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Leeds are in danger of heading into the new Championship season with just Patrick Bamford as their main striker following an injury to Kemar Roofe.

Whether they decide to return to the transfer market remains to be seen but Tutto Mercato Web have laid claims that that’s exactly what they’ve done.

Tancredi Palmeri reports on the website that Leeds have submitted a bid worth €15m (£13.7m) for SPAL’s Andrea Petagna.

However, it’s a rumour that has caused debate among Leeds supporters with some refusing to believe it’ll happen.

One said the club didn’t have a prayer of landing him after he was linked to Leicester for €20m (£18.3m) earlier this year. Another simply said there was no chance that it would go through.

Further fans decided to compare the 24-year-old to former Leeds players as one said he was just like Pierre-Michel Lasogga, someone who scored ten goals in 33 matches for the club. He was also branded as the Italian Billy Paynter.

Petagna netted 17 goals in all competitions in Italy last term but according to Palmeri, SPAL are hoping for a fee closer to €25m (£22.9m) for his services.

Here’s the best of the discussion.

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علق رونالد كومان المدير الفني لفريق برشلونة الإسباني، على واقعة جيرارد بيكيه مدافع البلوجرانا وأنطوان جريزمان، خلال مواجهة باريس سان جيرمان.

وخسر برشلونة برباعية مقابل هدف ضد باريس سان جيرمان، في ذهاب دور الـ16 من بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، في مباراة شهدت تراشقًا بالألفاظ بين بيكيه وجريزمان “طالع التفاصيل”.

كومان علّق على الواقعة في تصريحاته بالمؤتمر الصحفي الخاص بمواجهة قادش غدًا الأحد في الدوري الإسباني: “من الطبيعي أن تكون هناك بعض المشاعر الصعبة داخل الملعب”.

وأضاف مدرب برشلونة: “الأمر لم يكن جيدًا، بيكيه كان عصبيًا، وكذلك جريزمان، هذا أمر جيد بالنسبة لي، أن يغضب لاعب في فريقي عندما لا تكون الأمور جيدة”.

وأكمل: “بيكيه تعافى، قدم أداءً جيدًا ضد باريس سان جيرمان، وجاهز للمشاركة من بداية المباراة ضد قادش غدًا”.

وأشار: “في هذه الأيام، القوة البدنية أمر هام للغاية، الآن علينا تغيير سياسة انتقالاتنا، وعدم التركيز على المواهب فقط مثلما كنا نفعل، علينا أن نحقق التوازن بين أصحاب القوة البدنية والموهوبين”.

وعن حالة ديست: “سيرجينو ما زال في عمر الـ19، يحتاج للتعلم والتطور، عليه أن يكون أكثر تركيزًا وشراسة، لقد انتقل من هولندا إلى برشلونة، الأمر ليس سهلًا، لكنه يعتمد على مدى تركيزه في النهاية”.

وبسؤاله عن هالاند مهاجم بوروسيا دورتموند، اختتم كومان: “لن نتحدث عن التعاقدات الآن، عندما يأتي الرئيس الجديد يمكننا مناقشة هذا الأمر”.

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Arsenal have enjoyed an impressive first-half of their pre-season, picking up three wins from four games and claiming two clean sheets, although their frustrations in the transfer market are well documented.

The Gunners have tried and failed with an optimistic approach for Wilfried Zaha, while a move for Kieran Tierney also looks dead in the water.

Having missed out on Champions League football last term, Unai Emery finds himself with plenty of improvements to make to his squad yet little budget to do so with – reports suggest that the former PSG boss has just £45m to spend this summer, £6m of which has always been shelled out on promising Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli.

There have been slightly more promising signs after bringing in Dani Ceballos and William Saliba, however.

Emery is a manager who loves tinkering his approach, having used a variety of formations in his maiden Premier League campaign in 2018/19, so pre-season offers the Spaniard the perfect opportunity to further explore his squad’s strengths and limitations.

We are sure that he has learned plenty about his squad and so have we.

Here are five things we have already learned during Arsenal’s pre-season…

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Having let Danny Welbeck go this summer, Emery has placed a huge amount of faith in Eddie Nketiah to become the third striker, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette to continue leading the line – it’s no less than the youngster deserves.

The 20-year-old has been linked with a loan move to Championship club Charlton Athletic, although Emery indicated in an interview that the budding hitman has made progress enough to warrant his stay in the first-team picture at the Emirates Stadium.

Having netted against Fiorentina and Bayern Munich in pre-season, the number 49 is establishing himself as one of the most promising English talents around at the moment.

The player is already a fantastic finisher and Emery’s decision not to let him leave even on a temporary basis speaks volumes.

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Calum Chambers spent last season on loan at Fulham, where he impressed as a defensive-midfielder, averaging a 7.01 match rating in nine appearances in that role according to WhoScored, despite arriving at Craven Cottage as a centre-back.

With Mohamed Elneny being linked with an exit and Laurent Koscielny looking for a way out, it could be time for the 24-year-old to step up at Arsenal.

The versatile Englishman captained a youthful Gunners side – testament to Emery’s faith in him – as they emerged victorious over Colorado Rapids in their first game of pre-season.

He’s certainly showed much more than Shkodran Mustafi over the summer and 2019/20 could be his year.

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Mesut Ozil has shown up in pre-season – although this must be taken with a pinch of salt given his penchant to wow fans before vanishing into obscurity next time out – and looks back to his best in the 10 role.

It was a position where he had few opportunities to play last season as Emery chopped and changed formations, creating four chances and recording a 96% passing accuracy in 110 minutes played, according to Wyscout.

Aaron Ramsey’s departure has left the Gunners light in the creative department and 30-year-old Ozil did his utmost to give Aubameyang the kind of service he craves down the line during the victory over Bayern Munich last week.

If there’s any time for the enigmatic German to pull his socks up and prove worth his extraordinary wages, it’s now – Dani Ceballos has signed for Arsenal on loan and Emery’s indication that the Spaniard can play behind the strikers will hopefully be the push Ozil needs to revive his Gunners career.

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Nacho Monreal has been a faithful servant to the north Londoners but he has looked out of place when deployed on the left of a back-three, while he has also offered very little on the front foot when swapped out to his natural role at full-back.

At 33-years-old, the Spaniard doesn’t have the legs anymore, although he is a big upgrade on Sead Kolasinac in the defensive phase – while the burly Serb’s attacking game is an asset, he’s caught out all too often when he plays in a back-four.

Both players’ shortcomings have been exposed in these three pre-season games and their failure thus-far to bring in a left-back who is adept both in defence and attack could certainly cost the Gunners in 2019/20.

Emery will surely be worried about this problem and it’s no wonder links with Kieran Tierney persist.

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Mustafi fast became the butt of many a joke last term, with the German’s defensive ineptitude on display in both home and away fixtures against Crystal Palace in particularly. He scythed down Cheikhou Kouyate inside the box at Selhurst Park and played Zaha in to score the winner at the Emirates Stadium.

There appears to be no sign of the former Valencia man making any improvements this summer, either.

He allowed one of the world’s most lethal strikers in Robert Lewandowski all the space in the world to head home Serge Gnabry’s cross in the Gunners’ win over Bayern – and was all too often guilty of sloppy passing and a lack of awareness.

There’s absolutely no way the World Cup-winner should be anywhere near Arsenal’s starting XI come their opening day clash with Newcastle next month – if he even survives the summer window, that is.

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Chamberlain was gracious in victory. He stated that he was happy with the result and the performance, but he showed Arsenal plenty of respect by stating that they were a good side.

He seemingly still has a lot of love for the London club, but he showed where his affiliations lie by signing off the tweet with the hashtag YNWA.

He’s still a very popular figure amongst some sections of the Arsenal fanbase as evidenced by the comments on that post, but seeing him celebrate a victory against his old club and even add the famous Reds motto will undoubtedly sting for those fans.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa will set their sights on Rangers right-back James Tavernier should current first choice option Ahmed Elmohamady link back up with his former boss Steve Bruce at Newcastle United.

What’s the word?

Recent reports have suggested that Bruce is fighting to get Elmohamady at St James’ Park, after managing him at three different clubs – Sunderland, Hull City and Villa. However, those in charge of transfers at the club would prefer to sign a younger option.

A knock-on effect could lead to Villa boss Dean Smith pursuing Tavernier should his veteran right-back depart Villa Park before Thursday’s transfer deadline.

It it thought that Steven Gerrard’s Rangers will hold out for at least £10m with their club captain being in the peak of his career at the age of 27. He also still has three years remaining on his current contract.

Should the Egyptian leave Villa Park then Smith will be left with an inexperienced and young duo in James Bree and Frederic Guilbert – who the club signed on deadline day of the January transfer window from Caen, before loaning him back to the relegated Ligue 1 club.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

An ideal replacement

Tavernier could prove to be an ideal replacement if not a substantial improvement on Smith’s current options on the right side of defence.

Last season, the 27-year-old was probably one of Gerrard’s most influential players – not only because he was captain, but because of his goals and assists record.

He netted 17 goals and laid on 20 assists as Rangers finished runners-up to Celtic in the Scottish Premier League and were knocked out of the Europa League group stages.

Yes, 14 of those goals were from penalties but that only goes to show his spot-kick taking nous and you’d still take three goals per season from your right-back – that’s better than most in that position and is certainly more than what Elmohamady has managed in his entire Aston Villa career having scored just twice in 87 appearances.

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That assist figure is outstanding too – Liverpool’s Andy Robertson managed seven less, Eden Hazard three less and the Bradford-born ace was only short of Lionel Messi by two. That only goes to show the level of output in which Tavernier can produce.

The former Newcastle man may have little Premier League experience to his name, just like the two that would be behind him in the pecking order should Elmohamady actually depart, but he’s performed at an elite European level by competing in the Europa League on multiple occasions.

£10m in the current transfer market would appear to be quite the steal too – Kieran Tierney is commanding a £25m fee from Arsenal despite facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines through injury, and he underperformed in comparison to Tavernier having scored just once and only assisted a fraction of his figure with six.

Meanwhile young talent in the Premier League has seen some huge figures with 21-year-old Aaron Wan-Bissaka moving to Manchester United for £50m for example.

Villa boss Smith has shown he isn’t afraid to get the cheque book out on multiple occasions this summer – 12 new players have walked through the door at Villa Park for an amount surpassing £130m – there would be no harm in prising away one of the Scottish Premier League’s best players for just another £10m.

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Unai Emery has plenty to be happy about so far after a promising start to the season for his Arsenal side.

The Gunners have won their first two games of the Premier League campaign, first beating Newcastle United 1-0 at St. James’ Park before defeating Burnley 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium.

The former Sevilla boss has so far given some of the club’s younger players plenty of time to impress, with Joe Willock, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Reiss Nelson all having started in the first two games.

Find out the truth about why David Luiz joined Arsenal in the video below…

There is some hype surrounding the latter, who looked good on loan at Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga last term. However, he will need to provide a lot more going forward following an offensive display against the Clarets in which he did little of note.

It would even be fair to say that he was a passenger throughout his time on the field, and it came as little surprise when he was replaced at half-time by Nicolas Pepe. During those 45 minutes, he created just one chance and managed one shot.

It was in terms of dribbles and crosses where he was particularly disappointing, though. Not even once was he able to beat his man, and he also failed to complete a cross. Bearing in mind that he is a winger, those numbers are quite frankly not good enough.

All in all, Nelson finished with a rating of 6.22, which was by far the worst of the starting XI. With Alexandre Lacazette and Aubameyang both scoring and record-signing Pepe surely in line to start soon after Saturday’s cameo, Nelson will need to hope that he gets another chance to show his worth in the coming weeks.

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كشف علي درويش، رئيس هيئة استاد القاهرة، عن استضافة الملعب لقمة الأهلي والزمالك في الدوري المصري الممتاز.

الأهلي يلتقي مع نظيره الزمالك في التاسعة والنصف مساء الأحد 18 أبريل  المقبل في المباراة المؤجلة من الجولة الرابعة والتي تقام على استاد القاهرة الدولي. طالع مواعيد الأهلي من هنا.

وقال درويش في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر فضائية “أم بي سي مصر”: “مباراتي الأهلي والزمالك في الدوري ستقام على استاد القاهرة”.

وتابع: “أتمنى أن يكون هناك حضور جماهيري في استاد القاهرة، ولكن هذا قرار الدولة”.

وتطرق للحديث عن قضايا الاستاد بشأن المستحقات المتأخرة: “هناك قضايا في القضاء بشأن مستحقات قديمة لصالح استاد القاهرة لم تتنهي بعد ونبذل مجهود بالتواصل مع الجهات”

وأكمل: “وتواصلنا مع النادي الأهلي وبدء يحل جزء كبير من المستحقات، وتركنا جزء للقضاء هناك أختلاف عليه، وتواصلنا مع اتحاد الكرة ووعد أن يكون هناك جدولة للمستحقات”.

وأضاف: “نريد أن ننهي كل شىء قبل القضاء، ونريد أن نجمع أموال لكل تسير الأمور”.

[ad_pod ]What is it with us Brits and Megans and Meghans?Last summer an actress married a prince and as a nation we were positively smitten with the bride. Magazines were full of gushing articles detailing her style and highlighting her beauty. She was a 21st century Grace Kelly. But soon after, the backlash began and now you would be hard pushed to find any love at all in the media for Meghan Markle. She is pushy and demanding, so they say. She is a nightmare.One year on another American female grabbed our attention. Prior to the Women’s World Cup in France, many of us were already aware of Megan Rapinoe when, in 2016, she became the first white athlete to take the knee in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick. Then shortly into the tournament, a video emerged where the 34-year-old US winger insisted she had no intention of “going to the f***ing White House if we winâ€. This extended on a long-running stance taken by the player against an administration that she felt had an opposing view concerning equality and inclusivity to her own.Watch International Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Anyone taking on Donald Trump is always going to gain a large tract of support in the UK yet with Rapinoe our reflections of her felt more akin to intrigue rather than admiration.

That’s because, running concurrently with this narrative, was another that suggested the American squad was ‘arrogant’. ÂIn their opening fixture against Thailand, their celebration of all thirteen goals was deemed to lack class or humility and then later, of course, came Alex Morgan’s storm in an imaginary tea cup and because human nature decrees it preferable to focus our ire on individuals rather than a collective Morgan and Rapinoe were singled out for criticism. With Morgan the explanation for this is self-evident and – for the most part – the same can be said of Rapinoe due to her activism placing her firmly in the spotlight. Fairly or otherwise each came to represent the perception that the USWNT were somewhat full of themselves.

At this juncture, our interest and loud reproval of Rapinoe can be made sense of, whether you agree with it or not. With World Cup mania taking hold in this country the Reign FC star had become the public face of American sporting imperiousness and if running down the president is guaranteed to unite pretty much all of us that ethos is true ten times over in our disdain for the win-at-all-cost mentality that is so ingrained in US culture. Many of us recall the 1999 Ryder Cup in Brookline, with the bellicose whoops and chest-thumping patriotism. They even call their national sport’s championship the ‘World Series’ for goodness sake.

We Brits shy from such hyperbole and pumped-up belief. Indeed it goes directly against sensibilities that we still hold dear. It is an array of self-deprecating sensibilities that run through us like the word ‘underdog’ in a stick of rock.

Did you know there is only one club in the world that pays their women’s team the same as the men? Find out what it’s like to play for them in the video below…

So the American team rubbed us up the wrong way with their brash confidence and Megan Rapinoe – pink hair and all – came to symbolise their perceived traits, which is why people like Piers Morgan felt the need to get all faux-angry at her for celebrating a goal, later alleging that she has a ‘stupendous ego’. That seems to be the nub of it. That should be the end of it.

Except that’s not the end of it. In fact, it only feels like the start.

Because since the World Cup ended Rapinoe has received condemnation online for stating ‘I deserve this’ on a parade float while swigging champagne and holding aloft a trophy. She was widely rebuked last week when a video emerged of her signing a ball for a fan without acknowledging him in the process. Since the World Cup ended negative attention on her has escalated to the point of it becoming almost an industry in itself and now it no longer feels like she is unfairly taking the rap for a conceited team ethic; it’s become personal. She is being made into a hate figure.

Subsequently, a majority have sprung to her defence and a battleground has formed on social media which, frankly, is the worst possible place for any battleground devoid as it is of nuance.

So it is that discourse surrounding Megan Rapinoe now centres exclusively on her gender. Not her footballing achievements. Not her rare and brave activism. Her gender. And as understandable as that is concerning those who stand alongside her that still feels counter-productive in the great scheme of things, even regressive.

Regardless, while those who seek to dismiss Rapinoe are seemingly entirely men – and ‘lads’ at that in the main – the charge of misogyny stands, which has led to a comeback summed up in a tweet from @FreddieWhite23.

It reads: “People jumping on the ‘men hate all women’ because they can’t stand the arrogant Megan Rapinoe need to get a grip. Stop using someone’s sex as an excuse to stir up trouble. I think many male sports stars are d****, we are allowed to say women are, if they act it.”

There may well be substance here. After all, the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristian Ronaldo – renowned poseurs and arrogant to boot – do not solely receive acclaim but a good deal of criticism too. Yet it is the tone that differs; the tone is everything.

When either of the above display their clear self-affection the response is usually ‘what a div’: ‘what a k**b’. With Rapinoe there is hatred, either lurking or apparent. There is a hostility that unnerves.

Trawling through the castigation of Rapinoe is a dispiriting experience and leaves only one conclusion: that you don’t necessarily have to be sexist to find her off-putting, but it probably does help.

What is it with us Brits and Megans and Meghans? Well, for starters they are both names of women who in their own ways are rocking their worlds. Sadly that might be the most pertinent explanation of all.

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Manchester City fans rejoice! Aymeric Laporte may finally be set to earn his first senior cap for France. And about time too.

The 25-year-old has failed to make a Les Bleus squad since making the bench for the side’s 2-0 defeat to Spain back in March 2017.

Now, this personal boost for the City ace is quite unexpected, as the centre-back even suggested the previous lack of international recognition could be put down to a personal vendetta against him from France manager Didier Deschamps.

Speaking back in December, he said, as quoted by The Manchester Evening News: “Of course I don’t think it’s because of a sporting issue, you’d have to ask him personally. I don’t have anything personal against him, but if someone has a problem it’s him and not me.

“I could be a world champion… but these are the decisions of the coach, who is not calling me for, I think, personal reasons, and I have to respect him.”

Watch Manchester City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

After hearing the news of Laporte being called up for the upcoming EURO 2020 qualifiers, City fans flooded to Twitter to voice their reaction to the matter.

Many admitted the call-up is “long overdue” and were relieved his performances at City are finally being rewarded.

Some supporters of the Manchester side revealed their shock at Laporte’s ‘exile’ finally being ended and insisted they couldn’t believe their eyes.

Check out some of the reaction of City fans below:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Darren Bent has told Football Insider that the reason Rangers still have their club captain James Tavernier is that foreign clubs overlook the level of Scottish football.

What’s he said?

Tavernier has been the subject of interest from at least ten clubs across Europe, per a previous Football Insider report, yet looks like staying at Ibrox. This has bemused the former Spurs and Charlton forward, who clearly rates the goalscoring prowess of Steven Gerrard’s right-back.

Bent believes the perceptions of football in Scotland are ignorant, stating: “You’ll get a striker who scores goals in Scotland and they’ll go: ‘Yeah but it’s just Scotland.’

“I’ve always said to myself that’s unfair. They’re still producing the goods, they’ve still got to score the goals.

“For a right-back, that (his goals and assists record) is absolutely insane. It is surprising that no one else has come in for him.”

The pundit makes reference to the former Newcastle defender’s attacking output last season, and quite rightly too. Tavernier scored 17 goals and assisted a further 20 in 57 appearances in Gerrard’s first season in control at Ibrox.

Long may the ignorance continue

Bent nails it with his damning comments on the attitudes towards Scottish football, but it shouldn’t be taken as a negative.

For a long time, the talents of Premiership players have been undervalued by clubs not just abroad, but in this very country. John McGinn left Hibs for Aston Villa for a £2.75m fee, a fee Celtic haggled over and then ultimately lost out on a brilliant player as a result. Fast-forward 12 months and Villa are valuing him at £50m amid interest from Manchester United.

This sort of mark-up isn’t uncommon – see Champions of Europe Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson – so it’s no great leap to suggest that players north of the border are undervalued until they show how good they are south of the border.

This attitude is exactly what Bent mentions, and from a Rangers perspective, they’ll hope it continues for a long time. In Tavernier, you have a player who’s clearly very productive offensively but is also an important figure at the club.

It’s no token gesture to be captain of Rangers, particularly in this current side. In a dressing room that features club veterans like Allan McGregor and Steve Davis, it’s not like Gerrard is short of experienced players capable of leading his side out at Ibrox, yet he chooses to stick with Tavernier.

Bent is spot on about attitudes towards Scottish football, but if it means the likes of Tavernier stay north of the border that bit longer, we suspect the Ibrox faithful won’t care one bit.

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