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

Brazilian forward Willian Jose has claimed that he turned down the chance to join Newcastle United from Real Sociedad in 2018.

And the Magpies have been made to regret missing out on the Sociedad ace with Joelinton struggling to make his mark since arriving from Hoffenheim.

What’s the word, then?

Speaking to Marca, Willian Jose revealed that he had the opportunity to join Newcastle last summer but ultimately remained with Sociedad.

The 27-year-old had spells with Real Madrid and Real Zaragoza before joining Las Palmas, where he managed 10 goals in 34 outings during the 2015-16 campaign.

Watch Newcastle United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Sociedad signed the forward in the summer of 2016, and he has been in fine form the Basque club – netting 49 times in 117 appearances in all competitions.

This season, Willian Jose has four goals in nine La Liga outings, whilst his overall record in La Liga is 51 strikes in 133 appearances, which is some going when considering that he has not been turning out for the likes of Barcelona.

Newcastle had been in the market for a striker for some time before ultimately deciding to sign Joelinton during the summer, and the South American’s struggles suggest that Willian Jose would have been a much better option for the club.

Can Joelinton turn his form around?

It was always going to be difficult for the summer arrival to hit the ground running as Newcastle are not exactly a team that create bundles of opportunities.

The striker has netted just once in nine Premier League appearances this season, whilst his record of 15 goals in 60 Bundesliga matches is not exactly prolific.

It remains to be seen whether Joelinton can score the goals to keep Newcastle in the Premier League.

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

It is difficult to say with any certainty that Willian Jose would have been a success in England’s top flight as he is unproven in the Premier League.

The Brazilian’s goal record in recent years is very, very impressive, though, and Newcastle missed a real trick when they failed to bring him to St James’ Park.

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…

Barcelona beat Inter Milan 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Luis Suarez once again found his form and lethality and managed to rattle the inside of the net twice, completing Blaugrana’s heroic comeback and sealing the win.

Of course, Lionel Messi’s efforts should also not be forgotten as the little Argentine returned back to action only to drop another masterclass performance that warranted him the Man of the Match award according to Whoscored’s rating system.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The two veterans pulled the strings and ensured Barcelona would return to winning ways in the Champions League after an opening day draw against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park.

But this was by no means a procession.

On the contrary, Barcelona were extremely shaky in the first half and it only took a couple of minutes and one lapse in concentration for Inter to pounce and get their opener at the Camp Nou.

As big of a shock as that undeniably was for the Blaugrana audience, it’s also difficult to escape the notion that it was not really that much of a surprise.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

After all, the Catalans have already conceded a total of 11 goals across all competitions in the 2019/20 campaign and have been shaky throughout.

Were it not for Messi’s usual magic and Suarez’s newly-found sharpness in front of goal, this game could’ve been much different and the narrative of a heroic comeback would’ve been completely lost.

Of course, it was not all bad and Barcelona controlled the game with 66% possession and 17 shots compared to Inter’s 11 but that still doesn’t hide the fact that the Nerazzurri had the Catalans on the ropes at times, especially in the early segments of the game.

So while this victory is cause for celebration for sure, it also shouldn’t distract from the fact Barcelona are still very much struggling to find their groove and until they can muster victories on the merits of the whole team rather than on individual brilliance, Valverde’s back will continue being forced against the wall.

Manchester United could be moving closer to securing an agreement to bring in Croatian midfielder, Ivan Rakitic. 

The Barcelona man has been on the list of potential signings for the Red Devils for some time now, and according to Spanish publication, Sport, United have opened talks to bring in the midfielder.

The 31-year-old has found appearances hard to come by at the Camp Nou this season despite being a key figure at the club over the last few years, making only one La Liga start this term.

However, that hasn’t put United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer off being keen on bringing the Croatian midfielder into the club, despite Rakitic being over 30 and perhaps outside of the model adopted in the summer at Old Trafford, a model which saw them sign Harry Maguire, Dan James, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Rakitic has had plenty of success while in Barcelona and was also part of the Croatia team which reached the World Cup final last year before losing out to France. Indeed, it could well be that winning mentality and experience which is drawing United towards signing Rakitic, given he has won the Champions League and four La Liga titles during his time with the Catalan giants.

United would be looking for Rakitic to be at his creative best if he does sign, with his 2016/17 stats of eight goals and five assists in the league suggesting he can indeed be an attacking force for the club. Last season, he made more passes a game (74.6) than anyone in the United squad according to WhoScored, so could perhaps offer a steady presence in the engine room and create a better link to the attack, with the Red Devils struggling to break down the likes of Newcastle, Rochdale and AZ Alkmaar of late.

While leaning on young players can obviously be a good thing in terms of a long-term strategy, sometimes big clubs need some proven quality and Rakitic’s spell with Barca and his form for Croatia show he can do it at the top level.

31 isn’t too old when you consider he was a regular last season and was recently in a World Cup final, he might be an ideal signing to bring in alongside younger players at Old Trafford.

Would Rakitic fit in at Old Trafford? Join the discussion by commenting below…

The Spaniard states that he’s ready for the Champions League in his caption, and it’s hard to not believe him.

He’s stepped up to the challenge of playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world with relative ease as he’s yet to concede more than one goal in a Premier League game this season.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It’ll be interesting to see how he will step up to this next level, but supporters should be confident that he’ll do a good job.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Garry Monk’s barely been in charge for a couple of weeks, but he has already been tasked with several key decisions at Sheffield Wednesday.

What formation? He’ll be adaptable. Who will play in skipper Tom Lees’ absence? Dominic Iorfa. Where is Adam Reach’s best position? Out wide.

The next on the list is fitting Fernando Forestieri into the side as the forward comes to the end of his six-game ban for racial abuse.

With Steven Fletcher in a rich vein of goalscoring form, having bagged four this season, and Sam Winnall seemingly taking every opportunity after his winner against Huddersfield, it appears the Argentina-born Italian will have to fight his way in somehow.

On the Chalkboard

The Yorkshire Post stated that the 29-year-old is arguably one of the most gifted players amongst the Owls’ squad, yet he hasn’t lived up to such heights for a couple of seasons now.

His opening two seasons were rewarded with play-off runs, netting 15 in his first term as Wednesday’s top goalscorer and 12 in the next, per Transfermarkt.

Since then he’s managed just 11 combined and has struggled to maintain a place amongst the starting lineup – Forestieri has made only 21 starts across the last two campaigns combined which is less than any other season at the club.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Monk’s recent comments about the forward bodes well for opportunity going by his recent return. The 48-year-old claimed that he “has shown a really good attitude and understands he needs to do the work.”

Forestieri has been given his own fitness plan to ensure he’s up to speed when the time calls and as mentioned, Monk sees Reach as a winger.

If you bear that in mind, there could well be a spot open in the number ten role or alongside Fletcher.

Those are two positions the former Italy youth international can play in and after scoring a thumping long-range effort from a central position last term, it would make sense to have him in one of those roles.

Once the forward does return to the side there’s a big decision to be made on whether he plays in midfield or as a striker.

Wednesday’s new manager has already got some important calls right so far so Forestieri could be his next success.

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According to Calciomercato, Tottenham have reportedly declared their interest in €25m-rated Sampdoria centre-back Joachim Andersen, whilst Inter Milan are also keen on the defender.

What’s the word, then?

Spurs have declared their interest in the Dane with the future of Toby Alderweireld still an uncertain one. Tottenham triggered a one-year extension in the Belgian international’s contract in January, despite Alderweireld rejecting the offer on a new long-term contract.

However, the extension saw a £25m release clause come into play, which is certainly an achievable figure and one that a number of clubs could well meet given Alderweireld’s pedigree.

As a result, Tottenham have made headway in his attempts to bring 24-year-old Andersen to the new White Hart Lane having made his interest public, and if any potential bid is accepted, it would see the defender become the club’s first signing in over two transfer windows.

Could Christian Eriksen be key in negotiations?

As previously mentioned, Serie A giants Inter are also interested in signing the Sampdoria star, and one would assume that the famous Italian side could turn the head of most playing in Italy’s top-flight given their standing in the game.

As a result of that, it will be tough for Spurs to fend off such a prestigious club, although they do have a secret weapon up their sleeve in Eriksen.

The Danish international is unquestionably the star of the national team and the most famous Danish player right now. Andersen is yet to appear for the senior side, only appearing for the Denmark Under-21 team, and it wouldn’t be outrageous to presume that he is keen to play alongside his country’s main man at club as well as international level.

Spurs must ensure that they use Eriksen’s reputation in the Danish football world in order to secure what would be a big signing for them.

[ad_pod ]We’ve come a long way from the days of tabloids bashing Raheem Sterling for just about anything and crowds from around the country inexplicably booing him.The witchhunt is all but over for the man who incited such hatred for what we can only assume to be his decision to wave goodbye to the nation’s sweetheart, Liverpool, and join the club people seem to love to hate, Manchester City.Indeed, the pitchforks and torches have been exchanged for party poppers and glow sticks as everyone in the industry now kisses the Manchester City winger’s feet and praises him for what he is: an extremely talented player, better than Neymar even, according to some.Watch Manchester City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Sterling was mesmerising during the recently completed international break. A goal and an assist against Bulgaria was followed up by an equally impressive performance against Kosovo, which saw him claim a further goal and two assists.

Considering England now have such a talented squad, it takes something to be considered “the” most important player. But that’s exactly what Chris Sutton believes Raheem Sterling is…

Quite a blunt analysis, but we get what he’s trying to say.

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Wolves now have only a few days left to bring any new players into their squad before the January transfer window closes.

One potential deal that the Old Gold could look to finalise before the end of the month is for Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig, a player with whom they have been linked in recent weeks.

With Adama Traore reportedly set to join the Spanish giants on loan until the end of the season with a view to a potential permanent deal waiting for him in the summer, these negotiations could give Wolves the opportunity to ask about the possibility of signing Puig, either before the upcoming transfer deadline or when the summer transfer window opens.

Having worked his way through Barcelona’s famous youth ranks, the 22-year-old – who is currently picking up £64k-per-week according to Salary Sport – has gone on to make 51 senior appearances for the La Liga club across all competitions, scoring one goal and providing three assists along the way.

Despite his experience, the midfielder hasn’t been a particularly important figure for Xavi this season with just two starts amid a total of 12 appearances across all competitions. That would suggest that a move from Barcelona to somewhere that he would obtain regular playing time would be beneficial for his career and development.

With that in mind, and given his young age, it could be worth Wolves trying to sign Puig – who has been labelled an “intelligent” player by his manager Xavi – on a long-term permanent deal to give him sufficient time to get accustomed to the Premier League and potentially become a regular figure in their team.

Taking all this into account, Jeff Shi now has the chance to sign Wolves’ next version of Ruben Neves as a young midfielder from a top European club who could come in and make a name for himself in the Premier League. The Portuguese midfielder has done just that since joining Wolves from FC Porto back in 2017, making a total of 197 appearances for the Old Gold.

Also, with Neves having been linked with a move away from Molineux, it could be an important piece of business from Wolves to bring Puig in if they end up selling their current midfield star any time soon.

Having had previous experience of signing young players from Barcelona as they did last summer with Francisco Trincao, a move for the current Blaugrana gem should definitely be considered either in the next few days or at the end of the season if his situation at Camp Nou doesn’t change.

In other news: Wolves eyeing transfer swoop for £14k-p/w “man mountain,” Lage would be delighted

An insider at Tottenham Hotspur has now revealed that Brooklyn Lyons-Foster was ‘close’ to leaving on loan in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: One for the future

Having made over 100 appearances for Spurs at youth level over the course of his career so far, Lyons-Foster is certainly one that the North London club will have high hopes for.

The young defender has not yet played a senior game for them, but has been named on the bench in a couple of their UEFA Europa Conference League matches this term (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: ‘Close’ to exit

Speaking to Football Insider, THFC insider John Wenham, who regularly breaks updates about the club on his Lilywhite Rose channels on social media, has now revealed that Lyons-Foster was ‘close’ to exiting on loan, but picked up an unfortunate injury that ultimately ruled any deal out:

“One player who I believe was close to going was Brooklyn Lyons-Foster.

“I was told of interest in him but unfortunately he picked up an injury in the 23s home game against Blackburn and that ruled him out of the loan picture.”

The Verdict: Shame

It would have been good for Lyons-Foster to go out on loan and gain some experience playing men’s football, which he should really be doing now at the age of 21.

With Antonio Conte’s new three-back formation, he will want to call on more central defenders in the senior squad, with left-back Ben Davies often used as a centre-back by the Italian manager.

Incidentally, Lyons-Foster shares the same agent as both the Wales international and Joe Rodon, and so could use some advice over how to get the best loan move possible for him in order to further his development.

In other news, find out which triple boost Tottenham have received before Brighton here!

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed some encouragement ahead of the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final clash with Chelsea this week…

What’s the latest?

The club’s official Twitter account posted footage from their Hotspur Way training base on Monday evening as Antonio Conte’s squad went through some of their final preparations.

Just three seconds into the video, first-choice defender Eric Dier can be seen alongside Ben Davies.

The 27-year-old has missed the first-leg of tonight’s encounter and the weekend’s FA Cup victory over League One outfit Morecambe with an injury.

Huge boost

Dier has started all 18 of their Premier League outings this season, meaning the Italian has trusted him to start ever since he arrived in north London to replace Nuno Santo.

Therefore, he will surely be delighted to have the English colossus back in training ahead of a crucial fixture.

Spurs have a lot of work to do to overturn a two-goal deficit against the Champions of Europe but there chances, especially defensively are bolstered by the possible return of Dier to the squad.

In his absence last week, Conte had to deploy a dodgy-looking back three of Davinson Sanchez, Japhet Tanganga and Ben Davies, in which they conceded twice with the former two making key errors.

Just last month, the Lilywhites head coach waxed lyrical about Dier and his potential.

“Eric Dier can become one of the best players in the world in that position,” he claimed (via the Daily Mail). “For sure he needs to work and continue to improve and understand the movement with the defensive line

“He has to lead more, because in that position you have to speak a lot because you have to stay in the middle, at the back where you can see everything.

“He has a great space for improvement but we are talking about a really good player, strong physically with a good personality and good technically because he was a midfielder.”

This glowing endorsement only goes to show how much Dier is admired by Conte and why he is ever so crucial to their fortunes going forward.

The Italian will surely be buzzing to have him nearing full fitness, regardless of whether that comes against the Blues tonight or for their Premier League return on Sunday, when they’ll face Arsenal in the north London derby.

AND in other news, Sky Sports reporter drops huge Spurs transfer claim live on air, fans will be buzzing…