All posts by h716a5.icu

Recently-released Portsmouth striker Oli Hawkins has admitted that he would like to return to the city when his playing days come to an end.

The 2019/20 season ended in disappointment for Pompey, losing to Oxford United on penalties in the play-off semi-finals and narrowly missing out on promotion to the Championship for the second year running.

With next season now the focus, manager Kenny Jackett will look to make several changes to his squad and one of those could be to find a suitable replacement for Hawkins, who saw his contract come to an end in June.

Hawkins arrived at Portsmouth in 2017 and the Ealing-born striker netted 18 goals in 95 games for Pompey up until the end of this season. During his time at the club, he has also acted as a stand-in defender and scored the winning penalty against Sunderland in the 2019 EFL Trophy final at Wembley.

He told The News: ‘In three years at the club, I was able to buy a home, have a baby, get a dog and score at Wembley.

‘I didn’t let myself down and reached the play-offs twice – I look back in a positive way.‘The biggest positive of all is I love the city and will probably move back down here eventually. I will miss this place a lot.‘When I found out I’m not going to be here anymore, I had a sinking feeling. I realised I’d be moving away.‘We lived in Emsworth and then bought property in Horndean. We really fell in love with the area. We still have a home here, so if we wanted to one day live down here again we can.‘Even though I am a London boy and love London, it has been a breath of fresh air to get out and about and see the sea. I really enjoy the walks and you can’t really beat the weather on a good day. It’s such a great place.’Hawkins’ exit comes as a number of clubs in League One and League Two including Portsmouth weigh up transfer moves with the English Football League looking to implement a salary cap.

It was a strange one to see Hawkins leaving Portsmouth, especially given that he was very much a man of the club and the city, judging by his comments.

With financial restrictions coming into place, it remains to be seen if Jackett will find an adequate replacement for Hawkins before next season begins.

Do you think Portsmouth should have renewed Hawkins’ deal? Let us know in the comments section below…

Coventry City manager Mark Robins has said that an update regarding a potential short-term return to the Ricoh Arena is coming ‘very soon’.

The Sky Blues played their home games during the 2019/20 season at St. Andrews, the home of Birmingham City, which holds a capacity of 29,409. It was their second time in recent years playing outside of Coventry, having also had a spell at Northampton Town’s Sixfields Stadium.

Some discussion has since been raised about a possible return for the Sky Blues to their former home, which is now owned by rugby club Wasps.

Amid talks to return to the Ricoh Arena, Coventry announced that they have agreed a partnership with the University of Warwick to build a new stadium.

Speaking about the potential return to the club’s old ground, Robins spoke to BBC Coventry and Warwickshire,saying (as per Coventry Live): “Either the Ricoh or St Andrews.

“We hope to hear very soon.

“Whatever happens, we just have to get on with it. From my perspective there is nothing I can do.

“I know people are working very hard within the club to make things happen.

“We’ve just got to see how that falls.”

Signing a one-year deal with the option to extend by a further year with Birmingham City, the newly-promoted Championship side are now expected to remain at St. Andrews through to next season, with talks between themselves and the Wasps currently at a standstill.

It really does not matter much whether Coventry return to the Ricoh Arena or remain at St. Andrews for 2020/21. Promotion was a huge step in the right direction for the club and, with the news of a new stadium, things are looking up.

Of course, a return to the Ricoh would be easier for fans, but the club can continue push on wherever they play their home games next season.

Do you think Coventry will return to the Ricoh Arena for next season? Let us know in the comments section below…

Ferran Torres has been one of the most exciting talents in La Liga for quite some time now and even though he is only 20 years of age, it seems like he’s ready to compete on an extremely high level.

According to The Guardian’s latest report, however, the young winger has already agreed personal terms with Manchester City and the transfer is largely expected to happen very soon.

And since there is only a year left on his Valencia contract, Pep Guardiola will get his man for a bargain as Guardian quote a price of £24.5m plus certain add-ons. For a player with such a high ceiling, it must feel like a steal for the Citizens and a huge loss for the Bats of Valencia.

The contract the 20-year-old is reportedly getting will see him stay at the Etihad until at least 2025 and Torres is also said to be keen on working closely with Guardiola to improve even more in the near future.

Initially, Valencia wanted to get almost double that fee but the situation with the youngster’s contract has put them in a rather awkward position. Sell now and get at least some money in or be forced to offload him for free next year. The choice, albeit uncomfortable, was easy.

Apart from the Citizens getting a bright talent, they will also land a big blow to their rivals since Liverpool were among the teams said to be on the market for Torres. But instead of becoming a long-term Mohamed Salah successor, it seems the young Spaniard is bound to become a replacement for the departing Leroy Sane instead.

Verdict

One has to commend how quickly Guardiola has acted to secure Torres’ signature, especially given the huge interest from other clubs like Liverpool, Barcelona and Real Madrid. Beating them to the punch means the Citizens will get a special talent to groom and develop.

And the best thing is the price itself. Hot prospects nowadays will cost you an arm and a leg so this deal is close to being a one in a million.

Liverpool have been linked with a summer move for Watford’s Ismaila Sarr as they search for attacking reinforcements. 

Sarr is name that has been on the Reds’ radar for a few weeks now, with murmurs on the wind that the Premier League champions could be looking to recruit him.

According to David Lynch of the Evening Standard (relayed via @LFCTransferRoom), Liverpool are now considering a bid for the £40m-valued forward.

The 22-year-old winger could provide important cover for the Anfield front three, with the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri becoming an outcast last season. Sarr contributed five goals and six assists for the Hornets but it wasn’t enough to prevent them from being relegated from the Premier League.

Loads of Liverpool fans are hoping that the club give the Senegal international a ticket out of the Championship by snapping him up in this transfer window. One supporter believes he is the ‘perfect Klopp player’ whilst another has labelled Sarr a ‘monster’. Indeed, the winger averaged 3.8 successful ground duels and 1.7 dribbles per game last term, alongside his attacking contributions (via Sofascore).

Read more replies from the Anfield faithful here:

Would you take Ismaila Sarr at Liverpool? Let us know your opinion in the comments below!

Coventry Live has reported that Liam Walsh is not a summer target for newly promoted Championship side Coventry City.

The 22-year-old, who was named Coventry’s Players’ Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year for the 2019/20 campaign, returned to his parent club Bristol City after the League One season was ended via a points-per-game system.

With the summer transfer window in full flow, the Robins confirmed via their official website that they have activated a one-year extension clause in his contract which could see him pursue a first team place at Ashton Gate.

Sky Blues boss Mark Robins has been busy adding to his squad ahead of the new season after gaining promotion from the Championship from League One.

Despite Walsh missing a large amount of pre-season preparations at City this summer with a minor injury, it is still expected that new manager Dean Holden will hand him a chance.

With that, a potential return to Coventry is now seemingly over with Robins no longer seeing the midfielder as a target.

Robins has enhanced his midfield with the permanent deal of Callum O’Hare and addition of Gustavo Hamer from PEC Zwolle, thus handing a question mark over whether or not the Midlands side will look for another midfield option.

Coventry fans may not worry too much about the return of Walsh not being a possibility. Mark Robins’ transfer business has been excellent and the club are looking brilliant both off and on the field.

The Sky Blues look an exciting side approaching the Championship and whilst many have them down as a potential relegation candidate, they could surprise them.

Do you think Coventry should make a move for Liam Walsh? Let us know in the comments section below…

Liverpool have been chasing Bayern Munich’s Thiago Alcantara for essentially the entirety of the summer transfer window. At first, while the current champions of Europe were still competing for their crown, the ongoing season was an obstacle, but now, their path should be cleared.

However, Jurgen Klopp was reluctant to meet the Bavarians’ asking price for the elite midfielder despite being able to scoop him up for a relatively low sum, and that could now be punished by a potential new bidder.

Mundo Deportivo have reported that Barcelona are considering going back for Thiago and bringing him home. The midfielder has been a big part of their squad in the years gone by and they could indeed make a bid for him.

The problem is that Ronald Koeman, the new coach, has different priorities and wants Georginio Wijnaldum instead while the board prefers the Spaniard.

And their decision could ultimately make the difference for Liverpool as well. If they sell Wijnaldum to Barcelona, they could have the funds to seal the Thiago transfer. However, if Barcelona insist on getting the Bayern star themselves, it feels like the Reds won’t be able to stop them.

Needless to say, this would indeed be a shame because Thiago would be perfect for Liverpool according to Graeme Souness. Here’s what he said about him in his column in The Times:

“Thiago Alcantara, the Bayern Munich midfielder, would be perfect because he works his socks off but is also gifted technically. He is 29, but he still has a couple of years, maybe three, at the highest level left in him.”

Verdict

It would be a real shame if Liverpool missed out on Thiago. It’s simply not possible to get a world-class midfielder like him for a low price and usually they are not exactly available on the market.

For that reason, Klopp shouldn’t let Barcelona beat them in the race for his signature.

West Bromwich Albion are on the verge of making a new defensive addition and it’s not going to cost Luke Dowling a penny…

What’s the word?

According to the ever-reliable John Percy at the Telegraph, the Baggies are in talks with former Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic and could be through the door at the Hawthorns before Sunday’s Premier League opener.

It’s claimed that Slaven Bilic is hopeful of landing him on a short-term contract to add some experience to his squad.

The 36-year-old veteran is a free agent after being released by Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg. He could be their fifth addition this summer.

Free PL experience

This could turn out to be a very shrewd addition by Bilic as his squad is severely lacking in top-flight nous – only Ahmed Hegazi has enjoyed regular game time at this level and that was with Albion last time they were in the PL.

In Ivanovic, they’ll be getting a three-time title winner, three-time FA Cup winner and a one-time Champions League winner. No one in the side boasts a similar trophy cabinet whatsoever.

Former Blues, now Spurs, boss Jose Mourinho believes the Serbian was one of his best signings at Stamford Bridge, claiming he’s ” a competitive animal with a big heart.”

Whilst Man City superstar Raheem Sterling dubbed him the “scariest man” he’s played against, naming him a “tank.”

After bolstering the backline with Cedric Kipre from Wigan, having someone like Ivanovic around the place could be ideal for his development – and you can throw in young Dara O’Shea too.

If the wages are right, this deal should absolutely be done.

AND in other news, West Brom could make another striker mistake in PL misfit…

According to Goal, Newcastle are one of a number of Premier League sides interested in signing Liverpool winger Harry Wilson.

What’s the word?

With the transfer window closing early next week, clubs face a race against time to get their final pieces of business done. And Goal claim that Liverpool have already received approaches for Wilson, with Burnley’s opening offer for the Wales international thought to be some way short of his asking price.

The report adds that along with Newcastle, the likes of Fulham, Leeds and Southampton have also expressed an interest in luring Wilson away from Anfield, and that after Aston Villa had asked about a potential loan deal earlier in the window, they were told that the winger would only be sold permanently.

Imagine him and Saint-Maximin

Despite being part of a Bournemouth side that got relegated from the Premier League, Wilson was one of the shining lights for the Cherries.

He scored seven times in 31 top-flight games, including really turning up for the matches against the division’s best sides. He netted a stunning free-kick against Manchester City in the early weeks of the season and scored twice against Tottenham, whilst he even found the back of the net against Newcastle themselves in a 2-1 win for the Magpies.

And with his ability to play on either flank, Steve Bruce could unleash the Welsh wizard on one side, and Allan Saint-Maximin on the other. The latter took to the Premier League like a duck to water in his debut campaign in English football, and was a player that got fans off their seats with his dribbling skills – his average of 4.7 dribbles per match was only second behind Wolves’ Adama Traore in the entire league.

Whilst the Frenchman is a threat taking players on, Wilson would add a much more clinical edge. Described as “incredibly talented” by former Hull City teammate Jackson Irvine, the 23-year-old is a major threat in front of goal. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp called his shooting “world-class”, whilst the winger’s former manager at Derby County, Frank Lampard, also raved about his finishing abilities.

He said: “It’s one thing to have a desire to score goals, and Harry has that, but it’s another thing in the real real moments to step up and take responsibility to score the goal. There is probably more risk than reward in terms of if you miss how much people will remember it, so I’m pleased with that from him.”

If Newcastle could land Wilson before Monday’s transfer deadline, they could have a superb wing duo.

West Bromwich Albion striker Hal Robson-Kanu believes Gareth Bale is “one of the best players” he has ever played with and “his qualities speak for themselves.”

While the transfer window may have only closed a couple of days ago, there is already talk that there is a real possibility that Tottenham Hotspur could sign Bale on a permanent basis next summer.

The 31-year-old Wales captain left north London seven years ago to move to Real Madrid for a world-record transfer fee at the time.

And he has remarkably returned to Spurs on loan from Madrid after completing a medical in the Spanish capital.

Both Bale and Robson-Kanu contributed to Wales’ charge to the semi-finals in Euro 2016.

Jose Mourinho’s side are unbeaten since suffering an opening day defeat to Everton, having scored 12 goals in four Premier League games so far.

West Brom welcome Tottenham to the Hawthorns in November, which means the Welshman may find himself facing his international teammate.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast correspondent Tom Ward, the 44-cap Wales international heaped praise on Bale for his professionalism.

“It’s always nice playing against an international teammate, and it’s great to see him back in the Premier League and I’m sure he will have a lot to give, but hopefully we can come out on top in that game.

“He’s certainly up there as one of the best players I’ve played with as his qualities speak for themselves.

“If you look at what he achieved during his time at Real Madrid, it’s probably not acknowledged enough, he wasn’t treated very well.

“He was extremely successful there, probably more successful than the other Galacticos who were there at the time.

“He is a top professional who really looks after the rest of the group, and as a senior player himself he now has the knowledge to impart to younger players as well.”

Last season, Bale scored two goals and supplied two assists in 16 La Liga games, whilst averaging 2.1 shots, 1.1 dribbles, and winning 1.8 aerials per game, via WhoScored.

The right winger has won two Spanish league titles and four Champions League trophies during his time at the Bernabeu Stadium.

Robson-Kanu announced his retirement from international football two years ago but reversed his decision in January after an incredible run of form for West Brom.

When asked by Football FanCast if he has any regrets over his decision to retire, he said:

“It was a big decision, I took some time away, which I felt I needed, but I’ve still got so much more to give!

“As one of the senior players, I still believe I can assist with the development of the younger players in the squad. I’ve definitely made the right decision.

“Who knows what will happen with the Euros next summer, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Robson-Kanu was speaking to Football FanCast as part of a three-part series. Check out part one here!

Take a look at The Turmeric Co.’s official website for more information.

Tottenham Hotspur’s brash attitude in the transfer market isn’t slowing-up anytime soon – if emerging claims are to be believed.

According to Calciomercato, Inter Milan will put mooted Spurs target Marcelo Brozovic up for sale in the January window and Jose Mourinho is keen to strike.

The 27-year-old is out-of-favour under Antonio Conte, even more so after a shocking performance in the Derby di Milano two weeks ago.

Spurs were linked with a move for the World Cup runner-up throughout the summer, though a new attacking midfielder did not come to fruition.

Brozovic could well thrive in the Premier League having drawn comparisons to Mourinho’s former captain and north London nemesis Frank Lampard.

“Although often deployed as an attacking midfielder, Brozovic looks at his best starting deep to arrive late in and around the edge of box to hammer home.”

Last season, the maestro provided three goals and six assists in the Serie A, and averaged 2.1 tackles, 1.7 shots, 1.4 interceptions and 1.2 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

This not only shows his qualities at either end of the pitch but also his impressive work rate, which is emphasised by him ranking 15th in the entire league for total recoveries (320) last season. There were only six other midfielders in front of him.

Inter reportedly slapped a €40m (£36m) price tag on his back during the summer window.

Perhaps, it is this sort of profile that Mourinho is longing for, so if Brozovic were to sign, then it would surely be the final nail in the coffin for Dele Alli and his Spurs career.

It’s no secret that the Special One thinks the 24-year-old is “lazy,” after all it was broadcast to the world on the ‘All or Nothing‘ docuseries.

Clearly very little has changed as Alli has missed four of Spurs’ last five Premier League squads entirely and hasn’t started for the club in over a month, averaging a total of just 39.6 minutes per appearance this campaign, via Transfermarkt.

On the other hand, Mourinho has previously stated his admiration for Brozovic as a player after he dubbed him “fantastic” during the World Cup whilst former boss Luciano Spalletti’s endorsement is perhaps the most glowing of them all, he once claimed that the Croatian “has a compass in his foot.”

Talk of signing a new midfielder in January is a worrying sign for Alli, whether it be Brozovic or someone else, you’d struggle to see a future for the 37-time England international should anyone arrive in that capacity.

AND in other news, Levy must surely regret missing Spurs’ dream Eriksen heir in “devastating” £40m wizard…