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Former Tottenham striker Darren Bent has thrown his backing behind Barcelona’s reported offer for Tanguy Ndombele.

Ndombele has been the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks, with a report from Sky Sports suggesting that Barcelona have offered Spurs the chance to sign Samuel Umtiti and Nelson Semedo in exchange for letting the Frenchman go.

After hearing about the news, Bent admitted that the two players they would potentially be getting in return may be good for Spurs in the long-run and help fix some important issues for them.

Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “To be fair, that swap deal would cover up a lot of cracks and I think it would help. Centre-half, they’ve been a little bit week this season and at full-back as well, they’ve been a little bit suspect. Tanganga’s done very, very well but he’s still quite young.

“Semedo a couple of years ago was absolutely brilliant for Benfica, absolutely brilliant. Went to Barcelona, struggled a little bit but that covers it. Umtiti as well, a World Cup winner of course! If you’re getting Umtiti and Semedo, you ain’t having to buy these players and that’s two positions kind of sewn up.”

In terms of the two players they would be getting in return, both Semedo and Umtiti would help solve Spurs’ current woes at right-back and centre-back respectively.

Serge Aurier has been the picture of unreliability what with his recklessness, whilst Kyle Walker-Peters was sent out on loan to Southampton during the middle of the campaign. And in the heart of defence, Jan Vertonghen’s future is very much up in the air due to his contract with the club expiring in the summer.

Letting Ndombele go after just one season would be a bold gamble, but it may be worth it overall.

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Loads of Newcastle United fans have reacted to a report from The Sun that football supporters face random ballots for match tickets next season due to the global pandemic crisis.

As per the outlet, the Premier League’s chief medical officer Mark Gillett has predicted that there are unlikely to be any capacity crowds allowed for all of the 2020/21 campaign.

Gillett says that ‘the public health situation is not going to change in the next six to 12 months’, suggesting that games will be played behind closed doors until at least November.

However, clubs have been briefed that fans may be welcomed back in vastly-reduced numbers during the second half of the 2020/21 term.

Teams are unable to sell season tickets for next season, knowing that there is little chance of fans being able to attend matches before Christmas.

Reduced capacities is one possible outcome but there is also the possibility that no supporters will be allowed into any stadia until a pandemic vaccine is in widespread use.

These Magpies reacted to the news on Twitter as it could affect them:

Geordies, what do you make of the news? Comment below!

After initially looking like Mike Ashley’s era at Newcastle was finally coming to an end, it appears some fresh stumbling blocks have hit the club’s proposed takeover.As per The Chronicle, Clacton MP Giles Watling has called for an oral evidence session “on the ‘theft of UK Sport’ by pirate pay television broadcaster beoutQ”, with one of the questions put forward to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee being “whether the UK government, by allowing the sale to take place, is taking appropriate action in this instance to protect the value of UK sport”.And after the latest update, The Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards delivered his take on where the Magpies’ takeover plans now stand.

As Edwards suggests the longer the matter drags on, the more people tend to get worried. It’s still very much a waiting game for both Newcastle’s owners and the club’s patient fans, and there are now legitimate reasons to be a touch more cautious about whether the takeover will finally be given the go ahead.

A recent transfer report has sparked a reaction from Tottenham Hotspur supporters this week.

According to Italian newspaper Il Mattino, Spurs are one of the teams showing interest in Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly but they face competition from Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester United.

It’s also claimed that the Senegal colossus is most keen on a move to Paris Saint-Germain over them all, but fans in north London are desperate to see him in a Spurs shirt come the new season.

The 28-year-old has been restricted to just 21 appearances in all competitions this campaign due to a series of injuries, but he’s still widely regarded as one of the best in his position across Europe.

Guglielmo Stendardo, a former defender himself, told Radio Kiss Kiss via Football Italia that Koulibaly was “even better than Sergio Ramos,” which is one huge glowing endorsement.

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At 6 foot 1, he’s a dominating presence and one that could ultimately fill the void that will be left behind by Jan Vertonghen, who appears set on leaving the club following the expiry of his contract.

However, many supporters find it hard to believe that they’ll be able to fork out in excess of £70m (as per Foot Mercato via the Daily Mail).

This is because chairman Daniel Levy is notorious for not wanting to splash the cash on new players. It was only this summer that the club’s record transfer fee was broken, spending £55m on Tanguy Ndombele after 18 months without a single incoming.

AND in other news, Spurs fans furious after latest Philippe Coutinho report…

Liverpool will look to improve on their disappointing 0-0 derby result on Sunday by seeking revenge against upcoming opponents Crystal Palace.

The Reds are still in a very impressive position, leading reigning champions Manchester City by 20 points. However, to calm any nerves, Jurgen Klopp and his men will want to grab a win against the Eagles on Wednesday.

A player who could help Liverpool come out on top is Naby Keita. The Guinean has struggled for game time this season due to ongoing injuries, but his performance against Everton was one of note, despite the overall underwhelming team display.

Keita caught Klopp’s attention back in 2017 during an electric season with former club RB Leipzig. His tally of nine goals and seven assists were attractive numbers for a side who were struggling to find goal contributions outside of the front three. However, since he joined the club, the 25-year-old has faced heavy competition for his spot in midfield, as well as hindering injuries over the years.

His performance against the Blues was one that turned a lot of heads. Keita looked a lot more fluid on the ball and was confident in taking players on and trying to conjure up attacks. According to Sofascore, Keita made two tackles, one interception and created one goal-scoring opportunity. He also kept an 88% pass accuracy rate, which was higher than Jordan Henderson.

His lack of game time this season may have been frustrating, but could now work in his advantage. Crystal Palace won’t be expecting his input in the middle of park and likely won’t have prepared themselves to face him. If Liverpool opt to start Keita behind their usual front three, he could be a real driving force in creating chances for Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah to put away.

Do you think Klopp should start Keita against Palace, Reds? Have your say in the comments below!

Barcelona are keen to sign Tottenham ace Ryan Sessegnon this summer.

According to Sky Sports, Barca have asked Spurs about his availability, as they have admired him ever since his days at Fulham.

Barca scouts were in the stands to watch Sessegnon play in the 2018 Championship play-off final.

Those very scouts had kept a close eye on him throughout that season, as they turned up to watch him at Craven Cottage during arguably his best season to date.

The La Liga giants have continued to monitor his progress after he established himself as one of Europe’s hottest prospects at the early stage of his career.

Barca have been in communication via intermediaries over potential swap deals between the two sides this summer.

Sky Sports reported last month that the 26-time La Liga champions have offered Nelson Semedo and Samuel Umtiti to the Lilywhites in the hope of sorting out an exchange for Tanguy Ndombele and Ryan Sessegnon.

Sessegnon, 20, has struggled for consistency this season, although matters have been taken out of his hands.

His development has been restricted right from the start as he arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a hamstring injury that he picked up while away on international duty.

The youngster, who was once compared to former Spurs star Gareth Bale, has grown frustrated by a lack of chances, as he spent the entire time on the bench against Manchester United and West Ham, before being dropped for the games with Everton and Sheffield United.

He returned to the squad but did not feature at all against Bournemouth and Arsenal.

Jose Mourinho believes his best position is at full-back and has likened him to his old Chelsea favourite Ashley Cole, but he picked Dennis Cirkin in his place for the game with Everton.

Unsurprisingly, this didn’t go down very well with the England U21 international, who has every right to feel aggrieved.

Despite Mourinho’s best efforts, this lingering interest has shown no signs of going away anytime soon.

While Sessegnon is still a work in progress, he needs to be playing regularly to develop as a player, which is something the Portuguese cannot provide at this moment in time.

His versatility has actually compounded the problem, as Mourinho still hasn’t figured out where to play him, so Sessegnon may swap north London for the Nou Camp in order to improve his chances of being named in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for EURO 2020.

This could be bad news for the head coach as he has already fallen out with Kyle Walker-Peters. If Spurs continue to lose young prospects, Daniel Levy may grow uncomfortable with the situation, which does not bode well for the former Chelsea boss.

Tottenham fans, do you think Levy should let Sessegnon leave? Let us know down below!

Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing Weston McKennie, according to Kristian Dyer.

As per the journalist, a source has told him that the Tyneside club are one to watch in the pursuit of the FC Schalke 04 ace, but the German team ideally do not want to sell him in this summer transfer window.

However, they may be forced to due to financial constraints, as several other Premier League sides other than the Magpies as well as various clubs from the Bundesliga also hold strong interest in securing his signature.

Schalke apparently value him at $30 million, which is the equivalent of around £23.1 million.

Indeed, McKennie could be a shrewd addition at St. James’ Park, as he can play in a variety of different roles on the pitch, and is also an established international player with the United States of America, according to Transfermarkt.

It is also apparently the 21-year old’s ‘dream’ to play in the English top flight, which could help the chances of the Toon in signing him.

Comparing the stats of the central midfield player in the 2019/20 Bundesliga season to the likes of Isaac Hayden, Jonjo Shelvey and Sean Longstaff in England’s highest division in the last campaign, McKennie averaged the most interceptions, blocks and dribbles per league game, while also achieving the highest pass accuracy (via Whoscored).

Yes, the leagues are different, but his stats show that he could have all of the necessary qualities to succeed in England.

However, NUFC will have to match the valuation of Schalke to stand any chance of signing him.

Geordies, would McKennie be a good signing? Comment below!

Chelsea have identified their main target for bolstering their defensive line ahead of next season. 

Frank Lampard has named Jose Gimenez as his ideal defensive signing for the summer, according to Football Insider. Defence has been an area of concern for the Blues this campaign, which saw them leak 54 Premier League goals – the worst record of any other top ten side.

The report claims Atletico Madrid have a £110million release clause in place for Gimenez, but Chelsea are hoping to sign the Uruguay international for much less. A fee of £60m has been branded ideal for Chelsea, who will push for his signature once the La Liga side have finished their Champions League run.

According to The Times, Lampard is willing to cash in on four senior defenders this window in order to stock up on funds to kit out his squad. Marcos Alonso, Emerson, Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen are all on the market and able to leave Stamford Bridge.

Roman Abramovich has allegedly granted Lampard a £120m budget to splash out on new recruits, on top of the money already spent on Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner.

Gimenez has been limited to just 26 appearances across all competitions this season, missing a total of 19 games due to numerous injury problems (via Transfermarkt). However, this hasn’t put the West London side off, who are eager to see this 25-year-old join their youthful team as they push for silverware next term.

Would you like to see Chelsea sign Jose Gimenez? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Plenty of Everton fans have been lauding the rather bizarre transfer link of Michael Keane possibly joining up with his former Toffees boss Ronald Koeman at FC Barcelona.

According to Okdiario, the Dutch coach is considering bringing Keane to the Camp Nou alongside Ajax ace Donny van de Beek and former Manchester United now Olympique Lyon man Memphis Depay.

However, as per the outlet, Carlo Ancelotti’s team will not look to sell him for any less than 30 million euros, which is the equivalent of around £27.1 million.

Indeed, Keane played in 15 games in all competitions under Koeman in the 2017/18 season at Goodison Park, in where he managed to score one goal (via Transfermarkt).

The English international played a key part in the last Premier League campaign for the Blues, and even averaged more interceptions, clearances and blocks than his fellow central-defensive teammates Mason Holgate and Yerry Mina (per Whoscored).

However, it seems as if several EFC supporters would still like to see the back of the 27-year old if he joined the Catalan giants, perhaps feeling that they could get a lot of money for a player they maybe do not rate as highly.

Check out the reaction on Twitter below, where one fan even branded Keane as ‘terrible’:

Evertonians, would you sell Keane? Comment below!

Harry Maguire stunned the footballing world and divided fanbases when he made a record-breaking switch from Leicester City to Manchester United last summer. That little venture made him the most expensive defender in the history of the sport as the Red Devils had to splash around £78m to land their man.

Whether he’s actually warranted such an incredible price tag or not is a story for another time but many have now taken that transfer as a benchmark for any potential future deals. Just like Neymar Junior’s move to Paris Saint-Germain completely destroyed the transfer market for star forwards, Maguire’s switch did the same for defenders.

But this could also be a good thing for a club like West Ham United. David Moyes wants to rebuild the squad a bit but he needs a lot of money to do that. One avenue the Hammers could potentially explore is selling their prized asset, Declan Rice.

And Frank McAvennie believes they will indeed do that if someone matches their asking price. But how much is Rice worth, anyway? According to McAvennie, as much as Maguire. Here’s what he said to Football Insider on the topic: ‘You’re talking about £80 million for Harry Maguire. I think that if he’s worth that then West Ham will be thinking that Declan’s worth somewhere between £60-80 million. But listen, the owners will have a figure in mind, and I think it’s the same with every club, if someone matches that, they will sell him.’

That sum of money would surely go a long way to giving West Ham what they need to acquire the much-needed reinforcements. But is there a team out there willing and able to cough up that figure in the current climate?

Verdict

It goes without saying that West Ham will most likely pull the trigger on their young asset when and if they receive an offer in such a high region. At the moment, however, we still don’t know if there is a club contemplating that course of action.

Still, there have been some whispers of some Premier League clubs monitoring Rice so you never know.