Celtic missed out on signing £25million Tottenham Hotspur acquisition Ryan Sessegnon, who is currently on loan with Hoffenheim until the end of the season. His admirable versatility and strong presence in front of goal during his Fulham days attracted a lot of attention, but he has fallen down the pecking order at Spurs.
Whilst Jose Mourinho is a fan of his and has labelled him a “fantastic” player, the 20-year-old still has a lot to learn. This loan spell could be the making of him under the Portuguese icon, or it could attract interest from other clubs.
Celtic must revisit Sessegnon talks
The Hoops registered their desire to sign the England youth international just before the summer transfer deadline. Sky Sports reported that the Premiership outfit were very keen on Sessegnon, but finances proved to be a problem in getting a deal over the line.
Indeed, the current climate has hit many clubs hard and sacrifices have been made. But with plenty of clubs interested in Odsonne Edouard, Neil Lennon could be looking to cut his cloth there and use the funds to invest in a player like Sessegnon.
His final season with Fulham saw him take on a multitude of roles, including right-back, left-back, left-wing and centre-forward (via Transfermarkt). As it stands, this kind of versatility would be hugely beneficial to Celtic, who have seen an ongoing change in their starting lineup.
It’s been a tough 2020/21 season for the Hoops so far, who have fallen out of favour in the league and are having a torrid time in Europe. Lennon appears to be jamming square pegs into round holes as he juggles an injury-ridden squad. The recent controversy with Mohamed Elyounoussi could also see him lose the clinical striker, who has made a big impact on the club this term.
This is exactly where the manager would have benefited from Sessegnon, who has shown his confidence in slotting into almost any position on the pitch and performing to the highest standard.
In other news, Shane Duffy was biggest Celtic disappointment against Sparta Prague…
Everton appear to be in the market for a new central defender this summer and their reported move for Gabriel Magalhaes continues to rumble on, so it’s time to consider a viable alternative…
What’s the word?
According to Italian journalist Ciro Venerato, who appeared on Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli as relayed by CalcioNapoli24, the Toffees have opened negotiations for Carlo Ancelotti’s old centre-back Nikola Maksimovic.
He said: “Ancelotti negotiates not only for Allan but also Maksimović, who is valued at €15m (£13.5m) by the club” and added that there is also interest from AS Roma and Fiorentina.
Whilst their move for Gabriel may have hit a wall with Football Insider claiming that the club have failed to come to an agreement with Lille for a second time over a transfer fee.
Gabriel alternative?
Despite there being a six-year age gap between Maksimovic and Gabriel, a move for the former wouldn’t be the worst decision to make. The 6 foot 4 colossus has bags of experience in the Italian top-flight, which includes Napoli’s Coppa Italia triumph this season.
The 28-year-old has been likened to fellow countryman, United legend Nemanja Vidic, so that tells you everything you need to know about his playing style – imposing, aggressive and dominant.
Per WhoScored, the centre-back won an average of 2.2 aerial duels per game as well as managing 2.7 clearances, 1.6 tackles and 1.4 interceptions, which only reinforces the comparisons.
Ancelotti knows him very well, of course, having managed him at Napoli and the Serb has even lauded his old boss for giving him a new lease of life, he said:
“It’s good to have the coach’s confidence. Since I came back from my loan spell, I’ve really knuckled down and tried to do my best for the team. We enjoy ourselves with Ancelotti – when we’re on the pitch too. We’re able to express ourselves easily even though we work very hard during the week.”
He might not be the youthful Gabriel, but Maksimovic would be a very decent alternative, especially at just £13.5m – Marcel Brands could bolster other areas with the money saved.
AND in other news, Toffees suffer blow in big-money transfer chase…
Speaking on The Last Word on Spurs podcast, journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Erik Lamela is adamant that he doesn’t want to leave Tottenham.
What’s the word?
The Argentina international played 35 times across all competitions, scoring just two goals and providing three assists in the Premier League.
Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…
A hamstring injury kept him out of action for the best part of a couple of months mid-way through the season, whilst he completed the full 90 minutes just once after the Premier League’s restart back in June.
Now, Romano claims that Lamela is intent on staying in north London and is convinced he can perform at a high level next season.
Daniel Levy must be ruthles
Earning a reported £80k-per-week, Lamela remains one of Spurs’ highest-earners, but the truth is that he has shown little to justify the north Londoners paying that much money for him.
His struggles with injuries are well-known, and it was quite telling that even when fit, Jose Mourinho hardly started him, let alone allowing him to play the full 90 minutes.
In fact, Lamela did not score a single Premier League goal after netting almost 12 months ago when he notched in a 4-0 win over Crystal Palace. With Steven Bergwijn signed up in the January transfer window, Spurs have yet another option to play out wide, and it’s an area in which they are well covered.
Getting rid of Lamela this summer would free him from the wage books, and potentially give them extra money to splash out on positions that actually need prioritising. Levy must be ruthless with the Argentine for the greater good of the team, and if that means showing the exit door to someone who has been a virtual passenger for them, then so be it.
Pride Park Stadium was built in 1997 and has since then been the home of Derby County who are currently playing their football in the Championship. It’s located on Pride Park – hence its name – a business park on the outskirts of Derby’s city centre.
Pride Park Stadium has an impressive capacity of 33,597 with a 105m x 68m pitch that’s not surrounded by a running track and has natural grass on the surface with undersoil heating installed as well.
The record attendance stands at 33,597 and was achieved during an international clash between England and Mexico on 25 May 2001.
A history of Pride Park Stadium
Pride Park Stadium has a long and rich history with Derby County. But still, prior to their move to a new ground, the Rams’ home was at the Baseball Ground, where they have been since 1895. But with the issues regarding the reduced capacity after the Taylor Report that followed the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster, and the fact the stadium had wooden components – which was unacceptable after the tragic Bradford City Stadium fire – the club decided to move to a different and improved ground.
It would still take them a while to settle on a definite plan – with some wanting to build an expensive new ground and the others preferring to just improve the old one – but after securing the then-redeveloping Pride Park business park, settling with Derby City Council for a smaller site than previously agreed, they finally announced they would move to a brand new £16 million stadium for the start of the 1997/98 season.
There was also an idea to potentially just name it the ‘New Baseball Ground’ but that was scrapped in favour of its current name, Pride Park Stadium. Interestingly enough, the ground was then officially opened on 18 July 1997 by none other than Queen Elizabeth II and the first match would then be played about two weeks after against Sampdoria in a friendly clash.
Over the years, of course, Derby County would indeed make further improvements to their ground, adding additional seats to increase the capacity and in 2006, they even announced huge plans to add 10,000 more to align with their success in the Premier League. However, since the team ended up being relegated, the plans had to ultimately be scrapped.
Initially, however, once Pride Park Stadium was converted into an all-seater, as was required of all grounds in the top two English tiers, its capacity shrinked to 17,500 but would reach the current figure of 33,597 over time and with further investment.
It is also interesting to note that between 7 December 2013 and 18 November 2016, the stadium was actually called the iPro Stadium due to sponsorship rights after the club made a £7 million deal with global sports drink company iPro. However, that wouldn’t last as the club announced the cancellation of partnership just three years later, reverting the stadium’s name back to Pride Park Stadium.
Tickets to watch Derby County at Pride ParkStadium
All the tickets to watch Derby County at Pride Park Stadium can be found on the club’s official website. The price of said tickets varies depending on multiple factors but the adult ticket costs around £30.
The club also offers memberships, family discounts, group tickets and season tickets, all of which can be used to decrease the initial fee and save money over time or on certain events. More information can be found on their official website.
Related links
https://www.dcfc.co.uk/ – Official website of Derby County
https://www.dcfc.co.uk/page/ticketing-useful-information?k=fe88ed3b36b97f746b0b1dc4af36319a1d64204e – Derby County Ticket Office
Fulham are back in the Premier League, and it didn’t take long for the rumours of Ryan Sessegnon returning to the club on loan to start up.
The Telegraph are already reporting that the Whites are one of the leading candidates to land the youngster on loan ahead of this season, and while sending him back to the club where he was so successful seems like a great idea in terms of aiding his development, it may actually hamper his chances of being a success at Tottenham.
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The problem with Sessegnon is that there are so many conflicting ideas about where he should play, he started at left-back, then moved to the wing, and now Jose Mourinho seems to prefer him back in defence, playing him at left-back in each of his last two league appearances.
Sessegnon himself sees himself as a left-back, but he’s spent a lot of time further forward.
The problem is that it’s been a long time since the 20-year-old has played in that spot on a weekly basis, playing further forward for the majority of his last two seasons at Fulham, and barely getting a game at Spurs this term, and if they loan him back to Craven Cottage it will only be more of the same.
Fulham have had plenty of trouble on the wings this term, summer signing Ivan Cavaleiro has only scored six times all season, failing to net in any of his previous 18 appearances, and while Neeskens Kebano found the form of his life in the final few weeks, he’s been a bit-part player for almost four years now, and that’s unlikely to change in the long-term.
Add into this the fact that Joe Bryan scored a brace on his way to winning Man of the Match in the Whites’ most important game of the season, and it’s hard to see Sessegnon playing anywhere other than on the wing if he returns to play under Scott Parker.
Now, he could end up being a success in that role, after all, he won the Championship Player of the Year while being utilised as an attacker, but Spurs have an abundance of left-wingers with Heung-Min Son and Steven Bergwijn, and Mourinho wants him as a left-back.
Sending Sessegnon out on loan to get more minutes next season is a good idea, but Fulham may not be the best destination for him.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Injury News series, which considers the impact of the latest updates on players’ fitness.
Tyrone Mings could be out of action until the New Year after sustaining an injury against Leicester City, as reported by The Daily Star.
What’s the story?
The England international was forced off after just 23 minutes of Aston Villa’s 4-1 loss against Leicester on Sunday, having attempted to play for five minutes.
As if the heavy defeat wasn’t bad enough for the team’s morale, it has since been revealed that they could be without Mings until after the New Year, due to the hamstring issue.
This will be seen as a massive blow for Dean Smith’s side, as Mings had been a regular presence at the heart of their backline, having made 16 league starts this season.
Still in good hands
While this is a knockback for the team, Villa are still in good hands now that Bjorn Engels is getting back in the thick of things.
After missing four games through injury and his recovery period, Engels was thrust back into the action against the Foxes.
The Belgian may have been unable to prevent his team from tasting a bitter defeat, but he did offer a reminder that he can be an effective player for the team, making six clearances, two interceptions and one tackle.
No clues: Can you name all of these Premier League icons? Test your knowledge below…
Across the campaign, he has averaged 1.3 interceptions, 0.8 tackles and 4.9 clearances a game, while only being dribbled past 0.1 times on average.
This indicates that he should be able to fill in well for Mings while he is away, meaning Villa are still in very capable hands.
In other news, Paul Robinson has suggested that Aston Villa could be left with a burden if one man’s form continues.
Sorry to tease you Blues about signing players when your club can’t until the summer 2020 transfer window.
But the signings from down the years at Stamford Bridge we’re going to be looking at in this list are not the Lampards, the Drogbas or the Hazards, far from it.
I bet the West Londoners wished they did have a transfer ban when they tried to acquire these ill-fated stars…
Tiemoue Bakayoko
We start with one of the more recent ones in Tiemoue Bakayoko, someone who technically still plies his trade at Stamford Bridge but we’re unlikely ever to see in blue again.
The fact that Antonio Conte’s Chelsea forked out a remarkable £40m-ish on the sub-standard midfielder will send shivers down the spine of anyone in west London and unless the club can sell up, they’re still lumbered with him until 2022.
Jiri Jarosik
From one pricy Pensioners flop to another and Jiri Jarosik, a name synonymous in Blues folklore as one of the worst to ever represent them.
The centre-back signed from CSKA Moscow in 2005 and lasted no more than half-a-season before a loan to Birmingham City and his subsequent sale to Celtic, enough time for the Chelsea faithful to very much make up their minds on him.
Asier Del Horno
Football – Birmingham City v Chelsea FA Barclays Premiership – St Andrews – 1/4/06 Birmingham’s Jermaine Pennant and Chelsea’s Asier Del Horno Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Tony O’Brien Livepic NO ONLINE/INTERNET USE WITHOUT A LICENCE FROM THE FOOTBALL DATA CO LTD. FOR LICENCE ENQUIRIES PLEASE TELEPHONE +44 207 298 1656.
Well, Asier Del Herono’s name meant that one way or another he was always going to be laughed at in English football but he would have hoped the sniggers wouldn’t have also been caused by his performances.
The overwhelming memory most were left with from the defender’s only campaign at the Bridge was not his shoddy showings, rather his horrendous UEFA Champions League tackle on a young Lionel Messi – simply shocking.
Juan Sebastian Veron
Football – UEFA Champions League Semi Final First Leg – AS Monaco v Chelsea – Stade Louis II – 20/4/04 Juan Sebastian Veron – Chelsea looks dejected after Monaco’s third goal is scored Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Alex Morton
Juan Sebastian Veron, what a player, Manchester United, Internazionale, Lazio, Argentina, countless trophies and memorable moments – so what’s he doing on this list?
That’s a good question.
Having joined for around £20m from Old Trafford in the summer of 2003, things never really clicked for the seminal central midfielder in west London as his successful spell in English football ended in an anti-climax and Veron went down as one of Chelsea’s worst ever signings.
Mateja Kezman
Much like Veron, Mateja Kezman represented some very prestigious clubs throughout his career, somehow.
The hit-and-miss poacher only spent the one term in England, making 41 appearances for a meagre return of just seven goals, streets away from what Jose Mourinho would have hoped for when he captured him from PSV – at least Kezman’s only real Chelsea highlight was a special one though, scoring the winner against Liverpool in the 2005 League Cup final.
Winston Bogarde
When a manager has no idea a player is signing due to the whole deal being conducted by the sporting director behind his back, it doesn’t have the makings of a great transfer. And so this proved with Winston Bogarde.
No one seemed to want the former Ajax, Barcelona and Holland centre-back at Chelsea, however, he was determined to stay until the end of his contract in 2004 to pick up his lofty £40k-per-week salary and who could blame him?
Bogarde only ever made 12 competitive appearances for the Blues, ridiculous.
Adrian Mutu
Football – FA Barclaycard Premiership – Chelsea v Everton – Stamford Bridge – 17/4/04 Chelsea’s Adrian Mutu after a missed chance Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Richard Heathcote
Adrian Mutu’s Chelsea tale is a sad one. It could have been one of greatness if the Romanian hadn’t let him substance abuse issues ruin it by being sacked for his addiction to cocaine.
Mutu had a great record on the pitch in west London, registering ten goals and nine assists in just over a season before the cocaine story came out and the world came crashing down on him.
The reason the talented centre-forward makes the is the £15m the Blues threw away on him.
Marko Marin
There would be no such drama in the short Stamford Bridge stay of another failed attacker, ex-Germany prodigy Marko Marin.
The Pensioners thought they were getting something special when Werder Bremen finally gave up their budding 16-time German international in 2012 though he would only ever join the long list of Blues youngsters to be prolifically sent out on loan before exiting at the end of their contracts.
Franco Di Santo
Argentine frontman Franco Di Santo was once nicknamed the “new Maradona” as well as the “little Crespo,” the fact that he’s a Wigan Athletic cult hero probably explains how far he got in living up to those tags.
After a switch from hometown club Audax Italiano, the ex-Argentina international barely made any impact at all in west London and swapped Stamford Bridge for the DW Stadium in 2010 with zero strikes to his name.
Andriy Shevchenko
In contrast to Di Santo, Chelsea supporters certainly haven’t forgotten the name Andriy Shevchenko and they’re never likely to however much they might have wanted to.
The world football icon is another who enjoyed a near-perfect career apart from the one blemish on his CV, the spell with the Blues.
Just 77 matches and 22 goals will never endear yourself at a club when they’ve broken all kinds of records to bring you in for £30m, a whopping sum back then – if only he could have been like the man he’s pictured with above.
Liverpool fans have expressed their delight with the news that Napoli forward Lorenzo Insigne will miss the crucial Champions League tie on Wednesday, according to Sky Sports.
The 28-year-old is a critical part of the way that Gli Azzurri play with wide wingers and a narrow midfield, but he will not be available for their tricky away tie at Anfield.
The game will be a repeat of their group stage decider from last season where the Reds came out on top 1-0, which is remembered for a breathtaking last-minute save from goalkeeper Alisson to deny Arkadiusz Milik.
Sky Sports revealed that an elbow injury will prevent Insigne from playing this time. He has been one of their most in-form players this season, scoring four goals and conjuring up six assists in 15 appearances for Napoli.
Supporters were pleased with the news and felt that they have more of a chance of getting something out of the game with the Italian not featuring.
Here you will find some of the best comments from Liverpool fans:
This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Liverpool’s victory against Everton means they have now won 14 out of their first 15 games in the Premier League this term, and they have preserved their eight-point lead at the top of the table. It was the way they did that was particularly impressive.
On the chalkboard
This victory now takes Jurgen Klopp’s team’s unbeaten run to 32 matches, which is a new club record. Surprisingly. he made five changes to the side that beat Brighton at the weekend, including Xherdan Shaqiri coming in for Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi replacing Roberto Firmino. The 5-2 triumph proved the German manager’s decision to rotate right.
Having seen Richarlison score just before half-time, though, Marco Silva will have been hoping they could have put more pressure on their opponents after the break. However, the Reds’ second-half performance controlled the game and displayed their title credentials.
Controlled
The Anfield outfit raced into a 2-0 lead, with them scoring twice in the first 17 minutes. However, Michael Keane scored just four minutes after the second and, although Liverpool scored twice more before the interval, Richarlison bagged in the 45th minute.
The match was far too open, and Klopp will have likely had a small worry that his team could crumble when they came back out of the dressing room. After all, it was a local derby and, the Toffees actually managed more shots than their opponents in the first half. It was just that the Reds were particularly clinical.
However, the Reds closed out the match in impressive fashion. Their possession went up by two percent from 58% to 60%, whilst they also reduced Everton to half as many attempts.
This is especially intriguing considering that Silva’s men were chasing the game at the point, and should, therefore, have been putting on far more pressure than they were allowed to. In terms of shots inside the box, the visitors had just one compared to seven in the first half.
Who the heck is that?! Can you name all 25 of these obscure Liverpool signings…
They also appeared to battle a lot harder, winning 40 duels in the second half compared to 28 in the first period. Overall, Klopp’s side made sure that they didn’t let their opponents back into the game, and they did that with relative ease.
This is not the last time they will be tested and will need to rely on their composure to see out matches. This, therefore, will have been a beautiful sight for the 52-year-old boss, perhaps even more so than some of the well-worked goals he also saw.
In other news, Liverpool fans react to one man’s Ballon d’Or placing.
A selection of Liverpool fans have been reacting on social media after Jurgen Klopp praised Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson for their offensive contributions, as he shared his assessment of the full-backs.
The pair are joint with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino for the most assists in the Premier League by a Liverpool player this season with three, while Alexander-Arnold ranks top for minutes between key passes with one every 24.8.
Only Kevin De Bruyne at 19.7 minutes, Robbie Brady at 22, Callum Hudson-Odoi at 22.2, Marc Albrighton and Riyad Mahrez at 22.9 are averaging a faster rate of key passes in the Premier League this term from players to have featured for more than 100 minutes.
Alexander-Arnold also ranks second for big chances created in the top-flight with nine to De Bruyne’s eleven, and has delivered the second-most accurate crosses with 29 to the Manchester City midfielder’s 30.
Robertson, meanwhile, has delivered 12 accurate crosses and created four big chances so far this season.
The Reds full-backs’ form is nothing new either, as they set a Premier League record last term as the first two defenders from the same team to ever record double figures for assists in the same campaign.
Klopp could not help himself but to praise the duo as he spoke to the assembled media ahead of Sunday’s clash with Manchester City, as he delivered a glowing verdict of their efforts.
“Modern football is like this, that you have to be really strong on the wings, however you do it, because the goal is in the centre of the pitch and the area around the goal is the most crowded area,” he said, via quotes by the official Liverpool website. “So you have to find a way to go through – that’s in behind, you pass it on the wings or you try to find little spaces between their lines. That’s how football is.
“The wider you make the pitch, the bigger the spaces in the centre. That’s why we try, you have to be a force from pretty much everywhere. We try to use the skills of the two boys – good crosses, speed, very lively, very brave and very fit endurance-wise, so they can do the defensive transition as well.
“They are pretty good players, so they’ve done well so far.”
Here are some of the messages shared from supporters reacting to Klopp’s comments…