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David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady have placed a multi-million-pound weight on Said Benrahma’s shoulders before the Brentford winger has signed for West Ham United.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the Irons will announce the signing of Benrahma on a five-year contract ahead of Friday’s 17:00 deadline for domestic transfers.

The winger will put pen to paper once the second stage of his medical is completed on Friday morning, having discussed and agreed on personal terms on Wednesday evening.

West Ham struck a breakthrough in a deal worth up to £30million during talks with Brentford earlier in the week once issues over a bonus payout were eased, while the Evening Standard propose that the upfront instalment will be £25m.

Benrahma scored 17 goals and penned 10 assists in 46 appearances for Brentford as they reached the Championship Play-Off Final last season, and sits on two goals in all competitions this term after 118 minutes on the field.

The Algerian is not thought to have been Hammers boss David Moyes’ top-target, though, having favoured AFC Bournemouth’s Joshua King, but the Norway international will not be moving to the London Stadium through problems surrounding his wage demands and associated agent fees.

GSB add greater pressure

Gold, Sullivan and Brady pushing through with plans to sign Benrahma will undoubtedly add a vastly talented forward to Moyes’ squad, however in securing a deal with Brentford they appear to have added a great weight around the 25-year-old’s shoulders before the ink has dried.

Reports by TEAMtalk suggest West Ham have agreed on a sell-on clause with Brentford as part of their deal for Benrahma, which will see the east London outfit hand over a further £8m should they sell the 5-cap international at any future stage.

The figure will not be affected by how well or poorly Benrahma performs at the London Stadium, and will not vary in value irrespective of what sum the Irons accept for his services – potentially making the forward’s move worth £33m rising to £38m plus wages if he also meets the add-on clauses.

If those claims are correct, GSB can ill-afford to see Benrahma flop under Moyes’ control knowing they have parted with large sums already and are heavily banking on the former OGC Nice star thriving in the Premier League.

He had no difficulties adapting to life in England upon his arrival at Brentford in 2018, scoring 11 goals and recording 17 assists in his debut campaign with the Bees before going on to improve his direct output, so should be able to make the step up from the Championship to the Premier League with West Ham.

Brentford Co-Director of Football Rasmus Ankersen could see Benrahma’s potential when the winger signed for his second-tier side, telling the Bees’ official club website in 2018: “Said is a player with lots of potential. He has the pace and technical skills to cause many Championship defenders problems.”

Those words have proved true over the following two years and GSB will be more than keen to see those same qualities on full display at the London Stadium for years to come, fearing the financial hit that a failed spell in claret and blue would present.

AND in other news, David Moyes is facing a selection dilemma against Tottenham Hotspur but the West Ham boss must see clear solution.

Key information about Fratton Park

Fratton Park has been Portsmouth FC’s home since the club was founded in 1898, which speaks to the rich history and the sheer importance of the ground. Interestingly enough, the stadium is uniquely the only one in English professional football that is not on the mainland island of Great Britain and is instead built on Portsea Island.

At the moment, Fratton Park has enough space to seat 20,688 people, however, currently that figure has been reduced to 19,670 for health and safety reasons. The pitch size is 115m x 73m with a semi-artificial hybrid based surface and it does not include a running track.

The record attendance stands at 51,385 which was recorded vs Derby County on 26 February 1949.

A history of Fratton Park

As was already mentioned, Fratton Park has been the home of Portsmouth FC ever since the club was founded back in 1898 and the first-ever friendly to be played at the ground was against Southampton. Of course, the stadium was upgraded and renewed multiple times over the years.

The first important changes were made in 1920 when the club opened a new main stand which was designed by the ever-present Archibald Leitch. That stand, called South Stand, is still in use to this day and is known as the oldest one on the ground. It houses the dressing rooms for the squads, a boardroom and all the offices.

The north stand, which is still in use today as well, was added in 1930 as the stadium was once again improved. In 1997, the Fratton end, the home of the club’s noisiest section of supporters, was first demolished and then rebuilt to become a new all-seater stand and around ten years after that, the smaller Milton End finally got a roof of its own for the very first time.

There have been multiple other plans to redesign or even build an entirely new ground over the years but the club’s financial situation has prevented them from ever materialising. The stadium reached its peak with a reported 51,385 fans in attendance in 1949 during an FA Cup fixture with Derby County.

Tickets to watch Portsmouth FC at Fratton Park

The tickets to watch Portsmouth FC at Fratton Park can be purchased on the club’s official website and are not too expensive. The price, however, varies depending on the section of the ground the fans want to be located in and whether you’re buying home or away tickets. Generally, the most expensive ticket for the home side is £40 and an extra £2 is added if the ticket is bought on matchday.

Of course, they also offer season tickets to fans and as always, those are limited to a certain number and can be purchased online or via phone by calling the Ticketmaster. The early bird price for adults is £389 while the full price is £439.

Related Links

https://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/ – Official website of Portsmouth FC

https://www.eticketing.co.uk/pompeyfc/ – Portsmouth FC Ticket Office

Eberechi Eze, who plays for Queens Park Rangers, has been heavily linked with Crystal Palace over the last couple of weeks; and as speculation continues, many Eagles fans have been reacting to the latest update on the player.

According to Sky Sports, and tweeted out by Palace Xtra, the south London side are still negotiating with QPR over the transfer of Eze, and this is good news for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it shows that the club should hopefully go back in with another offer soon, and secondly because at the moment it seems that no other side has made official contact apart from Palace.

It is understandable to see why Palace, as well as fellow Premier League sides like West Ham and Newcastle, are interested in the player, as he scored 14 goals and provided eight assists for the R’s last season, per WhoScored. He has also managed on average 2.2 shots, 1.8 key passes and 2.3 successful dribbles per game.

For many supporters of the Eagles, though, they are concerned about the deal taking too long. This worry is emphasised due to the fact that Wilfried Zaha wants to leave and, if you take Jordan Ayew’s nine goals out of the squad, their next top scorer is Zaha with only four.

Hopefully someone with as much attacking influence like Eze can come in and help the club produce more than the 31 goals they scored in the Premier League last season.

Here is what these Palace fans said following the latest report on Eze:

Palace fans, what are your thoughts on this news? Let us know your views by commenting below!

Plenty of Newcastle United fans are raging at Mike Ashley after news emerged from the NUFC Supporters Trust (NUST) on their Twitter page that following further discussions with the Tyneside club, they are yet to confirm any plans to refund ticket money.

As per NUST, supporters are entitled to a refund for their ticket money if they want to, following an announcement that the remaining games of the 2019/2020 season will be played behind closed doors.

Indeed, this has caused some members of the Toon faithful to voice their rage on the platform, with plenty directing their anger towards Ashley.

The CEO of Sports Direct still remains the owner in the North East despite the prospective takeover of the Saudi-led consortium looming large over him and his football team.

However, being the current owner in this moment in time, it seems as if some NUFC supporters have been blaming Ashley for their lack of refunded ticket money. This should come as little surprise, given the strained relationship between the owner and the supporters.

These Magpies gave their thoughts on the 55-year old on Twitter after reading the news:

I think mr Ashley would fail this currently, he’s had destroyed the institution which is #nufc hopefully the new owners can restore it to its previous glory’s

— Chris Cossey (@Cosseycj) May 29, 2020

Geordies, is Ashley to blame for this? Comment below!

Liverpool got a taste of winning ways again after returning to action against Blackburn Rovers in a friendly at Anfield on Thursday. 

It was a triumphant affair for the Premier League champions-elect, who ran out 6-0 winners on home soil. Goals from six different players secured the win, including youngsters Ki-Jana Hoever and Leighton Clarkson.

Midfielder Clarkson rounded off the afternoon with his composed strike inside the box, taking his time on the ball before slotting it past the goalkeeper. The 18-year-old has registered four assists in Liverpool’s youth competitions this season, setting himself up for a promising-looking 2020/21 campaign (via Transfermarkt).

Loads of Reds fans have responded to Clarkson’s goal after the official LFC Twitter posted footage of the youngster in action. One supporter has even commented that the teenager’s strike reminded them of Robbie Fowler, who would often dribble past defenders before coolly finding the back of the net.

Read more replies from excited Liverpool fans here:

Do you think we will see more of Leighton Clarkson next season, Reds? Join the conversation in the comments below…

Let’s face it Manchester United – since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement at the end of the 2012/13 season, the trophies have dried up at Old Trafford.

Of course, three since is nothing to be sniffed at considering how competitive English football is these days, but that’s also an average of just 0.5 per season. After lifting his first in 1989/90, Fergie averaged double that at one per year.

More pertinent is the quality of trophy United have lifted over the last six years – League Cups and Europa League titles are modest in comparison to Premier League and Champions League crownings – and the fact none have come in since the end of 2016/17.

If United fail to win the FA Cup or Europa League once the season resumes, United will be amid their longest trophy drought since the 1980s.

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But a reported target of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s could soon put them back on the right path due to one distinct trait he possesses. According to The Daily Star, United are willing to pay out Saul Niguez’s £135m release clause, with the Atletico midfielder scouted as a replacement for Paul Pogba.

It’s most likely the Spaniard’s industry and tenacity – in typical Atletico style – that has won the Red Devils over, but another quality of his could be what soon sees them picking up silverware of the highest order once again, even if United still aren’t quite the most dominant force around.

Indeed, the midfielder has always had a lust for scoring incredibly important goals in incredibly important games – usually with some style too.

In fact, according to Transfermarkt, more than 50% of his strikes for Atletico have been game-winning goals (defined as goals that put the score in the direction it eventually concludes in) while perhaps even more incredibly, his 38 goals have lead to 33 wins, five draws and not a single defeat for the La Liga club.

Most significant, though, is his record in the knockout stages of cup competitions, which appears to be when the 25-year-old truly comes alive. Almost exactly one third of his goals have been in such circumstances, including a goal in last season’s European Super Cup against Real Madrid and most recently, a winner against Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie.

In fact, excepting his first at senior level, Niguez has netted at least one knockout goal during each season of his career, and Atletico have reaped the rewards of that. During the 19-cap international’s time in the team, they’ve won a Copa del Rey, a Europa League title and reached a Champions League final.

And while Niguez on his own won’t instantly transform United back into one of the top sides in Europe, those small marginal advantages – like a player who tends to turn up when it becomes all-or-nothing football – can make all the difference when competing in the truly elite competitions, the competitions United ultimately need to start winning again.

£135m is a lot of money, but if the Atletico ace provides a similar supply of crucial goals at Old Trafford, then he’ll prove to be worth every penny.

As Jose Mourinho looks to strengthen his Tottenham squad this summer, one man who the north London side seemingly have an eye on is Barcelona star Arthur.According to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, the Lilywhites, along with Serie A giants Inter, have the Brazilian on their radar ahead of a potential move for the midfielder in the upcoming summer transfer window.

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The report claims that Spurs have asked about Arthur’s availability, and that given Barcelona’s concerns over the financial impact surrounding the current climate, he could be put up for sale.

After hearing about their links to the midfielder, Spurs fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on their rumoured transfer target.

One fan even suggested that Spurs simply swap Arthur for Tanguy Ndombele in order to bring the Brazilian to north London.

At just 23, Arthur could quite possibly hold down a position in Spurs’ midfield for the next decade or so.

The Brazilian has played at the highest level possible with Barcelona, competing at the top of La Liga and featuring in the Champions League too – he was of course part of the side that came to Wembley and beat Spurs 4-2 in the group stages of the competition back in October 2018.

A move for him would be a major statement of intent on the part of Mourinho’s team.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Rumours of Qatari investment into Leeds United have been going on for months at this point.

The saying goes ‘there’s no smoke without fire’ and with Phil Hay saying that there’s loads of smoke from both sides this is a deal that could actually be finalised in the coming months.

Of course, backing from a multi-billionaire investment group has caused huge excitement amongst the club and the fans. Andrea Radrizzani has stated that this investment could lead to United rivalling Man City, while fans have jokingly claimed that they’ll be signing Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

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While the Neymar and Mbappe suggestions are rather tongue-in-cheek it’s clear that the fanbase have rather high expectations around the club’s potential new owners.

However, financial fair play rules will hugely limit what the club are able to do in the transfer market, and promotion to the Premier League will be more vital than ever if QSI do invest.

Indeed, the Qatari based firm wouldn’t immediately be able to splash the cash, and that’s at least partly down to the mistakes of the current ownership.

Championship clubs are allowed a £39m loss over a three-year period and with Leeds posting a loss of £4m last year they’ll have to be quite careful in terms of how much they spend, especially when you consider that they’re already committed to a £15m outlay for the permanent transfer of Helder Costa.

If QSI invest and Leeds don’t go up it may just be a case of business as usual in the transfer market as the Whites would be heavily shackled by the regulations they’re bound to by FFP. After all, a lack of permanent transfers last summer shows how tied down they were.

If the club have real ambitions of becoming the next Man City then they need to have a foot in the door in the Premier League as FFP rules in the top-flight allow for a lot more investment in the transfer window as shown by both Fulham and Aston Villa splashing over £100m after promotion.

In an interview published on Everton’s official website, Seamus Coleman conceded that his side were “not good enough” in Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Norwich City.

Coleman also insisted that the players “need to start showing up on the pitch”.

However, to suggest that the defender’s words have not gone down well would be a slight understatement.

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It is not the first time that a rallying cry from Coleman has not been well received by the Everton supporters.

And that has again been the case here with a number of the fans simply not interested in the right-back’s words following another loss.

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In fairness, Everton had entered Saturday’s clash with the Canaries off the back of two wins in their last three matches in all competitions.

However, it was a case of one step forward and two steps back as they lost to one of the poorer teams in the top flight, according to the league table at least.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the club’s supporters can be seen below:

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…

Marcelo Bielsa is a difficult man to figure out.

The Argentine’s nickname is El Loco for a reason as that means ‘the crazy one’ in English, and Bielsa has more than earnt that moniker.

Whether he is delivering a powerpoint presentation to journalists explaining everything he knows about Derby County or admitting to listening to a tape of football tactics when going on a late-night run – and almost being arrested, nobody can predict what’s going to happen next in the life of Bielsa.

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Even the greatest minds in football can’t quite figure him out as Harry Redknapp spoke about the gaffer this week in an appearance at Leeds Town Hall.

What’s been said then?

In quotes relayed by Leeds Live, the former Tottenham manager seemed a bit bemused by Bielsa as he stated that he couldn’t quite figure him out.

“The manager is a strange one I can’t quite work him out. He’s supposed to be a genius and he probably is, his record is good, I’m not sure what will happen but I think they will get up – it is an open division.”

We mastered the trick in the video below in 8 attempts… could you do better?

Don’t worry Harry

Redknapp shouldn’t be worried about the fact that he can’t figure Bielsa out, because seemingly nobody can.

Whether you’re a journalist with close ties to the club,  or a World Cup winner – nobody can crack the code of the Leeds United manager.

Phil Hay once described how he tried to offer him a lift in the rain but he refused it, claiming he liked the weather as it was.

It was a bizarre exchange of words but it shows what Bielsa is about. This is a manager who has openly disclosed his team selections in the past so there is certainly legs behind Redknapp’s comments.

Bielsa is a one of a kind, enigmatic genius and to be honest, there’s no point in wasting time trying to figure him out because he’s so unpredictable, and we absolutely love him for it.

If Leeds end up going up, they won’t care how bizarre his behaviour has been.