All posts by h79snht.top

Liverpool are looking hoping to qualify for the Champion’s League for only the second time in the previous seven seasons as Jurgen Klopp’s men sit third in the Premier League table with only five games to play.

The Reds started the season brightly and were scoring goals freely but a dip in fom after the Christmas period saw them slip dramatically down the table. They have since managed to find their feet again and recent form has seen them climb back up towards the peak of the table.

The Merseyside team are unbeaten in seven in the Premier League, and have won three of their last four fixtures, including a resounding 3-1 victory over local rivals Everton.

While progress under Klopp was slow during his first six months at the club, the Reds are now looking a formidable unit and will be hoping they an challenge for the title next season.

There can be a number of players to thank for their fortunes this season, but who do you think is their player of the season?

Let us know by voting below …

This weekend sees Manchester United host Premier League champions in waiting Chelsea in Football FanCast’s Fixture in Focus.

It looks set to be a tight-knit affair at Old Trafford; the Blues can’t afford to drop points with second-place Tottenham Hotspur gaining momentum behind them, but Jose Mourinho will be determined to avoid another defeat at all costs, having lost to his ex-employers twice already this season.

The title race may have proved beyond the Red Devils this season but there’s no doubt they have one of the biggest and most varied squads in the Premier League – it’s been more a question of who does and who doesn’t fit Mourinho’s philosophy, and which stars qualify as true top quality.

With that in mind, we asked Chelsea fans earlier this week to vote for which United stars they’d like to see Antonio Conte sign during the next transfer window. The results of our exclusive poll are now in, so here’s a rundown of who made the top three…

3. Marcus Rashford

He may have scored just four Premier League goals this season but Chelsea fans clearly rate Marcus Rashford highly. Despite the modest return, Rashford has proved himself a real team player this season, putting in shifts out wide to earn the game-time Zlatan Ibrahimovic has taken away from him in United’s centre-forward role. Clearly a top talent in the making, the England international has still shown glimpses of his enormous potential this season and considering Michy Batshuayi’s limited impact since arriving from Marseille last summer, Blues fans seemingly view Rashford as a better choice of understudy to Diego Costa.

2. Juan Mata

Juan Mata won two Player of the Year awards at Stamford Bridge before being ironically sold to Manchester United by Jose Mourinho in January 2015, having struggled to hold down a starting berth under the Portuguese. Clearly Blues fans still have a soft spot for the Spanish magician, who – despite not always being in the first XI – boast 36 goals and a similar tally of assists from 142 appearances for the Old Trafford outfit. Mourinho may once again question whether Mata fits into his long term plans in the coming transfer window – could a return to west London be on the cards?

1. Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Now coming to the end of his debut season at Old Trafford, we still haven’t seen the full extremities of Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s powers. The Armenian attacker has been in and out of the starting XI and is yet to replicate the eleven goals and 15 assists he mustered up for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga last season. But Mkhitaryan’s steadily improved throughout the season and his pace has proved impossible for opposing defences to legislate at times, suggesting he could be one of the Premier League’s flagship performers next season considering how important counter-attacking has become. It’s been a vital part of Chelsea’s philosophy under Antonio Conte this season, which perhaps explains why the 28-year-old topped our poll.

Results

According to reports in The Times, West Ham United winger Michail Antonio will look to leave the club this summer.

The 27-year-old is understood to have rejected a new contract offer from the Irons after it meant that he would earn significantly less than January transfer window additions Robert Snodgrass and Jose Fonte, with his relationship with the board now said to have broken down.

As well as that, the England international is unhappy at how the club has handled his hamstring injury which looks set to rule him out for the rest of an impressive season in which he has scored nine goals in 29 Premier League appearances.

West Ham supporters were quick to have their say on the update on one of their key men via social media, and they were clearly divided on their thoughts about the player and what the club should do next.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction to the story…

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is reportedly ready to make a shock swoop for Juventus star Dani Alves this summer, according to reports from Sport.

The former Barcelona full-back has had a terrific first season with the Serie A side after leaving the Nou Camp last summer on a free transfer.

One of the signings of the summer across Europe, Alves has not only replicated the form he showed during his Barcelona but has gone above and beyond, putting in some dazzling displays for Massimiliano Allegri’s side – especially in the Champions League.

Alves, who is valued at £5.1m by transfermarkt.com, was a key figure in the quarter-finals for The Old Lady as they knocked out his former club 3-0 on aggregate, and again was the decisive man against Monaco in the semi-final, scoring once and creating all three of Juve’s other goals in a comprehensive 4-1 victor over two legs.

Such performances have peaked interest from a number of top European clubs, and have no doubt provided Barcelona boss Luis Enrique with a number of sleepless nights, and Chelsea are the alleged front-runners for his signature.

Having just won the Premier League title themselves, and with the efforts of full-backs Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso much revered this season, is their space for the Brazilian international at the Bridge?

Have your say in the poll below…

As reported by Sky Sports, Everton have emerged as favourites to sign Malaga striker Sandro Ramirez.

What’s the story?

With Ronald Koeman looking to take the Toffees a level beyond last season’s seventh placed finish in the English Premier League, he’s on the lookout for serious talent in the final third.

One man apparently interesting him is former Barcelona star Sandro, according to Sky Sports.

The outlet says that he could be available for as little as £5m this summer and that Everton have become favourites to sign him ahead of rivals like Atletico Madrid, whose transfer ban has been upheld.

Can they secure one of the potential bargains of the summer and bring him to Goodison Park?

Sandro’s story

Sandro, who is a three-time Spain Under-21 international, came through the youth system at Las Palmas before joining Spanish  giants Barcelona in 2009, and he spent four years in the famous La Masia academy.

Sandro’s first-team debut for the Catalan giants came during the 2014-15 campaign, and he managed seven goals in 32 appearances for Barcelona before being seeking pastures new.

At Malaga for the season just past he found fantastic form, scoring 14 goals and assisting 3 more in 30 La Liga appearances. At the age of just 21, he’s likely to have not yet found his full potential and if he can do so at a club like Everton, it could be the start of something special.

According to reports in the Daily Star, Newcastle United are on the verge of completing an £18m double deal to sign FC Porto striker Vincent Aboubakar, who scored 19 goals on loan at Besiktas last season, and Eibar defender Florian Lejuene.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the story states that Magpies manager Rafa Benitez is looking to bring in up to eight players this summer as he looks to ensure that his side aren’t in a Premier League relegation battle next season following their immediate return to the top flight.

Having already signed Christian Atsu on a permanent deal from Chelsea last month following a successful loan spell, the Spaniard is on the verge of strengthen his defensive and attacking options.

Aboubakar had been set to join French side Rennes but Newcastle have offered him a £2.5m-a-year deal that they are unable to match, while the Tyneside outfit have also agreed to pay Lejeune’s £8.7m release clause.

How did the duo do last season?

Well, Aboubakar’s time with Turkish giants Besiktas was particulalry successful as he helped them win the Super Lig title with 12 goals and a further four assists in 27 appearances.

All in all, the Cameroon international netted 19 in 38 outings in all competitions to show just how clinical he can be in front of goal.

Meanwhile, Lejeune only joined Eibar last summer on a four-year deal, but he enjoyed an impressive campaign for the La Liga outfit.

Comfortable on the ball, the Frenchman also showed that he is strong in the air by winning 108 aerial duels in 34 league appearances, while he proved his defensive abilities by making 195 clearances and 77 interceptions.

Will they be good additions for Newcastle?

They certainly should be, yes.

There is no doubt that the Magpies needed to add a striker to their ranks to take some of the pressure off of Dwight Gayle and with Daryl Murphy and Aleksandar Mitrovic heading for the exit door, and Aboubakar could prove to be a bargain at £9m considering his goal record.

Meanwhile, Benitez also knows that he needs some quality alongside the likes of Jamaal Lascelles and Ciaran Clark at the heart of the defence, and Lejeune certainly looks to have all of the attributes to be a success in the Premier League.

Whatever happens at Manchester United this summer transfer wise, we’re pretty sure it’s not going to be boring. Rumours are already swirling around all sorts of deals at the club and most of them concern deals involving a certain David De Gea.

The Sun, for one, reckon that the goalkeeper is a vital part of a potential Cristiano Ronaldo deal. Meanwhile, Diario Gol reckon that United could replace the popular goalkeeper with AC Milan wonderkid Gianluigi Donnarumma.

It’s all pretty outlandish but it’s certainly getting tongues wagging and fingers tweeting.

De Gea has been a fantastic player for Manchester United over the last six years and the only thing we’re sure of is that the club will make sure they get a great deal for him if he does eventually move on.

Despite his fantastic form some supporters are eager to see him leave, especially if it means the likes of Ronaldo arrive at Old Trafford. Many see Donnarumma as a ready made replacement.

Others though are desperate for him to stay and would prefer to see Real Madrid show interest in the AC Milan shot-stopper.

Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on it all…

In what would be one of the most shocking transfers of the past couple seasons, oddsmakers UNIBET are giving West Ham 4/1 odds to sign Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The 18-year old AC Milan star is rumoured to be one his way out of the San Siro and has been linked with clubs like Juventus, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and now West Ham.

The Hammers should surely be looking for an upgrade in net as Darren Randolph and Adrian clearly struggled at times last season but brining in Donnarumma would represent the transfer of the summer.

The goalkeeper made his professional debut aged just 16 and has been a stalwart in net for AC Milan the past two seasons. The Italy international has made 72 appearances for the Rossoneri and has allowed only 79 goals while keeping a clean sheet in 29 matches.

His expected move to Madrid has reportedly been scuppered by the Spanish club’s fear of the influence from Donnarumma’s agent Mino Raiola. The controversial super agent caused a big stir while client and former AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was at Barcelona and the European Champions are afraid of a similar fiasco with the young Italian keeper. West Ham likely wouldn’t care much about Raiola’s influence if they could bring in a keeper tipped to become the next Gianluigi Buffon and lead the Italian national side for the foreseeable future.

Donnarumma’s price tag has long been rumoured to be astronomical, ranging from 60 to 90 million pounds, and would destroy the transfer record for a goalkeeper. West Ham have been angling for big-name transfers over the past couple seasons and signing the future of the Italian national team would certainly show that the Hammers mean business.

It would certainly be a shock across world football so this will be an interesting storyline to follow as the summer progresses.

According to The Sun, Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Nemanja Matic, after the player told Chelsea he wants to leave for Old Trafford.

What’s the Story?

Following the impending arrival of Tiemoue Bakayoko at Chelsea, it looks ever more likely that Nemanja Matic will be departing the club this summer, and is reportedly desperate to move to Manchester United according to reports.

The 28-year-old, who is valued at around £30million by Transfermarkt, has been training away from the first team squad at Stamford Bridge and looks unlikely to be heading on any pre-season tours with the English Champions.

How good was Matic last season?

Since performing so incredibly during his first season back in English football during the 2014/15 season, Nemanja Matic has often been credited as one of the catalysts for Chelsea good fortunes of recent times.

While, like the entire Chelsea squad, Matic failed to perform to his high standards during the 2015/16, the Serb returned to form during last campaign, featuring 36 times for the Blues in all competitions.

However, it seems that Antonio Conte is looking to further imprint his style on the Chelsea squad and, whether the right call or not, Matic is deemed surplus to requirements.

Would Matic be a good fit for Manchester United?

While most Manchester United fans seemingly don’t want their club investing in a Chelsea cast-off, Nemanja Matic could prove to be a very prudent signing for Jose Mourinho.

Firstly, United are in need of some defensive midfield solidity. And while Eric Dier, Fabinho and others may have all been further up Mou’s most wanted list this summer, Matic would be an able deputy and could stabilize a team that sometimes look lost in the middle of the park.

WATCH THE LATEST 442OONS VIDEO BELOW…

At the age of 25, celebrating his birthday today, Danny Ings has become a forgotten man.

Having been unfortunate enough to suffer an ACL injury during Jurgen Klopp’s first training session as Liverpool manager, after starting his Reds career with three goals in nine appearances and accordingly earning an England cap, the German’s tenure on Merseyside has inadvertently and unavoidably left him behind.

Ings has been seen just once in the Premier League since, whilst only his third appearance following that injury, an outing against Tottenham in last season’s EFL Cup, brought on another that he’s still recovering from. He wasn’t even included in Klopp’s squad for the pre-season tour of Hong Kong and that near-two-season absence has inevitably seen Klopp invest his hope and transfer budget in alternative forwards – most notably £34million acquisition Sadio Mane and this summer’s club-record signing Mohamed Salah.

Indeed, Ings has a long way to go to get back to his former status in the Liverpool squad as a promising rotation option and potential game-changer from the bench, let alone improve upon it to surpass the likes of Salah and Mane, not to mention Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho, for a regular berth in Liverpool’s forward line.

But the most frustrating aspect is that, theoretically, Ings is ideal for Klopp. He’s a forward rather than an out-and-out striker who has played as a No.10 and a winger throughout his career, perfectly suiting that nomadic front three Liverpool employ, and combines impressive technical quality with the industrious Klopp needs from his attackers to effectively high press.

Add in enough netting prowess to score eleven times for a Burnley outfit that were relegated after creating the third-fewest chances of any Premier League side during the 2014/15 season, and Ings can be a real asset for the Reds.

The problem, though, is what history tells us and in the Premier League it’s rare for a player to spend so long out but still enjoy success at the same club following his return. Jack Wilshere’s tribulations at Arsenal, which look set to result in his departure this summer, and Jay Rodriguez’s consequential exit to West Brom from Southampton instantly come to mind. Even Daniel Sturridge, rated by many as one of England’s biggest talents on paper, is still struggling to re-establish his place at Liverpool after a series of setbacks throughout 2015.

And thus, it feels as if Ings and Liverpool have both reached a crossroads this summer. He’s reportedly expected to feature in Liverpool’s pre-season in some capacity, but Ings will need more than simply a token outing in a friendly to get himself up to speed and his Reds career back on track.

It’s a question of whether Klopp rates him enough to give him a chance; if Ings can get somewhere near full fitness for the new season – although, of course, his recovery should certainly not be rushed – he could prove to be a fantastic secret weapon for the Reds next season, one that the rest of the Premier League has forgotten about. As Arsene Wenger would say, like a new signing.

But there is the other side to the coin; namely, Ings being an inspired swoop for another Premier League club. No doubt, that would come with risks for both potential suitors and Ings and it remains to be seen whether he’d actually pass a medical at this moment in time.

But those in the market for relatively young and English attacking talent this summer may struggle to find better value-for-money should the punt pay off. After all, Ings is versatile, hardworking, capped by England and knows where the goal is – and most crucially, Liverpool can’t really command a big transfer fee for the forward should interest come his way.

That being said, perhaps a loan is the best option for all parties at this moment in time; a chance for Ings to regain his fitness whilst Liverpool, the player himself and his adoptive club assess what should be the next step of his career and whether he still has a chance back at Anfield. Then again, if Liverpool endure a disappointing season and a loan spell sees Ings frequently find the net, eyebrows will be raised.

So, Liverpool fans, how would you handle Ings’ situation? Let us know by voting below…