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Going into what could be a rigorous 2019/20 campaign for Wolves they will need more depth. It’s something that’s no secret, especially given some of the tired performances we saw from them following their FA Cup semi-final defeat.

Although Nuno Santo’s men were then able to rally, there were some individual performances that hadn’t reached the levels we saw earlier in the season.

Next term, the Midlands club will have the Europa League to deal with and as a result they’ll need a bigger squad, particularly if they come through the qualifying rounds.

At the moment they’re particularly thin on the ground for quality in the attacking third of the pitch and reinforcements will be needed.

On the chalkboard

Last weekend, The Evening Standard reported that Wolves had an interest in Arsenal forward Danny Welbeck. The 28-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and therefore available on a free transfer.

If they were to continue to pursue the England international it would be a smart signing for a club like Wolves.

And given his performances in the Europa League this season, he could help them thrive on the continental stage.

Welbeck’s displays are never too convincing but he’s a big game player, something Wolves aren’t lacking. Before suffering a horrific broken ankle against Sporting Lisbon he was in very promising form.

Playing mainly as a striker in Europe throughout the early parts of 2018/19, he averaged 2.5 shots per game. That’s a record this season only bettered by Raul Jimenez from a Wolves perspective who had 2.9 shots per match in the Premier League.

As such, he could be the perfect player to help share the workload from an attacking point of view.

Welbeck is a phenomenally hard worker and his two goals in the four games he played in the competition before injury showed he’s more than capable of providing able back-up. He’d also perfectly fit the counter-attacking style Wolves play with.

We’ve found Raul Jimenez’s No. 1 fan and… it’s a little scary. Check out the video below to see for yourself…

Capped 42 times by England, he started the season by scoring five goals in his first ten matches in all competitions.

Wolves fans may need convincing that he’s the right option but should contact be made with the attacker, there would be few better options to help tackle the task of the Europa League.

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West Ham United are attempting to shift five flops from the wage bill as they look to fund their summer business, per ClaretandHugh.

The Hammers have signed Pablo Fornals from Villarreal for a £24m fee.

But they are also attempting to move players out of the club, with Pedro Obiang, Jordan Hugill, Martin Samuelsen, Reece Oxford and Sam Byram all up for sale.

A deal that would have taken Oxford to Bundesliga club Augsburg has fallen through, however, while Hugill and Samuelsen have received little interest.

Championship club Nottingham Forest reportedly want Byram, while Obiang has been routinely linked with Roma, though it is not stated if any bids have been tabled for the duo.

With West Ham’s summer business still up in the air – Football FanCast understands that they would like to sign a striker and potentially a defender too – it seems imperative that some of the deadwood is shifted so that the received transfer fees can be reinvested into the squad.

But have the Irons picked the right players to move on?

FFC’s writers give their verdicts below!

Billy Meyers

“West Ham could be making a huge mistake by sanctioning these deals. Apart from Obiang, the other four are still fairly young and could still have something to offer at the London Stadium – Oxford and Samuelson are especially risky departures to agree to. The pair have shown great promise at times and should be given more of a chance.”

Charles Jones

“It’s hard to disagree with these players leaving the London Stadium if Manuel Pellegrini doesn’t feel that they have a future at the club. That list has a lot of unfulfilled potential in it and it is a shame that these players couldn’t produce the goods for the Hammers, but it’d be a pointless endeavour to keep them on the wage bill if they’re not wanted.”

James Beavis

“They are completely right. If they want to move forward and progress, West Ham can’t afford any passengers and these players clearly fit under that category. While some of them may be relatively young in football terms, they haven’t done enough to show that they have a big part to play at the London Stadium in the future. Pellegrini has made his mind up, and it would be difficult to argue with his decision.”

This season, Roy Hodgson has been very flexible at Crystal Palace when it has come to formations.

The Eagles boss has had no problem with using a 4-4-2 in one game, then a 4-3-3 in another.

And it is something he is likely to continue doing in the next campaign, especially if he loses his talisman Wilfried Zaha, with a transfer to former club Manchester United currently being mooted (The Telegraph).

Hodgson, however, should look towards using a 4-2-3-1 on a more permanent basis if Zaha does end up leaving Selhurst Park.

The Ivorian’s departure would almost certainly leave a creative void in Crystal Palace’s team, and switching to a formation such as the 4-2-3-1 might just be the thing that helps Hodgson to fill it.

Realistically, the Eagles are going to find it hard to find a like-for-like replacement for Zaha who is of equal ability.

Bearing that in mind, getting three attackers into the side behind a striker, which the 4-2-3-1 allows, may be the way to go.

In the likes of Andros Townsend and Max Meyer, Hodgson already has a couple of decent offensive options.

After using the Zaha money to reinforce that area, Hodgson could have the tools to field a very good three-man attack, one more capable of making up for the Ivory Coast international’s loss than a sole like-for-like replacement.

As far as life after Zaha goes, 4-2-3-1 could just be what Crystal Palace need to get by.

Crystal Palace fans, how would you like to see your team line up next season? Join the discussion by commenting below.

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I’m not sure what the first port of call would be after winning a maiden Champions League title.

Virgil van Dijk simply dropped to the floor when he saw Divock Origi’s decisive goal nestle inside the post and into the netting.

Jordan Henderson couldn’t hold back the tears and enjoyed the moment with his dad, who had suffered from cancer last year.

But what did Roberto Firmino do?

Has Salomon Rondon had a better season than Bobby Firmino? Matt from The Magpie Channel discusses in the video below…

Well, the Brazilian international clearly wanted to do something that would last a bit longer than a hug, and something that would also show everyone he meets just how much Liverpool Football Club means to him.

In just the space between the final whistle sounding on Saturday evening and the plane taking off from Madrid the following morning, the former Hoffenheim attacker found the time to dye his hair red and create a new look to celebrate the Reds’ sixth Champions League title.

It’s certainly a bold thing to do given the fact there’s no hiding the obvious change in his appearance, but Firmino is a bold guy.

Whether he’s kicking the ball into an empty net whilst looking to other way, or celebrating with some pretty odd dance moves, the 27-year-old is an eccentric character – his bold fashion statement emphasises that.

Every other player in Jurgen Klopp’s squad clearly loves the club going off the scenes following the final whistle in Madrid, but Firmino’s gesture clearly shows just how much he wants the world to know that he plays for Liverpool and is proud of it.

And why shouldn’t he be?

The No.9 plays for one of the most attractive clubs in the world right now under an exquisite manager; it is a very good time to be associated with Liverpool.

أعلن الاتحاد الألماني لكرة القدم في بيان رسمي اليوم الإثنين تجديد الثقة في مدرب المنتخب الأول يواكيم لوف، بعد الأنباء الأخيرة التي أشارت إلى إمكانية رحيله.

وأعلن فرينز كيلر رئيس الاتحاد الألماني بعد اجتماع لمجلس الإدارة اليوم، أنه تم الاتفاق على استمرار يواكيم لوف مديرًا فنيًا للفريق.

وبعد الهزيمة بسداسية من إسبانيا بدوري الأمم الأوروبية في مباراة المانشافت الأخيرة، كانت التقارير تشير إلى أن يواكيم لوف أيامه قليلة في قيادة منتخب ألمانيا.

وأكد الاتحاد الألماني أن تجديد الثقة في يواكيم لوف جاء لقيادة الفريق إلى كأس العالم 2022 ومشواره في يورو 2020 والتي ستقام في يونيو المقبل 2021، وأن مباراة واحدة لا يمكن أن تكون مقياسًا للمدرب الذي يحظى بثقة الاتحاد الألماني لكرة القدم.

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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…

We all know how bad Alfredo Morelos can be and when the red mist comes down he’s the worst player you can wish for out on the pitch. However, his goals have gone a very long way to atoning for his obvious lack of a brain, and the Gers will need to replace him properly if he leaves. With that in mind, Steven Gerrard cannot afford to sign Karim Ansarifard.

The Nottingham Forest striker has been plying his trade in the Championship since he was snapped up at The City Ground back in November as a free agent, and his numbers have been woeful. The Championship and the Scottish Premier League aren’t too far apart in terms of quality, and it’s hard to imagine that Ansarifard would be able to better his return of two goals in 12 if he did move to Ibrox.

Then there’s the fact that with both Morelos and Jermain Defoe scoring a combined 38 goals in all competitions they just do not need the Iranian forward. Should Gerrard act on the rumours from Football Insider he would be shooting this Rangers side in the foot. We’d even go as far as to say that big target-man Kyle Lafferty does a much better job than the Nottingham Forest failure.

At 29-years-old, if Ansarifard did find his way to the Gers this summer the striker has no resale value given his age and no track record to suggest that the goals would flow freely north of the border. Two goals in 12 this season is a pathetic return, and as Gerrard has been tying up some smart business for progressive young players, this link sticks out like a sore thumb amid some genuinely impressive moves.

Rangers fans, do you agree with that Ansarifard is a no-go? Comment below!

In the past few days, transfer news has been aplenty surrounding around Portsmouth, yet not much of it has made for pleasant reading for supporters.

Portsmouth News reported that the club have pulled out of a move for Plymouth Argyle striker Freddie Ladapo due to high wage demands as well as reveal that the club are miles away from agreeing on a fee for Peterborough United attacker Matt Godden.

Couple that with the news from Football Insider that Oldham Athletic defender George Edmundson has snubbed Pompey for a move to north of the border to Rangers, and you have a fairly clear idea in your head that the south coast side aren’t exactly doing well with transfers this summer.

Sure, the news of Scottish winger Gary Mackay-Steven being close to joining Portsmouth according to Aberdeen Evening Express is a promising sign that the club are building upon their sole signing so far this summer in James Bolton from Shrewsbury Town, but for a side that are aiming for a return to the Championship, Pompey can’t keep stalling over deals if they are to build a squad to go one better than what they did last season.

Indeed, as the League One fixture list was announced earlier today and with pre-season starting in just under three weeks’ time, Portsmouth need to see this as a sign that the new season isn’t too far away and that Kenny Jackett needs to ensure the majority of his transfer targets are signed and with the squad come the 10th July.

Portsmouth fans, who do you expect the club to sign this summer? Let us know!

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Rangers are looking to get rid of left-back Borna Barisic this summer, according to Football Insider.

What’s the story?

Steven Gerrard knows that in order to challenge Celtic next season, the Gers need a really successful summer transfer window and that process will involve both bringing players in and letting the right ones go.

Football Insider reckon one player the club are preparing to axe is Croatian international Barisic, ready to listen to offers for him and even hoping they can score a profit on the £2.2m it took to sign him from NK Osijek last year.

However, is it the right time to sell him, especially when there is no obvious replacement currently at the club?

Left-back worry

With the long serving Lee Wallace also leaving the club this summer after the expiration of his contract, only Jon Flanagan is available in the position heading into vital summer qualifiers and he is a natural right-back.

There’s no doubt that Barisic had a disappointing debut season at Ibrox, especially since the turn of the year, but he’s a player with obvious talent that shouldn’t be written off so quickly, even if a profit can be made.

Injuries and fitness issues blighted his season and clearly more consistency needs to be found in that regard, but saying goodbye to a current Croatian international who is capped regularly could be something the club later come to regret.

Unless Steven Gerrard has a ready made replacement that can come in early this summer and get up to speed, Barisic is worth keeping around.

With his contract running until 2022, there’s plenty of time to sell him if it doesn’t work out again next season.

West Ham United need a striker this summer if they are to step up and take things to the next level. We get it.

However, that does not appear to have stopped the world’s media outlets from linking the Hammers with every possible (and feasible) striker that could be available to buy this summer!

Manuel Pellegrini’s side have been linked with a move for Maxi Gomez for god knows how long, Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic has been thrown into the hat on a number of occasions, West Bromwich Albion’s Salomon Rondon is thought to be in the mix, as is Florian Aye and Moussa Marega.

But, the latest one really takes the biscuit when it comes to reported transfer targets and reeks of sheer desperation should it have any truth to it.

According to a report by Turkish media publication Fotomac (via Sport Witness), West Ham are understood to hold an interest in Mario Balotelli; the one and only!

Now whether that is because Fenerbache are being heavily linked with a move for the soon-to-be free agent this summer and the press are looking to drum up a story involving a Premier League outfit that is known to be needing a striker remains to be seen, however, that’s all it should be.

Drama seems to follow the Italian wherever he goes and that is something the London Stadium outfit could do without following Marko Arnautovic’s antics in the winter.

Sure, the 28-year-old still has bundles of talent and has shown that he can find the back of the net on a consistent basis (although Liverpool fans would probably disagree). He hit eight goals in his 14 Ligue 1 appearances for Olympique de Marseille in his short stay; although they are said to be looking to extend it further (Fotomac via Sport Witness).

But, he cannot be considered prolific enough for what West Ham currently need to spearhead their attack, whilst there is no guarantee that Pellegrini will be able to tame the beast and get the best out of him regularly and without tempers flying.

If the Hammers are genuinely taking an interest in Balotelli, then it should be that all their other options have been exhausted and they have no chance of signing someone better than him.

West Ham fans, what do you think about Balotelli? Do you think a move for him would reek of desperation? Let us know your thoughts below!