All posts by n8rngtd.top

Changes are surely coming aplenty for Newcastle United next season, as Rafa Benitez demands a proper reshuffle in shape in order to compete for bigger things.

The Magpies find themselves in risk of losing some key personnel considering the aforementioned Spaniard’s contractual situation on Tyneside and, elsewhere, influential midfielder Isaac Hayden seems insistent on leaving.

He’s not suited to life at St. James’ Park, seemingly wanting to move for personal reasons and, while it seems harsh to criticise him for that, the former Arsenal youngster would now be a big miss. Indeed, Hayden’s energy and steel in midfield have brought a new spark to Benitez’s game when it looked as if things were going stale, so his potential departure would be a blow.

So, according to reports from German outlet Bild (via HITC), the Magpies are looking for a rather unknown replacement in Nurnberg’s Patrick Erras.

While talented, the 24-year-old German is still finding his feet at the Bundesliga bottom feeders, making him quite an unusual replacement for such an influential midfielder. Erras’ only made 13 appearances for Nurnberg, including only 7 starts and would surely have to undergo a period of acclimatisation if he were to move to the English top flight.

Unlike the reliable Hayden, he’s still struggling to stand out in difficult circumstances.

If Newcastle want to move forward and become a side challenging for a European spot, getting mediocre talents like Erras won’t do. While the 24-year-old’s timely shown his ability with a few impressive appearances, stats don’t favour him at all. He’s only assisted once this campaign and boasts a relatively unimpressive 74.1% passing accuracy (stats via WhoScored).

Unlike the industrial Hayden, Erras has seemingly struggled under pressure and hasn’t been able to dominate possession as well as he’d like.

Exposing him to the Premier League’s intensity could be a huge risk, as the Magpies need to do better than getting a cheap replacement for their potentially departing workhorse.

Newcastle fans, would you be pleased with Erras’ potential arrival in the summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

The 2014 World Cup must seem like being a lifetime away for Erik Durm.

The full-back, who is valued at £1.35 million (by Transfermarkt), was called up for Germany after an impressive season with Borussia Dortmund and despite not actually featuring in the tournament, he received a winner’s medal following Joachim Low’s side victory over Argentina in Rio de Janiero.

Considered an impressive signing when he joined Huddersfield Town last summer, Durm has ultimately failed to live up to expectations this season yet hasn’t be helped by the lack of quality on show at the John Smith’s Stadium.

In what has been an utterly dismal campaign for the Terriers, relegation to the second tier was confirmed last month and with five games to play, they could still set a record for the second lowest points total in Premier League history.

Manager Jan Siewert will undoubtedly launch an overhaul of his squad in the summer but he should consider giving Durm a second chance to impress. At the age of 26, the full-back still has plenty of time to fulfil his potential and could thrive in the Championship having spent the majority of his career at a higher level.

Whereas players such as Steve Mounie and Laurent Depoitre are expected to leave when the transfer window opens in July, Huddersfield have the option to extend Durm’s deal for another a year (via Goal).

With the main competitor for his position, Chris Lowe, failing to shine it may be worth keeping the defender next year, especially when you consider just how competitive the Championship has become in recent seasons.

What do you think Terriers fans? Should the club extend Durm’s deal at the end of the current campaign? Or should his one year stint be brought to an end by Siewert? Let us know below.

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Middlesbrough’s playoff hopes were severely dented yesterday with a 3-0 thrashing at the City Ground by a Nottingham Forest side who are sitting comfortably in mid-table.

Boro, therefore should have won to keep up their playoff challenge but they turned in a truly pitiful performance that has left their fans fuming on Twitter.

One fan claimed: “It has been a long time since Boro fans were this disconnected from the club.”

Middlesbrough have had a low-scoring season but have maintained a playoff presence, now however, they have let it slip and are relying Derby County to mess up to even have a chance.

One fan claimed that he doesn’t even want the club to make the play-offs, such is the woefulness of their recent performances.

The Boro faithful have blamed Pulis for most of this season for insipid, negative football but yesterday the fury of the fan base went towards the board, players and the manager all at once.

Fans see this as the final straw and want some mass changes at the club – just look at the best of the Twitter reactions down below…

Michael Hector has had a season to remember for Sheffield Wednesday, hasn’t he Owls fans?

The central defender moved to Hillsborough last summer on loan from Chelsea and was one of a minuscule number of players who actually impressed during the torrid tenure of Jos Luhukay.

Following the Portuguese manager’s departure from the club in December, Hector has been at the heart of a footballing revolution in West Yorkshire which has been led by Steve Bruce.

Since the 58-year-old’s arrival at Wednesday, the club have lost just twice in 16 outings with their impressive run of form over the past few months giving them an outside chance of reaching the play-offs in May.

Although it is extremely unlikely that the Owls will be playing in the Premier League next year, it is overwhelmingly clear that regardless of what division they find themselves in, they must permanently sign Hector when the transfer window opens in July.

Without the domineering presence of the Jamaican international, it could be argued that Wednesday would be nowhere near the top ten in the second tier.

Having delivered incredible defensive displays against the likes of Sheffield United, Derby County and Bristol City over the past two months, Hector has demonstrated a level of leadership that could be hugely beneficial in the future for the Owls.

With Chelsea facing the prospect of not being able to sign players until 2020 (via Sky Sports) after breaking FIFA transfer rules, they may be open to letting the defender leave in the summer as they look to cut down their squad at Stamford Bridge.

If this is indeed the case, Wednesday must not hesitate if Hector becomes available as passing up on the chance to bring him in, could turn out to be a huge mistake.

What do you think Owls fans? Should Bruce go all-out to sign Hector in the summer? How impressed have you been with the 26-year-old’s impact at Hillsborough? Let us know below.

Rangers should stop thinking about selling Alfredo Morelos and find out how to get the best out of him next season! With that in mind, signing the NK Osijek front man Mirko Maric would do just that and save the club millions.

If you recognise that strange club’s name, that’s probably because the Gers faced them in the Europa League qualifying rounds back in July and August. The Express believe Rangers and director of football Mark Allen have been scouting him ever since and are preparing a move for him this summer.

He’s the top scorer in Croatian league this season, with 17 goals in 31 appearances. He’s also made six assist too, and he could be the perfect partner for Morelos next term. He needs a striker to bounce off and this 6ft 2in striker could be just the man.

He’s just 23-years-old and that’s perfect for Gerrard as he looks to build a squad capable of fighting for major honours consistently. Clearly, there’s a problem with getting the best out of Morelos, but Maric’s link-up play could be the answer they need.

Not only is he a tall striker capable of finishing his chances, but he can create opportunities in the final third too. That’ll prevent Morelos being as frustrated as he’s been at times this campaign, and it’ll mean he’s less likely to pick up red cards along the way.

Genius stuff, right?

He’s still got three years left on his contract, but with him valued at £1.35m on Transfermarkt, he’s a player within Steven Gerrard’s budget. Indeed, he can be the man to unlock Morelos’ potential and bag goals himself, so it’s time for Allen to make a move.

Rangers fans, what do you think it’ll take to get the best out of Alfredo Morelos? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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According to The Chronicle, Newcastle United have joined the race for speedster Daniel James, who is widely expected to leave Swansea City in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the story, then?

James is regarded as one of the best talents outside of the Premier League.

The attacker has scored five times and registered 10 assists in 38 appearances in all competitions for Swansea during the 2018-19 campaign.

James will see his contract at the Liberty Stadium expire this summer, though, and it seems likely that he will be sold ahead of the 2019-2020 season.

Manchester United and Liverpool have both been linked with moves for the 21-year-old, but according to The Chronicle, Newcastle are also in the hunt for the Championship winger.

The Magpies are bound to face serious competition if they move for James this summer, but Rafael Benitez’s side could tempt the Wales international with the offer of regular football.

Could Newcastle win the race?

James – said to be valued around £10m – would surely jump at the chance to join either United or Liverpool in this summer’s transfer window for obvious reasons.

However, it would probably be some time before the attacker was given a regular run of matches at either of those clubs.

That is not to suggest that Newcastle would immediately throw James into the XI, but the Welshman would certainly have more of an opportunity to gain some regular action in the top flight of English football.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

And the offer of minutes would certainly boost Newcastle’s chances of landing the 21-year-old, who has shown his incredible pace on a number of occasions this season.

It remains to be seen what type of budget the Magpies have to spend heading into this summer’s transfer window, but signing James should be made a priority.

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Sheffield Wednesday have been heavily linked to Julian Borner by German football website nw.de.

The site are reporting that the defender will cut his contract with Armenia Bielefeld short in order to move to Hillsborough on a free transfer.

Desperate for defenders

The Owls have made it no secret that they are pursuing a defender this summer. The links to Borner come after the club had also been reportedly interested in Michael Hector and Jordan Willis.

With Hector now a target for Fulham, his return to Yorkshire is looking less and less likely as the days go by.

Borner is a no-nonsense centre-half who will be physically dominant in the Championship. Standing at 6 ft 2 inches the German wins on average 4.9 aerial duels per game and has scored three goals in 25 appearances this season.

Buying from Germany

Buying players from Germany has been an emerging trend in the Championship in recent years but the Owls will want to be careful when picking out targets from the Bundesliga and German second tier.

For Norwich it worked wonders as the likes of Moritz Leitner, Onel Hernandez and Cristopher Zimmerman all played massive parts in the Canaries promotion this season.

In other instances, players who seemed like safe bets brought in from Germany have flopped massively. Leeds’ acquisitions of Felix Wiedwald and Pierre-Michel Lassoga looked to be great business at the time, but both players didn’t impress upon their arrivals in England.

Signing a defender from a team who have conceded 50 goals in the 2.Bundesliga this season may not be the best move for Wednesday.

Check out the video below to see how Brazil fans reacted to being asked how Cristiano Ronaldo would perform for them in a hilarious prank by Pl>ymaker FC…

If the Owls are going to employ a transfer policy that includes shopping around Germany then they will have to make sure to follow in Norwich’s footsteps, rather than Leeds’.

It’s not crazy to suggest that Arsenal could be on the brink of a golden generation of youth coming through at the club.

From Eddie Nketiah and Joe Willock impressing on the final day of the season to Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson making waves in Germany out on loan, Arsenal have a good crop of youngsters coming through that could genuinely be first-team players in the future, but one player who has really caught the eyes of fans is Bukayo Saka.

The 17-year-old winger dazzled fans in his first start for the club against Qarabag in the Europa League and has been immense in the youth leagues this season, scoring 14 goals and assisting 12 for various Arsenal teams, and with the Europa League final coming up, Saka could be a genuine secret weapon for Unai Emery to turn to.

With Henrikh Mkhitaryan unlikely to make the trip to Baku due to political tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Emery could turn to the teenage winger to take the playmaker’s spot in the team, and Saka will make the most of the experience, especially if he plays.

The England U-19 international has impressed whenever he has been given a chance in the Arsenal first-team this season no matter the opposition, and in the club’s biggest game this year, Saka can make the final the game he introduces himself into world football and solidify himself as a player Emery can consider for senior squad status next campaign.

Arsenal fans, would you put Saka in the squad for the Europa League final? Let us know!

It’s safe to say that Arsenal have been pretty awful in recent years when it comes to sorting out contracts for their star players.

Robin van Persie, Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey are all players who have left the club in recent seasons for way under their transfer valuation and sometimes for nothing at all, and this, of course, is something that has annoyed Arsenal fans.

Whilst Liverpool are selling Dominic Solanke for nearly £20 million, the Gunners are allowing Premier League proven players like Danny Welbeck walk for absolutely nothing, but recent comments from the higher-ups at the club could change all of that.

Speaking to Arsenal’s official website, managing director Vinai Venkatesham has vowed never to allow the club to get into these situations again, saying: “When we are selling players we need to maximise the funds we get to reinvest in the team.

“We need to be really disciplined when we are dealing with senior players who are not towards the end of their careers, so that means we have to start making the difficult decisions when they have two years left on the contracts.”

If Venkatesham does stick to his word, it could mean that for the first time in a while the club willing to sell players for actual sums of money and not pocket change, but it also fires a warning shot to those with two years on their current deal, one of those being Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The 29-year-old striker has been a revelation since joining from Borussia Dortmund last year, and with two years remaining on his contract, Arsenal needs to move in fast to tie up the Gabonese international long-term in north London before fears of a cheap move away in the future start to set in.

Aubameyang is one of the few players in the Arsenal team that are irreplaceable, and signing him to a new deal will be a massive sign of intent from the club as well as keeping hold of a player that Unai Emery will find impossible to find a replacement for.

Of course, with Emery not exactly being blessed with the largest budget and the Gunners possibly missing out on Champions League football if the Europa League final goes against them, they could find themselves struggling to attract the attention of a player who even comes close to Aubameyang’s level.

Fans will be hoping Venkatesham sticks to his word, but for players like Aubameyang, the club also have a duty to keep world-class talent at the club before it’s too late.

Arsenal fans, will the club renew Aubameyang’s deal? Let us know!

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Newcastle United are interested in signing Den Haag defender Wilfried Kanon this summer, according to The Sun.

What’s the story?

Although the future direction of Newcastle is currently unknown given the contract status of Rafa Benitez, the club still need to consider available targets in the upcoming transfer window.

The paper say Kanon is one of the players they are looking at, competing with rivals such as Leicester City and Southampton for his signature.

Capped 34 times by the Ivory Coast, The Sun reckon he could be available for as little as £3m despite stellar performances in Eredivisie this season.

He’s set to feature in the upcoming African Cup of Nations meaning if the Magpies want him they should move sooner rather than later given that’s a great shop window for the player.

Where does he fit into Newcastle’s squad?

Rafa Benitez’s squad already has pretty good defensive depth with Jamal Lascelles and Fabian Schar both reliable English Premier League performers and supporters pretty happy with Federico Fernandez’s contributions too.

The weak link in the heart of the defence is most definitely Ciaran Clark, who now looks below the standards Newcastle require to push on and improve as a club.

The arrival of Kanon would almost certainly mean Clark saying his goodbyes, allowing the Ivorian to compete for first-team places alongside the current regulars.

That core of four centre-back talents, as well as the injured Florian Lejeune, would give the Magpies excellent stability at the back and coming at a cost of just £3m, the capture of Kanon would allow Benitez or any future manager to focus on other areas of the team with a stretched transfer budget.