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Oh, Football friends (little ‘Inbetweeners’ reference there for you).

Welcome to the Premier League, John Lundstram, it looks like you’re going to do just fine.

The 25-year-old scored Sheffield United’s first goal back at Bramall Lane in the Premier League on Sunday as the Blades grabbed all three points against Crystal Palace.

This achievement is made all the more impressive when you consider the fact that Lundstram struggled to break into the first team at Goodison Park and departed Merseyside on a permanent deal in 2015 after a nomadic, loan-littered Everton career.

He then joined Oxford United in an effort to restart his climb back up the ladder, which is where he met “(oooo) football friend” Kemar Roofe, another one of football’s hopefuls. With the Premier League dream set firmly in their sights, the pair (probably) made a pact: whoever fails to score the first goal in top flight football must, without hesitation, post a throwback to their Instagram story.

Considering Roofe recently ditched English football, there was only going to be one winner…

We wonder if he predicted Anderlecht’s form at the beginning of the 2019/20 season as well?

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Ryan Kent looks set to depart to Rangers in a deadline day move which is being viewed as a positive by some Liverpool fans.

Rangers have targeted the 23-year-old for much of the summer after he impressed manager Steven Gerrard in his loan spell at Ibrox last season.

According to The Daily Record, the two clubs have agreed a fee of £7m, which would mean a significant reduction in price for the midfielder, whom Liverpool had previously valued at £12m.

He did well on loan in Scotland last season, contributing six goals and 10 assists in 43 appearances for Rangers, but his failure to make a senior appearance for the Reds indicates that he is deemed not good enough by Jurgen Klopp, which is why some fans are presumably happy with the deal.

The development in transfer talks will be greeted well by Kent, who told Sky Sports News that his heart was set on a move to the Glasgow club this summer, as he looks for first-team football.

Here is some of the reaction from Liverpool fans, who are pleased with the club for conducting what they view as a good piece of business.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to the print version of The Sunday People, via HITC, Southampton are interested in taking Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo on loan for the season, and it makes perfect sense given their recent costly strategy.

What’s the word, then?

Well, while Saints have added to their attacking ranks with the signings of Che Adams and Moussa Djenepo – as well as Danny Ings’ permanent stay at St Mary’s being confirmed – they are yet to add any new bodies to their defence.

The Telegraph reported following the arrival of Che Adams that signing a new centre-back was a priority, but with just a few days until the transfer window slams shut they are still yet to get one – they also have Maya Yoshida, Jannik Vestergaard, Jan Bednarek, Jack Stephens and Wesley Hoedt still on their books in that position.

Watch Southampton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Sunday People, via HITC, report that they are keen to bring the Barca youngster who can also play as a defensive midfielder to the south coast though, and the La Liga giants are happy to let him go on a temporary basis as they feel it would aid his development.

The ramifications of past mistakes

The idea of potentially developing a player for another club when Southampton have been so used to doing it with their own academy players in recent years is hardly appealing, but it is probably a necessity due to what has happened in recent years.

The likes of Moi Elyounoussi, Mario Lemina, Guido Carrillo and Wesley Hoedt have been brought in for large fees on sizeable wages, as per Spotrac, and have failed to make the grade at St Mary’s.

Saints have been actively trying to offload some of these players in the last couple of months if reports are to be believed, without any success.

They have tied down other first-team players such as Fraser Forster, Alex McCarthy and Charlie Austin to lucrative contracts that make them an expensive option for buying clubs too, which has ultimately left the squad bloated. Only Matt Targett, Jordy Clasie and Sam Gallagher have left thus far in this window.

With plenty of transfer risks failing to pay off the south coast team are left in a situation where a loan move for a player like Todibo works, because if he fails to shine they simply give him back, while you would assume that Barcelona will cover the majority – or at least part – of his wages.

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This is the seventh instalment in Football FanCast’s Legacies series, which pays tribute to those players and managers who leave a compelling story behind as they move on to pastures new.

Julian Speroni waved an emotional goodbye to Crystal Palace on the final day of the 2018/19 season following a 5-3 win over Bournemouth, ending a 15 year association with the club after signing from Dundee in 2004.

In our latest legacies article, we look at a player who’s about as close as they come to being a one-club man without officially being one. 

An Overview

Speroni arrived at Palace when the side were still in the Premier League, only to play six matches and suffer relegation, so it’s fair to say his first season wasn’t a particularly memorable one.

In fact, he didn’t begin to truly have an impact at Selhurst Park until the 2007/08 season, when he firmly established himself as the club’s number one and started all 46 Championship games.

He was the mainstay between the sticks as the club entered a period of financial doubt, enduring administration in 2010 and having to sell key players like Victor Moses and Jose Fonte.

After a series of off-field dramas, Palace found their feet again under Dougie Freedman before the arrival of Ian Holloway, who managed to guide the side back to the Premier League with a 1-0 win against Watford in the play-off final.

Speroni would then go on to become a Premier League regular for the next two seasons, making 37 appearances in the top flight in his first campaign and 36 in the second.

However, the arrivals of Alex McCarthy, Steve Mandanda, Vicente Guaita have limited Speroni’s opportunities as he’s grown older and he was firmly on the periphery from the summer of 2015 until he eventually left the club.

Stat Breakdown

Speroni made a whopping 402 appearances for Palace, surviving through all the heartache and off-field problems at the club.

He was a vital part of Palace’s rebuild and his 110 clean sheets contributed enormously to that.

Clinching promotion to the top flight represented his greatest achievement in south London, and the closest he came to silverware was in 2016 when Palace lost 2-1 to Manchester United in the FA Cup final – though it’s important to note he was an unused substitute that day.

Memorable Moments

There’ll be a handful of dark memories of his time at Palace that the Argentine keeper will want to forget, but they play a part in what was ultimately a character-building journey full of highs and lows.

A personal highlight will undoubtedly be Palace’s victory against Watford that secured promotion in 2013.

Watford had just overcome Leicester City in the most dramatic of play-off semi-finals, but Palace proved a bridge too far as they climbed into the promised land, an enigmatic footballing sphere they are yet to leave.

Despite some wonderful victories in the Premier League, most notably at home to Chelsea and a dramatic three goal turnaround against title-chasing Liverpool, which later came to be known as “Crystanbul” – clever, right? – the Wembley win will certainly go down as the sweetest moment of Speroni’s career.

What’s his legacy?

Speroni left with Crystal Palace in his heart, something he made very clear to fans in his final speech at Selhurst Park.

His loyalty has been unquestionable, and his dedication and passion unmatched. He’ll be sorely missed.

His legacy will not only be defined by his vital part in taking Palace back to the top flight of English football, but also in the unwavering loyalty that he has demonstrated.

Speroni goes down as a club legend.

Legacy: Legend

Arsenal youngster Xavier Amaechi has reportedly sealed a move to second-tier German side Hamburg, according to a report in Bild.

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While the transfer is yet to be confirmed, the German outlet claims that Hamburg are paying €2.5m (£2.2m) to bring Amaechi’s Arsenal career to an end, with the teenager failing to make a competitive appearance for the senior side having worked his way through the Gunners’ youth ranks.

Amaechi made his debut first-team appearance in a mid-season friendly in Dubai last March as the team saw off Al Nasr with a 3-2 victory, but has yet to make a significant breakthrough, plying his trade for the club’s Under-23 side throughout last year, scoring four goals and assisting five times last season in the Premier League 2 division.

According to Bild, Amaechi is contracted with the Gunners until the end of next season, although the winger’s future was plunged into some doubt when he was omitted from the squad ahead of Arsenal’s Europa League final defeat to Chelsea, with third-choice goalkeeper Dejan Iliev taking his place on the bench.

The 18-year-old has reportedly attracted the interests of clubs in Germany and Spain in recent months and these latest developments suggest the teenager could be heading out the exit door at the Emirates Stadium.

With Amaechi not being part of a youthful squad including junior teammate Tyreece John-Jules to take part in Arsenal’s pre-season tour of the United States, it may not be a total surprise if the youngster was seeking pastures new this summer.

Unai Emery has previously stated his desire to work with “players that want to be here”, and without wanting to jump to conclusions, having selected a youthful policy so far in pre-season, for a hotly pursued talent as Amaechi to miss out suggests his days at Arsenal may be numbered.

Arsenal fans, is that it then for Amaechi? Tell us what you think below!

كشف نادي شباب بلوزداد الجزائري عن تلقيه خطابا من الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف” بحل أزمة ملعب مباراته أمام صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي، في بطولة دوري الأبطال.

وكان الاتحاد الجزائري لكرة القدم قد طالب نظيره الإفريقي بضرورة تأجيل مباراة شباب بلوزداد وصن داونز والتي كان من المقرر إقامتها يوم 23 فبراير الجاري، على ملعب 5 يوليو بالعاصمة الجزائرية؛ وذلك بسبب تفشي وباء فيروس كورونا.

ومن جانبه، أرسل الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم، خطابا إلى نظيره التنزاني بشأن استضافة المباراة.

طالع أيضا.. مران الأهلي | برنامج خاص للاعبين بسبب “الطقس” استعدادًا لمواجهة سيمبا

ونشر الحساب الرسمي لنادي شباب بلوزداد عبر “فيس بوك”: “أكد كاف، في مراسلة تلقتها إدارة الشباب قبل قليل، برمجة مباراة شباب بلوزداد ضد صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي يوم 28 فبراير بـ تنزانيا على الملعب الوطني لدار السلام، ابتداء من الساعة الرابعة بالتوقيت المحلي (الثانية بتوقيت الجزائر)”.

واضاف: “وعين الإتحاد الإفريقي الحكم المالي بوبو تراوري لإدارة اللقاء رفقة عمر سانو من بركينافاسو و مكتار سالي من النيجر”.

يذكر أن، صن داونز يتصدر المجموعة الثانية برصيد 3 نقاط بعد الفوز على الهلال السوداني، ويليه شباب بلوزداد ومازيمبي في المركز الثاني بنقطة وحيدة بعد تعادلهما.

📌 أكد الإتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم، في مراسلة تلقتها إدارة الشباب قبل قليل، برمجة مباراة شباب بلوزداد ضد صانداونز الجنوب…

تم النشر بواسطة ‏‎CR Belouizdad‎‏ فيالأحد، ٢١ فبراير ٢٠٢١

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

As per Sky Sports, Everton’s deadline day move for Marcos Rojo collapsed after they failed to agree terms with Manchester United over the Argentina international.

What’s the word?

The Toffees had been after a centre-back for virtually the entire summer, and had lined up Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma and Fikayo Tomori as transfer targets.

However, following the Blues’ reluctance to do business with the pair on either a permanent or temporary basis, Marco Silva’s side turned their attentions towards Rojo on deadline day.

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It was previously reported that Everton had entered into talks with United over a possible swoop for the 29-year-old, but Sky Sports have now claimed the Toffees pulled out of negotiations after being put off by the club’s valuation.

Verdict

So the Everton and Rojo love story still doesn’t get its fairytale ending. The Toffees attempted to sign the 29-year-old last summer but saw a move fail to materialise, and now head into the upcoming campaign with a feeling of deja vu.

Silva’s side are likely to be aggrieved in not landing one of their centre-back targets for this summer, and the frustrations in trying to negotiate a deal with some of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ is likely to linger for some time. But if, as reports claim, the Toffees pulled out of talks with United due to the Manchester side’s valuation of Rojo, then Everton simply must be applauded.

The Merseyside club could have easily blinked in the face of pressure and simply thrown money at United to desperately try and get a deal done. Instead, the Toffees used some rationale and logic and refused to be drawn into this increasingly wild transfer market. Missing out on Rojo may sting in the short-term, but the 29-year-old’s injury history and age should act as a comforting blanket for those who think they may regret it.

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Lots of Manchester City fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was revealed that the Citizens are close to completing the signing of Scott Carson from Derby.

The back-to-back Premier League champions have decided to swoop for the 33-year-old stopper to provide cover for Ederson and Claudio Bravo.

You may be wondering why the Citizens have dipped into the Championship to sign an ageing stopper to provide cover, but it is assumed that the former England international is being signed to boost the homegrown quota – similar to Rob Green’s situation at Chelsea last season, in which he didn’t play a single minute.

Carson had been linked with Nottingham Forest, but now looks set for a remarkable move to Pep Guardiola’s Champions League hopefuls and quadruple winners – it looks set to be one of the most bizarre transfers of the window.

Let’s take a look at how the Manchester City fans reacted to the news on Twitter…

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Today is the day of the UEFA Champions League draw and fans around the globe are no doubt excited to see where will their teams end up and who will they face in this historic competition.

But apart from that, UEFA will also announce who was the best player in the world for the 2018/19 season, among some other awards.

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The top three contestants are Lionel Messi, Virgil van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo but only one can be crowned the best.

Barcelona fans, however, seem to have their favourite pretty much set in stone and they have taken to Twitter to make their voices heard loud and clear.

Of course, loads of them want Messi to win and they have made some compelling arguments as to why that should happen tonight.

Below, you can see a selection of their tweets showing their really strong beliefs that the little Argentine is the one who is supposed to leave the ceremony with the trophy in his hands.

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[ad_pod ]What’s the deal with Jesse Lingard?The Manchester United forward hasn’t scored or assisted a single goal in the Premier League since January, but he finds himself in the privileged position of wearing an England shirt. It’s a real headscratcher.Of course, managers have their preferences and favourites, and one thing Gareth Southgate and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are almost guaranteed from playing the 26-year-old is high pressure and running – two very compatible traits in the modern game.But then you have to ask yourself: at what point is this not enough?Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Lingard has just 17 goals and 12 assists in 115 top-flight games; his best season saw him claim just eight goals and six assists. How exactly does that output equate to international standards? Realistically, it doesn’t.

Let’s consider for a moment the impact of blind loyalty towards Lingard. Leicester City’s James Maddison is just one attacking option we consider more viable than his United counterpart, with 16 direct goal contributions already to his name in the Premier League after just 40 appearances.

Would his England integration have come sooner without Lingard in the picture? How might that affect the oh-so-important bonding stages before major tournaments? You know, the very thing that was lacking during our ‘Golden Generation’ and has since been attributed to their failure.

Mason Mount is another up and coming star, with two goals for Frank Lampard’s Chelsea side in four appearances. Will he now be benched to accommodate Lingard? These are queries that need answering, especially with Euro 2020 on the horizon.

TalkSPORT hosts Perry Groves and Jason Cundy have recently debated the United man’s inclusion in the squad…

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