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Presenter Terry Flewers has claimed that idea that Manchester United might not be able to sign Kim Min-jae this summer is just "scaremongering".

What are the latest MUFC transfer rumours?

It's been well reported that the Red Devils are hoping to sign the Napoli defender and may even be able to land him for just £42m (via reports from Italy) thanks to a clause in his contract.

However, a recent report in The Mirror claims that Erik ten Hag's transfer plans are "paralysed" as the takeover saga continues to rumble on without being resolved.

This could then halt Man United from making a move for Kim in time to trigger that clause which is only available for a short period during July.

What's more, reports in Portugal (via The Express) claim that Newcastle United are now in the race for the South Korean star.

However, while talking about it all on The Football Terrace, Flewers has insisted that Ten Hag and co will "will buy big this summer" regardless of the takeover.

He explained (4:49): "Man United will have anywhere between £200m to £250m to spend this summer – that's there, that exists.

"Man United fans, I think, have got to pull away from this scaremongering tactic from the media.

"And the reason I say scaremongering, one article this morning in The Mirror states that Kim Min-jae is done and the club now negotiating for Victor Osimhen. In the same very breath, they're stating that the transfer plans are paralysed.

"The chief European football writer and the chief football writer are clearly getting two different sides of the story.

"But of course one is trending and the other one isn't because negativity around Man United sells.

"For me, look whether the sale goes through or not, they will either be an investment into the club or a full sale. One of those two things is going to happen. Either way, the club is going to have money.

"There's the Champions League money that's coming in, and players are going to be sold. Man United will buy big this summer, will buy quality this summer and investment will be made.

"There's no such thing as paralysed transfer talks at Manchester United right now in my personal opinion."

How much can Man Utd spend this summer?

As Flewers points out there have been reports in Italy (via The Mirror) that a deal for Kim is already done and the club are now trying to focus on Osimhen.

With that in mind, it's easy to see why he's sceptical of just who to trust when there are so many conflicting reports in the media – such is the nature of the transfer market.

After all, they've been linked with some top players – such as the aforementioned Napoli duo – but reports also claim they have just about £100m to spend, due to financial fair play rules.

All in all, it's hard to know what to believe but with Champions League football secured, and some top targets wanted, it's hard not to see United spending big this season regardless of what happens with their ownership. Though some players may have to go first to help ease those financial fair play rules.

Watch more of The Football Terrace on YouTube now!

Three key wickets from fast bowler Kesrick Williams and tight bowling in the middle overs helped Jamaica Tallawahs stave off St Kitts and Nevis Patriots for a five-run win in their CPL 2016 match in Basseterre

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jul-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThree key wickets from fast bowler Kesrick Williams and tight bowling in the middle overs helped Jamaica Tallawahs stave off St Kitts and Nevis Patriots for a five-run win in their CPL 2016 match in Basseterre. Tallawahs were also aided by a brisk fifty from captain Chris Gayle, who struck 51 off 36 balls, to help set Patriots a target of 154.Patriots overcame the early loss of Evin Lewis in their chase with two substantial partnerships for the second and third wickets. Faf du Plessis, who struck 27 off 29 balls, was the common factor, sharing 39 for the second wicket with Lendl Simmons and then playing a foil to Jonathan Carter in a rapid partnership of 43 that came off 28 balls. Carter’s 18-ball 27 included two sixes, and the pair helped Patriots narrow the equation down to 62 off 48 balls.Their slump began at this stage. Carter and du Plessis fell in successive overs and Tallawahs choked the runs by conceding 26 between the 15th and 19th overs. Williams dismissed Thisara Perera and Brad Hodge in the 18th over and Dale Steyn got rid of Carlos Brathwaite for 1 at the start of the 19th over to leave Patriots needing 30 off the last six balls. Despite three consecutive sixes from wicketkeeper Devon Thomas, Patriots could only muster 24 runs. Williams, who played his first T20 since January 2013, ended with 3 for 23, while the rest of the Tallawahs attack, except Timroy Allen, took a wicket each.The Tallawahs’ innings was given direction by Gayle before Andre Russell provided a late flourish. Gayle paired with Kumar Sangakkara to add 48 runs for the second wicket, after Chadwick Walton fell in the first over for 3. By the time Gayle was dismissed, he had struck four fours and three sixes in his 51, but quick wickets in the middle overs had left Tallawahs at a shaky 109 for 5 in the 16th over. Russell provided the impetus with an unbeaten 34 off 20 deliveries. He slammed two sixes and a four in an 18-run over bowled by Krishmar Santokie and helped Tallawahs add 44 in the last four overs to climb to 153.

Tottenham Hotspur's decision to offer a new contract to Eric Dier has been criticised by talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor, in a recent interview with Football Insider.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

According to a report from Football Insider, Tottenham have opened talks with Dier about a new contract, and the club are keen to finalise a new three-year deal with the defender soon, regardless of who they appoint as their new manager.

Not only are Spurs keen to tie Dier down to a new deal, they are determined to sign Barcelona loanee Clement Lenglet on a permanent basis, and negotiations have already begun, with the Spanish club keen to hold out for €15m (£13.3m).

The Lilywhites have also been linked to Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, with reports indicating they are one of the front-runners for the centre-back's signature, and Agbonlahor believes he would be a very good addition to the squad.

However, in an interview with Football Insider, the pundit is very critical of the decision to offer Dier a new deal, while he also indicates Lenglet should not be signed permanently, saying:

“Eric Dier, I don’t understand why there are talks over a new contract for him.

“Romero is the sort of player who would be on his last chance with me if I was manager. He just wants to kick everyone. He knows he’s going to get sent off, but still does it.

“I think Spurs need three centre-backs.

“Guehi can be one of them, but I’d go out and get more. Lenglet and Ben Davies are not good enough either.

Should Eric Dier be offered a new deal?

Tottenham have a very poor defensive record this season, so it is very surprising they are so eager to keep hold of their current options at centre-back, with Dier "nowhere near the required level", according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

While the decision to offer the £85k-per-week defender fresh terms is unusual, it is even more alarming Spurs are willing to bring Lenglet to the club on a permanent basis, given that he is one of the club's worst-performing players, according to Sofascore.

Even Cristian Romero has been criticised in recent weeks, so it is evident the Lilywhites will need to bolster their defensive options in the summer, with Guehi emerging as a solid potential option.

At 22-year-old, the Palace defender is at the right age to be a long-term success with Tottenham, and he has been hailed as "genuinely exceptional" by members of the media.

Arsene Wenger left a massive legacy at Arsenal upon his departure at the end of the 2017/18 campaign and looking back, it was similar to when Sir Alex Ferguson retired as Manchester United manager, with whoever came in next having an almost impossible task.

Unai Emery was the man tasked with the responsibility to continue the wonderful work done by Wenger over the previous 20 years, however, he made a few woeful signings and couldn’t quite adjust to the Premier League, despite enjoying success at Paris Saint-Germain.

The likes of Lucas Torreira, Bernd Leno and Nicolas Pepe were brought in during his first year in charge as he splashed the cash in the transfer market, yet it was all to no avail as the club failed to win anything during his 18-month tenure.

He also lured defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos to the club from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2018, and although he had impressed in Germany, playing nearly 200 times for the Bundesliga club, he couldn’t replicate this in England.

How much did Sokratis Papastathopoulos cost Arsenal?

The Greek centre-back did enjoy a solid debut campaign at the Gunners after his £17.7m move from Germany, playing in 40 matches across all competitions as the north Londoners reached the Europa League final, although they lost to Chelsea.

His second season wasn’t quite as consistent, having a drop-off in performance to play only 29 matches, and he clearly wasn’t the same once Emery was sacked in December 2019. Indeed, journalist James Benge remarked of one "woeful" error which rather summed up his time in the capital.

Mikel Arteta took charge, and it was evident that the former Dortmund defender wasn’t part of his future plans, making only 11 appearances during the remainder of 2019/20 once the Spaniard took over.

He did come off the bench in the FA Cup final during their win against Chelsea in 2020 and claimed a medal, but his time at the club appeared to be coming to an end.

Sokratis failed to even make one senior appearance during the first half of the following term before leaving on a free transfer in January 2021 to join Olympiacos.

During his 133-week spell in London, he rinsed the club for a grand total of £30.7m, combining his transfer fee plus the £13m he earned in wages across his contract, which was £100k-per-week.

This represented a colossal waste of money for Stan Kroenke and co, especially as he failed to contribute during his final 18 months at the club.

Hopefully moves like this will become less common under Arteta over the coming years.

Aston Villa’s excellent Premier League form continued with a victory over Leicester City last night as Unai Emery’s men made it five wins in their previous six matches.

The Spaniard has certainly been an inspired choice since Steven Gerrard's sacking and has managed to salvage Villa’s season which under the Liverpudlian, was heading for disaster.

The Foxes are battling relegation, and it was a chance for the Midlands side to keep up their hot streak, and they didn’t disappoint. Ollie Watkins slotted home a wonderful through ball by Emiliano Buendia in the first half, before Harvey Barnes equalised before the break.

Kieran Dewsbury-Hall’s sending-off changed the game and late substitute Bertrand Traore netted the winner with just minutes left, delightfully curling and chipping the ball beyond the Foxes 'keeper.

The winger enjoyed a solid cameo by netting a rare goal, and may now have just forced his way into Emery’s plans ahead of a crucial few weeks coming up.

The true hero for Villa was Buendia, however, who arguably put in his best performance for weeks.

How did Emiliano Buendia play against Leicester City?

Operating on the left of a four-man midfield, Emery was looking for the player to have more of an impact than he did against Chelsea last weekend, where he took just 28 touches in 76 minutes and managed zero shots.

His decision paid off handsomely last night, with the Argentine putting in an excellent performance, and with a Sofascore rating of 7.8/10, he was statistically Villa’s best player during the clash.

The £75k-per-week playmaker's assist for Watkins’ opener was remarkably his first league assist of the season but his passing ability was clearly on show versus the Foxes.

Indeed, journalist Ashley Preece claimed that one of his passes to Alex Moreno was a “really clever” one with it diverting through the legs of right-back Timothy Castagne.

The former Norwich man also took 55 touches, completed 30 passes and was accurate with 100% of his attempted long balls, proving that he was a driving force in circulating the ball.

The player managed to make four key passes in total during the match too which were clearly vital in securing all three points, and in winning 50% of his duels, making two tackles and interceptions and one clearance, demonstrating his defensive ability and not shirking his duties.

It was another crucial win for the Midlands side, and as a result, they have vaulted into ninth place, an almost unthinkable standing during the opening months of the campaign.

Buendia was Emery’s true hero last night, and he will hope this can give him a boost heading into the next few weeks.

It has been revealed that West Ham United are unhappy with Czech Republic's decision to select Vladimir Coufal during the international break.

What's going on with Coufal at West Ham?

The right-back has missed West Ham's last two games after being substituted at half time against Nottingham Forest, but was called up to play for his country despite fears over his injury.

He started and played 71 minutes in Czech Republic's victory over Poland, in which he provided an assist, but his club are unhappy with his selection, as they would have preferred the 30-year-old to remain in London and fully recover from his injury.

In a report from The West Ham Way, the club's frustration was revealed, as David Moyes prepares his squad for a crucial run-in as the Hammers battle relegation.

"Despite having missed recent games for West Ham with a foot injury the 30 year old started the Czech Republic’s international match against Poland which they won 3-1 with Coufal registering an assist in the first minute of the game! Tomas Soucek was captain of the side and played in midfield alongside former hammer Alex Kral (who also registered an assist).

"There has been some disappointment from West Ham with his national side as they would have preferred the player to have remained in England to fully recover from his injury and not risk aggravating it before our crucial home match against Southampton.

"The Czech Republic have one more fixture before that relegation 6 pointer with an away trip to Moldova tomorrow. It will be important to see how the player fairs during that and hope he does come through unscathed."

Should Coufal start for West Ham if fit?

The £35k-per-week defender has been a solid signing overall, with Jamie Carragher even calling him "brilliant" in West Ham's successful 2020-21 season.

He still remains first choice ahead of Ben Johnson and Thilo Kehrer, and has started 16 Premier League games this season despite his injury struggles.

With his contract expiring at the end of the season, it is unclear if he will depart East London, but the club have an option to extend his deal for two seasons.

Johnson ranks higher for tackles, blocks and clearances than Coufal as per FBref, and as a younger option, he could be selected as the long-term pick at right back. Whilst Coufal could prove a useful senior figure for the 23-year-old to learn from, an eventual shift towards Johnson moving up the pecking order could help the club in the long run.

Scottish champions Celtic marched on the rampant defence of their league crown by securing a 3-1 win over at Paradise on Wednesday evening, with the Old Firm giants coming from behind to maintain their nine-point advantage at the summit.

For all the pressure being applied by their Glasgow rivals – who remain unbeaten in the Scottish Premiership under new boss Michael Beale – the Hoops have shown no signs that they are set to buckle any time soon, with Ange Postecoglou’s men continuing to dispatch teams at will.

This latest triumph – which was the 57-year-old’s 100th game in charge of the club – notably saw Kyogo Furuhashi produce a starring role with a goal and an assist in the defeat of Hearts, with the Japan international now boasting 30 goal involvements in just 37 games this season in all competitions.

That stellar record has come despite the former Vissel Kobe man having often been starved of service in games, having been restricted to a measly tally of just 14 touches in yesterday’s victory.

By contrast, teammate Cameron Carter-Vickers once again illustrated his reliable impact at the heart of the defence after making 127 touches in total against Robbie Neilson’s side, with that outing further proof of why he is arguably the “best defender in the country” – according to journalist Ryan McGinley.

How did Carter-Vickers perform against Hearts?

Having been lauded as the “best player in Scotland last season” by ex-Bhoys striker Chris Sutton (BT Sport, 05/10/2022, 19:41) ), Carter-Vickers has again been the beating heart of Postecoglou’s side, notably even taking on the captain’s armband earlier in the campaign amid Callum McGregor’s injury absence.

A “rock at the back”- according to teammate David Turnbull – the former Tottenham Hotspur ace has been a mainstay for the Parkhead outfit over the last 18 months or so, missing just three Scottish Premiership games so far this season.

It is perhaps telling that the club’s only league defeat of the season – away to St Mirren back in September – came with the Southend-born brute not involved, with the likes of Moritz Jenz and Stephen Welsh having been “bullied” in his absence, as per journalist Josh Bunting.

That showcases just how integral the 6 foot 1 titan is for the league leaders, having even earned praise from ex-Rangers man Andy Halliday for his derby displays of late, with the current Hearts star stating earlier this month:

“Genuinely in the last five or six derbies, Cameron Carter-Vickers has been an eight out of ten. Every one of them. So much stuff goes unnoticed, I think.”

While the aforementioned Kyogo has rightly received the plaudits for his brilliant hot streak in front of goal, as Halliday alluded to it is Carter-Vickers who is perhaps the at-times unsung star of the show, having been invaluable in helping to shore up Celtic’s backline.

Yesterday’s win was another indication of such quality as the United States international won all five of his total duels and achieved a staggering pass accuracy rate of 93%, having further showcased his composure on the ball by completing his solitary dribble.

That standout showing – which earned the imposing ace a 7.5 match rating, as per Sofascore – also lead to notable praise from Celtic Way’s Tony Haggerty, who said of the centre-back’s displays: ‘He really is coolness and calmness personified and he is so reassuring to those around him in defence.’

As that triumph proved, no opposition forward is likely to relish coming up against Carter-Vickers, with the influential colossus showcasing just why he is a key cog in Postecoglou’s relentless machine.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Emerson Royal has had his praises sung by ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara for his recent upturn in form.

The Lowdown: Emerson Royal enjoying Spurs renaissance

Emerson Royal was brought to Tottenham in the summer of 2021 from Barcelona by former manager Nuno Espirito Santo – and he has been on some journey.

Even as recently as this season, the Brazilian has come under fire from pundits as well as his own fans. His low point arguably came when he was cheered off the pitch after being substituted against Leeds United in November.

However, a recent run of form, which has seen the defender notch twice since the turn of the year, including the opener in last week’s win over West Ham United, marks an impressive turnaround from the 24-year-old.

The Latest: Jamie O’Hara left raving over Emerson

Speaking on TalkSport, pundit and former Spurs man O’Hara appeared pleasantly surprised when commenting on the full-back’s form.

Ahead of Spurs’ upcoming Premier League clash against Chelsea, he said: “Emerson Royal, he’s all of a sudden had a kick up the backside that he needs and he looks like a decent player.

“Pedro Porro’s come in and he’s gone, ‘right, I need to actually step up here and play some decent football’, and he looks alright again.”

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The Verdict: Emerson Royal making Spurs fans eat their words

Throughout his Tottenham career to date, Royal has often been at the centre of attention – for right and wrong reasons.

Whether he’s scoring against the champions or picking up a red card in the north London derby, there appears to be no in-between when it comes to Royal’s performances.

And it is a testament to the defender’s attitude that in a season which has seen plenty of hostility emerge from the Spurs fanbase, he has managed to bounce back from signing off for the World Cup break with his embarrassing display against Leeds to regaining his first-team slot and helping return Spurs to some semblance of decent form – getting on the scoresheet in the process.

Therefore, we would not be surprised if O’Hara wasn’t the only one to hold his opinion.

It is unknown what the key driver behind this impressive run of displays is, but let’s not take any credit away from Emerson Royal, who is certainly repaying Antonio Conte’s faith as he has seen off his competitors – including a new signing – for that wing-back role in recent weeks.

An update has emerged regarding Alex Pritchard’s availability ahead of Sunderland’s clash against Millwall this weekend…

What’s the talk?

The Black Cats travel away from Wearside to face the Lions in the Championship this afternoon, and Tony Mowbray has revealed that the English midfielder is on course to be available for selection.

When asked about Pritchard and Dennis Cirkin’s fitness on Friday, the Black Cats boss told the Sunderland Echo: “They should both be out there training with us today, Alex has been training all week.

“I think they’re just about there and all being well they’ll be coming with us today. I’ll speak to Alex after today’s training, we’re mindful that we don’t repeat what happened last time where he maybe came back a day or too early because he was so desperate to be involved.

“He’ll have had a full week if he comes through today and that hopefully means he can play some part for us tomorrow. That’s good for us because we need those options in the front end of the pitch.”

Big boost for Sunderland

Sunderland were in desperate need of some good news after it was confirmed that centre-forward Ross Stewart is set to miss the rest of the season through injury.

The return of Pritchard, who has not played since the turn of the year, is a welcome relief and a huge boost for Mowbray after taking such a big hit with Stewart.

In the Championship this season, the English midfielder has caught the eye with his creative displays in the middle of the park. The former Huddersfield and Norwich playmaker has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.03 in the division, scoring twice and setting up three goals for his side in 23 appearances.

Only Stewart (7.40) has averaged a higher Sofascore rating than Pritchard for the Black Cats, and this indicates that the 29-year-old has been one of the team’s top performers so far. He has created 0.4 more chances per game than any other player in the Sunderland squad in the league this term, which suggests that he is by far the team’s most creative player.

Therefore, having the midfielder back and available for selection – whether that is from the start or off the bench – is a big boost for Mowbray, as Pritchard has proven himself to be an excellent performer at this level.

The dynamo is a creative talent who could provide Joe Gelhardt with the chances that he needs in order to thrive at the top end of the pitch during his loan spell from Leeds, and Sunderland supporters could hopefully get their first glimpse of that link-up this afternoon.

Leeds United have been tipped to seal a late move for Roma midfielder, Nicolo Zaniolo, with the Italy international facing an uncertain future at the Stadio Olimpico.

What’s the word?

Reports earlier today claimed that Whites sporting director Victor Orta had made a loan-to-buy offer for the 23-year-old, with the towering playmaker having also been linked with a £31m switch to fellow Premier League side Bournemouth in recent times.

According to transfer insider Dean Jones – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – the Elland Road outfit could well capitalise on the player’s apparent desire to leave his current side, by making a concrete move before the deadline.

The respected journalist stated: “Leeds could take advantage of a tricky situation but they only wanted a loan and other clubs, including some in Italy, are having a look. We know Zaniolo is stuck between a rock and a hard place because he needs to leave Roma.”

Aaronson upgrade

The addition of Zaniolo could well allow Orta and Jesse Marsch the chance to secure an upgrade on summer signing Brenden Aaronson, with the USA international having been unable to truly make his mark in the playmaking berth so far this season.

Although the 22-year-old’s relentless work ethic has been commendable – as he notably ranks in the top 4% among his European peers for blocks made – he has been unable to offer a greater end product to go with it, having scored just once and laid on only two assists in 22 games in all competitions this season.

For a player that is seemingly meant to be the creative hub of the side, such a limp return is no doubt something of a problem for the Yorkshire outfit, hence the possible desire to provide quality competition in the form of the Roma maestro.

The latter man – who has been described as “such a special player” by journalist Carlo Garganese in the past – has already provided five goal involvements in 17 outings in all competitions, despite a spell out with injury, after previously registering eight goals and nine assists under Jose Mourinho last season.

That difference in attacking threat between the pair is also illustrated by the fact that Zaniolo ranks in the top 4% for total shots and the top 11% for progressive passes received, while Aaronson ranks in just the bottom 14% and the bottom 17% for the same two metrics, respectively.

While Marsch may be inclined to stick by his compatriot – who cost in the region of £24.7m back in May – the evidence would suggest that it is Zaniolo whom the former RB Leipzig coach could really build his team around.