Tottenham Hotspur fans have taken to Twitter to provide their reactions to the news that Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucoure remains a target for the White Hart Lane outfit, after the midfielder confirmed Spurs’ interest in him in an interview with Telefoot.
The Hornets midfielder has impressed during his time in the Premier League and has produced key performances for his side this season, including seven goals and three assists.
It is believed Spurs are not the only English club to be interested in signing the player from the Vicarage Road outfit this summer, with Arsenal and Liverpool also rumoured to be keen.
The midfielder has been vital to the way Watford have been playing, with many considering him to be an underrated player within the league and the club will have a battle on their hands to try and keep him.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team will be looking to do everything they can to make him a Tottenham player next season.
Fans have been delighted with the possibility of him linking up with their stars on Twitter and were encouraging the club to get a deal done.
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It could only happen to Arsenal. On the eve of the closure of the transfer window, the team’s first-choice (and only senior) centre-forward Olivier Giroud has been ruled out with injury for up to three months following a fairly innocuous phase of play on the weekend against Everton.
It leaves Arsenal well short of options for the first half of the season, with Yaya Sango and Alexis Sanchez the only obvious choices for Arsene Wenger, and Lukas Podolski on the brink of a move away, though Giroud’s injury status may force a rethink of the sale of the German international.
Arsenal have the funds – and everyone knows it – but are the options out there? It terms of world-class centre-forwards, it seems unlikely.
But with less than a week left of the summer window, he’s a rundown of five centre-forward options for Arsene Wenger.
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Football – Netherlands v Mexico – FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 – Second Round – Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza, Brazil – 29/6/14Klaas Jan Huntelaar celebrates after scoring the second goal for Holland from the penalty spotMandatory Credit: Action Images / Andrew CouldridgeLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
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Carlos Bacca
Football – Sevilla v Valencia – UEFA Europa League Semi Final First Leg – Sanchez Pizjuan, Sevilla, Spain – 24/4/14Carlos Bacca celebrates after he scores Sevilla’s second goalMandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl RecineLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Carlos Bacca has thus far remained at Sevilla despite a belief that he’d be off this summer after the season he had last term.
The Colombian was surprisingly overlooked as a starter for his national team at the World Cup, but then other high-profile names like Jackson Martinez also saw much of the tournament in Brazil from the bench.
Bacca nevertheless has many qualities that would see him do well at Arsenal. He’s strong, quick, good in the air, and able to play the lone striker role. The move from Belgian football to Sevilla would have set him up nicely for a move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
Football – Netherlands v Mexico – FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 – Second Round – Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza, Brazil – 29/6/14Klaas Jan Huntelaar celebrates after scoring the second goal for Holland from the penalty spotMandatory Credit: Action Images / Andrew CouldridgeLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
There’s an opportunity now for Arsene Wenger to revisit the topic of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who Arsenal were heavily linked with a few seasons back.
The Dutch international’ rigid style of play may not be to the Wenger’s liking and the system employed at the Emirates, but there’s no doubting Huntelaar’s record in front of goal.
He’s 30 now and won’t have many years left at the top of the game. But as a short-term option, natural goal scorers don’t come much better than the Schalke forward.
Wilfried Bony
Interest in Wilfried Bony has gone cold of late, but the Swansea striker is very much an option for Arsene Wenger. The Arsenal manager can take comfort in that Bony’s transition from Dutch football to the Premier League has been smooth, while his mould as a powerful striker would see him as a perfect replacement for the injured Olivier Giroud.
Bony is far from the star name fans would have wanted this summer, but he’s a Premier League experienced forward who should only cost around £15 million. A good option if there is little else at this stage of the summer.
Loic Remy
It would have been thought that Loic Remy’s move to Liverpool would have finally ended the links to Arsenal, but his failed medical at Anfield has continued those rumours, and now with Olivier Giroud out injured, Remy is one of a handful of names linked to address the centre-forward problem at Arsenal.
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It would prove to be a move that sees Arsenal go full circle, having initially reportedly been interest in the French striker at the start of the summer, but opting against his signing and leaving a clear path for Liverpool.
But Remy is still reportedly available for a knockdown fee, and as the week progresses, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him end up at the Emirates.
Danny Welbeck
Danny Welbeck would be a supremely underwhelming signing on Arsenal’s part, as it’s very difficult to see what the forward can provide beyond just hard work.
Welbeck has been linked with a move away from Manchester United this summer in a bid to secure regular football, and while that may be on offer at the Emirates (largely due to the injury record at the club), he won’t offer much that isn’t already available to Arsene Wenger.
Versatile and in tune with the demands of the Premier League are his redeeming qualities. It would be more than understandable if Arsenal fans are hoping Manchester United refuse a sale following the episode with Thomas Vermaelen.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has hinted that Chris Smalling could make his first appearance of the season in during their Champions League tie against Braga.
The defender has been out of action with a broken metatarsal, but does feature in the Red Devils’ squad as they travel to Portugal.
Although it is believed that the England international is not 100% fit, Fergie hinted that he could play some part in the tie.
When asked about the situations of Phil Jones and Smalling ahead of the clash, the Scot replied:
“Phil Jones will start training with us next Monday which is good news.” He is quoted by The Metro.
“He is making really good progress now. Chris Smalling is with the party and will be involved tomorrow.
“That is really good news because since the start of the season, we’ve been operating on the borderline in terms of certain defenders having to play all the time, and also having to play (midfielder) Michael Carrick as a centre-back.
“They can only help us with that. Those two are outstanding young defenders and it will give us a fantastic squad to take on all our challenges.”
Although they are able to welcome back their defender, United will be without Darren Fletcher, Shinji Kagawa and Paul Scholes:
“Fletcher had a little bit of a cold on Sunday and there is no point in taking him travelling with a cold,” Added Ferguson.
“With Scholes, for the last few weeks I have been resting him, looking to freshen him up.
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Liverpool fans are eager to sign Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson after his phenomenal display against Argentina at the World Cup on Saturday.
Making six saves, including a penalty from Barcelona legend Lionel Messi, Halldorsson was arguably Iceland’s best player across the 90 minutes of the group match, earning his side a crucial point in their bid to make the knockout stages.
Liverpool are thought to be on the hunt for a goalkeeper this summer after a difficult rollercoaster season for recognised number one Loris Karius, which culminated in costly errors in the UEFA Champions League final.
Now many Reds fans believe that Halldorsson could be an excellent alternative to their shot-stopper at Anfield. The unlikely Iceland hero currently plays for Randers in Denmark and is 34 years of age.
Is he the kind of player that Jurgen Klopp should be targeting this summer, or is the World Cup a tournament that club scouts should avoid?
Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts…
According to an interview he did with Big Rossi Radio, via the Liverpool Echo, Everton manager Sam Allardyce has suggested that the Premier League introduces a mid-season winter break, and Toffees fans have been quick to have their say on his comments.
The Merseyside outfit have spent the last week in Dubai for a warm-weather training camp having been knocked out of the FA Cup by arch-rivals Liverpool at the third round stage, and the 63-year-old boss believes it should be a regular occurrence in the fixture calendar in the future, mainly for welfare of the players.
He told Big Rossi Radio, via the Liverpool Echo: “The Premier League really now must give us a break.
“They really must give us a break and an interim season. We need to make sure we can regenerate and recover players physically and mentally.”
Everton supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on his comments, and while one said “nobody honestly cares while he is in charge”, another asked “can we have an Allardyce break instead?”
Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…
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Just as we were turning our focus back onto the World Cup, with two knockout stage matches being settled by penalty shootouts, Luis Suarez got his name back onto the sport pages of the English newspapers with his apology.
The striker released a statement on his personal website, apparently with the Uruguayan FA or Liverpool unaware of this act, saying he was sorry for biting Giorgio Chiellini. Some cynical football fans are convinced that he’s been told to make a public apology to help his move to either Barcelona or Real Madrid, but what should we make of the fact that since the incident, the emphasis on Liverpool has mainly been that they are the victims of this?
The club are not only left embarrassed and disgraced from Suarez’s actions, they are also left in the difficult position of working out what to do with the troubled forward. Do they sell him, or do they hold onto a man who has been far and away their best player since his arrival at Anfield? Are they really just the innocent sufferers from the incident, or are they to blame for the striker’s third animalistic attack on another player?
In the 14 months that have passed since Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic was bitten by Suarez, the club have been working hard to create a ‘New Luis’ image around Anfield. Rodgers has repeatedly stood by the Uruguayan, praising him for how he acts at the club, and the respect he shows to all members of staff around Melwood, as well as his attitude during training (something he won’t be able to do for the next four months.) The fans have been quickly encouraged to forgive Suarez for demanding to leave the club for Arsenal over the summer, with the whole talk of a switch to the Gunners now swept under the carpet and forgotten about.
In order to keep Suarez happy, the club have publicly built him up to be their number 1 player. Their star. While Rodgers will always say it’s a team effort and about the 11 players on the pitch, the marketing department have done their bit to build Suarez’s ego. Visit Anfield, and just a short distance from the famous Bill Shankly statue is a giant image of Suarez and Gerrard advertising the new Liverpool kit, overlooking the great manager. But while he’s level with the skipper in the ad, he’s even bigger when it comes to the pitch.
Kopites will know that when Peter McDowell announces the players’ names, the Uruguayan is the last man to be revealed to the crowd, and is given extra emphasis by both McDowell and the supporters. It doesn’t matter that their skipper has been at the club through thick and thin since making his debut back in 1998. It doesn’t matter that Gerrard has rescued them from the brink on countless occasions. Luis Suarez is still given a better reception. McDowell echoes and elongates his name, and the Kop responds as if they had just seen a goal, singing and chanting his name until Roberto Martinez can hear across Stanley Park.
But treating Suarez like a hero has just built up the Uruguayan’s ego. And the club heave reaped the benefits of that for the season, as he scored 31 goals to help the club push for the league title. It seemed that as the size of Suarez’s head increased, so did his ability. He left for Brazil being tipped as a potential Golden Boot winner. And when injury threatened his tournament altogether, the whole of Uruguay panicked, boosting Suarez’s self-confidence more as he was aware just how much his country were relying on him. Sitting on the bench as his country was beaten by Costa Rica, Suarez was ready to show the world he was fit and healthy against England, whose FA had banned him for a total of 17 matches during his short time in their country.
Roy Hodgson didn’t help much either, claiming Suarez needed to prove himself on the World Cup to be known as a great, he challenged the striker to hurt England. And the 27-year-old did just that. The hero that defeated the English, his two World Cup goals made him a god. Uruguay lose to the minnows without him, but then beat the enemy when he plays. It was going to be Suarez’s tournament.
But the ‘incredible’, ‘unstoppable’ Suarez couldn’t make an impact against Italy during their must win match to reach the knockout stage. With his summer just a handful of minutes away from ending, the 27-year-old lashed out in frustration. Debate between yourselves whether he regressed to a childlike state or something more sinister, what we do know is that King Luis couldn’t accept failure.
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Liverpool built up this hero status, this ego, this incredible figure that is Luis Suarez. Rodgers valued him at £100million, which would be more than what Gareth Bale cost just 12 months ago. And despite having Sports Psychiatrist Dr. Steve Peters at the club working with the players one day a week, the Reds failed to correct the Uruguayan’s terrible habit that we must now call it.
Suarez learnt that with Liverpool he would always be forgiven for his misdemeanours. Be it racial abuse or biting an opponent, he would forever be welcomed back by Kopites. Many fans did call for Suarez to be sold after the Ivanovic bite. Plenty of supporters said it was an outrage and that he shouldn’t wear the club badge again. But where are they now? There are no banners calling for Suarez to be sold, nor complaints that he starts each match. The striker was forgiven, as he was for abusing Evra, (who has been booed by some Liverpool fans during matches against Manchester United). When the king was punished, he was welcomed back with open arms, as fans anticipated a flurry of goals. Instead of having to work hard to make it up to the Kop, learn that it wasn’t acceptable and slowly build his way back to being a welcomed squad member, Suarez returned a hero, and never properly learnt about how damaging his actions are.
Liverpool defender Sebastian Coates is hoping to get back to winning ways in the Europa League tonight and put his Udinese own goal behind him.
The Uruguayan centre back put in a commanding performance despite putting the ball in his own net during the 3-2 defeat against the Italians and Coates is eager to play a part in the clash against Anzhi Makhachkala to help secure three points.
“Own goals are thing that happen. You never want to score an own goal, but when it does happen you just have to get on with it and move on, the centre back told Liverpool.com.
“I think it’s important to win, especially taking into account that we’re playing Everton next. It’s also very important we get back to winning ways in the Europa League.
“Anzhi are a very good side with some very good players, and they’ve brought some good players. That’s the reason they’re top of the Russian League and I think they’re going to come to Anfield and try to win the game.”
Coates has made four first team appearances so far this season as Rodgers has used the 22 year-old in cup competitions this season and the towering centre back is looking to repay his manager.
“Brendan is a very good manager.
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“He is a manager who likes to play the ball, keep possession and we have players in the team who can fit into this style very well.”
The agent of Manchester United forward Anthony Martial has revealed that his client wants to leave Old Trafford this summer, which has handed Tottenham Hotspur a huge boost in their pursuit of the Frenchman.
What’s the story?
Martial’s agent Philippe Lamboley has told RMC Sport:
“After considering all possibilities and options, Anthony wants to leave Manchester United. There are many reasons, for now it is too early to discuss it. Anthony will talk soon to go through that.”
Martial scored 11 times and registered nine assists in 45 appearances for United last season, but he struggled for starts in the second half of the campaign following Alexis Sanchez’s arrival from Arsenal in the January transfer window.
Tottenham have been strongly linked with a move for Martial since the end of the 2017-18 campaign, and Lamboley’s quotes have handed the London club real hope of completing a deal.
The 22-year-old’s current contract at United will expire next summer, although the Red Devils have the option to extend it for a further year, and will certainly not sell the attacker on the cheap this summer.
How will this one end?
It does appear increasingly likely that Martial, who is valued at £58.5m by transfermarkt.co.uk, will leave United this summer.
The Frenchman has scored 36 goals and registered 26 assists in his 136 appearances for the 20-time English champions since a move from Monaco in 2015.
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Tottenham boss Daniel Levy is a master negotiator, but United will not be forced into a sale this summer despite the latest developments.
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Spurs are in need of fresh blood as they look to launch a title challenge next season, however, and it would be some signing for the club if they pulled it off.
Indeed, the thought of Harry Kane, who recently signed a new long-term contract at Tottenham, operating alongside Martial in the final third would surely be mouth-watering for the club’s supporters.
Martial would also be fired-up to prove a point after falling out of favour under Jose Mourinho, and he would certainly have the stage he needs at Tottenham.
Amid ineffectual displays against Swansea and West Brom, Liverpool fans will have wondered why Jurgen Klopp is so determined to let Emre Can’s contract wind down rather than cash-in on the German international six months early amid interest from Juventus.
Performing the holding role at the base of midfield, the 24-year-old failed to make any positive impact as Liverpool fell short against relegation-threatened opposition in the Premier League and the FA Cup – evident enough from the fact they conceded four goals to sides who have averaged less than one per match in the top flight this term.
But pushed further forward upon the return of captain Jordan Henderson, Can showed against Huddersfield last night why he’s wanted so dearly by the Italian champions and so dearly by Klopp to stay on Merseyside, given the licence to venture forward and take risks in a box-to-box capacity.
In fact, it was Can who broke the deadlock after David Wagner’s side frustrated Liverpool for the opening 25 minutes, his shot struck cleanly and powerfully enough to give Jonas Lossl no chance after the ball took a damning deflection off a Terriers defender.
But that was by no means the end of Can’s offensive contributions; he also created the second-most chances of any Liverpool player, completed the most crosses and had a further two efforts at goal. The 6 foot midfielder – who Transfermarkt value at £25.2million – was purposeful but economical with the ball as well, completing 91% of his passes.
This is the Emre Can who can be such an asset at Anfield, but maybe the occasional misuse of him this season is part of the reason why the 23-cap international sees his future elsewhere. There’s something too ambitious about Can to ever be an out-and-out holding player; he needs the freedom to get forward and contribute to the attack.
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Well at least they delayed the traditional February collapse until March this time.
Knocked out of the Champions League by the imperious Bayern Munich once again, Arsenal’s title bid has begun to seriously unravel in recent weeks. Humiliation at Stamford Bridge was followed by home draws to Swansea and Manchester City. The Gunners currently find themselves seven points adrift at the time of writing.
With City’s games in hand, Arsenal’s challenge for the title is fading fast. Although there is still time for this situation to change, most punters would not bet on the Gunners to make up this difference.
The more pressing concern could be the club’s place in the top four. Following the Gunners’ recent indifferent form, Roberto Martinez’s Everton side have closed the gap significantly and are now breathing down the necks of Arsene Wenger’s side. The upcoming clash between the two at Goodison Park could be pivotal in determining the identity of the final qualifier for the Champions League.
Despite all this talk of doom and gloom however, Arsenal’s season still has the capacity to be considered a success.
Obviously, the minimum that is expected is Champions League qualification. Having led the league for so much of the season, it would be a backward step for the Gunners to end the season out of the top four. But with Wenger’s impressive record over the last decade, one wouldn’t bet against Arsenal repeating this feat once again.
With this minimum requirement in the league, lifting the FA Cup would ultimately define this as a successful campaign for the Gunners. Although its a trophy that may have lost its appeal in recent times, it would end a dreadful barren spell for the club that extends back to 2005. This trophy-less run is a burden that has increased over time and needs to be ended sooner rather than later.
The semi-final line up for the competition shows Arsenal to be clear favourites. As long as a potential banana skin with Wigan Athletic is successfully negotiated, the Gunners should fancy their chances in the showpiece final against either Hull City or Sheffield United.
Obviously, it goes without saying that complacency needs to be avoided at all costs. Arsenal cannot really afford another embarrassment similar to that devastating Carling Cup final defeat to Birmingham City. But if the Gunners perform in a professional manner and to their potential, their fans should be fairly confident that the club’s barren run will come to an end.
It is difficult to accurately predict just how big of an impact a trophy could have on Arsenal’s immediate future. The club has become the punchline to too many jokes. An FA Cup triumph would lift an unbearable weight that has been choking the manager and players for years.
While the competition may be considered small fry in comparison to the riches of the Champions League and Premier League, who knows what greater success it could lead to? Manchester City’s triumph in the competition in 2011 proved to be a springboard for the Citizens to claim the title just a year later, for the first time in forty four years. Their victory over Manchester United in the semi final en route to lifting the trophy provided the club with the confidence to usurp their dominant rivals to the crown.
This isn’t to say that FA Cup success this year will naturally lead to a Premier League triumph next year. But it is a good example of how a club that hasn’t won a trophy for some time can use success in the competition as a springboard for bigger and better things.
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Combined with the fact that Arsenal now seem willing and able to spend big, the future could be brighter than many would believe right now.
The record signing of Mesut Ozil coupled with the early season promise means that there is currently an inevitable sense of disappointment surrounding the club following the recent results. The Champions League and Premier League crowns continue to elude them, but Arsenal fans shouldn’t be so despondent just yet.
The FA Cup could still make their season a success and who knows what impact that could have in the long term.