Having led Sheffield United to an incredible second place finish in the Championship during the 2018/19 campaign, Chris Wilder will be hoping to prolong the club’s stay in the Premier League over the coming years.

Yet in order to give the Blades the best chance of competing with some of the world’s best club sides next season, the 58-year-old will have to get his recruitment spot on this summer.

Although Wilder has been very successful in the transfer market since taking over at the club in 2016, a failure to sign the right players during the upcoming window could result in his side being relegated in 12 months time.

Therefore, to avoid this scenario, it is imperative that the former Oxford United boss resists the temptation to sign Britt Assombalonga this summer from Middlesbrough.

According to the Northern Echo, Wilder is reportedly interested in securing the services of the forward having been impressed with his performances in the Championship last season.

Despite being an extremely competent striker in the second tier, the fact that the £9m-rated ace (via Transfermarkt) only managed to fire in 14 goals in 42 appearances for the Smoggies should act as a warning to the Blades.

Although there is no doubting Assombalonga’s finishing ability, when you consider that he has no previous experience of playing in the Premier League, it could be argued that United should not even consider taking a risk on him.

With the club already having better-attacking options at the club in the form of David McGoldrick and Billy Sharp, they should use the funds available to them this summer to bring in individuals who have a track-record of performing in the top-flight rather than haggling over second-tier players.

What do you think United fans? Would you welcome a move for Assombalonga when the transfer window opens? If not, who would you like your club to sign this summer? Let us know below.

Tottenham fans simply cannot wait until their beloved team walks out onto the Wanda Metropolitano pitch for the upcoming Champions League final.

It’s most definitely an occasion most wouldn’t have believed Spurs could get to but now they’re here, Tottenham are in it to win it.

With qualification secured for the competition next season as well, Spurs are really starting to change the perception about them. No longer viewed as bottlers, the football world is finally seeing the north London club for what they truly are: a very dangerous outfit.

Next season will be a new challenge entirely but one Mauricio Pochettino’s side will without a doubt be ready for.

The capture of a number of big names could do Tottenham the world of good and one of those linked with a move to London and the Premier League is German international Julian Brandt, recently linked with a move to the club by the Daily Mail.

Brandt, (who is valued at £40.5 million on Transfermarkt) is a player that has exceptional quality and because of that will likely get a move this summer, whether that is Tottenham or not.

Indeed, with nine goals and 17 assists, interest is quite rightly aplenty in a player that has great potential to get even better. Clearly, the 23-year-old has enjoyed a prolific season for Bayer Leverkusen and his goals could even see his team rise into fourth place by the end of the campaign.

Brandt has brilliant versatility which means he is able to play out on the wing or through the middle as an attacking midfielder.

Yes, Tottenham do already have plenty of quality in those positions but Brandt would add even more to an ever-improving side, especially if Christian Eriksen was to leave as well.

Daniel Levy must have more than enough money to splash after two disappointing transfer windows.

Would you want to sign Julian Brandt… Let us know!

شدد مدرب يوفنتوس أندريا بيرلو على أن الفترة الانتقالية انتهت ويستعد الفريق بالفعل للموسم الحقيقي، قبل مواجهة الغد أمام كالياري في منافسات الدوري الإيطالي.

وعاد اللاعبون من فترة توقف دولي بتحقيق نتائج إيجابية مع منتخبات بلادهم وقال بيرلو إن بعض لاعبيه قد اكتسبوا الثقة خلال الأسبوعين الماضيين.

وتحدث المدرب في مؤتمر صحفي قائلاً: “لا أعرف ما إذا كانت هذه ميزة لدينا، فهم بالتأكيد لاعبون أقوياء، ربما لعب البعض أقل من ذلك بقليل في الأسابيع الأخيرة وقد لعبوا بشكل جيد مع المنتخب الوطني، لكسب الثقة والسرعة، نحن سعداء بعودتهم برغبة كبيرة وأنهم الآن جاهزون للعب”.

وأكد بيرلو أن مباراة كالياري أساسية من أجل نمو السيدة العجوز، وذكّر لاعبيه بأن الفترة الانتقالية قد انتهت الآن، متابعًا: “إنها مباراة أساسية، لقد جئنا من فترة توقف بسبب المنتخبات الوطنية، لكننا نحتاجها لنمونا”.

وشدد: “الآن، يجب أن تبدأ بطولتنا، انتهت فترة التكيف، وسيكون لدينا 10 مباريات للعب كما لو كانت نهائيات حتى عيد الميلاد، بدءًا من الغد، أريد أن أرى روحًا قتالية مختلفة، واللعب بقوة كبيرة لتحقيق النتائج”.

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وعن فريق كالياري، أردف بيرلو: “إنهم فريق ممتاز بقيادة مدرب ممتاز، جلب دي فرانشيسكو حماسًا كبيرًا لفريقهم، وتطويرًا جيدًا للعبة عندما يلعبون بثلاثة وأربعة مهاجمين، لديهم لاعبون جيدون وذوي خبرة في خطي الوسط والهجوم، ستكون مباراة مهمة وصعبة، لكن لن نضطر إلى النظر إلى النتيجة ولكن نركز على أنفسنا ومحاولة الفوز بالمباراة”.

وأكمل: “أريد أن أرى فريقًا يريد تحقيق نتيجة بأي شكل من الأشكال، يجب أن يكون لدينا الجوع والرغبة في الفوز في كل مباراة دون إهمال أدق التفاصيل، ما فعله يوفنتوس دائمًا في هذه السنوات”.

واستطرد: “آمل أن تنتهي التجارب، لقد أتيحت لي الفرصة للعمل مع لاعبين على استعداد تام للتحدث وإجراء تغييرات فنية وتكتيكية، وهذا مرضي”.

وأتم: “بعد ذلك، اعتمادًا على المباريات، ربما يتغير شيء دائمًا، بعض التحركات من قبل لاعب ما، ولكن دعونا أولاً نعطي انطباعًا حيويًا ومستقيمًا”.

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Youri Tielemans has been a fabulous capture for Leicester in the back half of the campaign. Signed by Claude Puel on loan from Monaco, he has been a revelation since arriving at the King Power in January.

For a while now he’s been one of the most promising creative midfielders around and he’s more than shown that in the Premier League.

As such, speculation has been rife about his future in the last few weeks with a number of top-flight clubs showing an interest in the 22-year-old.

Brendan Rodgers has said the club will do everything they can to make his loan stay a permanent one but the likes of Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United are all circling around the player, per The Daily Star.

Meanwhile, Paul Merson has claimed, in quotes relaid by Leicestershire Live, that Manchester City should be looking at him.

Therefore, a picture of the Belgian superstar deep in conversation with City boss Pep Guardiola and the club’s captain, Vincent Kompany after the game could come as a cause for concern.

Tielemans’ Leicester side had just lost to a thunderbolt from his compatriot Kompany but it didn’t seem to have upset the midfielder too much.

The Foxes will be desperate to see him back at the club next term but it’s becoming increasingly unlikely.

His conversation with Guardiola, therefore, will not have had Leicester supporters feeling much better after missing out on seventh place in the league table on the night as well.

Thank goodness: Andrea Radrizzani apparently reveals future of Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds United and its great news for fans.

On top of contending with the hurt and anxiety of possibly missing out on their best chance for promotion in years, Leeds fans have been desperately worried about the long-term future of their Argentine messiah. However, recent revelations may ease their pain.

Andrea Radrizzani is apparently confident that Marcelo Bielsa will remain as manager of Leeds United next season regardless of whether they get promotion, as per Football Insider.

The Argentine signed a two-year contract when he joined in the summer of 2018 and, though the second year is only activated if the club take up their option to do so, we have zero doubts that they will opt to stay with El Loco.

A second term is triggered automatically if Leeds are promoted this season, the chances of which remain dubious as the club prepare for the end of the season play-offs after missing out on a top-two finish due to poor end of season form.

A source close to Leeds has revealed to Football Insider that Radrizzani has told friends he expects Bielsa to stay at the club even if it means leading them through another long-haul Championship campaign for a 16th consecutive season outside of the Premiership. And this can only be good news for fans, who experienced one of their brightest runs in recent history under a coach who genuinely seems to know what he is doing.

Confidence may not be high at the moment, but a single point against already relegated Ipswich Town will guarantee third place and play-off semi-final against the team finishing sixth, either Bristol City, Derby or Middlesbrough.

This would avoid a two-legged matchup against either West Brom and Aston Villa, both of whom are very capable of derailing Leeds’ promotion hopes.

Leeds fans, do you really see Bielsa staying? What changes would he need to make to get the club up next year? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

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Granit Xhaka has come on leaps and bounds since the arrival of Unai Emery, who opted to make the Swiss international one of his five captains going into the new season.

However, things are forgotten very quickly in football as Xhaka’s form has dipped dramatically along with Arsenal’s, who look on course to finish outside the top four for the third season in a row.

Interestingly enough, the north London outfit haven’t finished in the top four since Xhaka and Shkodran Mustafi signed for the club.

Arsenal have suffered three defeats in a row, starting with Crystal Palace at the Emirates and away losses at Wolves and Leicester City quickly following.

Despite the rut, the Gunners amazingly could still finish in the top four, if results go their way. However, this isn’t comfort enough for Arsenal fans, who took issue with the latest quotes coming from the midfielder in the aftermath of Sunday’s defeat…

Assessing Bournemouth’s squad, it is quite clear where the south coast club need to strengthen in the summer.

If Eddie Howe does not believe the promising Mark Travers is ready to become the Cherries’ No.1 yet, then he needs to go out and buy a new goalkeeper.

Asmir Begovic has made too many errors between the sticks this season, while Artur Boruc is 39 years of age.

That explains Bournemouth’s interest in Jack Butland, with the Daily Mail reporting that Burnley’s Nick Pope is also a target for the Premier League outfit.

Seen as a cheaper alternative to the Stoke City shot-stopper, Pope is exactly the sort of goalkeeper the Cherries need.

Should they be unable to land Butland, then they should go all out for the 27-year-old.

Pope has obviously featured very little this season due to injury. But prior to that, the former Charlton man enjoyed a highly successful 2017/18 campaign where he went on to win his first senior England cap.

Reliable between the sticks, Pope offered Burnley even more security behind a sturdy central defensive partnership of Ben Mee and James Tarkowski.

That reliability is something Howe has not seen nowhere near enough of from Begovic.

Bearing that in mind, ditching the Bosnia and Herzegovina international for Pope is certainly the play here for the Bournemouth boss.

Bournemouth fans, would you welcome the addition of Pope in the summer? Join the discussion by commenting below.

Middlesbrough’s roller-coaster of a season was brought to a halt yesterday as Tony Pulis’ side narrowly missed out on reaching the play-offs in the Championship.

Having entered the final round of fixtures just one point behind Derby County in the league standings, the Smoggies needed their rivals to slip up home against West Bromwich Albion to have any chance of securing a top-six finish.

However, despite beating Rotherham United 2-1, Boro were left to rue their horrendous drop-off in form during March and April as Frank Lampard’s Rams guaranteed their place in the play-offs with a 3-1 victory at the Pride Park stadium.

Although it is unclear whether Pulis will be at the club next season, it is imperative that in order for the Yorkshire-based outfit to launch a sustained bid for promotion, they must bolster their squad during the upcoming transfer market.

With the likes of Stewart Downing and John Obi-Mikel approaching the twilight of their careers, it is clear that Boro could benefit from freshening up their options with the arrival of one of the most promising young talents in League One.

According to the Sunday People (as quoted by the 72), Boro have been linked with a summer swoop for Coventry City star Tom Bayliss with Leeds United and Newcastle United also reportedly keen on securing his signature.

A fantastic central-midfielder, the 20-year-old enjoyed an incredibly fruitful campaign with the Sky Blues this season as his three goals and three assists helped the club secure an eighth-place finish in League One.

Although he has only played two full years of senior football, it is clear that Bayliss is more than ready to make the step up in level and has all the ingredients needed to become a future hero at the Riverside Stadium if the Smoggies can convince him to join the club.

What do you think Boro fans? Would Bayliss be a good addition to your side? Or is it too much of a risk to bring in the England under-19 international? Let us know below.

أعلن الاتحاد الصربي لكرة القدم، اليوم الأربعاء أن 4 من أعضاء البعثة، قد ثبتت إصابتهم بفيروس كورونا في اختبار PCR الأخير الذي خضعوا له.

وأصيب لاعبو الفريق، سيرجي ميلينكوفيتش سافيتش ونيكوليتش ​​ولازوفيتش وأحد أخصائيي العلاج الطبيعي.

وخضع لوكا يوفيتش، مهاجم ريال مدريد الإسباني، لفحص مع منتخب بلاده صربيا، ووفقًا لصحيفة “آس” الإسبانية، جاءت النتيجة سلبية.

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ويأتي ذلك قبل مباراة صربيا أمام روسيا، المقرر خوضها مساء اليوم الأربعاء، ضمن منافسات دوري الأمم الأوروبية.

ولا تزال فترة التوقف الدولي تمثل صداعًا للأندية بسبب فيروس كورونا، والذي أصيب به عدد كبير من اللاعبين مؤخرًا.

Alfredo Morelos must be sold this summer, but his 29 goals this season would take some replacing. Andre Gray would step into his shoes and tear-up the Scottish Premiership if Rangers managed to sign him.

The Herald claimed the Gers are attempting to do just that as summer approaches. The Watford striker is far too good for the Scottish league, so if they can lure him to Glasgow it could make the difference in the title race next season.

He’s scored seven goals and assisted two in 27 games for Watford in the Premier League this season. If that’s what he can do in arguably the most competitive league in the world, imagine what he could do for Rangers in Scotland. He could become an Ibrox hero within a year.

The Englishman’s rated at £13.5m on Transfermarkt, so he certainly wouldn’t be cheap. That’s usually a fee Rangers wouldn’t be able to afford, particularly as they need to add quality all over the pitch to challenge Celtic next season. The money raised from Morelos’ sale can cover this though.

He signed for Watford for £18.36m and his reputation would excite Ibrox no end. The 27-year-old is in his prime, and he’d relish being the main man for such a massive club. He hasn’t had that privilege at Watford, so he could be tempted to Scotland.

If they can convince him to come, it’d be a game-changer for the title race. He’d strike fear in any Scottish Premiership centre-back, and that’d certainly worry their arch-rivals into taking them seriously as title contenders next season.

Rangers fans, who do you want to see replace Alfredo Morelos if he’s sold this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below.