All posts by n8rngtd.top

Former Everton star Michael Ball has told Football FanCast that he hopes Everton and Farhad Moshiri make a tidy profit on Moise Kean if he does move to PSG on a permanent basis in the summer transfer window.

The 21-year-old moved on loan to PSG at the start of the season and has enjoyed an excellent spell in Ligue 1.

In total, Kean has scored 18 goals in all competitions in 35 games, and has become a regular under manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Kean struggled during his time at Everton and made just 37 appearances following his £25.1m move from Juventus, scoring a mere four goals.

Ball believes that the deal was an excellent one, especially given that there was no sell-on clause included in the deal, meaning Juve won’t be owed anything if he does move to PSG permanently.

Reports have suggested that the French club are keen on a move, with The Times reporting that he will cost around £45m to sign this summer, a price that would mark a profit of £20m.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Ball says he is hopeful that any money banked will be reinvested into the squad.

He said: “Everton got a great deal when they brought him to the club, there was no sell-on fee, and I thought that was great business.

“You just hoped he would have hit the ground running, unfortunately it hasn’t worked out for him. Whether the Premier League doesn’t suit him right now, at this moment in time, but I think Everton, with the amount of money they spent, there’s going to be pressures from the financial situation to bolster the squad.

“If the money comes in for Moise Kean, hopefully Everton will make a profit on that and use it to the best of their ability.”

Arsenal have suffered a major blow ahead of their Premier League clash against Liverpool tonight with the news that Bukayo Saka has yet to train with the team.

The England international was forced out of international duty due to injury, and stayed behind at the Emirates Stadium to recover.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Liverpool, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta said: “Well he hasn’t trained with the team yet. He’s been doing some individual work. We had to pull him out of the England squad unfortunately.

“He’s feeling better, but he hasn’t trained with the team yet.”

Saka has been in exceptional form for the Gunners this season, scoring six goals and providing a further seven assists across all competitions.

It’s no surprise that the £54m-rated youngster has earned glowing reviews for his performances this season, with Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand raving about him after his star showing against Southampton in a 3-1 win earlier this year.

The former England defender said: “He was tremendous to watch. His skill – the maturity with which he plays is so impressive as well. He can play one and two touch. Plays off both feet. ‘His decision-making, for me, that is – he plays as someone who is well beyond his years. He makes the right decisions at the right times and you can see in the way he sets things up. He set the tone for the first goal. He’s so comfortable wherever he plays.

“He’s a real talent, someone, I’m sure, who is definitely in the thoughts of Gareth Southgate because he’s such a valuable player in terms of his ability to play in and cover different positions.”

Make no mistake about it, being without Saka – one of the club’s standout players of the season thus far – against Liverpool will be a major blow to Arteta and Arsenal’s chances of clinching an all-important win tonight. His absence will no doubt leave the manager very worried.

West Ham defender Arthur Masuaku has sent a teasing message on Twitter regarding his fitness after undergoing knee surgery for reoccurring pain in that area, with the Congolese international declaring he is ‘almost’ back as many Irons fans buzz over the ‘brilliant news’. 

Masuaku, who was a mainstay for David Moyes before deciding to go under the knife, starting 10 Premier League matches before his lengthy absence, is now nearing a return.

Even though the 27-year-old remained cryptic over his recovery time, he has dropped an enticing hint that his return to action could be imminent for the Hammers, explaining he is ‘almost’ back.

Since his absence, Moyes has been forced to improvise without his first-choice attacking left wing-back, but the revelation that Masuaku could be close to a Hammers return does potentially come as ‘brilliant news’ given their chase for a top four finish.

West Ham may benefit from having him back as an option, and these supporters are certainly excited by his message on social media – find some of the best verdicts down below.

West Ham fans buzz over ‘brilliant’ Masuaku news

“Yessssss!!!”

Credit: @RealHammers

“LETS GOOOOO KING ARTHUR”

Credit: @Dylan_Rudisill_

“Brilliant news, what exactly was wrong with your knee?”

Credit: @Christophercol

“Boom. I can’t wait to see you tearing it up in claret and blue, very soon. COYI”

Credit: @DJBazMati

“That’s it. The treble is wrapped up.”

Credit: @WHUspencer

“Come onnnnnnnnnn”

Credit: @joelitt78828048

“Naaaaaaa Prem ain’t ready”

Credit: @WesthamDeku_

In other news: West Ham are reportedly in talks to sign this defender, find out more here.

According to information courtesy of Daily Mail correspondents Jack Gaughan and Matt Hughes, via City Xtra, Manchester City star Raheem Sterling is setting up his own football agency and will conduct his own Sky Blue contract negotiations with legal advice.

Sterling, who was Pep Guardiola’s top scorer in all competitions last season with 31 goals (Transfermarkt), has been the subject of speculation linking him with a new and improved deal at the Etihad Stadium.

Providing the latest update, journalists Gaughan and Hughes claimed that the Englishman will look for improved terms on his current £300,000-per-week contract and is now setting up his own football agency, meaning he will conduct his own negotiations with legal help, per City Xtra.

This could mean that Sterling looks set to be without the traditional football agent for his talks as he takes charge of his own affairs – an interesting move given the debatable stigma which surrounds representatives like Mino Raiola, for example.

Amid the 26-year-old’s bad run of form, with his latest outing against Leeds United attracting some criticism, this move by Sterling has still been praised by many City supporters on social media.

Some fans also believe he deserves a new deal, which is understandable considering he is still yet to hit his prime and has bagged an incredible 113 goals and 86 assists in all competitions since signing in 2015 (Transfermarkt).

While the vast majority of supporters praised this development, with one labelling it ‘brilliant’, there was also some who called it ‘ridiculous’ given Sterling’s current form – he is without a goal in his last seven appearances.

Find some of the supporters’ verdicts below.

Man City fans flock to Sterling contract claim

“Give Sterling whatever he wants”

Credit: @AK10_03

“Sterling making big moves”

Credit: @MrBowser1YT

“Very Deserved”

Credit: @mcfcR16

“Love this. Says something about the way contract negotiations are handled at City these days”

Credit: @Bubbleg58159799

“Brilliant stuff”

Credit: @ctiddanny86

“City players love it so much at City they don’t use agents.

We are many levels above the rest”

Credit: @MCFCTone

“Sterling is a club legend by now tbf”

Credit: @SsonSummerbee

“This is just ridiculous , a player on this amount shouldn’t be disappearing when we need him most , man has been scamming City”

Credit: @fredijeh2

In other news: Man City fans weren’t impressed with his ace’s performance, find out more here.

The forward's pending departure could lead to a rebirth for the Parisians, who have already hinted at a new team-building strategy

In a pre-season speech to the Paris Saint-Germain squad, club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi laid out his message for the new campaign. He spoke of the power of the manager, the pride of suiting up for the Parisians, and his desire for hard work in training. Notably, he also asserted: "The club is bigger than anyone here."

That was July 2023, and it seemed to be a shot at Kylian Mbappe – then in open warfare with the French champions regarding the status of his contract after infoming the club that he would not be picking up the extra year that had been placed into his deal a year earlier. Back then, it seemed unlikely that Mbappe, the last Parisian Galactico left, would be playing his football at Parc des Princes for the 2023-24 season.

But things changed. Mbappe came to an agreement with the club hierarchy, pledged his loyalty for the upcoming season, and re-joined the squad after a month in exile. Now, though, his departure is confirmed. He told the club last week that he wishes to leave Paris at the end of the season, while talk has accelerated about his desire to join Real Madrid – with a massive contract all-but agreed with Los Blancos.

Things, then, look bleak for PSG. Mbappe is a generational talent, one of the best in the world, and the face of French football. You'd struggle to spin this in an overwhelmingly positive light, and yet it does present an opportunity.

For years, the Qatar Sports Investment-run club have sought out the biggest stars in world football: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Beckham, Neymar, Lionel Messi and Mbappe himself. All of those intergalactic names were brought in not only as shirt-sellers, but also to form the foundation of a side that demanded Champions League success.

Now that they have gone, with Mbappe serving as the final departure, PSG can refocus. The Champions League can be worked towards, and approached organically. For the first time in recent memory, the Parisians finally have the chance to develop Galacticos of their own, rather than buying ready-made superstars in search of instant European glory.

• Getty
  

  Saga to end all sagas

  Eighteen months ago, Mbappe leaving so soon seemed unlikely. At the very end of the 2021-22 campaign, he shocked the world by turning down Real Madrid's massive offer before he was paraded around Parc des Princes while holding aloft an 'Mbappe 2025' shirt to mark him becoming the best-paid footballer in the world.

  Any hope of him joining Madrid over the course of the next three years was seemingly gone. Yes, Mbappe would have another chance to leave in 2025, but Madrid's ego had been bruised, and Mbappe's new salary presumably put him out of reach for any interested parties.

  Things change quickly when it comes to Mbappe, though. He never stopped flirting with Madrid, keeping the possibility of a move open. and last summer, Mbappe went about sealing the deal. Refusing to pick up the extra option was the first step; announcing it to the world – or ensuring it was leaked – was the second; and declining a move to the Saudi Pro League was the third. It was all tied up – albeit six months later than he might have hoped – last week, when he officially communicated his decision to leave Paris.

  Somehow, a season-and-a-half after signing the kind of deal that had the potential to keep Mbappe in Paris for life, he has now engineered an amicable exit.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  Champions League misery

  Mbappe's pending departure brings the curtain down on a PSG era that promised so much, but instead saw them become an almost-annual punchline in the Champions League. Since Al-Khelaifi took charge in 2012, the club has acquired superstar after superstar, all in the hope that spending vast sums of money could bring the European Cup to Paris. It hasn't worked.

  The Parisians' European failures have come in all shapes and sizes, from blowing massive leads to lifeless showings, penalty heartbreak, and an unfortunate final loss in 2020. From La Remontada to Marcus Rashford's VAR-assisted spot-kick, PSG just haven't been able to get it right on European nights.

  The weight of expectation has certainly played a role. Big names are supposed to win big trophies – especially when they're coached by marketable man-managers or tactful tacticians. Parisian failures look worse because of the individuals in the line-up.

• Getty Images
  

  Superstars fall short

  None of PSG's failures felt as catastrophic as those in 2022 and 2023. Messi has since revealed that he never really wanted to be a PSG player, but his reluctance does little to explain the fact that a team containing the Argentine maestro, Neymar and Mbappe never managed to make it past the last 16 of the competition.

  There were admittedly failures around them, as first Mauricio Pochettino and then Christophe Galtier could do little to wrangle a turbulent squad into something coherent. While Messi, Neymar and Mbappe all had their moments in PSG shirts, focusing the bulk of club's finances on the forward line meant that the rest of the team wasn't up to the required standard, and thus the much-vaunted trio largely became little more than merchandise-moving commodities and sources of YouTube highlights.

  A superstar-first approach seldom works; the presence of Neymar, Messi and Mbappe in Paris proved that.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• PSG.fr
  

  Change of strategy

  While the Mbappe saga grabbed most of the headlines around PSG last summer, the club hierarchy were simultaneously overseeing a much-needed change in strategy. Their transfer activity was lavish – the Parisians spent nearly €400 million (£340m/$430m) – but they focused on young players.

  In came forwards Goncalo Ramos (22), Randal Kolo Muani (24) and Bradley Barcola (20), as well as midfielders Lee Kang-in (22) and Manuel Ugarte (22). Even their more experienced new arrivals, Ousmane Dembele (26) and Lucas Hernandez (27), were far from being over the hill, even if they both have patchy injury histories.

  The managerial appointment sent a similar message. Luis Enrique is not the kind of manager a club hires in order to maintain dressing-room harmony and pander to stars. This was the coach who forced Xavi out and willingly dropped Neymar on a number of occasions at Barcelona, and he immediately told Marco Verratti that his services were no longer needed upon his arrival in France.

  The potential in PSG's new-look squad couldn't be denied, but the plan seemed to be more aligned with the club's status as just below the true elite, and with one eye on the future.

David Sullivan must fund a move for West Ham United to sign Adam Armstrong this summer after Kevin Campbell lauded the potential impact of the Blackburn Rovers striker.

What’s the word?

While speaking with Football Insider, the former Arsenal attacker urged West Ham to secure Armstrong’s services in the next transfer window.

David Moyes has been carrying out personal checks on the forward as he eyes his Sebastien Haller’s replacement, but the Irons are currently reluctant to pay Blackburn’s £25m asking price, according to The Sun.

Campbell rates Armstrong highly and believes that the 24-year-old would be a nightmare for Premier League defenders through his dynamic movement.

Armstrong has been in terrific form in the Championship this season despite Blackburn’s plight, with only Ivan Toney (28) and Teemu Pukki (22) scoring more often than the 19-goal frontman, but in promotion-chasing sides.

Campbell has urged West Ham to capitalise on Blackburn’s willingness to listen to offers for Armstrong to add depth behind Michail Antonio, with Brighton recently joining the race and Newcastle reportedly ready to re-sign their academy product.

“The squad strength isn’t quite there at West Ham. Antonio is a great player but if he needs a rest, there isn’t really someone who can come in and be that guy,” Campbell said. “Moyes is limited with who he can pick up top.

“Armstrong has had a good season and I think will be a good signing for West Ham and they should probably make that move before he goes somewhere else. He’s a handful. Small strikers are a nightmare for centre-halves because centre-halves are almost always tall.”

Should West Ham sign Blackburn’s Armstrong?

West Ham’s apparent reluctance to pay Blackburn’s £25m asking price could see the London Stadium natives miss out on signing the club’s alleged top striker target, with interest in Armstrong continually building.

Brighton are thought to be increasingly keen on Armstrong as he represents a more natural finisher than any of Graham Potter’s current options, is young and English, and have several players that they could include in a swap deal.

Newcastle have a huge advantage in any race to sign the 24-year-old, too, having included a 40% sell-on clause in the £2m deal which saw Armstrong move to Ewood Park in 2018, which has seen Blackburn set the Toon their own £16m asking price.

West Ham must sign a striker in the off-season after Moyes opted against investing the £20m from Haller’s exit in January, and could land a second Antonio type in Armstrong.

In a similar way to how Campbell lauds the 24-year-old for being a lively problem for opposition defences, former Liverpool striker John Aldridge has praised Antonio for his ability to give those on the other side a nightmare.

“Antonio is a handful up front and has caused us problems before, so the back four will be tested again as he’ll put himself about big time,” Aldridge noted in his column for the Liverpool Echo in October.

Armstrong has earned his admirers in a Blackburn side 16 points down on the Championship play-off places, with Rovers’ run of one win in 12 league games failing to detract top-flight suitors.

West Ham would surely rue missing out and seeing that talent flourish for a rival club in the Premier League next season, so Sullivan must dig deep and fund a move.

AND in other news, West Ham have set their sights on a “competitive beast” who won’t cost David Sullivan a penny…

Everything you need to know about how to watch the U17 World Cup live on TV and stream online.

The FIFA Under-17 World Cup takes place every two years and gives a glimpse of the best young footballers in the world who may well become stars of the future.

Watch the U17 World Cup on fuboFind the best deals

England star Phil Foden, Nigeria's Victor Osimhen and Mexico legend Carlos Vela are among the previous winners of the competition, showing the level of quality that is typically on display.

So how can you watch the stars of tomorrow in action this November? GOAL brings you everything you need to know about where to watch live on TV, stream online, and more.

• Where to watch U17 World Cup: TV channels, live streaming & highlights

  Country	TV + streaming
  United States	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FS1, FS2, Fox Deportes
  United Kingdom	FIFA+
  Canada	TSN, RDS
  Argentina	TyC Sports
  New Zealand	Sky Sport
  International	FIFA+

  In the United States, the U17 World Cup will be available to watch live on the FOX network, with FS1, FS2, Fox Deportes and Fox Soccer Plus, Telemundo and Universo showing games, including those involving the USMNT U17s and Mexico U17s.

  You can also stream U17 World Cup games live with fubo – find out everything you need to know here.

  Watch U17 World Cup games on fuboFind the best deals

  Fans in the United Kingdom who wish to watch England games, or indeed any games at the U17 World Cup, can do so by subscribing to FIFA+, which is broadcasting every game live.

  FIFA U17 World Cup highlights will be available to watch on FIFA's official YouTube and social media channels, as well as FIFA+.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  2023 U17 World Cup fixture schedule

  Group stage

  Date	Game	Kickoff time	TV channel
  Nov 10	Panama 0-2 Morocco	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS2, Universo, FIFA+
  Nov 10	Mali 3-0 Uzbekistan	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 10	Indonesia 1-1 Ecuador	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 10	Spain 2-0 Canada	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, Universo, FIFA+
  Nov 11	New Caledonia 0-10 England	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 11	Japan 1-0 Poland	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 11	Argentina 1-2 Senegal	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 11	Brazil 2-3 Iran	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 12	France 3-0 Burkina Faso	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 12	Venezuela 3-0 New Zealand	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 12	South Korea 1-3 USA	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 12	Mexico 1-3 Germany	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 13	Spain 1-0 Mali	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 13	Morocco 0-2 Ecuador	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 13	Uzbekistan 3-0 Canada	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 13	Indonesia 1-1 Panama	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 14	Brazil 9-0 New Caledonia	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 14	Senegal 4-1 Poland	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 14	England 2-1 Iran	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 14	Japan 1-3 Argentina	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 15	USA 2-1 Burkina Faso	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 15	Mexico 2-2 Venezuela	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 15	France 1-0 South Korea	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 15	New Zealand 1-3 Germany	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 16	Uzbekistan 2-2 Spain	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 16	Canada 1-5 Mali	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 16	Ecuador 1-1 Panama	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 16	Morocco 3-1 Indonesia	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 17	Poland 0-4 Argentina	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 17	Senegal 0-2 Japan	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 17	England 1-2 Brazil	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 17	Iran 5-0 New Caledonia	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 18	Germany 3-0 Venezuela	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 18	New Zealand 0-4 Mexico	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 18	USA 0-3 France	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 18	Burkina Faso 2-1 South Korea	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+

  Last 16

  Date	Game	Kickoff time	TV channel
  Nov 20	Ecuador 1-3 Brazil	3:30am ET / 8:30am GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 20	Spain 2-1 Japan	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 21	Mali vs Mexico	3:30am ET / 8:30am GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 21	Germany vs USA	3:30am ET / 8:30am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 21	Argentina vs Venezuela	7am ET, 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 21	Morocco vs Iran	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 22	England vs Uzbekistan	3:30am ET / 8:30am GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 22	France vs Senegal	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+

  Quarter-finals

  Date	Game	Kickoff time	TV channel
  Nov 24	TBC	3:30am ET / 8:30am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 24	TBC	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2,FIFA+
  Nov 25	TBC	3:30am ET / 8:30am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 25	TBC	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+

  Semi-finals

  Date	Game	Kickoff time	TV channel
  Nov 28	TBC	3:30am ET / 8:30am GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 28	TBC	7am ET, 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+

  Third-place playoff

  Date	Game	Kickoff time	TV channel
  Dec 1	Loser semi-final 1 vs Loser semi-final 2	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+

  Final

  Date	Game	Kickoff time	TV channel
  Dec 2	Winner semi-final 1 vs Winner semi-final 2	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+

• Where is the 2023 U17 World Cup final being played?

  Stadium:	Manahan Stadium
  Capacity:	20,000
  Tenant(s):	Persis Solo
  Address:	Adi Sucipto St, Manahan, Surakarta, Central Java

  The Manahan Stadium in Surakarta will host the 2023 U17 World Cup final.

  First built in 1998 and then renovated in 2018, the Manahan Stadium has a capacity of 20,000.

  It is the home stadium of Indonesian team Persis Solo.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  Who won the last U17 World Cup?

  Brazil won the last U17 World Cup in 2019 as hosts. They defeated Mexico in the final to secure their fourth World Cup at Under-17 level.

  Goals from Kaio Jorge and Lazaro were enough as Brazil defeated Mexico 2-1 in the final, which was held in front of 13,000 people at Estadio Bezerrao.

  Gabriel Veron was awarded the Golden Ball at the tournament, seeing off competition from France's Adil Aouchiche and Mexico's Eugenio Pizzuto.

Chelsea may still hold a special place in the heart of Mateo Kovacic, with the Manchester City star appearing to celebrate a goal from Cole Palmer.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Croatian midfielder left London in the summer
• Back at the Bridge for Premier League thriller
• Odd reaction to dramatic penalty leveller

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Croatia international midfielder brought a five-year spell at Stamford Bridge to a close over the summer when he swapped west London for the North West of England. Kovacic had enjoyed considerable success in a different shade of blue, becoming a Champions League winner while taking in over 200 appearances.

Advertisement

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kovacic’s colours are supposed to be firmly nailed to City’s mast now, with the 29-year-old looking to help Pep Guardiola’s side defend their Premier League title. He could, however, be seen reacting to a dramatic late goal during a return to the Bridge on Sunday in surprising fashion.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  City dropped two points at Chelsea as Palmer converted a stoppage-time penalty in a thrilling 4-4 draw and Kovacic – who was standing on the edge of the box as a nerveless spot-kick was crashed into the top corner – appeared to give a fist bump when seeing the ball hit the net.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  It is impossible to tell what was going through Kovacic’s mind at that point, unless the man himself speaks out, and it may be that he was merely geeing himself up for the time that remained on the clock. Chelsea fans are, however, taking his actions as an indicator that he will forever be one of them.

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have slammed a “desperate” article from Keith Jackson, who has suggested the Gers could be in big trouble if Steven Gerrard leaves Ibrox.

Over the past few days, Gerrard has been linked with a move to his former club Liverpool, with current Reds boss Jurgen Klopp potentially being lined up as the new Germany manager (The Mirror). Gerrard, of course, has done a fantastic job with the 54-time Scottish champions – they are within touching distance of winning a first Premiership title in 10 years as they lead the table by 15 points (BBC), and they are also into the Europa League round of 16.

However, Jackson believes Gerrard could depart Ibrox if he does not receive a bumper new contract – even though he has a deal which will keep him in Glasgow until 2024 (BBC). The Daily Record journalist also added that, if the 40-year-old does depart, the Gers could crumble like a “house of cards”.

The piece was shared by the Daily Record’s official Twitter account, and these fans took to the social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts on the article from Jackson, who has riled some of the Ibrox faithful in the past.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Jackson below

“Keith’s still hurting”

Credit: @nor_gov

“what a pointless piece of journalism. Steven Gerrard has never been motivated my money his entire career, he won’t start doing it with management. He’s one of the few people in football that shows loyalty, especially to Liverpool. He’ll leave when LFC need him.”

Credit: @StevenW77751462

“If the bloke did his homework, he’d know that Steven signed a contract last year that runs out in 2024. But of course that doesn’t fit the narrative or sell papers I suppose. Shambles of a journalist.”

Credit: @antarcticdonkey

“Desperate”

Credit: @BrianAuld3

“Lazy lazy journalism”

Credit: @Northernger

“Another in Scotland’s ‘mhedia’ taking this season well we see. Trying your best to deflect and distract from the loss of the ‘holy grail’ and the mess across the city. Delightful.”

Credit: @GfLoyal4

In other news, Rangers are set to do battle with Arsenal over this ace.

Southampton have been linked with a move for AC Milan ace Jens Petter Hauge recently and if he were to make the move to St Mary’s this summer, it could be bad news for Moussa Djenepo in relation to his future in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

According to Italian journalist Nicolo Schira, Southampton and Udinese are both keen on signing the 21-year-old, who has been frozen out of Stefano Pioli’s side since the turn of the year.

Hauge only made the move to the San Siro in October 2020 and enjoyed a superb start to life in Italy, contributing three goals and one assist in just five Europa League appearances for I Rossoneri, averaging an excellent 7.27 rating for his performances.

However, he has been limited to just three starts in Serie A, with the majority of his appearances coming from the bench, despite him finding the back of the net twice in the Italian top-flight.

His performances this season have already earned him comparisons to Barcelona legend Lionel Messi from some AC Milan fans, so they may not be too happy to see him leave the club for Southampton this summer, even if it is on loan.

Therefore, it seems clear that Hauge has a lot of talent and would be a good addition to Hasenhuttl’s side this summer, although it could cast doubt on the future of Djenepo.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/southampton-saints-ralph-hasenhuttl-martin-semmens-st-marys” title=”Latest Southampton news, transfer rumours and more”]

The Mali international has struggled since joining from Standard Liege in the summer of 2019, with just four goals and two assists to his name in 49 appearances in all competitions.

Despite being labelled “super-talented” by Nathan Redmond after an impressive solo goal against Sheffield United, the young winger has been far too inconsistent during his time at St Mary’s and will almost certainly be considered a flop unless his performances drastically improve next season.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431″]

Therefore, the added competition that Hauge would bring would likely see Djenepo lose his starting spot in Hasenhuttl’s side, as his return of one goal and no assists in 25 Premier League appearances this season is far from good enough.

And, in other news… Saints record-breaker has golden chance to win over Hasenhuttl, it’s make or break