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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.

Many Aston Villa fans have reacted to the £28m arrival of Ollie Watkins from Brentford, taking to Twitter to share their glee at the announcement.

Having seen Mbwana Samatta, Keinan Davis and Wesley struggle last season with only nine goals between them, Villa manager Dean Smith has now moved to enhance his attacking options with the arrival of Watkins from Brentford.

A scorer of 26 goals in the Championship in 2019/20, Watkins had emerged as a potential option to bolster Villa’s strike force and confirmation of his £28m move has now been shared via Twitter and on the club’s official website.

The 24-year-old is Villa’s second signing of the summer transfer window following the £16m purchase of defender Matty Cash from Nottingham Forest.

Watkins will now link up with the Villa first team ahead of the new Premier League season, with the Midlands club beginning their campaign at home to Sheffield United on Monday 21 September.

Reacting to the transfer, these Villa fans took to Twitter to share their delight at the news…

How many goals do you think Watkins can score next season in the Premier League? Let us know your predictions in the comments section below…

The Tottenham faithful were unlucky last season and missed out on a Champions League spot, but did qualify for Europa League football for next season.

The next campaign will be Jose Mourinho’s first full season since joining the club in November last year, and will likely be making a few signings during the transfer window to make the squad his own.

In an interview with Sky Sports back in May – Mourinho stated that he didn’t feel Tottenham were going to have a very big transfer budget this window due to the impact of COVID-19, stating that himself and Tottenham would be sensible, balanced, and won’t be spending rivers of money – which is understandable given the current financial situation.

Despite this omission, the club will still likely make some signings to try and bolster their squad – with the Lillywhites already adding Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Joe Hart to the squad, but who else could the club realistically sign this summer?

Min-jae Kim

The 23-year-old defender has been in fine form for Chinese Super League club Beijing Sinobo Guoan – and has been linked with a move to Tottenham as a replacement for Jan Vertonghen, with a £15 million transfer after having two bids rejected by the Chinese club. Kim has been dubbed as the ‘South Koren Van Dijk’ – and has even been nicknamed “monster” due to his stature and aggressive style of play and physical strength.

Last season Kim averaged 1.3 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, and 3.2 clearances per game, as well as winning 1.8 aerial duels per game – and would be a great addition to Mourinho’s squad, with fellow countryman Heung-min Son already at the club.

Mehmet Zeki Çelik

The Turkish right-back has been linked with a move to the North London club over recent weeks, with reports even suggesting that the club are looking to sell Serge Aurier and Juan Foyth to raise the funds for the 23-year-old – with the sale of Kyle Walker-Peters to Southampton also leaving a void in the options for a right-back.

After 23 league appearances, Zeki Çelik has averaged 2.3 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, and 1.4 clearances per game, as well as registering 2 assists. It has been reported that the player would cost between €20-25 million, meaning that the sales of the aforementioned plays would be helpful to raise those much-needed funds.

Ivan Perisic

After reports emerged at the end of July that Tottenham had opened talks with Inter Milan over the transfer of Tanguy Ndombélé, attention instantly turned to the availability of Ivan Perisic.

The Croatian winger is said to be admired by Mourinho, with the manager even trying to sign him during his time at Manchester United. Perisic has been on loan at Bayern Munich this season, and has 4 goals and 3 assists to his name in the league – but it is his form in the Champions League that has impressed the most.

The winger has 3 goals and 3 assists in 8 games – and has helped steer the club to the semi-finals of the competition. At 31-years-old, Perisic would bring a great amount of experience and quality for the young players in Spurs’ side.

David Brooks

Bournemouth’s relegation has meant that many of their best players will likely leave the club this summer – and Spurs have reportedly said they ‘admire’ the player, and Daniel Levy is ready to offer the south coast club £10 million for the Welsh midfielder.

Brooks had an injury stinted season this year, but the season before last showed the talent and potential he has – with 7 goals and 5 assists from midfield. The player would be a great fit for Tottenham, bringing some needed youth and ambition into the side, but Bournemouth won’t be wanting to lose the youngster any time soon.

Timothy Castagne

Another option at right-back, the 24-year-old joined Italian side Atalanta in 2017 and has gone on to help the club reach astronomical heights for the small city of Bergamo.

Atalanta finished third last season in Serie A, and at one point were contending for the Scudetto – the club also reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League in the club’s first time in the competition. Castagne is a versatile player as well, having played in four different positions for the club this season.

The player himself reportedly stated he wouldn’t be able to turn down a move to Spurs, with Atalanta valuing the player at around £18 million.

West Ham’s start to the new campaign has hardly gone to plan so far.

It’s been two Premier League defeats for David Moyes’ side from their opening two matches and the atmosphere at the London Stadium is bordering on toxic.

The Irons sold young academy prospect Grady Diangana to his loan club West Brom for £18m and GSB are yet to reinvest that money into the playing squad – or sign anyone new at all.

It has led to some protesting outside the ground in recent weeks whilst rumours of a potential takeover continue to bubble beneath the surface.

Speaking exclusively to FootballFanCast, former Hammers striker Neil Mellor delivered his verdict on the Diangana saga and explained how the club’s owners could get the baying supporters back on side.

He said:

“I think they need to start hoping that the results turn around on the pitch because I think that would quieten down a little bit of the noise.

“The West Ham supporters are frustrated and understandably so, the team struggled last season and just about stayed up. They have invested in the squad but when there’s a young player coming through like [Grady] Diangana who the fans were really excited about, one they thought could potentially come through and have that connection with the fans that all teams want.

“Unfortunately, he was sold on and West Ham haven’t invested that money as of yet, now the transfer window still open, we can go and reinvest the perhaps bring a little bit of quality in, which will help them this season.

“But the mood’s not good at West Ham. It’s disappointing to see. It feels like it’s going to be another frustrating season for them perhaps fighting relegation which is what the West Ham fans don’t want. They want to be looking towards the top half of the table perhaps an outside chance of European football but the mood isn’t good at the moment.

“When the transfer window closes it’ll be interesting to see how that money has been invested because the fans need a lift, they need a boost at the moment.”

The Irons’ only piece of business so far this window has been the confirmation of Tomas Soucek’s loan deal becoming permanent for an additional £15m.

Expensive flops Sebastien Haller, Felipe Anderson and Manuel Lanzini have even struggled to make the starting XI despite clear woes in front of goal, so West Ham undeniably need additions.

It’s thought that Moyes would like to bolster his defensive ranks with Burnley colossus James Tarkowski a top target but he’ll need so much more than just one centre-back to get the loyal Hammers faithful back onside.

And as Mellor says, the club could well be on for another season battling relegation.

With only two weeks to go in the window, it very much remains to be seen if GSB will open the chequebook in time.

WHILE in other news, West Ham leading race to sign ex-PL loanee who’s been slammed by Gary Neville…

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a major boost in their efforts to sign Ryan Fraser this summer, via Football Insider. 

According to Wayne Veysey, Fraser has indicated he won’t sign a contract extension with Bournemouth.

A source told the outlet that the Scotsman is concerned about getting injured ahead of a potential move in the summer and has informed the Cherries he has no intentions of signing an extension to finish the season.

Earlier this year, Football Insider revealed that the Lilywhites are willing to offer him a lucrative deal as Jose Mourinho has identified him at the top of his shortlist of transfer targets.

Last month, The Daily Star claimed that Spurs are in pole position to sign Fraser in the upcoming window, and this news may benefit Steven Bergwijn in the long-term.

Although the Scottish international has struggled for consistency this season, as he has provided just one goal and four assists at the time of writing, it is easy to forget he scored seven goals and created 14 assists in the Premier League last season, bettered only by former Chelsea talisman Eden Hazard.

Moreover, he has proven to be incredibly dependable, as he last sustained an injury all the way back in 2015.

Meanwhile, Bergwijn briefly shined for Tottenham until he was forced to miss the team’s last game against RB Leipzig after picking up an ankle injury. The 22-year-old has bagged 2 goals in 5 league games, including scoring on his home debut against reigning champions Manchester City (Transfermarkt).

Spurs are eager to offer Fraser a well paid contract amid competition from Arsenal, Everton, Newcastle United and West Ham United. He will become a free agent when his contract expires at the end of the month.

Furthermore, it is fair to say the Portuguese head coach has been hindered by a number of injuries to his wide forwards. Both Bergwijn and Son Heung-min have recently made full recoveries from injury setbacks, and this will no doubt give the Lilywhites an uplift as Mourinho’s side had slumped to several poor results in their absence.

Taking this into account, Fraser is more than able to provide suitable cover for the options out wide, and he would surely be a shrewd investment if he ends up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Dutchman carries the weight of plenty of expectations on his young shoulders, and the speedster could share the workload next season to reduce the risk of injury.

While there is no guarantee he will be a complete success, the club will have still gained a valuable asset for no extra cost if the transfer goes through.

Tottenham fans, should Daniel Levy sign Ryan Fraser in the summer? Let us know down below!

Manchester United have been nothing short of sensational since football restarted and they became the first team in Premier League history to win four consecutive matches by three or more goals following their 3-0 win at Aston Villa on Thursday.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Red Devils have put themselves in a great position to secure a top-six finish and they’re putting pressure on fourth-placed Leicester City as a Champions League spot continues to be the ultimate goal.

Going forward, United have been outstanding. Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford make up one of the most feared attacks in world football right now, while Paul Pogba’s involvement from midfield also brings an interesting goal threat.

And that is why they will be favourites here, despite Southampton also enjoying some food form since football returned in June.

Unbeaten in their last three outings, including a brilliant 1-0 victory over Manchester City, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Saints are making a late and ambitious bid for a top-ten Premier League finish, having pulled themselves away from a relegation battle with just one defeat from their last five games.

Before the postponement, Southampton were on a run of one win in five matches but they have managed to bounce back and give themselves an outside chance of a top-half finish, which will have looked almost impossible back in December when they suffered a humiliating 9-0 home defeat to Leicester.

A trip to Old Trafford is arguably the toughest test of their final batch of fixtures before the end of the campaign, but Hasenhuttl’s men are tipped to provide a more difficult contest than Man United’s most recent opponents have done.

Form

Since their 2-0 home defeat to Arsenal in June, Southampton have embarked on an impressive three-game unbeaten streak, which included a win over Manchester City and a strong point against Everton at Goodison Park.

Man United, on the other hand, are in the middle of a ten-match unbeaten run, winning each of their last four by three goals or more. The Red Devils’ last league defeat came at the end of January wen Burnley silenced Old Trafford with a 2-0 victory.

Since then, they have dropped just six points and scored an impressive 23 goals.

Team News

Victor Lindelof returned to the starting XI following a back injury in midweek but both Axel Tuanzebe and Phil Jones remain sidelined.

There are question marks over the fitness of Nemanja Matic and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who both looked tired against Aston Villa.

Southampton quartet Sofiane Boufal, Jannik Vestergaard, Yan Valery and Moussa Djenepo are all still injured and will miss out, while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could return to the starting XI after appearing from the bench in the midweek draw at Everton.

How to Watch

Fans of both clubs will have to wait until Monday for this fixture, which proceedings scheduled to get underway at Old Trafford on Monday 13 July, 8pm.

Supporters can watch the action Sky Sports Main Event or via their football live stream of choice,

Liverpool have conquered almost everything there is to conquer over the last two seasons. European champions, Club World Cup winners and Premier League title holders-elect. Their form has been incredible but can they replicate it in the new campaign?

There’s no denying Jurgen Klopp’s side is one of the best in the world right now, but world-class means very little when ranks are stretched thin. Liverpool are just one major injury to their front three or back four away from being in a serious crisis.

Chatting with Graeme Souness on The Football Show, Jamie Carragher has given his verdict on which areas his former team must recruit in.

“I think there could be something more in reserve for the front three,” the ex-defender said. “I think Liverpool have been lucky in that the best players and most important players for Jurgen Klopp have never really suffered injury-wise, certainly big injuries.

“I just think Liverpool need more than Divock Origi as back-up for the front three when they are out, and hence why Liverpool have been linked with Timo Werner.”

Carragher’s assessment is perhaps the most important thing the Merseyside outfit should be focusing on ahead of the transfer window. Whether they opt for Werner’s services or look elsewhere, new recruits are a must to support Klopp’s clinical front three.

Origi has delivered some exceptional performances over the last two seasons and was a vital part in his side’s sixth Champions League title. However, his form can be inconsistent and he is not of the same calibre as Sadio Mané, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino. If the Belgian had to step in and cover a lengthy injury, he would likely struggle to cope with the pressure.

Youngsters Rhian Brewster, Harvey Elliot and Curtis Jones are at Klopp’s disposal, but aren’t tried-and-tested in the Premier League. The youths have a way to go before they can be relied on as adequate cover for Liverpool’s £280million-rated attack. Even latest addition Takumi Minamino has barely had any game time this season and would be out of his depth if he was required to step up.

Carragher continued: “Can there be more back-up if something happens? Certainly with Andy Robertson at left-back, probably the only recognised left-back at the club.”

Indeed, the Scotsman is the only registered first team left-back by nature. The U23s have seen prospects Adam Lewis and Yasser Larouci be called up to feature in this campaign’s EFL Cup and FA Cup competitions but the duo are a while off from any Premier League action.

Liverpool do have the evergreen, versatile James Milner who performed well at left-back when called upon in 2016/17, but the club needs a natural defender to rely on. If Robertson was to be ruled out for any reason, options are extremely limited for who could plug the gap and put in performances of the Scot’s calibre.

“So certainly for me, a strong understudy to Andrew Robertson, and certainly someone who is really going to push that front three,” Carragher concluded. “I think they certainly need to spend big to keep them ahead of the pack.”

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

When Lucas Torreira made his arrival from Serie A side Sampdoria in the summer of 2018 for a fee in the region of £26m, it was perhaps envisaged that he would finally be Arsenal’s long-term answer for a genuine holding midfielder.

After all, in his time in Italy, the Uruguay international had forged an N’Golo Kante-like impression with his diminutive nature but tough tackling and aggression. From the start of the 2016/2017 campaign, to the end of the season in which he had left, no player had won more tackles (198), made more interceptions (158) and won more fouls (174) than he did in the Italian top-flight.

And after his first full season at the Emirates, Torreira was certainly predominantly used in his more natural position. As per Transfermarkt, he played 46 times in the defensive midfield role, and only on four occasions did he play further forward. This year however, has seen the script completely turn upside down. Unai Emery has deployed him in a more advanced role, with the likes of Granit Xhaka and Matteo Guendouzi asked to hold down the fort – that has seen him already played ten times in central midfield.

On the surface it does seem incredibly illogical. You have one of the statistically dominant anchor mans in European football over the past few seasons, and yet invariably he been involved in the build-up play deep inside the attacking third. In response, Emery has sought to defend his use of the pint-sized Uruguayan, and insisted his tactical flexibility means he could be influential in more than just one way.

“I was speaking with him about his best position to help us in our shape. Last season his best position was playing as a deep midfield two alongside (Granit) Xhaka or Matteo. This year we are playing also sometimes with just one and he can achieve with his quality to get to the box and get closer to score. He is very intelligent about getting space around the box and taking chances. Then also, when we prepare the team to do high pressing, for us he is very important because he is very intelligent tactically, but he can play in the two positions.”

Torreira’s more advanced positioning has seen him notch two goals, both in defeats to Liverpool at Anfield. His tigerish desire to win the ball, combined with being further forward, means that when he does help turnover possession, the Gunners are far closer to the opposition goal to punish them. It is a thinking that is rooted in understandable logic, and not simply a random piece of tactical experimentation.

It has therefore been no surprise to see the 23-year-old register his highest career league average for shots per game (one) this season, and whilst it may not have brought great reward so far, there is certainly a method to the madness when it comes to Emery’s use of the midfielder.

Former England forward Gary Lineker has insisted that Lionel Messi deserved to win the 2019 Ballon d’Or ahead of Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.Having helped Liverpool win the 2019 Champions League and also played a key role in the Netherlands reaching the UEFA Nations League final, there was a lot of clamour for Van Dijk to be handed the individual honour in Monday night’s ceremony – with Anfield favourites Jurgen Klopp and Steven Gerrard backing him to clinch the accolade.However, Messi picked up the accolade, winning it for a record sixth time, while Liverpool’s star defender had to settle for second place.

It is actually the 32-year-old’s first Ballon d’Or since 2015, and it arrived after finding the back of the net on 54 occasions for Barca and Argentina during the 2018/19 campaign.

Lineker has insisted that Messi is “head and shoulders” above every other footballer on the planet, and the pundit has insisted that the South American is fully deserving of the award despite Van Dijk’s impressive form for club and country during 2019.

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Lineker’s message on social media is available to view below…

Van Dijk has again recently been praised by the Liverpool supporters as the former Southampton ace continues to go from strength to strength.

كشفت صحيفة “ذا صن” البريطانية عن موقف المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي مانشستر يونايتد، أولي جونار سولشاير، من رحيل لاعبه، دوني فان دي بيك، مع نهاية الموسم الحالي.

وانضم فان دي بيك إلى مانشستر يونايتد في الصيف الماضي قادمًا من أياكس أمستردام، لكنه لم يشارك كثيرًا بقميص الشياطين الحمر في جميع المسابقات المحلية والقارية.

اقرأ أيضًا | سولشاير: نشعر بالفخر بعد الفوز على روما.. ولا نلعب من أجل برونو فقط

كان الهولندي الدولي أحد نجوم أياكس ومنتخب هولندا حتى الموسم الماضي، لكنه لم ينجح في كسب ثقة سولشاير حتى الآن ولا يشارك عادة إلا كبديل.

وبحسب صحيفة “ذا صن”، يرفض سولشاير السماع لأي عروض من قبل الأندية الخارجية الراغبة في التعاقد مع فان دي بيك لأنه يرى أن الهولندي هو مستقبل النادي الإنجليزي.

الجدير بالذكر أن فان داي بيك لم يبدأ أي مباراة رسمية في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز مع مانشستر يونايتد منذ نوفمبر الماضي، ولكنه شارك في 32 مباراة سجل خلالها هدفا وحيدا وصنع هدفين.