All posts by z3u9t.icu

Some Manchester City fans have been reacting to the news that Bernardo Silva is determined to leave the Etihad Stadium this summer.

The Citizens completed the signing of Portugal international from Porto in 2017 for £43m (Sky Sports). He has proven to be an important player for Pep Guardiola’s side over the last four years – he has made 201 appearances in all competitions, scoring 35 goals and providing 44 assists (Transfermarkt) – while he even won Manchester City’s Player of the Season award in 2019.

However, it seems that he is not content at the Etihad Stadium. According to Duncan Castles of The Times, the 26-year-old wants to leave the Citizens to further his career in another country. Indeed, the report claimed that he expects to change clubs during this summer’s transfer window.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from City supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the matter, with one insisting that rumoured target Jack Grealish is signed if Bernardo moves elsewhere.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Bernardo Silva news

“heartbreak.”

Credit: @bratkevic

“Don’t leave us Bernardo”

Credit: @TheDiasDynasty

“lool everyone is leaving”

Credit: @jjustjjam

“what’s going on”

Credit: @LangleyBen

“No excuses not to get Grealish then”

Credit: @SilkyCyrus_74

“We shouldn’t lose this guy”

Credit: @RockyRhymes3

In other news, some Man City fans react to this Harry Kane news.

Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has told The Transfer Tavern in an exclusive interview that he would not be surprised if Anwar El Ghazi ditched his old club for AS Roma this summer.

Roma, of course, recently announced that Jose Mourinho will be taking over ahead of the 2021/22 season, and it appears he could return to England to strengthen his squad before the new campaign kicks off.

According to Gazetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the Portuguese coach is looking to bolster his attack and El Ghazi is one name that could be considered.

The 26-year-old has been one of Villa’s form players of late, scoring goals in recent games against Everton and West Brom.

Speaking exclusively to TT about the speculation surrounding El Ghazi’s future, Hendrie said:

“I think he’d probably suit the more foreign game, you know, the Italian style of football. I’m not sure how concrete that is, that Mourinho’s certainly interested in him.

“It wouldn’t surprise me. Like I said, I feel that he would fit the bill playing in a more relaxed style of football because he’s fast and he’s very direct.”

Mourinho will obviously know the English market well and you would assume that he will not get the kind of transfer budget he was receiving during his days at Chelsea and Manchester United – two of the richest clubs in world football.

Bearing that in mind, perhaps the ex-Tottenham boss could turn to a player like El Ghazi this summer if he does indeed decide he wants to improve the Giallorossi’s forward line.

Manchester City face Everton in the Premier League on Sunday and, after some poor recent performances, Pep Guardiola should axe Rodri from his starting XI.

The Spanish midfielder must take a lot of the blame for two of City’s recent defeats, as a slack pass against Chelsea led to Hakim Ziyech’s equaliser, whilst another shocking pass gifted Brighton a goal back in the recent 3-2 defeat at the Amex Stadium.

With Fernandinho having produced some excellent recent displays, the Brazilian should be restored to the starting line-up after being omitted from the first XI against Chelsea, Brighton and Newcastle United.

Whilst the 36-year-old is reportedly set to extend his stay at City for another year, his current deal is set to expire at the end of the season, so this could yet be his final appearance at the Etihad Stadium. With fans set to return for the game against the Toffees, what better way for him to potentially sign off than by lifting the Premier League trophy.

Rodri’s performances against Chelsea and Brighton earned him disappointing 5.98/10 and 6.01 ratings from WhoScored, which is far below his average 7.18 rating for the season, a worrying sign ahead of the Champions League final on Saturday night.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-manchester-city-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Manchester City transfer rumours and news!”]

After two defeats in the last three, as well as a less than convincing win against Newcastle United, Guardiola should go with his strongest XI for the game against Everton in preparation for the Chelsea showdown next weekend. On current form, that means Fernandinho starting ahead of Rodri.

The £63m-rated Spanish midfielder has been impressive for City since signing from Atletico Madrid and Guardiola was full of praise for him back in 2019, saying: “We knew it but today I can assure you we have an incredible holding midfielder for the next decade, or at least the years he will be here with a contract.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“577936″]

Unfortunately, his performances in recent weeks have not been at his usual standard and he should lose his place for the game against Carlo Ancelotti’s side on Sunday, as the last thing City need is another mistake from him in their last game before the Champions League final.

In other news… Txiki should seal record-breaking swoop for “incomparable” star, Pep loves him

Many Rangers fans have been left to buzz as the Glasgow club confirmed that they have signed Fashion Sakala.

As per the official website of the Ibrox faithful, the Zambia international has signed a pre-contract agreement, and so he will join from KV Oostende in the summer, subject to international clearance and a work permit being received.

Sakala has signed a four-year deal with the Light Blues, and will certainly add another dimension to Steven Gerrard’s attacking options.

The 24-year-old has scored no fewer than 13 goals and made a further four assists in 30 games in total over all competitions so far in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt), and his pending arrival has certainly brought some excitement among several Gers supporters.

Rangers fans on Sakala transfer

These Rangers fans buzzed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one fan claiming that they were ‘excited’ while another even went as far as to brand the early piece of business as ‘superb’:

“Great to see the club are gearing up for 56 already”

Credit: @glasgowsportsfa

“Getting business done early superb”

Credit: @5G_Rfc

“Here we go ten in a row”

Credit: @CxllumRFC

“You love to see it”

Credit: @SteviePearson26

“Very excited for this signing.”

Credit: @Sneddon0472

“Looks like an absolute baller.”

Credit: @1872Curt

In other news, find out which Gers star is attracting transfer interest here!

Charlton Athletic have been dealt a major injury blow ahead of their crucial League One fixture this Sunday.

What’s the latest?

According to a statement on the club’s official website, Jake Forster-Caskey will miss the remainder of the Addicks’ season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the recent 3-1 win over Lincoln City.

The midfielder was withdrawn after just 38 minutes on Tuesday due to the injury and will now miss the club’s must-win showdown against Hull City on Sunday, as well as their potential play-off fixtures.

Regarding the 27-year-old’s knock, Nigel Adkins said: “Jake has had a fantastic season and has been a really important part of our team. He has begun rehabilitation and will be provided with excellent medical care and attention throughout his recovery.”

Huge blow

With Charlton knowing that nothing but a win against Hull will do in their quest to finish in a play-off place come the end of the season, the news of Forster-Caskey’s injury will undoubtedly leave Adkins furious.

The midfielder has been one of the 56-year-old’s most influential players over his 34 league appearances for the Addicks this season, scoring six goals and registering two assists, in addition to averaging 1.6 interceptions, 2.2 tackles and 1.4 key passes per game, earning an average SofaScore match rating of 7.26 – ranking him as the club’s best performer in League One.

However, Charlton must now attempt to forget about the absence of Forster-Caskey ahead of Sunday’s game, despite the magnitude of his absence, as any distraction could well cost them their shot at a top-six finish – something which already relies on the Addicks securing a win while hoping that results elsewhere go their way.

In other news: Lost possession 15x: Charlton passenger who committed 6 fouls let Adkins down vs Imps – opinion

Carlo Ancelotti remains optimistic about Everton’s European prospects despite dropped points against Crystal Palace.

The Blues were five minutes or so away from a precious victory against Palace on Monday night when Michy Batshuayi struck.

West Ham then won 3-2 at Wolves to leave Everton five points adrift of the Champions League places, albeit with a game in hand.

“I think the position in Europe is still there [for us],” Ancelotti said after the draw.

“We have a game in hand but we have to be more focused to avoid this kind of situation.”

Where will Everton end up?

Everton have previously lost to Fulham, Newcastle and Burnley on home soil this season.

Sixth could be enough for Everton to qualify for the Europa League if a team in the top five wins the FA Cup, and league leaders Manchester City, third-placed Leicester City and fifth-placed Chelsea are all into the semi-finals.

Seventh, meanwhile, could secure passage to the inaugural Europa Conference League.

Journalist Richard Buxton relayed Ancelotti’s verdict to supporters, and many of them were less optimistic.

They fear Everton’s season may become a story of missed opportunities.

These Everton fans challenge Ancelotti claim

“Missed the boat to Europe today, relying on teams above to drop points now.”

Credit: @DaveThePapLpool

“Heard it all season. The fact is we aren’t good enough. We have no style, play turgid boring anti football & most of the squad are negative and can’t handle pressure. I’d rather we didn’t get europe. We dont have anywhere near the squad to handle it yet!”

Credit: @chrisjhocking22

“We’ve had games in hand every week and we always blow it”

Credit: @nickwillo4efc

“Same tripe all the time, we ain’t getting Europe we will be lucky to get 8th”

Credit: @malblu1

“No it’s not – he’s kidding himself, let’s be honest”

Credit: @Chrisgill95

“Chance went with tonight”

Credit: @gary2monty

“No Carlo. You have to stop being so defensive”

Credit: @chilemjh

In other news, Everton fans bemoaned this injury update.

Plenty of Crystal Palace supporters have been reacting to a social media post regarding defenders Joel Ward and Scott Dann.

Both Ward and Dann are out of contract at the end of the current campaign, but it seems as though they may not leave Selhurst Park over the coming months.

According to reliable BBC reporter Alex Howell, the pair are in talks with Palace in regards to extend their respective Eagles stays.

Ward, 31, joined the club way back in 2012 and has made 266 appearances for the club.

Meanwhile, Dann, who arrived in 2014, has turned out on 178 occasions for the club, with the pair becoming two of the more experienced members of Roy Hodgson’s squad.

Palace fans react

Howell shared the update on Twitter on Tuesday lunchtime, with the post receiving plenty of interaction.

This is what some Palace fans had to say in reply to the contract update on the pair, with many not impressed.

“shambles”

Credit: @cam_cpfc

“Is this a joke?”

Credit: @Dazzaedwardo

“Amazed at this”

Credit: @kpgardener61

“I think that about sums up our ambitions for next season”

Credit: @Raymond30952890

“Why are we wasting money on dann? Been a legend but time for him to go I’m afraid”

Credit: @JacobStockton

“This rebuild is a myth”

Credit: @danofthesouth_

In other news: Palace’s rivals join race for Eddie Howe following Eagles talks, find out more here. 

March was certainly not a kind month to reigning Premier League champions Liverpool.

The Reds’ title defence continued to falter, wit them winning just one of their three Premier League games and suffering consecutive defeats at Anfield once again. However, one slight saving grace was their progression to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals at the expense of RB Leipzig.

One player encapsulated Liverpool’s struggles throughout the month and that was right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The England defender started in three out of the four matches throughout the month, coming on as a substitute in the 1-0 defeat against Fulham.

Throughout his minutes on the pitch across the four games, he could only average a 6.74 WhoScored rating as Liverpool only notched one clean sheet in the Premier League. Whilst not the worst rating in the world, compared to his usually lofty standards, it was a very poor number.

For context, throughout Liverpool’s hugely successful 2019/20 campaign, the 22-year-old racked up an average score of 7.04, indicating his huge drop off throughout the past month under Jurgen Klopp.

It is not just in his ratings that Alexander-Arnold has taken a hit. Having notched a huge 15 assists from right-back last season, he has only got five this season, with none of those coming in March.

His defensive contributions also took a huge nose-dive throughout the month, too.

He only averaged 0.75 tackles and 0.5 interceptions per game throughout March which is hugely lower than his season averages of 1.6 and 1.2 respectively in the Premier League.

That poor form has certainly been noticed by Gareth Southgate. Having omitted the Liverpool man from his latest England squad, the Three Lions boss said that Alexander-Arnold has not hit the level “he found in the last few years” – a statement that is tough to disagree with.

With a couple of weeks’ break between now and Liverpool’s Premier League clash against Arsenal, the £90m-rated right-back and manager Klopp will be hoping he regains his form sooner rather than later after an extremely tricky March.

Alexander-Arnold let his manager down throughout the month, he’ll be keen to put that right in April.

AND in more news, read about which clinical striker Liverpool must move for this summer…

Writing on Twitter, reliable football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold has revealed the 10 most likely Tottenham Hotspur exits this summer – which includes in-form winger Lucas Moura for the right offer.

As also shared by the Daily Express in relaying Gold’s report, the list of likely Lilywhites for the chopping block is extensive, with chairman Daniel Levy needing to raise transfer window funds through sales.

Alasdair Gold drops Tottenham summer exit claim

Writing on Twitter and sharing his football.london piece, the journalist explained: “Ten players who I believe could leave Tottenham this summer to raise much-needed transfer funds. There are some names on this list that will upset people and of course all 10 will not leave. It’s more about what offers end up coming in to Spurs.”

Amid the financial climate, Gold says that Tottenham could be set for some tough summer decisions in regards to player exits.

While he is adamant that not all 10 will move on, Gold explains that Tottenham departures can be expected from within a list including Dele Alli, Harry Winks, Danny Rose, a centre-back, Serge Aurier, Moussa Sissoko, Erik Lamela, Juan Foyth, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Moura.

Transfer Tavern take

The latter is a particularly surprising addition, especially given his recent form which has seem him accrue four goal involvements in his last six league matches, but Gold believes that a sizeable offer could tempt Levy and co into a summer sale.

At the age of 29, Moura’s transfer value will only decrease over the years, with the journalist understanding that Tottenham have already turned down bids in the past.

Also, the lack of consistency in his end product would make an attractive outside bid very tempting.

In other news: Tottenham have been watching this potential Vertonghen heir, find out more here.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Newcastle United midfielder Rob Lee has backed Dwight Gayle and Andy Carroll to step up and perform in the absence of Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin.

Newcastle’s three latest casualties have either scored or set up 25 of the Magpies’ 28 goals in the Premier League this season, quite a feat for the rest of the squad to follow up on.

Lee has confidence in Carroll and Gayle to get the job done if they are provided with the correct service from the likes of Ryan Fraser and Jacob Murphy from out wide.

The Magpies’ three available strikers have three goals and two assists between them with Joelinton registering both assists.

It seemed an impossible task to replace Wilson, however, for Bruce to somehow replace his three best-attacking players this season will be a tough task until April at the earliest.

Rob Lee spoke exclusively to Football FanCast about Bruce’s options for the rest of the season and he believes the only solution is to play both Gayle and Carroll together.

He explained: “Joelinton, I just don’t think he’s gonna score the goals.

“If it was me, I would play Gayle and Carroll and I’d say right let’s get Fraser on one wing and let’s get someone on the other wing and let’s get some crosses in.

“Times are desperate. Let’s give Andy Carroll a go and get some balls in the box. On his day he’s unplayable but he needs service.

“I just think it’s the only option we have.”

It is a grim thought for Newcastle fans to be without Wilson, Almiron and Saint-Maximin for a number of months.

Bruce has to find a way to win without his star players, which may be difficult considering they were struggling before the triple injury blow.