Newcastle fans have been discussing the future of midfielder Mikel Merino, and they’re convinced the Spaniard will leave the club this summer.
When Newcastle signed Mikel Merino from Borussia Dortmund last summer, fans were hopeful that they had finally found the long-term partner for Jonjo Shelvey.
Shelvey has always been the midfield maestro for the Magpies, but he can’t do everything by himself.
Merino started the season fairly well, but the young Spaniard has been battling a back injury and has struggled for minutes since Christmas.
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During his injury absence, Mo Diame suddenly remembered he’s actually quite a good footballer, and has formed the partnership fans have been longing for with Shelvey.
With links to La Liga side Athletic Bilbao heating up and no signs of the youngster getting his place back from Diame, it’s looking more and more likely Merino will leave the club this summer.
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While some fans have been unimpressed by his commitment, or lack thereof, others are sympathising with his injury issues, and praying he gets another shot on Tyneside.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
According to reports in The Mirror, Tottenham are prepared to listen to transfer offers for as many as five of their first team players.
Who could be on their way out?
The list includes club veteran Mousa Dembélé, back-up striker Fernando Llorente and French international Moussa Sissoko. Even worse for Spurs fans, the report claims that the club are also ready to listen to offers for defensive duo Toby Alderweireld and Danny Rose.
Why the shake up?
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has guided the North London club to three consecutive top four finishes -which begs the question – why rock the boat?
If Danny Rose’s explosive interview last summer is anything to go by then it would seem that some in the Spurs dressing room have grown frustrated with club’s wage policy – their wage bill being closer to Burnley’s than Arsenal’s, Spurs’ north London and top four rivals.
Rose said, “I am reaching my peak and have probably only got one big contract left in me.”
Of the five players rumoured to be on the way out, England full back Rose is the youngest at 27. But if he is already thinking about that last “one big contract” then it’s likely his older colleagues are as well.
Would Spurs miss them?
Dembélé has been a good servant since joining in 2012 and the powerhouse midfielder will have options in terms of his next club. The Belgian is a composed presence in the middle of the park but in Victor Wanyama and Eric Dier Spurs have a couple of like-for-like replacements.
However, compatriot Alderweireld would be a loss for the club. Spurs have reportedly been unwilling to match the centre-half’s wage demands, paving the way for the defender to leave the club with the likes of PSG, Chelsea and Man United all rumoured to be interested.
In Pochettino’s treatment of Rose this season – limiting the 2016/17 PFA left-back of the year to just ten Premier League appearances – Spurs have shown that no one player is bigger then the team.
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Wales full back Ben Davies was preferred instead of Rose and made 29 Premier League appearances as Spurs consolidated their Champions League status.
Two players that Spurs fans will be glad to see the back of are Llorente and Sissoko. Both players have struggled since making their moves to the club.
It would be completely unfair to judge Paul Pogba’s career on one ill-fated moment, but that’s the level of responsibility which accompanies world-record price-tags.
When those glorious chances fall to you on the biggest stage, you have to be talented, composed and ready enough to take advantage. But as a corner was fizzed into the unmarked Frenchman during Saturday’s FA Cup final at Wembley, he completely mistimed a header that didn’t even trouble Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
And in truth, it wasn’t just that moment which highlighted how Pogba’s struggled to truly embrace his superstar role since re-joining Manchester United.
Sure, there’s been talismanic performances and glistening moments, like his second-half brace in the Manchester derby, but they’ve been few and far between and rarely come when there’s something as precious on the line as the club’s final chance of silverware for 2017/18.
Indeed, Pogba’s performance on Saturday encapsulated much of the Red Devils’ in general; a lack of penetration and potency going forward, highlighted by just one chance created and none of his four efforts at goal hitting the target, combined with some real lethargy on the ball, his 15 possession losses representing the most of any midfielder for either side, and a dose of disappointing defending, managing only one tackle in a full ninety minutes.
After the full time whistle, confirming United’s 1-0 defeat to last season’s champions, there was a look on Mourinho’s face that seemed to question where his leaders were; where were the superstars he’s spent so much money on, where were the characters he expected to take the game by the scruff of the neck, where were the players in their prime blessed with the talent to carve open this inconsistent Chelsea side? Pogba should fall into all three categories, but was found wanting on the big stage.
That’s not to suggest he was the reason United lost on Sunday. Pogba’s become an easy target for when United don’t play well, either for his own poor form or for how Mourinho has struggled to bring the best out of him at Old Trafford.
But it typifies the underlying concern with this Red Devils squad; for all the vast fortunes spent, for all the Hollywood names, United rarely embrace the pressure of season-defining moments by producing their best performances.
“We are never sure of anything but contractually it’s sure, yes. I can never look far into the future. It also depends how it goes with the club, how things work out.”
Pogba – who Transfermarkt value at £81million – was suspiciously non-committal on his future after the match, and Mourinho would likely tell reporters the feeling is mutual. After two seasons back at Old Trafford, Pogba appears no more the talismanic, reliable leader Mourinho hoped he could be moulded into than when he returned from Juventus in summer 2015.
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So, United fans, is it time to find new leaders and superstars by selling Pogba this summer? Let us know by voting below…
Everton are still yet to appoint Sam Allardyce’s successor despite sacking him three days after the end of the Premier League season, but that hasn’t stopped them putting plans in place for next term as they look to build upon a hugely disappointing campaign.
The Toffees would have been hoping for a top-seven finish minimum last summer when owner Farhad Moshiri invested heavily in Ronald Koeman’s squad, but a disastrous start saw the Dutchman sacked in October and eventually replaced on a full-time basis by Allardyce, who led them to eighth.
Marco Silva looks like he could be the man to take the vacant position with director of football Marcel Brands, who will be an instant hero with the Goodison Park faithful if he pulls off a remarkable £70m deal, pulling the strings in terms of recruitment after Steve Walsh was relieved of his duties.
Brands will know that he needs to add some real quality to the team to ensure that not only are they the best of the rest next term, but also that they can make a serious challenge to gatecrash the top six sides and try and finish above the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and arch-rivals Liverpool, who will all have the distraction of European football.
There are certainly players out there who can help them achieve that aim, and Moshiri and the board need to get things right in the transfer market to make it happen.
Here are four huge signings that would ensure Everton gatecrash the Top 6 party…
With Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams no longer good enough to be regular starters and Ramiro Funes Mori’s future seemingly in doubt, Everton are ultimately left with Michael Keane, Matthew Pennington and Mason Holgate as their centre-back options, and they need better if they are to progress next season.
Newcastle centre-back and captain Lascelles could be the answer to their problem, with the 24-year-old showing how good he is both defensively and from a leadership point of view as the Magpies finished 10th last season.
While he would come at a big price, he is a player that would tighten what was a leaky Everton backline at times last term, and his arrival could also help Keane improve too following a tough first campaign at Goodison Park.
With Leighton Baines getting no younger and not having the energy to get up and down the pitch like he once did for the Toffees, bringing a new left-back to Goodison Park must be one of Everton’s priorities this summer.
Having fallen behind Ben Davies in the pecking order at Tottenham, Rose is a player that could be on the move in the coming weeks in search of more regular minutes on the pitch, and the England international would certainly get that with the Merseyside outfit.
The 27-year-old still has plenty to offer at this level, and he would have a huge point to prove if Spurs did decide to sell him.
One of Everton’s weaknesses during a disappointing 2017/18 campaign was their central midfield, where the likes of Idrissa Gueye and Morgan Schneiderlin weren’t putting in the same level of performances as they were in the previous season.
The latter in particular came under fierce criticism from the supporters, and the Toffees often looked a little bit too open in those areas.
The addition of giant defensive midfielder Carvalho to sit in front of the back four and protect them would certainly go a long way to sorting that issue, and it would give Gueye more attacking freedom than he perhaps has right now.
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While Cenk Tosun and Theo Walcott impressed following their January moves and Gylfi Sigurdsson started to improve before his season was ended by injury, you get the feeling that Everton need another quality body in their frontline.
They should consider making an ambitious move to bring Man United striker Rashford to Goodison Park on loan, with a temporary deal a distinct possibility if Jose Mourinho brings a new attacker to Old Trafford this summer.
The Portuguese boss may want the 20-year-old to go out and play regularly following what has been a disappointing season where he has found himself behind the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku in the pecking order.
As reported by The Telegraph, Celtic target Joe Allen is set to sign a contract at Stoke City despite their relegation from the English Premier League.
What’s the story?
The Mirror reported at the end of last month that Brendan Rodgers was showing interest in bringing the player to the Scottish Premiership, with his future at Stoke in doubt.
However, it appears he is willing to pledge himself to the promotion fight under new Stoke boss Gary Rowett.
That’s according to The Telegraph, who say that the club are determined to keep him by ensuring that a relegation pay-cut clause in his current deal doesn’t put him off staying around.
The paper say a new contract is set to be signed when the player returns from his close-season holiday.
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What are the Hoops missing out on?
Despite reports noting Rodgers’ interest in his former player, the prospect of Celtic signing Allen was always slim, but it’s interesting to think about what a player of his standard would bring to the Hoops.
It’s clear that Rodgers’ side have more than enough about them to dominate Scottish football but aside from one or two select results last season, have been shown to be far off the pace when it comes to European football.
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A player like Allen could have addressed that deficit, possessing the technical ability and having the experience to help out their midfield massively against that step up in competition.
The Welshman may be off the table, but can Celtic bring in that kind of quality in midfield and defence this summer to complement what is an excellent attack?
It seemed like it was only a matter of time before Liverpool were going to announce the arrival of new signing Nabil Fekir from Lyon.
However, the transfer collapsed, causing the Ligue 1 outfit to release a statement confirming that their midfielder will be staying put.
It is fair to say that Liverpool fans were devastated by the turn of events, and now attention has turned to who could be the plan B option.
There are plenty of decent attacking midfielders across Europe, but there is one man who plenty of Liverpool fans would rather the club did not target.
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Julian Draxler, who is valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, has often been linked to the Premier League, but at the moment, he plies his trade at Paris Saint-Germain.
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Last season, the 24-year-old made 47 appearances in all competitions for the French outfit, scoring four goals and creating 10 assists.
It is unclear whether the midfielder will move on this summer, but one thing is for sure, most Liverpool fans would prefer not to see him at Anfield.
Newcastle fans have been discussing a move for Swansea’s Roque Mesa, but fans would much prefer to stick with what they have.
Various reports have linked Newcastle’s Mikel Merino with a move back to Spain, and last week the Magpies were linked with a move for Swansea’s Mesa as a replacement.
Rafael Benitez is obviously fond of the idea of having a gifted Spanish technician in his midfield, but Merino’s first season on Tyneside did not go to plan.
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The former Borussia Dortmund youngster struggled with a back injury for most of the season, and has been linked with moves to Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad.
The 21 year-old is very talented though, and it seems a shame to give up on him after just one season in the Premier League.
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The youngster is bigger and more powerful than the more experienced Mesa, and the overwhelming majority of fans think it would be a big mistake to dump Merino for the relegated Swansea man.
Stoke City are set to appoint St Johnstone assistant manager Callum Davidson as Gary Rowett’s no.2, according to The Stoke Sentinel.
The new Stoke boss is yet to formally announce his backroom team but it appears that his former Leicester City team-mate will reunite with Rowett in the Britannia dugout.
The Sentinel are also reporting that Rory Delap and Kevin Phillips will take up coaching roles for the Potters.
It appears that Rowett’s usual assistant, Kevin Summerfield, who worked under the new Stoke boss when he managed previously at Burton Albion, Birmingham City and Derby County, will not join him in his new venture.
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Davidson, a former Scotland international, started and ended his playing career at St Johnstone, sandwiching a spell in England where he played for Blackburn Rovers, Leicester City and Preston North End.
Kevin Phillips made a name for himself as a lethal striker for nearly 20 years in England and remains the only English player to have won the European Golden Shoe.
Phillips was previously working with Rowett at Derby, as was Rory Delap who was something of a legend for Stoke City and was famed for his characteristic long throw-ins.
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Stoke fans have been reacting on social media to the new appointments and these are some of the best.
The Pakistan captain has said the bowler-friendly pitches in the early part of the summer in New Zealand will be one of the biggest challenges for his team
Cricinfo staff15-Nov-2009Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf has said the bowler-friendly pitches in the early part of the summer in New Zealand will be one of the biggest challenges for his team during the three Tests, starting November 24. Pakistan set foot in the country having just finished the one-day and Twenty20 leg of the series in in the heat of UAE.”The fact is we are going to New Zealand when the season has not started there properly and the weather will also be cold,” Yousuf told . “I think we are going to encounter seaming wickets and batting on them will be a big challenge for us.”The coach Intikhab Alam concurred with Yousuf and hoped his players will be able to adjust to the conditions. Looking at the composition of the Test squad, Intikhab said the bowlers were capable of taking 20 wickets but the batting needed a bit of attention. A series of batting collapses were primarily responsible for their 2-0 defeat in Sri Lanka in August.”Our batting must click and show improvement because it will be tough to switch from one-day and Twenty20,” Intikhab said. “Our bowling has the capacity to bowl New Zealand out twice but we must put runs on the board first.”He expected Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, to be the biggest threat, especially if the pitches suit spin. Vettori has been the team’s best all-round player in the recent past and has shouldered plenty of responsibility in all departments.”Vettori is a seasoned player and we have to play him well, without giving him too many wickets,” Intikhab said. “But if New Zealand prepares wickets conducive to spin then we too have quality spinners in Saeed Ajmal and Danish Kaneria.”Pakistan were hit by the sudden withdrawal of Younis Khan, who quit the captaincy and opted out of the tour because he wanted a break from the game. Intikhab and Yousuf agreed that Younis’ absence will be felt, despite his run of poor form.”Naturally, Younis is a senior batsman and although he has been in poor batting form, he is a world-class player who can come good any time, but you miss players through injuries as well and Younis’ replacement will have a chance to prove his worth, ” Alam said.The tour begins with a three-day game in Queenstown on Wednesday before the first Test in Dunedin.
Asim Butt, the Scotland left-arm seamer, has died in his sleep aged 42 in Lahore.
Cricinfo staff01-Dec-2009Asim Butt, the Scotland left-arm seamer, has died in his sleep aged 42 in Lahore.He played five ODIs for Scotland in the 1999 World Cup, performing strongly against Australia, the eventual winners, taking 1 for 21 from 10 overs.Butt was born in Pakistan in 1967 and played first-class cricket for Lahore before settling in Scotland in the 1990s. He soon won his first Scottish cap, against Yorkshire at Boghall in May 1998, taking 3 for 42 in the Benson & Hedges Cup, on his way to 106 wickets for Scotland at an average of 24.86.He played in all of Scotland’s World Cup games and remained a consistent performer, taking 6 for 42 in the first innings against MCC at Lord’s in August 2000 and 5 for 47 in the second innings against Ireland four years later.He won the last of his 71 caps in the National League game against Somerset in May 2005.