West Ham keen to address Lanzini future

According to the London Evening Standard, West Ham United will look to tie Manuel Lanzini to a new contract once the Hammers have confirmed Premier League survival.

What’s the story?

Lanzini has a contract with West Ham until the summer of 2020, but the Argentina international has previously been linked with a move to Liverpool.

The Reds may well reignite their interest in the versatile attacker at the end of the season, and it is understood that the Hammers are keen to improve Lanzini’s wages at the London Stadium.

According to the London Evening Standard, the London club will open contract talks with the Argentine once they have secured their spot in next season’s Premier League.

David Moyes’ side suffered a 4-1 defeat at Arsenal last time out to leave them down in 15th position, and they are actually only six points clear of the relegation zone ahead of matches against Manchester City, Leicester City, Manchester United and Everton to finish the season.

How important is Lanzini to West Ham?

The 25-year-old joined West Ham from Al Jazira Club in 2015 – initially on loan – and it would be fair to say that he has been an absolute revelation at the Premier League outfit.

Indeed, Lanzini scored 15 times in his first two seasons with the club, and despite struggling with injury this term, has managed three goals and nine assists in 25 appearances.

There is no question that West Ham are a better team when Lanzini features, and Moyes – if given the chance – will look to build his side around the attacker next season.

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It would not be a surprise to see Liverpool return with an offer this summer, but the former River Plate youngster would not be guaranteed first-team football at Anfield.

Lanzini will more than likely travel with the Argentina squad to the 2018 World Cup, and it is absolutely vital that West Ham address his future as soon as possible.

Crystal Palace could lose two players following imminent contract negotiations – report

Crystal Palace will want to keep hold of their stars this summer as they prepare to rebuild and fans in the Transfer Tavern will be hoping they can tie down their most important players with new deals.

The Eagles managed to all but secure their place in the Premier League with an emphatic win against Leicester City last weekend, and whilst they are not mathematically safe just yet, they are already planning for their future in the top-flight.

According to The Guardian, Roy Hodgson is planning to hold talks with Yohan Cabaye and Joel Ward about their futures at Selhurst Park, however, the manager is expecting to lose the experienced pair on a free transfer when their contracts expire.

The locals in the bar will want to keep the Frenchman at the club beyond the summer as he has proven to be a key performer for the Eagles in recent weeks, however, there are concerns over his huge wage demands and the player is not expected to be prepared to take a huge pay-cut to extend his stay.

Ward has become a veteran of the side, helping them win promotion to the Premier League in 2013 and making over 205 appearances for the club, but it is expected he will leave this summer in search of regular first-team football.

Landlord’s Verdict

Crystal Palace fans in the Tavern will already be resigned to losing Rueben Loftus-Cheek and Timothy Fosu-Mensah when their loan deals expire at the end at the season and will be hoping they can keep hold of their stars. The locals will want the south Londoner’s to become active in the transfer market as soon as possible to prepare for the departure of a handful of key players.

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Crystal Palace fans – do you expect Cabaye and Ward to leave this summer? Let us know below!

Revealed: 81% of Chelsea fans want Pedro to drop out to allow Hazard back in

Eden Hazard has taken on such talismanic status at Chelsea that his exclusion from the team to face Huddersfield on Wednesday night must have given David Wagner and his team a real boost from the moment they were handed the teamsheet.

It certainly looked that way as Chelsea spluttered in the face of dogged visiting defending and the Terriers grew into the game in the second period; never really looking like losing.

This Chelsea side is a talented one but Hazard is the man who sets it all off and for that reason, he is likely to return to the Blues lineup for the trip to Newcastle on the final day of the season as Antonio Conte looks to get his side back on track ahead of the Wembley showpiece final on 19 May against Manchester United.

That’s why we asked you who should drop out to allow the Belgian back in; Willian or Pedro? The response was overwhelming and Chelsea fans clearly want the Spaniard, valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt to be dropped by Conte.

81 per cent want the former Barcelona man to be dumped on the bench and you can check out the full results of the poll below…

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Newcastle fans don’t believe a word of Mike Ashley’s statement

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has released a statement backing Rafael Benitez and promising funds for the Spaniard, but fans aren’t buying a word of it.

Newcastle ended their season on a high note on Sunday as a brace from Ayoze Perez wrapped up a 3-0 win over Chelsea, but fans are still concerned about the future.

Rafael Benitez has done an incredible job at Newcastle, backing up their title winning promotion with a tenth place finish, the highest of any of the three promoted clubs, despite spending less than both Huddersfield and Brighton.

Of course, the issue of spending is what’s on every Newcastle fans’ mind, and probably will be all summer.

Benitez is desperate for the backing he so clearly deserves, and there is a growing concern that the Spaniard will leave the club if owner Mike Ashley does not give him some cash to splash.

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Ashley has tried his best to quash these concerns, as he released an official statement on the matter after the match.

“I would like to thank Rafa Benitez for his magnificent achievement this season,” Ashley said, in the statement that you can find here.

“Rafa, as always, has my full support, and contrary to some media reports that portray me as a pantomime villain, I will continue to ensure that every penny generated by the club is available to him.

“I hope very much that Rafa will remain at Newcastle United.”

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One has to wonder if the statement would have been released quite so quickly had the Magpies not won 3-0, but the owner certainly wants Benitez to stay.

That said, actions speak louder than words, and Newcastle fans are not buying any words that come from their infamous leader.

Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

Harry Wilson can offer Aston Villa attacking depth next season

As reported by The Scottish Sun, Aston Villa are one of the teams interested in signing Liverpool’s Harry Wilson this summer.

What’s the story?

The 21-year-old hasn’t yet broken through fully into the Liverpool first-team despite signing a new long-term in contract in January.

After a successful half-season on loan at Hull City, it appears there are plenty of teams eager to offer him regular action next season.

The Scottish Sun report one of those teams is Aston Villa, who join Rangers, Leeds United and Huddersfield in their desire to sign him on loan.

The paper say Liverpool are looking for a loan fee of £250,000 to snag the impressive winger, a deal that would also see financial penalties issued should he not get the required amount of first-team action.

What does he offer?

Still just 21 years of age, Wilson doesn’t have extensive first team experience to draw too many conclusions from, but did demonstrate on loan at Hull City that he has quality that could be a benefit to Aston Villa.

He scored seven Championship goals from the left flank, also creating three assists, in half a season at the Tigers. Also netting his first goal for the Welsh national team, it’s been a big year for the youngster.

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It’s clear he has huge potential and already has the cutting edge to be a success in English second-tier and although the Villans likely have enough quality at their disposal to compete strongly in the Championship again next season, if they don’t win their play-off, Wilson could give them serious depth.

Loan deals are never ideal, permanent signings are what supporters want to see, but this is one that could be a positive for all parties and something Steve Bruce should strongly consider.

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Arsenal signing Rodrigo would surely seal Alexandre Lacazette’s fate

According to reports in The Sun on Sunday, via Sun journalist Alan Nixon on his Twitter account, Arsenal are keen to sign Spain international Rodrigo, rated at £36m by Transfermarkt, this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Sun on Sunday says that the Gunners, along with Premier League rivals Chelsea, are both keen on the 27-year-old following an impressive campaign for Valencia.

Having managed Sevilla for a number of years new Arsenal manager Unai Emery, who can get something that Alex Iwobi and Danny Welbeck can’t give him if he signs another £17.5m attacker, will certainly know all about the striker, who has come on leaps and bounds since an unsuccessful loan spell with Bolton Wanderers in 2010.

The arrival of the Spaniard at the Emirates Stadium would be strange in a sense though given they already have Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Danny Welbeck to play in the centre-forward spot.

How did Rodrigo do during the 2017/18 campaign?

He was excellent.

The 27-year-old scored 19 goals and provided a further seven assists in 44 appearances in all competitions.

The Spain international showed that he is a good all-round striker in terms of being able to score with his feet and his head on a regular basis, as well as being good in possession, at dribbling and at holding the ball up to allow his teammates to catch up with the play.

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Would he be a good signing for Arsenal?

Even though he only scored once in 17 appearances for Bolton eight years ago, it is clear to see that the 27-year-old has matured and come on leaps and bounds since then, and his goal record and the fact that he is in the Spain squad should prove that he can be a success in the Premier League now.

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The arrival of the striker would surely throw the futures of the likes of Lacazette and Lucas Perez into doubt however, and the north London outfit should also be wary of how Alvaro Morata and Sandro Ramirez have struggled in the English top flight having been prolific in La Liga previously.

Liverpool miss out on Atletico-bound Lemar, fans react

Liverpool have had a difficult few days in the transfer market, just when everything seemed to be falling into place following the surprise acquisition of Fabinho from Monaco.

Widespread reports indicated that Nabil Fekir was on his way from Lyon, but last weekend, the French club released a statement confirming that the attacking midfielder will be staying put.

Unsurprisingly, Liverpool fans were left stunned by the news, and now they have been hit with another wave of bad news – this time relating to Monaco midfielder Thomas Lemar.

The Reds were heavily linked with a move for the Frenchman last summer, as well as in the January window, but a deal never came to fruition.

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On Tuesday, Atletico Madrid confirmed on their official website that they have agreed to sign Lemar this summer, and the news has sparked a reaction from Liverpool fans.

Some are not too concerned to have missed out, while others have expressed sadness that he has slipped through their fingers.

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Mario Gotze is worth the risk for Spurs at the reported £18m fee

As reported by Football.london, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mario Gotze this summer.

What’s the story?

After committing Mauricio Pochettino and Harry Kane to new contracts, Spurs are on the hunt for elite talent in the upcoming transfer window that can help them close the gap on the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City next season.

One player on their radar is Borussia Dortmund talent Mario Gotze.

That’s according to Football.london, who report that the German World Cup winner is eager for a fresh start in the English Premier League next season.

The outlet reckon that Spurs are keeping tabs on his current situation and that he could be available for a fee as low as £18m, having started just 19 times in the Bundesliga for the German club last season.

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Would he be a good signing?

There’s no doubt that the hype around Gotze has died down a bit since hitting his peak form for club and country between 2012 and 2014. At one point he was one of the most exciting talents in the world, scoring the decisive goal that the won the World Cup for Germany in Brazil.

His form at Bayern Munich hit the buffers and his return to rivals Dortmund hasn’t quite worked out in the way anyone wanted, leaving him something of an odd man out.

However, he is still just 26 years of age and with a fresh start and the confidence of Mauricio Pochettino behind him, he can perhaps turn things around and become the dynamic creative midfield talent that once took the world by storm.

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At the reported £18m fee, there’s little risk in pursuing his signature for Spurs and the benefits of it working out, outweigh the negatives if it goes wrong.

Do you think Spurs should sign him?

Have your say in our poll below…

Arsenal fans urge club to sign Christian Pavon after impressive Argentina cameo

Boca Juniors winger Cristian Pavon impressed as a substitute in Argentina’s 1-1 draw with Iceland in their opening Russia 2018 group game on Saturday, and Arsenal fans have urged their club to sign the 22-year-old, rated at £18m by Transfermarkt.

The young wideman was brought on in the second half as the South American giants looked for a winner against the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup, and he perhaps should have won a penalty kick.

Meanwhile, new Gunners boss Unai Emery may well be looking to add some pace in wide areas, which the north London club have sometimes lacked having lost both Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott over the course of the previous 12 months.

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Arsenal supporters, who also want their club to make a shock move to sign another 31-year-old World Cup star, were quick to have their say on Pavon’s latest performance via social media, and while one said they “would love to see him at Arsenal”, another said “he reminds me of Sanchez”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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Liverpool fans no longer convinced by Alisson following Brazil clash against Serbia

Over the last few months, Roma goalkeeper Alisson has been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool.

It has been clear for some time that the Merseyside outfit are in need of a new shot-stopper.

Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius are not at the level required to push the Reds into title contention.

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After Karius made two costly blunders during the Reds’ Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in May, speculation that a keeper is on the transfer wishlist intensified.

Judging by the conversation on social media, Alisson was the number one target, but plenty of fans have seemingly changed their tune.

Who do you think will win the World Cup? Let us know here and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.

After watching the 25-year-old in action for Brazil in Wednesday night’s World Cup clash against Serbia, the Roma star was less-than-convincing between the sticks.

The performance has led some Liverpool supporters to question whether the club should pursue a move, and plenty think that any interest should be shelved.

Comment from discussion Anyone else not been impressed by Alisson this World Cup?.Comment from discussion Anyone else not been impressed by Alisson this World Cup?.Comment from discussion Anyone else not been impressed by Alisson this World Cup?.Comment from discussion Anyone else not been impressed by Alisson this World Cup?.Comment from discussion Anyone else not been impressed by Alisson this World Cup?.Comment from discussion Anyone else not been impressed by Alisson this World Cup?.Comment from discussion Anyone else not been impressed by Alisson this World Cup?.Comment from discussion Anyone else not been impressed by Alisson this World Cup?.

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