Tag Futebol

The footballing equivalent of those dreaded celebrity gossip magazines that quote ‘inside sources’ on Kim Kardashian’s alleged argument with her postman, the British tabloids’ constant spewing of fact-less transfer rumours rarely produces a true story.

But every now and then, the odd rumour comes to the surface that appears to have some weight behind it, providing you’re prepared to read between the lines.

And we may be amid the Premier League’s silly season, with the January window now upon us, but there’s a few stories involving Tottenham Hotspur this month that might actually materialise into something genuine.

Just to prove it, here’s FIVE we at Football Fancast are tipping to be the real McCoy.

EMMANUEL EMENIKE

Despite the recent heroics of Harry Kane, the glaring inadequacies of Tottenham’s strike-force desperately require Daniel Levy and Mauricio Pochettino’s attention this month – especially if the Lilywhites are planning on a late charge for a Champions League spot.

There’s quite a few names in the mix, but rumours linking Spurs with Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenike have been consistent over the last week or so.

The Nigerian international was spotted in London with agent Erdem Konyar earlier this week, who has since confirmed that Tottenham are interested in his client.

Boasting impressive returns of 63 goals in 51 appearances for Karabukaspor, 36 in 42 for Spartak Moscow and 25 in 40 for Fenerbahce however, the 27 year-old has been linked with Chelsea and Liverpool before, who could both revive their interest.

Right now however, the Lilywhites seem to be the front-runners. Despite a £16million release clause, it’s claimed the Turkish side could settle for just £8million.

PAULINHO

Having never really hit the heights expected since moving to White Hart Lane for a then-club record £17million in summer 2013, and since been reduced to a bit-part role after some borderline woeful performances at the World Cup, rumours of Paulinho being put up for sale this January will hardly come as a huge surprise to Tottenham fans.

Indeed, the Brazil international scored six league goals last season but has spent the majority of the current campaign on the bench, seemingly ill-fitting to Mauricio Pochettino’s high-pressing philosophy – which is finally starting to take effect. Thus far, he’s seen just 135 minutes in the Premier League.

Spurs need to sell before the 26 year-old’s value further depreciates and according to the tabloids, there are a number of suitors emerging from the woodwork. Brazilian side Cruzeiro have been fairly public about their ambitions to sign Paulinho on loan, but the north Londoners would unquestionably prefer a permanent departure.

In that regard, The Independent claim Inter Milan, Schalke and former club Corinthians could all be interested in the £12million-rated midfielder.

MOUSA DEMBELE

Another midfielder that appears unable to adapt to Mauricio Pochettino’s methods, Mousa Dembele has been issued just three Premier League starts since the Argentine’s arrival in the summer.

The Belgium international’s immense talent remains undoubted – he looked like a world-beater in the making at former club Fulham and has attracted interest from Manchester United and Real Madrid, to name a few, in the past.

But that’s rarely corresponded into immense performances for the Lilywhites and he’s now at his furthest from Spurs’ starting Xi since his £15million arrival in January 2012.

Everton were alleged as potential suitors earlier in the season and could now view Dembele as the ideal signing to end their current malaise. Admittedly however, the rumour has lost traction over the last few months.

Jay Rodriguez

It’s not a transfer saga that’s received too much attention this month, but Tottenham’s long-term interest in Southampton forward Jay Rodriguez remains undoubted.

The England international flourished under Mauricio Pochettino’s leadership at St. Mary’s, finishing last term as the Premier League’s third top-scoring Englishman with 15 goals in 33 appearances, despite missing its final two months with an ACL injury.

Pochettino clearly likes the powerful winger-forward’s style and he would address a few problems for the Lilywhites – particularly their lack of depth on the left flank and at centre-forward.

Furthermore, my hunch tells me that the Saints could be prepared to sell; after all, they’re a completely different side now and have excelled in the 25 year-old’s prolonged absence, rising to fourth in the Premier League table.There will be a temptation to cash-in whilst he’s still in demand.

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Rodriguez is still struggling with his knee injury according to friend and Burnley striker Sam Vokes however, which could force the Lilywhites into seeking alternatives this month.

FABIAN DELPH

Aston Villa contract rebel Fabian Delph has been linked with a number of bigger Premier League clubs over the last few months, most particularly Tottenham and Liverpool.

Spurs desperately need more bodies in the middle of the park if Dembele and Paulinho are to leave as expected, and the 25 year-old shares the gutsy, energetic styles of Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb that Mauricio Pochettino has continually found himself depending on this term – epitomised by the above goal against Chelsea last season.

And it’s been a solid twelve months for the talismanic midfielder, earning the Villain of the Year award at the end of last season and more recently a spot in Roy Hodgson’s England squad, with three caps since his September debut.

He suits Tottenham’s style of play perfectly and with his contract now into its final six months, Mirror Football alleged a £3million offer from the north Londoners earlier this week.

The Express, on the other hand, believe Delph will wait until the summer before deciding upon his next club. Paul Lambert has also recently stated that the England international isn’t for sale.

Newcastle’s transfer movements this month have seen them bring in five players from Ligue 1, taking their first-team tally to 10, plus four more that were born in French-speaking countries, but the question that is on everyone’s lips is will this foreign invasion of sorts have a negative and potentially destabilising influence further down the line?

Of course, the evidence of such an impact was not visible during the club’s 2-1 win against fellow Premier League strugglers Aston Villa on Tuesday evening, their first away victory in the league all season, with new signings Moussa Sissoko and Yoan Gouffran both impressing on their debuts and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa being introduced late on.

Cast your eye around the Newcastle squad, though, and the spine of the team next season is likely to be French. Captain Fabricio Coloccini, while he may have been forced to stay at least until the end of the season, may still angle for a move away closer to home in the summer and the Yanga-Mbiwa purchase must be seen as an insurance policy ahead of a likely departure. It seems perfectly feasible next term to see Mathieu Debuchy, Mbiwa, Yohan Cabaye, Gouffran, Sissoko and Hatem Ben Arfa all line-up in the starting eleven; seven out of eleven players hailing from outside of these shores is a bold, but given the personnel available to Pardew, entirely logical next step.

You can clearly see where the club are coming from; the French league offers value for money quite like no other in Europe, with each of the five fresh faces brought into the club this month not only all affordable, but secured on long-term deals as they enter the peak of their careers. Head scout Graham Carr must have opened a boulangerie in Paris given all the work he’s done in the region this past year. Nevertheless, the sheer volume of French influence at the club is precisely what has attracted such interest, speculation and criticism.

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Former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier warned last month of the potential negative that lies ahead, telling reporters: “You can’t stop the French speaking French. The dressing room will be unbalanced. There will be problems.” Considering the 65-year-old has managed the France national team in the past, plus trying to integrate several players from his time at Anfield, you suspect he knows his eggs on this subject. Obviously trying to head off such criticism, Pardew revealed last week: “They have to learn English or they will face penalties and hopefully they will grasp it.”

However, the main quotes doing the rounds this past week come from Pardew’s time at West Ham back in 2006, railing against a transfer policy at Arsenal very similar to the one that Newcastle now have: “I saw a headline saying Arsenal are flying the flag for Britain and I kind of wondered where that British involvement actually was when I looked at their team. It’s important that top clubs don’t lose sight of the fact that it’s the English Premier League and English players should be involved.”

Devoid of context, the quotes make Pardew seem fairly ridiculous and will have left him somewhat red-faced at being reminded of them, but it’s clear that while the Newcastle academy hasn’t produced any players of top flight quality these past few years, even if it doesn’t quite explain why they’ve aligned themselves so clearly with one country when the global game is a potential smorgasbord of talent.

With Danny Simpson set to leave in the summer when his contract expires, and Mike Williamson little more than a back-up centre-back, only really Steven Taylor stands a chance of consistent selection for the first-team out of the English players in the squad. Shola Ameobi, James Perch and Ryan Taylor are useful squad players to have, while Sammy Ameobi, James Tavernier and Shane Ferguson all represent viable prospects for the future, but there’s little to suggest any of them can make an impact on the starting eleven within the next year or so.

The club were in desperate need of recruits going into the January transfer window, with Pardew’s explaining their policy in greater detail recently: “There is slightly more value in the French market. Obviously, we have exploited that. Zaha is a typical example of trying to take a young player out of the Championship. I like him. I wanted to take him but, seriously, we had no chance. We just can’t pay that. We got four players for that. It suited our needs better to strengthen several positions for that sort of money. None of them was a knee-jerk reaction; otherwise we would have bought a 31-year-old from a squad in the Premier League.” There is nothing wrong with that assertion whatsoever.

The fans have urged owner Mike Ashley to invest this month or further run the risk of getting sucked into an ugly and increasingly messy relegation battle and the win against Aston Villa put breathing room between them and the bottom four once more. When the French market has worked so well for them these past couple of years, why even bother to try and look elsewhere? They have a strong scouting network in the country and the value for money is excellent.

Moreover, with the world shrinking (in an economic and communicative sense, not literally), the days when clubs could field a number of players from the academy are long gone and plenty of other sides in the top flight have fielded solely foreign-born sides and been no more worse off for doing so. To put this into context, the squad that got relegated back in 2008/9 contained 11 Englishman – do you forsake some sort of local pride and a lose connection with the surrounding community for success? The higher up the ladder you climb, it’s inevitable and to pretend otherwise is naive.

Pardew is clearly not in charge of transfers at the club, with the recruitment committee of Carr, managing director Derek Llambias and club secretary Lee Charnley all influential figures that report directly to Ashley. There is no recipe for success in the league, just different paths. Buying domestic players at the prices they cost these days is simply not an option for a club that’s ultimate aim is to balance the books.

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They are being sensible over their financial future, and should be applauded for not being as reckless as many of their rivals. They are bringing in established international players from a hotbed of talent that traditionally adapt well to the English game. The club clearly need to make improvements in integrating local players and academy prospects, but if they’re not good enough in the first place, then what’s the point?

A balance needs to struck in the future, but for the time being at least, needs must and the new recruits look certain to provide a much-needed shot in the arm for the entire squad while simultaneously boosting their fragile confidence, which should go a long way to ensuring their top flight status for another year. For those that want to bang the jingoistic, vaguely xenophobic drum that the Magies are beginning to represent everything about the decline of the English game, well I’m afraid that ship sailed a long time ago.

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As reported by The Sun, Liverpool’s pursuit of Roma goalkeeper Allison has suffered a setback after his agent played down a move away from the Italian club this summer.

What’s the story?

Both Loris Karius and Simon Mignolet have failed to impress consistently between the sticks for the Reds this season and as such fans see the goalkeeping position as a top priority when the transfer window opens.

One player they’ve been linked with in recent months is £62m-rated goalkeeper Alisson, currently impressing in Seria A with Italian giants Roma.

However, the prospect of him leaving the club now seems further away after his agent played down recent transfer speculation, directly referencing the Reds.

As quoted by The Sun, Ze Maria Neis said:

Alisson is certainly one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He loves Roma, 100 per cent. Will he sign a new contract? Now he is focused only in Serie A and on the Champions League. We have a great relationship with Roma. We never spoke with Liverpool about him. Now Alisson only thinks in present time.

While ambiguous enough to not rule out anything, it’s clear that the goalkeeper nor his representative are interested in forcing a move away from his current club, but should Liverpool ramp up their interest him with a firm bid?

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How good is he?

Helping Roma to an impressive 18 clean sheets so far this term, the Brazilian number one is considered as one of the best goalkeepers in the world right now.

His side are currently in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League and while they are struggling to challenge for the Serie A title, they certainly have ambitions in that regard too, aided by elite talents like Alisson.

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If Liverpool are to challenge for major honours too, they need as stable a defence as possible and after adding Virgil van Dijk to the squad, bringing in a quality and trusted number one behind him is crucial.

Alisson certainly fits the bill and even though speculation about his exit from Roma has cooled, the Reds should keep their thoughts on his situation.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is confident that Reds starlet Raheem Sterling will be fresh and ready to terrorise Premier League defences once more when he comes back to the club from a mid-season break.

The 20 year-old was allowed an extended break by Rodgers following Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Leicester City on New Year’s Day, with the Reds boss desperate to ensure that one of his most prized assets does not suffer from burnout in what will be a crucial last few months of the season for the Anfield outfit.

Sterling has played more minutes than any other outfield player in the Premier League this term – making 26 starts and two substitute appearances for Liverpool in all competitions.

He was also a key member of the Liverpool side who nearly clinched the Premier League last season, and after a whirlwind 18 months in football which has propelled the England international to global fame, Rodgers feels that a rest for Sterling is richly deserved.

“If you focus just purely on the here and now then of course you wouldn’t want Raheem to miss anything,” Rodgers told the Liverpool Echo.

“But he’s a young player and you have got to look after the needs of the player and ultimately the team and the club.

“He has been outstanding for us in recent months. A period of rest and the recuperation will do him the world of good. It’s been a gruelling first half of the season for him with a lot of matches and a lot of work.

“This is the break I had always planned to give him. It will set him up for the rest of the season.”

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Following Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Sunderland on Saturday, Sterling is expected to return from his holiday in Jamaica ready for the trip to Aston Villa.

Got any questions? Follow me on Twitter @GruffuddOwen

Sam Allardyce is hoping his depleted squad will once again cope well with adversity, when West Ham visit Reading on Saturday.

The Hammers boss saw his side reduced to ten men against Everton last Saturday following Carlton Cole’s controversial red card. While the outcome of the appeal is yet to be heard, Allardyce is planning for the trip to Berkshire without last season’s top scorer.

And Big Sam has admitted in an interview published on the Hammers’ official website, that the club would badly miss Cole, if the appeal against his ban proves unsuccessful, while fellow striker Andy Carroll continues to be sidelined through injury.

“We couldn’t afford to lose Carlton Cole, not just the fact that we went on to lose the game because of that but because he may now miss at Reading. That is a massive blow to us,” Allardyce said.

“We will appeal Carlton Cole’s sending off because we need Carlton for Reading. Losing him for three games will be a severe blow that we can’t cope with Andy Carroll being out as well.”

With Ricardo Vaz Te still out injured, West Ham’s only other fit recognised forward is Modibo Maiga, but Allardyce feels the Malian lacks the necessary Premier League experience to make the starting XI.

The 25-year-old, who can also play on the wing, moved to Upton Park this summer from French club Sochaux for a fee of £5million.

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“Modibo has made an impact from the sub’s bench but we don’t think he’s ready to start a game in the Premier League as it’s a big jump from the French league to the Barclays Premier League,” the Hammers boss added.

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Fair play to Newcastle United attacker Ayoze Perez.

The Spaniard has revealed that he played against Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon just three days after his grandmother had passed away.

The 24-year-old played the full 90 minutes of his team’s 3-0 win over the Saints, and was extremely impressive in a forward position.

On Monday, Perez took to Twitter to reveal that he featured despite a family tragedy, and the Newcastle fans, who are absolutely delighted with head coach Rafael Benitez at the moment, have been paying tribute to the former Spain Under-21 international.

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Perez, who has scored four times and registered three assists in 29 appearances for Newcastle this season, is currently in his fourth straight season with the Magpies.

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He now seems to be part of the furniture at St James’ Park, and his classy Twitter post at the start of this week will only increase his popularity at the Premier League club.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

The January transfer window has never been an ideal time to buy, but it represents an important opportunity for Premier League clubs to offload some of their deadwood.

That’s something Brendan Rodgers should bear in mind as we approach the winter window – his Liverpool squad, although designed to cope with the added burdens of Champions League football this season, includes a number of players that are quite frankly surplus to requirements.

With that in mind, here’s a list of FIVE players the Reds could axe in the New Year; some have contracts winding down, others were expected to leave during the summer and a few have simply outlasted their relevance on Merseyside.

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GLEN JOHNSON

Hot off the press this morning, England international Glen Johnson has admitted his Liverpool career could soon be coming to an end:

With his current deal set to expire at the end of the season, the 30 year-old is yet to sign the one-year contract extension offered to him during the summer. Upon the turn of 2015, he’ll be allowed to talk to foreign clubs regarding a bosman move.

The right-back’s experience and continuity could soon prove vital for a chaotic Reds defence that currently has the fifth-worst goals conceded column in the Premier League as he returns from a six-week injury lay-off, having featured as a substitute against West Brom last weekend.

But Rodgers will be keen to get a return on the former West Ham, Chelsea and Portsmouth star rather than risk losing him for free. Likewise, he now has youngsters Javier Manquillo and John Flanagan waiting in the wings.

Liverpool fans won’t mind too much either – this was their reaction when Brendan Rodgers ruled Johnson out injured back in August:

FABIO BORINI

Fabio Borini was widely expected to leave Anfield this summer, with Liverpool accepting a £14million bid from Sunderland after the Italian claimed ten goals on loan at the Stadium of Light last season.

The highlight of his Black Cats stay was this sensational strike in the Tyne-Wear derby:

//www.youtube.com/embed/IjUP4e8wvxE?rel=0

But the 23 year-old reject Sunderland’s advances, in addition to interest from QPR on deadline day, instead using Twitter to profess his manhood to the world and desire to fight for his place on Merseyside:

Brendan Rodgers has issued Borini three outings already this season but with Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Daniel Sturridge to contend with in the pecking order, clearly he’ll never be luxury to more than a bit-part role.

Sunderland and QPR appear to have lost interest but Inter Milan are reportedly eying a January loan swoop for the former Parma and Roma ace:

The Reds however, would likely prefer a permanent departure.

LUCAS LEIVA

Another fringe player expected to leave during the summer – Lucas Leiva spent the off-season being heavily linked with Rafa Benitez’ Napoli:

That was ruled out however in the latter stages of the transfer window, as the former Liverpool boss declared there would be no more arrivals in Naples.

The tough-tackling Brazilian hasn’t seen too much action since; in fact, Brendan Rodgers has issued him just two starts in all competitions this season. His performances have been largely ineffective too – against West Ham the 27 year-old was dragged off at half time with the Reds already 2-1 down.

Jamie Carragher believes Leiva struggles to play alongside Steven Gerrard in midfield – a sure-fire way to bring any Anfield career to an abrupt close.

Thus, a January departure looks incredibly likely, and recent speculation suggests the midfielder could be offered to Napoli again, in a bid to bring Gonzalo Higuain to Merseyside.

Here’s a look at the Argentina international’s top ten goals:

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SUSO

Brendan Rodgers is clearly fond of Spanish playmaker Suso. The 20 year-old impressed in a cameo role during the Ulsterman’s first season at Anfield, and Rodgers recently revealed the midfielder was in his thoughts ahead of the Merseyside derby. He also bagged this tasty strike against Middlesbrough in the Capital One Cup back in September:

But a lot changed on Merseyside whilst Suso spent the 2013/14 campaign on loan to Almeria, and the Spain U21 has since struggled to break into Liverpool’s first team. Here’s the highlights of his stay with the Spanish side:

//www.youtube.com/embed/9NsONacHPMw?rel=0

Furthermore, the attacking midfielder’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, suggesting Brendan Rodgers will feel compelled to sell Suso on unless he’s featuring more regularly at senior level.

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That task will be made even harder with the youngster sidelined for the next two months due to a groin injury:

There are rumours however that his Anfield exit has already been masterminded; Sky Sports Italia claim Suso has agreed terms regarding a pre-contract move to Inter Milan.

JOSE ENRIQUE

Jose Enrique has only just come back from a year-long injury lay-off, and amid the absences of Glen Johnson and John Flanagan, has provided vital depth at left-back this season.

But the Spaniard is a little behind the standard you’d expect from a Champions League side, and after snapping up Alberto Moreno this summer, will unlikely return to the status of first choice No.3 any time soon at Anfield.

There’s still two years left on his current contract but Liverpool would be prepared to sell in January if they’re approached with a reasonable offer.

Some reports already suggest this, with La Liga side Villarreal emerging as potential suitors:

The left-back slot is also deputised by Mamadou Sakho and Emre Can, so the Anfield side won’t be left short if Enrique is let go in the new year. Here’s a look at the 28 year-old in action:

//www.youtube.com/embed/4udeDZ6R03E?rel=0

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Over the last two decades of Premier League football, the game has seen some popular players grace the sport. The ones who get the biggest cheer every time they take to the field from their own supporters and quite often earn the grudging respect of the opposition fans as well. Unfortunately, since football is a game of overpaid, overhyped children, there are plenty of players that nobody can stand in the slightest.

These are the ones that attract the boos wherever they go and quite often, their own fans can’t even bear the sight of them. Quite often, this unpopularity isn’t down to their playing ability, but their actual personality and for some footballers, those personalities simply aren’t curable. Others players are hated because of their actions on the field, indeed certain individuals go out there to merely wind the opposition up while others just play like morons. This doesn’t make them any better than those with the ugly personalities, indeed more often this draws the attention of the opposition supporters towards them. With this in mind, we bring you the 20 most hated footballers in the history of the Premier League.

Click on Dennis Wise below to get the ball rolling

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Sunderland have completed the signing of Scottish international Dylan McGeouch, and fans are super excited about the Hibernian midfielder.

According to Roker Report, Sunderland were hoping to complete the signing of McGeouch over the weekend, but the transfer was delayed as the player was attending a family member’s wedding.

The club has now confirmed the move, and the midfielder will become the Black Cats’ fifth signing so far this summer.

The twice-capped Scottish international had an excellent season in for Hibs, but will sign for free after opting not to renew his contract.

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McGeouch is only 25, but has gone from strength to strength since swapping Celtic for Hibs in 2015, earning himself a spot in last season’s SPFL Premiership Team of the Year.

He was also voted Hibs’ player of the year and player’s player of the year, so getting the midfielder on a free signing is one hell of a coup for the Black Cats.

Jack Ross is building quite the Scottish contingent at the Stadium of Light, and fans are particularly happy with this deal.

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

Groups of West Ham United supporters were due to hold a march in protest against the club’s board prior to next weekend’s Premier League home game against Burnley.

However, the action has now been called off following positive talks between the Real West Ham Fans Action Group and vice-chairwoman Karren Brady.

Supporters have long been frustrated with the club’s owners and board members.

The decision to leave Upton Park to move into the London Stadium in Stratford is one of the main reasons why there is a disconnect between the fans and the hierarchy.

Many feel that the new state-of-the-art ground lacks the atmosphere that the club’s of home created.

On Thursday, the Hammers released a statement on their official website confirming that the protest march scheduled for March 10 has been cancelled.

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Co-chairman David Gold posted a link to the online piece via Twitter, and within the responses, some fans insisted that the protest will still go ahead.

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