All posts by h716a5.icu

The Daily Record journalist Keith Jackson believes that an offer of £10m would be enough for Glasgow Rangers to part ways with Glen Kamara.

The Lowdown: Kamara attracting interest

The 25-year-old spent the early part of the summer away with Finland at Euro 2020, starting all three of his country’s games at the competition (Transfermarkt).

That has only seen interest in his services increase, with the likes of Arsenal (The Daily Record), Watford and Leeds (TEAMtalk) all linked with a move for his services.

The Latest: Jackson discusses Kamara

Jackson and a number of other reporters were taking part in a Q&A for The Daily Record and they were asked whether the Gers would accept selling Kamara now they have signed John Lundstram. Jackson said:

“That’s seven players fighting for three starting paces so it does look as if the Rangers squad is now top heavy. Kamara has been an excellent signing but it makes sense to cash in now so long as the price is right. A bid of around £10m should do it.”

The Verdict: Not necessarily a replacement

The signing of Lundstram (rangers.co.uk) means Steven Gerrard has a lot of options to choose from in midfield. Along with Kamara, Rangers also have Joe Aribo, Steven Davis and Scott Arfield, while Ryan Jack is another option when fully fit. While the Gers may well play a large number of games next term, you still feel there are too many players and not enough slots.

Kamara is clearly the player in that position with the biggest sell-on value, and £10m would represent a huge profit on the £50,000 they originally spent to sign him from Dundee. Still, whether Gerrard would be willing to get such an important player depart is another question.

In other news, many Rangers fans slammed this man’s pre-season performance against Tranmere.

While Leeds United fans will be eager to watch Kalvin Phillips in action when England take on Denmark in the semi-finals of EURO 2020, they might want to be keeping a closer eye on another player on show tonight; Mikkel Damsgaard.

Reports in recent days have claimed that Marcelo Bielsa’s side have got their sights set on the Sampdoria star, with Turkish publication Sabah claiming that the Whites, along with the likes of Barcelona, Juventus and Liverpool, among others, are all interested in signing him.

And, after news emerged of Leeds’ interest in the winger, Noel Whelan threw his backing behind a potential move.

He said: “Wow, now he would be a signing. From what I have seen, he is the next big thing coming out of Denmark. Again, we are looking at players who are the right age and of the right profile. Somebody who would compliment what Marcelo Bielsa already has.

“Leeds nowadays are very intense and aggressive in their style of play and fitness plays a huge part. He looks to me as if he could do that as well, which is important because it’s not just about the little flicks. Damsgaard is a very exciting prospect. If we could get that deal over the line it would show just how far we’ve come in the last couple of years.”

More than the fact the 20-year-old enjoyed an impressive campaign with Sampdoria going forward – he scored two goals and provided four assists, including against the likes of Inter and Milan – it’s his defensive work that marks him out as the kind of player that Bielsa needs at Elland Road.

Sofascore lifts one of the left-winger’s biggest strengths as his “high pressing”, and when you look at his defensive numbers, it’s clear to see why.

Despite the position he plays, he averaged an impressive 1.2 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per game in Serie A – only Jack Harrison betters his tackles per game among Leeds’ attacking players, while only Raphinha made more interceptions.

Dubbed as “magical” by Norwegian football expert Martin Mikkelsen, he also added that the 21-year-old is “dynamic and can go both ways. He is creative but also so mature in his decisions.”

And that ability to be an influence going forward, but not forgetting his defensive duties makes him the perfect wide player for Bielsa.

The £26m-rated star has also been hailed as being “phenomenal” by Denmark teammate, Kasper Schmeichel, for his performances in the competition this summer, and England will be hoping that he doesn’t turn up with a big-time performance.

But while Leeds fans will be desperate for Phillips to do well, they may want to keep a close eye on a player who Victor Orta wants to sign ahead of the new Premier League season.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign a dream De Paul alternative in this star…

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, former Wolves striker Steve Bull has hailed Burnley star Josh Brownhill as a “top-class player”.

According to TEAMtalk, Brownhill is someone who Wolves have recently scouted, though they are not alone, with the same report stating that the likes of West Ham and Aston Villa have also been monitoring the midfielder.

Brownhill had a solid season for Burnley, making 2.1 interceptions per game in the Premier League last term, more than any other Burnley player (via WhoScored).

The 25-year-old also proved to be a versatile asset for Sean Dyche, playing both in midfield and out wide.

On Brownhill, Bull told TT:

“He’s a top-class player. I think Burnley, if they want to be just below us, not in a bad way, stop where you are and you can be a big fish in a little pond.

“But if you want to come to Wolves and make yourself a big fish in [a bigger pond], he can come here all day long.”

It remains to be seen whether Wolves’ interest in Brownhill materialises into a bid this summer, but a midfield shake up at Molineux looks certain regardless.

Ruben Neves continues to be heavily linked with a move to Arsenal, with The Athletic reporting that contact has been made between the two clubs over a transfer.

Manchester United have been linked with a move for Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos after he announced his imminent departure from the Spanish giants.

What’s the story?

The 35-year-old is set to depart the Bernabeu this summer after an illustrious 16-year spell in the Spanish capital, having failed to agree terms on a new contract.

It means Ramos will be available on a free transfer over the coming months, with Spanish outlet AS claiming that the World Cup winner is on the radar of the Red Devils.

Ole must avoid

United are targeting a new centre-back partner for Harry Maguire this summer as Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly have failed to prove their credentials over the last few years.

The Old Trafford outfit reportedly had a £50 million bid turned down for fellow Madrid man Raphael Varane earlier in the window and could now turn to his teammate after being put off by the Frenchman’s large price tag.

Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain are also credited with an interest in Ramos as they look to regain their top-flight crown.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must think very carefully before sanctioning a move for the £312,00o-per-week beast.

Former United ace Rio Ferdinand has previously showered Ramos in praise, labelling him Madrid’s “talisman” and after collecting five La Liga titles, four Champions League crowns and two Copa del Rey’s during his time with Los Blancos, it’s easy to understand why.

Nevertheless, bringing him to Old Trafford at this stage in his career is a decision fraught with danger. Edinson Cavani may have been a success last season, but transfers like that should be the anomaly rather than the norm.

The South American striker solved a problem and proved to be an effective quick fix at the top end of the pitch and although Solskjaer may be tempted to apply the same logic with Ramos, the Norwegian tactician must avoid him this summer.

Providing a solid foundation for United to build success off for many years to come must be the hierarchy’s priority over the coming months.

Maguire needs a partner who he can play alongside for the next five years or so in order to do that, not a player to be a quick fix for 12 months or so.

The Red Devils don’t want to become known as the dumping ground for ageing stars looking for one last paycheck and as such, they should instead focus their attentions on a younger target who still has his best years ahead of him.

And, in other news…Journalist provides major Man United update over £290k-p/w dynamo, Ole will be buzzing 

The final match of the season at the County Ground on Sunday when the Sabres take on Durham Dynamos will mark the end of an era for one of the umpires who will be standing out in the middle

Richard Walsh21-Sep-2002The final match of the season at the County Ground on Sunday when the Sabres take on Durham Dynamos will mark the end of an era for one of the umpires who will be standing out in the middle.For Ken Palmer, who played for Somerset between 1955 and 1969 this will be the last match at county level that he ever umpires.Ken, who was born in Southampton and brought up in Devizes was an all rounder with a considerable pedigree. During his years with the Cidermen he made over 300 first class appearances, scoring over 7500 runs at 20.73 and taking 837 wickets at a cost of 21.11 each.In 1961 he became the first player since the second world war and the youngest Somerset player ever to achieve the much coveted double when he scored 1036 runs and took well over 100 wickets.Thirty five years ago Ken played for Somerset in their first ever Lords final against Kent in the Gillette Cup, and his final duty at cricket’s headquarters was appropriately enough acting as third umpire in this year’s final.Ken reached the age of 65 earlier in the season, and when the game finishes on Sunday evening he will be hanging up his umpiring jacket for the last time.Since he first joined the umpires list thirty years ago Ken Palmer has become a familiar figure and as well as umpiring in 22 Test Matches and 23 Limited Over Internationals he has become one of the most respected on the county circuit.After being involved with the first class game for nearly fifty years when he retires Ken hopes to remain involved with the game that has given him a living for so long.

Steve Elworthy has once again been overlooked by the national selectors as they put together the South African squad for the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy to be played in Sri Lanka starting on 12 September

Keith Lane29-Aug-2002Steve Elworthy has once again been overlooked by the national selectors as they put together the South African squad for the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy to be played in Sri Lanka starting on 12 September.Elworthy who holds a UCBSA contract and who trained with the South African squad that went to Morocco was omitted from the touring party in favour of Alan Dawson coming in for Western Province teammate of Roger Telemachus. Dawson who has played 4 one-day internationals for South Africa is a medium pace bowler that swings the ball away and might be effective on the slower Sri Lankan pitches.Telemachus has been withdrawn from the squad as a precautionary measure for medical reasons. “Roger will see a doctor on Friday, but as a precaution we have decided to withdraw him from the squad,” said the convenor of national selectors, Omar Henry, today.Gary Kirsten has also been dropped from the squad, opening the doors for the KwaZulu-Natal captain Dale Benkenstein. Benkenstein at 28 years of age has played in 20 one-day internationals his last being at Sharjah in March 2000. Benkenstein at one stage was rumoured to take over the captaincy roll from Hansie Cronje is a middle order specialist with an average of 19.73 and a highest score of 69.Gary Kirsten has been included in the South African A squad who meet Australia A in seven one-day matches starting in Potchefstroom on Wednesday 4 September. “We feel that Gary has a better chance of batting his way back into the mainstream playing in home conditions against Australia A than he would in Sri Lanka,” Henry said.”Both of these players (Dawson and Benkenstein) have a proven track record in the sub-continent and we believe they will be very well suited to the conditions in Sri Lanka,” Henry said. He added: “There were other players who came into the picture, like Steve Elworthy and Neil McKenzie, but we preferred to keep them here in South Africa to be able to better measure them against Australia A.”For the rest the team picked itself. Neil Dippenaar played well enough in Morocco to establish himself in the team, while Justin Ontong has been given another chance to settle into international cricket. Makhaya Ntini can only improve from his Morocco showing.The full South African squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2002 is:Shaun Pollock (captain) KwaZulu-Natal
Dale Benkenstein KwaZulu-Natal
Nicky Boje Free State
Mark Boucher Border
Alan Dawson Western Province
Boeta Dippenaar Free State
Allan Donald Free State
Herschelle Gibbs Western Province
Jacques Kallis Western Province
Lance Klusener KwaZulu-Natal
Makhaya Ntini Border
Justin Ontong Boland
Jonty Rhodes KwaZulu-Natal
Graeme Smith Western Province

A source from Newcastle United has shared some latest insight on the parties involved in the potential takeover, which interestingly involves Rafa Benitez.

The Lowdown: Bruce could be at risk

If the proposed deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium does eventually go through, then Steve Bruce could potentially be at risk of losing his job in the North East.

The new owners may want to go down a new pathway with regards to hiring a fresh new boss to take them to the next level, and given that Bruce was not appointed by them in the first place, the former Aston Villa and Sunderland coach may well be at risk.

In theory, a takeover at St. James’ Park could well be completed as early as July, if the arbitration case against the Premier League goes well for both Ashley and the Tyneside club, which would then in turn cast doubt over Bruce’s future going into the new season.

The Latest: Takeover insight involving Benitez

As per Football Insider, a source from the Magpies has shared the latest situation with regards to the ongoing takeover saga, which is that all parties involved in the bid are confident that the deal will go through after the arbitration proceedings.

Those working on the deal have also reportedly laid the groundwork for Benitez to return as the new manager in place of Bruce, and the Spaniard is their ‘top managerial target’.

The Verdict: Exciting times ahead

The fact that all of the parties involved in the potential deal are confident that it will go through after arbitration is certainly promising in terms of what could be expected of the results, and thus the process afterwards.

If arbitration does go in favour of the Toon, then it would certainly bring the potential revival of the takeover one step closer and thus give an incentive for the KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to come back to the table.

In a dream scenario, if the takeover could be completed by July after the hearing takes place, then NUFC could start looking at managers to take them into the new era, and none more so would fit perfectly than the return of Benitez.

A lot of Newcastle fans have previously called for the 61-year-old to come back, and so he would certainly be a popular appointment among the Toon Army.

Nonetheless, he has a vast amount of experience in managing in the Premier League, with teams on bigger transfer budgets like Liverpool and Chelsea, and so he should have little problems in handling the additional funds that would come with the takeover.

In other news, find out what promising insight Lee Ryder has shared on those close to Amanda Staveley on the potential takeover here!

Manchester United are interested in signing Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Trippier this summer as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to bolster his first-team squad.

What’s the story?

According to the Daily Mail, the 30-year-old is available for the right price in the upcoming transfer window as cash-strapped Atleti look to raise some funds, with United and fellow Premier League outfit Everton thought to be keen on his signature.

Trippier has impressed since moving to the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium two years ago, helping Diego Simeone’s side lift the La Liga title in the recently concluded campaign.

United must swoop

The Old Trafford outfit are thought to be prioritising moves for Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho and Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane this summer, but it’s believed they remain keen to bring in Trippier if their budget allows them to make a move.

United had a solid 2020/21 campaign, finishing second in the top-flight table, before being surprisingly beaten by Unai Emery’s Villarreal in the Europa League final.

Their lack of strength in depth was exposed in the showpiece event in Gdansk when Solskjaer refused to make a single substitution until deep into extra time, despite the goalless scoreline.

Adding some quality additions to his side’s starting XI is, therefore, not the Norwegian’s sole objective over the imminent transfer window.

The addition of some much-needed strength in depth is also required if the 20-time English champions are to return to their former glory, and Trippier’s arrival would provide just that.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka has impressed in the right-back berth since his arrival from Crystal Palace back in 2019, but his exceptionally high game time illustrates the Red Devils’ current issue.

The 23-year-old has made 100 appearances for United in just two years, an unsustainably high figure in the long-term, meaning Solskjaer must swoop for the £18 million rated Trippier before the Toffees do.

While Wan-Bissaka excels in the defensive aspect of his game, Trippier is more at home in the final third, and England manager Gareth Southgate has been quick to praise for former Tottenham Hotspur star’s crossing ability whilst he was on international duty in the past.

“Kieran has outstanding quality, and that kind of profile in that position is very important,” said Southgate.

His addition would add top-quality cover and competition in the full-back positions and give United a more natural attacking option against suitable opponents, potentially propelling the English giants back towards major trophies.

And, in other news…Woodward masterclass: Man Utd must swoop for £43m “conductor”, fans will be buzzing 

Leicestershire, having been put in to bat, made good progress as openers Robert Cunliffe and Ian Flanagan put on 162 for the first wicket off 34 overs

Gordon Child22-Jun-2002Leicestershire, having been put in to bat, made good progress as openers Robert Cunliffe and Ian Flanagan put on 162 for the first wicket off 34 overs.Richard Howitt applied the brakes , taking 3 quick wickets which helped to restrict the home side to 245.MCCA made a slow start to their innings against some accurate seam bowling. The tempo increased when Richard Howitt came to the crease. He batted in assured style scoring an excellent 85 and in partnerships with Andrew Hall (21) and wicketkeeper Nick Wilton (33) kept the Minors in the hunt. When Howitt sliced a drive to cover and Wilton was run out the target proved just beyond reach.

Steve Cooper makes up for his lack of experience with a proven identity and style of play, that’s the verdict of Barry Fry, who’s been discussing his chances of him being named the new Crystal Palace manager following a big update from Football Insider that he’s held talks twice with the club.

The Welshman recently led Swansea to their second consecutive play-off campaign, and despite going one better, still fell narrowly short in their pursuit of the Premier League.

But Cooper, who also led England Under-17s to World Cup glory back in 2017, has a growing reputation in management and is in the running to be the man to take on the significant rebuild that is required at Selhurst Park this summer.

No less than 15 players are out of contract, including several experienced names, with the new manager likely to be working on a tight budget.

But that’s something Cooper has done impressively during his time in south Wales, working with mainly long deals and free transfers, something Palace have also become accustomed to.

His lack of experience might lead to him being seen as a risk, but Peterborough Director of Football, Fry, has been raving over the Swansea boss.

He told Football FanCast:

“I think Palace will go for a younger guy. The boy Cooper has done brilliantly at Swansea on a shoe-string budget.

“He got in the play-offs last year, the play-off final this year. Plays excellent football, been in charge of England at youth level when they were successful, so he’s got a lot of contacts and plays the right way.”