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Manchester City have been linked with a move for Inter striker Lautaro Martinez recently and the 23-year-old could be the perfect man to replace Sergio Aguero in Pep Guardiola’s side this summer.

According to the Daily Mail, the Citizens are considering Martinez as an alternative option to Erling Haaland this summer as they look to bring in a replacement for the outgoing Argentine.

Although Pep Guardiola suggested in midweek that City, like other Premier League clubs, have very little money at the moment as a result of plating much of the season behind closed doors, it is difficult to see the Citizens not bringing in a forward this summer.

The Spanish manager did suggest that 18-year-old Liam Delap, who is enjoying an extraordinary season in the Premier League 2 – having scored 20 goals in 15 games – would be training with the first-team next season, though it would be remarkable if he were able to step up immediately as Aguero’s replacement.

Therefore, they should definitely consider Martinez as an alternative to Haaland this summer if the Norwegian sensation proves to be too expensive, as the Inter man also looks to have the potential to become a world-class striker.

Since joining Inter from Argentine side Racing Club in 2018, the forward has gone on to make 122 appearances for I Nerazzurri in which he has contributed an impressive 46 goals and 18 assists.

This season, in particular, has seen the 23-year-old impress, as he has managed 14 goals and five assists in 28 Serie A appearances, resulting in a superb 7.21 average rating.

He has undoubtedly helped steer Inter clear at the top of the standings.

Like Aguero, Martinez isn’t particularly tall for a striker, standing at 5 foot 9, but he is excellent at using his body to protect the ball and bringing teammates into play with intelligent touches.

When he was linked with a move to Barcelona last summer, Lionel Messi was full of praise for Martinez having played with him for Argentina, saying:

“I think I’ve already mentioned that Lautaro is an impressive forward, especially because I think he’s very complete. He’s strong, dribbles well, can score, knows how to protect the ball.”

Considering Delap has made just three appearances for the City senior side so far in his career, it would be unfair to expect him to start scoring goals on a regular basis in the Premier League as soon as next season.

Therefore, City should turn their attention towards Martinez instead, as his similarities with Aguero are clear to see, and he could be a great addition to Guardiola’s side if Txiki Begiristain can negotiate a deal with Inter this summer.

There cannot be a better like-for-like successor out there right now. He’d be a dream fit at the Etihad.

And, in other news… Bye-bye Laporte: City should swoop for “top-class” £67.5m-rated beast

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp was aghast by Adama Traore’s poor record during the 2020/21 campaign.

Redknapp baffled

The 25-year-old was heavily criticised by segments of the Molineux faithful after the 0-0 draw against Aston Villa on Saturday, where Wolves extended their record to three games with a win in the Premier League.

Traore has not scored for Wolves since December 2019 and has not made any form of goal contribution all season, which is a complete contrast from the four goals and nine assists he provided last term (WhoScored).

This led to many Premier League clubs taking a strong interest in the Spaniard’s services, particularly Liverpool and Manchester City, who were told they would have to pay an eye-watering £75m (via SoccerLink).

Before Wolves’ stalemate with the Villains took place, Redknapp could not believe Traore’s figures and did not sugarcoat his thoughts when expressing his opinion.

“He’s not had an assist or a goal this season – I nearly fell off my sofa,” he told Sky Sports (via Football Daily).

“That’s not good enough for a player of his quality, I couldn’t believe it. But he still has the most successful dribbles – it doesn’t make sense.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

These are fair comments for Redknapp to make and Traore cannot argue. Considering what he managed to achieve last season with the West Midlands outfit, he will know himself that his performances have been well under par in recent months.

Since Raul Jimenez suffered his horrific head injury against Arsenal before Christmas, Wolves have struggled for goals – scoring more than two in a game just once in that timeframe (Fotmob).

Traore is in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons at the moment, coupled with the fact that 2020 signing Fabio Silva has not been able to find his feet, makes his lack of attacking prowess even more noticeable.

In other news, some Wolves fans not convinced with reports from Italy concerning ‘appalling manager.’

The January transfer window proved to be a busy one for Glasgow Rangers as no fewer than three players signed with the Ibrox club.

Most of those arrived towards the end of the window, with Scott Wright, Jack Simpson and Nnamdi Ofoborh all arriving via Bosman moves.

While the first two have already teamed up with Steven Gerrard’s squad, Ofoborh has headed straight back out on loan with Wycombe Wanderers.

The 21-year-old midfielder, who has signed a four-year deal with the 54-time Scottish champions, will spend the rest of the season at the Adams Park Stadium with Gareth Ainsworth’s side.

Whilst there is plenty of information about Wright and Simpson, with the former having previously played for Premiership rivals Aberdeen, admittedly very little is known about Ofoborh, who spent the majority of last season on loan with the Chairboys.

The former Nigeria U20 international was highly regarded at the Vitality Stadium, with Bournemouth Echo sports reporter Tom Crocker revealing former boss Eddie Howe held him in high esteem. He said: “Nnamdi certainly seems to be a lively character, who is always smiling. Eddie Howe always praised how hard-working he was, explaining how he’s always last off the training pitch every day and how popular he was with the first team group.”

Gerrard has previously placed a great emphasis on the importance of working hard on the training pitch, suggesting that Ofoborh should feel right at home at Ibrox.

In terms of his playing style, there are obvious comparisons that can be drawn with the ever-reliable Steven Davis. Despite the difference in age, both play in similar positions, with Ofoborh currently averaging one tackle, one dribble and two interceptions per 90 in the Championship.

For context, that’s more interceptions than Davis himself has managed on average per game in the Scottish Premiership this season (1.3), which implies that he could be his heir-in-waiting.

His versatility will also be a big bonus for the Ibrox boss after impressing in a more defensive role in the centre of the defence. He’s capable of playing that role in a back four and has shown that he is willing to put in a defensive shift to frustrate opponents, as evidenced by his 1.1 tackles per game during the 2019/20 season.

With Rangers facing a potential shortage of defensive options in the near future, there’s no doubting the fact that this could make a massive difference next season.

AND in other news, Glen Kamara has become virtually undroppable for Glasgow Rangers…

The Athletic journalist James Pearce has reacted to comments made by former Arsenal star Paul Merson on Liverpool target Ozan Kabak.

Pearce fires back

Now a Sky Sports pundit, the ex-Gunners icon cast doubts over the 20-year-old due to how the Gelsenkirchen club are performing this season in the Bundesliga – bottom of the table with one win.

Kabak has reportedly passed a medical in line with a move to Anfield on an initial £1m loan move, with an £18m option to buy, via Paul Joyce.

Merson told Sky Sports, via Football Daily, that the mentality shift coming from a side that is losing to one that is expected to win, will be a challenge for the Turkey international.

But in response to this, Pearce highlighted three players who came from similar backgrounds have gone on to be a success on Merseyside.

Transfer Tavern Verdict

Pearce is absolutely spot on here. Manager Jurgen Klopp is well known for prioritising player development, nurturing talent and elevating individuals to the next level.

All of the aforementioned stars are now Champions League and Premier League winners, with Wijnaldum and Shaqiri scoring some memorable goals on the way.

Time will tell whether Klopp can have a similar impact on Kabak, and if he can possibly cement a place in the starting line-up which has remained relatively unchanged in recent years.

In other news, Club owner provides “Rolls Royce” review of Liverpool transfer target.

MatériaMais Notícias

Celtic continue to have their hat thrown into the ring as talks of new recruits swirl around the January transfer market. One of their latest links sees them in the running for Preston North End midfielder Ben Pearson as Neil Lennon hopes to bolster his options in the middle of the park.

The Hoops have severely lacked creativity this half of the season and as a result, have been knocked off their perch atop of the Premiership table. Runaway leaders Rangers now dominate the stats and have forced a mammoth 20-point gap between them and the reigning champions.

Additionally, with the likes of Mohamed Elyounoussi only on loan from Southampton and Odsonne Edouard linked to a move away, now is the time for Nick Hammond to prioritise new creative signings.

Would Ben Pearson fit in at Celtic?

Although Pearson isn’t always directly involved in the goals Preston score, he has shown promising statistics in the engine room. According to Sofascore, the 26-year-old’s main strength is his positioning, which will help keep Celtic tight and compact in the heart of the squad.

Pearson also averaged an 88% passing accuracy in his last three appearances, more than Scott Brown’s more disappointing 72%. Indeed, the PNE man has actually been tipped as a candidate to succeed the Hoops captain, who is nearing the end of his current Celtic tenure.

Speaking to Football Insider, Noel Whelan admitted that he could be the right person to replace the ageing skipper.

“Watch this space because he [Pearson] has been linked with Celtic,” the pundit said. “If there is an imminent move on the cards it is going to happen this week or next, that is for sure.”

Pearson is currently valued at £1.4million, which wouldn’t require Peter Lawwell to break the bank in order to sign him. Neil Lennon could work his magic on the midfielder and turn him into real Celtic talisman. He has already shown he can develop players like David Turnbull and Ismaila Soro, so Pearson could be an exciting new asset for this struggling Glaswegian side.

In other news, Celtic must avoid making any further moves to sign Tom Ince…

Sheffield Wednesday are heading for another managerial mistake if reports on this 47-year-old are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to YorkshireLive, former Al Ahly and Anderlecht boss Rene Weiler is among the shortlist of candidates to take the vacant Owls job at Hillsborough Stadium.

Dejphon Chansiri is looking for his fifth manager in three years after the sacking of Tony Pulis last month.

He won just one of ten matches during his seven-week tenure and was given his marching orders over a combination of on and off the field issues.

It’s claimed that Weiler is being considered for the role.

Shades of Jos Luhukay

There have been signs that the Thai chairman will be looking abroad for their next manager. He remained coy and didn’t rule out that possibility in a recent press conference whilst Josh Windass’ father, Dean, told Football FanCast that he had heard similar this week.

We’ve seen both sides of the spectrum with an appointment in this sense. Carlos Carvalhal came in and guided the Owls to back-to-back playoff campaigns, but he had decent pedigree prior to the switch having managed some of Portugal and Turkey’s top clubs.

The same can’t be said for Weiler and indeed, he seems more like the next Jos Luhukay than the next saviour.

Lukuhay arrived with two titles in Germany’s second-tier, which is in some was comparable to the Championship, but he was ever so quickly found out as he lasted less than a year in the job.

The 47-year-old has enjoyed success with Anderlecht, thought to be one of Belgium’s best sides and more recently, Al Ahly in Egypt. Neither show why he’d be fit for a relegation scrap in England.

Chansiri is better off appointing someone with a proven track-record because if he gets this one wrong, there’s a serious chance the Owls will drop down into League One for the first time since 2012.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Sheffield Wednesday star ruled out for AT LEAST 10 days…

قال عفت نصار لاعب الزمالك السابق، إن الدوري المصري يعد من أسوأ 4 دوريات في العالم، موضحًا أنه يوجد فساد رياضي يغطي على الإنجازات والناحية الفنية للكرة المصرية، حسب قوله.

وقال نصار في تصريحات تلفزيونية ببرنامج “بوكس تو بوكس” المذاع عبر فضائية “إي تي سي”: “لا يوجد تنظيم إداري في كل المسابقات واتحاد الكرة مسؤول عن كل هذه الأمور”.

طالع | ميدو يحيي لجنة الزمالك على موقفها بعد خماسية الأهلي ويشيد بانضمام كناريا لمنتخب مصر

وأضاف: “كيروش مدرب منتخب مصر يعتبر من الفئة الثانية في العالم، يمتلك شخصية قوية لكنه يلعب بطريقة لعب لا تتناسب مع إمكانيات لاعبي منتخب مصر، طريقة لعب كيروش هي 3-3-4 ولا يغيرها، وأعتقد أنها لا تتناسب مع إمكانيات لاعبي منتخب مصر”.

وتابع: “طريقة اللعب هذه ظلمت لاعب كبير مثل محمد مجدي أفشة، لأن تلك الطريقة تحتاج لاعبين أصحاب إمكانيات معينة، ومصر ظهرت بشكل غير جيد أمام أنجولا وأمام فريق ضعيف فنيًا بسبب خطة كيروش، ولا بد من إجباره على تغيير طريقة اللعب”.

وتطرق نصار للحديث عن انتخابات الزمالك، قائلًا: “رسالتي لأعضاء العمومية أن تختار المرشح صاحب الخطة ولا تعتمد على الشعارات وتاريخ النادي، وأتمنى من أي شخص يفكر في الترشح ألا يطلق تصريحات من نوعية (أنا أحب الزمالك) أريد منك أن توضح لنا ما هي رسالتك، ما هي أهدافك”.

واختتم: “لا أريد شعارات، وأتمنى أن ينحي مصالحه الشخصية من أجل الزمالك، لأن هذا الكيان كبير جدًا ويستحق الكثير من الذين يريدون الترشح”.

Arsenal’s defensive issues continue to pile-up, leaving Mikel Arteta with a headache going into ties against Rapid Vienna, Manchester United and Leicester City, but he may well have the solution staring him right in the face.

During the warm-up prior to kick-off against Manchester City on Saturday afternoon, Rob Holding suffered another injury setback as he pulled up with a hamstring problem. He was replaced by David Luiz.

According to the Daily Mail, the 25-year-old is set to be out for the next three to four weeks, meaning Arteta may only be able to call upon his Brazilian duo, Luiz and Gabriel.

He, of course, also has William Saliba, who is yet to make his Gunners debut since a £27m move from AS Saint-Etienne a year ago. The young Frenchman was loaned back to the Ligue 1 outfit for the season and will be part of the first-team set-up – at least until January where things can be reassessed.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein claimed the 19-year-old would be named in Arteta’s Premier League squad over Mesut Ozil, so perhaps it’s time to call upon his exploits.

And if there are any doubts, then the Arsenal boss ought to look at their next league opponents for inspiration, the Foxes.

Brendan Rodgers threw Saliba’s former ASSE teammate Wesley Fofana straight into the deep end at the weekend with Caglar Soyuncu absent through injury.

The club-record €32m (£30m) signing, who is also only aged 19, picked up the highest rating of any Leicester player (7.2) as they were defeated by Aston Villa 1-0 at the King Power Stadium.

Per SofaScore, Fofana made nine clearances, three tackles, three interceptions and won 87.5% of his aerial duels. He was an absolute beast, despite the conceded goal.

The fact that Saliba was argued as the better prospect between the two should be more than enough encouragement for Arteta to start him in their upcoming fixtures.

Fofana has even called his friend a “super player” who is “capable of succeeding in the Premier League,” as per L’Equipe via Tribuna.

His former coach Fabio Frasconi once claimed: “William Saliba will go far, very far. He reminds me of Raphaël Varane” whilst ex-ASSE teammates Yohan Cabaye and Mathieu Debuchy have also waxed lyrical about him to the Official Ligue 1 podcast.

“I think he is a great player. He’s strong, with good technique. He’s quick, too. I think he has a lot of quality to play at Arsenal,” lauded the latter.

Playing him will be far better than making him watch from the stands, Arteta must turn to Saliba during Holding’s absence this week.

AND in other news, invisible Arsenal star had a shocking display against Man City…

يتواجد الدولي المصري محمد صلاح نجم فريق ليفربول الإنجليزي، ضمن تشكيل الأسبوع التاسع من البريميرليج، حسب اختيار المحلل الفني ولاعب نيوكاسل السابق آلان شيرار.

شيرار يختار كل أسبوع التشكيل الأفضل في الجولة، ويتم اعتماده من قبل الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، ويُعلن عنه عبر حسابات بريميرليج على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي.

طالع| ترتيب صادم لـ محمد صلاح.. سوق المراهنات يحدد اللاعبين الأوفر حظًا في سباق الكرة الذهبية 2021

محمد صلاح سجل هاتريك (ثلاثة أهداف) وصنع هدفًا أمام فريق مانشستر يونايتد، في ديربي إنجلترا أمس على ملعب أولد ترافورد.

وبجانب محمد صلاح، يتواجد ثنائي ليفربول أيضًا كوناتي ونابي كيتا، بالإضافة إلى رباعي تشيلسي تشيلويل وريس جيمس، وماسون ماونت صاحب “الهاتريك” في مرمى نورويتش أيضًا، وكوفاسيتش. تشكيل الجولة التاسعة في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز

حراسة المرمى: فابيانيسكي (وست هام).

الدفاع: ريس جيمس، تشيلويل (تشيلسي)، كوناتي (ليفربول)، زوما (وست هام).

وسط الملعب: كوفاسيتش، ماونت (تشيلسي)، كيتا (ليفربول).

الهجوم: محمد صلاح (ليفربول)، كينج (واتفورد)، فودين (مانشستر سيتي).