All articles by: Ieuan Ivett

Summer Transfer Rumours – Ross Barkley

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Everton midfielder, Ross Barkley, is rumoured to be leaving the club this summer transfer window. The Englishman is unsettled at the Merseyside club having been there since his youth career in 2005. Barkley has made a total of 150 appearances for Everton, having scored 21 goals in those matches. His extremely direct form of attacking and his ability to bring others into play has brought the attention from many clubs and Everton manager, Ronald Koeman, hasn’t been shy when shopping for possible replacements.

Everton are not willing to let the England international run out his contract at Goodison Park and have slapped a price tag on the youngster in the field of £50 million. With his departure from Everton in the balance, here are some odd the odds SkyBet are offering on Barkley’s future come September 3rd 2017:

To Stay at Everton- 7/4

There is no doubt that Ross Barkley is loved by the Everton fans and staff. His lethal partnership with striker, Romelu Lukaku, was a major key in Everton’s high league positions in the past few seasons. The player hasn’t expressed a desire to leave and with that reported price tag of £50 million, it may see the attacking midfielder remain in Merseyside as a lot would agree that’s a hefty price for what you’re getting. With the papers stating Barkley is all but gone at Everton, could the bookmakers know something others don’t?

Tottenham- 2/1

Tottenham manager, Mauricio Pochettino, has a dazzling array of attacking players in his squad; a group of players that are very similar to Ross Barkley. The interest from Spurs is hard to figure out if it is to strengthen or replace, with interest on a few of their own attacking players being rumoured. With Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Son Heung-min and Erik Lamela, it’s hard to see Barkley being a first team regular if he was brought in to strengthen. However, the club itself would be a good fit as they love to promote young talent and compete at a higher level than Everton.

West Ham- 4/1

West Ham manager, Slaven Bilic, is looking to improve his squad after a very poor 2016/17 campaign in the Premier League. After struggling to utilise players such as Andre Ayew and Manuel Lanzini consistently, an arrival such as Ross Barkley could only help bolster their attack. This potential signing would be very welcomed by the fans and could be a good fit but the main issue is that West Ham isn’t really a step up in class from Everton, if anything it’s a slight step down. Potentially a great idea but maybe not realistic.

SkyBet are also offering odds on Barkley to move to:

Manchester United- 6/1

Arsenal- 10/1

Chelsea- 18/1

Manchester City- 18/1

Juventus- 20/1

Newcastle- 25/1

Sweden U21’s vs England U21’s – Match Preview

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UEFA U21 European Championships, Group A, Kielce City Stadium, Poland 5pm

Sweden U21’s vs England U21’s – Match Preview – Aidy Boothroyd’s side face their first test at the Under 21’s European Championship on Friday 16th June against Sweden in Group A. The Under 21’s will look to replicate the success of the England Under 20’s side out in South Korea, who just won the World Cup this past Sunday. Faces such as Tammy Abraham, Jack Grealish and Demarai Gray have all flown out to Poland and will be crucial if England are to succeed in the tournament. England are favourites for their opening match, and should be too much for the Sweden side.

Skybet Match Result – England to Win – 4/5

Pawel Cibicki will hope to keep the England defence busy Photo Credit: www.sverigesradio.se

Sweden will look to avenge the last time these two met in the previous Euro’s in 2015; where they lost 1-0 to a late Jesse Lingard goal. They will also be looking to improve their recent form, having lost in a friendly last week to Denmark Under 21’s, 2-0. Striker, Pawel Cibicki, will be Sweden’s best hope for a goal against England in the opening match but could provide an upset with dangerous attackers such as Gustav Engavall and Sunderland player, Joel Asoro, also causing potential problems for the Three Lions. Cibicki plays his club football for Malmo FF in the Swedish league and is often a tricky player for opposition defenders with his quick feet and pace. Can he help his side cause an upset?

Skybet Anytime Goalscorer – Pawel Cibicki to score Anytime in 90 mins – 5/2

England will feel confident entering the match that they can kickstart a successful campaign with a win. Centre-back options, Rob Holding, Calum Chambers and Alfie Mawson, will all be key to England’s campaign as they will aim to lead a strong defensive line to allow the creative England attack to prosper. Holding had a phenomenal end to the season with Arsenal, winning the FA Cup but also showcasing his talent and illustrating how he will be an important figure for the North London club in the future. Can these three help England to keep a clean sheet in their opening match?

Skybet Clean Sheet – England to keep a Clean Sheet – 5/4

Tammy Abraham will provide England’s main goal threat Photo Credit: skysports.com

Team News

Aidy Boothroyd has no injury worries for the opening game and will look to his strike force to cement the first three points.

Chelsea striker, Tammy Abraham, will be pivotal to the England attack following an impressive season on loan at Bristol City.

Skybet Anytime Goalscorer – Tammy Abraham to score Anytime in 90 mins – 11/8

Sweden also have no injuries to alter team selection.

Defender, Linus Wahlqvist, has become a regular in the under 21’s side, can he help his side pull off an unexpected victory?

Skybet Match Result – Sweden to Win – 19/5

 

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Summer Transfer Rumours – Riyad Mahrez

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The 2015/16 PFA Player of the year, Riyad Mahrez, is linked with a move away from the King Power stadium this summer. The Algerian was incredible in the 2015/16 season for Leicester City and conjured up an unstoppable rapport with striker, Jamie Vardy, that was the main catalyst for Leicester’s astonishing Premier League success. After an expected downfall the following season, Mahrez has struggled to rise to the perplexing heights he illustrated the season before.

With plenty of clubs acknowledging the dip in form this season, the price tag for the 26-year-old has dipped accordingly. All the speculation for the Foxes winger is making headlines daily, here are some of the odds SkyBet are offering on Riyad Mahrez’ future come September 3rd 2017:

Arsenal- 5/4

Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, needs to regain the backing from a lot of the fans with a positive transfer window. With key players Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil linked with transfers away from the Emirates, it could spell an opening for Riyad Mahrez. The Algerian’s direct attacking style would be welcomed at Arsenal and would surely be a good addition to an already impressive squad. Now with experience in the Champions League with Leicester, Mahrez could be an important figure in Arsenal’s Europa League campaign.

Monaco- 5/2

The Ligue 1 champions will be expecting a pretty busy transfer window with plenty of departures and arrivals. After a season of overperforming, their extremely young squad are all being eyed up by Europe’s elite, which will mean Monaco will need replacements for attackers such as Bernardo Silva and Kylian Mbappe; if he were to leave. Riyad Mahrez would probably find Monaco a good fit, having moved from the French League a few years back and being French speaking also helps. Leicester may also not want to sell him to a league rival, so could Mahrez be on his way out the UK?

To Stay at Leicester- 3/1

Craig Shakespeare is aware he will struggle to keep hold of his star winger. He hasn’t ruled out staying at Leicester City, but it is widely assumed that the interest from the big clubs is enough to lure him away from the Midlands. Last month, Mahrez released a statement expressing his desire to gain a new experience in football and that him and the club are on the same page. With Leicester showing interest in other attackers such as Gylfi Sigurdsson, could he be out the door for sure?

SkyBet are also offering odds on Mahrez to move to:

Chelsea- 7/1

PSG- 10/1

Juventus- 12/1

Liverpool- 14/1

Tottenham- 16/1

Manchester United- 18/1

Marseille- 25/1

Everton- 33/1

West Ham- 33/1