Nottingham Forest have joined the race to sign Senegalese striker Mbaye Diagne from Galatasaray this summer.

According to Fotomac (via Sport Witness), the Reds are keen on snapping up the 28-year-old and have joined Premier League side Watford in eyeing up a potential move in the next window. The Turkish outfit are reportedly looking for bids in the area of £5m for Diagne’s signature.

Galatasaray signed Diagne from Kasimpasa in January 2019 for €13m (£11.6m) but loaned him out in September to Club Brugge. His performance in the Super Lig in the 2018/19 campaign saw him score an incredible 30 goals in 29 appearances between two different clubs (via Transfermarkt).

The 28-year-old’s time in Belgium has been less prolific but still shows his goalscoring ability. Diagne has four goals in six league appearances with Club Brugge this term.

Sabri Lamouchi is reportedly a ‘big fan’ of the striker and would like to see him make the move to the City Ground.

Despite Watford also being in the running for Diagne, Forest could be the more favourable club. The Reds are currently fifth in the Championship and, as it stands, will qualify for a place in this season’s play-offs. After an impressive run, Lamouchi’s side have a good chance of securing Premier League football and could stay in the top flight thereafter.

The Hornets have desperately struggled this campaign and could potentially be in relegation trouble, depending on how the Premier League season is decided.

With Lamouchi being especially fond of Diagne, the club should push for the deal, especially for a fee as minimal as £5m. The striker’s clinical nature will help bolster Forest’s attack and bring a whole new dynamic to the way they cut open the opposition’s defence. His international experience will also add another level of professionalism and experience to the squad.

Forest fans, should the club go for Mbaye Diagne this summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Key information about Firhill Stadium

Firhill Stadium was built in 1909 and is currently the home of Patrick Thistle FC. The ground is located in the Maryhill area of Glasgow and is commonly known as ‘Firhill’ but for sponsorship reasons, it also has to be referred to as the Energy Check Stadium at Firhill.

Its current capacity is 10,102 and it has a pitch size of 105m x 69m with no running track but with natural grass and undersoil heating installed.

The stadium’s highest recorded attendance was set back in 1928 when Scotland and Ireland met with 54,728 people attending the clash.

A history of Firhill Stadium

Even though Firhill Stadium is now their home, Patrick Thistle had been playing their football at various different grounds before their current one was erected in 1909. They were quite nomadic, settling at Kelvingrove, Jordanvale Park, Muir Park and Meadowside respectively. But after they were forced out from the latter in 1908, the club purchased the spare Caledonian Railway land in Maryhill and started construction of a new stadium there.

Firhill Stadium was finished on 21 August 1909 but since not everything was completely done and ready, they had to wait another month to play their first official game at it. Still, on 18 September 1909 they hosted Dumbarton Harp and managed to secure a 3-1 victory in front of the home crowd.

In the 1920s, they first started improving the stadium, adding a new main stand and expanding the terraces, boosting the capacity in the process as well. This also led to their two record attendances that stand to this day. First, against Rangers in 1922 when 49,838 people watched Patrick Thistle in action and then, in 1928 for a game between Scotland and Ireland with 54,728 spectators.

But after that, improvements were halted until the 1950s and even then, they were minimal as the club would only partially cover the ground and add floodlights but not much more than that. In 1977, they even had to reduce their capacity from over 40,000 to 20,500 due to the Safety of Sports Grounds Act.

From 1896 until 1991, they got a new ‘roommate’ when Clyde moved in after being evicted from Shawfield, becoming the first Scottish ground in modern times to be shared by multiple teams. Later on, they also shared it with Hamilton Academical on two occasions.

Further developments were done in the 1990s with the added undersoil heating and the erection of the Jackie Husband Stand in 1994. This was then followed by a new North Stand, named John Lambie Stand, in 2002, which was also extended in 2003. The Main Stand was renamed the Colin Weir Stand in 2016 in tribute to the club’s first-ever patron and is now mostly used for the away fans of more than 500.

On 7 November 2014, new plans to redevelop the southern end of the stadium were submitted and that’s the last refurbishment attempt at Firhill Stadium that was brought up by the club so far.

Tickets to watch Patrick Thistle FC at Firhill Stadium

All the tickets to watch Patrick Thistle FC at Firhill Stadium can be purchased on the club’s official website. The price varies but the cost of an adult ticket for a standard Ladbrokes Championship fixture is £20.

They also offer season tickets and free season tickets for all kids under the age of 16. More information can be found on the aforementioned website.

Related links

https://ptfc.co.uk/ – Official website of Patrick Thistle FC

Former West Ham United striker Carlton Cole has revealed that both Alan Curbishley and Sam Allardyce tried to sell him during his time at Upton Park, in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

What did he say?

Cole spent nine seasons at West Ham between 2006 and 2015, arriving at the club shortly before Alan Pardew was fired.

The forward scored 68 goals during his 293 appearances for the club, but spent a number of spells out of favour at Upton Park.

However, Cole was often able to win over the manager in charge and he revealed how his relationship with Curbishley changed.

“When Curbishley came in he didn’t take to me as I thought he would, but only because I was supposed to go back to Charlton for a second loan season from Chelsea and I chose not to do the second year,” he told Football FanCast.

“He held that against me, I know he did. He tried to get rid of me and Paul Konchesky straight away when he came in, because Konch had a bust-up with him before he left Charlton.

“Shortly after he came in there were a load of injuries, after we stayed up at Old Trafford. He wanted to get rid of me that summer but I did well in pre-season and managed to get a chance. Teddy Sheringham left, Dean Ashton got injured on international duty, so suddenly there were spaces open for me and I knew then I had to graft.

“All I wanted to do was leave an impact so they would always miss me if I wasn’t playing. I needed a run of games, all young players need a run of games to get momentum. I needed to make sure I was invaluable to the team and to my teammates and that’s how I got in the team, then the goals came after. Curbishley then saw that he’d got me playing the way he wanted and he couldn’t drop me after that.”

Following West Ham relegation in 2011 Cole had the opportunity to leave the club again, but decided to stay and enjoyed his best goalscoring season as a result.

“Under Allardyce in the Championship, I could’ve gone to Stoke and stayed in the Premier League but I didn’t think it was the right thing for me to do,” he told FootballFanCast.

“I knew I had to stay at West Ham to try and get them up but Allardyce did want to get rid of me. But I said I wasn’t going anywhere, even though he didn’t really trust me. But then we had a midweek game at Watford and I started because he had to rotate the team, and I scored. That was the start of me being first choice again because I started scoring goals.

“He couldn’t drop me either but I had to battle to stay there.

Proving his worth

Cole was often an underdog as West Ham but as his career showed, he was always able to prove his doubters wrong.

With nearly 300 appearances for the club in total, Cole played a crucial role in their promotion back to the Premier League during the 2011-12 season and scored regular goals in the top-flight.

A great servant to the club, it is hard to understand why he was so often under-estimated by his managers.

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Reported Celtic target Ivan Toney is nearing the exit door at Peterborough United so Nick Hammond and co will have to act quick if they are to land the impressive talisman.

What’s the word?

According to Posh chairman Barry Fry, the League One outfit have given another club permission to speak to the 24-year-old after they met their valuation.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, via the Daily Record, he also claimed to have warned the Scottish champions, he said: “It’s not Celtic but, out of courtesy, I let Celtic know what had happened. They asked to be kept informed and we informed them. I haven’t heard from them since then.”

The paper also suggests that their £15m valuation has shifted in the wake of the pandemic, but it remains to be seen what sort of fee they have indeed accepted this week.

Shades of Dembele

Neil Lennon could be in the market for a new striker for many reasons, but none more so than having an alternative to Odsonne Edouard, who is likely to be well sought-after when the transfer window opens next week.

The 27-goal striker has been linked to the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham, Lyon and Everton in recent months whilst there would have to be doubts about whether Leigh Griffiths, Patryk Klimala or Vakoun Bayo can step up to fill the void.

A move for Toney would make absolute sense, particularly as it would follow a previous strategy from the Hoops when they landed Moussa Dembele from Fulham.

The French powerhouse had just bagged 15 goals in the English second-flight before Brendan Rodgers pounced back in 2016.

Toney may be in the division below, but he’s being eyed up on the back of a whopping 26 goals for Posh – it’s no wonder his former manager Steve Evans hailed him as a “dream” with “phenomenal” work rate.

Hammond needs to open the chequebook before it’s too late.

AND in other news, Celtic simply must avoid making a £5m mistake amid links to PL flop…

Tottenham Hotspur witnessed the departure of Christian Eriksen in January, leaving the north London outfit for Inter Milan in a £16.9m deal following seven years at the club.

And the Danish playmaker has been speaking about why he swapped Spurs for the Serie A in a recent interview with Jyllands-Posten, he said:

“Some Tottenham fans got angry because in an interview with the BBC I said there was a greater chance of winning something here, but the high number of strong English teams only makes it more difficult to win in England whilst at Inter there is more of a possibility.

“There will always be people at Tottenham who will be mad at me, but most of the fans have been positive. I really enjoyed playing there. I met many good people, I have many good memories. I wanted to say goodbye in a different way, but that’s not the way it is in football.”

Eriksen has only been able to feature eight times for the Nerazzurri, providing a single goal and assist, both of which coming in the Europa League.

Some of the Spurs faithful have been reacting to his comments on social media as several fan accounts relayed the interview – many were still hurt by his actions whilst others had moved on.

Cameo Clubs: Which obscure teams did these football legends play for?

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Jose Mourinho has had his replacement in his hands since the day he was appointed in Giovani Lo Celso, who made his loan move permanent the same day as Eriksen’s departure.

Here’s the word from supporters…

AND in other news, Spurs fans fuming by another transfer report…

Speaking to Football Insider, Noel Whelan has hailed Rangers for getting Ianis Hagi at a “snip”.

What did he say?

The Gers confirmed the permanent signing of the Romania international for a fee believed to be around £3m, with the club’s director of football, Ross Wilson, revealing that they had renegotiated a deal less than what they had initially agreed on when he joined on loan.

Now, Whelan has hailed the Scottish side for bringing in a player of quality at such a low fee, and insisted he will go on to be a major success at the club.

Are you a massive Rangers fan? Know everything about the club? Well do you know your Gary Stevens from your Michael Ball? This quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

He said: “It’s a snip, isn’t it? When you look at the quality of player, you’ve got to look who you’re looking at as well. You’re not looking at an Aberdeen – though even Aberdeen would probably pay £3m for a player.

“For a club like Rangers, to get a player of his age and his ability, in the Scottish Premiership, I don’t think £3m is a lot of money, I really don’t, not when you’re talking about a giant of Scottish football in Glasgow Rangers.

“They’re not going to worry about £3m when they’re getting a fantastic player in who’s going to serve them for three or four years. That looks like quite good business to me.”

Bargain

After arriving in January from Genk, Hagi really showcased why it was such a coup for Rangers to lure him to Ibrox.

In just 12 total games for the club, he managed three goals and two assists, with Gers boss Gerrard waxing lyrical about him after a particularly impressive display against Hibernian.

He said: “Ianis is a top talent. I thought his performance grew as the game wore on. In the first half he was getting used to the game in Scotland, people knocking him about. Second half he was much stronger.

“He’s a brave player. He’ll receive the ball in any situation, in any area of the pitch. Even if he makes a mistake, he won’t shy away. He was outstanding.”

As Rangers look to dethrone Celtic as the champions of Scotland, Hagi could play a pivotal role in ensuring the title ends up at Ibrox next season.

Tottenham Hotspur are keen to sign Real Sociedad star Diego Llorente, according to Diario AS via @RickSpur.Â

Llorente has impressed for Imanol Alguacil’s side this season and his performances have attracted attention from a number of English clubs, including the likes of Premier League leaders Liverpool as well as West Ham.

Football journalist Ricky Sacks shared the transfer news on Twitter, tweeting: “Tottenham Hotspur are keen to compete the signing of Real Sociedad star Diego Llorente. The versatile 26-year-old can play both in defence and midfield and is expected to leave the club for a quarter of his release clause due to the #COVID19 pandemic.”

After arriving at the Anoeta Stadium from his boyhood club Real Madrid for £6.3m in 2017, the 26-year-old has developed a reputation as one of Europe’s top centre-backs, playing 19 games in La Liga, winning one tackle per game, averaging 1.1 interceptions and completing a staggering 3.9 clearances on average (WhoScored).

The defender has also won five caps for the Spanish national team so far, last appearing on the bench in the 1-1 draw with Sweden in the Euro 2020 qualifiers (TransferMarkt).

Predictably, plenty of Spurs fans fawned over the “cracking” transfer update on social media, with one fan commenting “we love a Llorente” in homage to former Lilywhites striker Fernando Llorente.

Scroll down through some of the glowing reactions below…

Tottenham fans, are you hoping the board will bring Diego Llorente to North London in the summer? Join the discussion in the comments section!

MatériaMais Notícias

Após a definição de datas e horários das semifinais do Paulistão, na manhã desta terça na sede da Federação Paulista de Futebol, o Santos iniciou a venda de ingressos para a partida contra o Palmeiras, no domingo, às 16h, na Vila Belmiro.

Para os sócios do clube, a venda acontece por meio do Portal Sócio Rei, com direito também a levar um acompanhante para o clássico. A comercialização será feita até sábado, véspera do confronto, caso ainda restem ingressos. Em relação ao último jogo, os bilhetes sofreram alterações nos preços. As arquibancadas passaram de R$ 60 para R$ 80 (R$ 40 a meia-entrada).

Para quem não for associado, a venda começa nesta quarta-feira nas bilheterias da Vila Belmiro, na subsede do clube na capital, na bilheteria do Pacaembu, do Ginásio do Ibirapuera e no estádio Anacleto Campanella, em São Caetano. No site Ingresso Fácil, as vendas começam na próxima quinta-feira.

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O clássico entre Santos e Palmeiras será o primeiro com torcida única no Estado, seguindo determinação da Secretaria de Segurança Pública em conjunto com a PM após a morte de um torcedor em uma briga de organizadas de Palmeiras e Corinthians.

Confira abaixo os preços e os postos de venda:

Arquibancadas Superiores (Portões 7/8 e 24): R$ 80 (a inteira) e R$ 40 (a meia)
Cadeira Térrea Lateral (Portão 26): R$ 90 (a inteira) e R$ 45 (a meia)
Cadeira Coberta de Fundo (Portão 22): R$ 100 (a inteira) e R$ 50 (a meia)
Cadeira Coberta Lateral (Portão 25): R$ 120 (a inteira) / R$ 60 (a meia)

Vila Belmiro – Rua Princesa Isabel, s/ nº – Vila Belmiro – Santos/SP – Bilheteria principal (próxima ao Portão 6).
Subsede do Santos FC/SP – Av. Indianópolis, 1.772 – Planalto Paulista – São Paulo – Tel.: (13) 3257-4000 / Ramal 5000 – Horário: das 11 às 17h00
Pacaembu – Praça Charles Miller s/n – São Paulo – Bilheteria principal (próxima do portão principal) – De segunda a sábado, das 11 às 17 horas; domingo não abre
Ginásio do Ibirapuera – Av. Manoel da Nóbrega, 1361 – Guichê 1 – Ibirapuera – São Paulo – De segunda a sábado, das 11 às 17 horas; domingo não abre
Estádio Anacleto Campanella (São Caetano) – Av. Thomé, 64 – São Caetano do Sul ? De segunda à sábado, das 11 às 17h00; domingo não abre
Alexi Calçados – Av. Ana Costa, 549 (Shopping Parque Balneário , 51, Térreo) – Tel: 3284-5518. De segunda a sábado, das 10 às 21h00 e domingo, das 13 às 21h00
Ali-Car Auto Peças, Serviços Mecânicos, Elétricos, Injeção Eletrônica e Correias Industriais – Socorro 24 Horas – Via Santos Dumont, nº 752 – Vicente de Carvalho – Guarujá – Tel.: (13) 3352-5077 – Aberto todos os dias 24 horas
Chaveiro Magenta – Rua Martim Afonso, 34 – Centro – Tel.: 3233-6688 – De 2ª a 6ª, das 08 às 18h00; sábado até às 12h00; domingo e feriado não abre.
Empório Brasil Esportes – Rua Jacob Emmerick, 448 ? Centro – São Vicente – Tel.: (13) 3467-5298 – De segunda a sábado das 9 às 19h00; domingo e feriado não abre
Hotel Praiano – Avenida Barão de Penedo, nº 39 ? José Menino – Santos – Tel.: (13) 3251-6826 – Aberto todos os dias 24 horas;
Pepino Esportes do Super Centro Boqueirão – Rua Oswaldo Cruz – loja 66/95 – Santos – Tel.: 3233-8850 – De segunda a sábado, das 9 às 20h00; domingo e feriado não abre.
Santos na Área/Meltex (São Paulo) – Rua Augusta, 1931 – Cerqueira Cesar – São Paulo/SP – Tel.:

Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson has set his sights on a move for Scottish midfielder Scott Fraser, according to Sunderland Echo.

After failing to gain promotion to the Championship via League One, Parkinson is under increasing pressure to deliver at the Stadium of Light.

The 52-year-old coach has already added some new faces to his side with the signings of Bailey Wright and Aiden O’Brien, whilst Tom Flanagan signed a new deal to remain at the club.

With the summer transfer window now in full flow, another name has emerged as a potential arrival in Fraser, who left Burton Albion at the end of the previous season.

Fraser, who had spent the last two seasons with Burton, opted to turn down a new contract at the Pirelli Stadium this summer.Having played regularly under Nigel Clough, the 25-year-old netted an impressive five goals and gained 11 assists in 30 League One appearances this term.Luke Garbutt has also emerged as a potential target for Sunderland having left Premier League side Everton on a free transfer this summer.

This could be a perfect attacking signing for Phil Parkinson and one that is very much needed. The more creative options Parkinson has next season the better as he sets his sights on a promotion to the Championship.

Sunderland fans can be happy with this transfer link.

Do you think Scott Fraser would make a good signing? Let us know in the comments section below…

وصف المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي آرسنال، ميكل أرتيتا، الفوز الذي حققه الجانرز على حساب بيرنلي بالصعب بنتيجة 1-0 في الجولة الخامسة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ونجح آرسنال في الفوز على ملعب “تيرف مور” الصعب بهدف أحرزه، مارتن أوديجارد، في الدقيقة 30 من زمن الشوط الأول.

اقرأ أيضًا | محمد النني يسترجع ذكريات مجزرة بورسعيد.. والمباراة الأولى مع الأهلي وآرسنال

وتحدث أرتيتا عن رأيه في المباراة في تصريحات لشبكة “بي بي سي” البريطانية بعد صافرة النهاية، وقال: “لقد كان فوزًا صعبًا في ملعب صعب للغاية”.

وتابع: “لكن يجب عليك أن تجهز الفريق وتكون مستعدًا للقتال، في الشوط الأول، مررنا ببعض الفترات الجيدة وكنا مسيطرين على المباراة وكان يجب أن نسجل المزيد من الأهداف، في الشوط الثاني، فقدنا الكرة في العديد من المرات بسهولة”.

وأضاف: “لقد حققنا فوزين متتاليين وحافظنا على شباكنا نظيفة، لنعد مرة أخرى للمنافسة بقوة ولدينا الوقت من أجل تصحيح الأخطاء”.

وعن ركلة جزاء بيرنلي الملغية بتقنية الـ VAR، قال: “المساعد حسم الأمر مبكرًا وقال إنها ليست ركلة جزاء، كان على الحكم أن يلغيها من البداية”.

واختتم أرتيتا حديثه عن أوديجارد: “مارتن لديه إمكانيات رائعة، سجل هدفنا للفوز بالمباراة، لكنه يعمل بجد من أجل الفريق وأصبح قائدًا حقيقيًا لآرسنال”.