The inevitable has happened. Newcastle United have waved goodbye to Rafa Benitez. It has been confirmed that the Spaniard will officially leave the club at the end of his deal, as per the Newcastle Website, although it could be set to get even worse this summer.

Whilst one Spaniard is now definitely not going to be at St James Park for the 2019/20 season, it looks like the chances of Ayoze Perez staying is even slimmer. According to Estadio Deportivo, Sevilla’s Sporting Director Monchi is travelling to England in search of transfer targets for the La Liga club, and Ayoze Perez is on his list.

Apparently, with Newcastle demanding around 30 million euros for the player, or roughly £26.8m, it wouldn’t be ludicrous for the Spanish club to swoop in and take the 13-goal striker off of their hands. It’s not what the Magpies want, though, and would be just another huge blow to their survival chances next season.

Salomon Rondon hasn’t been resigned yet after his loan spell, Rafa is gone, a takeover now looks miles away too as per the latest update from OffThePitch.com, as per The Chronicle’s live news feed which claims any takeover is at least six weeks away from now.

What we’re focusing on, though, is Ayoze Perez. The 25-year-old Spaniard top-scored for Newcastle in the 2018/19 season and peaked when he bagged a superb treble against Southampton in the Premier League, yet now his time could be up at St James Park if Sevilla do swoop in for the Geordie ace.

Perez has really grown as a player under his compatriot in the last few seasons, so it would make full sense if he was to leave now that his mentor has also left. It will be up to whoever the new Newcastle manager is to either convince Ayoze to stay or to sign a replacement, although the chances are it will be finding a replacement and the fans will be left devastated yet again.

Newcastle fans, what do you make of the Perez exit rumours? Comment below and let us know!

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Sheffield United fans on Twitter are excited at the prospect of Jay Rodriguez joining the club this summer.

The West Brom striker has been linked with a move to Bramall Lane by a report in The Mirror.

Social media erupted after the news about the Yorkshire club’s interest in the 29-year-old came out, with the majority of Blades fans sharing the same opinion.

Many supporters think that he would be a fantastic signing, and there is good reason for that.

Rodriguez has been a proven goal scorer at Premier League level with both Southampton and West Brom, and United fans are excited at the prospect of him lining up in red and white next season.

The former Burnley man spent last term back in the Championship with the Baggies, notching up 22 goals and six assists, but after the Midlands side failed to earn promotion his release clause came into effect.

Which Sheffield United players won’t cut it in the top-flight next season? Ingood Nick discusses in the video below…

The attacker is now available for £5m, which would be a bargain for anyone, and fans of the Steel City outfit are hoping that their club can secure his services.

Here’s what the Bramall Lane faithful have been saying on Twitter…

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Speaking to Sky Sports during their coverage of England’s Nations League encounter with Switzerland on 9 June, Gary Neville had a bizarre dig at Jack Grealish, per quotes relaid by Birmingham Live.

What’s the word?

Back in March, Gareth Southgate hinted that Grealish would have to be playing in the Premier League in order for him to receive an England call-up.

And following on from England’s defeat against the Netherlands last week, Aston Villa fans have since been calling for their star man to be included in the squad. However, a new debate surrounding the player has occurred.

Speaking about Declan Rice switching his allegiance from the Republic of Ireland, Neville chose to attack Grealish, another player eligible for the same nation.

In quotes relaid by Birmingham Live, he declared that it was nonsense that a footballer should ask for assurances over their place in a national side.

Describing an incident that arose when he was among the Three Lions’ coaching setup, he said:

“There was a situation when I was coaching with England when the FA at the time were trying to win the services of Jack Grealish and he wanted meeting with managers, assurances and other such things. It’s nonsense all of that!

“I don’t believe in the idea that you have to persuade someone to play for your country or give them assurances. How can you give them assurances in sport? You have to play well.”

Is he right?

Given the season Grealish has had, Neville’s comments feel very mistimed and rather unusual in their tone.

As the former Manchester United man has said, you need to play well first in order to warrant a place in the squad.

Regardless of the talent you possess, you won’t get an international call-up unless you’ve performed well for your club, or already earned your keep at the highest level of the game.

When Neville was coaching England, though, Grealish’s maturity was not of the level it’s at now and that perhaps explains what happened in the past.

“Finding a Lionel Messi in Sheffield… bit of a tall order!” – Watch Championship fans attempt to name their clubs’ Messi in the video below…

Now a couple of years older, the attacking midfielder has matured greatly, becoming a leading light for his side as well as being given the captaincy.

With Villa now returning to the Premier League, there is every chance Grealish may find himself in the England senior team for the very first time.

It’s highly unlikely that he’ll demand assurances over his place now he’s matured both on and off the field, and the standard of his performances might just give Southgate plenty to ponder over ahead of Euro 2020.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to La Gazette du Fennec, Arsenal are in “very advanced talks” to sign Yacine Brahimi on a free transfer this summer following the expiration of his deal with Porto.

What’s the word?

Brahimi’s five-year stay with the Portuguese giants came to an end this summer and the report claims that Unai Emery is keen to bring the Algerian international to the Emirates.

It adds that despite reported interest and potential competition from Turkish sides like Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas, Brahimi wants the “sporting and financial” rewards of a move to the Premier League.

Celtic fans aren’t happy about Arsenal’s bid for one of their key players…

A free transfer will likely mean the winger’s wage demands will be comparatively high and the Gunners may be expected to fork out a significant signing-on fee.

An unwise move

One of Arsenal’s biggest weaknesses last season was their lack of attacking potency from their wide players. Both Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi had underwhelming campaigns, particularly in terms of their end product, and so it has been no surprise to see Emery look towards signing a new winger.

But at 29-years-old, Brahimi – who is valued at £18.9m by Transfermarkt – may not be the answer to their solutions.

Despite scoring ten times in the Liga NOS last season, his performances in Porto’s Champions League run were virtually non-existent. His nine games in the competition heralded no goals and just two assists despite being considered one of the side’s most trusted weapons going forward.

Indeed, the Algerian’s creative numbers don’t make for particularly impressive reading if you’re Emery either. The Gunners boss is keen for his sides to dominate the ball and one of the big strengths last year was the number of crosses Sead Kolasinac and Hector Bellerin (when fit) put in.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Despite predominantly being an out-and-out winger though, Brahimi averaged a measly 0.2 crosses per game in the league and showed little signs of getting involved in the build-up play with just 30.8 passes per game.

So, whilst a free transfer for Brahimi might seem appealing at first, paying big-money wages and a huge signing-on fee for a 29-year-old who may not even be the type of player Emery wants or needs, would be a complete waste of money for the cash-strapped Gunners.

كشفت تقارير صحفية تركية، أنّ مُهاجم منتخب مصر الأول ونادي الزمالك، مصطفى محمد، بات قريبًا من الانتقال لجالطة سراي التركي، خلال نافذة الانتقالات الشتوية الجارية.

مصطفى محمد يرغب في الرحيل عن الزمالك، حيث يريد الاحتراف في أوروبا، وحاول سانت إيتيان الفرنسي التعاقد مع مُهاجم الأبيض، ولكن المفاوضات بين الطرفين فشلت، بسبب الطريقة التي سيحصل عليها وصيف إفريقيا المبلغ المالي الخاص بالصفقة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. الزمالك يتقدم بالتماس لـ كاف لتقليص عقوبة مصطفى محمد

صحيفة “فاناتيك” التركية، قالت في تقرير لها قبل قليل: “جالطة سراي توصل إلى اتفاق مع الزمالك، بشأن ضم مصطفى محمد، الذي يُصر فاتح تيرم (مدرب سراي)، على ضمه”.

وأضافت: “مُهاجم الزمالك أبلغ إدارة النادي أنه عازم على الرحيل، حيث يريد صاحب الـ23 عامًا خوض تجرية جديدة”.

وأتمت: “مفاوضات جالطة سراي وصلت إلى مرحلة مُتقدمة مع مصطفى محمد والزمالك، حتى ينضم لثاني ترتيب الدوري التركي على سبيل الإعارة حتى نهاية الموسم”.

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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…

Former footballer Darren Bent has told Football Insider that he thinks Aston Villa should consider buying Dwight Gayle this summer.

What’s he said?

Aston Villa have already been incredibly busy in the summer market and have added no fewer than five players to their ever-expanding squad.

The latest acquisition to arrive through the doors of Villa Park was Matt Targett, whilst their most expensive outlay so far has been on Brazilian striker Wesley Moraes from Club Brugge.

The forward arrived for a fee of £22m and was among those to begin training at Bodymoor Heath this week as the players returned for pre-season.

Yet, former Villans man Bent, reckons they should make a key call over another striker. When questioned by Football Insider what that would be, he revealed the following:

“You know who I’d go for actually? Dwight Gayle, because I just think to myself whenever he gets a run in any team he’s played in, in any division, he scores goals but for whatever reason he gets in the Premier League, he might play five games, score three or four goals and then the manager will take him out and he won’t play again for a while.”

Gayle in the goals

The Newcastle man enjoyed a terrific season on loan at Villa’s Midlands rivals West Brom last term, firing in 24 goals as the Baggies reached the play-offs.

His temporary club were, of course, defeated in the play-offs by Dean Smith’s men but Bent appears to back him to move back to the Midlands and feature for Villa.

In truth, Gayle has been a poor Premier League striker when afforded the chance, scoring just 21 goals in 99 appearances. In comparison, he’s scored 59 times in exactly 100 Championship outings.

Despite that, Bent is right to suggest that with a run of games he could flourish in the division. In previous Premier League campaigns he’s played in, the 28-year-old hasn’t really been able to start as many games as he’s been used to in the second tier.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Last season, he started 34 times. However, the highest number of occasions in which he’s started in the Premier League is only 23. At Crystal Palace, meanwhile, he started on double figures over the course of a season just once in the top-flight.

On that evidence, he hasn’t really had a fair shot, but if he was given that chance under Smith after the season he’s just had, there is a reason to believe he could find form.

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It could be a long summer for Unai Emery and Arsenal, as they continue to do what they can with the small transfer budget they have reportedly been given to work with. Today’s Gunners transfer roundup includes eyes on a Bundesliga defender, interest in a Championship player and news on the pursuit of a Ligue 1 star.

Klostermann interest

According to German outlet Bild, Arsenal are interested in signing RB Leipzig’s Lukas Klostermann, alongside Atletico Madrid. The 23-year-old has made 126 appearances for the Bundesliga side in his time there.

Interest in Hull’s Bowen

Arsenal are preparing to launch a bid for Hull City’s Jarrod Bowen according to the Sun. Hull reportedly value the player at £15m but may be interested if the London outfit offer the £12m they are apparently planning to.

Fekir offered to Gunners

The Daily Mirror is reporting that Arsenal have been offered the chance to sign Lyon’s Nabil Fekir for £30m. Liverpool were reportedly close to signing the 25-year-old last summer, but it didn’t happen in the end, and now the Gunners may take advantage of that. Fekir bagged nine goals and seven assists in the French top flight last season.

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Troy Parrott could be promoted to Tottenham Hotspur’s first-team next season, per Football.London.

On the chalkboard

Parrott has enjoyed an exceptional spell with the club’s youth teams and the report claims that he has made an impression on manager Mauricio Pochettino after training with the first-team during the final weeks of the 2018/19 campaign.

Indeed, the report states that he could be involved in the club’s tour of Asia next month, but is he ready for the step up?

Aged just 17, he is clearly a natural goalscorer and has scored goals at every level at which he has played.

He has 15 goals in 13 appearances for the Under-18s and two in 12 for the Under-23s, along with one assist.

A Republic of Ireland youth international, he has been capped at Under-17 and Under-19 level and has scored at both.

Football.London claim that he has been hailed as the “next Robbie Keane” after the former Spurs striker who scored 120 goals in 298 appearances for the club.

With Fernando Llorente having been released and Vincent Janssen also likely to leave this summer after long being a back-up, it makes sense that Parrott could be called up to provide depth behind Harry Kane.

A sensible move

If you’re good enough, you’re old enough.

It’s an ancient adage but it remains as true today as it was the first time it was said.

Parrott is a goalscorer, that much is evident, and we won’t know how good he is at first-team level until he is given a shot.

With Kane the undisputed first-choice, handing Parrott the chance to be his deputy can only aid his development, as he learns from perhaps the best out-and-out striker in world football.

He travelled with the first-team squad in December for the Premier League clash with Leicester City and Pochettino said afterwards that he is nearing his debut.

He said: “All the players that we have in the squad, the younger ones like Oliver Skipp or Troy Parrott, who was involved today for the first time, it’s because they’re involved in the first team during days, during weeks, during months, and it’s only to give the possibility to play.”

His debut may not be too far off…

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Finishing top 10 in the rather feisty environment of the Premier League is usually a job easier said than done. Crystal Palace know that better than most. They just missed out on it last year, but it’s possible looking ahead to 2019/20, and here are five key dates that might determine whether they make it.

10 August, Everton (H)

Palace will start the new season with a bang, literally. Everton should be top of their list of teams they have to take down in their journey to the top 10. This becomes even more evident when we factor in that they barely scraped a point off the Toffees last season. Starting the new campaign strong is vital.

28 September, Norwich City (H)

Establishing themselves against the newcomers could also prove to be important. But this game is an absolute must-win considering it comes right after Spurs (A), as well as Wolves (H), and is preceded by West Ham (A) and Manchester City (H). A huge sequence for Palace where getting any points will be vital.

2 November, Leicester City (H)

Another huge home game where they can’t afford to drop any points if they are to make the top 10. Beating the Foxes is a top priority, considering this game is sandwiched between Arsenal (A) and Chelsea (A). The match against the Blues is also followed by a heavyweight contest with Liverpool at Selhurst Park.

7 December, Watford (A)

Watford finished one place above Crystal Palace last season, so beating them should definitely be on the agenda when the new campaign rolls around. This is amplified even more when we consider that the Hornets beat Palace home and away when the two sides met last term.

18 January, Manchester City (A)

Crystal Palace can’t really hope to take down too many of the top teams throughout the whole season, but let’s not forget that game at the Etihad in 2018/19. If Palace can somehow replicate that result, or maybe even improve on it in some other big encounters, it could prove to be essential if they are to break the top 10 ceiling, as Wolves beat Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea last term.

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Rangers have re-opened contract talks with homegrown talent Josh McPake, with three clubs interested in his signature, according to The Daily Record.

What’s the story?

McPake caught the eye late last season in high profile reserve and youth team matches, most notably winning the man of the match award during the Gers’ 3-2 Scottish Youth Cup final win against Celtic, which was broadcast live on television.

With just a year left on his current deal at Ibrox however, The Record report that Liverpool, AS Roma and Borussia Monchengladbach have all registered interest in the player.

The paper say manager Steven Gerrard is a “huge admirer” of the player and that the club are again in discussions to keep him in Glasgow for another three years, despite the youngster rejecting the offer of an extension back in March.

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

Long-term plans

With the report stating that the Ibrox boss considers the winger as part of his future plans, it’s important that Rangers find a solution to the contract problems and sign him up.

McPake may only be 17 and entirely untested at a senior level, but if the Gers are going to make significant progress over the next few years then they must find a route for their academy players into the first-team rather than rely on buying talent in.

Celtic have done it successfully over the last few years with players such as Kieran Tierney, Callum McGregor, James Forrest, Ewan Henderson and Mikey Johnston all involved last season and generating great success.

Letting players leave before they reach their peak value is damaging when the resources available in Scotland are comparatively poor and seeing McPake, one of the stand-out players at the club in his age group, leave for a side in a bigger league would be another sign Rangers aren’t getting it quite right.

Retaining these kind of players should be the first priority around which the rest of the club’s recruitment revolves around.