Blackpool manager Michael Appleton has told Liverpool that they must increase their offer if they want to sign Thomas Ince.
The Reds are reportedly negotiating a deal to bring the England U-21 international back to the club, after letting him leave for £250,000 just 18 months ago.
His impressive form this term, in which he has netted 13 Championship goals for the Seasiders, has alerted Brendan Rodgers, who is keen to strengthen his attacking options.
It’s thought that the Merseysiders are willing to offer £4m for the winger, but this figure falls short of the club’s valuation, according to Appleton:
“As far as I’m aware I think there’s been a conversation between Karl (Oyston) and Liverpool regarding an offer but, as far as I’m aware, it’s way below the type of money we’d expect for someone of Tom’s talent,” he told Sporting Life.
“Obviously the chairman keeps me informed but I think it was just an initial conversation between himself and Liverpool and there was a figure used but obviously it’s way below, like I say.”
Appleton went on to claim that Ince, son of former Liverpool and Manchester United midfielder Paul, will be used despite the uncertainty, and that there are no guarantees he’ll leave:
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“He’ll continue to play as long as we hold his registration,
“I wouldn’t say I’m resigned to losing him just yet though. There’s still a lot of work that we feel has to be done before anything like that happens.”
Liverpool have been linked to a string of midfielders over the last couple of months, and another one has entered the fray.
According to French publication Le Progres, the Reds are keeping tabs on Lyon’s Tanguy NDombele, who joined the French outfit from Amiens on loan last season but is expected to sign a permanent deal.
If other clubs come in for the midfielder, Lyon could end up making a quick sale, and according to these latest reports, Liverpool have joined Tottenham Hotspur in a race for the 21-year-old.
NDombele impressed in his 47 appearances in all competitions for Lyon, and he contributed with seven assists and one goal.
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The France Under-21 international is also believed to have attracted the attention of Arsenal, Juventus, Manchester City and Roma.
There could be a major scramble for the midfielder’s signature, but some Liverpool fans would rather their club were not part of it and instead try to revive a deal for Nabil Fekir.
Southampton posted a 60-second round-up video on their official Twitter account on Thursday of manager Mauricio Pellegrino’s pre-match press conference for the crucial relegation six-pointer against Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Saturday, and Saints fans were quick to react.
Within the video the 46-year-old talked about how the south coast outfit have improved in 2018 having suffered only two defeats in their last nine matches, while he also talked about the possibility of playing with two strikers from the start against the Magpies.
Southampton’s goalless draw against fellow strugglers Stoke City at St Mary’s last weekend has ultimately meant that they must bring three points back from Tyneside if they are to have a good chance of beating the drop,
Southampton supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the latest quotes from the man that they want to be sacked, and while one said they “can’t take anymore of this nonsense”, another described his words as “gibberish nonsensical rubbish”.
Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…
Most football fans and pundits alike thought that Alan Pardew had lost the dressing room, and it’s unsurprising when you consider Newcastle’s recent form in the current calendar year. Before their recent revival, Newcastle had managed just five Premier League victories in 2014. Yet the Magpies have now won three league games on the bounce, including an away trip to Spurs and a 1-0 victory over Liverpool.
This resurgent period for Newcastle has seemingly come out of nowhere. There were no indicators that performances and results would start picking up. As recently as September, Newcastle failed to win any of their three Premier League matches, and the pressure was ever increasing on Pardew’s silver head.
Surely not a single Newcastle fan was willing to stand by Pardew as he seemingly ran out of ideas?! Yet crucially Mike Ashley was prepared to. Many would still claim that it was the wrong decision to keep hold of the ex-West Ham manager, but there’s no denying that the players are still very much on his side and fighting for the cause.
Football clubs don’t go on winning runs in the Premier League when all the playing staff have lost faith in the manager, it can’t happen and it doesn’t happen. Therefore, that’s proof enough that 53-year-old Englishman is doing his job just fine in terms of team morale.
Of course, the manager simply having the players on his/her side is not enough for football supporters, and why would it be, results are everything. Now the results are rolling in for Newcastle and after four straight wins in all competitions the fans are starting to turn. Fittingly on Halloween weekend a sign was displayed by a couple of Newcastle supporters after their victory over Liverpool, which read ‘Pardew – Back from the dead’.
He’s certainly back, and so are Newcastle; the Geordie outfit’s fan base were seemingly beyond the point of no return just a few months ago, and now a few are admitting they are reasonably happy – as long as the good results continue of course.
I suppose that’s the fickle nature of football fans. Regardless of the club stature , if results are positive the supporters are happy. Likewise if the results are not so good then the fans will be flying over an [enter manager name] OUT! banner.
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The team are performing better and the fans are happier – obviously. Pardew should still be given the credit he deserves. Ok, he hasn’t been doing his job very well in general over the past two seasons, but he’s done well enough. For managing to survive an absolute barrage of abuse and pressure, and to now stringing performances and results together Pardew may well be in for the Manager of the Season award if he can keep the momentum going.
The dismal times have left Tyneside – for now – and Alan Pardew is there to see the good times, quite an incredible achievement for Newcastle, even if the supporters have had to put up with an incredibly disappointing 2014.
Over the last six years there have not been many highlights for Charlton Athletic fans to cheer, that was before the arrival of Chris Powell.
Powell was appointed manager of Charlton in January 2011 after the sacking of Phil Parkinson with the club lingering in League 1.
The previous five years had seen a stable Premier League side lose their long and trusted manager Alan Curbishley, which subsequently resulted in not only relegation to the Championship but to the third tier of English football.
During the turbulence of these dark years, managers had come and gone, Iain Dowie, Les Reed, Alan Pardew and Phil Parkinson, none of which were able to leave any brightness at the club.
The club was a sinking ship, that was until the club had appointed former player and fan favourite Chris Powell as manager. On his arrival he was instantly given the royal treatment with fans finally believing the club was in the right hands – the Messiah was back.
Powell got off to a flier winning his first three games in charge, installing a feel good factor around the Valley once again.
However it wouldn’t have fit in with the Charlton tradition if things were just going to run smoothly and so the side went on a run of 11 games where they were unable to pick up a single victory, resulting in a 13th place finish. A potential play-off push was turned into mid-table mediocrity. Around some sections of fans there were murmurings that maybe Powell wasn’t the right man to take the Addicts back up the football league after all.
During the course of the summer Powell showed his true colours in transforming the club from top to bottom. All the dead wood was removed, 15 players were released as Powell looked to create his own side which saw no fewer than 19 new arrivals for the beginning of the 2011/12 season, which ultimately ended in success.
The signings he delivered were shrewd, young players who had delivered in League 1 the season before and were hungry to do so once again. Normally when a team takes on so many new faces there is always a gelling phase, credit where credit is due and under Chris Powell he created a squad which instantly gelled together as if the team has been playing with each other for years.
The team were playing nicely on the pitch, the fans were flocking back to the Valley as the atmosphere and expectancy levels once again rose. Powell had done what he promised as fans sung, ‘We’ve got our Charlton back.’
To a true football fan it doesn’t matter which league your club is in, especially if you win the league. On the 5th May 2012, the final game of the season, a packed Valley came to see Powell and the rest of the team lift the League 1 trophy.
Powell had returned and conquered becoming a hero once again earning him the nickname ‘Sir Chris.’ From his fist pumping celebrations to his now familiar trademark jump out of the tunnel after a victory, the sight of which fills Charlton fans with joy.
Leading into this season expectancy levels were high. In a much quieter pre-season it was evident that Powell was happy with his squad. Initially I thought this could have been naïve as Charlton were entering a league where they would become a smaller fish in a bigger pond.
The motto ‘In Sir Chris we shall trust’ really should be believed as the former chairman of the PFA, he used his powers to bring in the strength needed for a long season in the likes of Ricardo Fuller.
There is always going to be sections of fans that will never be pleased and would you believe it fans this season have already been claiming it is time for Chris to leave once again.
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No one is perfect including Powell, at times he shows tactically he needs to learn as substitutes are left far too late in games, where the incoming player has very little chance to stamp his authority on the match and change a losing position into a match saving one.
The main aim for Charlton this season is surely survival and with 19 games gone the South Londoners are twelve points away from the drop zone and surely only looking up.
For the time being Powell has the Charlton fans on board as ‘Chrissy Powell’s red and white army’ continues to plod on.
Tottenham fans are trying not to get carried away about the latest transfer story, as Gareth Bale’s agent emphasised the Welshman’s desire to play regular football.
Shortly after setting the world alight with a truly remarkable Champions League final goal, Bale got the transfer rumour mill going at full speed with his post match comments.
Tottenham and Manchester United have both been linked with moves for the electric Welshman, but most fans believed Spurs wouldn’t offer the transfer fee or wages required to get a deal done.
Jonathan Barnett, Bale’s agent, has renewed fans’ hopes of a shock return to North London though, as he told Sky Sports the 28 year-old has still not decided on his future.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”257647″ player=”12034″ title=”3 Reasons We Love To Hate… Brazil and Argentina”]
“I think we have to have a chat with Real Madrid and see where we’re going,” he said.
“He wants a better year than he had last year. He wants to play more, and that’s paramount to him. I think he’s one of the top three or four players on earth. For somebody like him, he has to play. It’s not about money.”
Barnett went on to say Bale wants to win the Ballon d’Or, but it’s his comments on wanting playing time over money that has really got Spurs fans talking.
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Bale may be suffering with plenty of injury problems, but he still managed 16 la Liga goals last season, and is the type of superstar signing that would really make the new stadium something special.
You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…
According to reports in the Daily Star, Everton owner Farhad Moshiri is considering replacing Sam Allardyce with a younger and more dynamic coach this summer with Diego Simeone and Luis Enrique among the names on his shortlist, and Toffees fans have been quick to have their say on the rumour.
The Daily Star suggests that Moshiri is ready to sack Allardyce at the end of the season even though he signed a contract until 2019 when he succeeded Ronald Koeman in November, with results on the road for the Merseyside outfit in recent weeks particularly disappointing.
The report says that while sources close to the businessman have suggested he gets Shakhtar Donetsk’s Paulo Fonseca, he is ready to aim a little higher by going for former Barcelona chief Luis Enrique or Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone.
Everton supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the story, and they don’t seem to share the 62-year-old’s optimism about bringing one of those two to Goodison Park.
While one said “welcome Eddie Howe”, another said “let’s face it, neither Simeone or Enrique would come to us at the minute”.
Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…
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Manchester United spent a whopping £150million on new recruits this summer in a bid to transform themselves back into genuine Premier League title contenders.
But over a third of that almighty sum was reserved for a single player – once Real Madrid star Angel Di Maria.
Indeed, the Argentina international’s £59.7million arrival smashed the British transfer record, previously set at £50million by infamous Chelsea flop Fernando Torres.
That’s enormous pressure on the 26 year-old’s shoulders, but we at Football FanCast believe he’s more than capable of living up to it – especially following his sensational performance against Germany on Wednesday evening, in which the midfielder claimed one goal and three assists.
In fact, we’re so confident that this will be seen as a fantastic value-for-money buy in a couple of years’ time that we’ve come up with no less than FIVE reasons why.
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON UNITED’S RECORD-BREAKER TO REVEAL
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GOALS
Angel Di Maria is by no means the most potent of midfielders. In that regard, he’s some way short of the likes of Arjen Robben, Eden Hazard and Franck Ribery, or even Manchester United’s Juan Mata.
His overall return for Real Madrid stands at 36 goals in 191 appearances, which is decent but hardly outstanding – in short, it’s not a defining characteristic of his game.
But the 26 year-old is consistent in his contribution; he’s never scored less than four or more than seven in any of his five La Liga campaigns, which is the level of return Manchester United can expect too.
He also netted this tasty chip (no sauce) against Germany on Wednesday evening:
It’s good news for the Red Devils – especially if Louis van Gaal plans to use Di Maria in central midfield, as he was fielded in his Premier League debut against Burnley last weekend. As viewable below, United’s other centre-mids found just two goals between them last year – half of the Argentina international’s single-handed haul:
Here’s a look at Di Maria’s Top Ten goals:
//www.youtube.com/embed/G-nxcCsvDUQ?rel=0
ASSISTS
A major factor in Angel Di Maria’s stock going through the roof, re-entering the building at the ground floor and going through the roof once again since he was linked with a move to Tottenham in summer 2013 has been his emergence as one of the top creators in European football.
As viewable below, the transition into central midfield saw him finish up with an incredible 17 assists in La Liga last season:
And that return was significantly greater than the top assisters in the Premier League, the Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 last season, whilst the 26 year-old lead the way in terms of creating chances too:
And just in case the Argentina international’s credentials as a world-class creator weren’t already confirmed, he provided no less than three set-ups against Argentina on Wednesday evening:
//www.youtube.com/embed/YweKrYbgH90?rel=0
Versatility and options
Versatility is an important trait for any player, and indeed, in the modern era, most footballers are adaptable and can play in a multitude of positions.
Angel Di Maria is no different – he moved to the Bernabeu as an out-and-out winger, but last season transitioned his role into an almost box-to-box style centre-mid, as shown below:
But for Manchester United, and particularly Louis van Gaal, that versatility could prove vital throughout the coming season. As well-documented and widely debated, the Red Devils have been lining up in a 3-4-1-2 formation this year, imported from LVG’s exploits with the Netherlands at the World Cup:
It’s yet to have the desired effect however, with United still searching for their first competitive win under the Dutchman. There are already calls for LVG to change systems and it remains to be seen if he will.
Di Maria at least gives him the option to do so, being as influential out wide as he is in the middle of the park. Van Gaal’s preferred formation is 4-3-3, used throughout spells with Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, which the Argentina international would fit into with equal – or perhaps even greater – ease.
PACE AND TAKE-ONS
In comparison to its many illustrious forbearers, the current Manchester United’s squad’s most fatal flaw is a lack of prolific pace throughout. Antonio Valencia is a real road-runner but he rarely puts that to good use going forward, whilst Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie are rather static for a front two. Even Juan Mata, for a No.10, is incredibly slow.
Well, Angel Di Maria is the perfect remedy. He’s sensationally quick – unquestionably Real Madrid’s fastest player after Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale – and knows how to use it too, regularly attempting to beat his man with trickery and speed.
As viewable below, the Argentina international finished the World Cup as its third most proficient dribbler:
Here’s how he compared to Manchester United’s other attacking options in that regard last season:
And a look at the 26 year-old in action:
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//www.youtube.com/embed/RS43I74zP7M?rel=0
Manchester United haven’t possessed a player capable of marauding past defenders so easily since Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Dawn of a new transfer policy
Angel Di Maria’s £59million arrival marks the dawn of an entirely new transfer policy at Old Trafford.
Before Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement last summer, the Red Devils’ record transfer fee was for Tottenham’s Dimitar Berbatov, way back in 2008. The £31million deal summarises Ferguson’s attitude in the market perfectly – he’d only pay big fees for players who have already proved themselves at Premier League level. Seven of United’s ten biggest transfers are from other Premiership clubs, two of which (Di Maria and Ander Herrera) arrived this summer.
The Argentina international, on the other hand, cost United nearly twice as much as Berbatov and has never plied his trade in English football before. Attracting such a big name is also a break from recent traditions; over the last few years, the Red Devils have been targeting value-for-money deals and long-term investments, such as Phil Jones and Chris Smalling, over stellar purchases.
It’s already been labelled a move towards Real Madrid’s Galactico model by The Telegraph’s James Wilson, Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp and the BBC, with Di Maria’s record-breaking move followed closely by a lucrative loan deal for Radamel Falcao.
The Colombian will be the name that stands out in that regard due to his enormous wages, but the 26 year-old’s record-breaking arrival is a central pillar of United’s new-found transfer policy too.
It sets a precedent for the coming transfer windows, and Di Maria can be regarded as the first true Galatico of the new era at Old Trafford.
Manchester City are set to raid Serie B outfit Sassuolo for striker Domenico Berardi, according to talkSPORT.
The 18-year-old has attracted the attention of the Premier League champions after netting three goals in ten appearances so far this season.
Roberto Mancini is said to be a long-term admirer of the front-man and could attempt to beat the reported interest of city rivals United by making a winter bid.
As well as the Red Devils, Italian giants AS Roma are believed to monitoring the situation.
Despite playing in the second tier, the teenager is widely thought of as a genuine emerging talent by the many areas of the media in his home nation.
His performances have helped the team to top spot in their division, with 34 points from their opening fixtures.
Although he has a wealth of attacking options, Mancini feels that Berardi could add something to his squad in the not too distant future.
In the short-term he could be loaned back to his current team in order to continue his development.
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Since taking control of the Citizens, the Italian manager has made multiple transfer raids on clubs in his home nation.
The likes of Mario Balotelli, Patrick Vieira, Aleksandar, David Pizarro, Maicon and Matija Nastasic have all arrived from teams within Italy during Mancini’s tenure.
West Bromwich Albion should consider making a move for Newcastle United forward Aleksandar Mitrovic.
What’s the word?
Darren Moore could do with a fresh face in attack as he tries to steer the Baggies to Premier League promotion.
Salomon Rondon and Jay Rodriguez have been linked with moves away from The Hawthorns.
Mitrovic could be available this summer given that Newcastle allowed him to leave on loan to Fulham for the second half of last season.
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On Monday, TEAMtalk reported that the Magpies want £30m for the forward, who has informed the club that he wants to leave.
The publication claims that the hitman wants to join Fulham on a permanent basis, but the Cottagers are unwilling to exceed £20m.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”257603″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch West Brom’s opening fixtures for the 201819 Championship season”]
Why should West Brom get involved?
If Mitrovic is insistent on joining Fulham, then it may be difficult to prise him away from his desired choice.
However, it is worth the Baggies trying their luck considering how well the striker performed in the Championship last season.
The Serbian international, who is valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, scored 14 goals in 27 appearances in all competitions.
A major sticking point could be the price, though, if the Magpies are determined to pocket around £30m.
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To sweeten the deal, the Baggies could offer a player, such as Rondon, in a swap arrangement.