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Just what must Allan Saint-Maximin be thinking? The Newcastle star has been one of the very few bright spots for the Magpies over the past year or so, and was duly rewarded with a bumper new contract earlier in the summer, despite only being at St James’ Park for one season.

At times it really has been the Frenchman versus the rest, and on Saturday afternoon against Chelsea, the winger had a disappointing display, which only served to highlight just how much the Tyneside club have relied upon him for some inspiration.

As per Sofascore, he lost possession 13 times over the course of the game, and had just one shot on goal, whilst even that was off target. And with Chelsea dominating possession, the winger could only manage 14 passes, and failed to deliver a single accurate cross.

Eventually, whether it was because of his poor performance or just that he felt like the Magpies weren’t going to get anything from the game and wanted to save him from injury, Bruce hooked him after 74 minutes.

Nobody can fault for Saint-Maximin for at least trying to get things going, but you couldn’t help but feel that he was being held back by his manager’s game-plan and his teammates’ lack of quality.

But the longer Bruce’s defensive-minded tactics continue, the more frustrated Saint-Maximin will become. And if the French ace packs his bags and leaves St James’ Park, then there’ll be only man to point the finger at.

Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson has confirmed that Max Power will be the new team captain for the 2020/2021 season.

After last season’s disappointment which saw the Black Cats finish eighth in League One and fail to secure either a promotion or play-off place, Parkinson has been busy preparing his side for a third stint in England’s third tier.

Six new signings have arrived at the Stadium of Light with Danny Graham being the biggest name to sign on the dotted line for the Wearsiders.

With the pressure firmly on Parkinson’s shoulders, a decision has now been made on Power being the new team captain.

Aside from confirming Power’s captaincy, it has also been confirmed that Grant Leadbitter and Bailey Wright be Club Captain and Vice-Captain, respectively.

Former Wigan Athletic midfielder Power has made 85 appearances for the Black Cats, netting seven goals and gaining 4 assists.

Speaking about the announcement on captains, Parkinson said: “Grant has returned to the group for pre-season and has been a massive plus for us. He has come back to the club in excellent condition and trained well, and he has also really helped the younger players within the group. He has the club at heart and is desperate to have an impact on the pitch, which I’m sure he will, and he will be an invaluable asset for us throughout the season.

“We are fortunate to have a squad of players with an abundance of leadership qualities, and Max and Bailey epitomise that. They both lead by example and like Grant, they will be key to establishing a culture within the dressing room that will drive the club forward throughout the season.”

Sunderland will face Bristol Rovers this coming Saturday (12/9) as the League One season kicks off.

This seems like a good decision as Power has the experience and will likely be a key player for Sunderland next season.

With Power, Leadbitter and Wright all leading the club for the new season, Parkinson can feel assured that he has the right men by his side.

Do you think Power is the right choice to be Sunderland captain? Let us know in the comments section below….

According to an update courtesy of Portuguese broadcaster tvi24, via @LastWordOnSpurs, Tottenham are interested in signing Benfica star Carlos Vinicius but don’t want to pay over £27.6 million – even despite an eye-watering drop in his valuation well below the original proposed £92.1m to trigger a release clause. 

Vinicius fired home 24 goals in all competitions last season for the Primeira Liga side, attracting interest from the likes of Man United and Wolves, but circumstances surrounding a global pandemic have decreased Benfica’s asking price according to reports.

Indeed, a recent claim from tvi24 reveals that the club may well be willing to accept an offer around the £46 million mark to let Vinicius leave – and Levy should arguably try to take advantage of his potential 50% valuation drop given his huge potential and pedigree at just 25-years-old.

Nicknamed ‘the beast’, Vinicius stands at a towering 6ft 3 and possesses the physicality needed to do well in the Premier League – with his prolific goalscoring record over 2019/2020 potentially making a swoop worthwhile.

However, as per this report, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy feels that any fee over £27.6m is too high a price to pay – but given Tottenham’s urgent need for a back-up to star striker Harry Kane, Vinicius seems like the perfect candidate and worth heavy investment.

Given his mountainous release clause is over double Benfica’s heavily reduced current tag, Spurs may not have a better chance to swoop for the striker at a discounted rate, and Levy will debatably have to reconsider his stance with the Lilywhites potentially about to miss out.

Spurs fans, should Levy reconsider paying over £27.6m to land Vinicius? Have your say in the comments below…

David Gold and David Sullivan will have left a sour taste in the mouths of many West Ham United supporters for their slack efforts to strengthen David Moyes’ squad this summer, but can show their intent with the capture of AFC Bournemouth’s Joshua King.

What’s the word?

According to The Telegraph, West Ham have begun talks with Bournemouth and King over a potential £10million deal to take the forward from the Vitality Stadium against rival interest from West Bromwich Albion.

King is eager to secure a move to a Premier League side following the Cherries’ relegation last season, having established himself as a top-flight player with 48 goals and 15 assists over the past five campaigns.

The window remains open for Premier League sides to do business with EFL clubs until October 16, which Irons boss Moyes is keen to explore after Felipe Anderson’s loan move to FC Porto and Grady Diangana’s departure for West Brom left him with a lack of options.

Baggies boss Slaven Bilic is also keen on King following news that striker Hal Robson-Kanu will require surgery on his broken arm, while Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur had considered signing the 28-year-old earlier in the summer.

King missed the start of the 2020/21 season for new manager Jason Tindall through an injury sustained whilst on international duty, but the £45,000-per-week 2021-free agent has since struggled to earn game time on the south coast with just 23 minutes to his name across all competitions thus far.

An ambitious signing from the EFL

King could serve as a late signal of intent by the West Ham ownership of Gold and Sullivan as the former Manchester United trainee and January target is one of the top talents still on the market now that the international window has closed.

The Oslo-born forward struck six goals and penned four assists whilst Bournemouth were relegated last season despite starting just 24 of 26 appearances, with successful strikes against the Red Devils and Chelsea that secured a vital win and draw that kept the Cherries in the survival race until the final seconds.

He further created four big chances that were not converted and spurned three himself, whilst averaging 0.8 shots, 1.2 key balls, 5.9 duels won and 2.0 successful dribbles a game, per SofaScore.

King is also a player with great ambition, having stated desires to become Norway’s all-time leading goalscorer and eclipse the 33 goal tally of Jorgen Juve set between 1928 and 1937, despite only having 17 to his name from 48 appearances heading into Thursday night’s UEFA Euros qualifier against Serbia.

Now that West Ham can only shop in the English Football League for late reinforcements, GSB could do a lot worse than court King for £10m.

AND in other news, GSB’s floundering in the transfer market ensured West Ham failed in a late pursuit of a £30million target.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to beat Arsenal to sign Kim-min jae this summer.

Tottenham have been close to completing the signing of the Beijing Guoan defender for a number of months, but now negotiations have moved one step nearer.

According to KBS News, as per @TranSPURS, Kim is flying to north London to finalise the move.

The Mirror claimed earlier this year that Spurs were leading the race to sign the South Korean in the summer, as relayed by HITC.

Recent reports suggested both sides have agreed a fee of £15m is acceptable, and he now only has to complete a medical to seal the deal.

Kim, who is known as ‘Monster’, is an international teammate of Son Heung-min, who is the club’s second-highest goalscorer this season.

The Lilywhites have leaked goals for fun over the course of the campaign, conceding nearly 50 goals so far.

Jose Mourinho wants to fix his defensive problems as soon as possible, as Jan Vertonghen is seemingly destined for the exit, while questions remain over Juan Foyth’s future at the club.

The 23-year-old has already won 30 caps for his country, winning a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games in the process, which earned him certain military privileges (via The Guardian).

Kim cuts quite the imposing figure at the back as he stands 1,9m tall, which explains why Mourinho wants to sign him in the summer.

The Portuguese tried to sign Harry Maguire during his time in charge of Manchester United, although he was unsuccessful in his attempt, and the South Korea shares similar physical attributes with the Englishman.

At £15m, Kim should be more than affordable for Spurs, as this will surely fall within Mourinho’s restricted budget.

Spurs attempted to pursue the centre-back several years ago but it now seems like they have finally got their wish.

Tottenham fans, should Daniel Levy sign Kim in the summer? Let us know down below!

The 2004/05 season was a busy one from a Glasgow Rangers perspective in terms of transfers.

The ‘Gers spent £14.2m that campaign, with several new recruits joining the club. The biggest fee was spent on Barry Ferguson, who returned to the Ibrox outfit after spending time in England with the likes of Birmingham and Blackburn, whilst Belgium international Thomas Buffel also joined.

One of the lesser-known players to move to Glasgow at that time was defender Dragan Mladenovic, who made the switch from Red Star Belgrade. The Serbian capital club are one of the two biggest in the country along with city rivals Partizan, and the ‘Gers believed that he was worth the £1.44m they spent on him.

His time at Ibrox proved to be anything but successful. He would make just eight appearances for the ‘Gers in all competitions before moving to Real Sociedad on loan just six months after his arrival in Scotland. The Spanish side chose not to sign permanently and he then returned to Ibrox.

They didn’t want him either, though, and after just one year at the club, he left on a free transfer in 2005, returning to his homeland and his former side Red Star. After just one season and eight matches, the ‘Gers made a 100% loss on the midfielder. Alex McLeish may have won six trophies as the club’s manager but his purchase of Mladenovic was an ill-fated misjudgement.

‘Gers fans, was Mladenovic the worst signing that McLeish made during his time in charge at Ibrox? Let us know what you think below!

Alex Bruce has backed Jose Mourinho to bench Steven Bergwijn and Erik Lamela when Tottenham face Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Hull City playerfeels that Mourinho won’t want to make any changes to the team that defeated West Ham 2-0 at home last week. Lamela and Bergwijn both featured in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United but dropped to the bench as Dele Alli and Lucas Moura took their places in the London derby.

Bruce believes that the Spurs duo will stay on the bench as Alli and Moura looked lively in Tottenham’s first victory since the Premier League restart.

The pundit told Football Insider’s Russell Edge: “He’s got some good options, hasn’t he? When you can leave two players out and bring two players like that into the team, it gives everyone a boost.

“Competition for places is healthy, I’m sure that’s what Jose wants. I don’t believe you change a winning team so I’d be very, very surprised if he changes it.

“However, Jose will have one eye on the games coming up. To play two games in a week might be difficult for a few, with injuries and what have you. You always try and keep a winning team and I’d be surprised if he doesn’t do that.”

It is difficult to disagree with Bruce here, as it is unlikely that Mourinho will want to mess around with his winning team.

Spurs are currently eighth in the Premier League, a point clear of the Blades, and nine points behind fourth-placed Chelsea. The Lilywhites know that they face an uphill struggle if they are to qualify for the Champions League.

Although he missed the match with Man United due to suspension, Alli is still the club’s third-highest goalscorer this season behind Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, as he has netted nine goals in all competitions so far (BBC).

Meanwhile, Bergwijn has bagged three goals in seven league games, including scoring on his home debut against Manchester City.

Mourinho’s side started well after he opened the scoring against Manchester United, until the Red Devils managed to claw their way back into the game after Eric Dier’s blunder (BBC). However, Bergwijn has only recently recovered from injury and the manager might be reluctant to take any more risks.

While squad rotation is always important, Spurs will know they must pick up as many points as possible, and Mourinho may opt for an unchanged side to build on their momentum.

Tottenham fans, do you think this is how Mourinho will start against Sheffield United? Let us know in the comments below!

Chelsea have made it their mission to bring in another high-profile striker in this transfer window. 

According to Football Insider, Frank Lampard wants to add another marquee singing to his roster and another talented centre-forward to compete for a place in the team.

The report claims that, with the backing of the Chelsea board and Roman Abramovich, Lampard really wants to kit out his squad ahead of next season. He has already secured the signings of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, who cost a combined £90m.

ESPN reported that Chelsea have a further £120m to spend this summer, which will help the Blues to strengthen several areas of concern.

Lampard has identified his defence as the main priority, with hopes to replace goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who hasn’t done enough to prove himself to the manager this season. It now seems that the Stamford Bridge legend is looking to ensure he has one of the best attacking units, if not the best, in the Premier League.

Chelsea have acknowledged that they need to bridge the gap on Liverpool and Manchester City. In order to do so, the Blues must field an attack that any opposing team will fear and it seems that this is exactly what Lampard is trying to do.

The report hasn’t mentioned a specific new target, but with big money potential transfer Kai Havertz also on the radar, it’s likely that the club want to spend big. However, this could be a problem for Werner, who may have joined Chelsea with the idea of becoming the main focus up front.

If Lampard brings in another high-calibre centre-forward, the German may have some serious competition on his hand, especially with the 42-year-old’s ruthless nature this season in his regular chopping and changing of the starting lineup. As such, Werner may be snubbed in favour of the potential new signing on more than one occasion.

Do you think Chelsea should sign another striker this summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

With clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal all turning to former players to take the manager’s helm, one of the big positives of taking such an approach is the unity it can inspire in fans.

And it appears Newcastle’s prospective new owners want to tap into something similar. According to The Chronicle, the consortium buying the club are looking at bringing back some club legends in some capacity as part of their plan to inspire a revolution at St James’ Park.

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The Magpies have got a rich history of players and icons to tap into, most notably the likes of Alan Shearer. And after hearing about the club’s reported plans, Newcastle fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.

One Newcastle fan in particular spoke glowingly of how the club’s potential owners are already taking them in the “right direction”.

Understandably, most Newcastle supporters seem excited at the prospect of seeing some of the club’s favourites head back to St James’ Park in some fashion.

Getting them involved in and around the scene only serves to bring the entire club closer, and it does sound like the new owners are already beginning to get a feel for the Magpies.

Former Sheffield Wednesday man Jose Semedo has vowed to keep this huge promise to Owls fans…

The Portuguese midfielder and close friend of world icon Cristiano Ronaldo wants to ensure an old promise is kept to the Wednesday fans. Speaking to The Star, Semedo has revealed his plan to bring the Real Madrid legend to Hillsborough once the pair have both retired, which the 35-year-old hopes will be around the same time.

Ronaldo and Semedo enjoyed playing together during their early days with Sporting CP, before they went off in search of pastures new. As CR7 famously dominated the Premier League and La Liga and now features as the star of Juventus, Semedo made himself a Wednesday legend after devoting six years to the club.

In his interview with Joe Crann, the former Owls captain has said he wants Ronaldo to ‘see what I went through’ after both Portuguese players have hung up their boots.

“It’s for sure, one of the things is that when I retire from football I’ll have more time,” Semedo said. “I promised to the crowd that I would take Cristiano there, and I will pay my promise, 100%…

“When we’ve finished football, me and him will go to watch a game in Hillsborough together – for him to see what I went through.”

The 35-year-old, currently playing for Vitoria Setubal, has proudly said he wants Ronaldo to feel the atmosphere from ‘the amazing fans Sheffield Wednesday has’.

Do you think Jose will keep his promise and bring CR7 to Hillsborough one day? Join the conversation in the comments below!