Oliver: Keep - Jonah Kusi-Asare, as we are short of strikers. Loan - Rodrigo Muniz so he can rebuild his confidence away from the pressure of Premier League. Sell - Emile Smith Rowe, as he has not lived up to potential while Josh King has impressed.
Given he recently distanced himself from a managerial role until the new season gets under way, I was surprised to see Thomas Frank installed as one of the early favourites for the vacant job at Ipswich. Prior to his difficult spell at Tottenham, the Dane did wonders at Brentford, and he knows how to get out of the Championship and STAY in the Premier League, which is something Kieran McKenna hasn't achieved yet in his career. Liam Rosenior was always going to be linked and I think he would be a sound appointment as well, despite it not working out for him at Chelsea.
Djed Spence will have to play the entire World Cup in a protective mask due to a "crazy challenge" from Liam Delap, which saw him sustain a broken jaw in Tottenham's penultimate Premier League game of the season. The full-back, who was named in Thomas Tuchel's 26-man England squad ahead of Newcastle United's Lewis Hall and Manchester United's Luke Shaw, revealed the injury will take three months to heal.
Following Chelsea’s inconsistencies, Marc Cucurella appears determined to leave the club, with a reported valuation of €50 million. As a result, the 27-year-old star is prioritizing a triumphant return to Barcelona over interest from Atlético Madrid. Marc Cucurella has become one of the best left-backs in the Premier League. Not only does he stand out defensively, but also offensively. However, he appears determined to leave Chelsea following the club’s major sporting inconsistencies, with a valuation set at €50 million. As a result, he has reportedly decided to prioritize a return to Barcelona over strong interest from Atlético Madrid. According to Ferran Martínez, via Mundo Deportivo, Cucurella has formally communicated to the Blues his desire to leave the club in the summer. In response, they have valued him at between €40–50 million, attracting interest from Atlético Madrid. However, the 27-year-old star’s absolute priority is a return to Barcelona after leaving in 2020, as head coach Hansi Flick sees him as an ideal fit for the team’s profile. Even though the Blaugrana are attentive to a possible return for Marc Cucurella, his comeback would not be straightforward at all. In order to afford his signing, they would be willing to listen to offers for Alejandro Balde. If they do not sell the 22-year-old star, Barcelona would not be able to complete the transfer, as they have other priorities. In addition, the young player is not willing to leave the team, further complicating matters. If Barcelona fail to resolve Balde’s sale soon, Marc could accept a move to Atlético Madrid. Looking to improve their defensive stability, Los Colchoneros are pushing to convince him to become an undisputed starter. With Cucurella in the squad, they would gain significantly more defensive consistency and offensive contribution, something they do not currently have with Matteo Ruggeri. In addition, the 27-year-old star wants to resolve his professional future quickly. Marc Cucurella of Chelsea. Barcelona’s plan centers on the striker role, not Cucurella Ahead of the 2026–27 season, Barcelona are determined to strengthen their attacking side. After signing Anthony Gordon, they are now attentive to the possible signing of a centre forward, focusing on Julián Álvarez. Moreover, Gerard Martin’s emergence and João Cancelo’s potential signing makes Marc Cucurella’s arrival an opportunity, not a priority. With this in mind, Atletico Madrid hold an edge. Being a priority for Los Colchoneros, Cucurella could prefer signing with them rather than waiting for Barcelona. In addition, they are already focused on bringing back Cancelo, who would be a starter for Flick. If they have financial room to invest, the Blaugrana would reportedly target a left-footed center-back instead. Therefore, Marc does not seem to be a priority for Hansi Flick’s team unless a swift offer arrives for Alejandro Balde or Jules Koundé.
Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!Geopolitics World Cup Week is upon us, baby. We stand on the edge of greatness. Who will dream, who will dare to stay up on Friday night for the 3am (BST) kick-off of South Korea v Czechia, and live to tell the tale? Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone. Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone. Silence the pianos and, with muffled drum, bring out the television, let the morning come.Podcast-wise, I only listen to Football Weekly of course (ahem …) but I did happen to hear an interview with Jürgen Klinsmann. What’s fascinating about him is that whenever he’s interviewed he always trots out a story about Diego Maradona at Napoli doing a famous warm-up with ‘Live is Life’ playing in the background with him and his teammates warming up in the corner of the pitch and looking at him in awe. The problem is, that happened in a game in 1989 between Bayern Munich and Napoli in the semi-final of the old Big Vase but Klinsmann was at Stuttgart at the time. Stuttgart did play Napoli in the final, but Maradona didn’t do that warmup then, so he must have seen footage of the warmup so many times that he’s conflated the two. Memory is a funny old thing” – Noble Francis.Re: Graham Potter’s claim to be the best non-Swede to take the country to the World Cup (Friday’s Quote of the Day). Either he is unaware of the remarkable achievement of the English manager George Rayner who took them to the 1958 final (where they lost to Pelé’s Brazil) or he expects to win the whole damn thing! I’m weighing up whether to put this month’s housekeeping on them at 150-1” – Bob WilcoxImagine my shock when I read Friday’s Football Daily only to find that Neale Redington – whom I’m sure meant nothing by it – suggested that my questioning whether Andoni Iraola really wanted the potentially thankless job of Liverpool gaffer/convenient target meant that I might be a fan of Tottenham. But in the interest of full disclosure: no. I don’t really have a horse in the Premier League race, other than enjoying recent seasons of Manchester City for the sake of watching Erling Haaland turn world-class defenders into so many kanelsnurr. The team of my heart is the San Jose Earthquakes, but while I pull for a club that hasn’t won anything in quite some time, I still do not have the level of masochism necessary to be a Spurs supporter. Sorry. Wishing Iraola luck (he’s likely to need it)” –Ray Anselmo.May I ask who this Ricardo Lopes is who plays for Cape Verde and ‘Shamrock’? It couldn’t possibly be Roberto “Pico” Lopes of Shamrock Rovers, could it?” – Neill McGowan (and 1,056 others). Continue reading...
Bernardo Silva is still looking for his next club after leaving Manchester City, and Roberto Martinez backed him to fit in at Barcelona. The post Silva has adaptability to fit ‘into every dressing room in world football’, says Martinez appeared first on SoccerNews.
West Ham United are approaching a defining summer, one that could shape the trajectory of the club for years to come. Following their relegation from the Premier League, the London side faces not only the challenge of rebuilding on the pitch but also significant instability behind the scenes. A wave of departures at senior level […] The post West Ham at Crossroads: Relegated, Brady and Sullivan Gone appeared first on SoccerNews.
