Many people believe that it will take Arsenal a good few transfer windows to get a team that can start competing for the Premier League.

No one was expecting Unai Emery to instantly revolutionise the Arsenal team as it was clear that he needed time and funding to do so.

This January, therefore, was a great opportunity for him to start building his team for the future, however, things may not have gone to plan for many Arsenal fans. With that in mind here are the two biggest mistakes of their transfer window:

Losing Sven Mislintat

Sven Mislintat was at Arsenal for just over a year and no one fully knows the reason why he left this month, but it could well have been down to the fact that he was never going to be more than a glorified chief scout at Arsenal.

However, the German was one of the greatest assets the club had as he has a proven track record for unearthing some of the world’s best footballing talent. The likes of Robert Lewandowski are an example of this.

Mislintat recruited Arsenal players like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Bernd Leno to The Emirates. Things were starting to happen with the German at Arsenal and his departure may prove very costly, particularly given the fact that The Gunners are renowned for making some fairly poor transfer decisions.

Failing to sign Ivan Perišić

One player that Arsenal were heavily linked with over the transfer window was Inter Milan’s Ivan Perišić. Other than Denis Suárez who they did indeed buy, the Croatian was probably the second biggest target.

The World Cup finalist would have added some serious quality to the Arsenal attack and his versatility would have come in handy as he can play as both an attacking midfielder and a winger.

The fact that they did not sign him has not only prevented their team of a high quality player which could have improved their chances of Champions League qualification as the season goes on, but it also sends a bad message to the rest of the Premier League that they are struggling to land new signings and that they may not have the power in the transfer window that they used to have.

[ad_pod ]

Celtic fans have taken to Twitter to react after Scott Sinclair bagged a hat-trick against St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup to send the Bhoys into the quarter-finals.

The former Manchester City forward displayed ice-cool composure in front of goal to bag a treble, with James Forrest and an unlikely scorer in Scott Brown – whose wonder goal was his first in two years – rounding off a dominant victory.

Sinclair’s hat-trick helped Brendan Rodgers’ men to what was their 24th consecutive domestic cup win as they aim to complete another treble, and signals a remarkable turnaround in form after being slated by Celtic fans earlier in the season.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

The former Swansea star has now hit 16 goals across all competitions so far this season, displaying an unerring composure to his finishing which is to be vital if Celtic are to beat Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title.

Fans of the Scottish giants on Twitter were in awe at Brown’s screamer, but also took time to commend Sinclair on his match-winning performance and potency in front of goal…

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”.

West Bromwich Albion managed to get the better of Aston Villa earlier on today in the Midlands derby, which has boosted their automatic promotion hopes massively. 

The Baggies have arguably one of the strongest squads in the Championship, so they should have no trouble in going all the way in the current campaign.

Interestingly, it appears as if the Baggies are thinking about a possible swoop, as according to the Daily Record, West Bromwich Albion sent representatives to watch Motherwell’s Jake Hastie this month.

One of the biggest selling points is the fact that the youngster could be up for grabs for a cut price development fee at the end of the current campaign.

Indeed, the Scottish wonderkid has established himself as one of the most promising players in Scotland in the current campaign, with a very respectable three goals and one assist to his name in the Scottish Premiership. He spent the first half of the season on loan at Alloa Athletic, and he’s made a name for himself since returning.

Of course, the Baggies secured the services of Oliver Burke for a hefty fee and he never quite managed to live up to expectations, which has resulted in him moving on loan to Celtic.

So, supporters would soon forget Burke if Darren Moore manages to seal a potential bargain deal for Hastie as he has all the ingredients to become a future star. His pace, skill and dribbling ability makes him very dangerous and he’d slot right into Moore’s attacking style, with the ability to make an immediate impact at the Hawthorns.

West Bromwich Albion fans – thoughts?

[ad_pod ]

Football Fancast is embarking on a new series, in which we take a look at some of the hottest young prospects currently playing in the Championship…

Tall, quick and powerful. Brentford’s Ollie Watkins seems tailor-made for the top flight, and appears to have all the necessary tools to become one of the Premier League’s most dangerous wide forwards in years to come – for now, at least, he will have to contend with being the Championship’s most effective winger.

Watkins’ rise has not quite been meteoric, but it has been an eye-catching one. It was only in the summer of 2017 that the Bees took the plunge in signing a little-known League Two forward from Exeter, where he had just missed out on promotion after losing the play-off final to Blackpool.

Despite his side’s failure to earn promotion, the campaign was a personal triumph for Watkins as he was named the EFL Young Player of the Year, having notched 16 goals in 52 appearances.

The Englishman shows a maturity in his position that should be beyond his years. The most common irregularity of a young winger’s game is his tendency to hug the touchline for much of the 90 minutes, where he will struggle to make an impact for the majority of the game unless he is spoon-fed the ball.

What Watkins does differently, however, is ensure that he is always getting inside his full-back when not on the ball, so he can be first in line to head home or tap in a cross if the right delivery comes in, as opposed to allowing an easy clearance for the opposition defenders.

The former Weston-super-Mare loanee has plenty of time on his side at just 23 years of age, and is taking to the Championship like a duck to water with nine goals and five assists so far for Brentford this season.

Another man who has been performing superbly for the Bees this season is French striker Neal Maupay, who has hit 21 goals across all competitions so far in the current campaign and has consequently attracted interest from the Premier League – Huddersfield were keen in the January window.

Maupay has arguably had more media coverage and attention in comparison to Watkins, which is unfair on the latter seeing as he has performed just as admirably.

Crystal Palace and Bournemouth were circling around Watkins back in the summer, and one would assume that they and plenty others will be back at Griffin Park in a few months to check on his availability.

A new gem has been unearthed from the EFL Championship.

Indeed, Birmingham City’s Che Adams’ name is doing the rounds for his fantastic goal-scoring form for Birmingham City, where he’s almost single-handedly guiding them into securing a playoffs spot. Adams has been almost unstoppable and attracting surmounting transfer interest due to his heroics in the Second City.

Last month, almost 12 Premier League clubs had scouted Adams( via the Mirror) and the likes of Southampton (via Sky Sports) and Burnley (via the Mirror) even made an approach for him. While The Blues fought valiantly towards retaining their hitman, repeating the same in the summer will be difficult. Adams is coming up as an emerging youngster in English football and has the talent to prove it.

The 22-year-old forward’s scored 19 goals for Garry Monk’s side, which included a sensational hat-trick in the weekend in a thrilling 3-4 win over QPR. The youngster’s been practically unplayable at times, with his clinical touch in front of goal reaping him rewards this season.

Adams possesses a superb striker’s instincts and his unpredictable movement in an around the final third has troubled almost everyone he’s faced so far. He’s been able to create chances for himself with his clever positioning and hit some clean strikes this season. A wily forward with a powerful striking ability, he can also operate as an attacking midfielder due to his excellent link-up play, which has garnered him 2 assists as well.

The youngster’s entirely focused on gaining Premier League promotion with Birmingham City. However, regardless of whether he can do that or not, Adams is destined for top-flight football next season.

It’s about time Rangers made some exciting signings, isn’t it? Since their rise back to the top tier of the SPFL, Steven Gerrard’s side haven’t been able to splash the cash, making for pretty boring summers. Yes, Jermain Defoe and Steven Davis have arrived but they are both toward the end of their careers and certainly represent a risk.

However, Millwall’s Mahlon Romeo can be an inexpensive bright spark at the Ibrox next season.

The 23-year-old right-back has made 35 appearances for the Lions this season, 30 coming in the Championship and according to the Express, the Glasgow side have been keeping tabs on his development ahead of a summer swoop.

He signed a long-term deal with the Lions in the summer but Transfermarkt still only value him at a slender £450,000, which will be music to the ears of the Rangers board.

James Tavernier was linked with a move to Southampton in January, according to the Express as well, and should Rangers chose to cash in on their captain in the summer there’s a space waiting to be filled, the man to fill it could be Romeo.

The Antigua and Barbuda international began his career as a youth player at Arsenal but his career stalled after an unimpressive spell at Gillingham following his release from the Gunners’ ranks. It was revitalised, however, with a move to Millwall in 2015 where he’s now made over 100 first-team appearances.

He’s got the same drive to run down the right flank as Tavernier had and is known to enjoy a meaty tackle too, sounds right up Rangers’ street, right?

His age will also mean Gerrard has a player young enough to mould to his style and act as a temporary understudy to Tavernier if he stays beyond summer. Having brought experience on board, the next stage of Gerrard’s project would be to lure exciting fairly young talent north of the border.

With that in mind, Romeo would be a statement signing.

Rangers fans, would Mahlon Romeo be an adequate replacement for James Tavernier? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

[ad_pod ]

West Ham United midfielder Manuel Lanzini is back in action.

After suffering a heartbreaking knee injury that ruined his World Cup dream, the Argentina international made his comeback in the 3-1 win over Fulham at the end of February.

On the chalkboard

Since his return, which was greeted with a rapturous reception at the London Stadium, Lanzini has played in every possible game for the Hammers.

After 14 minutes against Fulham, the playmaker played 45 against Manchester City and the full 90 versus Newcastle United.

The Hammers, it is perhaps no coincidence to note, won two of those games.

And yet manager Manuel Pellegrini would do well to tread softly.

Lanzini is clearly not yet up to full speed and playing him consistently only runs the risk of wearing down a player who has spent nearly a year on the sidelines.

Against Newcastle, per WhoScored, he had two shots on goal and one dribble. He was fouled once, dispossessed once and failed to complete a key pass. He also had four unsuccessful touches.

Add into that the fact that he made one interception and two fouls – plus zero tackles – and it is clear to see this is a player who has yet to hit his stride.

The most eye-catching statistic against the Magpies was his pass completion rate, which stood at 96.9%, but this is perhaps evidence that he is not attempting to do what he so regularly did last season and pick the lock of the opposition defence, instead opting to recycle the ball and hoping someone else will do it for him.

Bench him

West Ham face Cardiff City this weekend in a game that Pellegrini’s men will be expected to win.

Yes, Neil Warnock’s side are battling bravely against relegation, but they have been in truly woeful form and have not won any of their last three games. Instead, they have lost to Watford, Everton and Wolves by an aggregate score of 10-1.

There is no better time to allow Lanzini to rest, recuperate and restore his focus, particularly with an international break on the horizon.

The likes of Robert Snodgrass and Michail Antonio can handle the pressure of supplying the chances against Cardiff but if it doesn’t go to plan, Lanzini will be there on the bench.

It is a low-risk strategy from the former Manchester City manager and it should ultimately help the diminutive star get back to his best once the Premier League reconvenes at the end of the month.

فاز النصر السعودي على مواطنه التعاون بهدفٍ دون رد في إطار منافسات دوري أبطال آسيا اليوم.

والتقى النصر والتعاون ضمن منافسات دور الـ26 بالبطولة القارية التي تحتضنها قطر خلال الفترة الحالية.

وسجل المغربي عبد الرزاق حمد الله مهاجم النصر هدف فوز فريقه في مرمى التعاون في الدقيقة 75.

وودع التعاون دوري أبطال آسيا بعد خسارته اليوم، والتي تعد الثالثة له تحت قيادة مدربه الفرنسي باتريس كارتيرون.

وتأهل النصر إلى ربع النهائي بالبطولة القارية، لكنه ينتظر تحديد منافسه في الدور المقبل. هدف فوز النصر على التعاون

[ad_pod ]

Loads of Tottenham fans have been reacting to some comments from Christian Eriksen’s agent, who has told the club to forget contract talks until the end of the season.

Tottenham could undergo some major changes to the core of their squad this summer, with the likes of Eriksen and Toby Alderweireld both expected to attract interest from Europe’s elite once again.

Losing Eriksen in particular would hurt the club and fans to no end, as the 27 year-old has become integral to Mauricio Pochettino’s plans.

Which Man Utd star got fed by Salt Bae this week? Check out the video below to find out…

His current contract ends in the summer of 2020, meaning he could pull an Aaron Ramsey and negotiate a free transfer away from the club next January.

Now, Martin Schoots, the Dane’s agent, has revealed in an exclusive interview with ESPN that they will not engage in contract talks this season.

“Christian only wants to focus himself on football,” he said, as reported by Football.London.

“Besides his technical, tactical and athletic skills, also this attitude has contributed over the years to his impressive transformation from world class talent to world class player.

“At this moment I would prefer not to join the speculations about contracts and transfers.”

Eriksen has scored five times and added nine assists in the Premier League this season, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…