Southampton are plotting a January transfer window move to sign Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson on loan, according to journalist Jack Rosser.
Southampton’s current goalkeeping options, as they aim to gain promotion from the Championship, are Alex McCarthy and Gavin Bazunu, but neither player have fully stamped their authority as the number one option. Bazunu is the current first choice, but McCarthy has been between the sticks at times this season and last.
Both Bazunu and McCarthy have shown plenty of inconsistency during their time at the club, with the former sent out on loan last season, while the latter has often been rotated in and out of the side. Signing a guaranteed number one would make sense to help the side and for continuity reasons, and it appears that’s on the agenda for the winter window.
Southampton Plotting Move to Sign Anthony Patterson
Patterson, described as ‘remarkable’, has found himself as the backup option with The Black Cats this season, despite playing a crucial role in their promotion to the Premier League. Robin Roefs arrived at Sunderland in the summer transfer window, pushing Patterson to the bench, with the 25-year-old yet to play a single minute in England’s top flight this campaign.
Liverpool are said to have reached out to see if they can sign a high-profile midfielder this summer, but they have some work to do if they want to complete the deal. Andoni Iraola is hoping to put his own stamp on this Liverpool side before the summer is over, and he has already begun with the signing of compatriot Víctor Muñóz.
But beyond changing the identity of this team, Iraola also knows he has gaps to fill and areas to improve, with Mo Salah and Ibrahima Konate in need of replacing, while most also recognise the Reds need a dominant midfielder if they are going to content with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City.
With Declan Rice and Rodri respectively, both of the Premier League common have dominant midfielders in common, and having a strong pivot now feels as though it is a necessity in the modern game.
Liverpool check on Camavinga
According to Team Talk, Liverpool have reached out to Real Madrid to see if Eduardo Camavinga is available this summer. The 23-year-old midfielder is coming off the back of a season that saw him perform below his usual standards, although it’s true that Real Madrid disappointed on the whole.
Camavinga ended up missing out on the France World Cup squad, but he is still among the best midfielders in the World, and at 23 years of age, he has plenty of potential still to reach.
Interestingly, Mundo Deportivo have now followed up the report by adding that Real Madrid are willing to sell Camavinga this summer as they look to land a new midfielder. José Mourinho wants a world-beating midfield signing, and Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez is being heavily linked.
Camavinga is said to be available for around £51.7million, which is a tempting price for a player of Camavinga’s age and experience. The problem, according to the report, is that Camavinga currently has no intentions of leaving the Bernabeu, so he is going to have to be convinced by an interesting club before a deal can truly be on the cards.
Camavinga’s versatility stands out
The added value of a Camavinga deal is that he can quite comfortably play at left-back when called upon. Carlo Ancelotti said of the Frenchman playing full-back last year: “He’s a player with extraordinary qualities. He can play anywhere on the pitch, he’s special. He can play as a midfielder, or as a defender.”
A couple of years earlier, Ancelotti said: “He is taking advantage of the time he has played as a full-back to improve his boundaries.
“He is very young and he has to mature his experience and his tactical knowledge. Technically, he has nothing to learn and, physically, he has the engine of a Ferrari, not like a (Fiat) 500.”
Tottenham Hotspur are conducting a clear-out after a difficult past season and they have reportedly made a decision over one of their forwards.
According to football.london, Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi has informed Manor Solomon that he isn’t part of his plans. He is free to leave the Lilywhites after his loan at Fiorentina expired.
Solomon spent the first half of the campaign on loan at Villarreal in La Liga before heading to the Italian side in January. The Israeli attacker has found game time hard to come by throughout his time in North London.
Tottenham Ready to Offload Manor Solomon
Solomon joined Tottenham as a free agent in the summer of 2023 after leaving Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk. He had caught the eye in Ukraine but has lacked first-team opportunities with the Lilywhites.
The 26-year-old has spent spells on loan at Leeds United, Fiorentina, and Villarreal. He has made just six appearances for his parent club and is now headed for the exit door.
De Zerbi’s appointment is said to have given Solomon hope of potentially being handed a chance to win the coach over. The Italian has instead told the player to look for a move elsewhere.
There’s no word on which clubs may be keen on signing the Israeli, given his availability, but Leeds were expected to try and sign him permanently last summer. He had also been on Crystal Palace’s radar, but a late deal fell through once the Eagles decided to pull the plug.
A Mass Exodus is Anticipated
Solomon, previously dubbed “excellent” by Kevin De Bruyne, is one of several Spurs stars who will surely be shown the door by De Zerbi this summer. The club is focused on a major rebuild, and that includes offloading fringe players such as the Israeli attacker.
The transfer chiefs are already busy and have reunited De Zerbi with his former Brighton & Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke. A new attacker is on the wishlist, and the latest name to be linked is AS Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche.
Spurs are also overhauling De Zerbi’s midfield and have set their sights on Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali. While their initial £75m bid has been rejected twice, the club remain focused on sealing a deal for the Italian midfielder.
Departing England Test captain Ben Stokes has revealed why he decided to walk away from international cricket.
In a highly unorthodox move, the 35-year-old opted to make his decision public while he was out in the middle, bowling for his side during the third Test match with New Zealand at Trent Bridge.
A statement confirming the news was released at 3.25pm on Sunday’s fourth day, timed to coincide with Stokes beginning an over during a marathon spell of bowling.
As word of Stokes’ resignation made its way around the ground in Nottingham, the 17,000-strong crowd rose to their feet to acknowledge the Durham man.
With every fan in attendance willing him to get a wicket, Stokes rose to the occasion, finding the edge of Zak Foulkes’ bat before Harry Brook took a fine catch at second slip. It was absolute cinema and encapsulated everything that Stokes has become known for his 15 years in an England shirt, with four of those coming as captain.
Stokes celebrated with a beaming smile. His storybook delivery came just days after he returned to the England side, having missed the 253-run defeat at The Oval in the second test while an investigation was carried out into a late-night incident at a London nightclub following the first Test match of the series.
Together with teammate Gus Atkinson, Stokes was issued with a written warning over his behaviour by the Cricket Regulator, before both men returned to the side at Trent Bridge.
However, barely four days into his comeback appearance, Stokes informed his side in the dressing room before the start of play, that the ongoing test would be his last match as an international player.
England have already lost The Ashes to Australia, and after going 3-0 down in the series, Stokes faced some tough questions.
Ben Stokes’ Retirement Decision Explored
While it is natural to assume that the disciplinary issues of the past few weeks may have prompted his decision to quit the international scene, the two-time World Cup winner insisted that other factors had convinced him to walk away.
Speaking to Sky Sports following the end of the day’s play, Stokes told Ian Ward and Stuart Broad that he had been considering his future for some time.
The New Zealand series marks England’s first test match action since Stokes presided over a dismal 4-1 Ashes defeat to Australia during the winter. The departing captain insisted that it was during that series that he really began to have doubts over his future.
Why Ben Stokes Is Waking Away From International Cricket
“It’s the emotional side of this since Australia,” he began. “The way I said it to my wife was: ‘I don’t actually think I have any fight left in me to get over this, to be honest.’
“What we do is brutal, physically and mentally. Even the stuff away from it [the field] is getting tiring these days. I’m 35, I feel like I’ve got to do so much physical work to keep myself doing what I do out there.”
Stokes concluded: “Do I have that fight in me to keep doing that? I know what it takes to walk out there and keep playing for this country. There are so many things that have leaned me towards knowing that this is the right decision. There’s the emotional side, the physical side, the mental side.”
Prior to the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy series with New Zealand, Stokes went on record to call the months following England’s Ashes embarrassment “the hardest period” of his time as captain.
Stokes, along with head coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key, survived an internal review of England’s performance down under just three months ago, with all three keeping their jobs.
However, with Stokes’ departure, England must now look to rebuild without their enigmatic skipper. No decision has yet been made on who will take up the role. Former captain Joe Root has been widely tipped as the logical choice to take charge for the side’s next Test action, which comes with the visit of Pakistan in August.
