they can employ the same sort of strategies to a similar effect at Elland Road, they could be just as good as QSI, even if they don’t spend the same type of money.
This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.
Glasgow Rangers are still looking to catch up to their fierce rivals Celtic.
The previous decade was not a good one for the Gers. In 2012, they were demoted to the fourth tier of Scottish football after encountering financial problems, and they had to battle to drag themselves up to the top flight once more. Now there, they have found it easy enough to establish themselves once again in the top two, but they have failed to give the Bhoys a real fight so far – they are currently 13 points behind in the league table.
Some of their transfer business has made their task an awful lot harder – the signing of Carlos Pena, for example, is one they will rather forget. Before making the move to Ibrox, he previously plied his trade at Club Leon and Deportivo Guadalajara – he had scored 52 goals in 188 games for the former despite being a central/attacking midfielder, with him costing £6.75m when he moved to the latter. Rangers themselves paid £2.2m for his services in 2017.
On paper, his spell in Scotland was not a disaster – he managed to hit the back of the net five times in just 14 matches – but off the field, he was a loose canon. His main struggles were with alcohol, and the problem was that he was never fit enough to show his true ability often enough.
After just six months, he was shipped out on loan to Cruz Azul and, although he was still on the books of the Gers until March 2019, he never played for the Gers again. When he departed, it was on a free transfer, meaning that a considerable fee had been thrown down the drain. Even now, questions must be asked of Pedro Caixinha – why did he sanction this transfer?
In order to win three major trophies and have one hand on a Premier League title, the squad must be very well-oiled. This Liverpool side is arguably one of, if not the best fans have ever seen, and everyone has played their part.
The arrival of Alisson has helped solve goalkeeping woes that stretched back years. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané are two of the world’s best attackers and haven’t once took their feet off the gas this season. But what about the others?
There are many other key ingredients that have created this Red masterpiece, here’s a list of just five who have proved themselves invaluable to the team, in more ways than one…
James Milner
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Mr Evergreen himself – arguably one of Liverpool’s best free transfers in their history. James Milner arrived from Manchester City in 2015 and claimed the famous No.7 shirt. He might not have 82 goals to his name like Luis Suarez or have a stand named after him like King Kenny, but Milner’s services to this club have been integral.
Despite being 34-years-old, Jurgen Klopp still sees the Englishman as a vital part to Liverpool’s current system. Milner’s versatility is very hard to come by, and it often goes under the radar just how much of a chameleon he can be. This season he has played primarily in a central midfield role but has also dropped into a more defensive position as well as playing at both left and right-back. Not to mention the entire 2016/17 season he spent covering as first choice left full-back without any trouble at all.
Milner’s contract with the Reds runs out this summer and there have been talks of a return to boyhood club Leeds to see out his career. No moves have been made but the loss of such a highly-respected veteran will hit Liverpool hard.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
The addition of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in 2017 was one that stirred up a mixed bag of reactions. His time with Arsenal didn’t paint the midfielder as someone who would arrive on Merseyside and set the game alight, but he definitely has.
Although the Ox isn’t as prolific as some of Liverpool’s past midfielders, he has established himself as a very important cog in this machine. In this campaign alone, Chamberlain has played in six different positions, including both the left and right-wings. His strength and creativity was sorely missed when he was ruled out with an ACL injury, and since his return, he’s bagged seven goals this season.
Not only does he influence the engine room when he’s on the pitch, but his personality is incredibly infectious. Chamberlain’s light-hearted outlook has a positive impact on the rest of his teammates, which you can see in the number of videos he posts on his social media. The Reds have needed a big personality in the dressing room and the 26-year-old fits the bill nicely.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
It was fair to say there was some uncertainty surrounding Trent Alexander-Arnold when Klopp initially promoted him to takeover from Nathaniel Clyne. But since he was trusted with being one of the first names on the team sheet, he hasn’t looked back.
Alexander-Arnold’s piece of genius to set up Divock Origi against Barcelona last season will live on forever, but the young Scouser is much more than his quick corner-kick. At just 21-years-old, the England international has won the Champions League with his boyhood club and could soon lift the Premier League trophy too. Not to mention being nominated for the 2019 Ballon d’Or.
In a recent interview, Alexander-Arnold said: “Captaining Liverpool is something I have always dreamed of and it is something that motivates me. I have always been a Liverpool player, Liverpool has always been my home. I have never thought about changing clubs.”
The Reds have been crying out for another passionate Liverpool-born leader, and they might just have their next one in Alexander-Arnold.
Jordan Henderson
The man who has dealt with so many negative comments over the years has shown the world why he was chosen to be Steven Gerrard’s successor. He might not have the same 40-yard screamers in his locker, but Jordan Henderson’s leadership abilities cannot be doubted.
The former Sunderland man has been with the club during their dark days and has helped drive them to become European royalty once more. His reaction to winning last season’s Champions League showed the fans just how much it meant to win a trophy with this club – the club he has devoted everything to since he was 21.
As their first Premier League title looms in the distance, Liverpool fans must look back on the 29-year-old’s journey and be thankful for the passionate, caring, no-nonsense captain they have in Henderson.
Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk is undeniably a club icon, but not because of his record transfer from Southampton. Of course his price tag has paid off in his individual performances on the pitch but the Dutchman has brought so much more to Anfield.
Before the arrival of van Dijk, Liverpool were struggling massively with their back-line, leaking goals far too easily. Whilst he’s helped plug a hole, he’s also transformed Joe Gomez and Joel Matip. Both centre-backs have played toe-to-toe with their Dutch mentor whenever they’ve been partnered up, which has done wonders for the club’s back four.
Van Dijk is also not just a fan favourite, but a favourite in the dressing room as well. His leadership abilities plus his calm and composed nature must create a real sense of admiration amongst him teammates. Just look at this video for proof…
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…
Leeds United have struggled against two poor teams in recent weeks as they’ve relied on late winners to get past Luton and Reading despite the fact that both clubs are sitting within two points of the relegation zone.
United play against another struggling side on Saturday as Jonathan Woodgate’s Middlesbrough outfit visit Elland Road.
This one should be a much easier one for Leeds to handle after Phil Hay’s comments on the current state of affairs at Middlesbrough.
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What’s been said then?
The journalist was hosting a Q&A session on The Athletic, and understandably he was asked his thoughts on this weekend’s clash.
“Should be a home win. I’ve looked at Boro and they’ve got problems. Howson was playing a back three last weekend. Their pressing and their tracking of runners is poor, they’ve been easy to play through and they’re narrow at the back. Leeds need to take advantage.”
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Could be a big win
If Hay is right in his summary that Middlesbrough’s pressing and tracking of runners is poor this could be a big win for Leeds.
If the Whites can play through Boro’s press with ease and counter-press them effectively they could have a plethora of chances presented to them, and even the worst finisher in the world would be able to make a few of those count.
Patrick Bamford, of course, went ten games without finding the back of the net but he’s now bagged two in two while also having another strike actually taken away from him as it hit a Luton defender.
It seems as if Boro are weak in two areas you really don’t want to be lacking in against United, and this could be a match made in hell for Woodgate’s side.
With Bamford back in form, they could struggle even more.
In other news, Leeds have been handed a triple transfer blow by Phil Hay.
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 Bromwich Albion find themselves in a very similar situation, and it may well have come at the worst possible time as they currently occupy the top spot in the Championship going into a hectic festive period, which could well decide their true potential this season.
Just like Izzy Brown, just like Louie Barry and very nearly just like Rekeem Harper, the Baggies have faced a long battle to keep hold of their promising young talents.
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So why would this season be any different?
Nathan Ferguson is the next player mooted for an exit, one that in any situation is entirely out of their hands.
The 19-year-old is yet to accept the five-year contract offered to him a couple of months ago, and the Express & Star have since revealed that if there is no change come January, then he is likely to be sold.
His contract expires at the end of the season, meaning he is able to effectively leave the club for free in the summer.
Premier League duo Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace have shown interest in the versatile defender as too have European giants Juventus and Atletico Madrid.
Earlier in the season, Albion were reportedly keen on young Coventry City left-back Sam McCallum, which has only been strengthened since the appointment of ex-Sky Blues academy boss Richard Stevens.
Speaking in an interview more recently, the 19-year-old said: “I have been aware of it but the gaffer has been keeping my feet on the ground and keeping my head at Coventry. He just wants to keep my head down and progress at Coventry. It’s flattering and shows I must be doing something right. It’s always nice to hear but I just want to do well for Coventry.”
McCallum would offer more of a physical presence to the team as he averages 3.2 aerial duels won and 2.3 clearances per game, which is more than Ferguson.
He also provides more crosses per match at 0.9 compared to the Albion starlet’s 0.2, which suggests he could be even more of a threat going forward.
There’s plenty to like about the Coventry man as he’s a more natural left-back, and at the same age, he could be absolutely ideal in ensuring that any departure in January does little to impact their promotion hopes.
They’ll just have to find a way to cough up a “hell of a lot of money.”
Jonjo Shelvey played the full 90 minutes as Newcastle United recorded a 2-1 win over Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.DeAndre Yedlin and Ciaran Clark scored the goals for the Magpies, who recovered from an early deficit with Harry Wilson sending the visitors ahead in the early exchanges.Shelvey’s performance was the subject of much debate on social media.And it would be fair to say that the Newcastle fans have mixed views when it comes to the former Liverpool midfielder’s display.The statistics show that the 27-year-old had three shots and made two tackles, but WhoScoredÂalso reveal that his pass success rate was down at 61%, with just 19 of his 31 passes considered accurate.
There is no question that the result was impressive for Steve Bruce’s side, who have now won their last two in the Premier League.
However, Shelvey did not convince all of the fans on Saturday afternoon, as shown by the mixed messages below: