Joe Cole warns Youri Tielemans

Former Chelsea man Joe Cole has warned Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans that he needs to start performing like he can play for a top club if he wants to join one. The Belgian midfielder has been on the radar of the top European clubs as he looks to run down his contract at the King Power Stadium. Despite links to these top clubs, none made a serious effort to sign him last summer and he might need to prove his quality again to get their attention. He did little to justify that as Leicester played out a goalless draw against Crystal Palace yesterday and Cole warns he needs to do more. The former England international said via Matchplug: ‘This is a player who has been looked at by some of the top clubs so he will be thinking I’m a Champions League player but you need to perform like a Champions League player, you need to perform in all situations. Maddison’s levels have not dropped. ‘His character is one I admire. He wasn’t quite on it today but he was trying to get on the ball and make things happen. ‘Tielemans is a player I admire, and I rate so much and if he can improve his game five to ten per cent get control, run the midfield and that’s when the points will be coming.’

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NFL Predictions – Jets Travel To Face The Packers

NFL Predictions: New York Jets vs. Green Bay Packers  Over/Under: 45.5  Odds: Jets +7.5, Packers –7.5  Time: 4:05 PM ET    NFL Predictions NFL predictions continue with the New York Jets taking the trip to face off with the Green Bay Packers. The Jets surprisingly have the exact same record as the Green Bay Packers despite a very severe talent difference in these rosters. This could be a major game for each of these squads, as a loss for Aaron Rodgers could crush the Packers morale. Let’s dive into what these two teams have to offer right now.   The Jets are coming off of a game in which they beat the brakes off of the Miami Dolphins. Granted, Miami got forced to start their third-string quarterback after Teddy Bridgewater left in the first quarter with an injury. But still, the Jets were dominant down the stretch. Zach Wilson threw for 210 yards with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions, but their rushing was great. Breece Hall had 18 carries for 97 yards and a touchdown while Michael Carter had 10 for 21 and touchdowns. On the other end of the ball, Sauce Gardner found his first interception of his career. Then we flip to the Packers now. Green Bay got upset in London by the surprisingly talented New York Giants. Rodgers had 222 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions on the day. Aaron Jones had 13 carries for 63 yards and AJ Dillon only had six for 34. One factor that really showed how unfortunate their offense was is that the veteran Randall Cobb led the team with seven receptions for 99 yards. The closest receiver was four receptions for 35 yards from Allen Lazard. Their defense didn’t do anything either. Preston Smith got one sack… that was all that happened. No turnovers from this incredibly talented team. That has to be changed if the Packers are hoping to start winning games.  NFL Picks Today This is actually a tough game to pick. The Jets are playing good football right now while the Packers are underwhelming. Giving the Packers a 7.5 game spread seems like it could be a little too much for a team that is consistently playing close games. After all, Green Bay has only won one game by more than 7.5 points all year long, that being against the Chicago Bears. We can go with the upset on this one, take the Jets with the +7.5-point spread.   Then we move onto the total for this game which is set at 45.5. There is potential for a good chunk of scoring in this game. The Jets, if they don’t turn the ball over, can genuinely find some type of success early on. Meanwhile, Rodgers and the Packers are bound to put up at least 20 points in the afternoon. I think this is going to be one of those 30-24 final scores that the Packers come out on top. The Jets cover the spread and the total hits the over.   Final Pick: Jets +7.5  Over/Under Choice: Over 45.5  If you’re looking for more content, click here! 

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Fields And Bears Lose In Devastating Fashion

This past Thursday night football game wasn’t the greatest of all-time. We got to watch the Washington Commanders take on the Chicago Bears in what was a two-touchdown performance. It was the second straight week that Thursday Night football was incredibly boring. However, we got some excitement towards the end of the game when the Bears had an opportunity to win the game. Unfortunately, Darnell Mooney wasn’t able to hold onto the football when he was across the plain. He eventually fell out of the end zone as he finally gained possession, getting ruled down at the two-yard line and losing the game.  Mooney was asked about the final play quite a lot after the game. He didn’t pull any punches when answering these questions. He said, “If I just catch the damn ball the first time, we win the game. At that period of time, I’m literally just telling myself, just please, give me this ball. Give me this ball. I just got to close the game for us. If I want to be that player, I want to be that guy for our team, I got to make that play.”   It was an awful outing offensively for both teams, and there’s enough blame to go around for literally everybody that played last night. In my opinion though, Justin Fields should not be on the line for this loss. He overthrew a touchdown early on in the game, but still gave them a shot to close it in the end and threw a beautiful deep ball to give them seven. Fields had completed 14 out of his 27 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown with an interception. He did lead the team in rushing yards though with 88, something that he should be doing more often.  Bears Coaching In Question As Well Chicago’s head coach was asked about his development once again. He said, “I think he took a step forward. I really do. Because, the toughness. For me, the ability to take the ball and drive it down at the very end to give us a chance to win it, that’s to me what was the improvement. Ok? Were there other moments that we need to clean up and offense needs to clean up? Sure. But we had the drives down there and if we punch those in, the game’s a different game. That’s 21 points. So, for me, that was really inspiring to watch him do that at the very end, to take us down to win it at the very end. And again, we came up short. We’ve got to do a better job next time.”   His head coach made sure to cover all the bases after the game. If Chicago would have been able to capitalize on their previous goal line opportunities, they would have certainly won the game by this point already. One thing that his head coach needs to realize though is that they need to design Fields more opportunities to shine. Look at guys like Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts for example. They get designed plays to run the football and a chance to make plays, while Fields is pretty much just locked into a run first football scheme. It’s going to be interesting to watch how the Bears move forward after this.  

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Real Madrid no longer wants Mbappe

Real Madrid is no longer interested in a move for Kylian Mbappe after he snubbed them in the summer to stay at PSG. The striker had been the subject of a £154million offer from the Spanish champions, but he eventually chose to stay in Ligue 1 with his present club and signed a new three-year deal. He was promised so many things in the summer before he agreed to the new contract, but it seems the Ligue 1 side has not kept their word and the striker is unhappy now. This has led to speculation that he could leave them at the end of this year and Madrid is one of the few clubs that can afford him. However, a report on Matchplug reveals Los Blancos no longer consider him a player they want to add to their squad. He is now expected to stay in Paris until the summer when he could move to Liverpool or any other suitor.

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Newcastle United wants a top Brazilian youngster

Vasco de Gama’s highly-rated teenage midfielder Andrey Santos is the subject of transfer interest from Newcastle United. The Magpies and the new-rich of the Premier League and they now have the financial muscle to compete with the top clubs in England. They beat all-comers to land Bruno Guimaraes last season and will now target more Brazilian talents, from the South American country itself. Matchplug understands the latest player to catch their attention is Santos who is helping his team in the Brazilian second division. They look set to make a swift return to Serie A and he is one reason they can be considered that good. The 18-year-old has played 29 games for them this year and it shows how important he is to their game plan. It remains unclear how much his team will demand for his signature, but Newcastle is prepared to splash the cash to sign him.

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Harry Kane committed to Tottenham despite Bayern Munich interest

England striker, Harry Kane insists he is focused on helping Tottenham at the moment despite an important interest in his signature from Bayern Munich. The striker is one of the best forwards in the world and he was close to joining Manchester City last season after they tabled a record-breaking offer to Spurs. However, the Londoners rejected the approach despite him openly declaring he wants out of the club and pushing to make it happen. Spurs have him on a deal until 2024 and it remains unclear if he would sign an extension to his current terms, but Kane is not thinking about leaving the club. Speaking about his future recently, the World Cup Golden Boot winner said via Matchplug: ‘I’m focusing on Tottenham Hotspur and trying to do our best. ‘For sure Bayern are a top, top club but all my concentration is on Tottenham and trying to win tomorrow night.’ 

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Liverpool wants a new midfielder in January

Liverpool has suffered from several injuries this season after nearly winning four trophies last term. The Reds have been hit hard by injuries to key players as they bid to rescue their season and it could force them into the market for a new player. One position they have suffered the most is midfield where the likes of Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, among others have all missed huge parts of the season. They signed Arthur Melo on loan from Juventus to help ease the problem in that position, but the Brazilian is now injured for at least three months. This means they must sign someone in the winter and Matchplug understands the want Real Betis’ Guido Rodriguez. The Argentinian has been in fine form in La Liga and he is one of the top players on their list now. He won the Spanish cup with them last season and we expect him to be on the plane with his country to the World Cup next month.

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Barcelona wants to sign Manchester United star

Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot is attracting the attention of Barcelona as he nears the end of his contract at Old Trafford. The defender has been the first choice under Erik Ten Hag and he wants to remain in England, but his contract expires at the end of this season. This has opened the door for another club to add him to their squad and Barca has an interest in his signature now. Matchplug understands the Spaniards will target a new right-back at the end of this season and they consider him one player they should add to their squad. Dalot wants to stay, but he would not hesitate to accept an offer from another club if United continues to ignore adding him to their squad.

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Real Madrid will not sign Mbappe in January

Real Madrid is monitoring kylian Mbappe’s situation at PSG as he grows uncomfortable in Paris, but they do not believe they can sign him in January. The striker was the subject of intense interest from the Spanish club in the last summer transfer window and he was close to leaving PSG. However, after several persuasions including from the French president he decided to stay in Paris. But months after the new deal was signed, the striker is unhappy. His major problem is that he doesn’t want to play as a striker, but his manager Christophe Galtier wants him to play that role. He has reluctantly done it so far, but he is not happy and Matchplug understands he could ask to leave as early as January. However, Madrid do not believe they can sign the World Cup winner when the transfer window reopens at the start of the new year. They continue to monitor his situation, but trying to buy him at the end of the season is a much better time to get their man. Liverpool is another club who could sign him because the striker loves the Reds.

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“I want to stay. We are talking.” Martinelli will sign a new Arsenal contract

Arsenal star, Gabriel Martinelli, has revealed he wants to remain at the Emirates with the Gunners and he is in contract talks with the club. The Brazilian has been in fine form at the start of the season and that has been one of the reasons the Gunners are at the top of the league table. His current deal expires at Arsenal expires in 2024 and several teams would pounce to add him to their squad. His form and fitness mean he should be one of the highest-paid players at the Emirates now, but that is not the case and there have been talks that he could leave. However, the Brazilian is enjoying life in North London and insists he will sign a new contract. He said via Matchplug: ‘Of course, I want to stay. We are talking. Let’s see what is going to happen. But I want to stay, of course. ‘I think it’s my best season here at Arsenal. I’m so happy for this moment.’

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