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Newcastle star Ayoze Perez has spoken to Marca on the rumours linking him with a move away from St James’ Park, after talk of him joining either Tottenham or Everton refused to go away.

What’s the word, then?

The Spanish forward has been with the Magpies for five years now, having arrived as a 20-year-old from Tenerife for a fee of around £1.5m, and after a rocky start has become a fan favourite on Tyneside for his committed performances as well as his knack of popping up with big goals.

Perez has scored 42 goals and recorded 17 assists in just under 200 appearances for the Magpies, and is just two goals away from breaking into Newcastle’s all-time top ten Premier League goalscorers – he currently has 27 under his belt, whilst 10th-placed Craig Bellamy sits on 28.

In this era of ‘big 6’ dominance, has finishing 7th become as good as winning a trophy? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

When quizzed on his future amid links to Spurs and the Toffees, the 25-year-old said: “To this day, I do not know [what the futures holds]. I hope something very good. I believe that I have shown my merit during these five years so that a good opportunity presents itself.”

A perfect fit for Everton

Perez is exactly the type of clever forward that the Toffees are currently missing.

Marco Silva has Richarlison and Cenk Tosun as his options up front right now, and whilst both of them are decent options who know where the back of the net is, they don’t possess the footballing brain that Perez does.

You only need to take a look at how the Spaniard links up with Salomon Rondon at St James’ Park to see what he could do to improve the aforementioned duo’s chances of finding the goal.

Whilst Perez isn’t necessarily prolific, the diminutive forward knows how to take up dangerous positions and distract opposition defenders, which would help Richarlison or Tosun massively at Goodison Park – both play in a lone striker role right now, but if Perez were to arrive on Merseyside, their form should improve significantly.

Recent comments by Everton winger Bernard shows just why manager Marco Silva is the right man to steer the club to better results and ultimate success.

The Brazilian revealed to Portuguese outlet Record (via the Liverpool Echo) the squad is still fully dedicated to Silva’s structures at the club and have complete confidence in his style of coaching and managing.

The former Watford manager has been under a huge amount of scrutiny since the start of the New Year, following a bad string of results.

One win in their last six matches in all competitions has seen the manager change his team in almost every encounter and their FA Cup defeat at Millwall certainly raised question marks over Silva’s capabilities as the man in charge.

But, Bernard’s comments on how Silva prepares for every match and the detail he focuses on proves why he needs a little bit more time to get the best out of the Everton players.

According to the 26-year-old, Silva is excellent in his preparation before matches and provides a lot of insight into set-pieces, an aspect of the game where the Toffees have been really poor at this season.

Patience and maybe one or two more transfer windows could finally lead to Everton achieving new heights under the Portuguese manager.

The comments by Bernard should also be encouraging to Evertonians, who might have feared that Silva had lost the dressing but that clearly isn’t the case.

The off-weekend might also have been just what the club needed to regroup and get their campaign back on track with a Premier League clash against Cardiff City at Goodison Park coming up next week.

The encounter with Neil Warnock’s men could be the ideal opportunity for Everton to hit their stride again and get an all-important win under their belt.

أعلن طلعت يوسف المدير الفني لنادي الاتحاد السكندري، رحيله عن تدريب الفريق نهاية الموسم الحالي، مشيرًا إلى أنه يشعر بالمرارة لما يحدث معه.

وقال يوسف خلال تصريحات عبر برنامج “جمهور التالتة” على قناة “أون تايم سبورت”: “صعب جدا الاستمرار في الموسم الجديد، واستكمالي لنهاية الموسم إذا حدث فهو أمر يفرضه عليّ الإلتزام الأدبي تجاه النادي الذي تربيت فيه، لكن إذا كان عليّ فأنا أريد الرحيل، بالإضافة إلى احترامي لمحمد مصيلحي”.

طالع | طلعت يوسف منفعلًا على منتقديه: تعاقدوا مع جوارديولا لقيادة الاتحاد السكندري

وتابع: “أنا كنت رفضت أن يوضع في عقدي شرط جزائي، لأنه مهما حدث لن أطالب بشرط جزائي إذا استغنى عني النادي باعتباره بيتي”.
 
وأضاف: “عندما توليت المسؤولية تحت ضغط شديد من الإدارة تحدثنا عن الأهداف وهي بناء الفريق، خاصة وأن قبل التعاقد بشهر كان تقريبًا يقترب من الهبوط للدرجة الأولى، ولكن (الناس بتنسى).

وواصل: “بناء الفريق في أي نادي يحتاج من موسمين إلى ثلاثة، خاصة وأن الفريق وقف على نقطة ولم يهبط، بالتالي كنا نحتاج تدعيم بلاعبين جيدين ثم الموسم الثاني لاعبين يرحلون وآخرين يبقون، وفي الموسم الثالث ستجد فريق يمكنك الاعتماد عليه، لكن ليس في ثلاثة أشهر تريد أن تبني فريقت”.

وأردف: “النادي يتعاقد في حدود ميزانية لها سقف، نحن لسنا بيراميدز أو الأهلي أو الزمالك، أو حتى الأندية التي لديها قطاع ناشئين قوي مثل المقاولون”.

وأردف: “عندما أعمل في الاتحاد لا أنتظر استحسان أو رضا لأنني أشعر أن هذا واجب عليّ، هذا دور طبيعي أقوم به، البعض قد يكون هذا لا يلقى عنده استحسان ، كثيرين على الجانب الآخر يشعرون أن الفريق يحتاج الوقت، لكن الصوت العالي في الإسكندرية هو الصوت السئ”.

وأستطرد: “جلست مع رئيس الاتحاد قبل وبعد مباراة الأهلي، وطلبت أن أعتذر عن عدم استمراري لأنني أرى أن الأجواء لن تساعدني على عمل أي شئ أو الوصول لأي طموح أريده، ولكنه رفض”.

وأتم” “أشعر بمرارة لما يحدث معي في بيتي (نادي الاتحاد) وإذا كان حبي وعملي وتقديري لنادي الاتحاد يقابل بعدم تقدير فهذا أمر سئ بالتأكيد، هناك أشخاص يريدون هدم الكيان”.

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Crystal Palace might have lost to Brighton at the weekend but Aaron Wan-Bissaka is one of few players in red and blue who can comfortably say that they put in a brilliant performance.

The youngster has been sensational all season and his stellar showing continued to attract interest from some of the European big boys – Palace have a £40m plus player on their hands but they may not for much longer. It may not matter, though, as they could have their next big talent coming through the ranks in Brandon Aveiro.

On the chalkboard

The 17-year-old starlet, in focus in the match-day programme on Saturday, only signed his first professional deal in October but is already establishing himself as an exciting prospect. The week after he put pen to paper, the attacker netted a hat-trick against Watford and on Saturday he proved that wasn’t a fluke as he fired four past Birmingham.

Having been at Palace since he was eight, the teenager has become an Eagles fan and is surely keen to get into the first team as soon as possible. He has already taken big strides by being included in the Under-23s and that bodes well for his future.

Aveiro enjoys picking up the ball and driving at the opposition, beating players and teeing up a teammate or notching himself. His playing style might remind some of Wilfried Zaha, but the real comparison to be drawn here is with Wan-Bissaka.

Palace’s next sensation

It might have taken a plethora of first team injuries to provide 21-year-old Wan-Bissaka with his debut but the number 29 hasn’t looked back since and he is now a key player for the Eagles.

However, one thing Palace don’t have in surplus is clinical forwards – Michy Batshuayi is surely unlikely to remain at SE25 beyond the 18/19 campaign, while Christian Benteke and co are far from good enough.

The chances, therefore, may come far quicker for Aveiro than they did for Wan-Bissaka, who spent years as a winger before being converted to a right-back in 2017.

Another Palace hero in the making?

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BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson has made a surprise claim about Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat to Burnley on Saturday in his latest set of Premier League predictions ahead of the midweek fixtures.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Spurs’ title chances suffered a massive and perhaps fatal hit as they were beaten 2-1 by the Clarets at the weekend, and they will be looking to return to winning ways when they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.

Lawrenson believes that the encounter between the two London clubs will end in a 1-1 draw, and suggests that the return of Harry Kane from injury at Turf Moor actually hindered Spurs.

The 61-year-old said: “I had predicted a draw, knowing that Harry Kane was coming back. Part of my thinking was that, when a team’s best player is out, you get a little bit extra from all the other players. When he returns, they relax a tiny bit.”

Is he right?

Perhaps a little bit, yes.

There’s good news for fans of City, Liverpool, Spurs and United in the video below…

There will of course be an expectation when Kane is on the pitch that he can find the net because of his record, and that could easily lead to his teammates becoming a little more complacent, as Lawrenson alludes to.

However, you wouldn’t expect that to be the case with experienced players like Christian Eriksen and Son Heung-Min when you are in a title race, and it shouldn’t be used as an excuse.

Those individuals know that they must produce the displays they did in Kane’s absence from here on in if the north London outfit are to have any chance of keeping the pressure up on Liverpool and Manchester City.

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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.

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The Steve Bruce revolution continued at Hillsborough on Saturday, and one January swoop in particular is looking like an absolute stroke of genius from the club.

The Owls have still not lost since Bruce arrived at the club, and Saturday’s win was one of the best performances yet.

While goals from Craig Conway and Elliott Bennett gave Blackburn a fighting chance, the hosts blew their guests 4-2, and January capture Dominic Iorfa was once again at the centre of everything good.

The 23 year-old, who signed for the club on deadline day on a permanent deal from Wolves, has now scored three times and found an assist for his new club, despite only featuring in seven games.

He has started at right-back in the last four games, in which the Owls have picked up eight points and kept two clean sheets.

He assisted Steven Fletcher’s early opener on Saturday before smashing in a goal of his own in the second half, and fans are now heaping praise on what they consider to be the best piece of transfer business the club has done in a long time.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Leicester’s new boss Brendan Rodgers has identified Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney as a possible replacement for Ben Chilwell according to the Scottish Sun, and the switch seems ideal for the Foxes.

The Daily Mail linked Chilwell with a move to Manchester City back in December and, if Pep Guardiola does move for the 22-year-old, it’ll be hard to stop him. The forward-thinking full-back would take some replacing at Leicester though, but Tierney could fit the bill well.

The Scotsman has made 15 appearances for Celtic this season, making five assists in the process and at 21-years-old his future is looking promising. He’s come through the ranks in Glasgow, so Rodgers knows the youngster well and clearly rates him considering the game time he’s been given this campaign.

There’ll be lots of pressure on him if Chilwell does leave and he arrives as his direct replacement because there won’t be time to be slowly edged into the first team as he has been at Celtic Park. He’ll be expected to perform from the off in a division miles ahead of the one he’s used to playing in, but the pressure of playing for Celtic should have prepared him well.

Following the manager who gave him his first taste of senior football would give him confidence that Rodgers believes in him, and that’ll help him adapt to the Premier League quicker than if he signed for a club like Arsenal who he’s also been linked with in the Scottish Sun. Although he’ll have to prove himself to the fans, he won’t feel the need to prove himself to his manager because he’s already done that at Celtic.

The move makes sense for the player and for Leicester too because Celtic don’t usually demand a high fee for their players and their new manager knows the player fits their system, so he’s less of a risk.

Who do you think should replace Ben Chilwell if he leaves in the summer?

Luka Modric – the current holder of the Balon d’Or award – may have built his profile at Real Madrid but he honed in his exceptional talents at Tottenham’s White Hart Lane.

The Croatian was a highly thought of talent in the last decade making his move from Dinamo Zagreb for £15.8 million (as per the Telegraph).

Even back in 2008 Luka Modric was considered one of the brightest talents in world football, drawing interest from far and wide.

Indeed, the story could have vastly different if he had joined Newcastle United – which he was expected to do after visiting Tyneside to discuss a move to St James’ Park.

“If you had a list of the midfield players around Europe who Newcastle could possibly attract, Luka Modric would be one of them,” former Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan said (Telegraph).

“I think he would be pretty much on everyone else’s list as well because he is a fantastic prospect.

“If you look at the midfield players who have a fantastic future, he would be one of them. But every other club in the league, from Arsenal and Manchester United, would like Modric.”

It was to be Tottenham who profited from his arrival, however, who, after an incredibly disappointing season failing to break into the top four under Martin Jol, needed to make a statement of intent to appease their riotous fans.

And what a capture he was.

He may have been small, which he openly admitted had always been a point of concern for everyone who doubted he would ‘make it’, but he was strong – the kind of exaggerated strength the less physically blessed can muster in a moment of ‘David versus Goliath’.

But this was by no means the best bit of his game. Not by a long shot. Modric was incredibly gifted with the ball.

Indeed, years of being smaller had deemed it necessary to learn football in its purest form; the art of guiding a pinpoint pass, the ability to orchestrated play with the slightest movement, or dance around the opposition with the faintest of touches. He was a complete midfielder.

Unfortunately, when Real Madrid come knocking a player answers – as Spurs know all too well – and Modric’s time came in 2012 when he moved for an estimated £30 million (BBC Sport).

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According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham Hotspur are prepared to offer Premier League strugglers Fulham £20 million to sign Ryan and Steven Sessegnon in the upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Ryan Sessegnon has been in and out of the Cottagers’ starting XI this season. Last year, in the west London club’s promotion campaign from the Championship, the 18-year-old was an integral part of the side, scoring fifteen goals and racking up six assists over the course of the league season.

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The left-sided starlet has failed to truly find his feet in the top flight so far though. However, his efforts to acclimatise to the Premier League have been hampered by Fulham’s wider issues on and off the pitch – which has led them to the their current position in the relegation zone.

Sessegnon’s twin brother, Steven, is also on the books at Craven Cottage. The right-back is highly-rated by the club’s academy staff, but is yet to make his Premier League bow.

A double steal

Whilst Ryan Sessegnon has struggled to really shine this season, the England under-21 international remains a hugely exciting talent. He certainly belongs at the top level, and should Fulham get relegated this season then there ought to be plenty of Premier League clubs interested in his services. 

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has already demonstrated his ability to aid the development of young English talent with Dele Alli and Harry Winks. Ryan Sessegnon could be the next man on the conveyor belt.

What’s more, the Fulham ace could also prove to be the answer to Spurs’ left-back woes. Ben Davies lacks attacking quality whilst Danny Rose is inconsistent and injury prone. If Sessegnon were able to mature defensively then he could become a key weapon in Pochettino’s arsenal.

His brother is also a talent and worth a punt, especially if he helps Ryan settle in north London. All in all, £20 million for the pair would have to be considered an absolute steal.