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West Ham United are lining up a summer move for long-term target Gary Medel, per Claret & Hugh.

The Hammers were tracking the Besiktas midfielder in January but no move materialised.

What’s the word?

Football FanCast reported at the start of January that Medel was on the club’s radar as a potential signing.

Indeed, sources at the club told FFC that he was being considered as a back-up to Declan Rice.

He will be out of contract in 2020 and Claret & Hugh report that manager Manuel Pellegrini remains wary of the lack of depth behind the 20-year-old.

Indeed, the story claims that were the England international to pick up an injury, there is no obvious replacement at the club.

Medel has subsequently been identified and a fee of around £5million has been touted.

A sensible move

Medel would be a solid if unspectacular signing for the Hammers.

He has experience of English football, having played for Cardiff City in the 2013-14 season, and is a national compatriot of Pellegrini.

With Rice shouldering the burden of being the only natural defensive midfielder at the club, a bargain move for Medel makes all the sense in the world.

He would only play sporadically but, at the age of 31, he is unlikely to care, while he will surely be heartily compensated.

Rice will of course be delighted that the Chilean will only be a reserve for him, but also be pleased about his arrival as he can learn from a player with huge experience in a position he is still learning about.

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Sheffield United have confirmed that their manager Chris Wilder has been awarded the February edition of the Manager of the Month award by the EFL.

The Blades have certainly been in fine form recently. Throughout February, Wilder’s side played five matches, all in the Championship. They went unbeaten throughout this period, first beating strugglers Bolton Wanderers 2-0 at Bramall Lane, then came a dramatic 3-3 draw with Aston Villa, followed by a 1-0 triumphs over fellow promotion-chasers West Brom and Middlesbrough and a 4-0 thumping of Reading.

Did Chris Wilder get it wrong in the Steel City derby? Check out the thoughts of Ingood Nick below…

13 points from five games is exactly the kind of form the Blades will need to maintain for the rest of the campaign if they’re to beat the likes of Norwich City and Leeds United to the title. Certainly, that consistent run of good results was impressive enough to earn Wilder this accolade. 

After the announcement, plenty of United fans took to Twitter to congratulate the head coach on his award…

قدم سيرجينو ديست الشكر لـ نادي أياكس، بعد أن انضم رسميًا إلى برشلونة الإسباني، في أول انتقال خلال مسيرته المهنية.

ديست الذي قضى 9 سنوات في أياكس منذ أن كان طفلًا، انتقل إلى برشلونة وهو في عمر الـ19 عامًا، مقابل 21 مليون يورو + 5 ملايين متغيّرات. “طالع التفاصيل”

ونقلت صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية، تصريحات اللاعب: “أعرف أنني شاب الآن، لكنني أحب التحديات، وتغلبت على أشياء كثيرة قبل انضمامي إلى برشلونة”.

وأضاف سيرجينو ديست: “عندما نشرت صورة لي على إنستجرام الاسبوع الماضي، قالوا إنها في ألمانيا، لكنني لم أرد وانتظرت حتى أؤكد للجميع أنني حققت حلمي”.

وأوضح: “أنا أحلم باللعب في برشلونة منذ سنوات، عندما كنت صغيرًا وأنا أحلم باليوم الذي انتقل فيه إلى هنا”.

ووجه رسالة لجمهور أياكس عبر حسابه على “تويتر”: “كنت صبيا أحلم باللعب مع أياكس، أنا محظوظ لكوني مثلت هذا النادي على مدار تسع سنوات”.

واختتم: “شكرًا للجميع في أياكس، وتحديدًا لجمهور النادي، ستحتفظون دائمًا بمكانة خاصة في قلبي”.

شدد سوسو جناح فريق إشبيلية الإسباني، على صعوبة مواجهة بايرن ميونخ الألماني في السوبر الأوروبي بعد غد الخميس.

وانتقل سوسو إلى إشبيلية في يناير الماضي، قادًما من ميلان الإيطالي، إذ ساهم في تتويج الفريق الأندلسي بلقب الدوري الأوروبي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. بيريسيتش: حظيت بعام رائع في بايرن ميونخ.. وأتطلع للمزيد مع إنتر ميلان

وقال سوسو في تصريحات لصحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “لو حلمت في يناير الماضي بأن موسم إشبيلية سينتهي بهذا الشكل، لن يكون حلمي أفضل مما حدث في الواقع”.

وأضاف: “أمنيتي عندما أتيت إلى إشبيلية، كانت تحقيق أشياء عظيمة مع الفريق ولكن ما حدث تجاوز أي توقع”.

وتابع: “لقد ضمنا التأهل إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا ووصلنا لنهائي الدوري الأوروبي وحققنا اللقب، والآن نحن لدينا فرصة للفوز ببطولة أخرى (السوبر الأوروبي) كل ذلك في هذه الفترة القصيرة”.

وأردف: “السوبر الأوروبي؟ في هذا المستوى لا توجد مباراة سهلة، بايرن ميونخ لديه فريق رائع، مع لاعبين من النخبة”.

وأكد: “سنحاول القيام بما قمنا به في الأشهر الأخيرة، وإلقاء نظرة على كل ما قدمناه ضد المنافسين الكبار في الدوري الأوروبي”.

وواصل: “إنهم يلعبون بشكل جيد للغاية مع الكرة بشكل عمودي، علينا أن ندافع كما كنا نفعل في الموسم الماضي”.

وأتم: “سنحاول إلحاق الضرر بهم عن طريق المرتدات، لقد أظهرنا شخصيتنا، ونحن نعرف أيضًا كيفية القيام بذلك”.

Crystal Palace have reportedly received a boost in their pursuit of Rangers star striker Alfredo Morelos.

What’s the word?

Morelos has been linked with a move to the Eagles for a number of months now.

They were linked with a £20m January swoop in October 2019, but an official bid was never publicly revealed.

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The Colombia international remains at Ibrox but, according to a recent report from Goal, the Scottish giants are already preparing for life without the prolific attacker.

The report claims that the club are acutely aware of that fact it will be difficult to retain the striker in the next transfer window, and the club are forming a contingency plan to deal with that eventuality.

Swansea’s Rhian Brewster and former Sunderland striker Josh Maja form a shortlist of five strikers who are being considered as potential replacements for Morelos.

Coveted asset

While the news is undoubtedly a major boost for Palace in their pursuit, the extent of interest in Morelos’ services will provide some cause for concern.

Having scored 77 goals in 129 games for Rangers, the 23-year-old has established himself as a coveted talent, commanding interest from Atletico Madrid, Valencia, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Leicester City and Inter Milan, per the same report.

And, given Morelos is attracting interest from Inter and Atletico, two clubs who are regulars in the Champions League, there is no doubt Roy Hodgson and the rest of the Palace hierarchy would pull off a major coup if they can bring the hot-headed attacker to south London.

Rangers’ talisman has been sent off on a total of seven occasions in his career and has a tendency to let his emotions get the better of him, which presumably could influence how many of the interested clubs translate their admiration into a concrete offer.

His goal scoring record, however, suggests it could be a risk worth taking for Palace amid their recent struggles at centre-forward.

According to journalist Alan Nixon, Marc McNulty is a target for Swindon Town, which means Sunderland may have a decision to make in regards to his future.

What’s the word?

The on-loan Reading striker has played a back-up role for much of his time at the Stadium of Light and the Robins view him as a possible signing.

Swindon are in need of a forward as top scorer Eoin Doyle was recalled by Bradford earlier this month, though their ability to sign the 27-year-old may rest on the actions of the Black Cats.

Nixon asserts that Sunderland would have to agree to let him leave, and considering they have signed Kyle Lafferty and targeted Liam Boyce, it is possible that they are preparing for his exit.

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Let him go

One of the biggest factors in Sunderland’s underperformance this season has been the lacklustre efforts from their strikers.

Charlie Wyke’s return to the side has led to an upturn in form with six games unbeaten, but Will Grigg and Marc McNulty have just three league goals between them, so the need for new personnel is clear.

Call yourself a Premier League expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

McNulty has been a bit of a disaster considering he has made just 12 starts, with four coming under Phil Parkinson, and therefore it would be best for both parties if his temporary spell in the north-east was cut short.

Sunderland would be able to save on his wages and put the money towards a player like Boyce, and with Lafferty potentially better suited to a lone role, having played in such a way for Northern Ireland for several years, he is more adept to the Black Cats’ style of play.

Refreshing the attack could be vital to the team in the second half of the campaign and it would perhaps add variety to the north-east outfit.

Boyce, for example, has 13 goals this season and in a Sunderland attack that suddenly looks rejuvenated with ten goals in five outings, he may be able to flourish at the Stadium of Light.

Elsewhere, Sunderland fans have been discussing a key figure at the club, but their opinions on the individual could be a surprise.

West Ham supporters will be delighted with how things are currently going for their club.

After wins against Newcastle United, Cardiff City, Crystal Palace and Fulham, the Hammers find themselves sitting ninth in the Premier League table and are just two points behind the now Jose Mourinho-less Manchester United in sixth.

The Portuguese coach was sacked earlier today following the Red Devils’ 3-1 defeat to Liverpool over the weekend in a development that should also be of interest to West Ham fans.

In recent weeks, the Hammers’ talisman Marko Arnautovic had been linked with a move away from the club with Mourinho said to have been interested in bringing the 29-year-old to Old Trafford since the summer (Sky Sports).

But with the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss no longer in the equation, it is hard to imagine Manchester United following up on their ex-manager’s interest.

While it became apparent that Mourinho had little trust in the likes of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford to provide adequate cover for first-choice striker Romelu Lukaku, it is well-known that Ed Woodward is a huge fan of the former.

Considering that, the Manchester United CEO is almost certain to push for a manager that will look to fully utilise the Frenchman, which could see more opportunities of playing up front presented to him and thus further reduce the need of a new No.9 such as Arnautovic to be brought in.

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Hearts go into this weekend’s clash with St Johnstone sitting pretty at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, five points clear of their nearest challengers Rangers, as reigning champions Celtic flounder in sixth place.

The Edinburgh side have yet to lose a game in any competition so far this season, and only dropped points in the league for the first time with a 0-0 draw against Livingston last weekend.

For St Johnstone it has been a mixed start to their league campaign, with two wins, two draws and two losses leaving them in eighth place. Tommy Wright’s side come into the game off the back of a heavy defeat by Rangers in the league and a late loss to Celtic in the cup though, so will be looking to bounce back.

Ahead of this game, we’ve teamed up with 5P0RTZ – the new revolutionary sports gaming experience – where YOU can win  big cash prizes! All you have to do is answer seven questions for a chance to be entered in to the prize pool.

Take a look at the questions below and then enter with a £5 stake before kick-off. The prize fund for this fixture is £100!

Question 1 – What will the result of the match be?

The fact that 5P0RTZ are offering to multiply your points by five if you back St Johnstone tells you all about the expected result here. The Saints have had a difficult week and it’s not likely to get any easier against the current pace setters in the league.

Despite there being no multiplier, we can’t look past Hearts for this one.

Question 2 – How many goals will be scored in the match?

Rangers proved last weekend that the St Johnstone defence will leak goals when attacked, and Hearts have netted 11 times in their first six league games so far this season.

In Scottish international Steven Naismith, who is on loan from Norwich, Hearts have the league’s top scorer who could well prove the difference at Tynecastle Park if he adds to his five league goals.

Question 3 – Pick a player that will score at anytime during the match

Because of his goalscoring exploits so far this season, Naismith won’t get you any extra points but would be a safe bet to net one. We’ve gone for more of a wildcard pick though in the hope that we can bump up our score, with St Johnstone midfielder Blair Alston, who has two goals already this season from midfield.

Question 4 – How many corners will be taken during the match?

The amount of corners is always a difficult one to call, but here we would go with something low. St Johnstone might struggle to force enough saves from Hearts keeper Zdenek Zlamal to register more than three or four of the set pieces and Hearts will be hoping they can convert their chances at the first time of asking from open play.

We’ve gone for nine or fewer corners to be given throughout the tie.

Question 5 – Pick one of these events to occur in the match 

There are eight different scenarios to select from here, with a range of different multipliers available. Alston scored a penalty last week for St Johnstone against Rangers, so the option of either team to score a penalty could be a good one to take if you want to double your score.

The other tempting option is the St Johnstone keeper Zander Clark to make five or more saves. With Hearts in top form it looks as though Clark will have plenty to do and this would be our pick of the bunch.

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Question 6 – In which minute will the first card be shown in the match?

The options here come in 15 minute intervals and there is little chance for value in the middle of the match where you might reasonably expect the first yellow to be handed out. For that reason, we’ve gone for the 61st to 75th minute, hoping that the game will be calm until then.

Question 7 – In which minute will the first goal be scored in the match?

The most difficult one of the lot to call, pick a minute here and the closest wins, simple as that. After they netted four in the cup against Motherwell in midweek, we’re backing Hearts to take the lead in the 20th minute on Saturday.

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According to a report from The Scottish Sun, Everton have ended their interest in Celtic left back Kieran Tierney. The 21-year-old has been repeatedly linked with a move to Goodison Park given current first-choice left back Leighton Baines is entering the twilight of his career, but it appears that the Scotland international is set to remain at Parkhead this summer. 

And while interest is still likely to remain in the supremely talented defender, this news that Everton are out of running is surely the best Celtic fans have received so far this summer.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, Tierney was always going to attract attention this summer given the incredible start to life he has made at Celtic Park, what with the 21-year-old only breaking through into the first team for his debut back in April 2015, yet he has since become Brendan Rodgers’ number one left back.

The nine-times Scotland international has played 130 times for the Bhoys in the last three years or so and has earned many rave reviews in that time, with his attacking exploits of particular note to many in the Tavern given he has laid on 31 assists in that time.

And with several impressive displays in their European adventures in the last few years, not least in their 3-3 draw with Manchester City back in September 2016 which reportedly interested Citizens chief Pep Guardiola, the 21-year-old looks destined for huge things in the game.

And that is why news that Celtic have held firm to put Everton off Tierney is likely to be very well received by Bhoys supporters, as Rodgers’ side simply cannot be in the business of selling their best players if they are to continue improving and developing under the ex-Liverpool boss.

The Scottish giants are currently streets ahead of everyone else north of the border but are likely to be keeping a close eye on things down the road at Rangers, what with new boss Steven Gerrard making some very shrewd additions in their quest to compete at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

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And while they are dominant in Scotland, Rodgers’ side have ultimately disappointed in Europe in the last few years, with many of our resident Celtic fans hopeful for better having lost in the last-32 of the Europa League last season.

And to go further in Europe, and indeed maintain their domination north of the border, they have to keep their best players, not least those that can produce the goods both in the present, and indeed the future – Tierney is one of those.

Thus, while the Tierney transfer saga isn’t necessarily over just yet, Everton’s decision to end their interest is sure to come as the best news Celtic fans have received so far this summer.

Celtic fans… what do you think? Let us know!

According to reports in the Sunday Mirror, West Ham United are lining up a £25m summer swoop for Arsenal winger Theo Walcott, who scored 19 goals in all competitions last season.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Sunday Mirror says that the Gunners attacker was a frustrated figure towards the end of last season as Arsene Wenger introduced a new 3-4-2-1 formation.

The 28-year-old struggled to break into the starting line-up in the new system and was named on the substitutes’ bench for Arsenal’s last seven matches of the campaign.

Having also lost his place in the England squad with the 2018 World Cup in Russia less than a year away, Walcott could look to move on for regular playing time next season in order to force himself back into contention for the Three Lions.

Irons manager Slaven Bilic is keen to strengthen his attacking options this summer and the Sunday Mirror claims that he is willing to pay £25m for the winger.

How did Walcott fare on the whole last season?

He did pretty well considering he rarely featured towards the end of the campaign.

The 28-year-old’s 19 goals came in just 37 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal, while he also provided a further two assists.

Those statistics are even more impressive considering all of those goals came from the right wing, rather than the centre-forward position he has wanted to fill in recent years.

Would he be a good signing for West Ham?

He certainly would be.

Walcott has shown that he still has plenty of pace and can be clinical when given opportunities, and those are two things that the Irons were missing last season.

The fact that the 28-year-old has a point to prove to England manager Gareth Southgate would only help the Irons, as the forward would know that he has to impress on consistently to be a part of England squad for the 2018 World Cup.

Where would he fit in?

Considering Michail Antonio also plays on the right, it would certainly be interesting to see how Bilic would incorporate both into his side, but it certainly wouldn’t be a deal-breaker – more of a nice problem to have.

What’s the verdict, then?

Well, Walcott may need to leave Arsenal this summer in order to keep his World Cup dream alive and a move to West Ham would certainly make sense considering he could stay in London and play regularly.