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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to a report from Aksam, Wolves are a potential suitor for Ricardo Quaresma this summer.

What’s the word?

As another week begins Wolves still appear no closer to bringing in a new face.

Ivan Cavaleiro departed the club over the weekend, becoming the second fringe player to pack his bags after Helder Costa also left on loan for Leeds.

Initially it had been reported that Quaresma had snubbed Wolves but according to Aksam, they are still interested in the winger whose future could well be in doubt.

The publication states that he has had offers from Vietnam and America but Besiktas manager Abdullah Avci will decide his fate and whether he actually moves away.

Key ingredient in Europe

Wolves’ squad is now even thinner after witnessing Cavaleiro and Costa depart so signing new players is absolutely essential.

Quaresma, therefore, would add much-needed depth to an attacking area that barring Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota, will now predominantly be made up of youth players.

However, it isn’t just depth that the Portuguese would offer, but it’s his sheer experience at the top level that could prove key, especially in the Europa League.

As Wolves head into the 2019/20 season, they will play in continental competition for the first time since 1980 and therefore finding more players who have experience in Europe will be of huge benefit.

Of course, the club already have a number of stars to have featured at the highest level with the likes of Rui Patricio, Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves all playing a big part for the Portugal national team.

Yet, Quaresma would offer more experience than any of them.

In the video below, find out which former Chelsea star could be set to challenge Raul Jimenez as top dog at Wolves…

At the age of 35, he’s past his best, but this is a player who has 80 caps for his country and has played in numerous Champions League and Europa League campaigns.

The winger has played 60 times in Europe’s premier competition, contributing to 21 goals in the process. He’s meanwhile played a hand in 17 goals in just 33 matches in its sister tournament. He also played eight times when it was known as the UEFA Cup.

Even at his age, the experience Quaresma could bring to a team that haven’t competed among some of Europe’s top clubs for such a long period of time could help them thrive.

علّق المدرب البرتغالي، جوزيه مورينيو، المدير الفني لنادي توتنهام هوتسبير، على هزيمة فريقه أمام تشيلسي في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

تشيلسي حسم ديربي لندن بهدف نظيف، سجّله جورجينيو، في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين، مساء امس الخميس، على ملعب “توتنهام الجديد”، ضمن فعاليات الجولة الثانية والعشرين من البريميرليج. شاهد هدف فوز تشيلسي على توتنهام

وقال مورينيو: “لقد أتيحت لنا فرصة كبيرة عبر فينيسيوس، يمكننا تحليل المباراة من أول دقيقة إلى آخر دقيقة، سجلوا هدفًا من ركلة جزاء، وواقع الشوط الأول كان هو أنهم متفوقون بركلة جزاء حسمت المباراة في النهاية”.

وأضاف: “لقد رأيت فريقي يُعاني في الشوط الأول، ولكن الأمر كان عكس ذلك تمامًا في الشوط الثاني، نحن نفتقد الكثير من اللاعبين المهمين لكن الروح في الشوط الثاني لا يمكن المساس بها”.

وواصل: “لا لم أحب ما قدمناه في الشوط الأول، ولكن الطريقة التي انتهينا بها من المباراة تعطيني مشاعر إيجابية، ما حدث يُمكن أنّ يمنحنا ابتسامة صعبة على الوجه وأنّ نتماسك”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. مورينيو يُشكك في صحة هدف فوز تشيلسي على توتنهام

وتابع: “لكن في الشوط الثاني كنا مختلفين وساعد لوكاس مورا وإريك لاميلا في تغيير الديناميكية، شعوري هو أننا بقينا معًا حتى النهاية، الإنهاء بروح إيجابية يساعد”.

وأكمل: “فينيسيوس لاعب يتمتع بروح لا تصدق ولكن فهمه لكيفية الضغط شيء لا يزال غير مرتاح له، ثم في الشوط الثاني كان الأمر أكثر صعوبة بالنسبة له، ضغطنا عليهم بشكل أفضل وأعلى وفي الشوط الثاني نعتقد أننا نستحق المزيد”.

واختتم تصريحاته قائلًا: “نحن نأمل أن يعود هاري كين الأسبوع المقبل، نلعب يوم الأحد ضد وست بروميتش ألبيون وهم بحاجة إلى نقاط بقدر ما نحتاجها لأسباب مختلفة”.

The months have turned into weeks and now the weeks have turned into days, and Rafa Benitez still doesn’t have a new deal at St James Park. His current deal is set to expire on the final day of June, yet with no breakthrough looking imminent, we’ve had a look at the next potential manager for the famous Northeast club.

Most of the fans clearly wouldn’t want one of the most popular Newcastle managers in years to leave, yet it looks like nothing can be done from this point. The Spaniard has worked wonders in his time with the Geordies, but as we reach crunch time it’s hard not to turn an eye to who could replace him, especially as The Chronicle have picked out the most likely replacements.

According to the trusty Newcastle outlet, the likes of Laurent Blanc, Gennaro Gattuso, Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger and David Moyes are in the running. So, let’s have a look at some of these names.

David Moyes’ time with Sunderland and time spent flopping at Old Trafford too surely make him a calamity option. Meanwhile, Mourinho wouldn’t be given the budget he’s used to at St James Park outside of the takeover his name was linked alongside of late, and it would be impossible to imagine Arsene Wenger lining up a team to try and topple Arsenal (he previously said he’d never manager another English club), the side he spent 22 seasons with as a gaffer.

That leaves just Gattuso and Blanc, and we’re picking out the Frenchman as the man for the job. His last job in management was back in 2016 when he left PSG on mutual consent, and looking back it was a harsh call for him to depart. Meanwhile, Gattuso has recently been let go by AC Milan after failing to secure Champions League football.

It’s hard to see a way in which Blanc wouldn’t be able to adapt to the managerial role at Newcastle United. The former defender picked up the nickname ‘Le Président’ during his time as a player at Marseille for his incredible leadership skills, and those kind of skills will be crucial for any manager set to take up the reigns of Newcastle post-Benitez.

The Frenchman, should he join Newcastle, would only be taking his fourth job in management, and his first in England. After a three year absence from the dugout and at the age of 53-years-old, there’s no reason why the Northeast wouldn’t be an ideal location. FourFourTwo did talk up his ability to promote youngsters, keep egos in check and play an attacking brand of football, traits which would surely stand him in good stead should he walk into a club reeling after Benitez’s departure.

Having won the league with Bordeaux, the World Cup-winning defender has also proven he’s far from a chequebook manager, something that’d stand him in good stead on Tyneside considering the budgets often afforded in the transfer market by Mike Ashley.

If you’re sceptical over Blanc returning to football, just a matter of months ago he was in contention for the vacant Man United job, which Sky Sports reported. We know that Newcastle are far from the club that Man United are, but it could prove a brilliant option for Blanc to get back on his feet with, and whilst following Benitez would be tough, Blanc has the credentials to do so.

Newcastle fans, would you take Laurent Blanc if Benitez leaves? Comment below!

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He may not have enjoyed consistent first-team starts for Jurgen Klopp’s side in his first season at Anfield, but Xherdan Shaqiri will surely feel justified in making his move to Liverpool.

The Switzerland international left relegated Stoke to join the Reds in a £13.5m move last summer, and finished his debut campaign on Merseyside by lifting the Champions League trophy.

Following his country’s Nations League disappointment, Shaqiri can finally jet out on his end of season break and took to

/BynaSRMiar4/” data-lasso->Instagram to thank his fans for their support.

Liverpool teammate Georginio Wijnaldum responded to the post with a short and sweet message, including a trophy emoji to mark the Reds’ triumphant campaign in Europe.

In 30 games across all competitions for Klopp’s side, Shaqiri registered six goals and five assists with two of those set-ups coming in the Reds’ Champions League journey.

With Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane understandably making their places in the first-team their own, Shaqiri was predominantly forced to make his impact off the bench or as an unconventional central midfielder.

But having had a full season to get used to his teammates and his manager, the Swiss star could really showcase his true potential next season when Liverpool will no doubt look to dethrone Manchester City as champions of England.

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According to Football Insider, West Ham United have placed an £8m value on Aaron Cresswell amid interest from Everton.

However, it would be fair to say that a number of the London club’s fans are not interested in selling the left-back at that price.

Cresswell did not exactly have the best of seasons at the London Stadium but £8m seems cheap for a player of his experience.

Indeed, the 29-year-old has played 157 times in the Premier League and is also a three-time England international.

It remains to be seen whether Everton move for Cresswell this summer as they look for a new back-up to Lucas Digne.

But the West Ham fans would be very disappointed if their team decided to sell the former Ipswich Town defender for the £8m price currently being quoted, or indeed at all.

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…

A selection of the Twitter reaction in relation to the potential sale can be seen below:

A year makes a big difference in football. After the highs of scoring that free-kick against Croatia in the World Cup semi-final, Kieran Trippier’s stock has since fallen through the roof. The England international has had his confidence shot to pieces and looks a shadow of the man who made a reputation out of his David Beckham-esque crossing. However, if reports are to be believed, then Trippier’s time in north London may just be coming to an abrupt end.

According to Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport, both Napoli and Atletico Madrid are interested in securing the 28-year-old’s signature for next season, with the latter seemingly open to paying Spurs’ £25m asking price. Having just come off his worst season in the Premier League, getting that amount of money would seem like a no-brainer for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

Trippier has come under fire from his own fans this season for his error-strewn displays, and quite worryingly, showed signs of a complete lack of concentration in the big games. His mix-ups with Hugo Lloris against both Barcelona and Chelsea this season were evidence of a defender whose communication isn’t the strongest; entirely avoidable goals, and mistakes that ultimately cost his side dearly both times.

Indeed, after almost seeing his side throw away a three-goal lead against Wolves last November, the usually polite and protective Pochettino took aim at the defender after another piece of defensive calamity. He said (via ESPN): “When you are in possession and go forward, you need to be strong too when you are in a defensive situation. Kieran needs to improve in the defensive situation because in the last few games you have seen that we conceded a few actions.”

Whilst the former Burnley man’s crossing on his day is unparalleled in the Premier League, his growing tendency to either lose his man or completely switch off at the wrong time has, and will, continue to punish Spurs. The art of the modern full-back is so defined by what they can offer going forward, that people often forget that a full-back is still a vital part of a side’s defence. In Trippier’s case, the benefits of his attacking quality simply no longer outweigh the consequences of his defensive mistakes.

With 22-year-old Kyle Walker-Peters impressing in the few opportunities he’s had this season, offloading Trippier in the summer may not be a big of a blow as people think. From being one of England’s World Cup heroes in 2018, to being Spurs’ ‘Mr Calamity’ this year, the right-back is the perfect example of how a footballer’s career can well and truly flip upside down.

Spurs fans, how would you feel about the club selling Kieran Trippier this summer? Does he deserve another season? If not, why not? Join the discussion by commenting below…

[ad_pod ]Crystal Palace might have a bitter, bitter rivalry with Brighton but even some of the Selhurst Park faithful have been bemused by the decision to sack Chris Hughton on Monday, with survival achieved and a semi-final reached.The former Norwich boss arrived on the south coast in December 2014 and oversaw the Seagulls’ promotion to the top flight in 2017, although it all started to come undone in 2019.The Amex Stadium outfit won just three of their last 23 league games and were saved from relegation by Palace’s victory over 18th-placed Cardiff two weeks ago. But considering what he has done for the club, Hughton’s sacking has come as a huge surprise to most inside and outside of Brighton.A Crystal Palace fan shares his most gutting moment of the last 10 years supporting the Eagles in the video below…Palace fans surely love that their rivals are making some bizarre decisions that could have big consequences in the future, but most were able to put the bad blood aside as they reacted on Twitter…

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It appears as though Jack Grealish’s Aston Villa future is never certain. Last summer he was subject of a bid from Tottenham which was swiftly rejected, before the north London club renewed their interest in March 2019.

The midfielder has also been attracting the eyes of Crystal Palace, who only last week had lined him up as a potential Wilfried Zaha replacement, according to The Daily Mail.

It’s been a huge season for Grealish so it’s hardly a surprise to see him taking the fancy of Premier League clubs again.

The 23-year-old is now the Villa captain and was also named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year.

With that in mind, how can Dean Smith’s men cope if he leaves?

On the chalkboard

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Villa losing Grealish would be disastrous. From midfield, he’s scored six goals and also claimed six assists, a considerable tally for a player from that area of the pitch. He’s only featured 31 times too.

However, the options Smith possesses in central areas doesn’t make him irreplaceable.

That’s predominantly down to John McGinn, who in some senses, has outperformed his midfielder partner, Grealish. The Scot arrived from Hibernian last summer and has been nothing short of sensational.

He possesses an engine that the much sought after Villa man doesn’t have, whilst he also has the ability to score and assist goals. With Grealish leaving, it could free up a more advanced role for the Scot to flourish in.

Just imagine what he could do with greater license in forward areas. At 24, McGinn still has potential and given the loss he was during a suspension back in February and March, would arguably be a bigger blow if he were to leave.

To add to that, Villa have Conor Hourihane in their ranks too. Should Grealish depart, then they wouldn’t be short on creative outlets.

Therefore, the resources they already possess suggests they’d have no trouble coping if one of their star men did pack his bags.

With yet another Old Firm victory under their belt, Celtic are cruising towards lifting the Scottish Premiership trophy once again this season, which is still a top achievement that fans are very proud of. 10 in a row is on, guys. It really is. 

Clearly, it has been a very topsy turvy season but Celtic have already claimed one piece of silverware, that will surely at least, be joined with one other trophy come the end of the season. Neil Lennon – whether he’s there next season or not – has so far done a good job in keeping everything ticking over at Celtic Park although the summer could incite a number of changes at the club.

With a new permanent manager waiting to take to the hot seat and a host of new players to follow him in after, it could be a very exciting campaign for Celtic next season. One player who certainly oozes quality and would be influential signing for the Hoops is Mexico international Edson Alvarez.

Alvarez, (who is valued at £6.7 million on Transfermarkt) is a versatile player that would do wonders for a team like Celtic, who were linked with by the Scottish Sun.

The 21-year-old is without a doubt one of the most promising young players in Mexico and now he even operates as a defensive-midfielder, a position he has also thrived in. Scott Brown – much as you all love him – can’t go on forever and a succession plan must be made.

Edson Alvarez operates with real confidence and has fantastic attributes that could make him a good centre-back or defensive-midfielder for Celtic. Indeed, he’s exactly the kind of player Paradise would love.

Equally, his position may be decided based on who leaves Celtic Park this summer although his performances for Mexico in the 2018 World Cup presented his top-level passing ability and general ability to get around the pitch, which could suggest Celtic would benefit from playing him in midfield.

Do you agree that the Mexican international would make a good signing? Join the discussion by commenting below…

قال الجنوب إفريقي بيتسو موسيماني المدير الفني للنادي الأهلي، إن الفريق لم يصل إلى المستوي المطلوب الذي يريده حتى الآن.

الأهلي تأهل إلى نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا تحت قيادة موسيماني بعد الفوز على الوداد المغربي في مباراتي الذهاب والإياب بنتيجة 5-1 في دور قبل النهائي من البطولة القارية.
 
وقال موسيماني خلال تصريحات للموقع الرسمي للكاف: “الأهلي لم يصل إلى المستوى الذي أريده، خاصة في التمرير”.

وأضاف: “الأهلي وصل للنهائي عدة مرات في السنوات الـ7 الأخيرة، ونأمل أن يحالفنا الحظ هذا المرة ونتوج بللقب”.

طالع | عبد الحفيظ يكشف موقف معلول وفتحي من نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا

وتابع: “خضنا مباراتين جيدتين ذهابا وايابا ضد الوداد ولعبنا في الذهاب أفضل من العودة”.

وأكمل: “ننتظر الفائز من الرجاء والزمالك لمواجهته في النهائي، نحن جاهزون لأي فريق”.

وأتم: “في هذا الوقت سنعمل على الحفاظ على لاعبينا من الإصابة، وهذا كان الغرض من تبديل محمد الشناوي ومروان محسن”.

ومن المقرر يلاقي الأهلي الفائز من الزمالك والرجاء، في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا، والمقرر لها 6 نوفمبر على استاد القاهرة.