The World Cup is over for England fans. And with the English second tier already back underway, we can turn our attention to the return of the Premier League and the cut and thrust of domestic football.
As the Three Lions bowed out of the World Cup with a defeat to France, the Premier League squads were already back in training and will be joined by the international stars over the next week, in time for the big kick off on Boxing Day. The curtain-raiser sees Three Lions skipper Harry Kane in action as Spurs make the short trip to Brentford for the lunchtime kick-off.
Newcastle United have enjoyed a storming campaign so far with a set of Premier League 2022 results that even the most optimistic Geordie didn’t dare to dream of and they will return in third place in the league table. Eddie Howe’s men will re-open their account on a visit to Leicester City and that throws up a fascinating sub plot.
The Foxes’ attacking midfielder James Maddison has been in scintillating form so far this season, earning him a place in England’s World Cup squad. And he is a target for the Newcastle recruitment team again after they tracked him during the summer.
The Magpies have genuine aspirations to win a Champions League place now and their Saudi owners will be keen to recruit top quality reinforcements for the second half of the campaign.
Maddison fits the bill and he might be attracted by the move now that Newcastle are seen as top four contenders. But the North East club might face new competition in the shape of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
In the summer, Leicester City were looking for a minimum of £60-M for their star, but reports have just emerged in the UK press that the Reds might be willing to spend up to £80-M to land the player.
Liverpool had a difficult start to the 2022/23 campaign but they are starting to make a move with four wins from the last six and are up to sixth place.
The Premier League 2022 betting odds have all but ruled out an Anfield title, but a Champions League place is the minimum requirement and Klopp may be tempted to move for Maddison.
Injured stars at Arsenal and Liverpool
League leaders Arsenal opened up a five-point gap at the top of the table before the break, but they received some bad news during the World Cup when striker Gabriel Jesus suffered a knee injury during Brazil’s clash with Cameroon.
The 25-year-old injured his right knee and has undergone surgery and manager Mikel Arteta says he’s taking it day by day.
It’s a blow to the Gunners and reports suggest their striker, who was in brilliant form in the opening 14 games, could be out for two months.
Liverpool too have had some bad luck too as Luis Diaz was making good progress until he suffered an injury on the training ground this week. The Colombian star hasn’t played since October and when he pulled up in training Klopp said it was “a proper smash in the face”.
Amrabat attracting Premier League interest
One player who has starred in the World Cup has hit the news in England as a possible target for Antonio Conte’s Tottenham.
Here at SBOTOP, we picked out Sofyan Amrabat as one of the players of the tournament. The Fiorentina star has been outstanding for Morocco, sitting in front of the defence, breaking up play, and linking with the Atlas Lion’s creative stars with devastating effect.
The protection he provides to the defence has contributed to a campaign in which semi-finalists Morocco have conceded just one goal, and Amrabat is the kind of deep-lying midfielder wanted by most of Europe’s top clubs.
The 26-year-old has been linked with Spurs and, while these are early days and Amrabat has more business to do in Qatar, his stock has risen rapidly and La Viola might be tempted to cash in if the Londoners make a move.
Glazers ponder sale of Manchester United
Off the field there is excitement up in Manchester where the club’s unpopular owners have suggested that they will look to sell the club as one of a number of options.
The Red Devils have been well represented at the World Cup in Qatar but, once again, they are an outside bet for a top four place in the Premier League even though they are the league’s biggest spenders this year.
The Glazer family is preparing for offers but the selling price is a point of some contention. A priced of £9-B was floated but the Raine Group – United’s financial advisors – have suggested £6-B may be nearer the mark, though some sources in the City of London have suggested even that figure too is far removed from the theoretical value which may be less than £3-B. It’s a story which is set to run for months, if not years, but United fans just want to see a resolution.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
