Here is the NEWFANZONE BPL TEAM OF THE WEEK as chosen by the lads @ The Newfanzone
Formation: 4-1-2-3
Goalkeeper- Costel Pantilimon (Sunderland): The “giant” Romanian goalkeeper had an outstanding Tyne-wear derby. He stopped Moussa Sissoko, Georginio Wijnaldum and Jack Colback from scoring in the first half.
Right-back- Kyle Walker (Tottenham): The English defender’s pace and athleticism was a joy to watch against Bournemouth on Sunday.
Centre back- Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal): Laurent Koscielny was a “rock” in defense against Everton. He coordinated his team’s back four and also got on the scoresheet.
Centre back- James Tomkins (West Ham): James Tomkins had an excellent performance against Chelsea at the weekend. He made four vital interceptions against Chelsea.
Left back- Aaron Cresswell (West Ham): Aaron Cresswell was on top of his game against their London rival’s Chelsea. His pace was a problem for Chelsea’s defence all through the match, he capped off his outstanding performance with a pin-point cross for Andy Carroll’s winning goal.
Defensive midfielder- Moussa Dembele(Tottenham): The Belgian midfielder has up his game in recent weeks, he had an outstanding performance in midfield for Tottenham and scored a well-taken goal.
Attacking midfielder- Almen Abdi (Watford): The Switzerland midfielder had an excellent game against Stoke City at the weekend. He orchestrated watford’s game with his quality and scored his team’s second goal.
Attacking midfielder- Mesut Ozil (Arsenal): Mesut Ozil dazzled against Everton at the weekend and got his seventh Premier league assist of the season.
Forward- Andre Ayew (Swansea): The Ghana international has an outstanding game at the weekend. He scored the winning goal for his team to ease the pressure on Gary Monk.
Forward- Jamie Vardy (Leicester City): The English striker continued his impressive start to the season against Crystal Palace at the weekend. He scored for a seventh Premier league match in a row, that is a huge accomplishment.
Forward- Harry Kane (Tottenham): The HurriKane is back” The young English striker got an hat-trick against Bournemouth at the weekend.
West Bromwich Albion winger James McClean has escaped punishment from the English FA after his celebrations in front of Sunderland fans following Saturday’s 1-0 win at the Hawthorns resulted in a scuffle between both sets of players.
James McClean received abuse and jeers from Sunderland fans throughout the game.
At full-time, the former Sunderland winger punched the air in front of the away fans which resulted in Sunderland players challenging him.
The Football Association has formally warned McClean about his behaviour.
Both clubs have also been reminded of their responsibilities to control their players.
This is Game week 7 of our Bookies corner where we help Punters forecast on the best accumulators to put their money on.
Tobi Olubiyi’s (@Tobipreety) predictions:
English Premier League
Tottenham Vs Man City -Both teams to score (BTTS): This is a mouth watering fixture between two teams who naturally score a lot of goals. This fixture is coming at a time where the sky blues are conceding a lot of goals due to the absence of their gallant center back Kompany. His replacements Otamendi, Mangala and Demichelis haven’t been able to prevent them from shipping in goals as they have conceded 5 goals in their last 3 games in all competition.
I see both teams scoring in this game.
Manchester United Vs Sunderland- Manchester United win : The Red Devils are in superb form at the moment winning their last 2 League games against Liverpool and Southampton scoring 3 goals each in both matches. New boy Martial has also scored 4 goals so far and his confidence in front of goal is astonishing. Sunderland however have struggled for form this season and they have only drawn 2 in 6 games losing the remaining. Manager Advocaat’s job is in danger and if he is to rescue the black cats this season I don’t think it will start at Old trafford.
Spanish La Liga
Barcelona Vs Las Palmas – Barcelona to win both half: Barcelona are wounded lions right now after loosing 4-1 at Celta which was their heaviest defeat since march 2008 to end their perfect start to the season. They will look to bounce back immediately by getting a win against newly promoted Las Palmas who have only won once this season. Luis Enrique will set up his team to attack from the blast of the whistle till the end. I see Barcelona winning the first half and second half of the game.
Real Sociedad Vs Athletic Bilbao – Draw: David Moyes’ men finally got their first win of the season in their last game at Granada. The team is under a lot of pressure and the coach is trying to save his job, he would do everything to avoid their 3rd defeat of the season especially in front of the home fans. Bilbao also lost their last game albeit narrowly to star studded Real Madrid. I see this as a tight game and could end in a draw.
German Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund Vs Darmstadt – Dortmund win: BVB have been a totally different team this season compared to last season and they have come out blazing. Winning all matches this season in all competitions except the draw against a defensively determined Hoffenheim in their last game which ended their perfect record going into the season. I expect them to get back to winning ways against Darmstadt at the Signal Iduna Park.
Werder Bremen vs Bayern Leverkusen -Both teams to score (BTTS) : These two teams are evenly matched with both teams struggling this season. Bremen are 13th on the log with 7 goals while Leverkusen are 11th with just 4 goals scored. Schmidt’s men are not good travelers and have only won away on one occasion this season. I expect both teams to score in this game.
French Ligue 1
St Etienne Vs Nice – St Etienne win: St Ettiene are 2nd place on the table and have lost just once in 7 games this season. They are in form after winning their last 5 games. Nice how ever are picking up slowly and are growing into the season which was obvious in their 6 goal annihilation of a traditionally defensive Bordeaux last match day. I see St Etienne continuing their fine form at the Stade Geoffroy against Nice.
Bordeaux Vs Lyon – Lyon Win : Bordeaux were surprise 6-1 losers against Nice which further plummeted their woeful season leaving them 16th place on the the log and desperately looking for inspiration. Willy Sagnol’s bordeaux have been known to be defensively astute but that has not been evident this campaign as they have conceded 12 goals already which is the 3rd worse defense in the league behind Troyes and Bastia. Lyon were unlucky not to win against Marseille and Toulouse and I believe they will push harder in this game to get maximum points.
Italian Serie A
Napoli Vs Juventus – Any team win (Double chance): both teams started the season slowly but they have grown into the competition. It will be shocking to find Napoli and Juventus 12th and 13th place respectively. I see either team winning this game so i’m giving them double chance.
Genoa Vs AC Milan – Milan win : Mihajlovic’s Milan have had a roller coaster season so far winning 3 and loosing 2 games. Genoa have been far worse winning just one and loosing 4 games. Milan have a strong attacking force with Luiz Adriano, Balotelli,Carlos Bacca and Honda. This attacking threat would bee too much for Genoa to handle and I see Milan winning.
Paul Ayorinde’s (@El_pauleta) predictions:
Italian Serie A
Roma V Carpi– Roma win: Roma will be looking to bounce back from their midweek defeat to Sampdoria while Carpi are still delighted with their hard fought draw with Napoli. I expect Roma’s attacking prowess to be strong for Serie A newcomers Carpi. I tip Roma to win at the Olimpico.
Napoli V Juventus– Both teams to score (BTTS): it is the match of the weekend in the Serie A, both teams recorded disappointing draws against Serie A newcomers during the week. I expect the match to be an entertaining one with lots of goals. I tip both teams to score at the San Paolo stadium.
German Bundesliga
Mainz V Bayern Munich– Bayern Munich with over 2.5 goals: Bayern Munich are still basking in the euphoria of Robert Lewandoski’s five goals in nine minutes against Wolfsburg during the week. I expect them to get an easy win against Mainz at the Coface Arena on Saturday.
Hamburg V Schalke 04– Double chance(Win or draw) on Schalke: Both teams are in a rich-vein of form, so this match guarantees to be an exciting one. I tip Schalke to get at least a draw away from home on Saturday, so am going with a win or draw for Schalke 04 at HSH Nordbank Arena.
Spanish BBVA Liga
Real Madrid V Malaga– Real Madrid win with over 2.5 goals: Real Madrid are joint leaders of the league at the moment and I expect them to continue their winning form against Malaga on Saturday. I tip Real Madrid to win convincingly at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Villarreal V Atletico Madrid– Both teams to score(BTTS): Villarreal continued their good form this season with an away win at Malaga on Wednesday while Atletico Madrid won at home during the week as well. This match is going to be exciting and I expect both sides to get on the score sheet, so am tipping both teams to score at the El Madrigal on Saturday.
French Ligue 1
Nantes V Paris Saint-Germain- PSG win: Nantes have been struggling this season losing their last 3 league matches. PSG have not be exceptional this season but I expect them to be too strong for Nantes, so i am tipping PSG to get an easy win at the La Beaujoire-Louis-Fonteneau on Saturday.
Leicester V Arsenal– Both teams to score (BTTS): Leicester are the only unbeaten team left in the league this season and I expect the game against Arsenal to be cracker. It will be difficult to predict if there is a winner in this one but am sticking my neck out to predict that both teams will get on the score sheet on Saturday.
Manchester United V Sunderland- Man Utd win: Manchester United have enjoyed a good start to the season and are just two points adrift of league leaders Manchester City while Sunderland are rooted to the bottom of the league. I expect the trio of Rooney,Memphis and Martial to be too strong for Sunderland’s defence, so I tip Manchester United to get a win at home on Saturday.
Tottenham V Manchester City– Double chance(win or draw) on Manchester City: Tottenham made it two consecutive 1-0 wins in the league when they defeated Crystal Palace last weekend while league leaders Manchester City were beaten by West Ham in Gameweek 6 and will look to bounce back immediately. I expect Manchester City to get at least a point at White Hart lane on Saturday, so am going with a win or draw on Manchester City.
With the start of the 2015/16 season a few hours away,it will be interesting to know which team will push for the Title,which will struggle and of course which will Suprise us by been the revelation of the season just like Southampton did in the outgoing EPL Season.
Newfanzone.com previews the season ahead by picking The Potential Title Challengers and The Probable Relegation Battlers.
TITLE CHALLENGERS
ARSENAL
PLAYER(s) IN: Cech,Dragomir
PLAYER (s) OUT: Szczesny,Akpom,Sanogo, Gnabry,Podolski.
Arsenal look to be in the form of their life going into this season as they have had an 100% Pre-season record. The Gunners have the compliment of their full squad with only Wilshire,Rosicky and Welbeck out with various injuries.
Arsene Wenger seem to have found the winning formula with wins against Defending champions Chelsea in the Community shield,coupled with wins over Lyon and German Super Cup champions Wolfsburg in the Emirates cup.
No doubt the French man will hope they start the season with a bang as they already lost the title to Chelsea before December after a poor start to last season where they had 2 wins in 7 games.
The signing of Cech has further made them solid defensively and if they can get a poacher like Benzema, coupled with the form of Coquelin,Ramsey,Carzorla, Ozil and Alexis the Gunners looks odds on favorite for the Title this season. Key thing is consistency and injury to key players if that is settled it seems the cup might remain in London but this time it will be at the Red side.
LIKELY POSITION: 1st
CHELSEA
PLAYER(s) IN: Falcao, Kennedy,Begovic.
PLAYER(s) OUT: Luis,Cech,Drogba,
The Defending champions have had a Pre-season to forget with no wins under 90mins of football and the defeat to their London rivals Arsenal in the Community Shield.
Jose Mourinho still has a strong team that can push for the title this season, but they have to hope Costa niggling hamstring does not force the striker to miss most of their games because in Falcao and Remy Chelsea might not have that striker that could get them 20 league goals this season.
Captain, John Terry has already acknowledge how tough defending their title will be this season but never bet against the Blues. In Hazard, Fabregas,Matic,Willian,Ramires they have one of the best Midfield in the world coupled with their disciplined defence line they will definitely push for the title.
Liverpool will want to forget all about last season’s campaign as it was a disappointing one in terms of transfers and also results in the pitch.
Brendan Rodgers have still gone ahead to make more signings this season but this time he has added good quality to his side.
With Gerrard no longer at Anfield the mantle of leadership rests upon young Jordan Henderson and it will be interesting to see how he leads the team as they will try to make an impression this season.
The loss of Sterling shouldn’t be a worry because in Firminho and Benteke they have proven goalscorers especially the Belgian who doesn’t need time to adapt to the demands of the EPL.
Their Achilles heel would be their defence as Rodgers has not signed any centre defensive backup so far in the transfer window. In Lovren, Sakho, Skrtel and Toure they have relatively good defenders
who on their day can repel the deadliest of attack forces. Rogers first seven away fixtures are pretty difficult and if the former Swansea manager does not set the ball rolling he might be the first manager to be axed after all he spent during the summer.
Manchester city have surprisingly not done much in the market this season with only Sterling the big money signing they’ve made.
Pellegrini’s team had a decent Pre-season tour but they are no push overs when it comes to the title race. Players like Dzeko and Milner are gone but with Bony they have a good enough cover for star striker and last season top goal scorer Kun Aguero.
Sterling will definitely give City more penetration on the attack and the £49m pounds signing will have to hit the ground running immediately the season starts.
Manchester city stuttered at some point last season due to errors of their back line marshaled by Kompany and the dip in form of Yaya Toure. Pellegrini will hope these guys are fully fit and consistent as well as Aguero and the Spanish wizard Silva then they will definitely have a chance of winning the league title.
Manchester United have made good signings so far this season mixing experience with youth.
Van Gaal has a bit of issues this season with De Gea trying to force his way out of Old Trafford, how he handles that is left to be seen.
United has failed to sign a Centre back so far despite being linked to Otamendi and Ramos which means they might have to rely on Smalling,Rojo,Jones and McNair who were not too impressive last season.
All eyes will be on Dutchman Memphis Depay who was recently given the No.7 jersey and touted to be the saviour of Manchester United this EPL campaign.
If there is anything United have this season is depth in squad especially in the midfield position but they need to add extra bodies forward with Rooney and Chicharito the recognized strikers.
For United to really challenge for the EPL title this season they need a goal machine and a rock defensively.
LIKELY POSITION: 4th.
RELEGATION BATTLERS
ASTON VILLA
PLAYER (s) IN : Gueye,Gestede,Ayew,Sinclair, Bunn,Amavi,Richards.
PLAYER (s) OUT: Benteke, Delph.
Aston Villa will likely stutter this season after allowing two key players leave this summer but they’ve spent well and shrewdly at that with players like Ayew and Gueye moving over to the Villians.
Tim Sherwood will hope his team gels quickly so as not to avoid the drop and Carles Gil and Jack Grealish continue from where they left off last season.
LIKELY POSITION: 17th
SUNDERLAND
PLAYER(s) IN : Mvilla,Kaboul,Lens,Alvarez,Coates,Matthews.
Sunderland escaped being relegated last season narrowly and they might not be lucky this campaign even though they’ve managed to retain Dick Advocat who was their Messiah last season.
Coates was massive for them last season In the defence and they hope they rake in points especially from their rivals in order to beat the drop once again.
LIKELY POSITION: 18th
BOURNEMOUTH
PLAYER (s) IN: Atsu,Gradel,Ming’s,Distin,King,Fedirichi,Boruc.
New boys Bournemouth aim will be to remain in the league next season. They had fantastic displays and scored loads of goals in the championship last season but this is the premiership. They’ve made good signings but it does not look like they would remain in the premiership after this season.
LIKELY POSITION: 19th
NORWICH
PLAYER (s) IN: Mulumbu,Dorrans,Brady,Kean,Wisdom
It good to see Carrow road host premier league games this season. The last time the Canaries played in the EPL they were a very tough side to beat with Players like Snodgrass, Morrison, Holt and Pilkington not forgetting Manger Paul Lambert.
This is a new Norwich side,the signings the Canaries have made thus far may not be able to push them from the drop zone.
LIKELY POSITION: 20th
You can make predictions indicating your top 4 teams and the 3 teams that will be relegated by sending your tweet to @Newfanzone and @Demydemo on twitter. The Newfanzone comes up every Saturday in City 105.1Fm from 2pm.
The lads at the Newfanzone have chosen this weeks BPL Team of the Week, do you agree? Or have you got your own team of the week? If so please send mail to fanzone.fans@gmail.com, you can also follow @Newfanzone on Twitter and like our Facebook page
Formation: 4-4-2 Diamond
Goal Keeper: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham)
Lloris had a standout performance at the weekend making a lot of point blank saves to help his team get a win.
Right Back: Hector Bellerin (Arsenal)
The young Arsenal defender continues to impress in the right back position and capped off his outstanding performance against Aston Villa with his first Arsenal goal.
Left Back: Patrick Van Aanholt (Sunderland)
The Dutch defender gave a man of the match performance against Burnley,co-ordinating in defence and building up attack throughout the game. He created the assist for Sunderland’s second goal of the match.
Centre defender: Kurt Zouma (Chelsea)
The young French defender justified the faith his manager has in him with standout performance against the league champion Manchester City. He was commanding in defence throughout the game winning all five duels he competed in on Saturday.
Centre defender: Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle United)
Coloccini had an excellent performance at the KC stadium on Saturday. Fabricio Coloccini’s clearance off the line was a telling moment in the game,as he helped his team keep their first clean sheet since November.
The Dutch midfielder had an outstanding game at Old trafford at the weekend,building up attack and co-ordinating the midfield. He gave an assist to Robin van Persie with a sublime pass and was credited with the assist for Wes Morgan’s own goal.
Midfielder: Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)
The German midfielder was back to his best and was the tormentor in chief of the Aston Villa side. He scored and created a lot of attacking moves throughout the match.
Midfielder: Christian Eriksen (Tottenham)
The Danish midfielder continues to give the Spurs fans something to rejoice about,his sublime free kick goal was a delight to watch.
Attacking midfielder: Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)
It was another outstanding performance by the English midfielder and he capped it off with a lovely goal.
Forward: Jonathan Walters (Stoke City)
It was a terrific performance by the Republic of Ireland striker scoring a perfect hat-trick (left foot, right foot, head) against QPR at the Britannia stadium at the weekend
Forward: Harry Kane (Tottenham)
The young English striker continues to be a revelation this season scoring goals with ease. He scored a lovely brace against West Bromwich Albion at the weekend
The January transfer window is winding up but some leagues would still have their windows for a few more days while some its “transfer deadline day” tomorrow but are are some of the latest transfer gist spiced with some AFCON Updates and other titbits as compiled by our man Paul Ayorinde.
you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going
Our Twitter handle will tweet regular news breaks and this is also available on our Facebook page
Done Deals:
– Roma have completed the signing of Seydou Doumbia from CSKA Moscow for a fee of €14.4million.
Seydou Doumbia, photo credit spiritual.de
– Palermo have signed Paraguayan defender Danilo Ortiz from Cerro Porteno.
– Sampdoria have confirmed the signing of Alfred Duncan from Inter Milan
– AS Monaco have completed the loan signing of forward Matheus Thiago De Carvalho from Brazilian side Fluminense.
– Levante have announced the signing of Fulham forward Bryan Ruiz on loan for the remainder of the season
– Malaga have completed the signing of Chidebere Nwakali from Manchester City on a two and a half year loan deal.
– Monaco have completed the signing of Burkina Faso international Alain Traore on loan from Lorient, with an option to buy the striker permanently at the end of the season.
– Genoa have sent Ioannis Fetfatzidis on loan to Chievo for the rest of the season
Today’s football reports and transfer rumours:
Brown Ideye, photo credit fifa.com
– According to reports, West Brom have rejected a bid from Qatar’s Al Gharafa for Ideye Brown
– West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has said the club’s move to sign Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher appears to be off, the Man Utd player is now being linked with West Brom.
– According to reports, West Ham midfielder Mark Noble is attracting interest from Queens Park Rangers
– Parma are hoping to conclude a deal to sign Marko Livaja from Rubin Kazan in Russia.
– According to reports in France, Arsenal are interested in signing Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris
– Valencia are set to offer defender Nicolas Otamendi a deal that would see his wages double after confirming that they received a 27 million pound bid for the defender.
– According to reports, West Brom striker Georgios Samaras is free to leave the Hawthorns this month
– Al Gharafa and Al Nasr are both interested in QPR forward Adel Taarabt.
– According to reports, Manchester United’s defender Marnick Vermijl is closing in on a move to Lokeren
– Hull are in talks to sign Aaron Lennon on loan from Tottenham until the end of the season.
– According to reports in Italy, QPR have made an offer to sign veteran Roma striker Marco Borriello
– West Ham are reportedly interested in signing Valenciennes forward Opa Nguette
– Queens Park Rangers boss Harry Redknapp is hoping to push through a £3million deal for Wolves winger Bakary Sako before the transfer window closes.
– Roma have reportedly agreed terms with Vlad Chiriches and are close to a loan deal with Tottenham.
– AC Milan Channel confirmed Genoa winger Luca Antonelli will undergo a medical tomorrow morning.
Wilfred Zaha
– Crystal Palace striker Fraizer Campbell has told boss Alan Pardew he does not want to leave the club in the transfer window and plans to fight for his place. Palace also look set to seal the permanent signing of Man Utd Loanee Wilfred Zaha.
– Roberto Mancini insists Inter “never discussed” Antonio Cassano, but did not close the door to signing him.
– Liverpool and Arsenal are set to go head-to-head over the signing of Marseille striker Andre-Pierre Gignac.
– Pablo Armero’s agent says there is ‘no deal’ yet for the Milan player’s transfer to Genoa
– Liverpool are monitoring Hannover midfielder Lars Stindl as they seek a replacement for Steven Gerrard
– Manchester United target Aleksandar Dragovic is in talks with Inter Milan
– According to reports, Manchester City are ready to table a world-record bid to sign Cristiano Ronaldo if he decides to return to England.
– PSG defender Marquinhos is rumoured to be on Louis Van Gaal’s raider despite the Man Utd boss claiming he wasn’t doing any business this winter window
Football tit bits:
– West Ham boss Sam Allardyce says he has been advised not to play Diafra Sakho until a row with Senegal is resolved. “It is not conducive for us to be putting him on the field until it is resolved, sadly. We have covered all the rules and regulations but at this moment in time it is sensible to do the right thing and not get involved any more – that is what I was told yesterday.” Allardyce said
Frank Lampard, photo credit nycfc.com
– Frank Lampard enjoyed the opportunity to say farewell to Chelsea’s supporters after he featured in Manchester City’s 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. “I was excited about the day but obviously a bit nervous,I enjoyed it. I was delighted with the reception from both [sets of] fans.” Lampard said
– Manuel Pellegrini criticised Chelsea’s style after their 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. “Both teams have a clear style of play. Everyone wants to play in the way they think is better. He has a style. You analyse the style of Chelsea. I analyse just the style of my team. Our team tried to win the game from the first minute till the end. I’m very proud about that.” Pellegrini said
The January transfer window is yet to pick up steam but like every other window its not devoid of the drama and rumours our man Paul Ayorinde serves you a complete dish of transfer gist spiced with some AFCON Updates and other titbits.
you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going
Done Deals:
– Hamburg have completed the signing of Ivica Olic from Wolfsburg on an 18-month contract.
– Valencia have announced on their official website that they have released Portugal international Joao Pereira and he has signed for Bundesliga club Hannover.
– Swansea have completed the signing of Jack cork from Southampton on a three-and-a-half year deal
– Bordeaux have officially announced the signing of French midfielder Clément Chantôme from PSG on a three-and-a-half year deal
– Crystal Palace signs left-back Pape Souare from Lille
Today’s football reports and transfer rumours:
– According to Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella, Colombia winger Juan Cuadrado will be joining Chelsea.
– According to reports, Hull City are in talks with Tottenham Hotspur over a possible loan deal for Aaron Lennon
– Burnley have ruled out selling reported Liverpool target Danny Ings during the January transfer window.
– Louis van Gaal has ruled out any further signings for Manchester United in the January transfer window, while Darren Fletcher looks set to exit the club for West Ham.
– Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin has said Roma’s offer for Luiz Adriano is “not satisfactory,”
– Reports indicate that Milan have reached a deal for Genoa’s Luca Antonelli.
– Juventus have confirmed that Paolo De Ceglie has ended his loan spell with Parma and that he will return to training in Turin tomorrow.
– According to reports, Fiorentina are interested in Barcelona defender Martin Montoya.
– Roma Coach Rudi Garcia reveals Roma will bring in a striker before the deadline day.
– Manchester United are ready to bid €40million for Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan, according to reports in Italy.
– Luca Marrone’s loan move from Juventus to Cordoba appears to have fallen through, after the player reportedly failed a medical.
– Manchester City midfielder Bruno Zuculini will head back to the Etihad Stadium after Valencia decided to end his season-long loan.
– According to reports in France, AS Monaco have opened talks with Tottenham over the possible transfer of Aaron Lennon.
– Arsene Wenger claims Arsenal are unlikely to make any further signings this month after completing the capture of defender Gabriel Paulista from Villarreal and teenage midfielder Krystian Bielik.
– Harry Redknapp admitted QPR have enquired about Wolves winger Bakary Sako
– Swansea City are working on a summer deal for Anderlecht striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, according to reports in Belgium.
– Tottenham are reportedly the favourites to sign Yehven Konoplyanka from Dnipro
– Southampton manager Ronald Koeman has identified Feyenoord’s Tonny Vilhena as his first-choice replacement for Jack Cork plenty of attacking options.
– Reports suggest Bayern are no longer eager to sign Marco Reus as they have plenty of attacking options.
– Milan’s joint-CEO Adriano Galliani will reportedly meet full-back Pablo Armero to discuss the player’s possible transfer to Genoa.
– Chelsea’s Andre Schurrle is edging closing to signing for Wolfsburg, with the Bundesliga side’s director of sport saying only signatures are missing.
– Turkish club Trabzonspor are favourites to sign Real Madrid’s Germany international midfielder Sami Khedira.
– West Brom have been offered the chance to sign former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan on loan from Japanese club Cerezo Osaka.
– Juventus have reportedly reached an agreement with Fiorentina goalkeeper Neto. He will sign on a free in the summer.
– QPR are targeting a move for West Ham midfielder Mark Noble.
– Arsenal are ready to launch a last-gasp bid for Atletico Madrid striker Mario Mandzukic.
Football tit bits:
– Algeria forward Islam Slimani will miss the rest of the tournament due to a muscle injury that kept him out of their last group match against Senegal.
– Guinea striker Mohamed Yattara believes luck played a big role as they managed to advance to the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations after playing draws in all three group matches. “It is a huge joy. We didn’t have our fate into our own hands anymore. Thanks God, luck was on our side. Now, we are all happy.” Yattara said
– Midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa is not allowed to play for Nice this season, after FIFA ruled a Newcastle Under-21 game counted as a competitive match.
– David Ginola has withdrawn his controversial candidacy in the race to be the next FIFA president.
– Chelsea striker Diego Costa should change his game after picking up a three-match ban for stamping, says Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini. “It will be a good thing for him to change a little bit in the future. He doesn’t need to play in that way because he’s a very good player.” Pellegrini said
– Louis van Gaal has confirmed that Michael Carrick will miss up to a month of action for Manchester United after rupturing a muscle.
– According to reports in Germany, Chelsea forward Andre Schurrle’s move to Wolfsburg is “imminent.”
– Chelsea are set to complete the transfer of Fiorentina’s Juan Cuadrado “within the next 48 hours,” with Mohamed Salah potentially going the other way on loan
– Swansea are closing on a move for Southampton’s Jack Cork, according to the BBC.
– According to Skysports, Stoke have given Leicester City permission to speak to Robert Huth about a possible loan move.
– Ivica Olic says he is happy to stay at Wolfsburg after the Bundesliga side blocked his return to Hamburg.
– Roberto Mancini has said he wants to sign Yaya Toure to help turn Inter Milan into a Scudetto-winning side.
– Borussia Monchengladbach are reportedly interested in signing QPR midfielder Junior Hoilett.
– Lazio are reportedly interested in signing Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez in this winter window.
– Juventus midfielder Luca Marrone is on the verge of securing a loan move to Spanish side Cordoba.
– AC Milan are reportedly close to signing Ezequiel Munoz from Palermo, with just a €500,000 difference between offer and asking price.
– According to reports in Germany, Manchester United are readying a £37.5 million bid for Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels.
– Hull City manager Steve Bruce is considering a move for Manchester United midfielder Nick Powell.
– West Ham are keen on a move for Swansea City striker Bafetimbi Gomis.
– Alan Pardew confirmed Lille’s left-back Papa Souare is travelling to London for a medical at Crystal Palace.
– Manchester United youngster Andreas Pereira’s agent has denied any contact with PSG over a possible move.
– West Ham manager Sam Allardyce says he could still sign Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher in this transfer window.
– According to reports, Roma open talks to sign CSKA Moscow striker Seydou Doumbia, with Coach Rudi Garcia apparently calling the player in person.
Football tit bits:
– England Football Association has formally nominated Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein as a candidate to stand against Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency.
– Diego Costa will contest his FA violent conduct charge with the full support of Chelsea.
– Guinea have reached the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals at the expense of Mali after the drawing of lots.
– Sheffield Wednesday have been taken over by a Thai consortium led by businessman Dejphon Chansiri.
– Sam Allardyce does not expect Diafra Sakho to be banned for playing for West Ham after withdrawing from Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations squad. “I’m not worried that Sakho will face a ban whatsoever. We have stuck by every rule and regulation in the book.”
Here are the top transfer rumours, done deals and football transfer gist and some results making the rounds as compiled by our man Paul Ayorinde.
you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going
Done Deals:
– Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa has made permanent his loan move from Newcastle to Roma.
– Valencia have confirmed that striker Paco Alcacer has signed a contract extension until 2020.
– Werder Bremen have confirmed the signing of Jannik Vestergaard from Hoffenheim.
– Everton striker Samuel Eto’o has joined Italian Serie A side Sampdoria, signing a deal with the club until 2018.
– Villarreal have completed the signing of Joel Campbell from Arsenal on loan
Today’s football reports and transfer rumours:
– According to reports,Hamburg want to sign Ivica Olic before Saturday’s Bundesliga match at Cologne, with Wolfsburg already searching for a replacement for the 35-year-old.
– According to reports,Roma are set to launch a late bid for Tottenham defender Vlad Chiriches
– According to reports, the hierarchy at Old Trafford have informed manager Louis van Gaal that, if they cannot get the club’s main targets immediately, they now intend to wait until the summer rather than going for stop-gaps.
– Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke has rubbished speculation linking him with a move away from the Spanish champions to the Premier League.
– Mark Hughes has played down speculation he will be making a bid for Barcelona starlet Adama Traore after travelling to Spain to watch Barca’s B team.
Borussia Dortmund
– Mats Hummels has once again dismissed rumours linking him with a switch away from Borussia Dortmund, and said that they will not distract him from the task of helping BVB stay in the Bundesliga.
– According to reports, Manchester United have told Darren Fletcher he can leave on a free transfer
– Wolfsburg sporting executive Klaus Allofs, asked whether his club were interested in the Chelsea forward Andre Schurrle. “A very clear no. We’ll have more on that one in a little while.”
– According to reports, Nathaniel Clyne is stalling on signing a new deal at Southampton amid interest from Manchester United.
– Arsenal are reportedly interested in Valencia right-back Joel Pereira and AC Milan centre-back Adil Rami
– Salvatore Bocchetti is believed to be on the verge of joining the AC Milan from Spartak Moscow, with an initial loan deal to be followed up by a permanent move in the summer.
– Sampdoria have reportedly agreed to sign Italy defender Gabriel Paletta from Parma.
– Brazilian forward Douglas Costa, has asked his Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk not to price him out of a move to Chelsea this January.
– Southampton are considering making a move for Netherlands midfielder Jordy Clasie from Feyenoord
– According to reports, AC Milan are in advanced talks with Palermo for Ezequiel Munoz.
– Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, 33, has revealed he would like to move to the United States and play in Major League Soccer.
– Reports in Ukraine suggest Dnipro midfielder Yevhen Konoplaynka will fly out for a Roma medical tomorrow.
– Andrea Pirlo believes that Paul Pogba will never return to Manchester United and that the English club have missed their chance to have the player.
– Newcastle midfielder Moussa Sissoko has refused to rule out a departure during this transfer window, but admitted that there has been no contact with clubs.
– Partizan Belgrade youngster Danilo Pantic claims he will join Chelsea before the end of the January transfer window.
– According to reports, Liverpool are close to agreeing a £14 million deal with Paris Saint-Germain for Ezequiel Lavezzi.
– West Ham are hoping to complete a deal for Hamilton left-back Stephen Hendrie.
– Crystal Palace are reportedly on the verge of completing a £4 million deal for QPR midfielder Jordan Mutch.
– Athletic Bilbao will only allowed defender Aymeric Laporte to leave the club if his full buy-out clause of £32million is met.
– According to reports, Everton are in talks to sign Brazil international Alexandre Pato.
Football tit bits:
– Stoke City have confirmed that Bojan will miss the rest of the season after sustaining a knee ligament injury in the FA Cup win over Rochdale.
– Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu says he does not want to see Real Madrid punished in the same way as his club over allegations of irregular dealings in the transfer market.
– Mino Raiola has decided to pull out of the race for the Fifa presidency after Dutch FA (KNVB) chief Michael Van Praag announced that he will challenge Sepp Blatter for the position. “Running for the Fifa presidency was not about me, but about having a good candidate to challenge Blatter. We have a good candidate now. Van Praag is someone with a better network, with more patience and who is a bit more of a natural when it comes to politics.” Raiola said
– According to reports, England Football Association will back Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein’s bid to become FIFA president.
– Coach of the DR Congo national team Florent Ibenge says facing Congo in the Afcon 2015 quarterfinals is more than just a derby. “We want to act first. It will be more than a derby, it will be a family match which is going to be very tight, and we hope that it will be even tighter for them.” Ibenge said
The January transfer window is yet to pick up steam but like every other window its not devoid of the drama and rumours our man Paul Ayorinde serves you a complete dish of transfer gist spiced with some AFCON Updates and other titbits.
you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going
Today’s Football Reports And Transfer Rumours:
– According to reports, Manchester United scouting delegation watched Nathaniel Clyne in southampton’s match at Newcastle last weekend with a view to a 20-million-pound January move.
– The Press Association is reporting that Newcastle forward Shola Ameobi has agreed a deal with West Bromwich Albion.
– Swansea have not agreed a deal with Norwich for defender Martin Olsson, says Canaries boss Alex Neil.
– Callum McManaman is reportedly close to completing a move from Wigan Athletic to West Bromwich Albion.
Shola And Sammy Ameobi. photo credit chruniclelive.co.uk
– Sam Allardyce has told reporters he is “not sure” whether West Ham’s move for Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher will come off
– Tottenham are planning to make an offer of around seven million pounds for Burnley striker Danny Ings.
– Lucas Silva has told Marca he waived his right to 10 percent of his transfer fee to secure his move from Cruzeiro to Real Madrid.
– According to reports, Manchester United will go head to head with Tottenham over a 15-million-pound deal for PSV winger Memphis Depay
– According to reports,Southampton boss Ronald Koeman will launch a double raid on Feyenoord this summer for defensive duo Terence Kongolo and Sven van Beek.
– According to reports, Everton have opened talks with Molde’s Norway international goalkeeper Orjan Nyland
– Queens Park Rangers are keen to bring in Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov in the January transfer window amid rumours the 33-year-old wants a return to London from AS Monaco.
– Swansea striker Bafetimbi Gomis has been looking at property in London as rumours of a £9m move to Crystal Palace continue
– According to reports,England international Raheem Sterling has rejected a second contract offer from Liverpool to extend his current deal, which still has more than two years to run.
– Swansea boss Garry Monk has dismissed speculation that he wants to sign Blackburn Rovers striker Jordan Rhodes
Mario Balotelli, photo credit liverpoolfc.com
– According to reports, Liverpool would sell the Mario Balotelli this month if they can find a buyer.
– Real Sociedad are closing in on the signing of Everton forward Steven Pienaar.
– According to reports, Wigan are set to make a move for Burnley’s Lukas Jutkiewicz
– Liverpool defender Glen Johnson is set to commit his future to Liverpool and turn down a move to Serie A side Roma.
Football Tit Bits:
– Zambia’s striker Emmanuel Mayuka is set to return to Southampton this week after a double groin injury effectively ruled him out of the African Nations Cup.
– Ghana defender Harrison Afful expects a tough battle against Bafana Bafana. “This game is going to be an interesting game and it is not going to be easy for us,they also play good football, just like us, so they will be a very tough side.” Afful said
– An appeal launched by Iran to overturn their Asian Cup quarter-final defeat to Iraq has been rejected. Iran launched an appeal with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), claiming that Iraqi midfielder Alaa Abdul Zahrah Khashen Al-Azzawi was ineligible for selection. An AFC Disciplinary Committee subsequently decided that the evidence put forward by Iranian officials was unfounded.
Here are the top transfer rumours, done deals and football transfer gist and some results making the rounds as compiled by our man Paul Ayorinde.
you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going
Done Deals:
– Real Madrid have completed the signing of Lucas Silva from Cruzeiro on a five and a half year deal for €14million.
– Fiorentina have completed the loan signing of Alberto Gilardino from Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande.
– Villarreal confirm Gabriel Paulista will sign for Arsenal with Joel Campbell going the other way on loan.
Arsenal Target Gabriel Paulista
Today’s football reports and transfer rumours:
– Shakhtar Donetsk striker Luiz Adriano confirmed interest from Roma. “It’s a good club and would be an interesting adventure.”
– According to reports, Arsenal forward Joel Campbell is set for a loan move to La Liga club Villarreal.
– There are reports Ravel Morrison has agreed a free transfer to Lazio in July after his contract with West Ham expires.
– According to reports, Shanghai SIPG are readying a bid for Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse.
– Dries Mertens says he has “really no reason” to leave Napoli and understands Rafa Benitez’s squad rotation.
– Juventus target Rolando is reportedly being pressed to renew his Porto contract before having any chance of joining the Bianconeri on loan.
– According to reports in France, Ezequiel Lavezzi will not be leaving Paris Saint-Germain this month, despite reported interest from clubs in Italy.
– Arsenal have reportedly launched a £3.7 million bid for Borussia Dortmund’s Kevin Grosskreutz.
– Manchester United are interested in signing PSG defender Marquinhos, according to the player’s agent
– Paul Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola says that the midfielder will be staying in Turin until the summer.
– Manchester United are reportedly keen on signing AC Milan’s highly-rated youngster Hachim Mastour.
– PSG boss Laurent Blanc insists he want to keep midfielder Adrien Rabiot at the club despite interest from Tottenham.
– David Moyes has admitted he would love to bring Real Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi back to Real Sociedad.
– Vincenzo Montella said Chelsea can only sign Juan Cuadrado from Fiorentina by paying his release clause. “The issue around Cuadrado is very simple: he has a buy-out clause, which was written into his contract along with the club. If a team comes along and pays it, and the player wants to leave, then he can go. This clause expires during the last few days of the transfer window, but as far as we are concerned the player is not for sale.” Montella said
– Aston Villa are reportedly willing to sell Fabian Delph this month, but only if they receive £4million.
– Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has hinted that defender Sergio Ramos is on the verge of signing a new deal at the Bernabeu.
– According to reports, Serie A side Inter Milan have approached PSG in recent days about a possible exchange deal involving Ezequiel Lavezzi and Fredy Guarin.
– Parma confirmed they are “seriously thinking about” signing Argentine striker Lisandro Lopez.
Jose Mourinho photo credit uefa.com
Football tit bits:
– Jose Mourinho said he was “ashamed” by Chelsea’s “unacceptable” FA Cup fourth-round exit, but praised Bradford for their giant-killing act in a 4-2 win at Stamford Bridge. After Chelsea’s hopes of challenging for an unprecedented quadruple were ended, he said: “In this moment I feel happy for them. I could find in my bad feeling with the game and with the result space to feel happy for them. I’m honest. By another side I feel ashamed and I think the players should feel exactly the same as I feel. By one side this is the beauty of football, the beauty of the FA Cup. It happens more in the FA Cup than any other country. [But] I repeat the word that I used yesterday in case we lost — it’s a disgrace. A sporting disgrace, but it’s a disgrace. I know in the history of this competition it happens to every team now and again. For me it’s the first time and I think it’s unacceptable to lose against a team from a lower league.” Mourinho said
– Cristiano Ronaldo has issued an apology after his sending off in the 2-1 win for Real Madrid over Cordoba. “I apologise to everyone and especially Edimar for my thoughtless action in today’s game,” the tweet said.
– Brendan Rodgers admits he overlooked Mario Balotelli for Liverpool’s FA Cup fourth round 0-0 draw with Bolton Wanderers at Anfield because the Italian striker is not working well enough in training and does not fit into his current style of play.
– Algerian football legend Rabah Madjer berated Fennecs head coach Christian Gourcuff, saying he does not have any experience in African football. “Gourcuff doesn’t have any experience in African gootball because this is the first time he is taking the charge of a team in Africa. The players lost their way and failed to play as a team so they became less dangerous against Ghana. The Algerian team have very good players, but they could not play as a team and that’s a big problem.” Madjer said
– Democratic Republic of Congo captain Youssouf Mulumbu will undergo a scan on a hamstring injury that threatens his further participation in the African Nations Cup.
Here are the top transfer rumours, done deals and football transfer gist making the rounds as compiled by our man Paul Ayorinde. We also got AFCON 2015 Daily results and fixtures plus FA CUP Round Fixtures and results
you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going
Done Deal:
– Karim Rossi has left Hull to join Belgian Pro League side Zulte Waregem on a free transfer.
– Leeds have completed the signing of Sol Bamba from Palermo until the end of the season.
– Watford have announced they have completed a deal for Wigan’s Ben Watson.
– Liverpool Ladies have completed signing of Asisat Oshoala from Nigerian Women Premier League side Rivers Angels.
– According to reports,Crystal Palace are nearing a deal to sign Senegal left-back Pape Souare from Lille
– Aston Villa have ended their attempts to sign Manchester City’s Scott Sinclair as manager Paul Lambert admitted he won’t be buying the winger in this transfer window.
– Shakhtar Donetsk are demanding 30 million pounds from Chelsea for midfielder Douglas Costa
– Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says he has full confidence in Asier Illarramendi and wants to keep him at the club, despite reports the midfielder is set to move during the January transfer window.
– According to reports,Wojciech Szczesny’s position has been cast into doubt after it emerged that Arsenal are monitoring Norberto Neto.
– West Ham manager Sam Allardyce have confirmed his interest in signing Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher
– According to reports, Lokomotiv Moscow striker Dame N’Doye is attracting the interest of Hull, and has been the subject of a three million euro bid.
– Hannover 96 are reportedly interested in signing Maribor defender Petar Stojanovic
– According to reports,Fiorentina are close to signing Guangzhou Evergrande striker Alberto Gilardino.
– Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho denies the club are interested in signing Juan Cuadrado. “I think he fits well in the Fiorentina squad, and the Colombia squad, [but] not in the Chelsea squad.” Mourinho said
Aleksandar Dragovic, photo credit uefa.com
– According to reports in the Austrian media, Manchester United will complete a £15million deal for Dynamo Kiev centre-back, Aleksandar Dragovic in the next few days.
– Reports suggest that Inter Milan have agreed a deal to sign Marcelo Brozovic
– Kingsley Coman could be key to any deal to bring Sassuolo’s Simone Zaza to Juventus, according to reports.
– Lille have abandoned their pursuit of Icelandic striker Kolbeinn Sighortsson after a bid was rejected by Ajax.
– According to reports,West Brom are in talks with Shola Ameobi over a short-term contract until the end of the season.
– AC Milan have reportedly offered €8million for Cruzeiro midfielder Everton Ribeiro.
– Dnipro insist Tottenham and Liverpool target Yevhen Konoplyanka will not leave the club this month.
– According to reports, Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher is set to make a decision on his future next week with West Ham, West Brom and Valencia all keen on signing him
– West Brom are reportedly eyeing a move for Wolves winger Bakary Sako.
– According to reports, Samuel Eto’o will have a medical with Sampdoria on Saturday in Roma before flying to Genoa to complete a move to the Serie A side.
– According to reports, Arsenal have had an offer rejected for Valencia’s Jose Luis Gaya.
Mohamed Salah, credit seriesandmovies.net
– Reports suggest that Roma have agreed deal with Chelsea for Mohamed Salah, on a loan basis with an option to buy for €17million
Football tit bits:
– Football “super agent” Mino Raiola has announced his intention to challenge Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency this year. campaign. “It makes me deeply sick just to think about Blatter being re-elected. Do you want a dictator as president of FIFA or a democracy? Even a 15-year-old kid knows that the only good thing about FIFA is the video game. They need more transparency. FIFA should be for the fans, the professional and amateur footballers, but they don’t do anything for these groups. I’ll find five FAs to back me,it’s incomprehensible that some FAs still vote for Blatter. If people vote Blatter, they are voting North Korea, if they vote me, they are voting South Korea.” He said
– AC Milan players will be foaming at the mouth when they take to the field against Lazio on Saturday, according to coach Filippo Inzaghi. “Going by the physical tests, we’re in the same condition as when we beat Napoli. We know what we have to rediscover. Tomorrow you’ll see a team that will be foaming at the mouth. I don’t know if that will be enough, but we’ll try.” Inzaghi said
– Stephane M’Bia is set to make his return from injury and suspension as Cameroon bid to qualify from Group D at the Africa Cup of Nations.
– Colombia boss Jose Pekerman is confident Radamel Falcao will overcome a difficult start to life at Manchester United. “It’s a difficult period for him, but he’s a proven player with regard to his mentality and he’ll keep on working hard. I’m sure that this [difficult period] will just be temporary and he will come through it, I don’t have any doubt. The most important thing is that he is well [after his injuries]. Sometimes these situations are not easy… it’s a shame because he’s a lad we want to be playing regularly as he’s a great player, but I expect it will sort itself out soon.” Pekerman said
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