Tottenham have entered the race for Newcastle ace Ayoze Perez this summer, following reports that Napoli are also interested.

We’re not exactly sure how this has happened, but there are now apparently two major European clubs chasing the signature of Newcastle United’s Ayoze Perez.

The 25-year-old has been a long-term target of Napoli’s sporting director Giuntoli who has been following his progress for the majority of the season, and his stock has surely risen following the strong end to his campaign which saw him claim 13 goals and 4 assists in total.

Surprisingly, reports also claim that Inter Milan have been probing for the last few months, as well as Tottenham and Arsenal, and La Liga giants Atletico Madrid and Valencia. We’d take this news with a pinch of salt, though.

While interest has been inexplicably flying in from all angles, as it often does in the chaos of the transfer window, it is the Spurs link that might excite Newcastle fans the most – by virtue of the fact that it appears most logical.

According to Calcio Napoli sources, Mauricio Pochettino is in the market for a new forward to potentially replace Erik Lamela, who could choose to leave the club this summer after managing just over 900 minutes in the Premier League. And, believe it or not, Ayoze Perez – the brunt of much frustration from Newcastle fans this term – is touted as the answer.

It is said that the offer given to Newcastle is around £28million, which is just about £28million too much. This isn’t the first time Pochettino has made a move for the Spaniard, after apparently lodging interest three years ago that was responded with a harsh “no”. And we’re absolutely sure Spurs fans are hoping the same response will be given this time.

Quite how anyone believes Ayoze Perez is up to the required standard of a title-chasing side is beyond us. Indeed, the strong end to the season he enjoyed may have made him look like an alright player, but fans would do well remember just how utterly average he was before. It’s one thing turning it on when the club need him the most, it’s another thing being consistent throughout the season.

We simply do not believe he can hit the necessary levels at Spurs, unless he pulls off a miracle like Moussa Sissoko – of course, but when does lightning ever strike twice?

Spurs fans, would you be happy with signing Ayoze Perez? Is he the calibre of player you want to be looking at this summer? Let us know in the comments below…

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Liverpool need a favour in the Premier League title race.

They are second in the league and have two games remaining against Newcastle United and Wolves. Their 91 points is historic for a second-placed side but, as it is, their destiny is out of their hands.

Manchester City are on top and know two wins from their final two games will see them crowned champions.

But there are three men who could ultimately send the title towards Anfield, and all three used to be on the payroll on Merseyside.

Football FanCast takes a look at the three ex-Reds who could prove pivotal to their title charge.

Brendan Rodgers

The last manager to mastermind a title push, Rodgers went within a Steven Gerrard slip of ending over 20 years of hurt at Anfield in 2013-14.

Now at Leicester City, he has already built the Foxes into a slick unit, featuring the playmaking talents of Youri Tielemans and James Maddison and the lightning pace of Jamie Vardy.

This Monday, Rodgers’ men will take on Manchester City, aware that a victory, coupled with a Liverpool win over Newcastle, would put the Reds’ destiny back in their own hands.

Indeed, Leicester have history with City. They beat them on Boxing Day and also took them to a penalty shootout in the League Cup in December after a 1-1 draw across 120 minutes.

They have been in fine form, too, beating Arsenal 3-0 last weekend and tasting defeat just once in their last six outings.

Another showing like the one that dismantled the Gunners would be very well received on Merseyside.

Rafael Benitez

Revered at Anfield, Benitez will welcome Liverpool to St James’ Park on Saturday evening.

It is the trickiest test for the Reds in their run-in, on paper. Wolves are a difficult opponent, of course, but Liverpool will play at home on the final day of the season and it is almost unthinkable to imagine them losing.

But it is conceivable that Benitez might just do them a favour on Saturday.

The Magpies are long since safe and cannot finish higher than 11th.

This, then, is a free hit for the club, who will hope to end the season on a high with a win over already-relegated Fulham on the final day.

Of the two encounters, it is more likely that Benitez will prioritise the clash with the Cottagers.

And that could mean a rest for a few players against the Reds.

Newcastle are not expected to become just the second team this season to beat Jurgen Klopp’s side. And that could well play into the Reds’ hands.

Conor Coady

The Wolves centre-back has been a revelation this season.

A rock in the heart of Nuno Espirito Santo’s defence, he has been a key part of a team that has conceded just 44 goals this season, fewer than both Manchester United and Arsenal. That statistic is all the more staggering when one remembers that Wolves were only promoted last season.

An ex-Liverpool player – he came through the academy at the club, spending nine years with the Reds – Coady could well wreck his old side’s dreams on the final day.

A clean sheet for Wolves, after all, would surely see City anointed as champions.

But if Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane can find a way past the forgotten Anfield old boy, they have an incredible chance of pipping their title rivals to the crown.

It may be inadvertent, then, but Coady may well hold the keys to Liverpool’s potential title triumph.

كشف عمار حمدي لاعب منتخب مصر الأولمبي عن رسالة شوقي غريب المدير الفني للفراعنة للاعبين قبل مواجهة البرازيل التي أقيمت اليوم الثلاثاء.

منتخب مصر الأوليمبي انتصر علي البرازيل بهدفين مقابل هدف، في المباراة الودية على ملعب استاد القاهرة.

وقال حمدي خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورت”: “شوقي غريب قال لنا لا تخشوا أحدًا أنتم أبطال إفريقيا، ونفذنا تعليماته وحققنا الفوز”.

وأضاف: “الجماهير المصرية تضع آمالها على المنتخب الأولمبي، هناك غيابات بالتأكيد، ولكن من يحصل على فرصة سيبذل أقصى ما يملك”.

وتابع: “كان هناك أكثر من لاعب جديد علينا في التشكيل، ولم يكن هناك انسجام بيننا وتراجعنا للخلف بعض الشىء، ولكن بعد الهدف الأول للبرازيل بدأنا نهاجم بقوة”.

وأتم: “سأعود لنادي الاتحاد السكندري وأنا لست غريبا عليهم وهم أصحاب فضل عليّ، وساهموا في انضمامي للمنتخب الأولمبي، وإن شاء الله سأجتهد معهم الموسم المقبل لنحجز مكانا في المربع الذهبي”.

يذكر أن عمار حمدي انضم رسميا إلي صفوف الاتحاد السكندري قادمًا من الأهلي.

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Barcelona were really, really poor against Liverpool on Tuesday night.

There is no question that the Reds deserve immense credit for turning the second leg of their Champions League semi-final around to win 4-3 on aggregate.

However, there is no getting away from the fact that it was a poor performance from Barcelona at both ends of the field.

Jordi Alba has had a strong campaign for the Catalan giants, but the left-back really struggled against Jurgen Klopp’s side at Anfield.

And the Spaniard’s poor display led to a host of criticism from the Everton fans, who were desperate to see Barcelona triumph for obvious reasons.

In this era of ‘big 6’ dominance, has finishing 7th become as good as winning a trophy? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

Everton actually signed Alba’s understudy at Barcelona – Lucas Digne – last summer and the Frenchman has been excellent for the Toffees this term.

Following Liverpool’s 4-0 win over the Spanish champions at Anfield, a number of Everton fans took to social media to criticise the Barca man’s performance, which certainly helped the home side record a famous win.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

When Lucas Perez arrived at West Ham United last season, expectations weren’t really high.

However, he’s still managed to let everyone down with a terrible debut season for the Hammers. Some job that, really. Indeed, it almost felt like his Premier League experience had vanished with a move to East London, looking like a fish out of water.

The 30-year-old Spaniard was absolutely incompatible to their system, producing one rubbish performance after another. In 15 Premier League appearances, many of which came from the bench, he only netted thrice. Despite having unquestionable quality around him, Perez couldn’t make good use of his resources to regain his goal-scoring instincts.

Frankly, if you can’t score when the likes of Felipe Anderson, Manuel Lanzini and company are putting things on a plate for you, something is seriously wrong.

One could notice why Unai Emery was so keen in selling him after arriving at Arsenal last season. What was his profit turned out as Manuel Pellegrini’s loss. Clearly, Perez just isn’t agile enough to outwit Premier League defenders nor physical enough to overpower them.

If his failures in England prove anything, he’s not cut for Premier League football.

So it’s no surprise the Hammers are willing to sell him for cheap this summer. According to reports (via Football London), West Ham are willing to offload the Spaniard for just £4million. In the current inflated market, that’s peanuts. However, to clear up wage budget and trim the squad from mediocrity, it’s a necessary move from the Hammers.

Perez would also benefit returning to Spain (with Estadio Deportivo last week claiming Real Betis are keen), where he enjoyed his best years. Just get him out.

West Ham fans, would you be disappointed to see Perez leave? Join the discussion by commenting below..

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Liverpool starlet Curtis Jones is reportedly eyeing a loan switch to Rangers, but would it be a worthwhile move?

What’s the story?

Last week, Football Insider reported that the Gers are plotting a raid of Liverpool this summer, hoping to secure loan deals for Ryan Kent, Ben Woodburn and Jones.

Now, according to Football Insider, Jones is open to the idea of moving north of the border.

The 18 year-old impressed last summer during Liverpool’s pre-season tour, and the report claims he is keen to work under Steven Gerrard.

Jones is a versatile player with great technical ability, so it’s no surprise that Gerrard is eyeing a move.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Is he good enough?

The teenager is a creative midfielder, capable of twisting and turning his way through multiple defenders and finding an incisive pass.

However, the Gers already tried to sign a young Liverpool midfielder with great passing and dribbling ability, and Ovie Ejaria lasted just half the season before cutting his loan stay short.

Jones has seven goals and three assists for the Reds’ youth sides this season, but just like Ejaria he is very lightweight, and would likely struggle with the rough and tumble of Scottish football.

At 18, he still has a lot to learn on the defensive side of the game, as he currently struggles to cover the right spaces and protect the back four, something that will only lead to more of the frustrating draws that have plagued Gerrard’s maiden managerial campaign.

The gaffer should be asking himself what signings he can make that will perform at Pittodrie or Easter Road, rather than on the glorious academy pitches at Melwood.

[ad_pod ]James Pearce, a reporter for the Liverpool Echo, has provided an update on Robert Firmino as Liverpool trained ahead of the Champions League Final.

The main positive for Liverpool fans is that Firmino looks in fine form, suggesting he’ll lead the line as the Reds look to repair the damage of last season’s 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid after a recent injury scare.

This news should worry Spurs fans as the Brazilian is crucial to how Jurgen Klopp’s side play – he creates space for Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.

What one weakness can Spurs exploit against Liverpool in the UCL final? Fans discuss in the video below…

Couple this with the news that Harry Kane has claimed he’ll be fit for Tottenham; the final will have two top-quality strikers on the pitch and that should make for excellent viewing for any neutral.

For fans of both teams though, it is unlikely to be pleasant viewing and will likely be ninety minutes of nail-biting tension.

To win this most prestigious of trophies would be massive for either club and it could also trigger a trophy run.

It certainly feels that Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino need that first title to act as a catalyst for a haul of trophies for their respective clubs.

Firmino’s fitness and sharpness will be an excellent boost to Klopp’s chances of winning that elusive first trophy.

Manchester City could well be crowned Premier League champions by the time this article goes live, with Pep Guardiola’s men just a win away from winning the title again.

The Cityzens have gone on a quite superb winning run at the business end of the season to put themselves in pole position ahead of rivals Liverpool.

But while things are looking rosy for City and they look like once again adding a trophy to the cabinet, manager Guardiola will have one eye on the summer transfer window, safe in the knowledge that he could wel do with bringing in a few new players this time round.

One man who could well prove a shrewd short-term addition for the club is Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic, who could be on his way out of the club following rumours that the Catalan club are set for a mass clearout over the summer.

However, despite being 31, Rakitic could prove an ideal signing for City ahead of next season, with the Croatian having all the ability and experience in the world to bring to the Etihad.

Phil Foden will of course be looking for more minutes next season, but with Kevin De Bruyne struggling with injuries and Ikay Gundogan looking like he might be on his way out of the club, the signing of someone in the mould of Rakitic could prove ideal.

Rakitic is and always has been a classy operator, and he would no doubt be suited to the English game and flowing football that Guardiola demands of his players.

While his time with Barcelona has been successful, you can’t but think he is one of a few being singled out for Champions League failure this season. However, Barca’s loss might well be City’s gain on this one, with Rakitic potentially being the perfect signing for the Manchester club.

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have lavished praise on midfielder Moussa Sissoko ahead of the Champions League final on June 1.

Spurs will play Liverpool in Madrid as they bid to win club football’s biggest prize for the first time in their history.

Sissoko has been integral to their run to the final, playing a total of nine times in the competition thus far.

Having laid on the assist in the last-16 second leg win over Borussia Dortmund in Germany – Spurs won 4-0 on aggregate – and played a key role in the two-legged win over Ajax in the semi-final, Spurs’ official Twitter account posted a video showing the former Newcastle United man’s highlights in the competition on Thursday.

And fans were quick to praise the 29-year-old, who has turned his career at the club around, going from a figure of fun to perhaps the first name on Mauricio Pochettino’s teamsheet.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

انتهت مباريات الجولة الثامنة للدوري الإيطالي، بفوز فريقه ميلان على نظيره نابولي بثلاثية لهدف.

وشهدت الجولة فوز يوفنتوس على كالياري بثنائية دون رد، ونجح إنتر ميلان في العودة والفوز أمام تورينو برباعية لهدفين.

ولاتسيو تغلب على كروتوني بهدفين دون رد، وروما فاز على بارما بثلاثة أهداف نظيفة. ترتيب الدوري الإيطالي بعد نهاية الجولة الثامنة

1. ميلان، 20 نقطة.

2. ساوسولو، 18 نقطة.

3. روما، 17 نقطة.

4. يوفنتوس، 16 نقطة.

5. إنتر ميلان، 15 نقطة.

6. نابولي، 14 نقطة.

7. أتالانتا، 14 نقطة.

8. لاتسيو، 14 نقطة.

9. فيرونا، 12 نقطة.

10. سامبدوريا، 10 نقاط.

11. كالياري، 10 نقاط.

12. بولونيا، 9 نقاط.

13. سبيزيا، 9 نقاط.

14. بينفينيتو، 9 نقاط.

15. فيورنتينا، 8 نقاط.

16. أودينيزي، 7 نقاط.

17. بارما، 6 نقاط.

18. تورينو، 5 نقاط.

19. جنوى، 5 نقاط.

20. كروتوني، نقطتين.

ويمكن متابعة ترتيب الدوري الإيطالي مُحدث بشكل مستمر من هنا.