With Virgil van Dijk leaving for Liverpool and just one player arriving, it’s been something of a frustrating transfer window for Southampton so far – especially with the south coast outfit dropping to 19th in the Premier League.
Furthermore, Saints look set to miss out on one of their prime targets this month in the form of Quincy Promes. The Netherlands international would have been an ideal remedy for Southampton’s limited dynamism in the final third and consequential lack of goals this season, but a deal is reportedly unlikely with CSKA Moscow unable to find a replacement.
However, Deadline Day isn’t over just yet and Southampton may have time to bring in a likeminded alternative to Promes. In fact, two already come to mind for Football FanCast – West Ham’s Michail Antonio and Celta forward Pione Sisto.
Antonio, who once enjoyed a loan spell at St. Mary’s, is proven in the Premier League but doesn’t have an obvious place in David Moyes’ plans and was publicly scalded by the Scot last night after turning up late to a team meeting. Transfermarkt value him at £16.2million.
Sisto, meanwhile, is more of a speculative investment at the age of 22 but after first gaining notoriety with FC Midtjylland, he’s shown good form in La Liga with four goals and nine assists so far this season.
So, Southampton fans, which Promes alternative would you like to see Southampton swoop for? Let us know by voting below…
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As reported by The Daily Mirror, Manchester United have made fresh contact with representatives of Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri this week, ahead of the summer transfer window.
What’s the story?
United’s central midfield problems have continued this season and with the likes of Paul Pogba losing form and apparently losing the trust of manager Jose Mourinho, it’s more important than ever that the club attract the brightest and best of European football to Old Trafford.
One such player that the Red Devils seem to have their heart set on is Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri.
That’s according to The Mirror who say that the club have made fresh contact with the midfielder about a potential £35m move to Manchester this summer.
That fee is his buyout clause at Nice and the paper reckon that Mourinho sees him as the all-round package that can solve his midfield woes after sending scouts to watch him this season.
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Is he Pogba’s replacement?
The chatter around Paul Pogba’s future right now is reaching fever pitch after the midfielder was not started against Sevilla in the UEFA Champions League mid-week, but there’s no need to hit the panic button on his Man United career quite yet.
He might be struggling to adapt with Alexis Sanchez’s inclusion in the team, but he still has a big part to play at Old Trafford and the signing of Jean Michael Seri can actually enhance his performances rather than be a direct replacement for them.
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Seri is having a fantastic season at Nice and has the technical ability and drive to fight fires in the Man United midfield and move the ball on to their more creative talents, potentially freeing Pogba to have an impact on the game further forward.
Leeds United’s chances of securing a top-six finish in the Championship took another huge hit last Saturday when they were beaten 2-1 by Sheffield United in Paul Heckingbottom’s first match in charge of the club.
Considering the Blades are also looking to secure a play-off position and were only two points ahead of the Whites at kick-off, the result was particularly disappointing and left the visitors once again looking unlikely to be in the mix for promotion to the Premier League at the end of the campaign.
However, they do still have 15 matches left and an opportunity to close the eight-point gap between them and sixth-place Bristol City when they host the Robins at Elland Road on Sunday, and Heckingbottom will be looking to pick up his first win in order to move his 11th-placed team up the standings as soon as possible.
The Yorkshire outfit still have plenty left to play for this term despite their poor form in recent weeks – including a number of league defeats and getting knocked out of the FA Cup by League Two opposition in Newport County – and there are a number of their players whose futures are also in severe doubt right now.
Those individuals will be fighting hard over the course of the next few months to prove to Heckingbottom that they have a future at Elland Road beyond the end of the current campaign.
Here are three Leeds players that have 15 Championship matches left to save their United careers…
Pablo Hernandez
While the Spaniard has become a real fans’ favourite with Leeds supporters and has produced some magical moments in the past few seasons at Elland Road, his contract is due to expire this summer and there has been no progress with him signing a new one as of yet.
Despite his qualities, he turns 33 years of age in April and Heckingbottom and the club may prefer to bring in a younger attacking midfielder for the future rather than keep Hernandez.
The versatile attacker, who can play on either wing or in the No 10 role, was left on the substitutes’ bench in the defeat against Sheffield United last weekend, and that may be a sign of things to come to suggest that he needs to fight in the final 15 matches to extend his stay with the Yorkshire outfit.
Hadi Sacko
The French winger joined Leeds on a permanent deal during the summer following a successful season-long loan spell at Elland Road last season, but he obviously failed to impress Thomas Christiansen after barely featuring under him throughout the campaign.
The 23-year-old has only made 10 Championship appearances in total this term – with nine of those coming from the substitutes’ bench – for a total of 201 minutes, with the majority of his playing time coming in the FA Cup and League Cup.
He did come off of the bench against Sheffield United last weekend however, and he may need to prove to Heckingbottom that he has a future at the club if and when he is handed an opportunity in the final 15 league fixtures this season.
Pawel Cibicki
Cibicki was another that arrived on a permanent deal during the summer as Leeds looked to replace the goals of Chris Wood following his departure to Burnley, but like Sacko he barely had a look in under Christiansen.
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The 24-year-old has only made 12 appearances in all competitions – and made just five starts in seven outings in the Championship – and he already looks to have a fight on to save his United career.
The Swedish attacker – who can play as a centre-forward or out wide – was an unused substitute against Sheffield United on Saturday, and he will need to impress Heckingbottom if he is given minutes on the pitch in the final 15 league games, otherwise he could be on his way in the summer.
It would be fair to say that eyebrows were raised when John Terry decided to join Aston Villa ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.
Instead of leaving Chelsea for a move to China or the MLS, Terry decided to drop down into the Championship, with Villa winning the race to sign the former England captain.
The 37-year-old has made 25 appearances in all competitions for Villa this season, and his form in recent weeks has been key in pushing Steve Bruce’s side up the table.
Indeed, the former Premier League club are currently third in the second tier behind Wolverhampton Wanderers and Cardiff City as they battle to secure a return to the elite.
Earlier this week, Villa’s official Twitter account posted an image of Terry, who is valued at £900k by transfermarkt.co.uk, looking full of passion.
As expected, a host of the Villa supporters responded to the tweet by praising the form of the former Chelsea centre-back, who will see his current deal expire this summer.
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A selection of the reaction on social media can be seen below:
Manchester United hosted Liverpool in the Premier League’s latest instalment of the Northwest derby on Saturday and pulled off a vital 2-1 win, with the two bitter rivals separated by just one place and two points in the table before kickoff.
Marcus Rashford – who Transfermarkt value at £45million – was the key influence in the early stages, twice taking advantage of Liverpool’s failure to deal with direct balls to Romelu Lukaku by drifting inside and rifling beyond Loris Karius.
But Ashley Young played a pivotal role for the Red Devils as well; his ability to keep a leash on Liverpool’s biggest threat, Mohamed Salah, was instrumental in limiting the Reds’ notorious vibrancy going forward.
So, Red Devils supporters, do Rashford or Young deserve the Man of the Match award? Which United stars impressed you, and which disappointed? Let us know by taking part in the poll below and giving each player a performance rating out of ten…
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Jesse Lingard’s endured his fair share of critics since breaking into the Manchester United first team. Despite Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Gareth Southgate rarely fearful of placing the attacking midfielder in their respective starting XIs, there has been a constant debate over whether the 25-year-old truly has the quality to perform consistently at that level.
Even amid these accusations though, Lingard has always proved capable of rising to the occasion.
Including the Community Shield, he’s scored in three cup finals for the Red Devils, and his entire United career to date has produced nine game-winning goals – more than a third of all his 24 strikes for the Old Trafford outfit.
And that has shone through during the recent international break too, with Lingard producing telling moments against both the Netherlands and Italy.
It was his strike that proved to be decisive as England beat Oranje 1-0 at the Amsterdam Arena, while he slotted through a cute pass into the path of Jamie Vardy who rifled home in the 1-1 draw with Italy on Tuesday night.
Add to that the 10-cap international’s undoubted industry and positional versatility, and it quickly becomes easier to understand why so many managers have favoured Lingard – including Southgate who will be more than aware of how the 25-year-old’s ability to produce match-winning moments could be the difference between a positive and negative World Cup campaign for the Three Lions.
Indeed, those two performances appear to have pencilled Lingard into the starting XI for the World Cup, possibly coming at the expense of Dele Alli who sat out the 1-1 draw with Italy, suggesting he’s not such a prominent figure in Southgate’s plans.
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So, England fans, do you now see Lingard as a better option than Alli, who Transfermarkt value at £72million? Let us know by voting below…
As reported by The Daily Mail, Liverpool are interested in signing young Valencia winger Ferran Torres.
What’s the story?
While the Reds will likely be on the hunt for established talent that can immediately improve their first team this summer, just as important is securing the futures of the next wave of talent emerging in European football, especially if they can beat massive clubs to the punch.
One player of that ilk currently interesting the Anfield side is Ferran Torres, currently breaking through at La Liga side Valencia.
That’s according to The Daily Mail, who say that Liverpool have been tracking the progress of the 18-year-old all season.
However, facing competition from the likes of Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona, according to the paper, if they want him it’s imperative they don’t hesitate in making their move for him.
He’s certainly rated highly at his current club, with Valencia reportedly inserting an £88m release clause in a new contract just this week, in an effort to fend off interest.
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Who is he?
A Spanish U19 international, the right winger made his debut for Valencia this season and has gone on to make 10 appearances in all competitions, contributing two assists in that time but yet to score his first senior goal.
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He was a stand-out in last year’s U17s World Cup, making it to the final and losing to England.
Given he now has a huge buy-out clause in his contract and the fact he has little first team experience, perhaps it’s a little early for Liverpool to invest heavily in his future, but young talent comes at a premium in today’s transfer market and this player appears to have more potential that most on the continent.
Eric Bailly was on the substitutes bench as Manchester United kept a clean sheet in victory over Swansea City on Saturday afternoon.
A lightning start saw United race into a 2-0 lead within just 20 minutes, thanks to goals from Romelu Lukaku and it was a largely comfortable afternoon for Jose Mourinho’s side.
United’s next game will be far from comfortable, the trip to the Etihad Stadium to attempt to prevent their bitter rivals Manchester City from winning the Premier League against them.
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Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof were hardly tested by the Swans but it will be a different story against Pep Guardiola’s rampant Citizens side and Bailly’s athleticism and nous might well be needed.
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That’s why we’re asking you; should Bailly – valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt – be recalled to the starting eleven for this Saturday’s Manchester derby? Let us know by voting in the poll below and keep an eye out for the results later in the week…
Everton fans are jumping to the defence of Theo Walcott on Twitter, after former Toffee Michael Ball slammed the winger for his derby performance.
Michael Ball made 121 league appearances for Everton before moving to Rangers, but fans are not impressed by the former full back’s criticism of January signing Theo Walcott.
Walcott got off to a fantastic start after his move to Goodison, grabbing two goals in a phenomenal man of the match performance against Leicester.
The speedy winger has gone off the boil a bit recently, though most fans would probably agree the manager’s negative tactics are to blame more than errors from the player himself.
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Ball, who writes regular Everton columns for the Liverpool Echo, clearly did not agree with that judgement though, lashing into the 29 year-old on Twitter for not wanting the ball more against Liverpool.
This could be said for the entire team, as they only attacked the weakened Liverpool side in the late stages of the match.
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Fans have been very critical of Sam Allardyce for his negative tactics, and they’ve been defending Walcott for following the instructions of the manager.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
It looks set to be another big summer in the transfer market for Everton and their owner Farhad Moshiri, after a hugely disappointing campaign.
Following a huge summer of spending last summer, hopes were high that the Merseyside outfit could make that step forward and start to challenge the top six clubs in the Premier League, and perhaps even gatecrash the top Champions League qualification spots.
However, it hasn’t worked out like that and under Ronald Koeman and now Sam Allardyce, they look set for an eighth-place finish at the very best after a disastrous start to the season.
Moshiri will be determined to improve and get things right in terms of recruitment this summer, and with or without Allardyce – whose future appears to be far from certain – they will want to get the right players in at Goodison Park, as well as getting the deadwood out through the exit door in order to freshen things up.
There are a number of Toffees players that should be fearful for their futures given their performances and attitudes this term, and they could be some of the first to be moved on.
Here are three players Everton must sell in major clear-out this summer…
Everton’s defence has been a huge problem at times this season – especially earlier on in the campaign – and at times back then the fans may have wished that Funes Mori was available to replace the likes of Ashley Williams and Michael Keane in the backline, despite not being really solid himself during his spell at Goodison Park.
However, the Argentina international was missing because of a serious injury he picked up while on duty with his country, which has meant that he has played just 14 minutes of Premier League football this term.
You get the feeling that the 27-year-old doesn’t have the best attitude after a report from Fox Sports says he has told Wayne Rooney to ask Allardyce to play him more ahead of the World Cup – thinking about his country rather than the club that pay his wages – and the Toffees should cash in this summer.
While the Frenchman has been a regular in the Everton midfield in recent weeks and has improved – albeit with the transfer window just around the corner – his below-par displays and his questionable attitude earlier on in the campaign should bring some major doubt over his future.
The former Manchester United man failed to make the squad on occasions during David Unsworth’s caretaker spell last year, which shows that something clearly wasn’t right with his mentality on the training ground.
The Merseyside outfit need players that are committed and willing to put their body on the line to help them progress, and you get the feeling that Schneiderlin isn’t really one of those and must go – it would be an outcome that wouldn’t leave Everton fans on Twitter too upset after they were left confused by the praise he received following the 1-0 win against Newcastle on Monday.
Like Schneiderlin, Mirallas was another player who sometimes failed to make Unsworth’s squad earlier on in the season.
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It is likely that it is down to his attitude, which has been brought into question many times during his Everton career.
The Belgium international joined Olympiacos on loan during the January transfer window having been frozen out by Sam Allardyce, but Belgian media outlet Het Nieuwsblad report that the Greek side remain unconvinced about the attacker, and are unlikely to sign him on a permanent basis.
The Toffees must find another buyer for the 30-year-old if that is the case, in order to get rid of a player who never seems to be far from trouble.