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Defender Shkodran Mustafi could lead a clearout of Arsenal players this summer, according to the Daily Mail.

Manager Unai Emery is set to sell as many as seven players when the transfer window reopens.

What’s the word?

The Germany international turned in another error-strewn display as the Gunners lost 3-2 to Crystal Palace at the Emirates on Sunday.

And Mustafi will be placed in the shop window this summer claims the Mail’s report, though Arsenal may struggle to find a buyer given his performances this term.

Emery has a budget of just £45million this summer but he will be allowed to top that kitty up with player sales, and the struggling German won’t be the only one to go.

Along with Mustafi, both Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan could leave the club – the Germany international earns £350,000-per-week and the Gunners are keen to shift him off the wage bill.

Carl Jenkinson and Mohamed Elneny may also depart, while loanees Calum Chambers and David Ospina – on loan at Fulham and Napoli respectively – will likely be sold once they return to north London.

Aaron Ramsey is set to move to Juventus once the season ends, while Petr Cech is retiring. Danny Welbeck, who has endured an injury-prone spell at Arsenal, is unlikely to be offered a new contract, with his deal set to expire in the summer.

Hand over to Emery

Arsenal need to rebuild from the ground up.

And this is a perfect opportunity to give Emery the reigns in the summer transfer window.

The club, of course, are without a director of football or a technical director after Sven Mislintat departed the club.

Allowing Emery to bring in his own targets can only be a good thing.

Arsenal will subsequently have an identity of their own once again, with players brought in surgically, to ensure the club have a very specific playing style.

That should, in turn, help the club achieve their goals, as they again look to finish in the top four in 2019-20.

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Celtic may yet have the chance to sign Filip Benkovic again this summer, but should they pull the trigger?

Last week, Brendan Rodgers sounded open to the possibility that Benkovic could leave Leicester again this summer.

Rodgers told the Leicester Mercury: “We will have a look in the summer. The idea was to get him out on loan where he can get experience and feel pressure.

“He obviously has been playing at Celtic with 60,000 plus and the weight of expectation to win every game, so he was going to be okay with pressure. That is what he has done, not so much the second half of the season, but we will take him back and have a look to see where we go from there.”

With Dedryck Boyata’s contract still set to expire this summer, many Bhoys fans will be hoping the club jumps at the chance to re-sign Benkovic, but here’s three reasons why they shouldn’t.

Cost

The Croatian could of course re-join the club on loan, but if they attempt a permanent move then it will be a costly one.

The Foxes signed Benkovic for around £13m (BBC) last summer, and after a fairly successful loan spell they will absolutely expect to make a profit on the youngster.

Anything around or above £13m is far too much for a permanent move given the other areas of Neil Lennon’s squad that need strengthening.

Fitness

Fitness has also been a concern for the Croatian, featuring in just 18 of Celtic’s 33 league matches thus far due to various injuries, but mostly down to an ankle problem.

The 6 ft 4 centre back has played just three times since December, which is especially worrying given the sheer quantity of fixtures through the winter period, fixtures that are essential in the quest for silverware.

If Boyata leaves the Bhoys need a replacement they can trust, but with Benkovic’s ankle troubles it could be left to Jack Hendry to step in and replace the Belgian, which is worrying to say the least.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Ajer

Finally, Lennon and the club need to think about what is best for Kristoffer Ajer. The 20 year-old put in one of his best performances in green and white against Rangers last week, but he is still learning.

He has massive potential, but he needs an experienced leader next to him to guide him and show him the ropes, not someone who is equally inexperienced with just as much to learn.

With three years left on his contract, Ajer is the club’s future, and the focus this summer should be on finding a leadership presence to play alongside him, not another youngster to develop.

The Blues have been inconsistent in their performances in the Premier League and that form looks like costing the club a place in the Champions League, while manager Sarri could also be left to pay by losing his job.

The summer ahead promises to be a massively tough on for Chelsea, with a transfer ban putting a spanner in the works of any potential plans to employ a new manager, while there are a host of their current players who are attracting interest from elsewhere.

That got us here in the Tavern thinking about the Blues going forward, and with that thought in mind, we took a look at TWO pressing issues Chelsea need resolve to ensure next season is a success…

The future of Eden Hazard

Whether he stays or goes, the Blues cannot simply allow the saga surrounding Hazard to continue.

The Belgian is their key man, there is no doubt about that, but the constant speculation surrounding him is affecting the rest of the club in general.

Hazard should either be sold on for a huge sum, or sign a new deal and knuckle down to get the club back where it needs to be.

Managerial merry-go-round

Chelsea have lived and died by their managerial decisions in recent times, with the club often opting to change coach at the drop of a hat.

The Blues need to make a decision and a quick one on the future of Sarri, and it’s time they decided whether they want to change their business model or continue as they are.

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Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a £30million bid for Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes this summer, according to the Daily Telegraph.

The Spaniard is currently on loan at Everton and Spurs are prepared to rival the Toffees for his permanent signature.

What’s the word?

Gomes has enjoyed a productive season at Goodison Park, playing 26 times in all competitions under Marco Silva.

The 25-year-old, who has played a total of 78 times for Barcelona, has also won 29 caps for Portugal.

He has been ever-present for Everton since overcoming a muscle injury at the beginning of the campaign and Spurs are reported to be monitoring Gomes’ progress.

The club considered the signing of the star in January of 2018, when the Catalan giants made him available for loan.

Mauricio Pochettino is said to admire Gomes and is keen to replenish his midfield this summer, amid doubts over the future of Denmark international Christian Eriksen and with Mousa Dembele having departed for Chinese club Guangzhou R&F in January.

A perfect replacement

Dembele needs replacing.

The Belgium international was a major part of the club’s playing style and Spurs have struggled since his departure.

Indeed, they have not been helped by a number of injury problems but a box-to-box midfielder who is comfortable on the ball is a necessary addition in the summer transfer window. Gomes fits that bill perfectly.

Gomes, of course, would not come cheap and Everton would surely put up a fight, but it would go a long way to filling a sizeable hole in the centre of the pitch.

Many Spurs fans may contend that the signing of a midfielder was also paramount in January but it is better late than never.

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West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini has been talking about Saturday’s huge clash with Newcastle, and he is absolutely full of praise for January signing Miguel Almiron.

Newcastle will look to make it three wins in a row on Saturday evening, as they travel to London to take on the Hammers.

The Magpies have won their last two contests 2-0, against Huddersfield and Burnley, although both of those matches were at home.

They will face a different test in the London Stadium, as the Hammers continue to be one of the most confusing and inconsistent sides in the league, swapping from good to bad performances on a weekly basis.

They beat Fulham 3-1 in their last home contest, but Pellegrini is clearly expecting a much sterner test this time around.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

What’s he said?

“When we went to Newcastle and beat them, they had won some games in a row,” he said at his Friday press conference, as reported by The Mag.

“Now though, they’re more consistent and have won their last two games.

“(They) have signed Almiron too, so we know we need to play a very good game if we want to get points here.

“He (Almiron) is a very good player and will be successful for Newcastle.”

A record-breaking threat

Almiron joined Newcastle in January for a club-record fee of about £20m, and the 25 year-old has impressed the Toon Army already with incredible pace and audacious skill.

Pellegrini is known to have a good eye for South American talent as well, so it is perhaps no surprise to hear the West Ham boss speak so highly of Almiron.

The Chilean’s comments also reveal how much Newcastle have improved, partly due to Almiron’s arrival, as the Magpies’ consistency in both results and performance levels has been superb recently.

Pellegrini knows his side are in for a fight, and judging by his admiration for Almiron, the Hammers may be tempted to set up a little deeper than usual to thwart the Paraguayan international’s pace.

ذكرت تقارير صحفية أن مصطفى محمد مهاجم فريق الزمالك يحظى باهتمام أندية إسبانية.

وقالت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية: “عدد من الأندية الإسبانية مهتمة بالتعاقد مع المهاجم المصري مصفى محمد بعد أدائه الرائع مع الزمالك ومنتخب بلاده”.

وأضافت الصحيفة: “مصطفى محمد البالغ من العمر 23 عامًا، يجذب اهتمام رايو فاليكانو وإلتشي”.

وتابعت: “مع بقاء أسبوع على انتهاء سوق الانتقالات الصيفية، يأمل رايو فاليكانو في التعاقد مع ظهير أيسر وجناح ومهاجم”.

وأتمت: “مازال لدي رايو فاليكانو مكانًا شاغرًا للاعب من خارج الاتحاد الأوروبي، كما أكد مدرب الفريق في وقت سابق، حاجته للتعاقد مع رأس حربة”.

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Aston Villa boss Dean Smith has ruled Jack Grealish out of this weekend’s Championship fixture with Stoke City.

What’s the latest?

Smith told AVTV:

“No, Saturday will come too soon for him. He’s still working very hard on the training ground. He has done bits and bobs with us.”

Villa had initially expected to have Grealish available for the clash with Stoke, but Smith has revealed that the midfielder is not yet ready to return to action.

The 23-year-old has not featured in the Championship since picking up a shin injury during the 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion in the early stages of December.

Since then, Villa have played 12 times without him in the league, winning just twice, which is an indication of his importance to the team.

That said, it is not all bad news, with Smith confirming that the Englishman has stepped up his training in recent days in a bid to return as soon as possible.

How important is Grealish to Villa?

Very, very important. Grealish’s numbers this season are not wonderful, scoring just twice and registering four assists in 21 Championship matches.

However, Villa are a different team when the midfielder plays; they are more inventive, take more risks and carry a greater threat in the final third of the field.

Smith’s side are fast running out of time if they are to make the playoffs this season, but a win at Stoke this weekend would be a big step in the right direction.

Grealish, who signed a new five-year contract with Villa in September, will then surely have an excellent chance of returning for his team’s next Championship clash at home to fellow top-six hopefuls Derby County on March 2.

West Brom have to be recognised as one of the strongest teams in the Championship.

The Baggies have been at the top of the division for the majority of the campaign, and although they dropped down to second place this weekend they’re still in a good position to go on and get promoted.

The problem is that the rest of the division have wised up to how good the Baggies are, and Steve Cooper gave a glowing review of Slaven Bilic’s team after their game today.

What’s been said then?

The Swansea manager was speaking to the press after his side’s 0-0 draw with the Midlands outfit.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

“I think that we are never going to be 100% happy drawing a game at home, but I think we need to respect the game it was – opposition, top of the league, ridiculously strong squad, massive investment,” Cooper claimed.

“They had large parts of the game where they had more of the ball, but they’ve had one shot on goal. Clean sheet…if Jay [Fulton] scores, then it’s like ‘what a result!’

“I’m not going to sing and dance about drawing, but there are a lot of positives which will help us in the run-in.”

Respected

The Baggies aren’t being underestimated by any side in the division, and that could be something of a negative for Albion.

Swansea are by no means a poor side, but Cooper seemed quite pleased with a draw against Bilic’s outfit.

The fact that managers have this view of West Brom isn’t a good thing as they will be turning up against the Baggies and trying their damndest to take points off a team they perceive to be one of the best in the division.

Hopefully, Albions’ quality can get them through to the end of the season.

In other news, West Brom’s summer priority has become apparent.

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According to The Sun, Manchester United have made the decision to keep interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the club beyond his six month spell, although the club may not announce it until the end of the season. Spurs will be rubbing their hands as doubts over Mauricio Pochettino’s future are surely diminished.

What’s the word?

Well, The Sun reports that the Norwegian’s sensational start at Old Trafford has won over the United board who are set to offer the former striker the job on a permanent basis.

The ‘baby-faced assassin’ has won 10 out of 11 games since he took to the helm in mid-December and, besides the free-flowing football and emphatic wins, he has managed to do what Jose Mourinho never could when he was in charge and that is getting the best out of the likes of Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

The latter, who scored a fine solo goal against Fulham at the weekend, has also backed his boss to stay beyond his current deal, thus burying reports that Spurs manager Pochettino could be on the way to Manchester in the summer.

Poch going nowhere

The Argentine has been heavily linked with the role since Mourinho’s departure at the end of last year having done an incredible job at White Hart Lane since he quit Southampton for Spurs in 2014.

Despite having yet to secure cup or league glory in his four-and-a-half year tenure, the former defender is credited with the development of Harry Kane and Dele Alli to name just two, and the impact he has had on the club in general is very impressive.

Spurs fans were surely worried sick seeing the reports that he was top of United’s managerial candidate shortlist but will be hugely relieved hearing that Solskjaer is going to retain his role.

Harry Kane gets his hands on the Super Bowl and Dele Alli gets his hands on a superb owl in the latest episode After 90 below…

Mousa Dembele’s future at the club remains uncertain with reports suggesting a move to Italy could still be on the cards.

The Belgium international has been a crucial player under Mauricio Pochettino during the Argentine’s reign at the club but has less than one year remaining on his contract. Dembele has heavily linked with a summer transfer but ultimately stayed put in north London. The Belgian is currently sidelined until 2019 meaning he may have already played his last game for the Lilywhites.

Reports suggest that Juventus are lining up a move for the maestro when the window reopens in January. With Emre Can and Sami Khedira both struggling for fitness, Juve see Dembele as the perfect alternative as he could be available on the cheap.

To replace him, Spurs should line up a move for Napoli hotshot – Piotr Zielinski. Valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, the Poland international was once set to join Liverpool but instead signed for Napoli after impressing during a loan spell with Empoli. Zielinski was a crucial player for his team last season, spearheading Napoli’s title challenge under Maurizio Sarri.

Zielinski is a box-to-box midfielder who would thrive in Pochettino’s system. Blessed with fantastic technical ability, the Pole’s excellent range of passing would lessen the creative burden on the shoulders of Christian Eriksen. Zielinski is also a constant goal threat due to his superb long-range shooting ability.

The 24-year-old possesses a fantastic engine meaning he should have no issues adapting to life in England. Spurs should finally give him the chance to showcase his ability in the Premier League.

Spurs fans, thoughts?