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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Following the release of his new autobiography, Michael Owen has become involved in a Twitter spat with Alan Shearer over their time together at Newcastle.

What did he say?

Having arrived from Real Madrid, Owen’s career on Tyneside failed to lift off, with numerous injuries taking their toll on the former England international.

In the 39-year-old’s final campaign with the club, Magpies legend Alan Shearer took charge of the side’s final eight games in the Premier League, but failed to stave off relegation.

Watch Newcastle United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

In his book (serialised by The Daily Mirror), Owen claims Shearer blamed him for Newcastle going down, which led to the pair having an entertaining back-and-forth on Twitter.

Slap in the face

Forget the almost child-like spat on social media between a pair of grown men. Owen’s revelation that he regretted his move to Newcastle, and his apparent failure to take any kind of responsibility for his miserable time on Tyneside, is a major slap in the face for fans.

His comment that he felt he didn’t need to “justify” himself to Newcastle supporters is naive at best, and insulting at worst. The former Liverpool star was raking in a reported £120k-a-week for effectively sitting on his backside on the treatment table.

As The Chronicle’s Mark Douglas captures perfectly, far worse players than him have taken criticism on the chin and worked their socked offs to become heroes. Instead, Owen seems to be hell-bent on absolving himself of any blame, and intent on spiting Magpies fans at the same time.

In the end, the BT Sport pundit may have gotten exactly what he wanted. After all, any publicity is good publicity right?

But when it’s all said and done, his “unforgivable attitude” as Douglas puts it means Owen’s legacy at yet another club is tarnished. Respect should always be far more important than the numbers on your bank account. Sadly, the 39-year-old doesn’t appear to think that’s the case.

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Wolves’ new signing Jesus Vallejo has had plenty to say after his first few days at Molineux.

The Spaniard has praised club captain Conor Coady amongst other things and that has drawn a reaction from some supporters at the club.

Vallejo joined the club on a season-long loan last week from Real Madrid and was Nuno Santo’s first major summer arrival.

The 22-year-old captained Spain to their U21 European Championship triumph this summer but has only featured 19 times for the Spanish giants since joining them from Real Zaragoza in 2015.

A number of supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his latest comments.

One fan said he couldn’t wait to see him play, believing the starlet was keen to make an impact whilst another supporter praised their boss, saying it shows the genius of Nuno after transforming Coady’s position and making him captain.

Others called Vallejo class and there was further praise for the midfielder-turned-defender with him being described as one sweet guy that has never shown a nasty side.

You can read the best of the reaction below:

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

Atletico Madrid have entered the race to sign Christian Eriksen from Tottenham Hotspur, per Marca.

What’s the word?

Eriksen has been linked with a move to Real Madrid throughout the transfer window.

But a new report claims that Atleti could make a move if they fail to sign James Rodriguez from their city rivals.

Indeed, Marca claims that negotiations between the two could be difficult, and the Denmark international has emerged as an alternative.

The piece states that Eriksen does not want to extend his contract at Spurs but that Real manager Zinedine Zidane is not keen to acquire his signature.

Music to Levy’s ears

A separate Marca report claims that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy phoned Real to offer them the chance to buy Eriksen.

And Atleti’s stance could see the attacking midfielder finally moved on.

He spoke of his desire to take on a new challenge after the Champions League final defeat to Liverpool.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

And it appears that Spurs are actively attempting to move him on, though they are facing a fight to convince Zidane’s Real to make a bid.

That has lead some reports to claim Eriksen could end up staying at Tottenham, creating the daunting prospect of losing a top talent on a free transfer next summer when his contract is due to expire.

Financially that would be a huge blow for Spurs, but it could affect Eriksen’s form on the pitch too.

As such, Atleti’s interest should be music to the ears of the chairman as he looks to find the 27-year-old a new club prior to the transfer deadline.

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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 The Mirror (June 27, page 65), Aston Villa are set to make an improved bid for defender Adam Webster.

What’s the word?

Last season’s transfer saga at Villa revolved around Jack Grealish who eventually committed his future to the club after initially attracting a bid from Tottenham.

However, this summer’s saga seems to be forming around a potential incoming, rather than a possible departure.

The Sun reported Villa’s interest in Webster at the start of the month before the club followed that up with a £12m bid, only for it to be rejected.

Yet, the print version of The Mirror has now reported that they’re looking to make an improved bid for the Bristol City man.

Purslow’s comments could come back to bite him

Bristol Live reported earlier this week that Bristol City were looking for a massive £30m for the 24-year-old.

On the face of it, paying that fee for a player who has never played in the Premier League would be particularly strange.

Webster is hugely impressive in the air, better than Tyrone Mings, in fact, which is something we’ve already detailed. But if Villa are to sustain themselves in the top-flight it would be a mistake to ramp up their efforts after having an initial £12m bid knocked back.

CEO Christian Purslow told BBC Sport last month when speaking about transfers: “This is when poorly run businesses and clubs make mistakes. This is the time to pause, apply a cold towel and contemplate carefully exactly what we need to do.”

The centre-back may well be a top target but you can’t help but feel like improving their bid would be a mistake and would go against what Purslow has said.

In this situation, Villa must pause and contemplate carefully whether they need to spend that much on a central defender.

The club does need to add bodies in that area of the pitch but by improving on their previous bid, it would be questionable decision making.

You only need to look at what happened to Fulham last season. They spent over £100m, mostly on unproven Premier League talent, and they ended up getting relegated.

Villa, therefore, must be careful in their approach and ensure they don’t make a mistake on this transfer.

If they do, it could come back to bite Purslow and the club.

أعلن نادي وست هام يونايتد منذ قليل تعاقده مع اللاعب جيسي لينجارد من صفوف فريق مانشستر يونايتد في موسم الانتقالات الشتوي الحالي.

وارتبط لينجارد بخطوة الرحيل عن الشياطين الحمر بعدما أصبح خارج خطط المدرب أولي جونار سولشاير.

وأصدر وست هام بيانًا رسميًا منذ قليل أعلن من خلاله حصوله على خدمات لينجارد.

اقرأ أيضًا.. مدرب وست هام: مواجهة ليفربول؟ تحدِ صعب وفرصة جيدة لنا

وأفاد النادي في بيانه أن لينجارد وقع عقدًا مع الفريق على سبيل الإعارة حتى نهاية هذا الموسم.

وسبق لـ لينجارد اللعب تحت قيادة مدرب وست هام، ديفيد مويس، وذلك عندما كان الأخير مسؤولًا عن تدريب مانشستر يونايتد.

يبدو أن مسلسل انتقال كيليان مبابي مهاجم باريس سان جيرمان، المتحمل لـ ريال مدريد ما زال مستمرًا، في ظل تعثر المفاوضات بين النادي الفرنسي واللاعب حول التجديد.

كيليان مبابي مطلوب بشدة في ريال مدريد، بطلب من المدرب زين الدين زيدان والرئيس فلورنتينو بيريز، وحتى الآن لم يجدد عقده مع باريس سان جيرمان.

طالع أيضًا.. هل يقصد مبابي؟!.. بوتشيتينو: هناك تغييرات ستحدث في تشكيل باريس سان جيرمان

النادي الفرنسي لم يتوصل لاتفاق مع مبابي بشأن تجديد عقده، في ظل رغبة اللاعب أيضًا بالانتقال إلى ريال مدريد، واقترابه من نهاية العقد في يونيو 2022.

صحيفة “Le10Sport” الفرنسية، أفادت أن قيمة كيليان مبابي السوقية تراجعت مع اقتراب عقده من النهاية بعد موسم ونصف، وهو ما يجعل ريال مدريد أكثر تفاؤلًا بشأن حسم الصفقة لصالحه.

قيمة اللاعب الفرنسي السوقية، أصبحت الآن 149 مليون يورو، بعدما كانت 165 مليونا في يناير 2020.

ومن المرجح أن تنخفض قيمة اللاعب السوقية أكثر بطبيعة الحال، مع اقتراب عقده أكثر من النهاية، في ظل اقتناع ريال مدريد بأن الركود في قيمة كيليان قد يجعل انتقاله أسهل.

يأمل ريال مدريد، عدم تجديد اللاعب عقده مع باريس سان جيرمان، ويبدو أن التحرك الرسمي سيكون في الصيف المقبل.

ريال مدريد لم يتعاقد مع أي لاعب خلال الصيف الماضي، وكذلك في يناير الجاري، لتجميع الأموال من أجل صفقة كيليان مبابي التي تبدو حلمًا لـ النادي الملكي.

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Attendance at The Valley has soared over the course of the season, with the general optimism around Charlton increasing as their incredible 2018/19 journey goes on, with around 25,000 Addicks fans making their way to SE7 for the nail-biting victory over Doncaster Rovers on Friday.

Next up for Lee Bowyer’s side? Sunderland at Wembley Stadium. The Londoners can achieve promotion if they beat the Black Cats on Sunday and thousands of Charlton fans have been buying tickets this week – 38,227, to be exact.

It’s a phenomenal effort from the fans to match that from the players and Bowyer, which has got the team to where they are now, and the Addicks faithful will be hoping that their support can propel their beloved side to glory.

One of English football’s lesser known rivalries was reignited on Saturday thanks to an unlikely source. Check out the video above to find out which one…

Former midfielder Bowyer has done a fantastic job in reuniting the fans and the team once again, with Roland Duchatelet threatening to drive a wedge between them, and it will be quite the story if Charlton can lift the trophy this weekend. Here’s what the Addicks fans on Twitter had to say about the impressive number of tickets sold…

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Athletic Bilbao are set to give up on signing Fernando Llorente this summer after Tottenham Hotspur’s run to the Champions League final, per Fichajes.

What’s the word?

Llorente has played a key role in helping Spurs to the showpiece, scoring the decisive goal in the aggregate quarter-final victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium and changing the game when introduced as a substitute against Ajax in the last four.

His contract expires this summer and it remains to be seen if the club will look to extend his deal.

But Fichajes claim that Bilbao, with whom Llorente spent eight years between 2005 and 2013, are set to shelve their plans for a reunion with the 34-year-old this summer.

In January earlier this year, Bilbao’s chairman told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser (via Daily Mail) that he wanted to sign Llorente, but the latest report from Fichajes suggests that the La Liga side have now made a u-turn.

That may be down to their belief that the forward will be offered a new contract in north London, though The Sun claim that he will be released on a free transfer upon the expiration of his current deal.

Reward his heroics

This is the perfect time for Spurs to reward Llorente’s heroics.

No, he is not the most complete striker, nor is he anywhere near as good as Harry Kane but very few strikers on the planet are.

And his performances in the Champions League this season should surely be enough to earn him a new deal.

The lure of a return to the Basque Country will surely have appealed to Llorente but, with Bilbao seemingly pulling out of the race, there is no competition for Spurs to fight off.

Handing him a new contract, even if it is just a pay-as-you-play deal is the right thing to do; if they didn’t have Llorente, Spurs would not be playing in the Champions League final, after all, as they’d have been eliminated at the Etihad Stadium.

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Christian Eriksen reminded Tottenham Hotspur of his value on Tuesday evening.

The Denmark international, whose contract expires at the end of next season, scored a brilliant winner as Spurs beat Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 at home.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side subsequently maintained their grip on third place after a weekend of crazy results, with Arsenal and Manchester United both losing, to Crystal Palace and Everton respectively, and Chelsea being held to a draw by Burnley on Monday.

However, Eriksen continues to be linked with a move away from the club.

Real Madrid have long been touted as potential suitors, with a move this summer a possibility, particularly with Spurs running the risk of losing the playmaker on a free at the end of next season if they cannot agree to a new deal.

We’ve asked some of the writers at Football FanCast if the Lilywhites should cash in on the playmaker extraordinaire, here’s what they said…

Matt Dawson

“I’ve always thought of Christian Eriksen as being one of the first players to leave Spurs as soon as things went south. However, he underlined his importance to the club against Brighton with yet another superb goal. How many times is he going to pop up with strikes like that? Considering Dele Alli’s largely underwhelming performances this season then Eriksen has to be held onto. You’d have to question Spurs’ ambition if he left so easily this summer.”

Luke Glanville

“If they aren’t already there, Tottenham Hotspur, for me, are getting very close to a position where they are able to hold onto players like Christian Eriksen. Just look at their new stadium and Champions League progression this season – and Eriksen has to be the first example of that. He’s had plenty of opportunities to go before and stayed, that shows he wants to be in north London. Spurs must find a way of honing that and holding onto him. But it they can’t win a major trophy next season, I expect the lure of Real Madrid would prove too much to resist.”

James Beavis

“Eriksen turned on the class once again with that goal against Brighton, but, in my eyes, he hasn’t done it consistently enough this season. The Denmark international has often gone missing in the really big fixtures, and perhaps now a fresh start would suit all parties. The 27-year-old is good but he isn’t irreplaceable, and if he has no intention of signing a new contract then Tottenham must cash in while they can.”

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Conor Coady has been one of Wolves’ key players this season. He’s had an extremely impressive first season in the Premier League that’s even had him in the discussion for an England place.

However, Gareth Southgate shut down claims he should be in the side, citing Wolves’ three–at-the-back formation as the reason.

But having played every minute of every Wolves match in the Premier League this season, the sheer number of minutes the captain has clocked up could now be catching up on him.

As such, he and his club should consider dropping him this weekend in order for the 26-year-old to recharge his batteries.

Performance levels dropping

Wolves have been terrific in 2018/19 but in recent weeks, barring a win over Manchester United, have shown signs of slowing down.

It’s understandable given the effort they’ve put in this term. They’ve claimed 13 points from the Premier League’s top six sides, but a defeat to Watford has called some things into question.

Their loss last weekend in the FA Cup semi-final underlined some key problems, no less than their lack of plan B and ineffective substitutions.

But one of their biggest strengths in Coady may now be becoming a weakness too. This isn’t to say that he should be dropped permanently, but with the club now having less to play for he is deserving of a rest.

He was unfortunate to score an own goal against Burnley, but even then his performance wasn’t too great. Against Watford, meanwhile, he was bullied by the presence of Troy Deeney.

What goes under the radar, is that Willy Boly has statistically been better than the man he plays alongside. Coady only makes 0.9 tackles per game, compared to Boly’s 2.3. He’s also down in terms of interceptions and blocks per game compared to his French teammate.

Wolves Fan TV place the blame for Wolves’ FA Cup semi-final collapse on John Ruddy in the video below…

Other candidates at centre half in Romain Saiss and Ryan Bennett also boast better tackling and interception stats.

There is no denying Coady’s influence on the team and it would a huge surprise to see the captain dropped, but given Wolves’ poor form away from home, they should experiment with something different against Southampton.