Newcastle United journalist for The Athletic Chris Waugh has been left buzzing over the news that Elliot Anderson has signed a new contract.
The Lowdown: New deal signed
As per the official website of the St. James’ Park outfit, Anderson has signed a new long-term contract.
The 19-year-old has already made four appearances for the senior team over all competitions so far this season, and has now been rewarded for his breakthrough with a shiny new deal.
The Latest: Waugh buzzing
Taking to Twitter shortly after the news was announced, Waugh was left buzzing, claiming this is a ‘huge positive’ for the North East club:
“Huge positive for #NUFC as they tie down the most promising talent to emerge from their academy in years. Elliot Anderson has signed a new “long-term” contract. Howe rightly declares that “our supporters will be especially pleased”.”
The Verdict: Big boost
It is no doubt a big boost for the Tynesiders to tie down one of their own in Anderson, who as Waugh claims, is the ‘most promising’ talent to emerge from their academy in a long time.
At youth level, the attacking midfielder scored a staggering 23 goals and made a further eight assists in 54 matches in total, and has been rewarded with six appearances for the senior side (Transfermarkt).
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He also impressed while on loan at Bristol Rovers last season, netting eight times and supplying five assists (Transfermarkt), helping them secure promotion.
Nonetheless, the new contract is richly deserved, and will no doubt delight the Toon Army that Anderson is part of the long-term project.
Crystal Palace midfielder James McArthur is set to miss the majority of pre-season as well as the opening Premier League clash against Arsenal.
What’s the word?
The Athletic reported the news regarding McArthur’s injury and it could derail the side’s preparations ahead of the upcoming season.
The Scot has suffered a groin injury and will miss the first league match of the season against Arsenal, and with the setback of missing pre-season, it might take longer for the injury to heal.
The 34-year-old missed a big chunk of last season following a torn hamstring in November which kept him out until February, with further niggles restricting the player to just 15 league starts overall.
Vieira will be worried
This news will be a big worry to Vieira with one of his most experienced players will be missing the crucial opening match of the new season.
The Scot recently signed a one-year extension to his current contract which will see him enter his ninth season at the club and his absence will be a big blow.
Although Palace had a solid season last year, finishing 12th in the Frenchman’s maiden Premier League managerial role, there are hopes that this can be improved upon this season.
With McArthur missing, his leadership will be tough to replace and other members of the squad will be required to step up.
The injury meant Vieira looked to delve into the transfer market, but missed out on key target Flynn Downes to West Ham and have seen Conor Gallagher return to Chelsea, although a deal appears to be close regarding the signing of RC Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure, which could soften the blow of losing McArthur.
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Vieira will be hoping for McArthur to replicate his form from 2019/2020, where he made 0.9 key passes, 2.4 tackles, and 1.6 interceptions per match, as well as registering three assists and completing 66% of his dribbles, proving his ability to be a key component of the side.
Hopefully, the club can manage the injury well and get the player back up and running as soon as possible.
AND in other news: Vieira can unearth his next Gallagher as Palace plot bid for “sensational” £20m talent…
Everton have been rather active in the transfer window over the past few years when it comes to bringing new players to the Merseyside club.
At times, the Toffees have spent significant sums of money on players such as Ben Godfrey, Alex Iwobi and Moise Kean to name a few.
The previous summer transfer window was a different story for the club as they were impacted by Financial Fair Play rules, resulting in them only signing Demarai Gray for a relatively low fee of £1.7m.
Looking ahead to the next summer window, it seems as though the Goodison Park outfit may once again be in danger of being troubled by their financial issues, this time in a much more potentially damaging regard.
What’s the talk?
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Paul Brown had this to say about the future of Everton duo Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison.
He said: “It’s inevitable that one of them goes because the financial position the club finds itself in is so dire that they know they have to sell someone to generate some revenue.”
Bad news for Lampard
Having scored a combined total of nine Premier League goals between them this season, it’s safe to say that the duo are two of Everton’s key attacking figures.
The attackers also make up two of Everton’ three highest-rated outfield players currently at the club in terms of their overall performances according to WhoScored.
Also, with the pair being worth a combined fee of £82.8m, they are the club’s two most valuable players, showing why Brown thinks selling one of them could help the Toffees financially.
However, given how vital they both are on the pitch for the Merseyside club, selling either of them anytime soon would be a disaster for Frank Lampard and the fans.
While this could be an issue for the Toffees by the time the upcoming summer transfer window opens for business, their main concern at the moment will surely be on doing all they can to stay in the division.
Moving forward, the best thing that Everton can do is to win as many points as they can from their remaining league games.
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Once they potentially manage to do that, the focus can then shift onto their summer business.
In terms of what the financial situation at the Merseyside club will look like at that point, it should be their top priority to keep hold of both Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin.
In other news: Lampard can now axe “desperate” flop as EFC plot bid for “exceptional” £37k-p/w dynamo
West Ham United are targeting a move for Monaco centre-back Benoit Badiashile this month with David Moyes’ side short on numbers at the back and in need of defensive reinforcements.
What’s the story?
According to Foot Mercato, the Hammers are looking to sign Badiashile and the Frenchman’s representatives have already been contacted.
The £25.2m-rated defender has been subject to interest from numerous Premier League clubs and could be on his way to England over the coming weeks.
West Ham fans will be buzzing
The Irons are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements whilst first-choice duo Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna are sidelined, with the latter out for the foreseeable future after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Thus, the signing of Badiashile would surely be one that goes down well with the London Stadium faithful.
At just 20 years of age, the young defender is certainly a hot prospect, having started eight of Monaco’s 19 league matches this term with the French outfit 7th in Ligue 1.
The centre-back was also an ever-present in Monaco’s Champions League qualifying campaign as well as starting four of their six Europa League group stage games.
Like Zouma, the Frenchman has recently suffered a hamstring injury but returned just before Christmas off the bench in a 2-1 win over Stade Rennais.
Although inexperienced, Badiashile is now in his fourth season as a regular for Monaco’s first team, having made his Ligue 1 debut in a 4-0 home defeat to PSG back in November 2018 as a 17-year-old.
The defender went on to make another 25 first-team appearances in all competitions that season and has made 104 appearances in total since stepping up from the Monaco youth ranks in 2018.
All of that has seen him impress rapidly in French football, winning a mighty 2.1 aerial duels and 1.7 tackles per match this term. Funnily enough, that first statistic ranks exactly the same as Kurt Zouma, a fellow French defender, meaning they could create a mightily impressive partnership at the back.
As for his tackling, he’d be ranked first for centre-backs at West Ham, winning more than every defender besides Arthur Masuaku and Ben Johnson.
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As a consequence, he’d surely fit seamlessly into Moyes’ defence in East London.
After a strong start to the campaign, in which they won eight of their first 15 Premier League games, the Hammers’ form has stagnated slightly since both Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma were ruled out.
Since Zouma suffered his injury in early December, the Hammers have lost four games out of seven in all competitions, winning two whilst keeping just one clean sheet.
In other news: West Ham interested in promising forward
With Ange Postecoglou undoubtedly being desperate for his Celtic side to finally pick up their first points of the season away from Parkhead on Sunday, the 56-year-old will have been delighted to see the Bhoys just about scrape a 2-1 win over Aberdeen.
Indeed, in a game that was far from a classic, a first-half Kyogo Furuhashi strike coupled with an 84th minute Jota goal was enough to cancel out Lewis Ferguson’s second-half equaliser for the Dons, with the Hoops leaving Pittodrie with a much needed three points.
However, while both goalscorers turned in highly impressive performances in the fixture – with Furuhashi and Jota receiving a SofaScore match rating of 7.3 and 7.2 respectively – the display of 19-year-old left-back, Adam Montgomery, will also have delighted both Postecoglou and fans of the club alike.
Two key passes
Despite the fact the appearance was his first-ever start in the Scottish Premiership, the youngster put in a truly commanding display over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch against Aberdeen.
Indeed, the £135k-rated man excelled at the back, making one clearance, one interception and winning six of his nine duels against Stephen Glass’ side.
The teenager who Kieran Tierney dubbed a “good talent” also impressed in an attacking capacity, registering the assist for Jota’s late winner and making two key passes, as well as completing two crosses and three of his four attempted dribbles.
These returns saw the 19-year-old receive a SofaScore match rating of 7.3, ranking the defender as the second-best player, from either side, to feature in the match – running the show for Celtic.
Indeed, the Scotland U21 international’s performance will have come as a huge boost to Postecoglou, as the manager looks set to be without the services of first-choice left-back Greg Taylor for a number of months due to injury.
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However, following Montgomery’s performance on Sunday, the 56-year-old will now surely be convinced that the youngster is capable of filling in for the stricken defender, and perhaps even good enough to challenge for a starting spot in the side.
In other news: Forget Bitton: £16k-p/w Celtic “problem” who made just 1 pass failed Ange vs Aberdeen
Aston Villa announced on Wednesday that season tickets for the upcoming campaign have sold out.
And a number of Villa fans have been reacting to the news on social media.
Villa didn’t reveal how many season tickets were sold, claiming that a limited number remained earlier this month after existing season ticket holders were offered the chance to renew.
Some on the waiting list were handed the opportunity to snap one up, with the maximum number now reached.
The capped amount back in the 2019/20 season was 30,000, which was reached with ease, so perhaps that is the figure this time around as well.
Villa’s first competitive game at home for the new season is scheduled to be against Newcastle United on Saturday, August 21.
Villa fans react
Villa shared the news regarding season tickets on their official Twitter page on Wednesday afternoon. Their post received plenty of positive interaction, with one supporter describing it as ‘great news’.
“My club”Credit: @brazilianwizard”You just know something special is happening at our club.”Credit: @BillyWhiz”Great news but when are the owners going to extend villa park so we can fit all the season ticket waiting list and even more fans in. Big clubs need big stadiums means more revenue. About time the north stand was sorted and brought into the 21st century”Credit: @Carlboxer”what a club”Credit: @catrinedwards18″Love to see it”Credit: @LukeKing_”Class support”Credit: @GW_94
In other news: ‘It’s almost time’, ‘Lange officially the best’ – Many AVFC fans react to Bailey news.
Many West Brom fans have been left to fume as WBA Report have shared a leaked image of their new home kit for next season on their Twitter page.
Given that the Hawthorns faithful know that they have been relegated from the Premier League, and so will be playing in the second tier come the 2021/22 term, rumours and images of new kits have been flying around.
In this case, the leaked home shirt abandons the traditional stripes that the Midlands club usually wear, and the shades of colour seem to be much lighter.
Baggies have not exactly has much to sing about so far in this campaign, and given that this would go away from traditions, a lot of Albion supporters have been left fuming at the potential new jersey.
West Brom fans on new kit
These WBA fans fumed as the image was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that it was ‘awful’:
“Please tell me I am being blagged here……a day away from Twitter and my world is falling apart”
Credit: @Gornalwizza
“Stockport County comes to mind, awful if true”
Credit: @hebberts_ian
“Don’t like it…”
Credit: @BermondseyT
“Urgh”
Credit: @AstlesLeftfoot1
“Dire”
Credit: @musicmonkey1966
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“I really hope this is fake that is disgusting and is not our classic stripes”
Credit: @harryjay94
“Sweet Jesus! What is this unholy mess?”
Credit: @Albionista3
In other news, find out which ‘tenacious’ West Brom ace has been linked with a summer transfer here!
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Southampton centre-back Jannik Vestergaard this summer and the Saints must ensure that they don’t end with a repeat of the situation that has seen Virgil van Dijk become one of the best centre-backs in the world after leaving the South Coast club.
According to the Mirror, Jose Mourinho is contemplating a move for the 28-year-old ahead of the summer as he looks to improve his defensive options at the North London club.
The former Borussia Monchengladbach man has established himself as a key player under Ralph Hasenhuttl this season and has been one of the best performers in the top-flight, having contributed three goals in 21 top-flight appearances, which has helped him average an impressive 7.09 rating.
Only James Ward-Prowse has scored a higher rating in the Premier League so far this season, which emphasises just how important the Dane has become at the South Coast club, so it would be a big loss if the £13.5 million-rated defender were to leave.
Losing such a key defender would perhaps be similar to the deal that saw Van Dijk join Liverpool in 2017, with the Dutchman departing the Saints in a club-record deal and helping to revolutionise Jurgen Klopp’s side, helping them to success in the Premier League and Champions League.
Vestergaard’s performances this season have earned him comparisons to Van Dijk from Martin Keown and considering the 6 foot 6 man’s impressive ability in the air, it is easy to see why.
However, the Danish international has also developed his ability on the ball, averaging an 83.7% pass accuracy rate this season compared to a 77.1% accuracy during the last campaign.
Hasenhuttl is clearly a big fan of the defender, having described him as a “role model”, whilst his partnership with Jan Bednarek at the back was a big part of Southampton’s impressive form earlier in the season.
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Therefore, Martin Semmens should do everything he can to keep hold of the centre-back this summer, as he is clearly an important part of this Saints side, and losing him to a side like Spurs could well lead to a repeat of Van Dijk’s incredible rise after St Mary’s.
And, in other news… Forget Forster: Saints can sign serious McCarthy upgrade in £8.6m beast
If truth be told, Glasgow Rangers aren’t the first club, and they certainly won’t be the last to miss out on signing some of the best football players in the world. However, that won’t stop Rangers fans from wishfully thinking about the transfers that got away.
Whilst Alex McLeish is by no means the only man at fault, the former Rangers manager missed the chance to sign some of the brightest talents in a generation, with the likes of Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi firmly on his radar. Without trying to rub salt in the wounds, both would then go on to become Barcelona legends in their own right.
Fast forward a few years later, and Steven Gerrard must be delighted with the striker options available to him at the moment. In fact, it’s fair to say the Gers boss is pretty spoilt for choice, as Alfredo Morelos remains his first-choice striker, with Cedric Itten and Jermain Defoe providing cover and competition, whilst Kemar Roofe marked his successful return from injury with a sensational screamer in the Europa League.
The trouble is, nobody ever really knows for sure if a young player will hit the same heights as an Ally McCoist, say, or even a Barry Ferguson. Some players seem to have the world at their feet, whilst others make a promising start then suffer a career-threatening injury – the least said about Jack Wilshere, the better – Gerrard did once call him a “frightening” prospect.
However, it seems McLeish may have had an absolute stinker here, as he missed the opportunity to sign a world-class striker who would be described as “one of the best” by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
According to a report by The BBC in 2002, Rangers were interested in signing Samuel Eto’o, who was still with Real Mallorca at the time. It was understood that Mallorca were struggling financially and were prepared to sell one of their prized assets, which means that the Cameroonian may have been available for a cut-price deal.
Instead, McLeish, in his infinite wisdom, decided to turn his attentions elsewhere. He told the club’s official website, as quoted by the report: “Samuel Eto’o is a player I like, but there are a lot of players out there that I like.
“He is not the number one target.
“There were a number of excellent players on show in the Cameroon-Argentina game which Andy watched, including Marc-Vivien Foe, who is a midfield player.
“There are a lot of players out there who we would love to bring to Rangers, but we will do it when the time is right.”
In the end, Eto’o scored 67 goals in 155 appearances for Los Bermellones, before he joined Spanish giants Barcelona in 2004 for a reported fee of $29.41m, which roughly equates to £22.96m.
The former 118-cap Cameroon international bagged 130 goals and 40 assists in 199 games for Barca, and won three La Liga titles, two Champions League trophies, two Copa del Reys, and two Spanish Super Cups in the process, via Transfermarkt.
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Widely regarded as one of the greatest African footballers of all time, he won the African Player of the Year three times in a row, winning the award for the final time in 2010, which just goes to show the longevity of his career.
Once hailed as an “incredible” player by City boss Guardiola, Eto’o went on to enjoy spells with Inter Milan, Anzhi Makhachkala, Chelsea and Everton, before he hung up his boots for the final time after a stint with Qatar SC. Things may have been very different indeed if McLeish had managed to work with Eto’o rather than Tore Andre Flo, who turned out to be a total flop. Just imagine what he may have been able to do alongside the likes of Peter Lovenkrands and Michael Mols, it almost doesn’t bear thinking about.
AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers have the perfect James Tavernier heir in Nathan Patterson…
Contrary to what Sheffield Wednesday’s recent form would have you believe, Garry Monk is actually quite a competent manager.
The Owls boss was appointed for a reason, and his exploits at Birmingham City will have been huge in landing him the job.
The former Swansea boss was appointed at St Andrew’s with the Blues in dire straits after the failed tenures of Harry Redknapp and Steve Cotterill left the Midlands club sitting 22nd after 35 games.
Monk came in towards the end of that season and kept them up, but it was the next campaign where he showed what he can do.
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Ok, the Blues finished 17th, but they were docked nine points, meaning that if they weren’t handed that sanction they would have finished 21 points clear of the relegation zone, which isn’t bad for a side that were 22nd when the gaffer took over.
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Birmingham still had largely the same squad that was in trouble under Cotterill, but Monk managed to get the best out of two players, and that helped push his side up the table.
The manager took it back to basics and utilised a traditional big man, little man partnership with Che Adams and Lukas Jutkiewicz, and it worked an absolute treat.
Adams scored 22 goals before earning himself a £15m move to Southampton, and Jutkiewicz was actually WhoScored’s highest-rated Championship player last season due to his performances.
Unfortunately, Monk hasn’t had the personnel to properly utilise this tactic at Hillsborough.
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He has the big man, Steven Fletcher has been winning 5.8 aerial duels per game this term, but he doesn’t have a foil making those runs in behind akin to Adams’ role at Birmingham.
Monk’s number one priority this summer should be to sign a strike partner for Fletcher. If he can go back to utilising the tactic that worked so well at Birmingham he could turn Wednesday’s fortunes around.
In other news, Sheffield Wednesday need to make a call on three players’ futures.