All posts by n8rngtd.top

The summer transfer window may have only closed just a couple of days ago, but one Manchester United player has already been linked with a move away elsewhere…

What’s the word?

Paul Pogba has admitted that he dreams of playing for Real Madrid one day in the future.

When asked to share his thoughts on a potential move to Madrid, the 70-cap French international said: “All football players would love to play for Real Madrid. It is a dream for me, why not one day?”

Pogba is frequently asked about his future when he’s away with France, so you have to admire his honesty, but his comments will likely have gone down like a lead balloon back at Old Trafford.

In fact, it’s downright disrespectful, especially considering the fact that he has hardly covered himself in glory in recent weeks.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side slumped to a humiliating 6-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in what turned out to be a miserable afternoon for the Frenchman.

Pogba couldn’t contribute at either end of the pitch and conceded a penalty by bringing down Ben Davies.

As far as United are concerned, he is well within his rights to angle for a move away, as he will get his wish either way if he doesn’t sign a new deal.

However, this isn’t the first time he has been accused of disrespecting the club for speaking so publicly about transfer rumours and the Red Devils have every right to feel aggrieved as they have put up with his errant behaviour for so long.

So, Solskjaer should start to plan for life without Pogba by starting Donny van de Beek instead.

Waiting in the wings?

Ed Woodward signed Van de Beek in the summer but he has mainly been used as a substitute so far.

The Dutch international scored eight goals and supplied five assists in the Eredivisie last term, whilst averaging 1.9 shots, 1.8 key passes and at least 1 dribble per game, as per WhoScored.

Pogba, on the other hand, could only muster one goal and three assists in the Premier League.

If he was producing consistent performances on a regular basis, then perhaps all may be forgiven, but this is simply not the case.

By his standards, Pogba has had a poor start to the season, so it could be argued that Solskjaer needs someone to step in as a deep-lying playmaker and that’s what Van de Beek can do, but only if he is given the chance to prove himself.

Most importantly, he has made it clear he wants to play for the club, whilst Pogba is telling the whole world he wants to move to Madrid.

At 23 years of age, Van de Beek could be the perfect long-term replacement for Pogba, so long as Solskjaer and co. can give him the game time he needs.

AND in other news, Man Utd may live to regret missing out on Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish…

According to a report by TUTTOmercatoWEB, Man City have completed a deal for Partizan Belgrade attacker Filip Stevanovic – with the ‘amazing’ talent signing on a four and a half year contract in January worth £7.2 million. 

Stevanovic, who has been tipped to join City’s cross-town rivals Man United by the media, has now done a full u-turn and reportedly opted for a Sky Blue switch instead.

Serbian outlet Republika claimed back in August that Man United had completed a deal for Stevanovic, but it now looks as if City chief Txiki Begiristain has beaten them to the punch.

The 18-year-old winger will remain at Partizan on loan for the rest of the season until officially swapping Serbia for Manchester, with Sky Blues reacting to their proposed new signing on Twitter.

Flocking to this update, many City supporters have expressed a mixed range of opinions on the development – find all of their best verdicts from Twitter here.

Fan reaction to the Stevanovic signing:

In other news: City fans are flocking to this update on another reported target, find out more here and don’t forget to comment below.

What a transfer window Everton are having. Carlo Ancelotti is still working hard to make the Toffees real contenders for the upcoming 2020/21 Premier League season and so far, it has to be said the squad is looking quite sharp.

But the best thing about it is the fact that they are not done with their transfer business just yet. After sealing a couple of deals that will immediately improve the team, Ancelotti will turn his gaze towards the future a little bit.

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Everton are set to battle Leicester City for the signature of St Etienne’s young prodigy, Wesley Fofana.

At the moment, however, the Foxes seems to be in pole position to land the ace and are willing to offer around £20m to acquire his services. The 19-year-old is seemingly open to leaving and the prospect of playing in the English top-flight could be tempting and perhaps enough to convince him.

Defensive reinforcements are still on both teams’ minds but Ancelotti will have to roll up his sleeves if he is to beat Leicester in the race. Fofana was excellent last season and is looking to continue this outstanding run of form into the new campaign.

Is that going to be in the Premier League or in France? We’ll simply have to wait and see.

Verdict

Needless to say, landing Fofana on top of all those transfers would be like a cherry on top for Everton’s summer transfer window. Of course, nothing is set in stone just yet and the youngster is, at this moment in time, closer to the King Power Stadium.

But seeing how he’s managed to seal so many deals already, betting against Ancelotti this summer is simply ill-advised. Let’s see if he can work his magic once again and land the coveted youngster.

One of Tottenham Hotspur’s January targets has reportedly been made available for transfer this summer and given the departure of Jan Vertonghen, it could well be wise to revisit his credentials…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports, West Ham are prepared to offload central defender Issa Diop for £45m with two Premier League teams interested in his signature.

The 23-year-old is one of the low earners at the London Stadium and could welcome a move elsewhere.

Kavel Solhekol reported back in December that Spurs were keen on the Irons colossus and saw him as a potential replacement for Vertonghen or Toby Alderweireld – though, the Hammers valued him at £50m back then.

Defensive reinforcements

It is no secret that Spurs are probably in need of a new centre-back following the Belgian’s exit. Jose Mourinho’s backline leaked a total of 47 goals this season, the second-most of any top seven side in the PL.

But is Diop worth it at £45m?

The 23-year-old is quite the imposing figure, standing at 6 foot 4 inches, and has enjoyed a pretty decent season for the Irons aside from battling relegation.

Per WhoScored, he averaged a whopping 5.1 clearances, 1.5 interceptions and 0.8 tackles per game and also won 2.5 aerial duels per match too.

Those in north London should know the Frenchman pretty well after he put in a masterclass display against Spurs towards the end of the 2018/19 season.

Diop contributed towards a clean sheet against an attack led by Heung-min Son and Lucas Moura, who both failed to get a sniff at the goal. No Irons player recorded a higher rating (8.0) via SofaScore.

The powerhouse notched eight clearances, six interceptions, two tackles and won 80% of his duels, leaving Son with a paltry 6.5 rating and less than 30% duels won.

Mourinho has also previously been a fan of the Frenchman, calling him a “monster” who “dominated every duel” whilst FourFourTwo magazine described Diop as “a tremendous athlete, excellent in the air and quick across the ground.”

Diop and Spurs could be a match made in heaven, so Levy shouldn’t baulk at their £45m asking price this summer.

AND in other news, Spurs target £15m upgrade in La Liga star who crosses more than Messi…

Former Premier League side Bournemouth have made an approach to Coventry City for manager Mark Robins, according to TEAMtalk.

After suffering relegation to the Championship in the 2019/20 season, the Cherries opted to mutually release Eddie Howe from his contract and the hunt for a new manager is now starting to begin.

Howe successfully guided Bournemouth from League Two to become an established Premier League but their five-year stay in the top flight ended, dropping down to the second tier with Watford and Norwich City.

With the 2020/21 season now upon us and the transfer window in full swing, bringing in a new manager is top of the club’s priority.

And, a potential new manager could be Robins, who has guided Coventry from League One back to the Championship, winning the league title in the process.

TEAMtalk report that Robins has been approached, whilst also claiming that Jason Tindall, Howe’s former assistant and Aston Villa number two John Terry are amongst the bookies favourites to take over at the Vitality Stadium.

Robins looks unlikely to leave the Sky Blues given that he has already signed a total of five players this summer which include Gustavo Hamer, Callum O’Hare and Ryan Giles.

Coventry should simply not allow Robins to leave and he would be mad himself to depart them now.

Given that Bournemouth are in the same league as the Sky Blues next term, it would prove more of a managerial challenge for Robins to stay with Coventry and see if he can ensure they become a solid Championship side.

Do you think Robins would be tempted to join Bournemouth? Let us know in the comments section below…

Key Information about Keepmoat Stadium

Keepmoat Stadium has been the home of Doncaster Rovers Football Club since it was opened in 2007.

The multi-purpose all-seated capacity holds just over 15,000 spectators, which is 5,000 more than Belle Vue – the previous home of Doncaster Rovers for 84 years.

The stadium is also home to Doncaster Rugby League Club, and Doncaster Rovers Belles Ladies Football Club, and the ground comprises four geographical stands all sponsored by various local businesses.

A history of Keepmoat Stadium

Keepmoat Stadium was completed in December of 2006, and the brand new stadium is owned by Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council and rented by the three sports clubs. The first game at the new ground famously saw three red cards in a New Year’s Day thriller against Huddersfield Town in 2007.

Doncaster centre-forward Mark McCammon was the first player to score in the new stadium, though the official opening of Keepmoat Stadium was on 3 August 2007, which was the day Doncaster hosted Manchester United in front of over 13,000 fans – the Red Devils went on to win the friendly match 2-0. The summer of 2012 marked a monumental time for Doncaster as it was confirmed that the football club had secured a 99-year operating lease from the borough council which meant the club were back in charge of their new home of football after renting the ground for 6 years.

The brand new stadium also features a new fan area with a bar for them to enjoy pre-match drinks. The actual pitch in Keepmoat Stadium is a hybrid between synthetic fibres and natural grass, providing a truly unique playing experience. This new feature ensures the quality of the pitch remains throughout all seasons and weather, albeit under-soil heating was not installed despite it being a modern pitch.

The East Stand is sponsored by Donasonic, and is commonly known as the family area, in addition to this, the West Stand is sponsored by Estate.com, the South Stand is sponsored by Polypipe and is associated with the Doncaster ultras, and the North Stand is sponsored by Corsan.

Tickets to Watch Doncaster Rovers at Keepmoat Stadium

Season tickets to watch Doncaster Rovers at Keepmoat Stadium stand at around £300-400 for adults depending on which league Rovers will be competing in and whether or not early bird tickets are purchased. For Under-17s season tickets are priced at an affordable price of £35 no matter which membership category is chosen.

Standard single match adult tickets start at £21 and juniors can attend for just £5 per game. Seniors and 22-24-year-olds start at a fixed price of £13 per game, whereas 18-21-year-olds can attend from £9-11 depending on which category is selected – each come with different benefits. Fans can purchase a DNA card membership for £20 which means adults can attend home matches for just £17 per game. Tickets to home and away games are easily accessible through the clubs website or by calling the club Doncaster box office.

Related Links

https://www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/ – Official website of Doncaster Rovers

https://www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/tickets/ – Doncaster Rovers Ticket Office

Craig Hope has claimed on his official Twitter page that it would ‘be good’ to see the academy graduates of the Tyneside club to get some time on the pitch over the next couple of weeks as the 2019/20 season in the Premier League draws to a near close.

The Daily Mail journalist named the likes of Tom Allan and Jack Young as two players who could be given a chance under Steve Bruce, which may please several members of the Toon faithful.

Given that the Magpies are now mathematically safe from relegation, and that they may not have enough with just a few games left to climb into the European qualification spots in the top flight table, it may be a good idea to blood the youngsters as Hope suggests with arguably not much left to play for in the North East.

Allan and Young have both impressed so far at youth level, with the former Transfermarkt.

With NUFC being knocked out of the FA Cup to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at the quarter-final stage too, it could provide them as well as some others an opportunity to show Bruce what they can do at senior level in the last few matches in preparation for the new term, where they may be looking to break into the first-team squad.

Most supporters love to see players come through the academy and break into the first team and Newcastle are a club the often produces top talent – the Longstaff brothers being two recent examples of youngsters who have made the jump.

It seems likely that fans would be happy to see a couple more local lads given a shot in the first team between now and the climax of the 19/20 campaign, especially given that there is little left to play for this term.

Geordies, would you give the youngsters an opportunity in the first-team? Comment below!

Many Aston Villa fans have discussed a report claiming Dean Smith will be handed a transfer budget of £100m this summer.

The Midlands outfit narrowly escaped relegation in the 2019/2020 season, drawing with West Ham United on the final day of the season to ensure that they remained in England’s top flight.

Having spent a large amount on players last summer, Villa boss Smith will be once again looking to the transfer market to explore the potential of bringing in some new faces.

Signing in the likes of Wesley, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Trezeguet, Smith spent £143million in total on new arrivals last term.

The Sunday Mirror via Birmingham Mail have already started to discuss potential summer arrivals and have put together a report over the weekend which claims Smith will be allocated £100m to bring in four players.

Birmingham Mail also go a little deeper into who Villa could potentially bring in this summer with Brentford winger Said Benrahma emerging as a possible target.

Responding to the £100m claim, Villa fans took to Twitter via @villareport to give their opinion on who should be signed if that amount becomes available. One fan suggested that they would be in a relegation battle again having received a bigger budget last term only to end up near the bottom three, whilst another suggested they were ‘doing a Fulham’ again – last season many likened their spending to that of the Cottagers in 18/19.

#

Who do you think Aston Villa should sign this summer? Let us know in the comments section below…

John Lundstram has been an absolute revelation for Sheffield United in the Premier League this season, and fans will be very excited about him returning to action after his recent Instagram post.

There has been lots of talk amongst supporters about the midfielder’s contract and him potentially not signing. Indeed, journalist Alan Biggs revealed in May that Chris Wilder admitted he may lose one player he wants to keep over contract demands, leading to many fans speculating that the player in question was Lundstram.

However, if his

/CBctK40HgaR/”>latest post is anything to go by, it seems like he is very happy at the club as he posted a video of him celebrating supported with the caption, “2 days to go, can’t wait 🙌🏻”.

With Sheffield United playing against Aston Villa in the first Premier League game of the restart, he is clearly excited to be back on the pitch and representing the Blades.

He has earned the respect of the fans after bagging four goals and three assists this season, per WhoScored. He may well now be the next in line for a new deal after Oliver Norwood, Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick all signed new contracts last week.

If he did pen fresh terms, it would be a massive boost for both the squad and also the supporters, whose fears of him leaving may have been eased slightly by his recent Instagram post. They will be delighted to see that, on the surface at least, it looks like the ex-Everton man remains happy at Bramall Lane.

Blades fans, will Lundstram sign a new contract? Let us know your thoughts below…

A group of celebrities, including former-sports stars, comedians and actors, have signed up to compete in the NHS Charities Together Cup, which aims to raise £100m in support of the current Covid-19 crisis.

The FIFA 20 competition will involve eight all celebrity teams, with three celebrities per team, going head-to-head in 12-minute long FIFA 20 matches. Fans will be given the chance to vote for who they want to see compete from every team in each round.

Everton legend Tim Cahill will be joined by the likes of Cricket stars Joe Root and Ben Stokes, fellow former footballers Joleon Lescott, Fabrice Muamba and Shaun Wright-Phillips, golf’s Justin Rose and boxer Dilian White.

The competition’s organisers, Celebrity e-Sport, hope to raise a huge £100m for NHS charities together during these desperate times for all the care workers on the frontline, who are putting their own lives at risk to help save ours.

For more information on the event and how you can donate, click here.