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

Tanguy Ndombele is seeking a departure from Lyon this summer amid interest from Tottenham Hotspur, the club’s president Jean-Michel Aulas has said, per GFFN.

What’s the word?

Ndombele has been heavily linked with a move to Spurs throughout the summer transfer window.

Football.London have reported that the club are in talks with the midfielder over a potential deal that would surely eclipse the £42m that they paid to sign Davinson Sanchez from Ajax.

And Aulas has now confirmed that Ndombele could depart in this transfer window.

He said: “We’ve done we needed to do in terms of departures. It would have to be very substantial offers to advance with Tanguy, who would prefer to leave.

“If he left – which isn’t the case today – we would look to recruit someone with experience. For the moment nothing has happened, but the door is ajar.

“If Ndombele left, we have players to target and Thiago Mendes is one of them. Ndombele is pragmatic – he hasn’t said ‘I must leave tomorrow’. He is being chased by big clubs and when they come you have to listen. I haven’t spoken to him since his international duty.

“No, there is no end date for Ndombele is leave. I shouldn’t say it, but we don’t need to raise money before 30 June when we have to present our accounts. If he wants to stay, he’s very welcome.”

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The deal to do

This would be an incredible deal for Spurs.

Ndombele would be a genuine marquee signing as the club look to secure their first acquisition since January 2018.

The likes of Barcelona and Juventus have also been linked with the France international, who has made 96 appearances for the French club.

If Spurs can get the deal done, it may be all they need this summer.

They haven’t replaced Mousa Dembele, who left in January, but securing Ndombele would do that at a stroke.

One transfer doesn’t feel like much for a club who haven’t actually completed one in over a year, but the Frenchman would go a long way to solving the main issue the club currently faces: a weakness in midfield.

كشف مصدر بنادي الزمالك عن تلقي جناح الفريق الأول لعرض من الدوري السعودي لرحيله خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية الجارية.

وقال المصدر في تصريحات خاصة لـ “بطولات”: “محمد أوناجم يتلقى عرضا من الدوري السعودي على سبيل الإعارة”، في حين لم يذكر المصدر اسم النادي.

طالع أيضًا.. لجنة إدارة الزمالك: لم نغلق باب الرحيل أمام مصطفى محمد.. وديون فريق اليد 23 مليون جنيه

وتابع: “هناك اجتماع في الزمالك لحسم موقف اللاعب من العرض المقدم”.

جدير بالذكر أن الزمالك يحتل وصافة جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 20 نقطة، حصيلة 8 مباريات فاز في 6 وتعادل في مواجهتين.

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Lots of Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to slam Roberto Carlos’ reasoning behind why he prefers Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson over Alisson Becker.

The former Real Madrid left-back told the Raw Take podcast: “I like Alisson because he is tall and has good positioning but Ederson can play in any position – goalkeeper, centre-back, midfielder – he has great quality.

“So I am sorry Alisson, but to me Ederson is a bit better because he plays better with his feet.”

You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…

Some Reds supporters down below have taken exception to these comments as they feel a goalkeeper should be judged on things a keeper is expected to do, not for their ability to play in a position away from the goalmouth.

One fan sarcastically said that Andres Iniesta is a better goalkeeper than Iker Casillas in a humorous retaliation to Carlos’ strange comments, whilst more fans are just outright baffled by the former Brazilian international’s reasoning for his choice.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Alisson completed more passes per game in the Premier League last season in comparison to the former Benfica goalkeeper anyway, recording an average of 28.3 compared to Ederson’s 24.2 – Carlos really doesn’t have much weight behind his argument.

Let’s take a look at some of the best tweets…

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It was a monumental Saturday for Celtic Football Club.

Not only have the Hoops managed to win a treble of trophies for a third successive season, the club also announced their future direction by confirming that Neil Lennon has been offered the permanent role of manager.

Despite securing a 2-1 victory over Hearts, the match at Hampden was another reminder for many that there’s serious work to be done on this Celtic side over the summer break to maintain success.

Lennon must start by addressing an obvious midfield problem that put the team at risk of defeat against Craig Levein’s side.

On the chalkboard

Put simply, the performances of Tom Rogic are not to the standard that Celtic require and it’s been clear since he returned from injury a couple of months ago.

He started the match on Saturday instead of Olivier Ntcham and from the first minute it was rather obvious there was a lack of balance in the Hoops midfield.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Scott Brown and Callum McGregor were overrun in the first half, with the low-energy Rogic failing to do anything on the ball that could be considered a threat to the Hearts defence.

In the second half that only continued until Lennon took the necessary step to substitute the attacking midfielder off and bring on the Frenchman, who on today’s evidence should have started the match.

Ntcham was far more of a presence in both halves of the pitch, managing to carry the ball on the break more effectively than the Australian and offering the Hoops more out of possession too.

Tactical changes

Now Lennon knows he has the job heading in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers he will likely seek to enact his own tactical changes on a side that have persisted in the manner of Brendan Rodgers since his departure to Leicester City.

What that means for the formation and style of his side remains to be seen, but if Rogic doesn’t improve or hit the ground running in the early stages of the season then he won’t find himself starting much longer.

Right now a midfield three of Brown, McGregor and one of Ntcham or Ryan Christie seems by far the best way to proceed, as both can offer attacking impetus with a better defensive work rate than Rogic.

Recruitment is going to be a massive part of Lennon’s first few months next season, but unless he gets the ongoing balance of his team spot on then Celtic risk having a more difficult summer of qualifiers than they’d like.

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Manchester United are keen on a summer move for Newcastle United prospect Sean Longstaff, according to Sky Sports, and Magpies fans have been quick to react on Twitter.

The outlet say he fits the transfer mould for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with the Old Trafford boss keen on adding young, home-grown talent to his squad that he can develop into trophy winners.

For their part, the Magpies say he is not for sale and have not yet been contacted by the Manchester club about a potential move.

Longstaff burst onto the Newcastle scene this season, making a string of impressive English Premier League appearances between December and February before suffering a season-ending injury.

Coming through the club’s academy system, fans feel he has massive potential and is the kind of player that can be built around in seasons to come.

Loose cannon or vital cog in the Newcastle’s machine? The Magpie Channel think it would be a mistake to sell the player in the video below…

There is nonetheless concern that the decision makers at Newcastle could be tempted to cash in on his talent rather than invest in his future.

These supporters have taken to Twitter this week to share their thoughts on potentially selling the 21-year-old…

Will Newcastle United be able to hold on to Sean Longstaff? Share your thoughts in the comments below…

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According to South London Press, Charlton will resume talks with Anfernee Dijksteel regarding a new contract after the play-offs have concluded, with promotion to the Championship clearly a priority for the hierarchy at The Valley.

The Dutchman still has a year left on his current deal so the matter isn’t as urgent as, say Lee Bowyer’s situation – the Addicks boss’ contract with the club expires this summer.

Regardless, the former Newcastle midfielder’s comments regarding Dijksteel’s future are a positive sign that Roland Duchatelet will get the ball rolling soon enough. But are the play-offs going to become another excuse for the eccentric Belgian to drag things out?

What’s the word?

Well, Bowyer told South London Press:

“He hasn’t signed yet. I thought it would be done by now if I’m honest.

“But that’s something we will pick up after the end of the season.

“He’s still got a year left. We just thought he had done well, so we’ll reward him with a new deal.”

Don’t worry about Dijksteel

The 22-year-old has impressed on the right of defence in the absence of first-choice Chris Solly and was particularly stoic in the difficult 0-0 stalemate with Bristol Rovers in March. Primarily, or formerly, a defensive midfielder, the number 2 has excelled in a new role this season and earned praise for his exploits on Charlton Live’s award dinner podcast at the weekend (quotes from between 00:57:30 and 00:57:58):

Check out what happened when two of Charlton’s best players faced-off in a game of ‘Splat’ in the video below…

“When he (covered for Solly at right-back last season) I was impressed but I thought that there was a mistake in him and that there was a little vulnerability when he came forward, but this season, I’ve just felt that he’s so much (more) comfortable, bearing in mind that central-defensive midfield is his main position. I just feel like he’s been a lot more asserted at that right-back position now and he’s sort of made it his own. He’s someone I’ve been really impressed with this season.”

Dijksteel has shown that he could succeed 28-year-old Solly in the coming years and so tying him down would be a smart bit of business from the SE7 outfit but Charlton fans will likely be more concerned with the fact that Joe Aribo, Patrick Bauer and the aforementioned Bowyer, who is a huge hit with the fans, could leave free of charge this summer.

The play-offs are, of course, a huge opportunity for the Addicks but they may become an excuse for Duchatelet to stall on contract negotiations with various key players and staff. Will the extended season prove detrimental to Charlton’s chances of keeping their best players?

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West Brom’s game with Reading was far from a classic. However, in drawing 0-0 it was a result that was enough to seal both sides’ fate. For the Royals it was a point that ensured they’d be playing in the Championship against next season, and for the Baggies it meant they secured a play-off spot.

Naturally, the defenders will take the plaudits when both sides keep a clean sheet but from a West Brom point of view, this will come as a much-needed boost going into the remaining games.

Under James Shan, there have been some questionable defensive contributions, no less so than at Ashton Gate when the club found themselves 3-0 down in the first half against Bristol City.

But this was a much improved defensive display as West Brom secured their first shutout in six games.

One of the men to make a difference was captain for the day Kyle Bartley. The former Arsenal man was absolutely tremendous for Leeds in the Championship in 2016/17, but this term he hasn’t been able to replicate that.

His performances have largely been disappointing, and as such he’s taken a barrage of criticism from West Brom fans on social media.

However, against Reading, the club looked a lot better for Bartley starting and he was able to prove his doubters wrong with a busy and industrious display at left centre-back.

The 27-year-old was solid at the back and since Shan has moved to a three-man defence following that defeat against Bristol City, the defence and team as a whole have looked much better.

The 40-year-old made plenty of changes for the draw with Reading, and as a result they lacked their attacking potency which was in evidence against Preston.

But defensively there was a renewed purpose and Bartley has the new system to thank for his improved displays in the past two matches he’s played.

His passing accuracy was bettered only by Rekeem Harper in the West Brom side whilst the fact he won 100% of his aerial duels shows the force he can be when the ball isn’t on the ground, too.

Without Ahmed Hegazi, Albion have looked confused in defence but the performance of Bartley in particular on Monday will give their supporters extra confidence going into the play-offs.

For Shan, his most impressive feat yet is perhaps getting players like him in form.

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Steve McClaren has been operating on borrowed time in recent weeks – the results have worsened as the season nears the end – but, finally, QPR decided that enough was enough on Monday and gave the former England boss the boot with seven games to go.

McClaren departs Loftus Road having overseen 46 matches in charge since taking Ian Holloway’s place at the helm last summer – the former Palace boss was sacked a week previously after a poor run of results towards the end of the 2017/18 season.

The R’s have won just once since Boxing Day and are currently in the worst form of the league; whoever comes in and replaces McClaren has an almighty job to turn the season around and guide the Hoops to a respectable finish come May.

Could that man be Holloway? It certainly seemed that the eccentric honcho has some unfinished business at Loftus Road, as he spoke to TalkSport in the wake of his successor’s sacking:

“He took my job. I still had another year left at the club. I’m still being paid by them now.

“He was talking to the chairman while I was in the job, saying what he’d do and what he’d change. He hasn’t been able to do that.

“What goes around comes around. Where the hell are the young lads I was told to bring through? [Ebere] Eze isn’t playing, what about [Ryan] Manning? They’re not playing. I was told to promote the youth and bring people in who cared about the club, it’s not happening.

“Would I go back? It depends who calls me, Les [Ferdinand, director of football] didn’t want me to go.”

Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…

Indeed, neither Eze or Manning have featured under McClaren recently, whose QPR team could certainly have done with some youthful exuberance, with the likes of Luke Freeman preferred in Eze’s central, attacking-midfield role.

Holloway also refused to rule out a sensational return to the helm on the condition that QPR legend Ferdinand was the one to speak to him. Could it happen? Let us know in the comments, QPR fans, whether you would like to see Holloway return or not.

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Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter in disappointed fashion after it was revealed that they would be playing Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals.

The Red Devils haven’t faced the reigning Spanish champions competitively since the 2011 final of this competition, in which Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona dispatched Sir Alex Ferguson’s United by three goals to one at Wembley.

Would you rather your club won the Premier League or Champions League? In the video below, Pl>ymaker FC’s Matty believes English clubs have already decided…

Obviously, with the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Luis Suarez and some bloke called Lionel Messi in their ranks, the Catalans are one of the strongest teams left in the competition and will be hard work for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to overcome.

However, if they do manage to progress, a possible semi-final tie against arch-rivals Liverpool awaits if the Reds can beat Porto – if that isn’t motivation, then what is?

It’s safe to say that the United fans on Twitter aren’t happy with the draw, which has been unkind to them to say the least…

أفادت تقارير صحفية إيطالية، أن نادي باريس سان جيرمان لا يستسلم بشأن التعاقد مع الدولي البرتغالي كريستيانو رونالدو مهاجم يوفنتوس.

باريس سان جيرمان ارتبط كثيرًا بالتعاقد مع رونالدو، وسط رغبة المالك القطري ناصر الخليفي، لجمع نيمار وكريستيانو في فريق واحد.

صحيفة “كالشيو ميركاتو” الإيطالية، أفادت بأن باريس سان جيرمان سيكون بإمكانه محاولة أخرى لضم كريستيانو رونالدو في الصيف المقبل، وعمر اللاعب 36 عامًا.

طالع أيضًا.. رونالدو يكشف موعد اعتزاله كرة القدم

كريستيانو لديه عقد مع يوفنتوس حتى 2022، بعقد 31 مليون يورو صافيًا لكل موسم.

وشددت الصحيفة، بأن كريستيانو رونالدو لا يرغب في الرحيل عن يوفنتوس، ويحترم تعاقده مع النادي الإيطالي، ويسعى لتحقيق الألقاب مع البيانكونيري.

علاقة أنيلي رئيس نادي يوفنتوس، وكريستيانو رونالدو قوية للغاية، كما أن المدير الفني الجديد أندريا بيرلو أيضًا، على اتفاق دائمًا مع النجم البرتغالي.