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…
Speaking on talkSPORT, Arsenal legend Martin Keown has delivered his verdict on the Gunners’ transfer business this summer.
What did he say?
After a disappointing end to the campaign last season, Arsenal’s work in the transfer market has certainly raised the sense of optimism surrounding the club.
The north London side broke their transfer record to sign Lille winger Nicolas Pepe, whilst deadline day deals for Kieran Tierney and David Luiz added to their defensive options.
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Having also seen the Gunners sell Alex Iwobi for big-money, Keown delivered his assessment of Arsenal’s overall business this summer.
He said: “The price Everton paid is staggering, but it’s good business from Arsenal. They needed to generate some cash, so they’ve got that money in to recoup and they spent money on deadline day defensively.
“Pepe is rapid and if you look at our two front players, they are as good as anything in the Premier League. Aubameyang is really quite a special player. He is the closest thing I’ve seen to Thierry Henry since he left and that’s high praise for him. But I’m still concerned about the midfield and the security they give the back-four. Will David Luiz get the protection he’s going to need?” A fine summer’s work
When Unai Emery’s side slipped to a humbling 4-1 defeat to Chelsea in the Europa League final, very few could have imagined the kind of turnaround in mood the Gunners would experience by the start of the new season. The north London club have addressed many of the key issues that plagued them during Emery’s first campaign in charge, and made a mockery of the reported £45m budget most thought they had.
Pepe’s pace and directness offers Arsenal the chance to play a tantalising front three involving the Ivorian, Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Further back, Tierney and Luiz should help to solidify a defence that conceded 51 goals in the Premier League last season. So from the position they started in a couple of months ago, there is no doubting the Gunners have had a fine summer.
Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have one of those famous footballing bromances, which shows in their non-stop social media activity and multitude of content they
/Bz-GSURIjA0/” data-lasso->post together.
To put it more simply, they basically do everything together and have seemingly turned out to be great friends ever since they became teammates at the Emirates Stadium.
Currently, though, the Gunners are on their 2019 pre-season summer tour and have recently won a big match against Bayern Munich. Both Aubameyang and Lacazette featured and, afterwards, they shared some snaps for the fans.
The Frenchman posted one showing him in mid-air, striking the ball with style, and of course, who else would immediately be in the comment sections other than Aubameyang.
The speedy Gabon international was clearly impressed by what he saw but also couldn’t miss a chance to rinse Lacazette just a bit.
He replied saying “what an incredible extension” and followed it with a laughing emoji.
Of course, this was a genuine remark with a tongue-in-cheek aspect thrown in.
June 26 was quite a special day for the Beckham family.
Sandra Beckham, the mother of the Manchester United legend and an all-time great, David, celebrated her 70th birthday and her son was quick to pay tribute to her on social media.
Beckham posted a heartfelt message on his
/BzLTmVaBQOm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram profile, wishing his mother all the best and saying a couple of nice words to go along with it. Naturally, this attracted a lot of attention from the rest of the footballing world.
Beckham’s ex-teammates, his friends and even his rivals took to the platform to congratulate Sandra on her landmark birthday.
The likes of Gary Neville and Paul Scholes, his long-lasting fellow Red Devils, were among the first to the scene and they smothered the comment section with emojis and best wishes.
Robbie Keane and John Terry were also among the many legends replying and congratulating the whole family.
David Beckham spent eight years at Manchester United’s senior team after progressing through their younger squads, before he left for Real Madrid in 2003.
Greek giants Panathinaikos are considering a loan move for Celtic winger Mikey Johnston this summer, according to The Scottish Sun.
What’s the story?
The paper reckon that the Super League side watched Johnston in action during last month’s Scottish Cup final and could offer the youngster a foreign route to regular first-team action.
The report states that Scottish and English clubs are also keen on the winger, but that Hoops manager Neil Lennon rates the 20-year-old very highly.
Watch a tribute to Celtic’s late Lisbon Lion and greatest ever captain, Billy McNeill in the video below…
Should Celtic send him away for the season?
Johnston got his fair share of Celtic action last season, but never really the regular run of games he truly needs to determine whether he is ready to be a reliable presence on the Hoops’ left flank.
He played 23 times throughout 2018/19, scoring five goals, with the vast majority of his appearances coming from the bench.
The chance to broaden his horizons and play in another football culture is a very interesting option for the player and for Celtic, with a season in the Greek top-flight likely to help him learn a lot on and off the pitch.
Neil Lennon has plenty of wing options already and with the return of Daniel Arzani will have another player ready to compete with Scott Sinclair for a first-team place.
If Johnston isn’t going to get 20 plus starts next season then a loan away should be something the club seriously consider.
The evidence is there that it’s beneficial with two of the current team’s most important players, Callum McGregor and Ryan Christie, spending time away from the club before making a breakthrough.
In order to prove he is ready to become a regular for the Hoops, Johnston might first need to shine elsewhere too.
It may be seen as a risk to switch Scotland for Greece, with the route far from traditional, but it’s a chance worth taking.
غرد الحساب الرسمي للاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا” للحديث عن مباراة الزمالك والأهلي، مساء اليوم في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا.
وتتجه الأنظار مساء اليوم، الجمعة، تجاه استاد القاهرة الدولي، حيث يترقب الجميع النهائي بين الأهلي والزمالك، والذي ينطلق في تمام التاسعة مساءً.
اقرأ أيضًا.. باتشيكو: طريق الزمالك كان صعبا.. ونريد إهداء اللقب الإفريقي لجمهورنا
وكتب فيفا عبر حسابه الرسمي: “الزمالك ضد الأهلي، اليوم سيحدد نهائي القرن، أي من هؤلاء المنافسين العظماء سيتوج بدوري أبطال إفريقيا، ويمثل القارة في كأس العالم للأندية”.
كأس العالم للأندية كان من المُقرر أنّ يُقام في ديسمبر 2020 ولكن تم تأجيلها حتى فبراير 2021 بسبب جائحة COVID-19 التي أثرت على التقويمات الرياضية في جميع أنحاء العالم (طالع المزيد من التفاصيل).
🏹 Zamalek 🆚 Al Ahly 🦅
🇪🇬 Today’s all-Egyptian ‘Final of the Century’ will determine which of these great rivals takes the #CAFCL crown and represents Africa at the #ClubWC 🌍@CAF_Online | @ZSCOfficial_EN | @AlAhlyEnglish — FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) November 27, 2020
Gary Neville has claimed that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a similar job on his hands at Manchester United as Mauricio Pochettino had when he took the reigns at Tottenham Hotspur.
Speaking on Sky Sports after United’s dismal 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town, a team already relegated, he said: “As a manager, you want to like your team. I look at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, I can’t imagine he’s down there thinking he likes watching this lot – I don’t.
“This isn’t a team at all. It reminds me of the Tottenham group Mauricio Pochettino inherited, with Kaboul, Adebayor, Capoue in, a group of individuals without any real spirit – he dismantled it piece by piece.”
Now, one can understand where Neville was coming from. He’s a man who bleeds for United and he loves the club but this assessment simply demeans the job Pochettino has done at Spurs.
He has turned the club into Premier League title contenders and also took them to a Champions League semi-final, all on a shoestring budget.
And when you compare the first side Pochettino put out – against West Ham United, in a 1-0 win – with the first team Solskjaer selected, in a 5-1 battering of Cardiff City, the differences become starkly apparent, particularly when one takes into account the transfer fees taken to bring the players to the football club…
Goalkeepers – Hugo Lloris (£7.9m) vs David De Gea (£18.9m)
Spurs shelled out under £8m to buy their captain from Lyon. Sir Alex Ferguson convinced United to part with close to £20m to buy a goalkeeper he envisioned becoming the club’s No.1 for years to come. Perhaps this one was a sound investment.
Right-backs – Kyle Naughton (£5m) vs Ashley Young (£16m)
The deal for Naughton saw £10m sent to Sheffield United, with Kyle Walker also coming along for the ride. Let’s assume that it was £5m for one and £5m for the other. Young still cost more than both players alike and, though he has stuck it out at United, is he on the same level as Walker? Not at all. He is better than Naughton, though, so there is that.
Centre-backs: Younes Kaboul & Eric Dier (£13.5m) vs Victor Lindelof & Phil Jones (£48m)
Kaboul cost Spurs £9.5m when Harry Redknapp brought him to the club for a second stint while Eric Dier was a bargain £4m. Lindelof cost £31m alone, while Jones, a player Ferguson adored, set United back £17m. Are you sensing a theme?
Left-backs: Danny Rose (£900k) vs Luke Shaw (£27m)
Soccer Football – Premier League – Manchester United v Leicester City – Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain – August 10, 2018 Manchester United’s Luke Shaw celebrates scoring their second goal Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact yo
Spurs snapped up Rose when he was still a whippersnapper at Leeds; Shaw became the most expensive teenager in world football when he moved to Old Trafford.
CM: Nabil Bentaleb (£0) vs Ander Herrera (£29m)
Nabil Bentaleb, now at Schalke, came through the youth ranks at Spurs. Herrera was brought in from Athletic Bilbao for nearly £30m and is perhaps one of the best United signings from this side.
CM: Etienne Capoue (£9.4m) vs Nemanja Matic (£40m)
Capoue has become a star at Watford but he never shined in north London and the £9.4m spent was easily written off. Matic, who is struggling in Manchester, cost more than quadruple Capoue’s transfer fee.
CM: Christian Eriksen (£11.5m) vs Paul Pogba (£89m)
The two teams’ creative hubs; Eriksen was signed for a bargain £11.5m from Ajax after Gareth Bale left Spurs, while Pogba briefly became the world’s most expensive footballer when he returned to Old Trafford from Juventus. One wonders who United would rather have these days, mind.
RW: Aaron Lennon (£1m) vs Jesse Lingard (£0m)
Soccer Football – Premier League – Manchester United v Manchester City – Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain – April 24, 2019 Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard reacts Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representati
A rare win for United here; Lennon joined Spurs from Leeds United for a nominal price but there was a fee involved. Lingard came through the United academy.
ST: Emmanuel Adebayor (£5m) vs Marcus Rashford (£0m)
Soccer Football – Premier League – Manchester United v Watford – Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain – March 30, 2019 Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford celebrates scoring their first goal Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please c
Rashford is another academy boy who has made it big at United, while Adebayor cost £5m when he made his initial loan move from Manchester City permanent. It did not work out.
LW: Erik Lamela (£25.8m) vs Anthony Martial (£36m)
Lamela was meant to be the heir to Bale’s throne at Spurs but he is now permanently injured and seems to have alienated half the Spurs fanbase. Martial, meanwhile, is yet to deliver on his astonishing potential and has, ironically, been linked with Tottenham in the past.
Substitutes: Spurs (£41.5m) vs United (£157.6m)
Spurs started the game against West Ham with Roberto Soldado, Lewis Holtby, Andros Townsend, Harry Kane, Michael Dawson, Brad Friedel and Ben Davies on the bench. Soldado cost £26m. Davies cost £10m and Holtby a minimal £1.5m, while Dawson was part of a joint-£8m deal that also involved Andy Reid. Assuming he cost half of that, Spurs’ total comes to £41.5m.
United dwarf that figure, with the likes of £47m buy Fred and £37.1m signing Juan Mata on the sidelines.
Totals: Spurs (£121.5m) vs Man Utd (£461.5m)
Neville claims that Solskjaer has a similar job on his hands to that which Pochettino inherited. He doesn’t.
The Norwegian has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal and did not even start Fred in his first game; the Brazilian cost more than Spurs’ record signing Davinson Sanchez.
Yes, the recruitment may have gone wrong at Old Trafford. Yes, there may be a few unsavoury characters in the dressing room. Yes, there may be a few too many passengers.
But the bottom line is this: Comparing this United team – who have all the money in the world – with the Spurs team Pochettino inherited is akin to comparing Waitrose with Lidl.
That the two have swapped roles now is a testament to the genuinely phenomenal management of the Argentine.
And Neville’s words simply serve to demean the job that he has done in north London.
Worryingly for Everton fans, SPORT are reporting that Tottenham have agreed personal terms with Andre Gomes and are preparing a €30m (£25.9m) offer for the midfielder, which Barcelona are said to be ready to accept when it arrives.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Portuguese international has spent the entirety of the current campaign on loan at Goodison Park with Everton, where he has become a fan favourite as a result of his classy, composed performances in the middle of the field.
The 25-year-old is a player of real pedigree, and has proven to be the perfect foil for the more combative Idrissa Gueye in Marco Silva’s midfield; however, they could be set to miss out on his signature permanently with Spurs sniffing around.
In this era of ‘big 6’ dominance, has finishing 7th become as good as winning a trophy? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…
SPORT believe that the north Londoners are waiting to officially qualify for the Champions League before making contact with Barcelona – Mauricio Pochettino’s men need just a point this weekend to do so.
Everton simply cannot miss out and must better Spurs’ offer.
Players of Gomes’ pedigree don’t come around often
Of course, for a player of his status, moving to a team who have made the final of the Champions League makes sense and would be difficult to turn down, but surely the Toffees are in the driving seat here?
The former Valencia man seems to have enjoyed his time on Merseyside, and assumingly, he wouldn’t be adverse to joining on a permanent basis as long as Marcel Brands gazumps Tottenham’s offer.
Everton have shown that they have the type of cash to compete in the market. £35m on Richarlison. £45m on Gylfi Sigurdsson. And so on.
The amount of dross that they have signed in the past for huge fees, such as Morgan Schneiderlin, Yannick Bolasie and Theo Walcott, should make their desire to land a truly quality midfielder even greater.
Who knows how long it could be before a player of a similar ilk becomes available for a similar price range of between £30m and £40m?
Ruben Neves was sublime in Wolves’ Championship-winning campaign. His signing was a huge coup for a club of that level, moving from an established Champions League side where he was captain, to joining a team whose quality didn’t even come close to those he was leaving behind.
However, his move has been warranted, helping to lead the club into the top half of the Premier League and to an FA Cup semi-final.
But, with Joao Moutinho and Leander Dendoncker arguably outperforming the Portuguese sensation in recent months, is Nuno Santo getting the best out of him?
Neves has still had an impressive season but his numbers in 2018/19 would suggest he and the club could benefit from a slight change of position.
Ruben Neves (Wolves 2018/19 – Premier League)
3 goals
2.2 tackles PG*
2.2 shots PG
0.8 key passes PG
80.6% pass success
(Stats courtesy of WhoScored. *= Per game)
Given Neves came to the club as a more defensive midfielder, he’s been outshone in that capacity by both Dendoncker and Moutinho this season. Although his reading of the game is superb, the amount of tackles he makes per game is less than both of his midfield partners.
Surprisingly, his pass success percentage is also lower than Dendoncker’s. Considering how accomplished he is with the ball at his feet it may be a slight concern that he’s continuing to be outperformed in that area too.
Wolves can solve that issue by moving him further forward. The 22-year-old has a keen eye for goal and this is something Nuno should look to exploit more in the future.
The Midlands club tried operating with him as a number ten against Watford but their compact midfield were able to mark him out of the game.
Wolves Fan TV place the blame for Wolves’ FA Cup semi-final collapse on John Ruddy in the video below…
However, the fact he boasts the second-most shots-per-game out of anyone at the club demonstrates the impact he can have in the final third, and shows why Wolves could find themselves scoring a lot more if they were to move him closer to Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota in attack.
Wolves don’t have too much left to play for this season so it’s definitely worth seeing what he can do in an advanced role.
Wolves are currently monitoring Uruguayan forward Nicolas Lopez according to The Birmingham Mail. Although not well known, he would help solve a major issue at Wolves.
What’s the word?
Representatives from Wolves have reportedly flown out to South America to watch Lopez in action for Brazilian club Internacional and they appear to like what they see.
The striker has been among the goals this season, which has included scoring three in three in the Copa Libertadores. He could be seen as an ideal partner for Raul Jimenez who signed for the club permanently on Thursday afternoon.
It’s not yet known what fee his club would command but valued at just £2.7m according to Transfermarkt, it’s likely that it wouldn’t be a pricey deal.
The answer to a major issue
Wolves’ first campaign back in the Premier League has been exceptional and there aren’t too many flaws to be found.
However, outside of Jimenez and Diogo Jota, there aren’t a lot of goals in the team and their lack of depth in attack is a concern.
The signing of Lopez would, therefore, be extremely beneficial. After Wolves’ defeat to Burnley last weekend, a match in which Ivan Cavaleiro started over Jimenez it was clear that they needed more attacking quality in the squad. Especially after Helder Costa failed to make an impact from the bench either.
His ability to play either on the wing or through the middle makes the proposition of signing him even more appealing and would give Santo a better option than he already has outside of his main two attackers.
Raul Jimenez is turning it on for Wolves and Mexico right now! He definitely deserves the song in the video below…
It remains a strong possibility that the Midlands club could qualify for the Europa League next season and as a result they will need a considerably larger squad than they boast at present.
Wolves have targeted the likes of Andre Silva but after signing Jimenez it’s possible they may look to buy someone far cheaper.