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West Ham United have been heavily linked with Morgan Sanson from various media outlets for a while now, but the latest news provides supporters of the club with a negative update around the possibility of acquiring the player in the summer transfer window.

According to a report from L’Equipe (print version, Monday June 1, page 3), the French midfielder would prefer a move to the Hammers’ London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who are keeping tabs on the player.

Sanson currently plays for Ligue 1 side Marseille and has featured 27 times for the club this season, scoring five times and contributing to five assists, via Transfermarkt. Indeed, he has only played professional football in France, as previously he was at Montpellier and Le Mans, so any move abroad would be a big change for him.

Reports from L’Equipe (via Sport Witness) claimed that the Hammers tried to sign Sanson in the January transfer window but they had a £30m bid rejected and it is worth wondering whether the fact that the Frenchman preferring Spurs might be a blessing in disguise for the Irons.

His goal contribution tally is impressive this season but he only has three more goals than West Ham midfielder Pablo Fornals, who is in his debut season in England, whilst they have the same number of assists, so it would worth questioning whether spending more than £30m would be worth it.

The club are also linked to Jonjo Shelvey (as per Football Insider), who is an experienced Premier League midfielder that would bring both creativity (his 1.8 key passes a game is more than the whole West Ham squad) and a defensive quality to the squad, (1.2 tackles and interceptions per game), via WhoScored.

Sanson seems like a player that the Hammers don’t really need as they could spend money elsewhere and have better alternative options, so hopefully the fact that he is more interested in a move to Spurs should defuse any interest from David Moyes.

Hammers fans, would you be disappointed to miss out on Sanson? Comment below with your views!

Glasgow Rangers and the SPFL have been involved in a bitter war of words over the past few weeks as the ‘Gers sought to keep the Premiership season alive.

The Gers have made it clear they wished to end the season when possible following the coronavirus pandemic but it was decided by the majority of clubs in Scotland’s top four leagues that the season should be brought to a close before all the games had been played.

However, that conclusion was only reached once Dundee’s original vote had been changed after it was initially not registered. This then led to the ‘Gers accusing the governing body of corruption, producing a 200-page dossier in an attempt to prove so and demanding an independent investigation into the authority. At the Emergency General Meeting, though, they were once again on the losing end.

SPFL chief Neil Doncaster has now attempted to draw a line under the saga and has told the Ibrox outfit to prepare for a new season. The new focus is on getting the next campaign started as soon as possible so that the clubs in the Premiership do not miss out on the £125m Sky Sports deal that is set to start from the beginning of the 2020/21 season.

Noel Whelan has told Football Insider just how important it is that everything goes according to plan. He explained:

“Scottish football can’t afford for the new deal not to start on time. They have a fraction of the Premier League broadcasting cash and £125m is astronomical for them, and for all the Scottish clubs.”

Whelan is right – Scottish football needs the money, which is exactly why it was in the Light Blues’ best interest to end the campaign early. Whilst they may want to believe they could have caught Celtic at the top of the division, they were 13 points behind with nine games left – it would have taken a monumental swing for them to end up as champions.

As such, ending the term now means that this campaign will not run into the new season, while that huge Sky Sports deal is still intact. The ‘Gers may not like seeing their fierce Glasgow rivals winning their ninth title in a row but this is the best possible scenario – it gives them extra motivation to get the better of them next term.

‘Gers fans, what did you make of Whelan’s views about the Sky Sports deal? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!

Tottenham Hotspur supporters are clearly keen for defensive additions this summer after reports emerged linking them with a new candidate.

According to Spanish media outlet ABC, Spurs are chasing Real Madrid left-back Sergio Reguilon following an impressive campaign on loan at La Liga rivals Sevilla.

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However, the player is not only highly-rated but well sought-after with over ten clubs touted with interest, thus Los Galacticos would ideally like to implement a buy-back clause in any deal.

The 23-year-old has become Sevilla’s first-choice option in the role this term, averaging 2.1 tackles, 1.7 dribbles and 1.6 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

Some fans believe he would be a considerable upgrade to Ben Davies at left-back, and these figures would certainly hint towards that as the Spaniard appears to be a rather interesting attacking option.

Jose Mourinho is also able to call upon Ryan Sessegnon, but the Portuguese boss has rarely done so since taking charge in November. The young summer addition has only featured 12 times for a total of 772 minutes, per Transfermarkt.

The Sevilla loan star is currently valued at £18m after one goal and four assists for the Spanish outfit this campaign.

And the Spurs faithful would like to see Reguilon in north London next season, here’s what has been said…

AND in other news, Spurs fans really do not want this West Ham star…

Well, Jose Mourinho has certainly made a bright start to life in north London hasn’t he? The Portuguese man has revitalised Tottenham in the short time he has been in charge of the club, securing three wins on the trot.

The north London side’s latest victory came against Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon in the Premier League, and one man who impressed more than most, was Davinson Sanchez.

The Colombia international has made 14 appearances across all competitions this season, including playing and completing the full 90 minutes in each of Mourinho’s initial games as manager.

And against the Cherries at the weekend, the 23-year-old was solid as a rock. Despite rather unfortunately missing out on a goal thanks to VAR, the former Ajax man still enjoyed an impressive game at the heart of defence.

The £49.5m-rated man, per Transfermarkt, made four clearances, two interceptions and blocked two shots, per Sofascore, as he helped Spurs hold on to a precious victory particularly towards the end of the game.

After watching his performance, Spurs fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts about the defender.

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Many supporters of the north London side hailed his immense display, with one fan in particular claiming that Mourinho could quite easily turn him into one of the best centre-backs in the world.

Check out some of the reaction of Spurs fans below:

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Stuart Dallas has been at Leeds for nearly four-and-a-half years but he is now beginning to establish himself as a firm favourite of the supporters.He has taken a while to prove himself but some are convinced that he has made a dramatic improvement since the end of last season, for which Marcelo Bielsa must be credited.It is not all thanks to the Argentine, however, as it is the perseverance and attitude of never giving up that has served the Northern Ireland international so well.Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

He always has a determination to help his team in whatever manner possible, and that has led him to play in a number of different positions for the club, from left-back to right-wing.

One fan has pointed out the similarity between him and James Milner in that regard, who also offers the same kind of selflessness for Liverpool, with another stating that he is the type of player “every good team needs”.

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Here are some of the comments being made about Dallas by the Leeds fanbase.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Jose Mourinho joining Tottenham Hotspur has been the big talking point of the week and what better time to appoint the Portuguese man than just days before a derby match against West Ham United.

However, the game shouldn’t be seen as a topic of interest purely because of Mourinho’s arrival or even the rivalry between the Hammers and Spurs.

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Another layer of intrigue can be added to the weekend context when you consider the feud between Mourinho and West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini.

The pair have faced off 14 times in their careers so far, with Pellegrini coming out on top in four games, Mourinho winning seven and three other matches ending in a draw.

There has been a war of words between them in the past, as The Express quoted Mourinho as saying: “If Madrid were to fire me, I wouldn’t go to Malaga. I’d go to a top-level team in Italy or England.”

He then followed that up when both were in the Premier League by stating: “Because I wouldn’t. Because I’m in a situation where I can choose. Some people can’t choose.”

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Pellegrini has also taken a shot at Saturday’s opponent in the past, saying: “I don’t like coaches who are only interested in results. The concepts of spectacle and creativity are fundamental to me.”

There was even a time when he refused to shake the Portuguese tactician’s hand because he “didn’t want to” after Jose Mourinho jumped in the crowd to celebrate a Fernando Torres winner in 2013.

Both managers are in the top 10 in Premier League history for points per game from those who have taken charge of more than 50 matches.

The most recent time the two managers met was at London Stadium last season, when West Ham beat Manchester United 3-1.

West Ham are on a run of 7 games without a victory in all competitions and Spurs are enduring a winless streak of 5 matches in the league, so there is another added incentive for the two managers to outdo each other.

With just 16 caps for Scotland, Matt Ritchie has called time on his international career, with former teammate Alan Hutton lifting the lid on the potential reasoning behind his decision.

The former Bournemouth winger, as per the Daily Mail, confirmed he was hanging up his Scotland boots, potentially to focus on his club form with Newcastle – with Ritchie so far having been out of action for most of this season.

Ritchie could find it difficult to break into this Magpies side with the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron current first-team regulars – but ex-Aston Villa defender Alan Hutton has revealed that his decision to retire from international football could stem from other reasons.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Scotland full-back went into great detail over Ritchie’s decision, citing ‘feeling unloved’ on international duty as a possible reason.

“He obviously feels he’s a bit unloved when he goes up there, he doesn’t play all the time. Maybe he feels he can offer more but he feels he’s not getting the chance,” explained the pundit.

“When you get to a certain age, then you start thinking: ‘What am I going to put forward? I’ve got my family here, I’ve got Scotland there, I’m not really playing there so I’d rather use the days for X, Y and Z.’

“I did the same thing so I’m not going to sit here and say he made the wrong decision but I think when you start to get to that age, that’s the way you start thinking.”

Indeed, with Ritchie playing in England and never actually having plied his trade north of the border in the SPFL, it could be a case of priorities – with the winger coming back from injury ahead of an uphill task to battle his way back into contention under Steve Bruce.

Newcastle fans, could Ritchie be more effective now his international career is over? Let us know your thoughts!

Leeds United fans on Twitter are far from happy with one refereeing decision from this weekend’s game against QPR.

Indeed, fans have taken to social media after seeing Patrick Bamford’s disallowed goal for offside.

It may seem a little strange for a fanbase to be arguing a disallowed goal in a game they won 2-0, but the fact that it was Bamford who had his goal chalked off makes it all the worse.

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Bamford hasn’t scored in any of his previous ten league matches for Leeds and a goal against the London club may have reignited some of his form.

As it stands though, the former Middlesbrough man’s goal drought continues, and it’s hard to see where things start to pick up for him again.

Images shared on Twitter make it look as if Bamford was onside when the ball was played, but it was incredibly tight.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Newcastle’s clash with Bournemouth promises to be an exciting affair after both teams won last weekend, and for Steve Bruce it is an opportunity to really kickstart their season.

The Magpies are yet to record consecutive victories but with a settled team now in place there are positive signs that they could be set to go on a decent run.

Eddie Howe’s side have performed well on the road, though, and boast a defensive record of 13 goals conceded in 11 league games, and that means the Newcastle front-three will need to be at their best.

In the first half against West Ham last week they were explosive, particularly Allan Saint-Maximin who missed two good opportunities to score, but Miguel Almiron also posed a threat, as he has so often this season.

Unfortunately for the Paraguay international, his stats – as per WhoScored – don’t tell the full story.

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He may still be without a goal or an asisst in Newcastle colours, but his pace makes him a constant threat for the opposition, and in recent home games against Manchester United and Wolves he has used that to his advanatge.

On both occasions he made intelligent runs and had chances on goal, and if he manages the same against the Cherries, whilst adding a clinical touch, he may just break his duck.

However, coming up against Sergio Rico will make that a difficult task, and the hard work he will have to get through to prevent the left-back’s influence in attack may mean his own threat is nullified somewhat.

Rico’s 1.9 key passes per game, according to WhoScored, underline his effectiveness, and even more concerning for Almiron is his respective tackling and interception rate per game, as they mean the right-winger could struggle to get on the ball.

Steve Bruce may have to rely on long balls from players like Jonjo Shelvey to ensure Almiron has an influence on the game, therefore, as so far he has been unable to put his pace to good effect on the ball, achieving only 0.9 successful dribbles per game.

If that takes effect, Newcastle should be able to pin down the opposition whilst keeping things tight at their own end, but if the Cherries sit deep then Bruce’s side may have a frustrating afternoon.

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

According to The Sun, Crystal Palace are eyeing up a January loan move for Liverpool teenager Rhian Brewster as the Eagles look to strengthen their attacking options.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the south Londoners believe that Brewster, 19, can compete with Christian Benteke, Jordan Ayew and Connor Wickham at Selhurst Park.

The Liverpool prospect looks to be a player of real star potential. Brewster won the Golden Boot at the U17 World Cup as England won the tournament in 2017, scoring eight goals along the way – Palace’s own Nya Kirby also featured for the Three Lions in the competition.

Additionally, the Reds academy graduate has scored 20 goals in 44 appearances throughout Liverpool’s youth ranks.

Would provide Steve Parish with a decent stop-gap to focus on other plans

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has outlined his intentions for the club’s future, including £15m-£20m plans to redevelop the academy as well as the reported £100m redevelopment of Selhurst Park – a project that is being stunted by Sainsbury’s refusal to sell a ‘slither’ of car park on the stadium site.

The Eagles chief recently decided to take an advance on a £22.5m instalment owed by Manchester United in nine months’ time, striking a deal with Australian bank Macquarie to bring the payment forward – it is believed that the money won’t be used to help Roy Hodgson in the January window.

So, in that respect, a loan deal for Brewster would save Parish some money and help keep the finances fairly balanced as he embarks on what is looking like a costly revamp of his club’s academy and stadium, while boosting the first-team squad for the remainder of the campaign.

The south Londoners have skimped and saved wherever they can in recent windows, spending less than £5m back in the summer – before that, Hodgson had only spent money on Alexander Sorloth and Cheikhou Kouyate across his two-year managerial stint, as well as a minimal fee on Jaroslaw Jach.

A loan for Brewster would help continue that trend, crucially saving money in the process, and could help mask the goalscoring woes of Christian Benteke and Connor Wickham – the pair haven’t scored this term, and grabbed just one league goal between them last season.