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Club Brugge rejects West Ham’s £10.8m bid for Vanaken

August 24, 2022 No Comments

West Ham has been told to pay more money by Club Brugge for their captain, Hans Vanaken. The Belgian has been on the radar of David Moyes’ side in recent weeks as they look to add newer players to their squad. The Hammers had a great European campaign last season, but they finished in the Conference League place in the Premier League. They have started this season badly and want to back Moyes with the players he needs to turn things around. After securing the signature of Chelsea left-back, Emerson Palmieri, they have turned their attention to bolstering their midfield. Vanaken has been at Brugge since 2015, and he has made over 260 league appearances for them, scoring 80 goals. The 30-year-old has spent all his career playing in Belgium, and he knows this is his last chance to play in a top European league. Matchplug understands that he wants the move and has told his present employer. But they want the Hammers to pay more than the £9.2million plus £1.6m in add-ons they have offered so far.

Leicester City reject Chelsea’s new Fofana bid and banish him to under 23

August 24, 2022 No Comments

Leicester City is maintaining their stance that Wesley Fofana is not for sale for under £80m and they have rejected a new bid from Chelsea. The Blues have reached an agreement over personal terms with the Frenchman and they are now looking to strike an agreement with the Foxes to sign him. They have had numerous bids for his signature rejected and Brendan Rodgers dropped him for Leicester’s match at the weekend. The defender has asked them to sell him and he even missed training just to force through the move. Chelsea knows he wants to join them and they are pushing to make the move happen. Matchplug understands that their latest bid is worth around £70m. ideally, it should be enough for them to sell him. However, Leicester does not want to sell unless Chelsea meets their asking price. Rodgers has now banished the former Saint Etienne man to the under23s as he missed training to force the transfer.

Cardinals Take On The Cubs: Expert Pick

August 22, 2022 No Comments

We get to see the clash of two teams in the NL Central division clash against one another when the St. Louis Cardinals travel to play the Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals are currently favored to win this game after knocking off the Arizona Diamondbacks in their last game. Meanwhile, the Cubs fall into the underdog category coming into this game following a 5-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. Let’s take a look at each of these teams and predict which of them is an absolute lock to win this game. Cardinals Starting Montgomery Starting off with the road team, the Cardinals. Jordan Montgomery is the probable pitcher for them to start this game off hot. Montgomery has pitched in 24 games throughout the year and is holding onto a solid 3.29 ERA. Out of those 24 games, he’s picked up a whopping 10 quality starts to his name. For those that don’t know, a quality start is when a pitcher goes for six or more innings and has an ERA of less than three by the time he subs out. It’s been a while since Montgomery has been pulled early also. He’s gone at least five innings in his past three outings. We’ve seen Montgomery pitch against Chicago earlier in the year, going seven innings and allowing just five hits on 26 batters. Cubs Hope To Bounce Back With Smyly Then flipping over to the Cubs, we will be likely be seeing Drew Smyly. Smyly is making his 17th start of the year but has a negative record of 5-6 to his name. His ERA remains average at 3.67 and he hasn’t pitched in nearly a week. That last game was against the Washington Nationals when he allowed two earned runs and four hits throughout a little over five innings of action. He’s been far worse than Montgomery in the quality starts category as well. Smyly just has three quality starts to his name out of 16 games, whereas Montgomery has 10 in 24 games. To make matters worse for Chicago, Smyly is being put against one of the hottest batting teams in the league. St. Louis is eighth in the league in total hits, fifth in batting average and eighth in total home runs. Final Pick So, when it comes down to picking a winner for this game, it’s hard to imagine choosing against the Cardinals. St. Louis has been on an absolute tear lately and it’s been apparent in their record. The Cardinals are in first place in their division by five games and have won eight out of their last 10 games. Oh, and I forgot to mention that they’ve won seven straight as well. Couple all of that information with the fact that Montgomery is heading to the mound, and they look like a surefire bet to win. After all, he’s almost pitched as many quality starts as he has non-quality starts. Which is a very hard task to accomplish. Chicago has won eight out of their last 11 games, but I don’t know if I can trust Smyly against a team like the Cardinals. They have been on a tear when it comes to batting and Smyly has been inconsistent as it is. Again, I just feel like the Cardinals are going to keep on cruising here.

Xavi wants to offload Dest

August 21, 2022 No Comments

Barcelona manager, Xavi Hernandez, is not a fan of Sergino Dest and he has made it clear that the full-back is not in his plans. Barca signed him in 2020, and he was a key member of their squad under Ronald Koeman. However, he struggled to play in the last campaign and Barca has to offload some players from their books. Xavi recently spoke about his options at right-back and he ignored the former Ajax man, claiming Ronald Araujo, Sergi Roberto and Jules Kounde can play there, even though the latter has not been registered to play for them yet. Asked about Dest, he said, as quoted by Matchplug: ‘He knows what the situation is.’ This is a clear sign that the former midfielder wants to force the full-back out and he has interest from the Premier League. Manchester United has the strongest in him, with the Red Devils now being managed by his former boss, Erik Ten Hag.

Aston agrees to sign Ismaila Sarr for £25million

August 21, 2022 No Comments

Aston Villa has struck an agreement with Watford for the transfer of Ismaila Sarr, according to reports. The Senegalese star has been with the Hornets since 2019 and they have managed to keep hold of him till now despite reported interest in his signature from the top clubs. He was unable to stop them from getting relegated from the Premier League again last season, but he is now set to finally leave them. Matchplug understands Villa has agreed on a deal to add him to their squad and he will return to the English top flight. Steven Gerrard’s side has started this season poorly with one win and two losses. They were beaten 3-1 by Crystal Palace yesterday and the former Liverpool midfielder would be keen to ensure his side gets back to form. Sarr has been a star in the EPL and he will hope to help them get back among the hardest teams to beat in the league.

How to Bet on EPL Games in California

August 20, 2022 No Comments

As the Premier League season rapidly approaches, so too does time for Americans to place their bets on who will come out on top. While this may be a foreign concept to some, betting on sports is a huge industry in the United States, and football (or soccer) betting is no exception. In this article, we will discuss how to bet on Premier League games in California and provide some tips to help you win more often. What is the EPL? The EPL, or English Premier League, is the top football division in England. The league is made up of 20 teams that play each other twice throughout a 38-game season. The team with the most points at the end of the season is crowned champion. It’s estimated that over 900 million people worldwide tuned in to watch the Premier League last season, making it one of the most popular sports leagues in the world. Unsurprisingly, this popularity has translated into a huge betting market for EPL games. Legalities of Sports Betting in California So, is sports betting legal in California? Unfortunately, the answer is a bit complicated. While no specific laws outlaw sports betting in California exist, the state has not legalized it either. This leaves bettors in a bit of a grey area. However, this hasn’t stopped people from betting on sports in California. Numerous online sportsbooks accept bets from Californians and many more who are happy to do business with Americans. The best way to bet on EPL games in California is to find an online sportsbook that accepts bets from Americans. How to Bet on EPL Games There are many ways to bet on EPL games, but we will focus on three of the most popular: moneyline bets, spreads, and totals. Moneyline Bets A moneyline bet is simply picking who you think will win the match. Unlike other types of bets (such as spreads and totals), the odds for moneyline bets are not determined by how much either team is expected to win or lose. Instead, they are set by how much money you would need to bet in order to win $100. For example, let’s say you want to bet on the match between Manchester United and Chelsea. The moneyline odds for this match might look something like this: Manchester United (-200) Chelsea (+300) This means that if you bet $200 on Manchester United, you would win $100 if they won the match. Alternatively, if you bet $100 on Chelsea, you would win $300 if they won the match. In this case, Manchester United is the favorite to win, and Chelsea is the underdog. Spreads Spread betting is a bit more complicated than moneyline betting, but it can be more profitable if done correctly. With spreads, oddsmakers not only set odds for who they think will win the match, but they also set a “line” or “spread” that the team must win by in order for bettors to collect their winnings. For example, let’s say the spread for the Manchester United vs. Chelsea match is set at 1.5 goals. This means that Manchester United must win by 2 or more goals for bettors who picked them to cover the spread to collect their winnings. Similarly, Chelsea must lose by 1 goal or less for their backers to cash in. If the final score of the match ends up being 2-0 in favor of Manchester United, then those who bet on them to cover the spread would win their bet. However, if the match ended in a 1-1 draw, then the bet would be a push (meaning that no one wins and everyone gets their money back). Totals Totals betting is another popular way to bet on EPL games. With totals, oddsmakers set a number for how many goals they think will be scored in the match. Betters then wager on whether they think the final score will be over or under this number. For example, let’s say the total for the Manchester United vs. Chelsea match is set at 2.5 goals. This means that oddsmakers think there is a good chance that 3 or more goals will be scored in the match. If you agree with this prediction and bet that the final score will be over 2.5 goals, then you would win your bet if 3 or more goals are scored. However, you would lose your bet if the match ends with 2 goals or less. Conclusion Betting on EPL games in California is a bit of a grey area, but there are still many ways to do it. The best way to bet on EPL games in California is to find an online sportsbook that accepts bets from Americans. There are many ways to bet on EPL games, but the three most popular are moneyline bets, spreads, and totals.

Norwich fighting to keep Max Aarons

August 20, 2022 No Comments

Norwich City is fighting to keep hold of coveted full-back Max Aarons as clubs around Europe continue to chase his signature. The full-back has been one of the finest players in the Premier League every time the Cannaries are promoted to the top flight. They have just been relegated again and several cubs want to add him to their squad, but they want an immediate return to the top flight and they want to keep hold of him. The Englishman is wanted by clubs in the Premier League and even the German top flight, Matchplug understands. However, Norwich don’t want to sell him because they see him as one player that can help them get back to the big time by the end of this season.

Cannavaro slams Pogba for paying too much attention to his hair

August 20, 2022 No Comments

Fabio Cannavaro has slammed Paul Pogba for paying too much attention to his hair instead of his football after his recent transfer to Juventus. The midfielder shone at the Italian club earlier in his career, but his 100m euros move to Manchester United in 2016 was a failure and he returns to Italy as one of the worst midfielders United has ever had. At Juve he hopes to get back to form, but he has injured his knee before even starting a game for his new club. The midfielder will be back soon, but World Cup winner, Cannavaro doesn’t think he is worth the hype and he suggests the midfielder is too focused on his hair to play football. He said, as quoted by Matchplug: ‘As a football player Paul Pogba thrilled me a lot. But in recent years living at Manchester United he was unrecognisable. ‘Treating him in excess of his hair and image makes me suspect that he feels he has arrived. ‘And when a football player thinks like this you can’t compete at the top, 100 per cent. But I am convinced that he wants revenge in his second life in Italy’.

Inside The Situation Of Fernando Tatis Jr.

August 19, 2022 No Comments

The MLB world erupted when the news broke that the San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr was going to be suspended for the next 80 games. This penalty was almost immediately dished out when the league determined that he had tested positive for a performance enhancing substance. It’s been an incredibly rough season for Tatis to say the least. He hasn’t played a single game throughout the entire 2022 season. This also means he won’t suit up at all this year. This started when he suffered a broken wrist during the offseason. It was the cause of a motorcycle accident. This entire time he’s been working his way back to get on the field and help his team again. This all comes right after he inked a 14-year, $340 megadeal with the Padres back in February of 2021. According to one of Tatis’ best friends on the Padres roster, outfielder Jurickson Profar, Tatis is absolutely devastated over the suspension. He said that he is completely broken up about the ruling and that he feels horrible for his actions. Profar wasn’t the only one set to speak with Fernando Tatis in the organization. The organizations president of baseball operations and general manager, AJ Preller, is set to have a face-to-face meeting with him. It’s expected to happen over the weekend. He is also set to meet with their chairman Peter Seidler during that same time frame. The situation has seen him face a lot of criticism, and it seems to be getting louder as the days pass by. This criticism is even coming from teammates. The same teammates that he’s yet to fully address as a team. Yes, a few players have spoken to him on the roster, but he’s yet to approach them altogether. Heavy Criticism Has Faced Fernando Tatis Another outfielder by the name of Wil Myers said, “We just wanna hear him be genuine and honest in here. What happens in here stays in here. As far as the trust being broken, I think that’s obviously true in the respect of what happened. But that’s not to say that from a teammate perspective that can’t be won back.” Fellow teammate Joe Musgrove sort of echoed those sentiments. He said, “A lot of things between now and then will dictate that. He’s out teammate still, and he’s gonna be in our clubhouse, so we’re gonna have to find a way to get on the same page and get past this. I don’t know what that’s gonna look like yet, but as the time comes it’ll be a little clearer.” Before we wrap this up, we have to cover what his supposed reason for taking an enhancing substance. The MLB Players Association released a statement on Tatis’ behalf when the news broke. Tatis said, “It turns out that I inadvertently took a medication to treat ringworm that contained Clostebol. I should have used the resources available to me in order to ensure that no banned substances were in what I took. I failed to do so.” Whether or not you want to believe him is entirely up to each individual. Some reporters and other players aren’t buying it. They believe that he was using it to become the player that he is right now. Others trust his story and know that it wasn’t any substance that was making him one of the league’s premier players.

Manchester United close to completing €60m Casemiro deal

August 19, 2022 No Comments

Manchester United is close to completing the €60m signing of Casemiro from Real Madrid. The Red Devils have been keen to add a new holding midfielder to their squad in this transfer window. They have spent much of the window trying to add Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong to their squad. However, the Dutchman is reluctant to leave, and they attempted to add Adrien Rabiot to their squad. The Frenchman wanted more money, and they have now turned their attention towards a move for Casemiro. The Brazilian has won all the club trophies at Real Madrid, and he might look for a new challenge. Matchplug understands he is willing to make the move to Old Trafford, and he has informed his club. The move makes him one of the highest-paid players in Europe, and it also sees Madrid make a profit from their outlay to add him to their squad from FC Porto despite having enjoyed the best of his career.

Club Brugge rejects West Ham’s £10.8m bid for Vanaken

Leicester City reject Chelsea’s new Fofana bid and banish him to under 23

Cardinals Take On The Cubs: Expert Pick

Xavi wants to offload Dest

Aston agrees to sign Ismaila Sarr for £25million

How to Bet on EPL Games in California

Norwich fighting to keep Max Aarons

Cannavaro slams Pogba for paying too much attention to his hair

Inside The Situation Of Fernando Tatis Jr.

Manchester United close to completing €60m Casemiro deal

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