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أعرب مهاجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي يوفنتوس، ألفارو موراتا، عن تمنيه بفوز أتلتيكو مدريد بلقب بطولة الدوري الإسباني للموسم الحالي 2020/2021.

وانتقل موراتا إلى صفوف يوفنتوس في الميركاتو الصيفي الماضي على سبيل الإعارة لمدة موسم مقابل 10 ملايين يورو، ووجود شرط أحقية شراء بقيمة 45 مليون يورو.

وتحدث المهاجم عن رحيله من أتلتيكو مدريد في تصريحات لإذاعة “كادينا كوبيه” الإسبانية، وقال: “هناك أخبار مغلوطة تنشر عني، لم أصرح أبدًا بأن فترتي مع الفريق كانت سيئة”.

وأضاف: “أحترم سيميوني كثيرًا في أتلتيكو مدريد وعلاقتي معه جيدة جدًا ولا أعرف إذا كنت سأعود مرة أخرى إلى الفريق أم لا في المستقبل، وأشاهد مبارياته بشكل مستمر ولا تستطيع زوجتي منعي من الاحتفال بالأهداف التي يسجلها الفريق”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. يوفنتوس يخطط لضم لاعب مانشستر سيتي

وعن انتقاله إلى يوفنتوس: “كان أفضل شيء بالنسبي لي هو العودة إلى تورينو، الجميع يبحث عن أفضل الخيارات المتاحة أمامه ويوفنتوس كان الخيار الأفضل في ذلك الوقت كما هو الحال بالنسبة للنادي ولن أتذمر وأسأل عن سبب تفكيرهم في رحيلي، لكنني سأكون ممتنًا دائمًا لهذا الفريق”.

وماذا عن مركز المهاجم ووصول سواريز: “اعتقد أن المركز مغطي تمامًا بالتعاقد مع سواريز، الأرقام تتحدث عنه بالفعل، إنه أحد أفضل اللاعبين في العالم، كان ضمن أفضل 3 مهاجمين في السنوات الأخيرة”.

وعن تمنياته لمشواره أتلتيكو مدريد في الموسم الحالي: “آمل أن يفوز الفريق ببطولة الدوري الإسباني وأن يواجهوا (يوفنتوس) في نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا على الرغم أنني أتمنى أن نلعب ضد فريق آخر لأنه سيكون من الصعب التسجيل في شباكهم لقوة دفاعهم، لكنني أراهم أفضل من برشلونة وريال مدريد في الموسم الحالي محليًا وعليهم القتال على اللقب”.

دافع يورجن كلوب المدير الفني لنادي ليفربول الإنجليزي، عن الدولي المصري محمد صلاح نجم الفريق، بعد الانتقادات التي تعرض لها اللاعب بسبب ركلة الجزاء التي حصل عليها ضد وست هام.

وفاز ليفربول بثنائية مقابل هدف على وست هام، وسجل محمد صلاح هدف التعادل في تلك المباراة التي أقيمت السبت الماضي، بعدما سقط من تدخل موساكو مدافع الهامرز وحصل على ركلة جزاء.

طالع أيضًا.. كلوب يكشف حالة تياجو وكيتا وماتيب قبل مواجهة أتالانتا في دوري أبطال أوروبا

تلقى محمد صلاح انتقادات عديدة، حيث يرى البعض أنه يدعي التمثيل داخل منطقة الجزاء، من أجل الحصول على مخالفة، وخداع الحُكام.

يورجن كلوب في المؤتمر الخاص بمواجهة أتلانتا غدًا، رد قائلًا: “ليس لدي ما أقوله، لقد كانت مخالفة إلى حد كبير لكل من شاهدها”.

وأضاف: “صدق أو لا تصدق، لقد تحدثت مع صلاح صباح أمس، وسألته عن حالته، وأخبرني أنه تعرض لثلاث ضربات في المباراة، واحدة كانت في منطقة الجزاء، لكنه لم يسقط”.

واختتم: “لا نتحدث كثيرًا عن ركلات الجزاء التي لم نحصل عليها بعد يومين، ولكن مازال البعض يتحدث عن ركلة جزاء حصلنا عليها رغم أن المباراة كانت يوم السبت”.

Well, now it’s “almost” official then. Jimmy Shan’s impressive work with West Bromwich Albion’s convinced the hierarchy to keep him as the interim manager till the end of the season, according to the Daily Mirror. Indeed, while underwhelming, it’s actually a logical decision from the club considering the season ends in two months. 

Still, it’s not without risks.

Despite seemingly being a hit among the Baggies players, Shan’s still very inexperienced when it comes to high-pressure situations. So, with a play-off spot almost confirmed, his biggest test will be when they head on a potential path all the way to Wembley.

Obviously, Shan’s changed their style from Moore’s ultra-attacking one earlier this season, bringing more stability with his cautious approach. West Brom have shifted towards a more defensive 4-3-3 formation, with Chris Brunt being reinstated as their engine in the heart of midfield and everything looks pretty solid right now. Furthermore, Shan’s giving opportunities to those who worked hardest for the Baggies, while switching his options very well. While his two victories weren’t the prettiest, it guaranteed six crucial points for Shan.

The Baggies are treading water with their style, inviting pressure and giving opponents chances to score. However, their counter-attacking method’s worked and can actually work to their advantage in the play-offs. If not anything, Shan clearly knows how to see off results.

If he shapes them accordingly in the play-offs, West Brom could edge their way into winning promotion to the Premier League. While he’ll look to bring excitement back into the game, if Shan’s current “negative” method can get the Baggies back where they belong, then so be it.

West Brom fans, are you pleased with Shan’s extension as interim manager? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

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Leeds United travel to St Andrew’s with hopes of consolidating second place in the Championship but will have to do something they couldn’t earlier in the season, stop Che Adams.

The young striker netted twice at Elland Road earlier in the season and Marcelo Bielsa’s focus this week has to be on halting him.

Dangerous partnership

Adams has scored 21 times for Birmingham so far this season earning himself a nomination for Championship Player of the Year.

The Blues striker is a dynamic player; combining pace and strength with a knack of scoring from range making him one of the most frustrating forwards in the division to play against.

The partnership he has struck up with target man Lukas Jutkiewicz this season has been nothing short of incredible – Jutkiewicz has assisted Adams five times already this season, often being at the heart of attacks which lead to goals.

If Leeds plan on stopping Adams they first need to be able to nullify to Jutkiewicz’s influence on the game.

Stop Adams on both fronts

Leeds need to make sure Pontus Jansson sticks with Jutkiewicz all day. the 6’4″ Swede is one of the only defenders in the division who can consistently get the better of Jutkiewicz in the air and if Bielsa assigns him to man mark the former Burnley forward, it will severely affect the influence that Adams can have on the game.

With Bielsa being the master of preparation he will be more than aware of the dangers Adams and Jutkiewicz pose as a partnership and he did a great job of stifling the latter in September, although he failed to account for the fact Adams likes to drop deep and shoot from range. Both of Adams’ goals at Elland Road came from outside the area with the striker having plenty of space to take his shot.

Bielsa needs to rely on Kalvin Phillips to close Adams down as soon as he gets within shooting range or else it could be a repeat. It can be a difficult task to battle Adams on both fronts but Leeds have to combat both if they are to stop him adding to the 21 goals he has netted already this season.

Manchester United remain in good form meaning their chance of securing Champions League football once again is increasing.

Their saviour – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – has definitely enhanced his reputation even more with the Old Trafford faithful after now delivering on the managerial front as well.

Of course, his work is far from done this season, those loving fans would be extra adoring should he deliver Champions League football and potentially the FA Cup.

It’s a lot to ask but in the build-up to next season, whether Ole is still there or not, Manchester United are now in a far better position compared to a few months prior.

Still, improvements this summer will be required, silverware or not, with a dominant midfielder being a slot United will want to fill.

A player who could fit that exact specification is Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey, who could be an influential signing for Manchester United.

Partey, (who is valued at £36 million on Transfermarkt) is more of a rotational player for the Spanish giants but with a move to Manchester United, could become even better next to the likes of Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera.

The 25-year-old would definitely be described as a powerhouse and he operates in a brilliant way across every area on the pitch.

Having played 31 times this season, Partey has contributed two goals and a further five assists, showing he is more keen to give his team-mates the glory.

With great vision for passes whether it’s short or long, Atletico Madrid arguably underuse him, with their midfield already being very good.

He’s started just 13 times in La Liga this season, so if game-time is a concern for the Ghana international, a move to Manchester United would suit him perfectly.

Do you agree… Let us know!

Recent comments by Everton winger Bernard shows just why manager Marco Silva is the right man to steer the club to better results and ultimate success.

The Brazilian revealed to Portuguese outlet Record (via the Liverpool Echo) the squad is still fully dedicated to Silva’s structures at the club and have complete confidence in his style of coaching and managing.

The former Watford manager has been under a huge amount of scrutiny since the start of the New Year, following a bad string of results.

One win in their last six matches in all competitions has seen the manager change his team in almost every encounter and their FA Cup defeat at Millwall certainly raised question marks over Silva’s capabilities as the man in charge.

But, Bernard’s comments on how Silva prepares for every match and the detail he focuses on proves why he needs a little bit more time to get the best out of the Everton players.

According to the 26-year-old, Silva is excellent in his preparation before matches and provides a lot of insight into set-pieces, an aspect of the game where the Toffees have been really poor at this season.

Patience and maybe one or two more transfer windows could finally lead to Everton achieving new heights under the Portuguese manager.

The comments by Bernard should also be encouraging to Evertonians, who might have feared that Silva had lost the dressing but that clearly isn’t the case.

The off-weekend might also have been just what the club needed to regroup and get their campaign back on track with a Premier League clash against Cardiff City at Goodison Park coming up next week.

The encounter with Neil Warnock’s men could be the ideal opportunity for Everton to hit their stride again and get an all-important win under their belt.

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According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham Hotspur failed with a £27m move for Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic in the January transfer window.

What’s the word, then?

With Fernando Llorente’s future up in the air, it seemed likely that Tottenham would sign a new striker in the winter window to act as back-up to Harry Kane.

Kane’s ankle injury meant that Llorente stayed, however, and the Spaniard has seen a lot of football in the England captain’s absence.

According to TEAMtalk, Spurs actually made a £27m bid for Mitrovic last month, with the capital outfit determined to sign the former Newcastle United forward.

Fulham ultimately rejected the offer, but it has been reported that Tottenham could return for the powerful attacker in this summer’s transfer window.

Indeed, with Llorente likely to move on at the end of the season, Mitrovic could be signed to act as back-up or indeed to play with Kane in the final third of the field.

Should Tottenham move for Mitrovic?

In short, yes. Tottenham’s results in the absence of Kane have been impressive, but they really need to sign a new forward at the end of the season.

Mitrovic has been outstanding in a struggling Fulham team this term, finding the back of the net on 10 occasions in the Premier League.

The 24-year-old is big and strong, whilst his understanding of the game and ability to bring in teammates has been impressive this season.

It was a surprise when Newcastle allowed Mitrovic to leave, especially considering his excellent form in the second half of last season whilst on loan at Fulham.

Mitrovic will certainly depart Craven Cottage if Fulham are relegated, although it seems likely that he would move on even if they remained in the top flight.

The striker, who will not turn 25 until the latter stages of this year, would be the perfect summer signing for Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur return to league action this afternoon as they head into enemy territory to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Jose Mourinho’s side will be looking to put Wednesday night’s disappointment behind them with a serious top-four challenge still on.

They have won three straight in the Premier League and can leapfrog the Blues with a victory today.

But what sort of team will the Portuguese chief select? Here’s what we are predicting…

Mourinho could make as many as three changes from the side that were defeated by RB Leipzig.

A 3-4-3-like system may return in order to give Spurs added bite in attack with a front free of Lucas Moura, Giovani Lo Celso and Steven Bergwijn sharing the responsibility in the absence of Heung-min Son and Harry Kane.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Behind them there are two changes as Eric Dier comes back into the starting XI while Tanguy Ndombele is handed a rare start after an impressive cameo on at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in midweek.

It means Dele Alli, Gedson Fernandes and Harry Winks drop to the bench.

In defence, the wing-backs remain the same but Japhet Tanganga is deployed at centre-back alongside Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld.

Premier League Inflation: You won’t believe how much these famous transfers would cost today…

Hugo Lloris also remains between the sticks.

And in other news, Ryan Sessegnon responds to latest Spurs snub on Instagram…

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According to the Daily Express, Tottenham Hotspur are lining up a £35 million summer bid for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice.

What’s the story?

Rice has been enjoying a breakout campaign at the London Stadium this season, becoming vital to Manuel Pellegrini’s side. As a reward for his fine performances, the Hammers handed the 20-year-old a new long-term contract in December.

The new deal does not appear to have put Spurs off of their pursuit for the youngster’s signature though. 

Rice has been sensational for West Ham so far this season, and has demonstrated remarkable consistency, maturity and discipline throughout the campaign so far. It is easy to see, then, why Mauricio Pochettino would be so keen to add the London-born ace to his squad in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…

On the up

Having let Mousa Dembele join Chinese Super League side Guangzhou R&F in the recent January transfer window, there is a vacancy in the heart of the Spurs midfield. Pochettino’s side needs a new holding midfielder, capable of anchoring the team in the middle of the park and breaking up oppositions attacks. Rice has the ability and potential to be that man for years to come.

Rice has proven his worth in the Premier League, and is now ready to make the step up to a ‘big six’ club.

If Spurs are serious about retaining their standing as one of English football’s elite outfits, they must be prepared to spend big on players of such quality. Splashing out on Rice would make a statement, indicating that Spurs are a club still on the up.

Harry Kane is the main man up top for England but aside from the Spurs striker, there aren’t many players for Gareth Southgate to chose from, especially now that Jamie Vardy has removed himself from selection. 

Danny Welbeck has long been a trusted player under Gareth Southgate and before his serious injury, he looked as though he was starting to hit form for Arsenal.

Bournemouth this season have been one of the surprise teams in the league and with Callum Wilson up front, they have one of the form strikers in the league.

Danny Welbeck

It looks as though Danny Welbeck will miss a large part of the season after picking up a serious ankle injury. Unfortunately for the Arsenal man, he was beginning to come into some form at the club and was starting to look like he might provide some crucial depth to Arsenal’s forward options.

Since he joined Arsenal, Welbeck has never turned into a reliable goalscorer but what he has become is a player that can play on either wing and is great at providing energy and work rate off the bench.

Signed for £16 million in 2014, it was hoped that Welbeck could one day fulfil his potential and become a top-level striker but unfortunately, that’s never happened.

Despite his relatively low goalscoring record, he’s always been called into Southgate’s England side but following his latest injury, he may just lose his place.

TT Grade: B- Callum Wilson

Signed for just £3 million from Coventry in 2014, Wilson was a key man in helping Bournemouth to the Premier League and although he started his Premier League career with a hat-trick against West Ham, the forward ruptured his cruciate ligament which ruled him out for most of the season.

In February the following year, he picked up the same injury on his left knee and once again missed a large part of the season.

This season, however, he’s finally returned to the first-team and has been in incredible form. He’s scored six goals this season already, while already grabbing five assists and has rightly been called into the England squad.

With Rashford out of form and Vardy out of the picture, having Wilson finally in form, Southgate now has someone who could provide some depth behind Harry Kane.

TT Grade: B+ The Verdict

Unfortunately for Danny Welbeck, it looks as though he’ll never improve. He’s shown promise but after years at Arsenal, it seems as though he has now become just a reliable squad player.

In Wilson, however, Bournemouth have a striker who could be one of the best outside of the top six and has been rightly picked in the England squad. As we embark on the Euro 2020 cycle, Wilson could well be a vital player for England.