Peru winger Andre Carrillo impressed during his nation’s 1-0 defeat to Denmark in their opening 2018 World Cup match on Saturday, and Everton fans want their club to sign the attacker, rated at £5.4m by Transfermarkt.
The 27-year-old played on the right-hand side – but is also able to play on the left – for his country and showed his pace and skill throughout, and Toffees boss Marco Silva certainly knows him well having brought him to Watford on a season-long loan deal last summer.
He struggled to make an impact at Vicarage Road – especially after Silva lost his job – and ended the campaign with two goals and two assists in 30 appearances in all competitions, before returning to parent club Benfica.
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Everton supporters, who have urged their club to sign another 27-year-old World Cup star, were quick to have their say on Carrillo’s display via social media, and while one said “I’d have this Carrillo as a Bolasie replacement”, another said “Everton need to sign Carrillo”.
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According to reports in the Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur are set to make a summer swoop for Watford midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure after manager Mauricio Pochettino watched him in action in his side’s 4-1 win against Chelsea at Vicarage Road on Monday night.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Frenchman has been one of the Hornets’ standout players this season and he impressed once again against the Premier League holders by assisting the last two goals in the 4-1 success.
The Daily Mail says that Pochettino was left impressed with what he saw of the 25-year-old midfielder, although he will have to pay more than the £20m Watford received when they sold Odion Ighalo Changchun Yatai last year given the player’s contract doesn’t run out until 2020, with the Hertfordshire-based outfit also keen to tie him down to a new deal worth more than £60,000-a-week.
The report adds that Spurs could face competition for Doucoure’s signature from Premier League rivals Arsenal and Liverpool, who are also keeping tabs on the midfielder.
How good has Doucoure been this season?
He has been excellent in the middle of the park.
The 25-year-old has scored seven goals and provided a further three assists in 25 Premier League appearances from both central and defensive midfield positions, and he has often highlighted his ability as a box-to-box player.
According to WhoScored.com, the Frenchman has made 29 key passes in those 25 top flight outings, while he has successfully completed 27 of the 33 dribbles he has attempted and made 39 interceptions.
Would he be a good signing for Tottenham?
He certainly would be.
Pochettino will be beginning to look for a long-term replacement for Mousa Dembele soon and Doucoure could well fit the bill.
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The 25-year-old is decent on the ball, strong and can pick a pass, while his energy and ability to get up and down the field mean that he has a3 huge impact at both ends of the pitch.
Given the quality that he has, Tottenham would certainly be keen to wrap up a deal for the Frenchman if they could get him for less than the £30m they paid Newcastle United to sign Moussa Sissoko in 2016, although Arsenal and Liverpool may have something to say about that.
Barcelona’s 14-month transfer embargo for the international trade of minors will have a major knock-on affect on world football.
Aside from influencing the transfer policy of the club itself, having such a superpower in the game banned from buying or selling players for two windows will likely have an impact on all elite clubs, either directly or indirectly. With this in mind, we consider who the embargo is going to affect more: Chelsea or Arsenal?
David Luiz was known to be high on Barcelona’s priority list this summer. The Brazilian was odds-on with most bookmakers to move to Camp Nou before the ban was announced. It was believed that Chelsea would have accepted a bid of £25m for the defender, with Mourinho seemingly to have deemed the player too unreliable.
The news of FIFA’s ban is unlikely to be well received at Stamford Bridge. The club have been making a serious effort to conform with Financial Fair Play, and will have been counting on the transfer fee that they were going to receive for Luiz when considering their transfer policy for the next window.
It’s well known that Chelsea’s priority is to sign a top-class centre-forward. And such a player is not going to come cheap. With Luiz now likely to remain at Stamford Bridge, the club are going to have to find another way of balancing the books.
However, David Luiz was not the only Chelsea player who Barcelona were interested in. With Victor Valdes having taken the decision to leave the Catalan club at the end of the season, Barcelona were also in the market for a goalkeeper. And Thibaut Courtois was attracting attention.
The Belgian’s form has been impressive during his two-year loan spell at Atletico Madrid, so much so that it earned him the LFP goalkeeper of year award for last season. Courtois’ detachment from Chelsea, and obvious enjoyment of life in Spain, means that it would have been very difficult for Chelsea to hold onto the player if Barcelona had acted on their interest.
The ban means that Chelsea should be able to hold onto Courtois but are faced with the problem of who to choose as the No.1 for next season. However, this has to be considered a ‘good problem’ given the alternative was losing the man who many see as the next best goalkeeper in the world.
The announcement of Barcelona’s transfer troubles is unlikely to be greeted with too much glee at the Emirates either.
Alex Song had been rumoured to be considering a move back to his former club after failing to establish a place in the first-teams of either Pep Guardiola or Tata Martino. And given Arsenal’s recent penchant for capitulation, his brawn would have been quickly welcomed back in the centre of the park.
Arsenal have also held a long-standing interest in Alexis Sanchez. Like Song, the Chilean has never been able to hold down a regular place at the Camp Nou, and with the recent improvement in Arsenal’s financial situation, this may have been the window to turn their interest into something more concrete.
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However, the embargo is not without some potential benefits for the North London club either. Arsenal and Barcelona share an interest in the Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. If the Catalan club’s troubles mean that Arsenal can secure the German international, then they could still potentially be a major beneficiary of the situation.
While it remains impossible to quantify the effect that Barcelona’s ban will have at this stage, it looks likely to have more of a positive impact on Chelsea than Arsenal. Even if the West End club would have preferred to cash-in on Luiz, being forced to retain a player of his talent is far from the worst possible outcome.
For Arsenal, the ban is more likely to have a negative consequences on the whole. Given that the Arsenal squad again appears to be in need of serious investment, the ruling out of two of their top transfer targets can be damaging for those at the Emirates.
Jan Vertonghen believes Tottenham are strong enough to bounce back from their 1-0 Premier League loss at home to Wigan at the weekend.
Spurs went down to a Ben Watson goal in the 56th minute to deny them the chance to capitalise on Arsenal, Everton and Fulham dropping points and claiming a spot in the top four.
But the Spurs defender feels Andre Villas-Boas’ squad can recover from the shock defeat and admits that they struggled with Wigan’s approach to the game.
He told Tottenham’s official website: “The team is strong enough to come back from this defeat.
“We had problems with their [Wigan Athletic] system, but normally we turn it around.
“We just couldn’t do it and it was a shame for the fans because it was a big opportunity with Arsenal losing, plus Fulham and Everton drawing. Overall, it was very disappointing.”
Spurs have a difficult month ahead of them, both in the Premier League and the Europa League, with trips to Manchester City, Lazio and Arsenal all set to provide stern tests for Andre Villas-Boas’ men.
But Vertonghen believes Spurs have more than enough to triumph in all of these games and is confident of a revival.
“We have a lot of important games ahead, important games in Europe and difficult away games. We have to stick together. We know we’re strong in away games and we can win at any away ground,” he added.
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As reported by The Daily Record, Aston Villa have joined the race for Hibernian talent John McGinn this summer.
What’s the story?
This summer is expected to be one of transition for the Villans, with recent financial problems already meaning that John Terry left the club at the end of the season.
Latest reports link star midfielder Jack Grealish with a move away from Birmingham too, potentially to the likes of Tottenham Hotspur.
The task facing Steve Bruce then is attracting affordable talent to the club who can still help them achieve ambitions of reaching the play-offs or higher next season.
One name on his radar is Hibernian midfielder John McGinn.
That’s according to The Daily Record, who report the £5m-rated Scotland international is well within reach for the Villa Park side despite their money woes.
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Can he replace Grealish?
The reality for Villa is that Jack Grealish may be somewhat irreplaceable in the short term, at least until they sort out their finances or reach the riches of the English Premier League.
The homegrown talent was a real driving force for Villa last season, with the side looking noticeably poorer when he was absent.
McGinn may not be able to reach those heights immediately but offers the same passion and ambition in the middle of the park, confident enough to win the ball and carry it into the final third on a consistent basis.
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At 23 years of age he also holds plenty of potential and playing in the Championship could improve on his current ability after learning his trade in the Scottish second-tier and Premiership.
If Villa are to compete, they need young, hungry and ambitious players and McGinn ticks those boxes on a budget for the club, if they are to be funded by the sale of Grealish this summer.
He could well end up helping supporters forgetting about the fan favourite, should he leave.
Celtic fans can be pleased with the weekend’s Scottish Premiership action after a 1-0 win over Hibernian at Celtic Park on Saturday.
Maintaining their 11 point lead at the top of the table, Brendan Rodgers’ side were never spectacular against the Edinburgh side but got the job done thanks to a first half finish from striker Leigh Griffiths.
One of the big talking points coming out of the match was the performance of Hibs midfielder John McGinn, who has been heavily linked with a move to the Hoops this month.
However, it appears it is one potential transfer that Celtic fans would like to avoid after being left less than impressed with his performance on Saturday.
The Scotland international failed to get to grips with the game in the same manner he has done against Celtic previously this season and fans reckon it is indicative that he is below the quality required to make an impact in Brendan Rodgers’ first team.
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They took to Twitter to discuss his performance and any potential switch to Glasgow…
Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has hinted a summer deal that would see Diego Costa and Chelsea’s Fernando Torres head in opposite directions could be on.
The Blues have been linked with the Brazilian-born Spain international for some time, with rumours suggesting that Jose Mourinho has made him his top target for the coming transfer window.
Likewise Atletico have been aligned with Torres, who started his career with the Madrid side and captained them before joining Liverpool in 2007.
Speaking on Spanish radio, Simeone opened the door for a swap deal by saying that bringing the Chelsea man back to the Vicente Calderon is a tempting option, and that he will not stand in Costa’s way if he wants to join the Premier League side:
“Fernando is always with us, obviously I have sent messages to him, he is very happy with everything that is happening to this team, he is always present, wishing us luck. Of course he would love to come back to the club he grew up in and where he was very happy.” He is quoted by The Guardian.
“It will depend on him (Costa) and what he thinks is the best for his future. I will support any decision he makes.
“It’s natural that Chelsea are interested in him. And that makes me happy, because my aim and that of my coaching staff is to see our players improve. We understand that Chelsea have huge financial power, and if he wants to live off football for the rest of his life, I will have no problem in him going.
“It was like Radamel Falcao, how could I tell him not to go to Monaco?”
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Chelsea and Atletico are believed to have a close transfer relationship, with the Spanish side having had Thibaut Courtois on loan from Stamford Bridge for three seasons.
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Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew said he had no complaints about the referee’s decision to award Cheick Tiote a red card in the 25th minute of yesterday’s Tyne-Wear derby.
The majority of Toon fans found the sending off a bitter pill to swallow as the ref awarded Newcastle a free kick for a foul on the midfielder, just before his challenge on Steven Fletcher.
Despite it leaving Newcastle facing a major uphill battle for the rest of the game, the gaffer said he accepted the decision.
Pardew went on to say in his post-match press conference “I have kind of accepted in my mind to accept it. There is absolutely no doubt – and I know Cheick – that he has not tried to do the player, he is just late, if I am honest, and the referee has deemed that a red.”
Tiote’s premature departure may have changed the course of the game, but Newcastle received praise for their resolute defending.
Opposing boss, Martin O’Neill, even accepted post-match that a draw was about the right result as he went onto say “We got the goal and maybe had enough time them to go on and win it, but in the circumstances with Newcastle being down to 10 men and having defended so strongly, that would have been harsh.”
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Now the Tyne-Wear Derby is out of the way, Newcastle United are set to turn their attentions to the Europa League and Club Brugge this Thursday night at St James’s Park.
Many Liverpool fans would have hoped that the team’s attacking trio would make the headlines following the Champions League final on May 26.
However, it turned out to be Loris Karius due to the goalkeeper’s error-strewn performance in the 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in Kiev.
The German shot-stopper received plenty of criticism on social media for practically handing the ball to Karim Benzema for Madrid’s opening goal, as well as failing to keep out Gareth Bale’s second of the night.
Now, though, it has emerged that Karius played the majority of the second half with a head injury.
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According to ESPN, Liverpool were concerned that the 24-year-old had suffered concussion during a collision with Madrid’s Sergio Ramos, who earlier in the game was involved in a challenge that left Mohamed Salah with a dislocated shoulder.
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Massachusetts General Hospital has now confirmed in a statement that Karius did suffer a concussion, and added that “it could be possible that such deficits would affect performance”.
Liverpool fans have been tweeting their thoughts on the news, with the majority hoping that their fellow supporters do not use this as an excuse for the defeat in Ukraine.
As the League Cup reaches the semi-final stage, the football keeps coming.
There’s barely been a break since Christmas as either a Premier League or FA Cup game of some description has been televised over a frantic and fairly breathless festive period. This week, there’s little respite as Manchester City, Bristol City, Arsenal and Chelsea will meet respectively on consecutive nights.
Normally, the League Cup is seen as something of a second-tier competition: the underprivileged smaller relation of the FA Cup, itself falling from popularity and prestige. The maligned competition may not have moved up much further in the hearts and minds of most onlookers over the last few years, but it may well be rising in the consciousness of the various super-managers of the top six Premier League clubs.
This season is a good example. With the three of the four semi-finalists coming from the top six clubs of the Premier League, and the fourth, Bristol City, having upset Manchester United in the quarter-final, perhaps that’s as good as any evidence that the top clubs are beginning to look to this trophy as one worth winning. Indeed, Arsene Wenger even rested some of his best players in a move which backfired against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round. That was surely a move taken with Chelsea in mind.
The reasons for wanting to win are obvious. It’s a simple case of supply and demand. These days, with six clubs pulling away from the rest of the league, there are only so many chances for success. It’s a simple case of supply and demand. This season, Manchester City have all but sewn up the league title, and all that’s left to play for is a Champions League spot for those below. That means success can’t be grabbed in the league, only failure. All the league can offer is missing out on a Champions League spot – it’s important to play hard to finish in the top four, but beyond that there’s no motivation. That makes the two cup competitions important, but the same deal applies there, too: of the six favourites, only one can win each trophy, and this season Pep Guardiola’s sided will be favourites for all of them, too.
That the capitalistic nature of the Premier League would make the League Cup more valuable through some strange version of the principle of supply and demand is ironic, but probably quite welcome.
When Arsenal rested players in the FA Cup and were beaten, it wasn’t so much an affront to the tournament – one they’ve won three times in the last four years – but it was an admission that they’re taking the League Cup seriously. That’s a step forward. Every cup should be taken seriously, and when there’s merit in every competition, it’s we, the fans, who get to watch some teams trying their hardest in every game.
If Arsenal, say, are to win the League Cup this season and win nothing else, whilst also failing to finish in the Premier League’s top four, that probably won’t constitute a good season in most people’s eyes. Not beyond warranting praise for finally competing in a competition which wasn’t the FA Cup. The power of the League Cup isn’t yet that great.
But it’s surely growing. With only a few competitions up for grabs, these days, and with the pressure among the top six clubs to win a trophy every season, the League Cup does, at least, present a chance to get a trophy under the belt for an assault for bigger things later in the season.
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And if the domination of the top six stays the same, and if the pressure stays the same, the League Cup could become a competition fans take seriously very soon. And if Arsene Wenger’s rotation is anything to go by, that may has already happened among managers.