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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…

Speaking on talkSPORT, Lille defender Jose Fonte has given his seal of approval on teammate and potential Arsenal signing Nicolas Pepe.

What did he say?

According to recent reports, the Gunners are edging closer to sealing a club-record £72m deal for the Ivory Coast international this summer, and Fonte has tipped his colleague for greatness.

He said: “He’s incredible. If he can reach the same level that he did last year in Lille, which I believe he will, I think Arsenal fans will be very happy. He’s super quick, his left foot is silky, his 1v1 is second to none, he finishes really good, he takes penalties and free kicks. He’s a very accomplished player and I think Arsenal fans will be in for a treat.

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“It’s not always that you have a player like this. I’ve played with a lot of players and this kid is special. There’s no doubt about it, he’s special. He can get to a very, very high level and can be one of the best in the world, 100 per cent, I’m confident he has everything in place to get there.

“The Premier League is the best league in the world, Arsenal is a great club and I’m sure he’ll enjoy London as well. I’m excited to see him play in the Premier League.”

Seal of approval

As a former Premier League defender with Southampton, Fonte’s ringing endorsement of Pepe’s abilities should be given serious consideration. The ex-Saints star has seen the winger tear up Ligue 1 first-hand, and bore witness to a player who finished as the league’s second-top goalscorer – only behind PSG’s Kylian Mbappe.

Whilst Pepe’s impressive goals and assists tallies stand up well, it was perhaps the way he carried his Lille side to a second-placed finish in the league that really makes for impressive reading. The season before, Lille had finished just outside the relegation places, so to see Pepe help transform the side to perform miracles is something to behold.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

The Gunners are similarly in need of a revival themselves after an underwhelming end to the campaign last season. The battle to finish in the Premier League’s top four continues to be a difficult job, and Pepe’s arrival can help lift the mood both on and off the pitch at the Emirates next season.

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Leigh Griffiths made his competitive return for Celtic against FK Sarajevo and the fans are absolutely delighted.

Griffiths came on as a late substitute for Odsonne Edouard in his side’s 2-1 victory over the Bosnian champions.

Goals from Ryan Christie and Callum McGregor ensured it was a comfortable night for Neil Lennon’s men, after their dominant showing in the away leg last week.

The 5-2 aggregate win means that Lennon’s side will face Nomme Kalju in the second round of the Champions League qualifiers. The Estonian side will travel to Celtic Park next week in the first leg.

Griffiths is a real fan favourite at Celtic Park and the affection the fans have for him was clear to see against Sarajevo. Perhaps the loudest cheer of the night was reserved for his entrance onto the pitch in the 80th minute.

The 28 year-old has returned having taken time away from football to focus on his mental health.

This was his first taste of competitive action since December,and the Twitter reactions down below will tell you exactly how the Parkhead faithful feel about his return…

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Friday’s Liverpool transfer roundup shed light on an enquiry made for a Dutch superstar, Bundesliga interest in a young striker and comments from Jurgen Klopp on the club’s transfer policy. Today’s edition shares an offer made for a former Anfield star, eyes on a Russian forward and a Championship club after a young Reds goalkeeper.

Liverpool lodge Coutinho bid

Calcio Mercato is reporting that Liverpool have made an offer to take Philippe Coutinho back to Merseyside. Klopp and co have tabled a two-year loan bid to FC Barcelona, with an option to then purchase the Brazilian for £88m. The 27-year-old has apparently accepted the proposal.

Reds eye Chalov

Liverpool have entered the race to sign CSKA Moscow’s Fedor Chalov according to The Mirror. They have a lot of competition for his signature, though, with Manchester City, Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also mentioned. The 21-year-old scored 17 goals for the Russian outfit last term.

Huddersfield favourites for Grabara

According to journalist Alan Nixon, Huddersfield Town are “red-hot favourites” to sign goalkeeper Kamil Grabara. The deal mentioned is of a loan variety. The 20-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan with Danish side Aarhus GF.

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Ryan Sessegnon has set his heart on a move to Tottenham Hotspur, per The Guardian, much to the delight of supporters.

The Fulham youngster can play as a full-back or a winger and has reportedly informed the club that he does not intend to sign a new contract, with his current deal set to expire next summer.

He is said to be desperate to play under Mauricio Pochettino in north London, as he believes his talent would bloom under the Argentine’s tutelage.

It remains to be seen whether a fee can be agreed; Fulham are reported to want £45m for the 19-year-old but Spurs are keen to pay around £25m.

His declaration of intent, however, may force Fulham’s hand as they run the risk of losing a player who emerged from their relegation season with credit for nothing at the conclusion of the 2019/20 campaign.

And Spurs fans are thrilled at the prospect of securing one of the highest-rated young players in the country in this transfer window, with one even claiming he is a more important acquisition that Lyon’s Tanguy Ndombele, who has long been linked with the club.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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And now it’s finally official: Daniel James made up his mind and is finally donning the Manchester red. A signing that was long on the cards has finally gone through and this electric youngster has arrived at Old Trafford and is ready to make a big impact in the foreseeable future.

This 21-year-old winger could very well be the breath of fresh air United needed and because of that, here are two main reasons he will be a huge hit at Old Trafford…

The numbers don’t lie

It’s quite easy to get carried away with emerging new talents as we are so often seduced by their flashy styles and quick development. But James’ contribution to Swansea City cannot really be disputed, especially after glancing at the pure numbers behind it. Four goals and a total of nine assists in his last Championship campaign for the Swans really do speak for themselves. Even when he’s compared to current Manchester United players, the 21-year-old is not far behind – albeit playing in a division of lesser quality.

And, of course, James has his age as one of his biggest advantages over most of his rivals at the club.

Dissecting the figures even further, we find out that he ranked third in the Championship for fast breaks per 90 minutes last season, and fifth among the players with the most shots in the league. Additionally, only four players recorded more touches in the opposition box per 90 minutes than James in his latest campaign. If that doesn’t excite you, barely anything will.

The sky is the limit

At 21 years of age, James has the whole world ahead of him. His journey in English football has barely begun! With proper management, which will surely play a major role in his development, he could become an important player for the Red Devils.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seems pretty convinced Manchester United is the right place for James to continue his career and he is excited to have him on his team. Honestly, we couldn’t agree more, and it’s now down to Ole to lead the youngster properly.

Ultimately, in a market where talented young players can be difficult to sign for a modest fee, Manchester United have done fairly well to acquire one for £15m.

Even for Arsenal’s standards, Wednesday night’s Europa League final defeat was pretty special in terms of how disastrous it was.

In a game where the Gunners simply had to win, the north London side suffered one of the club’s most embarrassing results in their history with a 4-1 defeat to a Chelsea side seemingly at war with its own manager, their star player already with his mind somewhere else, and a transfer ban looming over their shoulders.

Chelsea, who also already finished in a Champions League spot in the Premier League, looked like a team who wanted to win, whilst Arsenal, yet again, just keeled over and died before our very eyes.

It was an all too familiar story. Strikers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette were isolated and failed to do a thing, Sead Kolasinac tried to bomb forward but couldn’t manage one successful pass into the penalty area, and Mesut Ozil once again vanished as he floated around the pitch.

It wasn’t until Alex Iwobi, and a player who most fans have written off, and Joe Willock came on in the second half that the Gunners finally started showing some fight, but by then it was too late, and the damage has already been done.

The loss in Baku will remain a black scar on Arsenal until a return Champions League happens, whenever that will be, but the defeat also proved what many had speculated, the club have a mentality problem.

Pound-for-pound, Arsenal had the best XI out there at the Olympic Stadium, but because Chelsea’s mentality of always wanting to win silverware despite the ‘disastrous’ season they have had proved to be the difference maker, and in doing so set the Gunners back to square one in their long-term plan to return to the top.

Arsenal could have made it a night to remember, but instead, fans saw the same club that capitulated against Crystal Palace and Brighton, and if changes aren’t made this summer, there is a genuine fear the Gunners will never return to the former glories their fans want so desperately.

Arsenal fans, what needs to change this summer? Let us know!

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have slammed the club for letting Jan Vertonghen try to play on after sustaining a head injury in the Champions League semi-final first leg against Ajax.

The Belgium defender was involved in a clash of heads with team-mate Toby Alderweireld in the first half.

He was tended to by Spurs’ medical team, with blood pouring from his wound, which appeared to be just below his eye.

Mauricio Pochettino and his medical team refused to substitute the 32-year-old, however, and he was allowed to return to the field of play.

Despite that, he asked to be substituted just a couple of minutes later, with Vertonghen clearly dazed from the clash with his compatriot.

Spurs lost 1-0, with Donny van de Beek scoring the only goal of the game.

And supporters took to Twitter to express their disgust at the club’s concussion protocol.

Indeed, many believe that he should have been substituted immediately, particularly with his face left a crimson mask.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

وضع الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “FIFA” حدًا لانتهاكات وكلاء الأعمال، بين الأندية واللاعبين، في صفقات موكليهم.

الاتحاد الدولي بدأ في الفترة الأخيرة مشاورات للحد من سلطة وتفويضات الوكلاء والممثلين في عالم كرة القدم، والهدف هو إنهاء الممارسات التي يعتبرها الاتحاد مسيئة ومفرطة.

صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، أكدت أن الاتحاد سيطبق الشفافية، وسيضع قواعد جديدة يتم مشاورتها بداية من شهر سبتمبر 2021.

وأوضح الـFIFA، أنه بدأ عملية المشاورات السلسة والأخيرة على اللوائح الجديدة قبل تقديمها للتصويت عليها في الجمعية العمومية للاتحاد، بهدف تفعيلها في العام المقبل.

وستجبر اللوائح الجديدة التي تدخل حيز التنفيذ في يناير 2022، الوكلاء على الحصول على ترخيص والخضوع للاختبارات التي يجرها الاتحاد الدولي، بالإضافة إلى ذلك الإعلان عن نسبتهم في كل صفقة.

سيعرف جميع المتابعين نسبة الوكلاء من كل صفقة، في إعلان رسمي من النادي أو اللاعب، وسيتم نشر كل شيء عبر وسائل الإعلام.

كما سينتهي التمثيل الثلاثي، أي لا يمكن لأي وكيل أن تكون له مصالح مباشرة أو غير مباشرة مع النادي البائع للاعب أو الذي يتعاقد معه، ويتقاضى إلى 10% كحد أقصى من قيمة الصفقة.

وستقتصر عمولة وكيل اللاعب على 3% فقط، بالإضافة إلى ذلك، لن يتمكن أفراد عائلة اللاعبين بعد الآن من العمل كممثلين للاعب، إلا إذا كانوا يحملون رخصة.

ولن يشارك أي وكيل في نشاط رياضي آخر في اتحاد قاري أو محلي، أو حتى إدارة نادي.

Fulham wonderkid Ryan Sessegnon is back in the headlines with the summer transfer window fast approaching, but a move away from Craven Cottage may not be on the youngster’s mind (yet).

Ryan Sessegnon is a bit of a buzz-name for national newspapers now we are coming up to the summer window. The Sun, for example, have thrown about numerous rumours regarding his future, nominating Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United along and Borussia Dortmund as suitors, because – why not?

Stick the player in any headline accompanied by some big team from around the country or Europe and guarantee to create some sort of rumour storm. Realistically though, how much does the player want to leave?

Spurs are said to be the frontrunners for his signature and could get the deal done this summer with a sizable cash offer.

Mauricio Pochettino’s work with players over the past five years is apparently one of the main factors, with Harry Kane’s meteoric ascent to England captain referenced, while Dele Alli, Eric Dier and Kieran Trippier are all also viewed as inspirations for Sessegnon.

For all the interest however, the £50million man could opt to stay on at Fulham for another year and see out his contract, which expires in 2020.

Now, this would be a catastrophe for all parties involved. Fulham would lose out on sizable training compensation, Tottenham would miss out on their man and Ryan Sessegnon would almost certainly see his window of opportunity slip away.

Selfishness is the key now. Sessegnon must take the plunge for the good of his career; there is no use sticking around in the Championship another year. What will it achieve? More experience at a level far below his huge potential? More playing time and possible injuries? Hero status at Fulham and a missed chance at Tottenham?

It’s time to be bold.

Tottenham fans, would you rather see Sessegnon join now, next year, or never? Let us know in the comments below…

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While some Crystal Palace fans might tell you that their five-year stay in the Premier League has felt like twice as long – it has been an emotional ride full of ups and downs – the Eagles are now a fully established top-flight club and the squad they’ve got is proof of that.

None of this might have been possible though, if not for that memorable 2012/13 Championship season in which Palace won the play-offs and thus secured promotion to the Premier League.

Kevin Phillips scored the winner over Watford in the final and thus went down in the Palace history books. Despite having only made 21 appearances for the Eagles, the hitman is a hero.

However, it might not have all been possible if he hadn’t suffered early rejection in his Southampton academy days. The retired striker spoke to Palace’s official website about how he almost became a defender instead:

“I got offered apprenticeship forms at Southampton as a striker. However, when I went in to their full-time training every day, I was still quite small.

“The manager at the time, Dave Marrington, looked at me and basically said to me: ‘listen, until you develop, we have bigger and stronger players in that area at the moment. We can see you’ve got technical ability, we can see you can score a goal but for your development physically, how would you like to have a go at playing in defence, ie: right-back?’

“It wasn’t the greatest of news I wanted to hear but at the end of the day it got me in the team week in, week out. I wanted to play up front but I went in as a right full-back for virtually two years as an apprentice.”

Next, the former Blackpool and Sunderland forward played lower league football with Baldock Town, where he was granted opportunities up front – in a fantastic twist of fate, the Saints would pay big money to bring the reject striker back the south coast in 2003 after spells at Watford and Sunderland.

Did Gareth Southgate pick Kieran Trippier over “the best full-back propsect in the world”? Bhavs makes his case in the video below…

Since their promotion, Selhurst Park outfit Palace have been able to attract top players like Mamadou Sakho, Christian Benteke, Luka Milivojevic and – most importantly – keep hold of talisman Wilfried Zaha, none of which they would have been able to do a few years ago.

While the threat of relegation is never quite staved off, Palace are worthy of being a top-half team now and are ready to take the next step with huge improvements to their beloved stadium. They will be counting their lucky stars that Phillips persisted with his goalscoring dreams, then.