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According to Marca (via talkSPORT), Newcastle are keen on signing Barcelona ‘keeper Jasper Cillessen, who may be available at for as little as £9million in January.

What’s the Story?

Reports in Spain are suggesting that Barcelona Jasper Cillessen is one of a number of players that the Catalan club are looking to sell in January, in a bid to reduce the wage budget.

Such is their desire to let a number of their fringe players leave, reports state Barcelona will be happy to accept a bid of just £9million for the experienced ‘keeper.

Newcastle have been on the hunt for a new first choice stopper for the last few months, with Rob Elliot currently occupying that position at St James’ Park. It is thought that Rafael Benitez would be very keen to bring Cillessen to the club. With a guaranteed place in the starting line-up, the 28-year-old Dutchman would find it hard to turn down the move.

How good has Cillessen been this season?

Unfortunately, due to Marc Andre Ter-Stegen’s dominance between the sticks for Barcelona, Cillessen has yet to feature for the Spanish giants so far this season.

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However, the former Ajax man has featured prominently for the Netherlands in their ultimately unsuccessful bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. While not eye-catching, Cillessen demonstrated his confidence and agility when dealing with a number of quality opposition strikers and often helped his country stay competitive with a number of great saves in important matches.

Newcastle need a top goalkeeper who has years of international experience under his belt. Looking at the market, there is perhaps no better available option than Jasper Cillessen, who is valued at around £8.1million by Transfermarkt.

Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann has revealed in his new book ‘Behind the Smile’ that he brushed off interest from Arsenal after they let him down in 2013, reports The Mirror.

What’s the story?

Griezmann has become one of Europe’s best forwards over the years for his heroics at Atletico.

The France international’s career could have taken a different path when he was at Real Sociedad in 2013.

In his new autobiography, Griezmann has revealed that he was keen on signing for Arsenal when the club’s scout Giles Grimandi made contact with the player’s agent.

However, a bid never came in for the attacker and he vowed not to join the North London outfit in the future due to the way he had been treated.

According to The Mirror, Griezmann wrote:

“I waited, I waited, and I kept waiting. When there was no news, Eric called Grimandi, who said that the manager was still interested in me [and] to keep waiting.

“Finally a few hours before the market closed, he let us know Arsenal would not make a move. I don’t like to be told something and for it not to happen.

“So when Eric told me later that the London club were interested again I told him ‘Forget it, after the blow they gave us’.”

Will Griezmann be playing in England next season?

During the recent summer transfer window, widespread reports claimed that Manchester United were keen on signing the forward.

In the end, though, the Frenchman stayed put, with many suggesting that Atletico’s transfer embargo persuaded him to remain loyal to his club of three years.

Next summer could be a different story, but a recent report in The Independent has indicted that United have cooled interest in Griezmann due to the positive form of Anthony Martial.

The Atletico star would be a welcome addition to the Premier League, but given the financial clout of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, it may be tough to convince the forward to move to England.

Tottenham Hotspur fans waited a year to see Erik Lamela return to fitness and they finally got their wish towards the end of November.

The Argentine was troubled with hip problems and had numerous operations to fix the issue, which led many to assume that he would take plenty of time to find his stride.

The attack-minded player made an instant impact when he featured against Leicester City.

Shortly after coming on as a substitute, the 25-year-old set up Harry Kane’s goal, but the team were unable to claim a win and had to settle for a 2-1 defeat.

Lamela has featured a further two times, in a 1-1 draw with Watford and 5-1 triumph over Stoke City, but he is yet to start a game.

Ahead of this evening’s Premier League match against Brighton at Wembley, fans are hopeful that manager Mauricio Pochettino will give the Argentine a position in the first XI.

Everton will have to pay Sampdoria £44m to sign midfielder Lucas Torreira, according to Sportitalia.

What’s the story?

The Merseyside outfit are believed to be one of the clubs showing an interest in the 21-year-old.

Torreira, who joined Sampdoria from Pescara in 2016, has impressed at the top level in Italy.

So far this season, the midfield has made 13 Serie A appearances, and despite being predominantly defensive, the Uruguayan has contributed three goals.

With a player already impressing at a young age, it gives other clubs an incentive to swoop now and help him develop.

However, due to the level of interest, Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero has told Sportitalia that the midfielder will not come cheap.

“Torreira is worth €50m (£44m), but he’s not going anywhere in January. Anybody who wants our players has to pay the right price.”

Do Everton have a chance?

The club’s majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri released plenty of fund in the summer transfer window for then-manager Ronald Koeman to spend.

More than £100m was used on bringing in new players, but the season has been dire so far in terms of results, and several of the new arrivals have not delivered.

Due to this, Moshiri might be more careful when it comes to spending, and £44m on a young player is quite excessive, even in this market.

If numerous clubs are keeping track of Torreira then the Toffees may struggle to convince the Uruguayan to move to Goodison Park, particularly because of their current Premier League status.

As it stands, Everton are five points above the relegation zone and it will take time for new manager Sam Allardyce to bring back a sense of stability.

Liverpool are looking to make a big impact in the summer transfer market this time round as they seek a first Premier League title next season.

The Reds have already completed a host of transfers, with the likes of Naby Keita and Fabinho already through the Anfield doors to add real quality to what is a squad already brimming with talent.

Manager Jurgen Klopp will no doubt be keen to keep adding to his squad, and the Reds fans here in the Tavern are hoping that the World Cup might well have thrown up a few players who Klopp fancies bringing into the club this summer.

One player here in the Tavern we think could be an excellent signing is Russian midfielder Aleksandr Golovin, who had a superb tournament for his country this summer, despite seeing them exit the competition at the quarter final stage at the weekend.

Golovin, who is valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, has looked exceptional in the middle of the park for the Russians, and will no doubt be an excellent addition for any club looking to acquire his services this summer.

Gifted in both the attacking and defensive departments, Golovin is the sort of box to box midfielder who would be a superb addition at Anfield, and would contribute to what is already a talent filled central midfield department at the club.

Liverpool fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know in the comments!

England made it through to the semi-finals after beating Sweden 2-0 to set up a clash against Croatia with a potential final against either Belgium or France to play for.

Compared to the Three Lions’ previous encounter against Colombia where they were forced to wait until penalties to see them off, their contest against Sweden was carried out with relative ease.

Goals from Harry Maguire and Dele Alli secured the victory for Gareth Southgate’s men but they also had Jordan Pickford’s acrobatics to thank for.

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Harry Kane had a quieter game, often dropping deep to make space for Raheem Sterling to run into, and he failed to add to his tally of six World Cup goals which still leaves him first in the race for the Golden Boot.

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have been reacting to the performance of their star man on social media and here’s a selection of some of their best comments.

According to a recent report from Mundo Deportivo, Liverpool have made a move for Barcelona goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen. The 29-year-old has struggled for regular football at the Nou Camp since his move there back in 2016 after a five-year stint at Dutch giants Ajax, with the Netherlands international finding it difficult to dislodge Marc-Andre ter Stegen as the Catalans number one. 

And Jurgen Klopp’s Reds are reportedly keen on offering the £18 million-rated ace (as per Transfermarkt) the opportunity of first team football, in a move which would go some way to finally solving a glaring problem at the Premier League club.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the goalkeeping ranks have been something of an issue at Anfield for a few years now given the unconvincing efforts of both Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius, with neither doing enough to suggest that they are the long-term answer to the shot-stopping problem.

Klopp gave the latter the nod at the start of 2018 in a bitter blow to the former, and although German youngster Karius did reasonably well in the second half of last season, his shocker in the Champions League final against Real Madrid has somewhat underlined Liverpool’s need for another goalkeeper.

And with Mignolet also failing to convince of his top-quality capabilities, it’s clear that it’s a problem area Klopp certainly must solve this summer if Liverpool are to bridge the gap to Premier League champions Manchester City.

And Cillessen’s arrival would go some way to finally solving that problem.

The 29-year-old made the move to Barca after a five-year spell at Eredivisie heavyweights Ajax, for whom he made 143 appearances, in which time he kept 63 clean sheets and shipped just 119 goals.

Yet he simply hasn’t been able to build upon that fine record since moving to the Spanish giants two years ago, with the Netherlands international mustering just 21 senior appearances for the La Liga champions, just two of which have come in the league.

And while he has done well in their most recent Copa del Rey campaigns, it must be of frustration to Cillessen that he is unable to command regular football at Barca given he is a clearly a very adept and accomplished goalkeeper, the sort Liverpool appear to be crying out for.

As such, were Klopp to seal a deal for the 29-year-old this summer, it would finally go some way to solving a key problem at the Merseyside giants.

Liverpool fans… what do you think? Let us know!

According to a report by Goal, Arsenal striker Lucas Perez is one of seven players that Unai Emery is looking to offload in the coming weeks with West Ham United a potential destination on loan, and Irons fans have been quick to have their say on the Spaniard.

Goal report that the 29-year-old could be on his way out of the Emirates before August 9 having spent last term on loan at Deportivo La Coruna, with reliable Hammers insider @ExWHUemployee confirming on Episode 96 of ‘The West Ham Way’ radio show that he could be a potential loan target.

Perez has found first-team minutes hard to come by ever since joining the Gunners in 2016, although his record of seven goals and five assists in 21 appearances is hardly shabby, and should he arrive at the London Stadium he would be competing with the likes of Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez for a centre-forward spot.

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These West Ham supporters, some of whom are split on a big-money bid for a World Cup sensation, have taken to social media to give their thoughts on the rumour, and while one said “he could be very good for us”, another said he is a “great player that hasn’t had a chance at Arsenal”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Tottenham Hotspur should forget about Antony Martial and spend their money more wisely on other talents. 

Argentinian manager Mauricio Pochettino will be gearing up to try and win silverware at a new-look White Hart Lane in the coming season. For the past few seasons, the Lilywhites have come close but not got over the line.

For £89m, which is what the Red Devils have valued Martial at according to The Times, Tottenham could do much better in the transfer market. The Frenchman is a real talent for the future based on his performances at Old Trafford so far, but he has a terrible habit of disappearing for long spells, especially against top opposition. The valuation of £89m seems completely over-inflated price for the player considering his form since arriving in the Premier League.

Harry Kane is a lethal Premier League finisher and one of the best strikers in the world. However, Spurs need better back-up options than an ageing Fernando Llorente and flop Vincent Janssen shadowing the striker, so they should spend the money on an out-and-out forward of real quality.

Defensively, Spurs could do with greater depth. Particularly with the rumours surrounding the future of Belgian international Toby Alderweireld, who Manchester United themselves are rumoured to be interested in.

With that in mind, here are two players who would be great fits for the White Hart Lane outfit…

Lazio striker Ciro Immobile is one of the most lethal strikers in Serie A.

He scored 29 League goals in 33 League appearances for Lazio last season. The 28-year-old alongside Harry Kane would make Tottenham Hotspur a scary prospect for any Premier League defensive unit.

The Italian is valued at £45m by Transfermarkt.

If Tottenham want to get over the line and win silverware, forwards of the standard set by Ciro Immobile are the type of signings they need to look to bring in.

If Pochetinno could find a way of getting Kane and Immobile in a front-two, they would have one of, if not the best strike forces in the Premier League.

There were two reasons Crystal Palace stayed up last season: Wilfried Zaha and Mamadou Sakho.

Mamadou Sakho is a quality Premier League centre-back.  He came through the ranks at PSG, where he became the youngest captain in their history, before moving to Anfield. His time at Anfield didn’t really work out, but he is a fantastic centre-back. Strong, physical and imposing, he is a real leader.

He would be a great replacement if Alderweireld does exit the club.

He is now valued at £13.m by Transfermarkt, so Spurs could get a real bargain on the player.

According to a report by Football.London, talks are ongoing over Tottenham Hotspur youngster Marcus Edwards’ future as he looks to leave the club, and Celtic must move to bring him north of the border.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the winger looked set for a huge future with the north London outfit having once been likened to Lionel Messi by Mauricio Pochettino, but things haven’t worked out for the 19-year-old since then.

He was sent out on loan to Championship club Norwich City during the January transfer window in order to get some first-team experience, but having made just one appearance he returned to the capital in April because of “personal reasons”, although it was rumoured that his attitude had been an issue.

The teenager obviously feels that as Pochettino’s men push for the Premier League title and look to advance further in the Champions League that first-team opportunities will be few and far between, and an exit would be best for his development.

Why should Celtic sign him?

Well, having lost Charly Musonda and Patrick Roberts back to Chelsea and Manchester City respectively following loan spells, the Bhoys are looking a little stretched in wide areas despite having the likes of Scott Sinclair and James Forrest to call upon.

While Edwards has failed to make an impression for Tottenham’s first team, there seems to be no doubt about his ability and perhaps a fresh start is what he needs to reignite his career and finally allow him to showcase his talents.

He would be more likely to get that opportunity in the Scottish Premiership with Celtic, who must splash out £20m to sign their best centre-back since Virgil van Dijk, and could make his mark in Europe for them too, and he would be worth a punt because of the skill and pace that he possesses.

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