CPFC: Fans react to Gareth Southgate post

Crystal Palace posted a video of England manager Gareth Southgate during his playing days for the Eagles on Wednesday morning, and a number of supporters were quick to react to the footage on social media.

Southgate, who came through the Palace youth system and spent seven years as a professional at Selhurst Park, guided England to their first major final since 1966 after a 2-1 semi-final win over Denmark at Wembley on Wednesday night at Euro 2020.

The 50-year-old made 75 Premier League appearances for the Eagles and, on the day of the Euro 2020 semi-final at Wembley, Palace featured the England boss in their Goal of the Day.

Southgate picked up the ball in his own half, advanced upfield and unleashed an unstoppable strike in front of the Palace faithful, which is available to view here.

Palace fans react

Palace posted the video on their official Twitter page and here is what these Eagles fans had to say in reply, with one supporter describing it as ‘class’.

“I’m so proud of Gareth Southgate. Palace we’re taking this win, we’ve produced one of England’s all time greatest managers and a lovely bloke too. Up the Palace!”

Credit: @se25jg

“How had I forgotten this strike – magnificent”

Credit: @rickyj555

“Class”

Credit: @amancpfc

“There’s nothing the man can’t do”

Credit: @James_SE22

“Was thinking the other day that getting England to a major final would finally out do this stupendous goal as the best thing I’ve seen Gareth Southgate do. Glad the site are tweeting this though because probably only Palace fans of a certain age are even aware of this goal”

Credit: @tashkat81

“What a hit!”

Credit: @Dave_Winbod

In other news: ‘Is there anything worse?’, ‘Ugh’ – Many Crystal Palace fans react as ‘awful’ news is confirmed, find out more here. 

Spurs exit update emerges involving Carter-Vickers

Writing on Twitter, American reporter Larry Henry Jr has dropped an exit update involving Tottenham Hotspur defender Cameron Carter-Vickers. 

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers on the move?

The USA international has been touted as one of the names to leave this summer as Tottenham aim to adopt a sell-to-buy policy (football.london).

So far, Spurs have only been able to offload Juan Foyth after Villarreal triggered his loan-to-buy option.

Tottenham could want to sell Carter-Vickers this summer with his deal running out in 2022.

The Latest: Reporter drops Carter-Vickers update…

Writing on Twitter, US journalist Henry Jr has dropped a Carter-Vickers update.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-4/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

He claims that Celtic have been in talks with Tottenham over a possible transfer this summer while Newcastle United and Bournemouth are also ‘back in the mix’.

“It sounds like the Cameron Carter-Vickers race is down to three teams, per a source close to the player.

“Newcastle United, Celtic, and Bournemouth back in the mix. Should be a fun few weeks.

“Newcastle is still in mix, but going over finances. Celtic has been in talks with Tottenham over a transfer too. Bournemouth’s interest quieted but has since picked back up.”

The Verdict: Good news?

This could come as a financial boost for Tottenham if they do in fact aim to offload Carter-Vickers this summer.

The interest in him appears to be heating up from a number of interested parties but what remains to be seen is how much Daniel Levy will want for his services.

Still young, Carter-Vickers also enjoyed a successful stint on loan at Bournemouth over 2020/2021 – where he managed the second most clearances per 90 (3.6) out of the Cherries squad (WhoScored).

We believe Levy and co could command a reasonable fee for his sale this summer, and the income generated by his potential sale could be re-invested in the Spurs first-team squad.

In other news: Spurs frontrunners to sign ‘absolutely sensational’ player with Nuno set for final call, find out more here.

Leeds United linked to Matheus Cunha

Leeds United have been handed a potentially significant boost in their pursuit of Hertha Berlin forward Matheus Cunha.

What’s the story?

The Whites have been linked with a move for the 22-year-old throughout this summer as Marcelo Bielsa looks to strengthen his first-team squad ahead of the upcoming campaign.

And Leeds may be encouraged to make a formal offer for Cunha following some intriguing comments made by Hertha’s newly-appointed sporting director Fredi Bobic.

“If he wants to move on, it will only happen if the price is right,” Bobic revealed in an interview with BuliNews. “It’s simple: either you commit completely and dig in – or you bring up something else that makes sense.

“I had the feeling that the agent thought that was great. That was a clear statement, he can deal with that. And it’s not like there are 20 clubs lining up right now.”

Bielsa will be buzzing

Although Bobic appeared to be relatively content with how the talks with Cunha’s agent had gone, he refused to rule out an imminent exit and suggested the Brazilian can depart the capital club for the right price.

Previously, reports have claimed Hertha will demand £26 million for their prized asset over the coming months after he enjoyed a stellar 2020/21 campaign.

Despite the continued struggles of the Bundesliga outfit, Cunha bagged eight goals and provided a further eight assists in just 28 appearances last season, catching the eye of several sides.

His standout displays saw former Hertha manager Bruno Labbadia dub the South American wizard as “something special”, and it’s easy to undersand why Bielsa is reportedly keen to bring Cunha to West Yorkshire.

The Samba star’s versatility has seen him play on the left-hand-side, as a number 10 and even up-front, making him an ideal fit for Leeds’ fluid system.

Lining up alongside the likes of Raphinha, Jack Harrison and Patrick Bamford next season would make for a daunting prospect for any Premier League defence, and it’s a forward line that every Leeds fan is surely desperate to see.

And, in other news…Imagine him and Raphinha: Leeds can form dream duo in “phenomenal” EURO 2020 sensation 

Southampton interested in Issa Diop

Southampton are interested in a deal to bring Issa Diop to St Mary’s this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), who claimed that the Saints, along with Wolves and Crystal Palace, have made an approach to West Ham regarding the availability of the centre-back this summer.

The report added that the Hammers have already rejected offers of an initial loan with a view to purchasing the defender at a later date, although it is believed that David Moyes could nevertheless be tempted into the Frenchman’s sale this summer.

Fans surely buzzing

With Diop clearly boasting an enormous amount of potential, it is easy to see why Ralph Hasenhuttl is keen on a deal to sign the former France under-21 international ahead of Southampton’s upcoming Premier League campaign.

Indeed, over his 18 Premier League appearances for West Ham last season, the £67,000-per-week centre-back helped his side to keep two clean sheets, in addition to averaging 1.2 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and 3.2 clearances and winning 3.1 duels per game.

The £16.2m-rated man also helped out in an attacking capacity, ending the season with two goals to his name.

These metrics saw the man Mario Husillos dubbed a “fantastic” player earn an impressive average SofaScore match rating of 6.92, ranking him as the Hammers’ seventh-best performer in the 2020/21 Premier League.

As such, if it is indeed true that Moyes could be tempted into selling the defender this summer, it would seem highly advisable for Hasenhuttl do to everything in his power to land the Frenchman ahead of Wolves and Palace. Diop not only appears to have the potential to slot straight into the Austrian’s starting XI, he could also go on to become a real star for the club for many years to come, with his potential signing something which could have the Saints faithful buzzing.

In other news: Tom Leach delivers update on £60k-p/w Southampton outcast, fans will be buzzing

Villa can sign a new Paul Merson in Todd Cantwell

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith could sign his club’s new Paul Merson in Norwich City star Todd Cantwell.

What’s the story?

Reports from The Telegraph last summer suggested that Smith’s side were weighing up a potential move for the Canaries midfielder, but a deal failed to materialise before the end of the window.

And now, Football Insider claim that Villa are actually in advanced talks with Norwich over finally luring Cantwell to Villa Park, and that there is growing confidence a deal can be done.

Villa’s new Merson

A profile done by Villa’s official club website back in 2010 about five of the greatest midfielders to pull on a shirt, said of Merson: “On the pitch, he was a magician. Merson was brilliant with the ball at his feet and could do things others wouldn’t even dream about.

“People asked questions of the £6.75m fee John Gregory paid for him in 1998 but it definitely proved to be money well spent as he won games and charmed fans. Even though he was obviously struggling away from the sanctity of Villa Park and Bodymoor Heath, his displays were incredible for the club.

“Never afraid to put his foot in, his main attributes, however, were skill and flair as he wowed supporters throughout his four year spell. His finest accolade at the club was undoubtedly winning Players and Supporters Player of the Year awards in 2000.”

Described as someone with a “God-given” talent by his former youth team coach Gary Cockaday, Cantwell has that same natural ability that Merson was gifted with.

Former Norwich striker Dean Ashton raved about him, saying: “When I first saw him I said to Darren Huckerby, ‘how is that lad not training with the first-team?’. He was incredible. The way he was drifting past players. His speed of thought and his awareness. He’s just a wonderful player.”

Last season saw Cantwell average an impressive 1.6 dribbles per game which ranked him joint-top among the rest of Norwich’s squad (Emi Buendia being the other).

The attacking midfielder also features in the top three for Norwich for both key passes and shots per game in the Championship too, another indication of just how influential he is whenever he gets on the ball.

Like Merson, the £19.8m-rated Cantwell has got the ability to unlock defences with a bit of skill or trickery, and Smith should be all over a move this summer.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa are now eyeing this Emile Smith Rowe alternative…

Tottenham Hotspur: Fans react to Pierluigi Gollini’s arrival

Tottenham Hotspur have completed a deal to sign Pierluigi Gollini on a season-long loan deal from Italian side Atalanta, with a view to a permanent deal. 

Gollini has made 112 appearances for Atalanta’s first-team, featuring on 32 occasions last season.

Spurs had previously confirmed that Paulo Gazzaniga left the club when his contracted reached a conclusion at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

Therefore, Spurs needed a second-choice goalkeeper to challenge Hugo Lloris, and Gollini has joined on an initial loan with a permanent option after this season.

The Italian is no stranger to English football, having played for Manchester United’s academy teams from 2012-2014, before departing in favour of a move to Hellas Verona.

He then followed that up with a move to Aston Villa two years later, and made 20 appearances for them in total, before signing for Atalanta in 2018.

Plenty of Spurs supporters were quick to take to social media to issue their verdicts on Gollini’s arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Take a look at the best of the reaction from Twitter below….

Spurs fans praise Gollini signing

“Love it, especially the fact it’s a loan move, try before we buy, very smart move for a goalkeeper, hope he does a great job and can fill Hugo’s boots if he leaves next summer, which I imagine he will.”

Credit: @GriffCOYS

“Letsss goooo.”

Credit: @jxmiecoys

“As long as he keeps the Goal Out, I am in for Gollini!”

Credit: @arunspurs

“Wow. A new signing!”

Credit: @Spurs_SpecialK

“He’s here and he’s beautiful.”

Credit: @THFCdylz

“Better than prime Buffon in my book.”

Credit: @harry_lysn

“Future number 1.”

Credit: @GB9IsHere

“The rebuild starts here.”

Credit: @harrison_finnis

Michael Ball says Everton may sell Richarlison to sign Koulibaly

Michael Ball thinks Everton could sell Richarlison to allow Rafa Benitez to sign top target Kalidou Koulibaly.

Benitez, who was named as Carlo Ancelotti’s successor last month, has bolstered his squad by signing Andros Townsend, Asmir Begovic and Demarai Gray.

He has his sights set on being reunited with Senegal international defender Koulibaly, who he managed at Napoli.

Current Napoli chief Luciano Spalletti has insisted Koulibaly is not for sale but that did not stop the Toffees making an opening bid, according to Calciomercato, which was rejected. It is thought that the Italian club will only allow the 30-year-old to depart for a significant fee.

Meanwhile, Richarlison is among those on former Everton boss Ancelotti’s wishlist following his appointment as Real Madrid’s new boss. It has been reported that Ancelotti has already made contact in the hope of taking the Brazil international to the Bernabeu.

Ex-Everton left-back Ball believes Richarlison could leave Goodison Park to allow Benitez to sign his top target.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “Summer windows, especially after tournaments, result in shock transfers happening.

“We don’t want Richarlison to leave but if he does there would be massive money in the kitty to replace him and bring players like Koulibaly to the football club.”

Crystal Palace: Fan react to Jordan Ayew image

Many Crystal Palace fans have been delighted on Twitter, after striker Jordan Ayew posted a photo on with the caption ‘Enjoyed that one’, following his goal in a 3-1 pre-season friendly away to Reading [Berkshire Live].

In what was a brilliant solo effort by the Ghanaian, Ayew picked up the ball in his own half after an interception by Conor Gallagher, drove forward into space and hammered home low past the Reading goalkeeper [Berkshire Live].

In an entertaining friendly, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Scott Banks were the other scorers for the Eagles, whilst John Swift found the net for their opponents.

Rounding off their preparations for the new season, Palace will host Watford at Selhurst Park on Saturday 7th August [Crystal Palace FC Official].

In light of the Ayew post, no wonder loads of Crystal Palace diehards took to social media to give their thoughts, given his penchant for spectacular goals in the past.

Crystal Palace FC fans react:

Replying to Jordan Ayew’s official Twitter account, here is what some Palace fans had to say:

“Nice strike yesterday champ.”

Credit: @zippy777777

“Ghanaian Prince”

Credit: @CPFCMax9

“Thought you were brilliant yesterday. Your close control is one of the best I have seen whilst I’ve been watching Palace”

Credit: @PaulDenney7

“Deserved it for the shift you put in”

Credit: @gasman_g

“Beautiful”

Credit: @wallHil59834857

“JORDANNNNN”

Credit: @cpfcgoaat

In other news, Crystal Palace fans react to a coaching update.

Nottingham Forest: Laurent keen for Reading stay

Nottingham Forest have been dealt a frustrating update in their pursuit of signing Reading midfielder Josh Laurent, according to a recent report from Berkshire Live. 

The lowdown

Chris Hughton’s side had reportedly been keen on reaching an agreement to sign Laurent, who has caught the eye with some strong showings in his first season with Reading, having signed for the club after a spell with League One side Shrewsbury Town.

Football Insider claimed that Forest had made a bid in the region of £2million-£3million for Laurent this summer.

According to Transfermarkt, Laurent is valued at £1.8million, but it seems as though Reading value the midfielder higher than that, even though he has one year remaining on his contract.

Reading’s financial restrictions have been well-documented, with manager Veljko Paunovic revealing that some first-team players could still be heading for the exit door before the 2021/22 campaign gets underway.

The latest

Berkshire Live have reported that Laurent is keen to stay at Reading for the 2021/22 season, which will be pleasing to hear for their supporters.

But it’s far from ideal for Nottingham Forest, who were evidently eager to strike an agreement to sign the former Shrewsbury Town midfielder, who made 46 appearances in total for Reading last term as they narrowly missed out on a top-six finish in the Championship.

It remains to be seen as to whether the Reds will come back in with a second offer for Laurent’s services at this stage, or whether they’ll turn their attention to other transfer targets in the next couple of weeks.

The verdict

It’s a frustrating update for Nottingham Forest, who are clearly long-term admirers of Laurent, and it’s not difficult to see why.

The 26 year-old had an excellent first season with Reading, boasting an average Whoscored rating of 6.88 as the Berkshire-based side finished seventh in the second-tier standings.

Laurent was nominated for the Championship Player of the Month award in January 2021, earning a description as ‘superb reader of the play’ (quotes sourced from Berkshire Live).

“Has provided the midfield shield upon which Reading’s season has been founded.

“A superb reader of the play and a dynamo with bundles of energy, he also picks the right pass going forward. Scored the pivotal first goal against Bournemouth.”

It’ll be interesting to see whether Hughton and co are to come back in with a second bid for Laurent’s services, with the new Championship campaign set to get underway on Friday.

Arsenal: Romano drops big Odegaard claim

Arsenal could still bring Martin Odegaard back to the Emirates Stadium this month…

What’s the word?

That’s according to renowned Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, who delivered a fresh update on the Gunners’ no.10 search to Twitter earlier in the week.

The Norwegian playmaker excelled during a temporary stint in North London last season and it appears that hope of re-signing him isn’t completely out of the reals of possibility.

“Arsenal are still keeping an eye on Martin Ødegaard. He’s always been the main target as number 10 – if he decides to leave Real and Real decides to sell him, Arsenal will bid for Ødegaard,” Romano said.

“Arsenal would be ready to try also for a permanent move… but it’s up to Real.”

Fans would love it

The Gunners are crying out for a new attacking midfielder to pull the strings in behind the centre-forward but their attempts thus far have failed to garner much success.

Leicester City star James Maddison, who won the Community Shield against Premier League champions Manchester City over the weekend, is thought to be one of Mikel Arteta’s major targets.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-arsenal-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more” title= “Read the latest Arsenal news, transfer rumours, gossip and much more!”]

However, the FA Cup winners value him at a whopping £60m, which may well be outside of their budget at the minute, with the likes of Granit Xhaka, Hector Bellerin and Willian still at the club, meaning there have been little finances raised to bring in further additions.

As Romano claims, it seems as if a return for Odegaard would be the no.1 priority for the North London giants and that would be something that the Emirates faithful would love to see.

The £36m-rated dynamo provided two goals and two assists across 20 appearances, averaging a direct contribution every 216 minutes.

On the face of it, that’s less than impressive but he ranked top for key passes per game in the Premier League, proving to be one of Arteta’s most creative outlets, as per WhoScored.

Many supporters have been pleading with Odegaard to return to England to feature for the club, as relayed by SPORTbible, so this latest development should leave them absolutely buzzing.

With three weeks until the end of the transfer window, only time will tell whether the 22-year-old will be back in a red shirt for the coming season.

AND in other news, Edu could sign Arsenal’s next Samir Nasri in “magical” £34m-rated “special talent”…

Game
Register
Service
Bonus