Given their transfer embargo, you can expect Chelsea to promote a few players from their loan army to the senior squad for the next campaign.

As things stand, though, it does not look like Fikayo Tomori will be one of them, with the 21-year-old continuing to be linked with another loan move.

Tomori, who has impressed at Derby County this season, is said to be a summer target for Celtic (Daily Record).

And given the confidence Maurizio Sarri has in David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger, it would not be a surprise to see the England U21 international depart Stamford Bridge temporarily again.

Needing regular minutes, from Tomori’s perspective, it would be the correct call, with Sarri unlikely to give him that.

That being said, a move to Celtic is probably not what the Chelsea academy product needs.

After such a strong campaign in the Championship, the next step for Tomori has to be the Premier League.

And while it would be a huge step up for the central defender, he looks more than ready for it with his strength, pace to make recovery tackles and composure on the ball.

A Chelsea loanee who has gone under the radar compared to others, he really could be the Blues’ secret weapon next season if Sarri gives him a chance, and the transfer ban makes it even more logical for the Italian to do just that.

A defensive partnership that involves Rudiger and Tomori would be daunting for any onrushing attackers, as their pace, power and tackling ability would make them a frightening combo.

With his ability, to move to a division as weak as the Scottish League would be a side or even arguably a backwards step.

At 21 and considering his talent, Tomori really needs to be playing in one of Europe’s top leagues now.

Chelsea fans, where would you like to see Tomori playing his football next season? Join the discussion by commenting below.

[ad_pod ]

Newcastle United are set to rebuff any advances from Manchester United for Sean Longstaff this summer, as reported by The Evening Chronicle.

Are Man United interested?

Sky Sports claimed on Friday that the Old Trafford side were showing interest in 21-year-old as they look to build a squad of young, home-grown talent that can develop into trophy winners in Manchester.

The Chronicle though cite St James’ Park sources that insist the central midfielder is not for sale this summer, with the player said to be happy with his situation in the north east and the club ready to reward his form this season with a new contract.

There’s plenty of behind the scenes work to do before reaching that negotiation point though, with the club still working on retaining the services of manager Rafa Benitez.

Why is Longstaff so important?

After loan spells at Kilmarnock and Blackpool in previous years, the young talent finally made his senior debut for the Magpies this season, impressing Benitez enough to start a string of matches in the English Premier League between December and March.

Loose cannon or vital cog in the Newcastle’s machine? The Magpie Channel think it would be a mistake to sell the player in the video below…

Sadly a knee injury cut his season short, but not before being earmarked by Newcastle fans as a talent to build a team around going forward.

His manager tipped him for England honours back in February and there’s real hope he can fulfil his potential at St James’ Park.

Newcastle haven’t exactly been known for their transfer investment in recent years, but if they won’t pursue big deals then it’s even more important they can retain their exciting young players.

It’s a viable squad strategy and although fans will be hoping to see quality arrive in the upcoming transfer window, they’ll equally be keen to nurture Longstaff’s talent and ensure he gets plenty of first-team opportunities next season.

[ad_pod ]

West Ham United face a difficult summer of negotiation after seeing two deals collapse within a week of the transfer window opening, sources have confirmed to Football FanCast.

The Hammers have been actively exploring the possibility of making additions to their squad but have already given up on two deals, per our sources.

Maxi Gomez, a top target in January amid Marko Arnautovic’s flirtation with a move to China, has already been ruled out; his release clause of €45million (£39.7m) is prohibitive, with manager Manuel Pellegrini told he only has a basic transfer budget of £30m, plus whatever he can raise in sales.

A move may have been achievable had Celta been relegated to the second-tier of Spanish football – his release clause would have halved – but they ultimately stayed up by four points.

Arnautovic is not expected to be sold and there has been no interest in the player thus far; indeed, one source told FFC that the club had yet to field a single enquiry for any of their players, despite Everton being linked with Aaron Cresswell and a number of clubs touted as potential suitors for midfielder Declan Rice.

Goalkeeper Adrian is expected to leave on a free transfer as he seeks first-team football, with his contract set to expire this summer, and an enquiry was made for Chelsea’s Willy Caballero, but the Blues activated an option in the stopper’s contract that ties him to the club for another year. It is not known if the clause was triggered before or after the Irons’ interest.

The Hammers, throughout the preceding months, have scouted a number of players and Aleksandar Mitrovic is a top target. Fulham’s relegation has made the Serbia international attainable for West Ham and they are seeking to ascertain whether or not his contract contains a release clause. He scored 11 Premier League goals in 2018-19.

Salomon Rondon, the West Bromwich Albion striker who spent the season on loan at Newcastle United, is “really liked” by the Hammers and he has been scouted extensively; he is 29 but has a release clause that stands at around £16m, a figure that has not scared away those within the east London club.

Indeed, powerbrokers at the club expect there to be around five signings this summer, with manager Pellegrini keen to overhaul his squad.

There will be evolution instead of revolution, though; one target is a defensive midfielder to offer cover for and competition to Rice. Mark Noble, of course, is ageing and fresh legs are deemed as essential in the middle of the park.

The quality of these deals may ultimately rest on whether the club can cash in on a multitude of fringe players, however.

If not, the Hammers may ultimately be forced into negotiations with functional players, instead of those who are able to make an instant impact on the starting XI.

Pellegrini will play a key role in identifying the targets he wishes to sign and there is hope that there will be deals to announce relatively soon.

However, one source told FFC that the transfer window “does not feel open yet”, such has been the lack of positive activity.

The window will surely “open” soon though, with the Hammers likely to be front and centre of the striker merry-go-round.

Time to say goodbye: Joselu to be shown the door at Newcastle United

The Magpies are prepared to let flop striker Joselu fly this summer, as per Footballer Insider reports.

It genuinely defies belief that the big man has been considered a key member of the squad during the previous two seasons, but he has – and only recently has the club apparently made the decision that he is surplus to requirements.

A source close to Newcastle has apparently revealed to Football Insider that Rafael Benitez is keen on offloading the player this summer and has urged the club to consider any incoming offers.

Once a man of Celta Vigo, Frankfurt and Hoffenheim Joselu was Newcastle’s first choice centre-forward last season, which explains a lot, after signing from Stoke City in the summer of 2017, which also explains a lot.

Having scored a pitiful four goals in 32 appearances last season and began this campaign in equally fruitless fashion as the starting striker until king Solomon Rondon established himself as a number one, it is obvious why Benitez has absolutely no intention of keeping him on next season.

As Newcastle have looked to defend their Premier League status, Joselu has not started a single league game since the Boxing Day massacre by Liverpool and has failed to even make the matchday squad for the past seven fixtures.

The writing is most certainly on the wall for Joselu, and we can hardly blame Benitez and Newcastle. Genuine quality is needed if they want to improve on simply scraping by, and the Spaniard is evidently so far behind the required standard.

Newcastle fans, do you think Joselu’s time is up at Newcastle or does he deserve a chance? Join the discussion by commenting below…

If there’s one player in the West Ham team fans want to see remain with the club for their entire career, it’s Mark Noble.

The Hammers midfielder and captain has been one of the club’s most consistent performers since establishing himself as a first-team member in 2007 and has continued to be one of the supporters favourite players due to his commitment to West Ham, but it could soon be time for a change of personnel.

At 31, Noble is entering the twilight years of his career and has looked rusty in patches of the season, and Manuel Pellegrini has reportedly found his successor to the West Ham cult hero.

According to Sport Witness, the Hammers are interested in Istanbul Basaksehir playmaker Irfan Kahveci and that the club’s interest in the midfielder is the reason for the playmaker’s recent dip in form for the Turkish Super Lig title hopefuls.

It might seem like a signing out of left-field, but Kahveci’s credentials this season make him a reasonable target for West Ham this summer having started all but one game for Basaksehir this season in the central midfield of a 4-1-4-1 formation, in which the Turkish midfielder has scored four goals and assisted five playing behind striker Robinho.

Kahveci is a relative unknown in the English game and would be wildcard signing should Pellegrini go in for the 23-year-old, but the midfielder has shown he has the quality to impress in the Premier League and one day replace Noble as one of the starting central players for the Hammers.

His creativity and ability to chip in with occasional goals will make Kahveci a quick fan favourite in east London, and the Turk could be a cheap pickup for the Hammers if they decide to follow through with their interest in the Basaksehir midfielder.

West Ham fans, should Pellegrini go in for Kahveci this summer? Let us know!

يجري لاعبو الزمالك مسحة طبية غدًا الأحد للكشف عن فيروس كورونا، استعدادًا للدخول في معسكر مغلق قبل مواجهة الأهلي.

ومن المقرر أن يلعب الزمالك ضد الأهلي يوم الجمعة المقبل في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ويدخل الزمالك معسكرًا مغلقًا بعد غدٍ الاثنين في أحد فنادق القاهرة، استعدادًا لمواجهة الأهلي.

طالع | أشرف صبحي يحسمها: مباراة الأهلي والزمالك في موعدها وبدون جمهور

وكان الزمالك قد انتصر على نادي مصر أمس السبت في ربع نهائي كأس مصر، وتأهل لملاقاة طلائع الجيش في نصف النهائي.

[ad_pod ]

Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to discuss Jordan Henderson’s influence in the 2018/19 campaign.

The England international found himself out of the team at times in the first half of the campaign after Fabinho settled into the No.6 role, before a conversation with Jurgen Klopp saw Henderson given more game time as a No.8 higher up the field.

Luis Suarez certainly had no qualms about celebrating against his former employers in the video below…

Klopp’s faith was almost immediately rewarded as the former Sunderland man netted a vital goal away to Southampton, whilst also recording an assist in the same game; he went on to notch three more assists in the next five matches.

Henderson has since played a massive role in helping his side make a second successive Champions League final, ending the 4-0 semi-final win sprawled out on the Anfield turf having used every ounce of his energy.

His turnaround has been inspirational, and the Liverpool supporters on Twitter have taken the time to comment on his season…

أكد الدولي الإنجليزي تامي إبراهام، مُهاجم فريق تشيلسي، أنه تدرب بجد أكثر من أجل الحصول على مكان أساسي في تشكيل فرانك لامبارد، مدرب البلوز، وذلك بعد تعاقد النادي مع تيمو فيرنر هذا الموسم.

إبراهام في الموسم الماضي، كان من يقود هجوم البلوز، وتألق رفقة النادي اللندني، ليُنهي الفريق الموسم بين الأربعة الكبار.

وهذا الموسم تم استبعاد إبراهام في بعض المُباريات بعد التعاقد مع فيرنر، ولكن في المُباراتين الماضيتين عاد للتشكيل الأساسي للبلوز من جديد، وسجّل هدفين.

وقال إبراهام في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “تريبال فوتبول” البريطانية: “لقد كنت أؤمن دائمًا بنفسي، لذلك قلت لنفسي إنّ علي العودة إلى الفريق”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. إبراهام: تشيلسي سيقاتل لسد الفجوة مع ليفربول ومانشستر سيتي

وأضاف: “لقد عملت بجد كل يوم من أجل التحسّن أكثر، حتى أنجح من الاستفادة من الفرصة عندما تأتي، كما فعلت”.

وواصل: “أعلم أنّه سيكون دائمًا هُناك مُنافسة على مركز المهاجم في هذا الفريق، لذا يتعين عليّ أنّ أكون في أفضل حالاتي، وأنّ أقدم 100% مما لديّ”.

وأتم تصريحاته قائلًا: “أنا سعيد بتواجد فيرنر معنا، هو يُقدم أيضًا مائة بالمائة في المباريات، نحن ندفع بعضنا البعض هذا الموسم، وفي كل مباراة نقدم أداءً جيدًا”.

[ad_pod ]

Leeds United were dumped out of the play-offs by Derby County on Wednesday night in a pulsating evening of football at Elland Road.

The result was tough to take for the Whites faithful as the curtain was drawn on the season in a dramatic fashion befitting of Marcelo Bielsa’s maiden campaign.

Supporters, journalists and pundits will now seek to dissect what has been a notable downturn in form in recent months both collectively and individually.

Pablo Hernandez, in particular, has seen his influence diminish and that in turn has had a knock on effect on the quality of Leeds’ attacking endeavours.

Another abject performance from the Spaniard was vehemently criticised on Twitter last night, with supporters claiming that his best form has been absent for a considerable length of time.

Perhaps his failure to summon his creative best form can be explained by the club’s reliance on the 34-year-old veteran. One cannot help but wonder if he has fallen victim to the gruelling nature of the Championship season at just the wrong time.

Supporters rather unanimously claimed that he was missing throughout proceedings and one disgruntled fan even suggested that he should be released this summer, despite the fact his contract isn’t due to expire until June 2020.

Here’s what the Leeds fans had to say about Hernandez last night…

[ad_pod ]

Per a report in The Daily Mail, Wolves have made contact with West Brom over signing their Venezuelan striker Salomon Rondon.

The 29-year-old spent the season on loan with Newcastle where he scored an impressive 11 goals, his best tally in England to date.

The forward has now returned to West Brom but doesn’t look like he’ll be sticking around for much longer. This is due to the player having a £16.5m release clause in his contract, according to The Daily Mail.

Nuno Santo’s men desperately need to add depth to their squad over the summer and Rondon is one of the first targets who could make a move if the report is to be believed.

After his campaign with Newcastle, it’s no surprise to see him attracting interest from somewhere other than the Magpies.

Following the news, Football FanCast writers have given their verdicts on whether he’d be a good signing for Wolves. Here’s what they’ve had to say.

Luke Glanville:

“Wolverhampton Wanderers certainly need more strikers in their ranks and should look to invest in that area this summer. Salomon Rondon would not be a bad place to start at all. At just £16.5 million, the Venezuelan doesn’t even need to be a marquee signing and you feel, could be one of two or three attacking additions to the squad at Molineux. People will say that Rondon won’t fit Nuno Espirito Santo’s style, but what about Raul Jimenez? They are both very similar strikers and the Mexican hasn’t faired badly under Nuno whatsoever. At that price, the West Bromwich Albion man Rondon is a no-brainer for Wolves.”

Harry Sherlock:

“Bringing in Rondon would be a smart bit of business by Wolves. Raul Jimenez is clearly their top striker and rightly so but a deal for Rondon, a player with a Premier League pedigree, for £16.5m is a snip. After all, he belongs in the Premier League, not the second-tier, and Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are sure to be an attractive proposition; they are perhaps the most upwardly mobile side in the top-flight.”

What’s your club’s best chant? Check out the video below for a Wolves epic that surely has to be one of the best in English football…

James Beavis:

“Nuno Santo has no chance of getting this deal done as he won’t be able to persuade Rondon to move to Molineux. The Venezuela international has got used to being the main man up top for Newcastle United this season, and it simply wouldn’t be the case at Wolves. Both he and Raul Jimenez can’t play in the same starting XI because of the similarities between them, and therefore Rondon would likely have to settle for a spot on the bench more often than not. He will know he is better than that though, and if Newcastle cough up the £16.5m fee it will be an easy choice for the impressive South American.”