According to The Sun, Arsenal are ready to make a bid for Corinthians midfielder Maycon this month.
What’s the Story?
Following the departure of Francis Coquelin to Valencia, Arsene Wenger is reportedly keen on bolstering his midfield options, and has made Corinthians star Maycon his number one target.
Reports suggest that Arsenal have been keeping tabs on the 20-year-old for a number of years, with scouts feeling he is now ready to make the move to Europe.
Maycon’s current employers Corinthians are thought value their star man at £9million, a fee which Italian club Napoli are also willing to pay for the defensive midfielder.
How good was Maycon in 2017?
Maycon has been an ever present in the Corinthians side for the past 12 months. The Brazilian domestic season, which finished in December, was where the 20-year-old truly flourished.
His distribution and commitment to both offensive and defensive phases of play helped Maycon elevate his status at home and abroad.
Unlike some young Brazilian stars who arrive on the European scene, Maycon is strong and willing to use his physicality to win midfield battles.
Would Maycon be a good signing for Arsenal?
With the aforementioned departure of Francis Coquelin leaving the Gunners a little short in defensive midfield, Maycon would certainly be a welcome addition to the squad.
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However, it is unlikely that the youngster would be thrust into the first team immediately. This raises the question as to the necessity of this signing, as Arsenal need a ready made starter to fill the void left by the departing Coquelin.
It took less than eleven seconds for Christian Eriksen to get on the scoresheet against Manchester United last night, but the Danish international’s influence certainly didn’t stop there.
As the Red Devils continually opened up and became overrun in midfield – largely due to Paul Pogba’s positional ill-discipline – it was Eriksen who benefited most, providing yet another technical masterclass for the Lilywhites.
Indeed, Eriksen – who Transfermarkt value at £63million – was Tottenham’s main driving force in possession, as the statistics show. He took a further three efforts at goal, had the second-most touches of the ball and created the most chances – a whopping six – of any player on the pitch, and completed 93% of his passes.
The 25-year-old’s performance put the Red Devils to the sword and it couldn’t have come at a better time for Mauricio Pochettino, who has some huge fixtures on the horizon.
Last night’s clash with United was just the first in a fortnight that sees Tottenham face Liverpool, Arsenal, Newport County and Juventus as their top four, Champions League and FA Cup hopes combine.
Eriksen though, looks more than ready for the challenge.
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Liverpool have cooled interest in Monaco star Thomas Lemar, according to the Liverpool Echo.
What’s the word?
The Merseyside outfit were linked with the Frenchman late in the summer window, and those rumours intensified when Philippe Coutinho left to join Barcelona in January.
The attack-minded player has been touted in the media as a possible target for numerous clubs, but now Liverpool have reportedly pulled themselves out of the running.
According to the Liverpool Echo, the club are now looking at other options ahead of the summer window as they feel that there are players more suited to Jurgen Klopp’s team than Lemar.
The Premier League club failed to bring in someone to replace Coutinho last month, with the manager seemingly content with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Adam Lallana.
So, who should they go for?
Lemar tends to play wide left and his main attributes are power and energy, which is different to how Coutinho performs at his best.
The Brazilian has a more delicate and skilful approach, which could be what Liverpool will look for when they jump back into the market.
Borussia Dortmund star Christian Pulisic has been linked to Liverpool in the past, and there will be no surprise if he appears in the transfer gossip columns again.
The attacker is just 19 years old, but he has shown on the Bundesliga stage that he has quality.
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This season, the USA international has scored three goals and created two assists in 19 top-flight outings in Germany.
There is a risk that joining Liverpool now is premature, but Klopp could mould the teenager into a potential star at Anfield.
Leeds United fans have provided mixed reactions to a Tweet left by Andy Lonergan, with many feeling that the message is nothing out of the ordinary.
The Whites managed to get a 2-2 draw from their home game with Bristol City last weekend, however, the result did not show a fair reflection on the side’s performance.
The Elland Road outfit found themselves 2-0 down inside the first 15 minutes of the game and were booed off the pitch at halftime by their own fans.
Pierre-Michel Lassogga and Kemar Roofe managed to secure Paul Heckingbottom’s side a point, although the German did hit the crossbar with the last kick of the game.
Lonergan left a tweet stating that “We’re ready to continue where we left off on Sunday”, which resulted in a number of Leeds fans providing mixed reactions.
Some of the Whites faithful were quick to offer their support to the goalkeeper himself and were looking for him to start the game against Derby County, however, some were more sceptical.
A number of supporters took to Twitter to state that they had it all before and will be waiting to see how they perform on the pitch.
Here are some of their reactions..
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According to the Shields Gazette, Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle has sent a message to his teammates to forget about the two-goal lead they surrendered in their 2-2 draw against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium last weekend, when they face a free-scoring Liverpool side at Anfield on Saturday.
The Magpies missed out on the chance to go four points clear of the relegation zone with a victory against the Cherries, conceding twice in the last 10 minutes after Gayle had given the visitors a 2-0 advantage.
It ended a run of 11 Premier League matches without a goal for the 27-year-old, and with January addition Islam Slimani yet to make his debut and set to miss the trip to Merseyside, he has had a good run in the side, although he is a doubt for match against Jurgen Klopp’s men because of a hamstring strain.
The former Crystal Palace man has urged his teammates not to dwell on the draw on the south coast having failed to take the chances they had to kill the game off.
Gayle said, via the Shield Gazette: “We need to forget about it and move on and try to look forward to the next game now.
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“It’s happened this season to other people and I’m sure it will happen again, but the boys are together and we’re going to look forward to the next game.”
Newcastle face a tough task to take anything at Anfield given that Liverpool’s front three of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane all scored in the 4-1 win against West Ham United last weekend, taking their combined tally for the season to 63.
Everton will look to bounce back from yet another disappointing performance and result away from home and move another step closer to securing their Premier League status for another year when they host Brighton and Hove Albion at Goodison Park on Saturday.
The Toffees suffered their sixth successive defeat in all competitions on their travels when they were beaten 2-1 by Burnley at Turf Moor last weekend, despite taking the lead through Cenk Tosun’s first goal for the club.
However, goals from Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood saw them return to Merseyside with no points, increasing the pressure on unpopular manager Sam Allardyce and leaving the club seven points above the relegation zone, while things got even worse for them in the dying stages when Ashley Williams was sent off.
While their form on the road has been abysmal in 2018, they have been much better on their own turf – taking seven points from their last three fixtures at Goodison – and they will hope to continue that run against the Seagulls.
Chris Hughton’s men certainly won’t be a pushover though and they actually moved above their opponents this weekend in the standings following their 2-1 win against Arsenal at the Amex Stadium on Sunday.
Allardyce kept the faith with a 4-3-3 system in Lancashire last weekend despite a 1 -0 loss when he used it in their previous fixture against Watford at Vicarage Road, and the 63-year-old will probably stick with the same formation again now they are back on their own patch and will be expected to have the attacking impetus.
The former England boss made three changes from the side that were beaten 1-0 by the Hornets for the game against Burnley last time out, and he will be considering making some more following another disappointing display.
Here is how Everton must line up against Brighton on Saturday, ahead of Jordan Pickford in goal…
Defence
It should be all change for Everton at the back this weekend following another poor performance by the defence against Burnley.
Williams is definitely unavailable following his red card against the Clarets, while Cuco Martina and Michael Keane should also drop out now given their lack of form and the fact that Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka and Ramiro Funes Mori are all available for selection.
Seamus Coleman and Baines must start at full-back to try and provide that attacking threat, while Allardyce should look to pair Funes Mori, who the fans want to see start, with Mason Holgate at the heart of the back four in order to try and improve his side’s fortunes at the back.
Midfield
Allardyce went with a midfield trio of Idrissa Gueye, Tom Davies and Gylfi Sigurdsson against Burnley, and he would be wise to stick with those three for the visit of Brighton.
Gueye is an influential part of this Everton side while Sigurdsson will always bring that creativity and goal threat – something the Toffees need when they are playing a team like the Seagulls at Goodison Park.
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Both Wayne Rooney and Morgan Schneiderlin will hope to take Davies’ place in midfield for this clash, but Allardyce should stick with the youngster from the start and potentially introduce Rooney later in the game.
Attack
Cenk Tosun took just 20 minutes to open his Everton account as he made his first start since January against Burnley last weekend, and Allardyce should look to keep the faith with the Turkey international against Brighton now he finally looks ready to make an impact in the Premier League, after speaking out about his struggles.
The £27m January signing will have taken plenty of confidence from that goal and with Theo Walcott and Dominic Calvert-Lewin alongside him in attack on Saturday, the Merseyside outfit will look to get the goals and the win that will move them a step closer to securing their Premier League status for another year.
Everton have reportedly held talks with PSV Sporting Director Marcel Brands over joining the club this summer.
What’s the story?
According the Liverpool Echo, Everton Director of Football Steve Walsh is under threat, and the club have lined up PSV’s Marcel Brands as his replacement.
Walsh has taken some considerable flak this season after a massive spending spree last summer. Everton spent big money on several signings, and their fans hoped it could kick-start their attempts to challenge the “big six”.
Only Gylfi Sigurdsson has even come close to justifying his transfer to Goodison, and signings like Nikola Vlasic and Sandro Ramirez have hardly even played. The club is desperately short of quality options up front and is still lacking a leader at the back.
The Echo reports that the club have held “exploratory” talks with Brands, but Chelsea are also interested in the 55 year-old.
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Who is Marcel Brands?
Brands played in the Netherlands for 17 years, and became technical director at RKC Waalwijk upon retirement. After steadily improving the club, he moved on to AZ Alkmaar in 2005, where he toppled the normal order of Dutch football by winning the Eredivisie title in 2008/09 with Louis van Gaal at the helm.
Mousa Dembélé is perhaps Brands’ most notable success story at AZ Alkmaar, making 118 league appearances for the club before moving to England in 2010.
Brands was brought to PSV in 2010, and has received widespread acclaim for his transfer dealings at the club. Players like Gini Wijnaldum, Kevin Strootman and Dries Mertens were all bought, developed, and moved along for big profits with Brands in charge.
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The Dutchman is also known for his impressive work with the PSV academy, uncovering gems like Memphis Depay before selling them for massive profits.
Of course, the Everton fans would not want to sell their best players, so the expectations may be slightly different for the Dutchman in the Premier League. However, his eye for talent and knowledge of European football could make a massive difference with the backing of Farhad Moshiri.
Everton fans, would you like to see Brands replace Walsh? Let us know in the comments below…
According to reports in the Sunday Mirror, Liverpool midfielder Emre Can is demanding he becomes the club’s highest paid player to stay at the club this summer, and Reds fans have urged their club to sign Napoli star Jorginho, rated at £36m by Transfermarkt, if he need a new player in the centre of the park for next season.
The Sunday Mirror reports that the Germany international is wants a deal worth more than £200,000-a-week to extend his contract at that is due to run out at the end of the campaign, but the Merseyside outfit’s owners are unlikely to meet his demands with the fans already keen to see him leave after his latest comments.
That could well mean that they look to sign a replacement this summer even though Naby Keita is already on his way to link up with Jurgen Klopp’s side, and the Anfield faithful are keen on a deal for Jorginho, who is an Italy international and known for being a pass-master.
Liverpool supporters have been quick to have their say on the 26-year-old via social media, and while one said “he reminds me of Xabi Alonso”, another said “he’ll boss the PL imo”.
Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…
Who were England’s best players against the Netherlands? Let us know below…
West Ham United could be making some significant changes this summer ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.The long-term future of manager David Moyes remains uncertain as his current contract expires at the end of the season.Like any summer transfer window, personnel changes to the playing squad are expected to be made.BBC reporter Ian DennisÂtweeted over the weekend that West Bromwich Albion forward Salomon Rondon could be available for around £8m due to a release clause.
Even though the Venezuela international could suffer relegation from the Premier League with the Baggies by the end of May, an £8m figure is still relatively modest.
This season, Rondon has scored nine goals and created three assists in 25 appearances in all competitions.
The 28-year-old joined West Brom from Zenit St Petersburg in 2015, but if the club drop into the Championship, then he may consider his future.
On Reddit, West Ham fans debated whether it was worth the club making an offer when the transfer window reopens.
Comment from discussion Rondon release clause £8m.Comment from discussion Rondon release clause £8m.Comment from discussion Rondon release clause £8m.Comment from discussion Rondon release clause £8m.Comment from discussion Rondon release clause £8m.Comment from discussion Rondon release clause £8m.Comment from discussion Rondon release clause £8m.Comment from discussion Rondon release clause £8m.
You certainly can’t fault Mame Biram Diouf for effort. The Senegal international was given a difficult task at the London Stadium on Tuesday evening, asked by Paul Lambert to provide enough presence in the final third to make something out of nothing as the rest of Stoke’s starting XI – Xherdan Shaqiri excepted – stayed behind the ball to stop West Ham scoring in a vital relegation clash between the two Premier League sides.
Indeed, the 30-year-old made a real nuisance of himself in a bid to bring the Potters up the pitch – especially in the air. Incredibly, having won a huge 17 aerial duels against the Hammers, half of Diouf’s touches at the London Stadium were headers. He used that physicality to make opportunities for others, and actually created the second-most chances of any Stoke player after their Swiss playmaker.
Yet, at this point in the season, Stoke need someone up front who can provide the cutting edge to get them over the winning line, and that’s inevitably where Diouf lacks. Although he took four efforts at goal, showing he’s capable of getting himself in the right places, two of those chances were borderline sitters – yet neither found their way to the back of the net.
With four games left to reverse a five-point deficit between themselves and safety, Lambert has a key decision to make. Stoke have played well over the last few months with Diouf up front and were solid again at the London Stadium, yet they still needed veteran target man Peter Crouch to break the deadlock after coming on from the bench.
So, Stoke City fans, which forward would you start up front in Stoke’s next Premier League game – a home clash with Burnley? Would you start Diouf, Crouch or both when the Clarets come to town? Let us know by voting below…
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