Newcastle fans, it seems that there may actually be some fact behind the takeover rumours this time then? Past failed takeover attempts from Amanda Staveley and Peter Kenyon have left the Geordies dejected, but this time it looks different. Sheikh Khaled could be set to buy the club for £350 million, and if he does Rafa Benitez has to stay.

The most important thing for the new owner to do if he comes in is ensuring that Rafa Benitez gets a hefty new contract and can start to work in the transfer market. The Magpies have been very vocal in their backing of Rafa Benitez and if the Spaniard leaves St James Park this summer then there will be uproar from the supporters as Rafa is the only reason they’re still in the Premier League.

Money will almost certainly be spent should the Sheikh buy the club, and it’s not hard to see why. This is a man who failed to purchase Liverpool last summer despite tabling a bid of £2 billion and with that kind of money to hand there’s no way that the Geordies will pull a Mike Ashley and throw low-ball offers at their fourth and fifth choice transfer targets.

Getting away from transfer targets, the players mean little when they haven’t got the right manager in place to make sure things are running smoothly and playing to the system. Benitez has masterminded 13th and 10th placed finishes in the top flight and a Championship winning season in his three campaigns, so getting him tied down before looking to the market is what should be on Sheikh Khaled’s to-do list.

Newcastle fans, how happy would you be if Sheikh Khaled secured Rafa’s stay? Comment below!

أبدى أندي روبرتسون لاعب فريق ليفربول تذمره من التحكيم بعد ما حدث في مباراة الأمس أمام فريق برايتون، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتعادل الفريقان بهدف لمثله، في إطار منافسات الجولة العاشرة من البريميرليج.

وشهدت المباراة إلغاء هدفين لـ ليفربول، عن طريق محمد صلاح وساديو ماني، بداعِ التسلل على كلاهما.

كذلك احتسب حكم المباراة ركلتي جزاء لـ برايتون، وكانت الثانية في الدقيقة 93 بعد عرقلة روبرتسون للاعب الخصم داني ويلبيك.

وكتب روبرتسون، عبر حسابه الشخصي بموقع إنستجرام: “أتساءل متى سيكون لدى الأشخاص الذين يلعبون لعبة كرة القدم رأي؟!”.

وأضاف: “يوم محبط للغاية ولكن يجب الإشادة برايتون، خصم صعب حقًا!”.

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According to reports, Middlesbrough have shown an interest in hiring Slavisa Jokanovic as Tony Pulis’ successor.

In terms of Championship managers there probably couldn’t be two more polar opposites, so what should Boro fans expect from the Serbian if he is appointed?

The bad

Even though Jokanovic has been promoted with both Watford and Fulham, he comes with his fair share of downsides.

If Steve Gibson is expecting immediate results from his new manager, he should look elsewhere. The former Watford manager’s teams are notoriously slow starters as it takes time for his personnel to adjust to his system, and when taking over a squad that was managed by Tony Pulis last season, this process could take even longer.

Jokanovic can also be a stubborn man, he has often been accused of not having a plan B, and if the board don’t bring in the signings he wants he is more than happy to highlight which areas need strengthening in his team selections.

At Fulham, he infamously played Stefan Johansen as a striker to highlight that the Whites needed a new forward. Eventually, this led to the loan signing of Aleksandar Mitrovic, but during the period the Norwegian was playing up top the west Londoners dropped valuable points which could have cost them promotion.

To say that Slavisa is the antithesis of Pulis isn’t wholly a good thing. His ability to organise a defence leaves a lot to be desired as shown by his tenure in the Premier League with his former team.

The good

Firstly, Jokanovic will bring something that Middlesbrough haven’t seen for years, entertaining football. Aitor Karanka, Garry Monk, Gary Rowett and Pulis have all been defensively-minded managers whereas the Serbian loves to attack.

His teams dominate possession and move the ball quickly — a system which has proven effective as he has overseen two promotions from the Championship.

Although he can be stubborn about getting the right people in, once everything is in place, his teams can prove almost unbeatable in this division. Fulham went on a 23-game run without losing in the second half of 2017/18 following the arrivals of Mitrovic and Matt Targett.

He is also seemingly good at handling any tough characters in the dressing room. The aforementioned Mitrovic has had a plethora of occurrences of ill-discipline on the pitch, but Jokanovic completely transformed him so that he could control that side of his game.

Aboubakar Kamara has shown this season that he is a livewire who can cause problems, but under the tutelage of the former Chelsea player, these issues never cropped up.

This skill could come in handy with Martin Braithwaite and Britt Assombalonga in the Boro squad, as they are two players with immense talent who seem to allow their attitude to affect their game.

All in all, he is one of the best managers in the division, but he probably couldn’t pick a harder side to take over. Half a decade of defensive football is ingrained into several players in this squad.

If the board at The Riverside Stadium are serious about the 50-year-old being the man to take them up, they will have to give him their full backing and plenty of patience.

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Sky Sports pundit and former Southampton and England midfielder Matt Le Tissier has been giving his opinion on what’s needed in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s first summer transfer window in charge.

What’s he said, then?

The Saints enter the summer months needing to rebuild after two consecutive brushes with relegation from the Premier League – they must elevate themselves back into mid-table and start looking back up to Europe.

Recruitment is needed in some areas and in others the south coast club have to get rid of players, but Le Tissier seems to want Southampton to focus on the wrong places. As quoted by The Southern Daily Echo, here’s what the legend Le Tissier had to say on where Saints need to strengthen…

“I think we need another forward. I think we need one or two centre-backs and probably I’d expect another left-back.

“I think in the last couple of seasons Ryan hasn’t been as dynamic as he was in the first seasons he was here.

“I think Matt [Targett] has struggled a little bit if I’m honest in that position. I am not sure whether he is a long-term replacement for Ryan in that left-back role.

“That might be a bit harsh on him because he might kick-on again because he is still young and still has improvement in him.”

Left-back upgrade unnecessary

It’s true that Bertrand has struggled to hit the heights of his first few seasons at Southampton, when he was part of one of the best defences in the Premier League and looked worthy of returning to the top six after joining the club from Chelsea.

But he still plays to a good standard and even if he’s no longer marauding down the wing, he’s a safe, experienced and solid option who has shown what he can do in the top flight. A lot of Premier League clubs would likely be willing to take Bertrand should Saints put him in the shop window.

Targett, meanwhile, is an academy product and scored the goal that essentially sealed Southampton’s survival against Bournemouth, a truly special moment. Aged 23, he should be coming into his own just now and while he hasn’t consistently shown Premier League ability, it would seem a waste for Saints to bring in a new left-back when he could feasibly take the reins from Bertrand in a few years.

And the fact of the matter is that money used to buy a left-back could be spent on other areas. Le Tissier outlined centre-back and the forward line as problem areas and they should be the priority. Perhaps the left-back situation needs addressing at some point, but for Hasenhuttl’s first summer there are bigger fish to fry.

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According to the BBC, Tottenham have submitted a whopping £53m bid for Real Betis midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, who is on Everton’s radar as per a report from earlier this month.

What’s the word, then?

Well, it was reported that the Toffees and Spurs were locked in a battle to sign the Argentina international this summer, as the north Londoners searched for a Mousa Dembele replacement.

Everton were also keeping tabs on the 23-year-old as they looked to build on Marco Silva’s impressive first campaign at Goodison Park.

In this era of ‘big 6’ dominance, has finishing 7th become as good as winning a trophy? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

Real Betis secured Lo Celso for a bargain £21.5m after they exercised their option-to-buy agreement in the loan deal they agreed with Paris Saint-Germain, and it appears that they are looking to make a quick profit on their investment.

Andre Gomes is half the price

There should be no chance that Everton will go anywhere close to matching Tottenham’s bid for Lo Celso.

Of course, the fact that he hit 16 goals and recorded six assists from midfield makes him an attractive proposition this summer for the Toffees, but that price should immediately put Everton off.

Director of Football Marcel Brands certainly shouldn’t even think about matching Spurs’ bid, especially after it was reported that Barcelona are looking for a fee in the region of £25m-£35m for Andre Gomes.

The Portuguese international enjoyed a phenomenal 2018/19 campaign whilst on loan from Barcelona to the Toffees, and a number of fans would be in dreamland if the club could sign him on a permanent basis.

Significantly, the fact that the 25-year-old Gomes is tried and tested in English top-flight football, a stage in which a number of promising foreign exports have failed on, should be reason enough for the Toffees to drop their interest in Lo Celso.

With Gomes available for around half of what Tottenham bid for Lo Celso, Brands and Silva should definitely pull out of the race.

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Leeds United fans on Twitter are feeling pessimistic despite a positive update from Phil Hay about the future of Marcelo Bielsa.

The Yorkshire Evening Post writer tweeted that there had been more talks between the club and the manager on Monday, and he claimed that he is now expected to stay at Elland Road.

Certain fans didn’t take too kindly to this update with some questioning the reliability of the YEP writer due to his previous incorrect predictions about the Whites.

Others were worried about the future of the club even if the Argentine stayed. Their concerns were primarily around the signings the club would make this summer as they believe that Andrea Radrizzani would be reluctant to get his chequebook out.

It remains to be seen whether or not the journalist is accurate with his report that Bielsa is set to stay at the club next season, but some fans certainly believe that Hay’s words should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Here’s what United supporters have been saying on Twitter…

When it comes to Arsenal and central midfielders, the club seems to have a never-ending stockpile of players to fit that position.

The Gunners have been synonymous with the position over the past few years, largely down to Arsene Wenger’s near obsession with signing players who could fit the bill to thrive in the role and yet only managing to have a few hits in his final seasons as Arsenal manager, and so far in the Unai Emery-era, it’s been two success’ out of two.

Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira joined the club last year as some of Emery’s first few signings at Arsenal and both have been big hits in north London, with the French youngster looking to be the future of the club whereas the former Sampdoria enforced has filled a hole in the team that has needed attention for a while, and now even more midfielders have been rumoured with a move.

According to CalcioMercato, the Gunners are interested in Cagliari midfielder Nicolo Barella who is also on the radar for Chelsea and Inter Milan, and although the Italian international would be a good fit for Arsenal, it would only do more bad than good at the club.

With Guendouzi impressing after his first season in north London and Granit Xhaka likely to remain at Arsenal, Barella would be joining a club where competition for places is fierce and realistically the promising midfielder won’t be guaranteed a starting place every week especially with how highly Emery rates the French 20-year-old.

Barella has a big future in the game, but moving to Arsenal would be a poor decision for both player and club as the Gunners should be focusing their attention elsewhere this summer as well as looking to improve what they already have at the club.

Arsenal fans, should the club avoid central midfield signings this summer? Let us know!

Now that the Premier League fixtures are out it’s time to see how they have affected the betting when it comes to how all 20 teams are going to perform this season.

There are a number of crazy bets for people to choose from including managerial sackings, top four chances, the relegation battle and golden boot winner.

It’s time to look at each team’s fixture list for the upcoming season – which kicks off on August 9 – and what the best bet is for each side.

And we start with Sean Dyche’s Burnley…

Burnley – 11/2 to finish 20th

Burnley dropped like a stone last season from seventh in the 2017/18 campaign to 15th in May.

Sean Dyche continues to work miracles at Turf Moor, but you do wonder just how long he can maintain that level with a squad which on paper looks like one of the weakest in the division.

They also have Arsenal, Wolves and Liverpool in three of their first four games so could be playing catch up from the off.

For Burnley to finish rock bottom next season the odds are 11/2, so £10 returns £65 including stake.

Watford – 15/1 to be relegated

Watford shipped 13 goals in their final three games of last season which included that horrid 6-0 defeat to Man City in the FA Cup Final. How will that affect the psyche of the players heading into this campaign?

They face a tricky run after their opening game against Brighton as they travel to Everton and Newcastle before hosting West Ham. Then the three games straight after the international break are against Arsenal, Man City and Wolves.

If Javi Gracia has a rough start to the season questions will begin to be asked and the Hornets could find themselves in trouble.

A tenner on Watford to go down will return you £65 including stake, a bet which if you look at last season’s end-of-season form is an extremely good price.

West Ham – 12/1 for a top six finish

West Ham had mixed fortunes last season. However, there are a couple of things which Hammers fans can look to for this campaign that may make them believe they can really do something.

Firstly, Manuel Pellegrini’s side started incredibly slowly last year. This season nine of their first 12 games are against either sides they finished above last season or promoted teams, which means they are more than capable of starting much stronger.

And linked with their inability to start well, their first meetings with five of the top six will all be at the London Stadium, a place which saw them win three more times last year than they managed on the road.

The fixtures have fallen kindly for the Hammers to combat the pitfalls they fell into last season and so if you fancy them for a top-six finish they are 12/1 – £10 returns you £130 including stake.

Bournemouth – 7/2 to be relegated

Eddie Howe has reached a point with Bournemouth where they are now a reliable mid-table side. They have finished 16th, 9th, 12th and 14th in their four seasons in the Premier League.

But they have not pushed on since being promoted and it does seem teams who consistently finish mid-table tend to eventually run out of steam and find themselves in trouble.

Five of their final six games this season will be Man Utd, Spurs, Leicester, Man City and Everton so they will need to ensure they are safe before then.

Howe’s men to be relegated is priced at 7/2, so £10 will return you £45 including stake.

Arsenal – 5/4 for a top four-finish

Unai Emery’s first season at Arsenal was a confusing one. It’s difficult to know whether Emery has improved Arsenal or not given they finished the season trophyless and outside the top four.

The 2019/20 campaign will likely make or break the former PSG man at the Emirates and success will almost certainly hinge on Champions League qualification.

Arsenal are 5/4 to finish in the top four, so £10 returns £22.50 including stake – the biggest price for any of the top six.

They are not fancied by the bookies but could just spring a surprise given Chelsea’s transfer ban and the question marks surrounding Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Mauricio Pochettino.

Liverpool – 9/4 to win the Premier League

Incredibly, despite making Man City wait to the final day to win the Premier League title, the Reds odds to finally clinch their first league win in over 30 years are quite wide for this campaign at 9/4.

Although it will be extremely tough to prevent Pep Guardiola’s side from a third consecutive triumph, it is not out of the realms of possibility by any stretch and so £10 on Jurgen Klopp’s men returning £32.50 including stake is very good value.

A good run of Everton, Bournemouth, Watford, West Ham, Leicester, Wolves and Sheffield United through the Christmas period could help them build up a healthy lead going into the second half of the season.

Also, Mo Salah is 11/2 to claim the golden boot next season – £10 returns £65 including stake. And who would look past the prolific Egyptian?

Tottenham – 17/10 to finish in the top two

Spurs’ lack of squad depth was exposed in the Premier League towards the end of last season when they limped over the line, pipping Arsenal to the top four by a single point.

Now, not only does it look like they are going to strengthen in the summer, but they also have favourable fixtures from March onwards, with Manchester United and Arsenal at home the only fixtures Spurs have against the top six in their run in.

So, Spurs look best placed to close the gap on Man City and Liverpool this season and are 17/10 to finish in the top two which could be a good punt for those who fancy last season’s Champions League finalists to have another strong campaign.

Man City – 50/1 to go unbeaten

Aside from the Champions League exit in the quarter-finals last season, it was just about as perfect as you can get from Pep Guardiola’s men.

So, it will come as no surprise that they are 4/6 to win a third consecutive Premier League crown.

But what is worth a bet is Manchester City repeating their historic domestic treble of last season. City winning the league, FA Cup and League Cup for a second successive season is 25/1, and given their dominance over the past two years it wouldn’t surprise anybody!

One thing Guardiola may want to achieve that he hasn’t already is to go the entire season unbeaten. You can get odds of 50/1 if you think City can replicate what was achieved by Arsene Wenger’s invincibles.

£10 would return you £510 including stake! The only top six side they face before mid-November is Spurs so they will be sure to come out the blocks fast.

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Arsenal are in a sticky situation with Mesut Ozil and his massive contract, but according to InfoSportsTFLG on Twitter, Arsene Wenger is being looked at to take over Ligue 1 club OGC Nice. Should he get the job, Ozil would be his priority signing, the report claims.

At the moment, rumours are just rumours, but anything can happen in football and the Gunners are always going to take anything that claims they might be shipping £350,000 p/w (Spotrac) Ozil off the wage bill as brilliant news. The summer is long, though, so there will no doubt be plenty of twists and turns throughout the next few months.

In any case, with Aaron Ramsey, Petr Cech and Danny Welbeck all off the wage bill at the Emirates, the Gunners have made plenty of room for some new faces to be brought in, but Ozil would be the icing on the cake.

Wenger brought him to north London back in the summer of 2013, parting with £42.4m to do so (BBC), and it would only be fitting if the French gaffer was the man to end his Arsenal days too.

You can read the Gunners’ delight at the Wenger rumours here:

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Manchester United fans on Twitter have slammed the club's profligacy in the transfer market after news emerged that the Red Devils missed out on a deal to sign Julian Brandt despite making a late enquiry for the new Borussia Dortmund attacker.

Dortmund splashed out £22.1m to sign the 23-year old winger after an excellent season at Bayer Leverkusen in which he scored seven Bundesliga goals and added 14 assists.

However, according to the Manchester Evening News, United enquired about Brandt's availability last week only to find out that the German international had already chosen to join Dortmund.

The Bundesliga runners-up have moved swiftly in the transfer market, confirming deals this week for Brandt as well as Thorgan Hazard in a combined £45m splurge.

Linked to nearly every name under the sun, United fans on Twitter have been left frustrated at the club's slow speed of business and seeming inability to get a deal over the line.

Check out the best of the reaction below!

Pl>ymaker FC's Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica's women's team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…