Many Crystal Palace fans are reacting to the news that the club will be looking towards their youth players for the final nine games of the Premier League season.

According to the Sun on Sunday reporter Alan Nixon, Roy Hodgson would like to look more towards his youth for the final fixtures of the season to help save money for future transfers.

This would be a good idea for the club, as they have recently been granted all the planning permission needed to redevelop their academy, whilst they currently have on average the second oldest squad in the division, so need a young crop of players to come in and be ready for when some of the old guard move on.

With Palace on 39 points so far, there is a lot to play for as they sit just six points from European qualification, but also only 12 points from relegation, per BBC Sport. With many agreeing the club has one of the hardest fixture lists for these final games, it may be a risk to throw the youngsters in.

However it seems that the majority of fans would be happy to see youth given a chance at Selhurst Park – one even said it was an “excellent idea.” This is perhaps because of the current average age of their side, whilst some may also have the success of Aaron Wan-Bissaka in their minds, a player who came through their ranks before being sold for a huge £50m to Manchester United last year.

Here is what fans said following the news:

Palace fans, are you happy with these plans? Comment below!

Many Aston Villa fans have reacted to a claim by The Telegraph’s Matt Law on a potential deal for Norwich City’s Todd Cantwell or Emi Buendia.

Dean Smith’s side managed to keep their top-flight status alive with a good end to the Premier League season, beating Arsenal and drawing with West Ham United.

Having beaten off the drop to the Championship, Villa saw the likes of Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich drop down to England’s second tier.

Norwich, who would be expected to mount a promotion challenge next year, will seemingly be expecting a number of players to leave the club and Law has reported via Birmingham LIVE that Villa are keen on one of either Cantwell or Buendia.

Cantwell, valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, scored six goals and assisted twice in the Premier League last term, whilst Buendia scored once and assisted seven times.

Reacting to the transfer claim which was shared by Twitter account @villareport, Villa fans gave their opinion on the former Premier League duo. Whilst quite a few like the idea of Buendia, it seems that Cantwell would not be a popular addition which seems a little harsh given his impressive stats in his first top flight campaign.

Here is what some had to say…

Do you think either Cantwell or Buendia would be a good signing? Let us know in the comments section below…

Name: Ollie Watkins

Club: Brentford

Date of Birth: 30 December 1995

Position: Centre-forward

OLLIE WATKINS – HIS CAREER SO FAR

Ollie Watkins is a 25-year-old centre-forward currently playing his football over at Brentford in the Championship. He grew up in Newton Abbot and some of his first gigs in the sport that would later on become his life were at Exeter City. He finally joined their academy at U11 level, having previously been rejected when he was only nine years old in 2003. But that stay in the academy would indeed prove to be quite good and Watkins sore through the ranks to land into the first-team after only a year.

He signed his scholarship in 2012 and by 2014, he also penned his first professional contract, winning his first call-ups and appearances for Exeter in the 2013/14 season. And this was a start of something special for the youngster as he would remain at the club for the following couple of years, albeit with a short loan spell at Weston-super-Mare along the way.

The loan happened between 2014 and 2015 and Watkins would record 24 appearances for the Seagulls, scoring ten goals and actually developing quite a bit as well. This was essentially his first big shot at a regular role in a senior team and he embraced it with both hands. And upon return to Exeter, Watkins was adamant on succeeding there as well.

The now 25-year-old forward ended up playing a total of 78 games for them, scoring 26 goals and also adding 17 assists on the side as well. Needless to say, it was quite a return for such a young player and soon afterwards, Brentford came knocking on the door. In the summer of 2017, Watkins joined the Bees on a four-year contract, signing an extension soon after that, in 2019.

Since then, he has scored 49 goals and assisted 17 across 142 games for Brentford, surely cementing his spot as one of the most important players in the squad and one that has gone through tremendous development since his early years at Exeter and beyond that.

Now, it doesn’t really come as a surprise that he is a wanted man and could very well be on the move to greener pastures quite soon. He is surely ready for it.

TRANSFER LATEST

With his rise through the ranks, Watkins has become a prime target for many Premier League outfits as of late and many transfer rumours have indeed connected him with a switch to the English top-tier. Some of the latest transfer news, however, suggest the newly-promoted Leeds United might look to secure his signature in an attempt to boost their squad for the upcoming challenge.

The 25-year-old has been tipped to join the Whites in numerous Leeds United transfer news so far and it will be interesting to see how Brentford respond to the rumours.

As it currently stands, the Bees might indeed struggle to keep Watkins around for much longer.

PLAYER PROFILE

Even though he used to be a winger by trade, Watkins has successfully transitioned into the role of a centre-forward. All of his best traits that he possessed as a wide man, however, have been retained and combined with the new skill set he had to adopt with the switch, the 25-year-old comes with an impressive package, to say the least.

He is extremely athletic and can use his clever positioning and off-the-ball movement to confuse the markers and both create and exploit the space behind their backs brilliantly. When necessary, Watkins can also be used to pin back the centre-backs and give more freedom to his teammates that way. With good dribbling abilities as well as knowing when to drop, drift or move away from his position, courtesy of his winger days, the 25-year-old can cause chaos in the final third.

On top of that, he seems to give Brentford a decent aerial threat as well.

Leeds United will be a Premier League side next season.

The Whites have been crowned Champions in England’s second-tier, and after a 16-year hiatus they’re finally set to return to the promised land.

As with most promoted sides, United will need to strengthen upon their ascension to the top-flight, and they’ve already been linked to some new additions with names such as Yan Couto and Branimir Kalaica already being floated around.

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However, with Bielsa making few changes to the side since his appointment in 2018, he may want to persevere with the players that have proved successful so far.

One man who has been a lynchpin in Bielsa’s side since day one is Mateusz Klich, with the Pole starting every single league game bar one since the Argentine’s arrival, and despite being out of favour under Paul Heckingbottom, he already looks like Premier League material.

Luckily, United have had a bit of experience playing against quality opposition, putting up a very impressive performance against Arsenal in the FA Cup that earnt them plenty of praise from pundits and supporters alike.

Klich took to playing against a team of the Gunners’ calibre like a duck to water, easily keeping up with the pace of the game, making three tackles and two interceptions, while also playing four key passes, showing that despite having less time on the ball when playing against top-flight opposition, he can still be a creative force.

United may be tempted to spend big upon promotion, especially if the long-rumoured QSI takeover finally comes to fruition, but even if they do bring in some big names, Klich should certainly have a spot in the squad, even if his streak of league starts has to come to an end.

Former Glasgow Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha is set to return to football as the manager of Mexican outfit Tigres.

The Portuguese boss is a record-breaker at Ibrox, becoming the club’s shortest-serving permanent manager when he was sacked after just 229 days in the hot-seat, and has been out of a job for just under a year after being relieved of his duties by fellow Mexican outfit Cruz Azul. Now, though, it is being reported by Tele Diario that Tigres, one of the biggest and most well-supported clubs in the country, could well give him the top job.

This is likely to shock plenty of the Gers supporters given his poor record north of the border where he won just 14 of the 27 games he managed. Indeed, BBC Sport’s Tom English described his reign as “a desperate mess from start to finish.”

But he does have good pedigree in the North American country. As manager of Santos Laguna, he won both the domestic league and cup, whilst he also finished top of the table with Cruz Azul.

It seems the move to Scotland was not right for Caixinha, despite him spending a fair amount of money on the likes of Carlos Pena and Eduardo Herrera. Still, he appears to have found the right place for himself on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

Let us know what you think below!

Sheffield United have been linked to Liverpool youngster Rhian Brewster, and there looks to be an update on this possible transfer which might excite fans of the club.

According t0 90min, the Blades have now held talks with Liverpool over signing Brewster on loan for the 2020/21 season. They are now favourites to complete a transfer despite rival interest from other Premier League clubs.

The 20 year-old made 22 appearances on loan at Championship side Swansea City last season and scored 11 goals, whilst managing on average 2.4 shots on target per game, via WhoScored.

He looks to be a very good striker for the future as he has won the U17 World Cup with England and picked up the Golden Boot in the tournament with eight goals, per Transfermarkt.

He already looks to be sharp during pre-season as well as he scored two goals in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against RB Salzburg during a trip to Austria and he clearly looks to be very prolific, despite him being only 20 years-old.

This could be a very clever move for the Blades, as they currently have some decent forwards in their squad, including Oliver McBurnie, David McGoldrick, Billy Sharp, and Lys Mousset. However with Sharp and McGoldrick 34 and 32, they might not be ones that the club can rely on for the whole of next season and to have a good young option like Brewster would be handy to have.

Blades fans, what are your thoughts on this news? Comment below!

أفادت تقارير صحفية إسبانية، أن الحكومة وافقت على زيادة أعداد الجماهير في ملاعب كرة القدم داخل إسبانيا بداية من الجولة المقبلة.

الجولة المقبلة من الدوري الإسباني (الثامنة) تنطلق يوم الجمعة بمواجهة أتلتيك بلباو وديبورتيفو ألافيس، على ملعب سان ماميس في أقليم الباسك.

شبكة “كواترو” الإسبانية، أكدت أن الحكومة بصدد الإعلان عن قرار رسمي بشأن زيادة أعداد الجماهير داخل مدرجات كرة القدم والألعاب الرياضية بالكامل.

وأشارت التقارير إلى أن الزيادة ستكون من 60% إلى 80% من سعة كل ملاعب كرة القدم ببطولة الدوري الإسباني.

وعادت الجماهير هذا الموسم بعدما غابت خلال الموسم الماضي عن المدرجات، ولكن بنسبة 60% بسبب إجراءات فيروس كورونا.

وبذلك سيستفاد فريق أتلتيكو مدريد من زيادة عدد الجماهير، حيث يستضيف الروخي بلانكوس نظيره برشلونة ضمن الجولة الثامنة على ملعب واندا ميتروبوليتانو يوم السبت المقبل.

Marcos Rojo is ‘likely’ to leave Manchester United at the end of the season, according to his agent. 

The Red Devils have tried to sell Rojo in four of the past five summer transfer windows but haven’t succeeded so far. The veteran is currently on loan at Estudiantes de La Plata after agreeing a move in January.

Rojo has barely featured at all for his boyhood club, as a combination of injury and bad luck has limited him to one solitary appearance. The outcast has fallen out of favour with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and is considered surplus to requirements.

Jonathan Barnett, who also represents Daniel James, told Stretty News: “I couldn’t comment on what Solskjaer thinks but I think it’s obvious, I think with Rojo, probably [a move] is more than likely somewhere else.”

After years of trying to get rid of him, it looks like the club have finally got their wish. The 30-year-old arrived at Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon in 2014 for £18m (as per Transfermarkt).

Barnett didn’t disclose a destination for the defender, as he admitted that he is “not sure” if the Argentine will stay in his homeland. However, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that his time at the Theatre of Dreams is coming to an end.

United were unhappy after he was caught breaking the lockdown rules on two occasions earlier this season and issued the defender with a stern warning. Estudiantes don’t seem to pay too much attention to such behaviour as they are keen for him to stay at the club.

The centre-back, who is currently valued at £7m via Transfermarkt, is reportedly in favour of making his loan deal permanent if the two sides can reach an agreement. However, Los Pincharratas are struggling to cope with the uncertain times that many clubs are also experiencing and will only be able to afford another loan.

Whatever happens, everything points towards Rojo heading out the door, and United are ready to cut their losses as his contract will expire in a year anyway.

United fans, do you think Ed Woodward should sell Marcos Rojo this summer? Let us know by commenting below!

MatériaMais Notícias

Jorginho, de tantos méritos neste reconstruído Vasco, já começou o jogo perdendo para Eduardo Baptista. Wellington Silva, lateral-direito de origem, foi escalado na esquerda, onde marcaria melhor as investidas de Madson. O técnico cruz-maltino, então, prontamente deslocou Nenê, articulador central do Vasco, para a ponta-direita, onde em momento algum, desde que chegou, ele conseguiu render.

Assim, o esquema tático que vinha funcionando, sumiu. Durante todo o primeiro tempo, o que se viu no Estádio Nilton Santos pareceu apenas um remendo da equipe que tanto havia melhorado. Raras investidas, Jorge Henrique e Leandrão isolados, e Andrezinho, tanto quanto Julio dos Santos, não tinha jogada para fazer.

E Jorginho mexeu no intervalo. Além das trocas dos atacantes titulares (citados acima) por Rafael Silva e Riascos, o treinador ainda fez mais uma logo depois. Saiu a preocupação tática e entrou o desespero. Com Eder Luis, a equipe ganhou mais um velocista, mesmo sem ter armadores jogando bem – apesar de a falta de meias ser um problema de montagem do elenco.

A pressão final foi o que se esperava, até pelo jogador a mais. Porém, é preciso melhorar. É preciso acertar sempre para escapar do rebaixamento. As rodadas estão favoráveis (pelo menos nas três últimas, a maioria dos resultados tem ajudado). Assim como chamou atenção, recentemente, a imprecisão na pontaria dos jogadores, a do técnico não pode ser desprezada.

O Vasco não está rebaixado. Mas quase todos os jogadores caíram no gramado abatidos, ontem. De todo modo, são estes mesmos atletas que precisam dar resposta técnica antes que seja tarde. A situação piorou? Naturalmente. O problema maior é a carga de pressão com a qual o Gigante da Colina vai encarar os poderosos ataques de Palmeiras e Corinthians na sequência do campeonato.

Burnley have begun transfer talks with a French midfielder who has drawn comparisons with two-time Premier League winner N’Golo Kante.

The Daily Mail reported that the Clarets have held talks with Ligue 1 side Angers over a move for Baptiste Santamaria, who is valued in the region of £12m and has drawn comparisons with his fellow countryman at Chelsea.

As per Daily Mail, Aston Villa had targeted the 25-year-old earlier this year, with Leicester and Everton also having their attention piqued by the midfielder.

Santamaria has been a mainstay of Angers’ first XI for the last four years, racking up 146 appearances for the club, with 134 of those coming in the French top flight. He started all 28 of their Ligue 1 games last season before the league was curtailed amid the global pandemic, scoring once and providing one assist (as per TransferMarkt).

Kante’s ball-winning abilities as a midfield anchor have been lauded by the likes of Eden Hazard and Sir Alex Ferguson, and Santamaria also stands out for his knack of breaking up opposition attacks. He won 3.3 tackles per game in Ligue 1 last season and even that was only a slight improvement from 3.1 the previous campaign, along with averaging 1.6 interceptions per game in 2019/20 (as per WhoScored).

To put that in context, nobody at Burnley last term had a higher tackling average than 2.4 per game, while only two men (both defenders) had a better interceptions average than the Angers midfielder (as per WhoScored). The 25-year-old is no slouch when he gets the ball, either, with his passing success rate of 81.5% bettered only by Josh Brownhill (82.5%) among Sean Dyche’s squad.

The Clarets were linked with another tough-tackling midfielder in recent days in Huddersfield’s Lewis O’Brien, whose match averages of 3.2 successful tackles and 1.2 interceptions are impressive yet slightly below Santamaria’s level. However, the Terriers man often plays in an advanced midfield role, in contrast to the Frenchman’s position at the base of midfield.

Santamaria’s statistics certainly suggest that he would make Burnley’s midfield a sturdier unit and one which will not be bypassed easily by opposing teams. Also, at 25, the Frenchman boasts plenty of top division experience and yet is only set to come into the peak years of his career now.

Just as Kante was plucked from Caen by Leicester five years ago, Burnley could yet pull off their own left-field raid on Ligue 1 if they can complete a deal for Angers’ no-nonsense midfielder.

Burnley fans, do you think Santamaria would be a good addition at Turf Moor for £12m? Comment below with your views!