علّق المدرب الإسباني بيب جوارديولا، المدير الفني لـ مانشستر سيتي، على اقتراب مواطنه، تياجو ألكانتارا، متوسط ميدان بايرن ميونخ، من الانتقال لـ ليفربول.

تياجو أصبح أقرب من أي وقتٍ مضى من نادي ليفربول، بعدما تواصل الفريق الإنجليزي مع نظيره الألماني، إلى اتفاق شبه رسمي، كما أكد بايرن ميونخ، أن تياجو سينتقل إلى ليفربول، مهنئًا يورجن كلوب مواطنه بالتعاقد مع اللاعب (طالع ماذا قال؟).

كما وجه تياجو رسالة وداعية اليوم الجمعة، لجماهير بايرن ميونخ بعد قضائه 7 سنوات مع الفريق البافاري، وبعد ذلك اتجه إلى لمركز تدريب ميلوود الخاص بنادي ليفربول للخضوع للفحص الطبي (طالع التفاصيل).

وقال جوارديولا خلال المؤتمر الصحفي الخاص بمواجهة وولفرهامبتون في البريميرليج: “لم نحاول التعاقد مع ألكانتارا، لأن لدينا عدد كاف من اللاعبين في هذا المركز”.

وأضاف: “سعيد لأن تياجو سيأتي إلى الدوري الإنجليزي، هنا سنستمتع بلاعب جيد حقًا، لم نفكر في التعاقد معه، لأن لدينا فيل فودين، إنه قادر على اللعب في هذا المركز، ويلعب كجناح ومُهاجم أيضًا”.

وبسؤاله “ميسي كان قريبا من الرحيل، هل سيتي كان قريبًا من ضمه؟”، أجاب: “أعتقد أنني لست مضطرًا لشرح أي شيء، ليو شرح مشاعرة جيدًا وليس لديّ ما أضيفه، إنه لاعب لنادي أحبه”.

وتابع: “أنا لا أعرف ما سيفعله ميسي، وما إذا كان سيغادر أم لا، عليكم سؤاله هو، أنا لا يُمكنني الحديث عن نوايا الآخرين”.

وأتم تصريحاته ردًا على “انت تدخل في الموسم الأخير من عقدك، هل هذا يغير شيئًا لك؟”؛ قائلًا: “لا، لا زلت كما أنا، أعمل كل يوم بجد، بل وأفضل من المواسم السابقة، أبذل قصارى جهدي للفوز بالمباراة وجعل الناس فخورين بـ مانشستر سيتي، هذا عملي”.

Oliver Burke has made an instant impact at Celtic Park following his loan move from West Brom last month.

The 21-year-old, who is at Celtic until the end of the season, scored his first goals for the club in a recent 4-0 SPL win over St. Mirren and is now eyeing up a permanent stay in Glasgow.

The Breakdown

“A lot of boys I know are still at the same club they’ve been with since we were young,” Burke told the Daily Record. “I’ve experienced different opportunities and countries, and it’s been fun but I want to be settled and find a club where I’m happy and enjoying my football. I got sick of the whole moving around thing.

“I know this is a loan at the moment, it’s going really great, so we’ll see what happens. I’m enjoying myself at Celtic, I really like it here. I think it’s a great club with great team-mates who have made me feel welcome.”

After the start he has had and considering his potential, Peter Lawwell would be silly not to pursue a permanent deal for Burke, especially after the West Brom loanee making his desire to finally settle somewhere public.

The Scottish forward, of course, famously moved to the Bundesliga after he joined RB Leipzig from Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2016 before returning back to England by signing for West Brom.

Like at Leipzig, though, for all the talent he possesses, Burke struggled at the Hawthorns, making few appearances for the Midlands club.

At Celtic, however, the Scotland international has been able to express himself and now looks like a good long-term option for Brendan Rodgers’ squad.

Middlesbrough have been rather impressive in recent times as they continue to improve under the guidance of Tony Pulis, with an automatic promotion place still up for grabs. 

Boro managed to get the better of Blackburn Rovers on Sunday in what was a very dominant performance from Pulis’ men, with Blackburn’s red card certainly helping.

And, to make things even better, it appears as if the Championship club are set to sign a highly-rated youngster, as according to TV2 (via HITC), Morten Spencer is set to join Middlesbrough.

The attacker has received a lot of hype in recent times and he was one of the most promising youngsters at Sunderland, but he recently terminated his contract.

It now looks as if Middlesbrough are set to secure his services, despite Manchester City being linked (as per The Sun) with a move for the youngster towards the start of this month.

So, it looks as if the Riverside Stadium will now be the home of one of England’s potential future stars.

THE VERDICT:

One for the future, that’s for sure.

Middlesbrough supporters will be delighted that the youngster looks set to move to the Riverside Stadium as he has plenty of potential. And, Manchester City’s interest just goes to show how highly-rated the attacker really is.

It’s every club’s dream that the mega-money of the Chinese Super League would come knocking for one of their flopped stars in the hope of recuperating their initial investment. Crystal Palace are no different.

Big Christian Benteke was lauded as the saviour of Crystal Palace’s offensive woes when he arrived from Liverpool in a deal estimated to be worth £27m in 2016, a relatively large sum for the time (source: BBC Sport), but has since only managed a meagre 18 league goals in 74 appearances.

Certainly not what the club were expecting.

Now, with time running out on the Belgian’s contract, Palace are dangling his services in front of the big spenders. Those who have already invested in the likes of Marouane Fellaini, Paulinho, and Jose Fonte, amongst many more, for astronomical fees.

According to Belgian outlet HLN, Crystal Palace ‘secretly hope’ for a bid from Asia before their season starts at the beginning of March.

However, there’s one major sticking point: Christian Benteke reportedly doesn’t want to leave.

Despite the arrival of compatriot Michy Batshuayi, who looks set to occupy the starting spot, Benteke would sooner see out his contract at Selhurst Park than move halfway across the world to play his football in China.

Probably a fair decision from his perspective.

Naturally, his current club will be pushing to make the transfer happen, as they prepare for a more successful 2019/20 campaign, but at the end of day it’s Benteke’s choice.

On reflection, when we consider the original costs and the current returns, we’ve got to say it’s been one of the club’s worst investments in the past decade, and once he does move on they’ll be hoping to be far more calculated in their scouting activity.

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Newcastle fans have taken to Twitter to react after The Chronicle revealed that talks are underway over the signing of Benfica defensive midfielder Andreas Samaris, who would join the club on loan if a deal were to materialise.

The 29-year-old is a player of some pedigree, having played for the Greek national team for many years now, and would be a welcome addition to a squad in desperate need of fresh faces to give them a boost in their battle for survival. Samaris is an excellent passer of the ball and poses a threat from set pieces.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

The Tynesiders have until 11pm on Thursday to wrap up some deals that they desperately need, as well as ones that would ensure that their Spanish boss remains at the club having grown tired at Mike Ashley’s reluctance to back him in the market, as per The Daily Mail.

Let’s see how the club’s fans reacted to the news on Twitter…

اعترف المدرب البرتغالي جوزيه مورينيو، المدير الفني لنادي توتنهام هوتسبير، أنه فريقه لم يقدم أداءً جيدًا أمام شكينديا بالدوري الأوروبي.

وكان توتنهام قد انتصر على شكينديا بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما مساء الخميس، بالجولة الثالثة من التصفيات المؤهلة لدور مجموعات اليوروباليج (طالع تقرير المباراة).

وقال مورينيو في المؤتمر الصحفي عقب نهاية المباراة: “لم نلعب بشكل رائع لكننا أنجزنا المهمة، في الشوط الأول لم نسجّل ثم أعطيناهم مساحة للعب”.

أقرأ أيضًا.. مورينيو: جو هارت اكتشف شيئا مضحكًا في المرمى قبل مباراة شكينديا!

وأضاف: “بعد التغييرات التي أجريناها، أحب أنّ أرى اللاعبين يدخلون ويحدثون تأثيرًا، واللاعبين الذين شاركوا في الشوط الثاني أحدثوا فرقًا”.

وأتم تصريحاته قائلًا: “لقد بدأتا بقوة وكنا نعتقد أننا سنقتل المباراة لكننا لم نفعل، لقد قدموا مباراة صعبة وشعرنا بالخوف بعد تعادلهم، ثم بعد ذلك هاجمنا بشكل جيد”.

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Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan has caused quite a stir with his latest comments, claiming Aston Villa are still the biggest club in the Midlands.

Aston Villa have fallen away from the promotion chasers in recent weeks, as the defensive vulnerabilities in Dean Smith’s side have come back to haunt them time and time again.

The Villans are one of only eight teams in the league to have conceded over 50 goals so far this season, and five of those eight make up the division’s bottom five.

Despite sitting eight points adrift of the play-off places though, former Palace man Jordan is tipping Villa to return to the Premier League within two years, and some of his comments will really rile the club’s rivals.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

What’s he said?

“I am a major advocate for Aston Villa being the biggest club in the Midlands,” he said on TalkSPORT on Wednesday.

“You have to put Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest above Leicester and Wolves. Both of these clubs have won the European Cup.

“If you are talking about the real dynamics of what defines a club then Aston Villa are the biggest club in the Midlands by a country mile.

“If you put Aston Villa back in the Premier League, which is likely to happen some time in the next two years in my view, then we will see whether it’s Wolves or Leicester or in fact a rejuvenated Aston Villa which will be the biggest club in the Midlands.”

Has he got a point?

It’s hard to argue for Villa right now in terms of recent achievements, as Leicester have pulled off arguably the greatest league campaign of all time while Wolves have blown the Championship away in their charge up the ranks.

Both of the Villa Park outfit’s rivals now sit comfortably in the top flight, while the likes Nottingham Forest and West Brom are much better placed for a play-off push this season than Smith’s side.

That said, it would certainly be interesting to see how the dynamic develops if Villa do go up in the near future, as Jordan’s comments on the size, history and support of the club are spot on.

The ex-Palace man’s comments will have Villa’s rivals fuming, but it’s now up to Smith and his squad to prove him right.

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It’s been far from easy going at St. Mary’s this season. While Ralph Hasenhuttl has certainly inspired an uplift in overall performance since taking the reigns from Mark Hughes, Southampton are still only two points clear of the relegation zone.

Collectively, Saints have struggled, but there have been some individual success stories throughout 2018/19. Below, Football FanCast’s expert writers debate who has been Southampton’s most improved player this season…

James Beavis – Nathan Redmond

“The attacker scored one goal – which didn’t come until May – and provided three assists in 31 Premier League appearances last season as his confidence was clearly at an all-time low. However, this term he has gone from someone on the periphery in matches to arguably the club’s most important player – especially in the final third.

“Even though the goals and assists didn’t flow earlier in the campaign, the 24-year-old was frightening defenders and his hard work during the summer has paid off. He has begun to find the net on a regular basis under Hasenhuttl, and his versatility and his tirelesss performances mean he is a vital cog of the team – if Southampton lose him to injury now they would go down.”

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Jack Saville – Jan Bednarek

“It’s impossible to separate this question from the arrival of Hasenhuttl. A collection of individuals have markedly improved under his watch, but one player stands out for me: Jan Bednarek. It’s an absolute mystery how Mark Hughes failed to recognise his talent when it was staring him in the face and, at just 22 years old, Southampton have a huge prospect on their hands.”

Billy Meyers – James Ward-Prowse

“It’s certainly a difficult one, as a number of players have improved under Hasenhuttl compared to a period of stagnation under Hughes, but one player has been markedly improved above all; James Ward-Prowse.

“The English midfielder has been an impressive Premier League performer for the Saints over the years, but without any real substance in the shape of goals or assists – now, however, he sits on five league goals this term, which is already a personal best for him.”

Christy Malyan – Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

“For a long time, it wasn’t quite clear why Southampton had invested so much faith in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, but amid this season of almost unrelenting disappointment he’s stood out as a player eager to take games by the scruff of the neck.

“Sometimes, perhaps a little too much; a goal combined with a red card against Manchester City was poignantly telling. But the stats don’t lie – Hojbjerg’s made more appearances, scored more goals and laid on more assists this season than in any of his previous Premier League campaigns.”

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Jermain Defoe has hit the ground running at Rangers and scored his second league goal for the club in their 4-0 win over St Mirren on Saturday afternoon.

The 36-year-old took to social media in the aftermath of the match and it was not a surprise to see so many Gers fans respond with messages of praise.

The 5ft 7in ace failed to score for Bournemouth in the first half of the season, but was always likely to hit the back of the net upon his arrival at Ibrox.

Rangers have now won their last two in the Scottish Premiership without conceding, but they are still six points behind leaders and reigning champions Celtic.

Next up for Steven Gerrard’s side is a huge clash away to Aberdeen on Wednesday night, and Defoe will be hoping to continue his impressive start to life at Ibrox.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Rangers supporters in relation to the striker’s start to life at the club can be seen below:

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

Jurgen Klopp could be set to overhaul his Liverpool squad when the summer transfer window reopens in the summer.

The German has built an extremely strong team at the top and bottom of the field after a window of lavish spending last summer. Klopp opted to keep his chequebook closed during the January transfer window as he believes in the ability of his current players. However, the ex-Borussia Dortmund manager will add to his squad when the window reopens in the summer.

While Liverpool may not make any huge additions like the signing of Virgil van Dijk, there is plenty of work to be done. Players such as Daniel Sturridge, Alberto Moreno and Divock Origi are all extremely likely to leave the club in the near future. The injury-prone Adam Lallana, who has made just four Premier League starts in two seasons, could also be shipped out.

To replace him, Klopp should make a move for Leicester City maestro – James Maddison. Valued at £27m by Transfermarkt, the 22-year-old was one of Europe’s hottest properties in the summer after a sensational season with Norwich in the Championship. The Foxes won the race for his signature, paying £22m to prise him from the Canaries.

Maddison hasn’t been fazed by the increase in competition and has thrived in the Premier League. The Englishman has been the creative force for his team under Claude Puel, netting five goals and registering four assists for his team-mates this season. The number ten could provide Liverpool with the spark they have been lacking at times throughout the season, Maddison has averaged an incredible 2.7 key passes per game, and his arrival would allow Mohamed Salah to move to his favoured right-wing position in the 4-2-3-1 formation (WhoScored).

Prising him from the King Power could prove difficult, but the allure of Anfield could be too much for the youngster.

Liverpool fans, thoughts?