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If West Ham United are to compete for big things under Manuel Pellegrini, they need to show intent with their transfer business.

They can’t gamble on has-beens or “experienced” candidates anymore and need to sign quality players who can make a difference under pressure scenarios.

However, it looks like the Hammers are planning on something big this summer. They’ve been scouting top talents in recent months and according to reports late last month (via Calcio Mercato), are chasing Juventus’ Juan Cuadrado. The Colombian’s been deemed surplus to requirement in Italy, but a Premier League return could help him redeem his failed stint years ago.

Much like a former Chelsea team-mate in Mohamed Salah – who initially flopped in the Premier League, only to rule over Serie A and come back to take the Premier League by storm – Cuadrado could script a similar tale. The former Fiorentina ace failed to impress Jose Mourinho years ago as well but excelled at Juventus.

He might’ve been ravaged by injuries this season, but was a firecracker through their right-wing, putting in blazing performances throughout. With experience at the top, he could well be ready to light up the Premier League. Cuadrado’s quite similar to Salah in style, having the pace to whiz past defenders, showcasing skill on the ball and often wandering into promising goal-scoring positions.

While making that big an impact will be a daunting challenge, Cuadrado can definitely spice up the league with his sizzling ability.

West Ham fans, would you be pleased with Cuadrado’s potential addition this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

The hunt for a striker continues at Newcastle United into the summer transfer window, as the uncertain future of loanee Salomon Rondon – as well as Rafa Benitez – forces the Magpies to look at other options. What fun. 

Benitez’s side (for now) quite clearly need a strong striker to potentially replace the Venezuelan but a look at a man they’ve been linked with would suggest they’re going about it the wrong way.

According to reports (via Mirror) late last month as well as Football Insider earlier this week, Newcastle are keen on adding Danny Welbeck in the summer. The Arsenal striker’s deal runs out after this season, meaning he could join any club as a free agent. While getting a pacy, experienced striker like Welbeck for free would no doubt be a win for the Magpies, he doesn’t really fit the mould for an all-conquering forward they’re in need of.

Not only has the former Manchester United ace suffered with a pretty miserable injury record in recent seasons, but he’s also operated more of a winger than a striker. Welbeck isn’t really as clinical or deft enough to work down the middle for a side who need goals to stay up.

As the main man, he wouldn’t really work. And the Toon Army love a main man.

He’s no real improvement over Rondon nor Ayoze Perez, who have worked in tandem to save Newcastle’s season. The 28-year-old Englishman might not even get back to his best after his recent injury, which must’ve created a mental blockage in his game.

The Magpies don’t really need another winger, while Welbeck’s style as a focal point wouldn’t necessarily suit them either. While the option of signing him to bolster the squad seems logical, it doesn’t make sense to trust him as a starting striker due to the baggage he’d come with.

Newcastle fans, would you want Welbeck leading the line next season? Join the discussion by commenting below…

أعلن نادي باريس سان جيرمان المنافس في بطولة الدوري الفرنسي عن إصابة أحد لاعبيه قبل ساعات من مباراة ديجون في الجولة الثامنة من المسابقة المحلية بفيروس كورونا المستجد، كوفيد 19.

ويستضيف باريس سان جيرمان على ملعب “حديقة الأمراء” ديجون في تمام الساعة التاسعة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة”، لمواصلة القتال على صدارة الدوري الفرنسي مع المتصدر ليل.

وأصدر النادي الفرنسي بيانًا عبر حسابه الرسمي على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “تويتر”، مؤكدًا أن اللاعبين قد أجروا اختبارات طبية يوم أمس، الجمعة، للاطمئنان على سلامتهم من فيروس كورونا.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تياجو سيلفا: رحلت عن باريس سان جيرمان لأن الأمر أصبح روتينيًا

وأفاد البيان أن هناك أحد اللاعبين مصُابًا بالوباء، وسيخضع للحجر الصحي والبروتوكول المطبق من طرف الدوري الفرنسي دون الكشف عن اسمه.

ولكن صحيفة “ليكيب” قد كشفت عن اسم اللاعب المُصاب بفيروس كورونا من صفوف باريس سان جيرمان وهو الحارس الثالث، ألكسندر ليتليه.

قائمة باريس سان جيرمان لمباراة ديجون في الدوري الفرنسي

حراسة المرمى: نافاس، ريكو، راندريامامي.

الدفاع: ماركينيوس، ديالو، كيمبيمبي، باكر، داجبا، بيمبيلي، فلورينزي.

الوسط: دانيلو، هيريرا، كابو، رافينيا.

الهجوم: دراكسلر، فاديجا، رويز، سارابيا، كين، نيمار، مبابي.

[ad_pod ]Former Leeds United manager and caretaker manager Neil Redfearn has recently signed up to Twitter and quickly delivered his verdict on the club’s 2018/19 season after being asked about it by one supporter.

The 53-year-old originally joined the Yorkshire outfit as coach of the U18 academy side on January 1, 2009 and remained at Elland Road in various different roles before being a casualty of the chaotic Massimo Cellino era in the summer of 2015 – he resigned shortly after being replaced at the helm by Uwe Rosler.

The reaction from Whites supporters to his presence on social media shows that he is still a popular figure around those parts however, even if he did lose 15 of his 33 matches as permanent boss of the Championship club at a time when they were much in and around the wrong end of the table.

Redfearn obviously still keeps an eye out for his former employers given his comment on Twitter, and when he was asked directly by a fan about this season he replied: “I’ve loved watching them”.

Much like the Cellino period, Leeds United Twitter can be a crazy place at times and that is something that the 53-year-old will need to get used to in the coming months as the team aims for automatic promotion.

أكد الدولي الأسكتلندي كيران تيرني، مدافع آرسنال، أنه لم يُصاب بـ فيروس كورونا المُستجد “كوفيد – 19″، ولم يخالط مواطنه ستيوارت أرمسترونج، الذي أُصيب بالفيروس القاتل.

الاتحاد الأسكتلندي، أصدر بيانًا، عصر اليوم الأربعاء، أكد من خلاله أنّ تيرني سيدخل في الحجر الصحي لمدة 14 يومًا، كإجراء احترازي، ما يؤخر عودته إلى آرسنال. (طالع التفاصيل).

وقال تيرني في تصريحات للموقع الرسمي لآرسنال: “انا أشعر بخيبة أمل وإحباط شديد، لكوني في هذا الوضع؛ لقد التزمت بجميع اللوائح ولم أتوصل مع زملائي في المنتخب في الفندق”.

وأضاف: “لقد جاءت نتائج اختباراتي سلبية أيضًا، أنا أعرف أنّ آرسنال والاتحاد الاسكتلندي يجرون الآن مُناقشات مع السلطة الاسكتلندية لفهم المزيد من الأمور”.

ومن جانبه علق نادي آرسنال في بيان رسمي، وقال: “فريقنا الطبي تأكد انّ كيران كان بعيدًا عن اللاعب الذي كانت نتيجة اختباره إيجابية ولم يخالف قواعد بروتوكولات كوفيد – 19، ونحن نسعى حاليًا للحصول على مزيد من الإيضاحات والتفاصيل”.

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Tottenham fans will absolutely love the latest transfer rumour out of Spain, as reports claim Gareth Bale could be open to a return to north London.

What’s the story?

According to Marca, via Sport Witness, Real Madrid are once again considering selling Bale.

The Welsh wing wizard was the source of plenty of speculation after last season’s Champions League final, but of course it was Cristiano Ronaldo who departed, with Bale supposedly set to take the helm in Madrid.

That hasn’t happened though, and the report from Marca claims Bale “doesn’t rule out” a return to Spurs, while also including the Lilywhites as one of the interested parties.

According to the report, Bale has been overshadowed by Karim Benzema and Brazilian youngster Vinicius, and he could be used as part of a swap deal to land Christian Eriksen.

Is he worth losing Eriksen?

Real Madrid paid around £90m for Bale back in 2013, and that was before the transfer market exploded due to players like Paul Pogba and Neymar, so they will be looking for a hefty fee even as the Welshman approaches his 30th birthday.

That said, it is likely that the Lilywhites would have to sacrifice Eriksen to land Bale just like Marca claims, with the Danish international yet to show any signs of penning a new deal at the club.

Eriksen will be out of contract in the summer of 2020, but Daniel Levy and Mauricio Pochettino should be doing everything in their power to stop him from leaving, as the fan favourite playmaker is far younger and less injury-prone than Bale.

Bale may be a world-renowned superstar, but he has suffered countless muscle injuries in his five-and-a-half years in Madrid, and Eriksen is a more proven fit in Pochettino’s system.

Eriksen must be the club’s priority, but all things considered Bale isn’t exactly a bad contingency plan.

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Southampton striker Shane Long admitted in an interview with The Irish Independent after his side’s 2-0 win against Fulham on Wednesday night that he is lacking confidence right now, but he needs to get it back as soon as possible to help his team out.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Republic of Ireland international replaced Charlie Austin in the 64th minute of the clash at St Mary’s, and while it was his 18th Premier League appearance of the season, just seven of those have been starts.

His place in the pecking order was perhaps shown against Arsenal on Sunday when he missed out on a spot in the 18-man squad even though Danny Ings is currently injured, although a hamstring issue that will keep Michael Obafemi out for the rest of the campaign gave him a reprieve against the Cottagers.

The 32-year-old, who went close with an effort from a narrow angle, told The Irish Independent: “I’m trying to train hard and improve things that aren’t going right but I think a lot of it is down to confidence. I’ve got to believe in myself first of all and then others will believe in me.”

How can he get it back?

Obviously one of the main things is getting more goals.

Long has only scored three times in 55 games in all competitions for the south coast outfit since the beginning of the 2017/18 season, and as a striker that is clearly a woeful record.

The Irishman needs one or two to get into a rhythm, and he also needs to get back to doing what he is best at on the pitch – chasing down and harrying defenders to force them into mistakes.

That is something that has been lacking recently and the kind of thing that can get the supporters fully behind him, and he needs to step up for the team sooner rather than later in their battle against the drop.

Liverpool have been told they should consider Thomas Tuchel as an option to replace Jurgen Klopp despite his struggles at Bayern Munich this season.

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Liverpool chasing Leverkusen coach AlonsoSpaniard might head to Bayern to succeed TuchelBerbatov suggests Reds consider ex-Chelsea bossGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Klopp's announcement of his impending departure from Liverpool at the end of the season has forced the Premier League giants to search for his successor. While Xabi Alonso has emerged as a fan favourite and frontrunner for the role, former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov believes Tuchel is well-equipped for the job if the Spaniard snubs Liverpool and ends up moving to Allianz Arena.

AdvertisementWHAT BERBATOV SAID

Speaking toBerbatov said: "I still think the first-choice manager for Liverpool is Xabi Alonso, especially if he wins the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen. That would be a great success. If that happens, Alonso will likely take the next step to Liverpool. Some may say it's a bit too early, and maybe he'll have one more season with Leverkusen and he'll try to go for European glory with them to prove to everyone the Bundesliga win wasn't a fluke. However, I think Liverpool should continue to chase Alonso.

"If they can't get him then there are other coaches on the market like Thomas Tuchel. Tuchel would be the next contender for me to replace Klopp if they miss out on Alonso. Sometimes clubs will try to play it safe based on the manager's reputation or sometimes clubs take a chance and go for a not-so-big name, but at Liverpool, they have to go for success, and I think Tuchel or Alonso would be a good fit."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Although Bayern returned to winning ways after getting the better of RB Leipzig, thanks to a double from Harry Kane, the reigning champions are eight points behind leaders Leverkusen. Their inconsistent form in the German top flight has forced the club's hierarchy to announce Tuchel's impending departure at the end of the season – and Berbatov is not surprised by the decision.

"I am not surprised by the news that Thomas Tuchel is leaving Bayern at the end of the season," he said. "When you check the Bundesliga table, they are eight points behind Leverkusen. For the standards at Bayern Munich, that's unacceptable."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Despite rumours linking Tuchel to other clubs like Manchester United and West Ham, Berbatov believes Liverpool should consider him a viable option should they miss out on Alonso. With Tuchel's proven track record and familiarity with the demands of English football, thanks to his stint with Chelsea, Berbatov hopes that the 50-year-old tactician could provide a seamless transition post-Klopp era at Liverpool.

After a disappointing draw against the Netherlands, questions are being asked of the coach and whether he can deliver success Down Under

Some advice to Vlatko Andonovski: now isn't the time to search your name on Twitter. Social media isn't a friendly place for the head coach of the United States women's national team right now. It's safe to say that the team's last game has brought out the coach in everyone embedded in American Soccer Twitter.

Andonovski did not have his best night during the USWNT's 1-1 draw against the Netherlands. His line-up decisions were questionable and his tactics weren't adjusted in time. When they were adjusted with the introduction of Rose Lavelle, they were never touched again. Andonovski made just that one substitution in the draw, an almost inexcusable oversight at this level.

The USWNT coach will have learned from that decision, which has been widely criticized in the days since. However, the draw with the Netherlands showed that this USWNT side is very, very beatable. It also showed that there are some tweaks to be made to limit that fact, and the defending champions' fate may very well be determined by how Andonovski handles those tweaks.

GOAL takes a look at what Andonovski can do to get the USWNT back on track, starting with their final group-stage clash against Portugal…

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  Unleash Rose Lavelle

  If the Netherlands draw proved anything, it's that Lavelle is irreplaceable. That game can be broken down into two segments: pre-Lavelle and post-Lavelle. Before she came into the game, the USWNT midfield was helpless, totally outplayed by their Dutch counterparts. After she came on, the U.S. found some level of control and, by the end, looked like the more likely team to score.

  This, though, is where Andonovski has a decision to make. The coach claimed that Lavelle was deemed fit to play for just 45 minutes against the Dutch, and it remains to be seen if that changes pre-Portugal. The most important thing is, of course, to have Lavelle as close to 100 percent as possible for the knockouts because, from what we saw against the Dutch, the U.S. won't win this tournament without her.

  Lavelle needs to be on the field against Portugal one way or another. Maybe that's another 45-minute run-out, maybe it's a 60-minute start or perhaps a true return to fitness with a 90-minute effort. Whatever it is, the U.S. needs to keep building her up for the bigger challenges ahead.

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  Sort out the No.6

  For years, Andonovski has been trying to find some sort of answer at the No.6 position. The USWNT were looking for a Julie Ertz replacement for so long that the program ended up looking towards… Julie Ertz. Fresh off giving birth and after an extended time out of the game, Ertz was brought back into the fold this spring, mostly because the U.S. hadn't figured out how to play without her.

  And then the World Cup started. Ertz wasn't deployed in that No.6 spot, but rather at center-back, with Andi Sullivan – who has failed to convince this cycle – starting in defensive midfield. Against the Netherlands, it didn't look great, with Sullivan at least partially at fault for the goal.

  So how does the U.S. fix it? Well, Andonovski could move Ertz into midfield and bring Alana Cook in at center-back, as everyone expected he would from the start. He could turn to the bench to, say Kristie Mewis, to see if she can offer something different. Or he could mess with the midfield altogether and appease some USWNT fans by finally putting Crystal Dunn in that spot next to Lindsey Horan, with Lavelle ahead.

  There could also be some kind of tweak, like having Horan sit just a bit deeper with Sullivan or Ertz while Lavelle plays higher up, inverting the midfield triangle a bit like they did in the second half against the Netherlands.

  Regardless, teams have all seen the USWNT's weakness is their midfield, and some of the more technical teams in this tournament will be able to dominate in that area. The question is how the U.S. intends to counteract that, with Andonovski needing to figure out something that will allow his midfield to survive against the world's best.

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  Use your depth!

  There probably isn't a team in this tournament with as much depth as the USWNT. Even without the likes of Mallory Swanson, Becky Sauerbrunn, Catarino Macario, Sam Mewis and Tobin Heath, this team still has so much talent.

  And yet, it doesn't appear that Andonovski actually trusts it. If he did, he would have turned to some of his other players against the Netherlands.

  He didn't in the name of continuity, he said, as his side looked more likely to score toward the end. Fair enough, but wouldn't they have been even more likely with fresh legs? He had Megan Rapinoe, Alyssa Thompson, Lynn Williams and Ashley Sanchez all just sitting there – any one of them could have come on and changed that game.

  Andonovski has to trust his players… all of them. He's already started the same XI twice and, given the age of some of those involved, there's a real concern that players could be burnt out by the end of this tournament. And, even if they aren't, it never hurts to use substitutes to add new wrinkles and new ideas to a game that needs opening up.

  The Netherlands game was dying for that, for one player to come in and add just that little something different. Andonovski didn't see it that way, but the U.S. may not be so lucky in the latter stages if he doesn't trust his players to come into games and make a real impact.

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  Add something to the attack

  For years, the U.S. attack has been one that plays as less than the sum of its parts. Throughout his tenure, Andonovski just hasn't quite found a way to get a group of world-class stars on the same page. Injuries have certainly hurt, but that doesn't matter now, does it?

  The U.S. attack just hasn't looked right through two games, failing to pass both the eye test or the statistical one. Just watching, the front three of Alex Morgan, Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman so rarely moved together with purpose., which is something legendary striker Carli Lloyd has pointed out on .

  “I don’t think you saw that fluidity with the U.S. in the first game,” Lloyd said. “Why would you? That line-up had never played together. The first goal Sophia Smith scored was really the only moment where you saw three players — Lindsey Horan, Alex Morgan and Soph — have that movement off of one another where it was synchronized.

  “Everything else was just these Hail Mary balls that were being lumped into the box. Those aren’t effective often.”

  Statistically, it hasn't been great either. Rodman completed fewer than 50% of her passes against the Netherlands, routinely turning the ball over in important areas of the field. U.S. attacks were routinely halted by bad giveaways, making life a bit easier for the Dutch.

  Figuring this out now is easier said than done. The good news is that the trio of Morgan, Rodman and Smith all do so many things well that they can, at times, simply overwhelm teams individually. Rodman's pace, Smith's smoothness in front of goal and Morgan's veteran guile… all valuable assets that should produce goals.

  That trio will likely be the one leading the U.S. into the knockouts, and getting them on the same page will be key to any deep run.

GOAL highlights the outstanding moments from the continent's stars in Europe

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  Insightful details from the weekend

  In this feature, GOAL picks out some of the under-the-radar stats you may have missed this week – and explains what they mean for Africa's biggest stars.

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  Yassine Bounou

  Sevilla were beaten 1-0 at Barcelona on Sunday night, seeing their run without success extended to four games and consequently dropping to fourth spot, albeit level with Xavi’s men and Atletico Madrid on 57 points.

  For Bono, who made a staggering five saves in the match, it was only the second time this season that the Morocco goalkeeper has made a high volume of saves without keeping a clean sheet since the reverse fixture in Seville (six saves).

  Undoubtedly, the shot-stopper will be unhappy his efforts were not rewarded in both fixtures against the Blaugrana this term.

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  Kelechi Iheanacho

  While Nigeria and Leicester City supporters will have wished that Iheanacho’s goal just after the hour sufficed against Manchester United, they witnessed a collector’s item, nonetheless.

  That 63rd-minute goal was the Super Eagle’s first headed strike of the season in the Premier League and indeed in all competitions.

  Having not scored with that body part all season, it was a fine way to net his first at Old Trafford against opponents he enjoys playing against.

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• Union Berlin.
  

  Taiwo Awoniyi

  In a packed Stadion An der Alten Forsterei for the first time in two years, the home support witnessed history being made by Awoniyi.

  The Union Berlin frontman capitalised on an ill-judged Jonas Hector back-pass to score the game’s only goal in the 49th minute against Cologne.

  This was Awoniyi’s 12th Bundesliga goal of the season — matching Sebastian Andersson's club record of 12 goals in a single Bundesliga campaign set in 2019/20 — and becoming Union’s record top scorer in the top flight with his 17th league goal for the Berlin outfit, supplanting Max Kruse’s 16.

  The 1-0 success was the home side’s first win in four Bundesliga matches (two defeats).