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According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle United are ‘reluctant’ to spend more than £12m on Salomon Rondon in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the word, then?

Rondon joined Newcastle on loan from West Bromwich Albion last summer, with Dwight Gayle moving in the opposite direction.

The Venezuela international is enjoying a fine season for the Magpies, finding the back of the net on nine occasions in the Premier League.

According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle are keen to land the striker on a permanent deal, but do not want to spend more than £12m.

Rondon has a £16.5m release clause in his current deal with West Brom, which will expire at the end of the 2019-2020 campaign.

It seems difficult to believe that the Premier League club will potentially miss out on the South American over a difference of £4.5m, but that could well occur.

Should Newcastle hold firm?

No, pay the £16.5m. The simple fact of the matter is that Newcastle will not be able to sign a player of Rondon’s quality this summer for that price.

It is not exactly as if the forward is entering the final stages of his career. Indeed, he will not turn 30 until September and arguably has another three or four seasons left at the top level.

Rondon’s nine Premier League goals this season have helped the team, but his overall work rate has been clear for everyone to see and will have been much appreciated by the supporters.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

It is not difficult to understand why Newcastle are reluctant to meet the buy-out figure due to the fact that the striker’s deal with West Brom will expire next summer.

However, to potentially miss out on a move for Rondon over a relatively small figure would be poor business when considering the player’s quality.

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Phil Neville has made the ridiculous assertion that Manchester United need to sign Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Eric Dier this summer, per Sky Sports.

Dier has struggled for form this season but Neville, the manager of the England Women’s team, believes that the 25-year-old should be on the club’s shortlist for the summer.

What’s the word?

Dier has been a key member of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad in recent seasons, making a total of 204 appearances for the club.

However, this season, Dier has struggled for form and consistency, enduring an injury-hit campaign.

He has completed 90 minutes 10 times in the Premier League, struggling with both appendicitis and tonsillitis.

Nevertheless, Neville believes that the England international would be a shrewd addition for United.

Asked by Sky Sports to name his dream signings for his former club, he said: “Eric Dier as the holding midfield player and Philippe Coutinho, who there has been a bit of speculation about.

“You have to have British players in a title-winning team. [Ander] Herrera, Fred and [Scott] McTominay are part of the squad. [Nemanja] Matic, this season, has had a dip.”

Has he watched Dier?

This is an absolutely ridiculous assertion from Neville.

Dier has endured a below-average season at best and a poor one at worst.

Per WhoScored, he averages a total of 1.5 tackles per game in the Premier League – this is a player who is routinely deployed in a defensive midfield role – as well as 1.3 fouls. He makes just 0.4 blocks across 90 minutes on average along with 0.9 interceptions.

In attack, he completes 0.1 dribbles across a game, meaning he may as well not carry the ball forward at all. He also has 0.4 shots per game, 0.4 key passes and has a pass completion rate of just 84.3%.

This is far from the elite central midfielder that United need.

As for the claim that a title-winning team needs a British player, that does not even bear unpicking, such is its sheer stupidity. But for argument’s sake, just two British players made 30+ Premier League appearances for Man City last season, and a mere four made above 17.

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Robbie Keane believes that Tottenham Hotspur can beat Manchester City in the Champions League.

The former Spurs striker scored a genuinely superb goal on Saturday as a Spurs legends team took on Inter Forever, lobbing Julio Cesar with his back to the stopper.

The Republic of Ireland international is Spurs’ 11th-highest goalscorer, having enjoyed two spells at the club, and he insists that Mauricio Pochettino’s men have every chance of beating the Premier League champions in the quarter-finals of Europe’s elite club competition.

Speaking in the mixed zone after the 5-4 thriller, he said: “It’s going to be a tough one because you’ve got two fantastic teams.

“People will say City are the favourites because of how they’re playing at the moment but this Tottenham team can beat anyone on their day.

“They’re a difficult team to play against and have some top, top players. It’ll certainly be an intriguing game and I’m looking forward to it.”

Spurs have never progressed beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions League and face a significant task if they are to overcome City.

Pep Guardiola’s side racked up 100 points last season and are continuing to fight for the Premier League title, alongside Jurgen Klopp’s exciting Liverpool team.

City won 1-0 at Wembley earlier this season, in a game that was played on the remnants of an NFL pitch.

Tottenham fans have been left frustrated with the lack of signings over recent windows.

Indeed, with the last signing being Lucas Moura more than over a year ago, it’s been one of the most barren times in the club’s history. Clearly, the club aren’t exactly in dire need of a squad overhaul, though it’s hard to argue that Mauricio Pochettino isn’t dragging the maximum out of every single one of his players, so further additions would certainly help ease the burden on the current squad.

In fact, this has led people to believe this is one of the main reasons they lack silverware, having challenged for quite a while now.

So, with the window approaching, we look at some players who could push Spurs to the next level.

Jack Grealish 

Grealish was one of Tottenham’s main transfer targets throughout the whole of the summer window, who in the end, they failed to capture due to miscommunications on price. A year on and yet another transfer window approaching it wouldn’t be a shock if Spurs were to dip back into the pot and try again for the English international.

After having his head turned and his attitude based on a move to the Lillywhites, Grealish has suffered a lacklustre season with only 2 goals and 4 assists in the Championship. However, it is with no doubt that given the move to Tottenham, the forward would find new life and spring into new heights with the likes of Dele Alli and Harry Kane to guide him forward.

With his pace, power and skill it is clear to see why Pochettino wants to sign the 23-year-old and have him playing in an attacking position that could possibly be made vacant by Christian Eriksen.

Matthias Ginter 

Matthias Ginter has been an integral part of Borussia Monchengladbach’s defence during what has been a very successful season for the German side, and with Jan Vertonghen not getting any younger, the 25-year-old German centre-back could fit right into his place as a long term replacement.

Having helped contribute the same amount as clean sheets for Gladbach as Vertonghen has done for Spurs (10 league clean sheets) it is clear to see that the German can provide a defensive stability alongside Davinson Sanchez, which could become a defensive wall that Spurs can rely on for many years to come.

The Spurs faithful will be hoping to see their chairman and manager come together and pull some new players in for the following seasons, and will hope that new signings can push the squad forward into a new level.

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West Ham United attacker Felipe Anderson has been talking to BBC Football about life in the Premier League following his club-record move from Lazio last summer, and he has suggested that amount of space he often gets in matches has surprised him.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Anderson was speaking about a range of different subjects including about how his game – which includes having plenty of pace, trickery and being direct – is ideally suited to England.

The 25-year-old told BBC Football: “I have always enjoyed dribbling.

“That has been a key part of my game and you do get quite a lot of space in England. But the game is very intense and it is difficult to keep it up for the 90 minutes.

“Every game is end to end, with attack after attack. I am still adapting to that side of the game and I need to get stronger.”

The Brazil international has certainly made an impact in his debut campaign with the Irons, scoring nine goals and providing a further four assists in 30 appearances in all competitions.

Is Anderson right to be surprised?

Quite possibly, yes.

The Premier League is often known for its intensity and players not having as much time on the ball as in some of the other top European leagues, but the South American winger’s comments go some way to discounting that theory.

The way the 25-year-old talks about how much space he has suggests it wasn’t something he was expecting when he made the move to the London Stadium, and it is probably one of the reasons why he has thrived so much so far.

However, as Anderson mentions he is still adapting and that is great news for West Ham fans, who may have not seen the best of the Brazilian yet.

كشف مهاجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة السابق، لويس سواريز، سبب انتقاله إلى أتلتيكو مدريد أحد المنافسين المباشرين للعملاق الكتالوني في الميركاتو الصيفي الحالي.

وانتقل سواريز إلى أتلتيكو مدريد رسميًا يوم أمس، الأربعاء، بدون مقابل فقط 6 ملايين يورو كمتغيرات في حالة تحقيق بعض الألقاب والإنجازات مع النادي المدريدي.

اقرأ أيضًا | سواريز “باكيًا”: رحيلي عن برشلونة صعب.. وفخور بصداقتي مع ميسي رغم التحذيرات

وعلق سواريز على الأمر في مؤتمر وداعه في برشلونة وقال: “أشعر بأنني ما زلت قادرًا على تقديم المزيد في الدوري الإسباني ولدي الرغبة في تسجيل المزيد من الأهداف في تلك البطولة، لقد تحدثت مع سيميوني وأنطوان جريزمان ودييجو جودين عن النادي ولدي الرغبة في مساعدة الفريق للمنافسة على الدوري خاصة وأنني أرحل إلى فريق طموح”.

وكشف سواريز عن رأيه في المدرب كومان ورغبته في رحيله عن برشلونة: “اللاعبون يرحلون والنادي باقٍ، المدرب يقرر عدم الاعتماد علي، وكنت أتوقع ما أبلغني به لذلك تدربت مع الفريق لأنهم يحترمونني حتى أجد نادٍ جديد للرحيل إليه، ولم يكن لدي أي مشكلة مع رونالد”.

وعن مواجهة برشلونة في المستقبل: “سبق لي وواجهت فرقي السابقة، أعرف هذا الشعور، لكن علي الدفاع عن شعار النادي الذي أحمل اسمه”.

ومواجهة صديقك ميسي: “لقد واجهت ليو من قبل مع أوروجواي، وهذا لن يغير علاقتنا، لن تكون هناك أي أزمة في ذلك”.

ورد سواريز مازحًا على سؤال “من تحمله رحيلك عن برشلونة؟”: “لي أنا أم لـ.. (في إشارة إلى بارتوميو الذي يجلس بجانبه في المؤتمر)، لكن ما أركز فيه الآن هو مؤتمر رحيلي عن الفريق ولن أتحدث عن أي شيء لقد كان قرار المدرب وتقبلته بالفعل”.

واختتم الأوروجوياني مؤتمره بالحديث عن مباراة 8-2 أمام بايرن ميونخ، وقال: “لقد حاولت طوال مسيرتي أن أعطي كل ما لدي للنادي الذي أتواجد به، بذلت قصارى جهدي وفي النهاية كانت 6 سنوات رائعة مع برشلونة ولن أنساها أبدًا”.

Divock Origi has successfully made a name for himself in the camps of Liverpool’s opposition. Particularly Everton and Barcelona who will probably always remember the fury and heartache they suffered at the hands of the Belgian.

However, at his own club, he’s become somewhat of a yo-yo player. A section of Liverpool fans have slammed the 24-year-old for his recent poor performance against Chelsea where he lost possession 11 times and made just 12 passes (via Sofascore).

The frustration is completely justified following the £18m-rated man’s (Transfermarkt) lacklustre displays at New Meadow and Stamford Bridge, but those calling for his dismissal need to remember the season-defining performances he put in last campaign. Liverpool would not have been able to lift the Champions League trophy without Origi and his Anfield heroics against Barcelona.

He also had a direct hand in the thrilling 5-5 draw against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup after his acrobatic strike forced the game to penalties.

So where has it all gone wrong for Origi? Despite his fruitful 2018/19 season, there was no replacing Roberto Firmino as the focal point of the Liverpool attack. Because of this, the Belgian has seen very little action that hasn’t been from off the bench this season.

In the Premier League, he has started five games and has contributed to five goals. Only one of those matches saw Origi start in his natural position up front, the rest were on the left-wing.

Across the other 23 gameweeks, Origi has played a total of 62 minutes coming off the bench (via Transfermarkt). His dip in form and arguably woeful performance against Chelsea could be down to his irregular game time and constant switching of positions.

With the increasing media surrounding the potential Timo Werner move to Anfield, it seems fans are head-over-heels with the idea of the young German play-maker joining the ranks. The desire to get rid of Origi based off Werner’s wish (via HITC) to join Liverpool is very premature and fans shouldn’t hold out hope for a dream transfer until the papers are signed.

Although, that is the way of football. Clubs must offload whoever slows them down to ensure the team will succeed. If Liverpool clinch Werner in the summer, the likelihood is that Origi will be sold – such is the ruthless nature of the game.

However, Divock Origi survived the offloading of strikers including Dominic Solanke and Danny Ings, as well as Rhian Brewster who is out on loan. Klopp sees something in the Belgian that he feels this Liverpool side needs.

There’s no telling what news is hearsay and what has some legs to it nowadays. But if the forward is to be shipped off in the next transfer window, he certainly deserves better support from more sections of the fanbase until that day comes.

What do you think, Reds? Is Divock Origi a cult hero? Or has his time come to an end at Liverpool?

Back in December, Sky Sports revealed that Sheffield United and Crystal Palace were circling around Ollie Watkins, with Brentford upping the forward’s price tag towards the £25m mark in response to the Premier League duo’s interest.

In Crystal Palace’s case, they have long been interested in the former Exeter attacker.

Back in the summer of 2018, The Evening Standard revealed that the Bees were asking for £15m amid interest from the south Londoners, before the Eagles were believed to have gone back in for the forward in the summer of 2019 – a bid worth £11m was reportedly rejected by Brentford.

Since then, the 24-year-old has quite simply been on fire this term.

Watkins has netted a stunning 20 goals in 31 Championship appearances, and his latest outing for Thomas Frank’s side saw him showcase his clinical nature once again.

The Brentford No.11 only had one shot against Middlesbrough, but it ended with a goal as the Englishman netted an 87th minute winner for his side in a 3-2 thriller at Griffin Park.

As well as his goal, Watkins drew two fouls from the opposition – in truth, that was the only other positive from his display as he failed to muster up a key pass while also having three unsuccessful touches and three offsides to his name.

However, it shows just how clinical he has become by managing to pop up with the match-winning goal, despite not being heavily involved throughout the 90 minutes.

The Crystal Palace target has, in all honesty, been hugely efficient throughout the campaign.

He averages 2.6 shots per game in the Championship, but has still managed to score 20 goals in 31 outings which is a pretty decent return rate in all honesty.

Someone’s got to own them: Who do these incredibly unwanted PL records belong to?

Seeing as Crystal Palace are the Premier League’s lowest scorers with only 23 goals in 26 outings, they could do with somebody as clinical as the Brentford sensation.

In other news, Cenk Tosun has revealed a grand gesture made in his direction on Instagram…

Aston Villa will face a very youthful Liverpool side in their Carabao Cup quarter-final, due to Liverpool’s clash of fixtures with the Club World Cup.

The side, who will be led out by Neil Critchley, will be hungry to take their opportunity to impress, as they will be hoping to earn further first-team involvements moving forward.

This means Villa can’t afford to get complacent ahead of the match, something Dean Smith will be fully aware of.

Watch Villa vs Norwich Live and Free with Amazon Prime on Boxing Day

However, in our predicted XI, we’re tipping the Villans to make nine changes from last weekend with some familiar faces still being included along the way.

Orjan Nyland has only made one appearance this campaign, which came when Jed Steer was injured in the league against Wolverhampton Wanderers. With the stopper still out and Heaton likely to be rested, the Norway international could get his second against Liverpool.

Smith may be tempted to use the same backline that was utilised during the 2-1 win against Wolves in the last round. Neil Taylor, Ezri Konsa and Ahmed Elmohamady were all left out of the starting lineup for the loss against Sheffield United.

Kortney Hause made his Premier League debut during that game and stays in for the cup tie, as Tyrone Mings is still out injured, with the hope being he will return before the New Year.

The same midfield has also been selected from the team that participated in the last round, with Douglas Luiz having been used from the bench against the Blades, while Conor Hourihane missed out altogether.

Henri Lansbury did start that game, but having put in an underwhelming performance that saw him get a rating of four from The Birmingham Mail, he could be confined to the cup competitions for a while moving forward.

Jota has been a sporadic figure at Villa Park this season, making just five starts and three substitute appearances across all competitions, so this could be seen as a good opportunity to get him some game time.

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Trezeguet has scored in his last three starts, but has not been on at the start of Villa’s two most recent matches, so Smith may give him the chance to extend that run against a youthful Liverpool outfit.

Jonathan Kodjia has managed just 81 minutes of first-team football across all competitions this campaign, but with Keinan Davis having been unavailable for the last seven league games, he may be utilised here.

In other news, FFC writers have discussed whether Villa would be wise to move for their defensive transfer target.

According to The Star, Sheffield Wednesday manager Jos Luhukay has spoken about his future at the club ahead of the visit by Bolton tomorrow. 

The Owls lost to Derby at the weekend, despite looking largely impressive throughout the game, which now means that the Yorkshire club are without a win in their past six matches, including five losses.

Speaking in his team’s press conference, the Dutchman said:

“When results aren’t positive the managers are always in the spotlight.

“I only focus on the game tomorrow.

“Everything after that is not important.”

This is a clear suggestion that the manager is aware of his situation at the club, and he may well know that he does not have long to win over the board. The Owls now only sit three points above the relegation zone in the Championship, and a loss to Bolton tomorrow could well see The Wanderers (currently in 22nd place) leapfrog Luhukay’s men. Things would then start to look very ominous.

After the hugely encouraging draw in the Steel City Derby before the international break, Luhukay will not want his team to slip back into their rut. The draw at Bramall Lane surely bought the manager more time, as he looked almost certain to be fired had The Owls lost. But the question remains as to how long Luhukay has to turn his team’s fortunes around, and a loss to Bolton may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

This is a winnable game, and Luhukay knows that, but given Wednesday’s recent form, that does not mean it is guaranteed.