As reported by The Sun, Rangers are keen on signing Jermain Defoe on loan this summer as Steven Gerrard looks to revitalise the Light Blues’ attack in the upcoming transfer window.
With Alfredo Morelos having a pretty good debut season at Ibrox, it’s not like Rangers are completely without options in the final third, but there are question marks about how clinical the Colombian is and his ability to perform in big matches after missing a number of chances against Celtic.
Defoe may be 35 years of age, but he’s scored 38 Premier League goals over the last three-and-a-half seasons and has quality and experience beyond almost everyone in the Rangers squad.
A former international teammate of Gerrard, is he the right kind of signing for the Gers this summer?
Fans certainly think so and are excited about the potential switch, even if they recognise it’s a long shot due to the wages he is likely earning at Bournemouth currently.
They took to Twitter this week to share their thoughts…
As reported by The Sunday Post, Rangers are interested in signing Kilmarnock winger Jordan Jones this January.
What’s the story?
Ever since Barrie McKay departed the club earlier this year, the left wing position has been a problem one for Rangers, with nobody really able to step up and add the natural width that they need.
It seems though that the club are looking to solve the problem and have earmarked a Scottish Premiership talent as the potential solution.
The Sunday Post report that Rangers are interested in signing Jordan Jones, competing with the likes of Burnley and Norwich City for his signature.
The 23-year-old, who is rated as worth around £200,000 by Transfermarkt, could be a cost effective and viable option to provide competition in the wide areas after impressing for Kilmarnock over the last year.
Emerging talent
Jones may not quite be the finished article yet, but he’s certainly showing rapid improvement at Rugby Park since joining from Middlesbrough last summer.
In a struggling side, he’s been one of their main creative outlets, producing 11 assists in his time at the club so far.
It’s form that prompted Michael O’Neill to call him up for recent World Cup Qualifiers and he made his international debut in the crucial play-off against Switzerland.
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If Rangers can get the business done for him January they could be securing a real emerging talent and one who can improve further surrounded by better players at Ibrox.
Newcastle and Leeds meet in Round 3 of the Capital One Cup and there’s one player who brings these two clubs together – Gary Speed.
The Welsh legend tragically passed away in November 2011, aged just 42, and left behind some fantastic footballing memories for both sets of supporters.
The midfielder started his career at Leeds, making 312 appearances and scoring 57 goals, before bypassing Everton on his way to St. James’ Park, where he made 284 appearances and scored 40 goals.
After 840 appearances in all competitions, Speed will have had plenty of memorable moments in the League Cup, too.
Click on the great man himself to see the FIVE best Gary Speed League Cup moments
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With so many competitions each season not to mention the constant media pressure on both players and managers, is it realistic to expect a team to win it all? For a top club there is four competitions on the table, and when you factor in the not so small matter of internationals too, their players are on the go all the time – risking burn out not to mention injury to boot.
Of course there have been occasions where teams win it all – United did the treble in 1999 and Barcelona have done it more recently, but in reality it takes an awful lot and then a little bit more to win not only the title but the domestic cup and also the Champions League – not to mention a huge deal of luck with decisions and draws.
Players in the modern game have to contend with not only domestic fixtures but also the international tournaments that are on pretty much none stop – Juan Mata has not only played nearly all of Chelsea’s games, but gone to both the Euros and the Olympics to boot – meaning that the player has literally not stopped. This sadly is all too common for players these days and fatigue can play a huge part in deciding where trophies go in the latter part of the season.
Take the Champions League last season – both Barca and Real Madrid were majorly affected from the title deciding Clasico being smack bang in the middle of the Champion’s League semi-finals, with Madrid’s going into extra time and penalties to boot. It can often be forgotten that players are human and feel exhaustion and emotion like the rest of us – and in front of thousands of people every single week, not to mention the glare of the media spotlight.
A full season in the Premier League is 38 games, not to mention the added rigours of the other domestic competitions – it is no wonder that some managers will sacrifice the Carling Cup or even the FA Cup in pursuit of what they and everyone else sees as bigger glory – either domestically or in Europe.
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As we go into an international break this week, some players are able to rest or in Kaka’s case, train twice a day in order to get some first team football in the future, but others such as Ronaldo or Iniesta have to not only contend with traveling but the fixture – and a friendly or qualifier at that. Should such a player come back to their club injured it is entirely reasonable for the club to feel aggrieved – they are paying the wages after all, and with the amount of fixtures the club and players already face, a ridiculous friendly can seriously curtail the chase for trophies towards the latter end of the season. Winning it all? Possible, but highly unlikely.
The thoughts of the football world are with Sir Alex Ferguson as he battles for his life after emergency surgery and the modern way of showing compassion tends to revolve around messages on social media.
Yet, Patrice Evra has made a very salient point about using that fairly impersonal method of communication for such a serious matter and in the process has responded to those wondering why he hadn’t yet done so.
After his current club West Ham United secured their Premier League survival, the French legend – who remains very popular among the United fanbase – took some time out to respond to the matter which makes you realise just how insignificant football really is but also how well the global game’s community can bring people together at times of adversity.
Not a lot else needs to be added to Evra’s classy message and we’ve taken a closer look at some of the best reaction…
Did you hear that? Listen closely: It’s the sound of Jose Mourinho smacking himself in the forehead after missing out on a 27-goal striker.
Anderlecht star – and former Chelsea target – Aleksandar Mitrovic completed his move from Anderlecht to Newcastle last week. The signing comes as a great relief to Magpies fans who saw their squad struggle for goals last season, finding the net just 40 times. But just how much of an impact will the Serbian have at St. James’ Park?
Mitrovic’s goal total from 50 appearances for Anderlecht is more than twice that of top Newcastle scorer Papiss Cisse. The centre forward started in all but one of his 27 Jupiler Pro League games and proved himself a superb finisher, with a 57 percent shot accuracy rate, as well as scoring almost half his goals from headers.
The 20-year-old proved his ability in european competition as well, scoring twice in five Champions League games. The most notable strike came in Anderlecht’s 3-3 draw with Arsenal, when Mitrovic’s well-placed header in the 89th minute helped the Purple & White put the finishing touch on a comeback after being down 0-3.
So we’ve seen that Mitrovic can perform against physical Premier League sides, but how will he fare playing for one? At Anderlecht, he occupied the lone central striker spot in a 4-2-3-1 system, the same formation the Magpies relied on, a similarity that looks promising in aiding his adjustment.
New boss Steve McClaren may very well decide to change the system, but regardless, Mitrovic’s 6-foot-2 frame will go a long way in giving teammates a target inside the box.
Areas in which the youngster will have to improve, however, are in passing and possession. His pass success percentage was just 75.3 percent on mostly short balls. And Mitrovic’s inability to cross, pass or shoot from outside the box is somewhat troubling should he want to become a more versatile player.
Due to a lack of speed, the Serb also tends to wait for passes to come to him rather than try and move to the ball, a tendency that makes him easy to mark. When he does dribble, he has trouble holding onto the ball, and was dispossessed an average of two times per game.
Regardless of his weaknesses, Mitrovic’s youth means he has plenty of time for both mental and physical development, and it looks like he will be the most productive attacker at St. James’ Park.
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If Mitrovic continues his upward trajectory, McClaren may have to prepare to fight off larger clubs to keep hold of the striker, whether the interested party is Mourinho or someone else.
Tottenham are a team who of late seem to find themselves perpetually on the cusp of something quite special. The club have a frustrating ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, leading many to brand them the great underachievers of our game. But can a return to the two-tier management structure allow the North London club to fulfil their Premier League potential next term?
The appointment of Franco Baldini to the post of Technical Director has been a cause for major optimism among many fans. A move towards a continental structure of management, as favoured by Levy and Villas-Boas, could see a summer of change at White Hart Lane. With responsibility for player recruitment at both youth and senior levels, the appointment takes the strain away from both Chairman and Head Coach. Levy outlined the role of the new director when speaking to the clubs website:
“Franco is extremely well respected in the industry, possessing an extensive knowledge of players around the world.”
“He will strengthen our football management team, particularly in the field of recruitment, working closely with Andre Villas-Boas and Tim Sherwood across all levels on the playing side.”
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Baldini is famed for a particular focus on youth recruitment; the signing of 19-year-old Marquinhos for Roma last year typifies this. However, I believe Baldini must shorten his horizons with Spurs next season to take advantage of the opportunities 2013/14 could bring to the club. With many of the top clubs going through a phase of rebuilding and regime change, there is the potential for a club with relative stability to cease on this and break through. Now I realise Villas-Boas has had only a year in charge, but in footballing terms he isn’t far off creating a dynasty. With the red half of North London showing the continued lack of ambition that has plagued their club of late, can Baldini seize this opportunity?
Advocating wholesale changes to what is already a talent rich squad is totally nonsensical. Instead Baldini needs to act early in capturing a couple of key signing to push the club forward. Acting early doesn’t mean rashly and it is likely that both Baldini and Villas-Boas have already done a lot of the groundwork behind the scenes. The advantage to Spurs over their rivals is that new management invariably means upheaval. Couple a new way of playing, backroom staff and potential signings and you can truly comprehend how hard it will be for the top clubs to gel together their squads at the start of the year. Contrast this to Spurs who will have much the same coaching styles from last year and hopefully much of the same squad and although it seems odd, the sure footing Spurs are on actually heightens the pressure on Baldini as he seeks to capitalise.
There is already evidence that Baldini will have no such time to bed in this summer. Historically Spurs have done their business late, often to the detriment of early season form. The capture of Paulinho early this month signals a total change in tact, and something completely alien to those familiar with the behaviour of Levy during preceding windows. I don’t think you can doubt the ability of the Selecao midfielder, but personally this deal was an oddity. On the list of areas in need of strengthening, most would have placed a left back and striker much higher. One can discern from this that there are indeed further large-scale moves in the pipeline, or that Villas-Boas has developed something of a liking for a certain Togolese frontman. For the sake of Spurs I really hope and genuinely believe the former is more likely.
While I believe Spurs will have an active summer under Baldini, it is still important to maintain a degree of patience. It seems commonplace to assume that a transfer composes of emailing across a bid, meeting up for a drink to discuss terms and then slapping the confirmation on the club’s website. Spurs, like many clubs, are meticulous in their transfer dealings, with Villas-Boas reported to have gone on a South American scouting sabbatical during his unemployment. The Paulinho deal was clearly not something Levy dreamt up in the pub, but because it was not reported heavily in the lead up to the deal it was considered by some quarters a quickly thrashed out deal. Brad Friedel actually mentioned the degrees to which a club like Spurs go to when conducting business while hosting a show on TalkSport. He indirectly tried to allay the constant fear that Levy spends much of a transfer window on a sunbed somewhere in the Caribbean, until someone kindly reminds him in late August that he has a club to run.
If Spurs had the funds to bring in Paulinho then they could surely afford Damiao. The debacle, which has seemed endless, fuelled much of fans’ hatred towards Spurs’ transfer policy. I don’t confess to knowing a lot more about the guy than the average punter, but I am sure that in any case, months of intense scouting by experts outweighs a couple of YouTube clips.
So while this is the most crucial of windows, I expect Spurs to take a well thought out pragmatic approach to the transfer market. Needless to say I expect most Spurs fans would want to avoid the second coming of Darren Bent.
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Will this transfer window finally turn Spurs into title contenders?
Tottenham are readying a bid for Shakhtar Donestk attacking midfielder Willian according to Sky Sports.
The north London club are going through something of a revamp this summer, with new boss Andre Villas-Boas eager to make his inherited squad his own.
With Luka Modric looking extremely likely to leave the side this summer, AVB is eager to add to his midfield creative options, and has been scouting Europe for suitable replacements.
The Brazil international has impressed domestically and in the Champions League in his time in Ukraine, and seems destined for a move to a bigger club.
Chelsea are known suitors of the South American star and have had a number of offers turned down by the eastern European outfit.
However, Spurs are ready to enter the race for Willian’s signature and are preparing an offer this week.
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Tottenham fans are absolutely crucifying Kieran Trippier, despite the Englishman picking up an assist in the 2-0 win over Watford.
There was a subdued atmosphere around Wembley on Monday night as Mauricio Pochettino’s side cruised past Watford.
Whether it was the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United, the novelty of Wembley finally wearing off, or simply the end of season blues, both the players and the fans seemed like they weren’t really too fussed about the Monday night clash.
Nowhere was this lack of commitment more apparent than in defence, where Pochettino’s side quite frankly looked half asleep.
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The game was won comfortably in the end thanks to Harry Kane firing in the second goal from a Trippier cross, but the visitors certainly had enough chances to make a game of it, due mainly to silly mistakes at the back from Spurs.
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Trippier is taking plenty of stick for his display, after Richarlison had far too much space on several occasions.
The 27 year-old seems to be the first choice over Serge Aurier, but fans are not happy with his defending on Monday night, and some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
Oh dear, the news Liverpool fans have been fearing for a little while now has broken…. Raheem Sterling wants out. Although his agent has since claimed that things have been “blown somewhat out of proportion”, smoke without fire is rare, and with the Reds’ season confirmed as a failure, claims of seeking trophies and success lend some backing to potential desires to leave.
The 20-year-old has been one of the Merseysiders’ standout performers this season, with his performances far above the level ordinarily expected of such a young talent. He’s led the line for the club, scored the most Premier league goals from open play of anyone in the squad and has worked well when deployed from his natural wide role.
Reports claim that £35m may be needed to lure him away, and should Brendan Rodgers lose the England international a replacement would be needed. But, Liverpool need a player with scope to improve, one able to play all across the front three and one able to fit into the Northern Irishman’s set-up… and all of this for a relatively low fee. Difficult, then! However, here are FIVE options…
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Alexandre Lacazette
Perhaps the ideal solution to the problems at Liverpool is Lacazette. The France international has been, arguably, the most impressive player away from the giants of the game in European football this term, smashing 27 Ligue 1 goals in 33 outings to fire unfancied Lyon to a shock title challenge – they ultimately lost out to PSG, though. In recent days the player himself has suggested that he may leave, which has alerted the Reds.
With pace, an eye for goal and the ability to play on either flank or as a main centre-forward, Lacazette is ideally suited to a Rodgers team, an could provide cover for Daniel Sturridge or potentially work in tandem with him. He is also able to fill Sterling’s role from wide.
Mauro Icardi
Another impressive player on the continent right now is Icardi. The Argentine is not dissimilar to former Kop hero Luis Suarez in his playing style, with high-energy hustle and bustle what is on offer from him. Icardi is, though, a very talented player, with his 19 goals for an Inter Milan team entrenched in midtable battle showing just what he’s capable of in the final third.
Chelsea are the side believed to be leading the race for his signature, but Liverpool have been linked with him since the summer of 2014, so they could opt to swoop.
Saido Berahino
West Brom’s Berahino has enjoyed a fine breakthrough season. The Baggies ace has always had the talent, but often a perceived lack of application has cost him in his pursuit of becoming a Premier League-standard attacker. However, he’s knuckled down at the Hawthorns this term, and a return of 14 goals is impressive given that he’s still only 21.
Liverpool are one of a host of clubs thought to be looking at him this summer, and with West Brom unlikely to be able to resist sizable offers, he could head to Anfield. A quick striker able to occupy roles on the flank or at the apex of a midfield diamond? Perfect.
Stevan Jovetic
Jovetic presents an interesting option. Supremely talented and celebrated during his time with Fiorentina, the Montenegrin certainly has ability. However, his two years at Manchester City have been quiet to say the least, with injuries and competition having limited his playing time. Is he good enough? Could he be saved by Liverpool?
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Reports have revealed that the Reds are indeed keen, and after reviving Daniel Sturridge’s career, perhaps a Premier League giant’s trash could be their treasure again. He appears well-suited to Rodgers’ way of playing, with neat skills and decent finishing ability partnered by an ability to occupy any role in the final third.
Luciano Vietto
21-years-old, pacey, able to play as a striker and from out wide and unlikely to command vast wages, Vietto ticks the boxes for Liverpool. The Argentine has been impressive for Villarreal in La Liga this term, finding the net on 12 occasions to keep the Yellow Submarine in the driving seat for European qualification – a big deal considering their recent relegation/promotion blip.
Liverpool are understood to be keen, but he appears to be a background target.