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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…

Gerard Pique is a man torn between multiple things in life. Of course, football is a major part of it but when talking to El Pais Semanal (via Marca) just recently, Barcelona’s defender admitted he barely has time to tend to everything because he’s too busy. Apparently, the club don’t think it’s a problem but they definitely should.

What did he say?

Pique is still a huge figure in the Blaugrana squad and will probably remain one for a number of years still.

But he is also a big businessman and a guy who has big ties with the world of tennis as well.

His Kosmos company is in charge of the new Davis Cup format and Pique had recently made a surprise trip to Orlando without his coach’s permission so he could tend to a meeting that was taking place there.

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This went hand in hand with his latest words for El Pais Semanal when he admitted things are going out of hand and that he barely gets five hours of sleep because of all the things he has to do.

Here’s what he said in full:

“I barely get four or five hours of sleep. There’s not enough time for everything. The club understand and there are no problems. I dedicate my spare time to what I like.”

A problem after all

Even though the defender clearly believes he is entitled to do whatever he wants in his spare time, he’s failing to realise how it could harm the club in the long run.

Pique has been one of the players in the squad whose form has fluctuated a bit, rising and dropping throughout the season as the centre-back has been largely inconsistent in his displays.

We can see that much in WhoScored’s rating system with his average standing at 6.77 in La Liga but going as low as 6.08 or as high as 7.45 in certain games.

Of course, the club cannot really control him outside of the pitch, at least not in such a measure, but if his trips and other responsibilities are hurting his performances, then it suddenly does become Barcelona’s problem after all.

And especially if he goes against the words of his coach and behind his back, as was reported by Sport back in September.

Of course, Valverde himself stated that he has no problem with Pique but clearly, football is not at the centre of his attention anymore and this could be a huge problem for the team moving forward.

He is one of the captains of the club and a La Masia student; a veteran whose image and behaviour should be a model for the younger generations, but these words seem unprofessional and his attitude unacceptable.

Maybe it’s not a huge issue at the moment but with him torn between jobs and commitments, it could very well spiral out of control pretty soon.

Most football fans hate the international break, and Juventus supporters are no different.

In fact, right now, there might not be a fanbase more infuriated by it. In a short space of time, they have seen two key players in Miralem Pjanic and Alex Sandro pick up injuries while representing Bosnia and Herzegovina and Brazil respectively.

According to Globoesporte (via Football Italia), the latter has picked up a thigh injury, a thigh injury Juventus will hope is not a serious one.

Sandro is a fine footballer and, looking at some of the other options in Juventus’ squad, adequate cover is arguably hard to find.

It is no wonder why Maurizio Sarri was linked with a move for his former player at Chelsea, Emerson.

The Italy international has been a bit of a revelation for the Blues this season, thriving under Frank Lampard while showing his rival for that left-back spot Marcos Alonso how it is done.

Once a Juventus target before Sarri had even arrived at the Allianz Stadium, Emerson looks like the complete modern-day full-back. He is quick, can dribble, makes himself available for the overlap and is by no means the worst tackler.

It does not have to be the Brazilian-born defender, but Juventus should undoubtedly consider recruiting a player of his ilk once January arrives.

Juventus fans, should the club try to sign another left-back in January? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!

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

A new report coming from ESPN stated that Atletico Madrid have joined the race to sign Manchester United’s Nemanja Matic. And looking at their squad as a whole, he just might be Diego Simeone’s missing link.

What’s the word, then?

It seems that Simeone is still not done with adding more firepower to his Atletico Madrid squad.

ESPN report that the Rojiblancos have now joined AC Milan in the race to sign Manchester United’s 31-year-old defensive midfielder, Matic, once the transfer market opens.

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They also state his eligibility to play in the Champions League, having only played in the Europa League for the Red Devils, as one of the key factors in this potential deal.

When taking everything into consideration, Matic does look like someone Simeone has been missing in his current lineup.

The missing link

Atletico Madrid have gone through a massive rebuild last summer with many big and experienced names departing the Spanish capital.

The likes of Antoine Griezmann, Diego Godin, Juanfran and Lucas Hernandez all left as the Rojiblancos made an estimated profit of €311m (£280m) which they promptly invested in some young blood.

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But even though young prodigies like Joao Felix are bound to develop into superstars at some point in the future, they are certainly lacking some experience and leadership at the moment.

This is exactly where Matic comes into play.

The now 31-year-old midfielder has definitely fallen out of favour with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, having only played five games across all competitions in the current 2019/20 campaign, amassing just 340 minutes under his belt.

Not to mention that his contract with the Red Devils is due to expire next summer, which would make him an attainable target for Atletico Madrid.

Seeing how he’s not really playing that much, or at all, and Manchester United themselves are not firing on all cylinders with the team currently stuck in seventh place, it’s not a stretch to assume the Serbian might be on his way come January already.

With the likes of Scott McTominay, Andreas Pereira and Fred in Solskjaer’s midfield, the Red Devils wouldn’t miss Matic all that much but he could be a big scoop for Atletico, who are looking to add experience into their ranks.

The Serbian midfielder might be that missing link to finally get Simeone’s men back on track.

Only time will tell, though.

West Ham United icon Carlo Tevez has had quite the career.

He has been a star and a villain at Manchester United, was Manchester City’s top scorer and then refused to play for them, moved to China to become the highest-paid player on the planet and then joined Italian giants Juventus.

Most recently, at the age of 36, he won the Argentinian league with Boca Juniors.

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Before all of that, though, he was at the Irons – another spell that was filled with talent and controversy.

Here, we walk you through his stunning career with the Hammers with the help of five pictures.

Signs for West Ham

Tevez and Javier Mascherano moved to the east London outfit two years after having helped Argentina to win the 2004 Olympics title in Athens.

Tevez himself cost the club £13.14m as per Transfermarkt, and it was a controversial transfer to Upton Park in itself – it was a deal that West Ham would later be fined for, but we will come to that later.

This was to be the start of an interesting campaign, to say the least.

Difficult start

The 36-year-old may have ended up going down as a cult hero at West Ham, but it didn’t start out well for him during his one and only season there.

It would take him 20 league games to score his first goal for the club, but before that, there were plenty of examples of his hot-headed nature that would rear its ugly head throughout his career.

Against Sheffield United in November, he threw a tantrum when he was substituted off in their 1-0 victory over the Blades. His teammates decided that, as punishment, he should donate half a week’s wages to charity and wear a Brazil shirt in training – he refused to do the latter.

First goal vs Tottenham

Finally, on March 4th 2007, in his 20th league appearance for the club after making the switch from Corinthians, he scored his first goal against Tottenham. By that point, he had already assisted Mark Noble’s opener, and he would also create Bobby Zamora’s strike later on, but it wasn’t enough to help the Irons get anything from the game – they eventually lost 4-3.

Still, it was the start of a hot streak that would define his time at West Ham.

Survival goal against Manchester United

At one point, West Ham were 10 points adrift from safety, but an incredible end of season gave them a chance of survival on the final day – they won seven of their last nine matches, a run during which the Argentine scored six times

. On the final day of the campaign, they travelled to champions Manchester United still needing a point to secure safety. However, Tevez enabled them to grab all three with the only goal of the game as they won 1-0.

Sheffield United, meanwhile, were beaten 2-1 by Wigan, meaning they dropped down to the second tier.

Sheffield United protests

West Ham were already fined £5.5m in April 2007 for those transfers of Tevez and Mascherano – they breached regulations on third-party ownership – but after dropping down to the second tier, the Blades were livid.

They originally wanted the Hammers to be docked points rather than fined, but that didn’t go their way, before finally suing the Hammers for £50m.

In the end, the two settled out of court for £18.1m, and it was to be the last defining saga of Tevez’s short but stunning spell with the Hammers.

Is it any surprise that Everton are being linked with moves for Real Madrid duo Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez?

Ever since Carlo Ancelotti’s arrival as manager at Goodison Park, the Toffees have automatically received a step-up in reputation, and according to the latest transfer talk, they are aiming very high indeed.

Spanish publication Marca have claimed that Ancelotti’s side have drawn up a shortlist of targets for the summer transfer window, and that both Bale and Rodriguez amongst the group of names being considered.

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The report adds that Bale’s salary could potentially be a sticking point, and that “although Farhad Moshiri appears willing to offer a long contract to the pair in order to twist their arms, it seems an ambitious move to go for the Madrid duo.”

After hearing about the news, Everton fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation, and some very sarcastic and joking about the whole thing.

A couple of supporters insisted they should swerve a move for Bale in particular due to him being very expensive and liable to end up being injured.

One Everton fan however appeared to be a little more optimistic and insisted that the club has to “aim high” in order to challenge for trophies.

Whether it comes to fruition or not, it’s still a rather major statement of intent that Ancelotti is supposedly targeting two high-profile superstars like Bale and Rodriguez.

His name and profile means the Toffees can attract bigger and better players, and if he feels like he can be the key to luring them to Goodison Park, then it may be worth the ride.

Meanwhile, Everton fans react to reports about this ace.

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has urged the club to arrange a loan move for young prospect Ryan Edmondson in the 2020/21 campaign.

The 18-year-old is someone who has been making waves in the club’s youth side this season and he put in a particularly impressive performance in a game against Hull City back in January, scoring twice in a 5-0 victory (leedsunited.com).

Just one month later his season was halted after picking up a knee injury that ruled him out for 12 weeks. However, when he returns for next term, Whelan believes that instead of playing more youth football it would be more beneficial for him to go out on loan and play in a first-team somewhere.

Speaking about the youngster, the 45-year-old told Football Insider: “He needs to go on loan, I’ve said this season. If he’s not going to be used in the first-team then we need to be fair to this player. He’s banging goals in for fun, he’s got all the credentials there to be a very good player.

“He’s something that is kind of going out of fashion now in football which is that six-foot, strong, main striker. He could be very well utilised, he’s a different type of player to what people come up against these days in the Championship.

“He’s got pace, he’s strong, he can hold the ball up, he’s got a great eye for a goal but if the club are going to not use him they’ve got to be fair with him and that means banging him out on loan, giving him that opportunity.

“Nobody wants to hold their career, he should have gone on loan in January because he’s been flying for a year-and-a-half now and under-23s is no good to him any more, it becomes a little bit too easy.”

Whelan certainly has a point here. Indeed, despite regularly impressing for the Whites at youth level as already mentioned, he has found first-team opportunities under Marcelo Bielsa very limited.

So far in his Leeds career, Edmondson has managed to make just two senior appearances, neither of which came in the current campaign (Transfermarkt).

With the Elland Road outfit likely to be playing in a higher division next season due to their strong position in the Championship (BBC Sport), it is difficult to see him getting more minutes any time soon.

Therefore a loan move could be the best option for the 18-year-old to continue his development as there is only so much you can learn playing youth football.

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Leeds discussion going on in the Vital Leeds Forum! Click here to get involved!

With the club on the verge of being taken over, naturally, Newcastle have been linked with a whole host of players in recent weeks, with names like Edinson Cavani and Philippe Coutinho being bandied about.

But according to a report from Sky Sports, the Magpies have their sights set on a striker currently plying his trade in the Premier League: Odion Ighalo.

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It’s suggested the Nigerian – who is currently on loan at Manchester United – is of interest to Newcastle should their proposed takeover be completed this summer, although it’s further claim that his parent club, Shanghai Shenhua expect him to return to them in time for the start of the new Chinese Super League season in July.

But after hearing about their club’s reported interest in Ighalo, Newcastle fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.

Some Newcastle fans seemed so stunned by the links to Ighalo that they admitted they would rather have Salomon Rondon back.

From Cavani to Ighalo. Quite the step down in quality.

Whilst the latter has certainly enjoyed a relatively good time in his short spell at Old Trafford – he has notched four times in just eight games for the club – it doesn’t say much about Newcastle’s supposed ambition if they targeted a striker who is currently 30 and only a last-gasp deadline day signing for United.

The Magpies may want to reassess their interest in the former Watford man.

It is been more than two months since a Premier League game was played and it is still unclear when players will be able to return to the pitch and complete the season.

Premier League games were called off after Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta became the most high-profile football figure to test positive for the coronavirus in March.

West Ham’s vice-chairman Karren Brady initially called for the 2019-20 season to be declared null and void, only to later row back on her comments after criticism of the idea.

Of course, should the campaign be written off as Brady first suggested, then it would be good news for West Ham, who are only out of the Premier League’s relegation zone on goal difference. Watford and Bournemouth also have 27 points on the board with nine matches to play while Aston Villa – in 19th right now – have a game in hand and are two points further back.

So, with the Premier League set to hold another meeting to discuss the best way to proceed, how is the season going to be concluded?

Null and void still an option on the table

As harsh as it would be for Liverpool to be denied the league title their fans have been craving for so long, declaring the season null and void remains an option that is under consideration.

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe has previously stated that the only fair way to proceed is to complete the season whenever it is safe to do so, though the Cherries have a vested interest.

With the coronavirus death toll rate of increase slowing down in the UK, it is unclear whether the current lockdown conditions are going to have to be extended further into June. It is not out of the question that the government could announce that lockdown must continue through the summer, making it difficult to resume the football season any time soon.

As the theory goes, declaring the 2019-20 campaign null and void would enable the next season to begin without disruption. This would avoid two straight seasons being wrecked by the virus.

However, even starting a new season in August as usual appears to be very optimistic at present. UEFA has signalled it wants domestic campaigns to be wrapped up by the end of June, which seems unlikely, with Tottenham star Harry Kane backing the view of European football’s governing body.

According to Kane, if the season cannot be completed by that time then it is hard to see how the 2019-20 season can be finished at all. As England captain, Kane’s comments carry weight and it might be the case that other Premier League players agree with his view of the situation.

A summer tournament to complete the season?

Euro 2020’s postponement until next year has freed up the summer and it has been mooted that the Premier League could look to fill the gap with a festival of football to finish the season.

According to a report by the Independent earlier last month, the remaining 92 league matches could be played in a TV ‘mega-event’ during June and July. That would see players and club staff quarantined in hotels across the Midlands, where various stadiums would be used to play multiple games a day behind closed doors – negating any home advantage that teams might have on the fixture list. Playing the rest of the season’s fixtures without fans being able to attend appears inevitable at this stage, despite the unsatisfying feeling such matches tend to have.

One of the reasons for this plan is that if the 2019-20 Premier League season cannot be completed, the broadcasters who have forked out a fortune for the rights to show games will be due a refund. Estimates suggest that over £750 million from the rights packages would have to be paid back, with clubs left to fill a gaping hole in their finances. The effect on the game would be huge if this happened, so it is understandable there is a clamour to find a workable solution.

Another way to complete the season that has been suggested is to work out the final tables on a points-per-game basis. While this might seem harsh on teams deemed to have easier run-ins on paper, it would at least ensure some semblance of fairness, with teams such as Liverpool rewarded for their sensational seasons. There would be losers as well as winners with such a plan, however. Sheffield United have a game in hand on the teams around them in the race for European qualification, but would miss out on the chance to make it into the Champions League.

What should fans do in the meantime?

Hammers fans might not have enjoyed the 2019-20 season much at all, but they will still be desperate to see stars like Mark Noble back out on the pitch as soon as possible.

Until the Premier League resumes, we are left with re-watching old games. For those who find it boring there are alternative ways to have fun and still enjoy our favourite thing in the world. One of these could be to play football-themed slots, many of which come with free spins on offer. Playing games like Football Manager and FIFA could be another way to get that football fix.

Unfortunately, it could be the case that football fans will be seeking answers on how the season will be finished for some time yet. The Premier League are making progress but a firm decision could be delayed further. The wait for answers on the resumption of the Premier League season seems set to continue.

In our Transfers that shook the club feature, Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at deals that had many may not have seen coming and the impact that they had during their time by using statistical data and pundit remarks.

The latter part of the 2010s was far from kind to West Brom. Tony Pulis may have guided the Baggies to 10th in the Premier League in 2016/17 but a poor start to the following season, coupled with a turgid style of play, saw him given the chop a third of the way through the campaign. The subsequent appointment of Alan Pardew proved disastrous, with only three wins in five months that also encompassed a humiliating episode whereby four players stole a taxi during a training camp in Spain.

Darren Moore tried valiantly to keep Albion in the top flight towards the end of that season but the damage had been done long before he was parachuted into the main job. After his caretaker role became permanent, a succession of poor home results in 2019 led to his sacking and saw James Shan step up for the remainder of the season. Play-off semi-final disappointment precluded him from following Moore in getting the job permanently.

In little more than 18 months, four managers had been churned by The Hawthorns revolving door. The club could not afford another botched appointment, although the choice they made just under a year ago seemed a very ambitious one. Slaven Bilic, who had worked wonders with Croatia at Euro 2008 and achieved West Ham’s highest Premier League points tally, was tasked with the job of trying to get West Brom out of the Championship.

A man who had managed players such as Dimitri Payet, Darijo Srna, Luka Modric and Ivica Olic was now holding the reins at The Hawthorns. It certainly seemed a more inspiring choice than the likes of Pulis and Pardew not long before him, but Bilic would need positive results to back up his rock-and-roll reputation.

The early signs suggested that life under the Croatian would be entertaining – West Brom both scored and conceded in each of his first nine games in charge, with a surprise Carabao Cup exit at home to Millwall proving a blip as they surged to the top of the Championship, losing only once in the first half of the campaign, and that was against similarly high-flying Leeds. Indeed, the defeat at Elland Road was the only one of Bilic’s first 24 league games in which the Baggies didn’t score. [via TransferMarkt]

However, Albion hit a sudden dip over the festive period and into 2020, going seven games without winning and collecting only four points from a possible 21. Thankfully, their strong results from earlier in the season meant that they never fell out of the automatic promotion places and a six-game unbeaten run in the league prior to the coronavirus-enforced stoppage of the season has left them firmly on course to return to the Premier League. [via TransferMarkt]

Bilic has struck an ideal balance between scintillating and solid in his first season at The Hawthorns – they have the Championship’s joint-best attack with 64 goals and its third-best defence with just 33 goals conceded (as per TransferMarkt). He has gleaned 1.85 points per game from his 41 matches in charge so far, a better average than any permanent manager in Albion’s modern history.

He has also made some very astute additions to the squad in his time at the club – Charlie Austin has been utilised off the bench to excellent effect several times this season, Romaine Sawyers has been hailed as a talent too good for the second tier by Sky Sports’ Adam Bate, Semi Ajayi has been a rock at the back as well as a decent scorer and on-loan Matheus Pereira has provided a whopping 16 assists. For less than £20m, the 51-year-old has brought no fewer than 12 players to The Hawthorns, several of whom have proven to be inspired additions.

The Croatian has won the affection of the Albion faithful in a way that Pulis and Pardew never could, with some supporters even citing him as the club’s ‘signing of the season’. After some rather bleak years and questionable choices of manager, Bilic has had West Brom supporters excitedly dreaming of a return to the Premier League while working the transfer market very cleverly and delivering plenty of goals along the way. The rock-and-roll approach is one that has paid dividends for the Baggies’ hierarchy with the appointment of Bilic.

West Brom fans, what have you made of Bilic in his time at the club? Did his initial appointment take you by surprise? Comment below with your views!

Sunderland shareholder Charlie Methven has revealed why the club sold Tunisia international Wahbi Khazri.

Arriving at Sunderland in the 2015/16 season, Khazri played a part in the club’s Premier League stint which came to an abrupt end during the winger’s second season on Wearside.

Relegation to the Championship saw the Black Cats struggle and the 29-year-old would play just three games in England’s second tier before being allowed to join French club Rennes on a season-long loan. That loan was then followed by a permanent move away from the Stadium of Light, seeing the lively attacker join Saint-Etienne.

Discussing his sale, shareholder Methven revealed the reasons behind the attacker’s exit from the Wearside club. Speaking in an interview with Sasikumar Ramu’s YouTube channel as quoted via Roker Report, he said:

“There were some players, some honourable players, who wanted to leave who said ‘look, even if I have to take a pay cut, I want to play at the highest level I can possibly play’.

“It was a case for those players, of trying to find them the right club for them to go to and there were several examples of that.

“A top player from the last World Cup, Wahbi Khazri, the Tunisian playmaker, Wahbi was very clear ‘I want to play in top division football and if it means that I earn less, that’s fine. I just want to play at a great level of football’. So he went to St-Etienne and we received £6m from St-Etienne and that was very helpful.

“Khazri right from the start was very football orientated, it’s all about football, money comes afterwards, I have no interest in money, it’s all about football and then you have other types of players who are like ‘well no other club is going to pay me what my contract at Sunderland is, so I’m going to stay here’.

“In some cases, I think that meant indicating to them in the most tactful way possible that their life at Sunderland from now on would not be all that enjoyable and probably they would be best served by looking elsewhere and they were under an illusion if they felt that Sunderland was going to carry on being this easy place to be for guys on big money and it would be a bit more uncomfortable than that.

“Of course in two or three of the player’s cases we fired them and then sued them, it was a case by case basis but in the end we did it.”

Khazri, who is still playing for Saint Etienne, netted three goals and gained two assists in the 2019/20 season.

There was simply no way Sunderland could have kept hold of Khazri, especially if the player wanted to play at a higher level. However, the creative attacker was not replaced, along with other players who left, and that is one of the downfalls of the club over the last few seasons.

This summer is another important one in the club’s immediate future and boss Phil Parkinson must ensure that players are signed to replace those who are due to leave at the end of June.

Should Sunderland have kept hold of Wahbi Khazri? Let us know in the comments section below…