Tag Futebol

Newcastle United are reportedly plotting a move for Mallik Wilks in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Wilks on fire this season

Wilks has been on fire for Hull City in the 2020/21 term, with no fewer than 31 goal contributions in 50 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

A player that is capable of playing anywhere across the front line, he would certainly add some welcome squad depth at St. James’ Park.

The Latest: Newcastle plot Wilks move

As per Football Insider, the Tyneside club are plotting a move to bring Wilks to the North East once the summer transfer window officially opens.

However, Crystal Palace also hold a strong interest in the former Leeds United product, as a recruitment source has told the news outlet that his form has caught the eye of many teams at the top of the English game.

The Verdict: Newcastle should sign Wilks

Even though Wilks has been playing in League One, two divisions below the Premier League, 31 goals and assists combined is not something to be sniffed at.

At just 22 years of age, the six-foot ace still has a lot of potential as well, and will be hungry to climb up the footballing pyramid as he continues his development.

Nonetheless, the Magpies could do a lot worse than sign up Wilks, whose proven end product would ease the attacking burden off of the likes of Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin.

In other news, find out what promising insight Lee Ryder has shared from takeover observers on arbitration here!

Ralph Hasenhuttl could take Southampton to where Leicester City are now, says the club’s former vice-chairman Les Reed.

Since Brendan Rodgers took over, Leicester have been on an incredible upward trajectory.

The Foxes, of course, recently won the FA Cup and just narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification this campaign, as well as the one prior.

And with significant investment, Reed believes Hasenhuttl could do something similar at St. Mary’s.

Speaking on Leicester, Southampton and Hasenhuttl, the former Charlton Athletic manager told TT in an exclusive interview:

“I think there are expectations that Ralph Hasenhuttl has this quality to be able to take them to where Leicester are now. But it has to be more than that.

“He needs the tools to do the job, and I think that would require either significant investment initially or everyone to buy into a longer term plan.”

Hasenhuttl managed to guide Southampton to an FA Cup semi-final with what he is working with now, ironically losing out to Leicester, so perhaps he really could elevate this Saints side with the right kind of backing.

What the Austrian did at RB Leipzig, leading the German side to 2nd place in the Bundesliga back in the 2016/17 season, is also arguably a show of his credentials.

Former Glasgow Rangers manager Alex McLeish believes Ianis Hagi is unhappy at Ibrox due to his lack of playing time.

McLeish makes Hagi claim

Hagi has been in and out of Gerrard’s starting line-up so far this campaign. He has made 42 appearances in all competitions this term, of which 33 have been starts – the Gers have been involved in a total of 52 matches throughout the season (Transfermarkt).

Speaking to Ibrox News, McLeish believes the £5.4m-valued Romania international (Transfermarkt) will be upset. He said:

“He’s played cameo roles for most of the season. There were doubts about him at Genk, they thought he was just ok, but he’s a young lad.

“For a young player like that, I would say that a lot of the games he has contributed more in than at the beginning which shows his improvements. He’ll probably be upset that he’s not started that much or played.

“Steven has obviously got a game plan, and he is a little reluctant to disrupt that too much.”

More expected

This campaign has been far from a total disappointment for the former Genk man. He has managed seven goals and 12 assists in the matches in which he has played, and his performances have contributed to the Gers winning the Premiership title.

Having said that, he will most likely have expected to be a crucial player for the 55-time Scottish champions, and that has not really been the case. He has also come in for criticism from the club’s supporters, which will not have done his confidence any favours. He has been linked with a move to Lazio (Sport.ro), and that may well be on the back of his mind.

Hagi, though, still has plenty to offer. He is just 22 years of age, and there have been plenty of signs of his talent. If both he and Steven Gerrard can remain patient, the youngster could have a fantastic career at Ibrox.

In other news, Rangers are favourites to sign this striker.

أكد المدرب الجنوب إفريقي، بيتسو موسيماني، المدير الفني للنادي الأهلي، أنه لا يرى نفسه خارج القلعة الحمراء، مع تبقي خمسة أشهر فقط على نهاية عقده مع بطل القرن الإفريقي.

وكان موسيماني قد تولى قيادة الأهلي في أكتوبر من العام الماضي 2020، ولديه عقد مع وصيف الدوري المصري، ينتهي في نهاية الموسم الجاري في 30 يونيو 2022.

اقرأ أيضًا.. موسيماني يتغنى بثنائي الأهلي: يمكنهما اللعب في الدوري الإنجليزي أو الإسباني

ودخل الأهلي في مفاوضات مع موسيماني، من أجل التوقيع على عقد جديد، وذلك بعد نجاحه في الفوز بلقب دوري أبطال إفريقيا على حساب كايزر تشيفز، للمرة الثانية على التوالي.

ومن المقرر أن ينتهي العقد الحالي لـ بيتسو موسيماني مع الأهلي في نهاية الموسم الحالي، 2021/2022، ولم يتوصل الطرفان إلى اتفاق بشأن التجديد حتى الآن.

🚨NEW POD🚨

🗣️@TheRealPitso

“I believe we will renew [my contract with Al Ahly]… if we don’t renew I’ll be surprised.”

Full pod drops tomorrow 8 AM GMT.

🎧 https://t.co/S03SlxYcmf
📺 https://t.co/YBJmHD4TEf#AlAhly #CAFCL @EgyptianPlayers @SportsguyZayn @ahoworth97 pic.twitter.com/a2BmvfkE64 — On The Whistle (@otw_podcast) February 20, 2022

موسيماني تحدث مع بودكاست “On The Whistle” الجنوب إفريقي، وسُئل عما إذا سيوافق على التدريب في أمريكا الشمالية أو الجنوبية أو أوروبا، وقال: “انظر، أنا أفهم هذا السؤال”.

وأضاف: “ولكن ربما ليس الوقت المُناسب للإجابة على ذلك، لأنك تعلم لا يزال لديّ خمسة أشهر على نهاية عقدي مع الأهلي”.

وواصل: “ربما يكون السؤال الصحيح الذي يجب طرحه عندما يتفق الجميع على أننا ربما لا نجدد، لكنني أعتقد أننا سوف نجدد، لأنه إذا لم نجدد، سأفاجأ بالطبع”.

اقرأ أيضًا – بسبب الأهلي.. مدرب صن داونز ينتقد أداء لاعبيه في مباراة المريخ الدوري الأمريكي وجهة موسيماني المقبلة حال الرحيل عن الأهلي

وأكمل: “لا أعرف ما يجب أن تكون عليه الأمور للحصول على عقد!، ولكن نعم أنا أرى نفسي مدربًا في الدوري الأمريكي، إنه يُثير اهتمامي حقًا”.

وكشف: “أنا أتابع الدوري الأمريكي لكرة القدم على التلفاز، أحب فريق سياتل، لديهم الكثير من الجماهير بشكل لا يُصدق”.

وأتم تصريحاته قائلًا: “يوجد أحد اللاعبين دربته بالفعل في منتخب جنوب إفريقيا والآن هو مدرب في الدوري الأمريكي، وسأكون سعيدًا إذا أتيحت لي فرصة هُناك”.

Allan Saint-Maximin inspired a stunning Newcastle United comeback on Saturday afternoon to hand a boost to Steve Bruce’s hopes of staying in the Premier League this season, but another name arguably stole the show at Turf Moor.

The Magpies were heading for a frustrating result until the Frenchman’s 57th-minute introduction as he came off the bench to score and assist two goals in quick succession.

He first found Jacob Murphy before a superb solo effort was rifled home, both within eight minutes of coming onto the pitch.

And whilst he deserves plenty of plaudits, Newcastle’s opening goalscorer deserves just as much, having made a considerable impact throughout the 90 minutes.

Indeed, Murphy was amongst Bruce’s highest-rated starters (7.4), as per SofaScore ratings and this was something echoed by ChronicleLive’s Lee Ryder, who claimed the wing-back bounced back from an indifferent opening half to form a brilliant partnership with Saint-Maximin.

The 26-year-old was one of the Magpies’ most influential players as he recorded 66 touches, a feat only bettered by Jonjo Shelvey – understandably as he’s supposed to dictate play from the engine room.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/the-latest-newcastle-news%2c-gossip-and-views-2″ title=”The latest Newcastle news, gossip and views!”]

But that merely showed how Newcastle relied on Murphy down that right flank, he only got better when Bruce replaced the struggling forward duo of Joelinton and Dwight Gayle.

The 5 foot 9 dynamo also managed to provide two accurate crosses and pulled off one successful dribble but he too contributed defensively to great effect.

As per SofaScore, Murphy made two tackles, which was only bettered by one player on the pitch – Erik Pieters (six), who the Magpies star often went to battle with.

By comparison, central defensive duo Ciaran Clark and Federico Fernandez combined for the same number of tackles. Murphy also chipped in with one interception and one block too.

The £25k-per-week dynamo earned the glowing praise of Alan Shearer on Twitter as he couldn’t contain his excitement at the victory, so whilst Saint-Maximin will be the main name spoken about, you cannot ignore the industrious contribution of the former Norwich City graduate.

He’s still set to be out of contract in the summer, so the Magpies hierarchy will need to act on Bruce’s wishes sooner rather than later after that display.

AND in other news, “There’s rumours” – Exclusive: Marcus Bent drops big claim on ex-player returning to Newcastle…

According to a report by Voetbal 24, Belgian Pro League leaders Club Brugge are willing to make a ‘significant effort’ to sign Tottenham Hotspur star Toby Alderweireld this summer and have already established ‘first contacts’ – with Jose Mourinho facing the possibility of potentially losing him depending on what the defender decides for his future.

Alderweireld, who has started 18 Premier League games over 2020/2021, enjoyed a rich vein of form earlier this campaign but has been rotated in and out of Spurs’ starting eleven in recent weeks alongside the likes of Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez and Joe Rodon.

Alderweireld attracting serious interest

For most of the season, however, he has been a regular in the Lilywhites’ backline – prompting serious interest from Club Brugge as they allegedly establish first contacts over a potential summer move.

Indeed, it has apparently been ‘known for some time’ that Brugge are really keen on the 32-year-old – and Voetbal 24 claim that they are ready to make a ‘significant effort’ to sign him in the summer.

It will of course depend on what the international decides for his future, with Alderweireld previously indicating ‘several times’ he would like to live in his native Belgium again.

Club Brugge are apparently ‘ready to strike’ if the centre-back decides to leave Spurs this summer and would welcome him with open arms.

The centre-back position has been a weak point in Tottenham’s side since the beginning of the season, and losing Alderweireld this summer could come as a setback.

Transfer Tavern take

Speaking to Football Insider earlier this season, pundit Noel Whelan described him as a ‘phenomenal player’ and the ‘best defender at the club’. Even though Spurs may need to adopt a sell-to-buy policy this summer, it’s arguable the likes of Sanchez or Dier are more expendable candidates for the chop.

Time will tell whether he does opt to leave for a return to Belgium at the end of the season, but it could be one to keep an eye on.

In other news: Tottenham are set to battle for this centre-forward, find out more here.

Leeds United have suffered a major blow over Mateusz Klich whilst on international duty, with Marcelo Bielsa surely concerned.

What’s the story?

The £13m-rated midfielder was called up by Poland for their World Cup qualifiers this month, with one of those games of course coming against England at Wembley Stadium.

However, Klich is now unlikely to take part in that game or any of the other two fixtures either, with it being confirmed that he has tested positive for coronavirus.

Bielsa will be worried

Despite seemingly falling out of favour for Bielsa in recent weeks – he’s completed the full 90 minutes just twice in Leeds’ last 11 Premier League games – there’s no questioning an in-form and on song Klich can be a real dynamic presence.

In his first 16 top-flight games, the Polish ace bagged himself two goals and picked up five assists, and it was no surprise that former Leeds man Danny Mills waxed lyrical about him.

He said: “I think Mateusz Klich has done very, very well because when Bielsa first came in he was almost surplus to requirements, he wasn’t being used an awful lot before he came in and could have been on his way.

“He’s got talent, he’s a clever midfield player, he’s very fit and he’s reliable. Undoubtedly he’s got quality. Maybe it’s a little bit of a stretch to say he could play in any team in the world. He’s just trying to say ‘I rely on this player, he’s been fantastic for me’ and he has, he’s been absolutely superb.”

If everything gets confirmed about Klich after a second test is done, then the 30-year-old will of course have to isolate and potentially missing training which will leave Bielsa frustrated.

The midfielder hasn’t missed a single league game all season, while there’s also no real telling about how contracting it can have a short-term or long-term impact on a player – you only have to look at how Newcastle star Allan Saint-Maximin has seemingly struggled all season with it.

Bielsa will surely be concerned over the news surrounding Klich.

Meanwhile, this Leeds man has proven to be an absolutely awful signing…

Manchester United defender Teden Mengi has made an excellent start to life within senior football and he could potentially save the Red Devils from forking out a small fortune.

The 18-year-old centre-back joined Derby County on-loan in January, with his temporary move to Pride Park being his first experience of senior football away from United’s youth team set-up.

He has certainly had an extremely promising start to life in the East-Midlands.

Mengi has so far made four appearances for the Rams, three of those starts, and earned his first clean sheet in midweek in a 0-0 draw against Barnsley.

Rams’ boss and former Red Devils hero, Wayne Rooney, has certainly been enamoured by the youngster so far, labelling his performance against the Tykes on Wednesday as “excellent”.

Despite only just venturing into senior football, Mengi’s statistics suggest that he is not out of place at all.

According to WhoScored, he is averaging 4.9 defensive contributions per match; 1.3 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, two clearances and 0.3 blocks.

His numbers are extremely comparable to fellow centre-backs and senior professionals Curtis Davies and Matthew Clarke, indicating how quickly he has adapted to Championship football.

Considering his age, Mengi already appears to have plenty of composure when in the tackle, only averaging 0.5 fouls per 90 minutes which is only beaten by George Edmundson of central defenders in the Rams’ squad. That is not an aspect often found in young players, who are slightly too keen to make their mark.

Whilst those numbers should level out as Mengi accumulates more experience with Derby, it is an extremely promising start for the youngster, who has captained the Red Devils’ U23 team on a number of occasions.

With Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Soslkjaer reportedly keen to sign a centre-back in the summer, £1.35m-rated Mengi could save the Red Devils a considerable fee should he continue his current trajectory at Pride Park and prove that he’s a viable first-team option once he returns to Old Trafford.

AND in more news, Ed Woodward does not need to move for a new goalkeeper despite links to AC Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma…

Southampton travel to Bramall Lane on Saturday hoping that they can turn around their recent awful form and pick up three points against Sheffield United, who despite some recent impressive results are still rock bottom of the Premier League.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have now picked up just one point from their last nine top-flight fixtures, which has seen them dragged into a potential relegation battle, but they can ease any fears of playing Championship football next season with three points against Chris Wilder’s side on Saturday.

The Austrian could welcome back the likes of Kyle Walker-Peters and Ibrahima Diallo after injury, which should be a huge boost to their chances of leaving Bramall Lane with maximum points.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Hasenhuttl to line up, with three changes from the team which started against Everton last time out…

Fraser Forster keeps his place in goal, despite conceding his first goal of the season in the 1-0 defeat against Everton.

There’s one change in defence, as Walker-Peters makes his return at right-back, which allows Jan Bednarek to move back into the middle, with Mohammed Salisu the one to miss out.

There are two changes in midfield, as Takumi Minamino returns from his own minor injury to start on the left-hand side ahead of Nathan Redmond, whilst Ibrahima Diallo comes in to partner James Ward-Prowse, allowing Stuart Armstrong to move out to the right-hand side, with Moussa Djenepo not risked.

Finally, in attack, Danny Ings partners Che Adams, although both will have to rediscover their goalscoring touch if Southampton are to turn their recent form around, with Adams hoping to find success against his old side on Saturday.

And, in other news… Hasenhuttl handed huge boost ahead of relegation clash; he could be a game-changer

حدد الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم مواعيد مباريات دور المجموعات في بطولة الكونفدرالية.

وأجريت اليوم الثلاثاء قرعة دور المجموعات بالكونفدرالية وبطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا بمقر الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم بالقاهرة. طالع التفاصيل

وأسفرت القرعة عن وقوع المصري في المجموعة الثالثة رفقة مازيمبي وأتوهو من الكونغو والقطن الكاميروني. مواعيد مباريات المصري في دور المجموعات بالكونفدرالية الإفريقية 2022

الجولة الأولى:

القطن الكاميروني ضد المصري وستقام المباراة يوم 13 فبراير المقبل، في الكاميرون.

الجولة الثانية:

المصري ضد مازيمبي الكونغولي وستقام يوم 20 فبراير المقبل، في مصر.

الجولة الثالثة:

المصري أمام أوتوهو وستقام المباراة يوم 23 فبراير المقبل، في الكونغو.

الجولة الرابعة:

المصري أمام أوتوهو وستقام المباراة يوم 13 مارس المقبل، في مصر.

الجولة الخامسة:

المصري ضد القطن الكاميرون وستقام المباراة يوم 20 مارس المقبل، في مصر.

الجولة السادسة:

مازيمبي الكونغولي أمام المصري وستقام المباراة يوم 3 أبريل المقبل في الكونغو.