All posts by h716a5.icu

Ajax have reportedly enquired about signing Davinson Sanchez from Spurs this month and it could represent the perfect opportunity for Jose Mourinho to axe the Colombian.

According to Dutch news outlet De Telegraaf’s official podcast (via The Spurs Express), the Eredivisie side are keen on signing the centre-back from Spurs this month, having sold the defender to the North London club in 2017.

Spurs signed Sanchez from Ajax in 2017 for £42 million, which was a club-record deal at the time, and he quickly established himself as a regular in Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

During the 2017/18 season, the Colombian international would make 31 appearances in the top-flight, averaging a very solid 6.94 rating.

He remained a regular throughout Pochettino’s time in charge but would see his game time dwindle following the appointment of Jose Mourinho, and he has made just seven Premier League appearances for the North London club this season, in which he has averaged a poor 6.48 rating, with only Rodon rated lower than Sanchez of the Spurs centre-backs.

The Portuguese manager famously told his Manchester United players to target Sanchez during a Europa League final in 2017, and it seems that he is still not entirely convinced by the 24-year-old’s ability on the ball, as he has dropped down the pecking order this season.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-and-rumours” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours, injury latest and more!”]

The Lilywhites also have youngsters Joe Rodon and Japhet Tanganga emerging as first-team options, so they are arguably not short on centre-backs in their squad, suggesting that Sanchez wouldn’t be missed too much if he was allowed to leave.

Back in 2018, former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood labelled the Colombian “a mistake waiting to happen” and we have unfortunately seen make crucial errors in recent seasons, most recently when he headed into his own goal in the 3-3 draw with West Ham.

Therefore, if Ajax can match the 24-year-old’s £36 million market value this month, it might be worth selling the defender as it could bring in the funds to sign a centre-back more to Mourinho’s fancy, such as Milan Skriniar, who was heavily linked with a move to Spurs during the summer.

And, in other news… Spurs will massively rue not signing £36m beast tipped to become the “best in Europe”

Chris Maguire’s Sunderland story has been a tale of both jubilation and regret.

On his day, the Scot has the capability of coming up with some major moments. Take his winner against Portsmouth that took the Mackems to the play-off final, for instance.

However, despite being Sunderland’s top scorer last term, he is a man whose time in the North East has been riddled with inconsistency.

That has never been more apparent than this season, a campaign where not only has he struggled for game time, but he’s also struggled to find the net.

Under Phil Parkinson, the forward was a favourite but he didn’t become one of the former manager’s key men without some rocky moments.

In December 2019, he and Aiden McGeady were pictured at McDonald’s just hours after the club’s 1-0 defeat to Gillingham. Now, you may well conclude that footballers can eat whatever they please, but Parkinson was clearly seething with their conduct.

Parkinson commented: “I got sent the picture. Obviously, it’s not professional, is it? So it’s not helpful, but that is not the sole reason why this decision has been made.”

The decision the former Black Cats boss speaks of was a slap on the wrist behind closed doors. Though, McGeady came out far worse. He was banished from the first-team and told to find a new club in January.

Maguire, on the other hand, only became more crucial to Parkinson. He trained harder and stayed behind beyond normal hours. Following that incident, he went on a run where he scored four goals and registered three assists in his next six outings.

Keep that in mind and it’s remarkable to think that McGeady is now the star of the team again.

Parkinson has departed and with his exit, Lee Johnson has welcomed change. He brought the Irishman in from the cold and coincidentally the man to suffer has been Maguire.

In fact, it wouldn’t be too harsh to suggest the forward has been a passenger of late. In total, the 32-year-old has scored just once in his last 15 games and has started only three matches since Johnson took charge.

Maguire hasn’t been among the starters since the 8th December when Sunderland beat Oldham 2-1. Though, if you consider his dismal stats, it’s hardly a surprise he’s been on the bench on so many occasions.

Very much like his entire Black Cats career to date, this season has been an inconsistent one. The veteran has still netted four times this term but it speaks volumes that McGeady has the same number of strikes, despite not starting a game until December 12th.

Maguire has already managed to overcome some tough times at the Stadium of Light so you wouldn’t put it past him to find consistency again.

However, for that to happen, you feel as though he’ll need to start more regularly.

AND in other news, 100% duels won: Sunderland beast who won 8 tackles stole the show last night…

Manchester United have suffered a huge setback in their pursuit of Dayot Upamecano, with the RB Leipzig defender reportedly set to join Bayern Munich instead.

What’s the word?

Upamecano has been heavily linked to Old Trafford in recent months, whilst he has also attracted attention from clubs across Europe.

Reports in recent weeks claimed that a move to United could be on the cards with Leipzig sporting director Oliver Mintzlaff appearing to pave the way for a possible summer transfer.

However, their hopes have been dashed after it was revealed that Bayern Munich have won the race to sign him this summer.

Following an initial report from Bild, The Athletic have since confirmed that the 22-year-old has agreed terms with the reigning Bundesliga champions, which will be a mammoth blow for manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Huge setback for Solskjaer

While Solskjaer’s desire to reform United’s defence is one of the worst-kept secrets in football at the moment, he may have to rejig his summer transfer plans following this latest setback.

Despite some reports suggesting otherwise, it is understood United were still interested in signing Upamecano, while Liverpool – who also wanted him – had adopted a wait-and-see approach, which left Bayern in pole position to sign him instead.

Solskjaer is well-known for putting his faith in youth, and in Upamecano, he would have found a player who could have been one of United’s starting centre-backs for years to come had Ed Woodward brought him to Old Trafford.

Upamecano has made 19 Bundesliga appearances so far this season, averaging an impressive WhoScored match rating of 6.94 for his efforts, which is better than the likes of Eric Bailly (6.43) and Victor Lindelof (6.64). Along with his statistical score, he is also averaging more tackles overall than Harry Maguire, suggesting that he would have helped to bolster Solskjaer’s leaky defence.

The Red Devils, however, will now be forced to look elsewhere instead to solve their defensive woes, having conceded three goals in their last three fixtures in all competitions this season thus far, per Transfermarkt.

AND in other news, Man Utd could sign their next Marouane Fellaini in West Ham star Tomas Soucek…

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed that Scott McTominay has suffered a fresh injury setback ahead of facing Real Sociedad in the Europa League on Thursday night.

What’s the word?

Solskjaer also revealed the Red Devils will be without Donny van de Beek, Edinson Cavani and Paul Pogba again for the return fixture against Imanol Alguacil’s side at Old Trafford tonight.

McTominay came off during the 4-0 victory over Real Sociedad in Turin, while both Cavani and Van de Beek have missed the past two games due to injury.

Pogba, on the other hand, is working his way back to fitness, but is not expected to be back until the beginning of March at the earliest before the Manchester derby later that week.

“No. They are still out,” Solskjaer said in his pre-match press conference.

“Still not trained enough or joined in, it will be more or less the same squad as Newcastle.”

Bad news for Solskjaer?

The update will come as a double-edged sword for Solskjaer, who faces the prospect of being without one of his star midfielders ahead of the trip to Manchester City in just over a week’s time.

On the one hand, it will allow McTominay to rest and recuperate to hopefully recover in time to face-off against Pep Guardiola’s side at the Etihad.

On the other, however, he faces a race against time in order to prove his match fitness before potentially facing their arch rivals.

The Scotsman was forced to limp off in the second half after being replaced by Nemanja Matic which left a sour note on an otherwise outstanding evening for the Red Devils.

McTominay, 24, has scored four goals, recording a further assist, in 21 top-flight appearances in the Premier League this season. For context, that’s more than Fred and Matic have scored between them across all competitions this season, per Transfermarkt.

Given United’s busy schedule – three games in the past seven days – he may very well have sat out against Sociedad anyway, but potentially losing the player for even longer would come as a huge blow for Solskjaer, given his fine vein of form.

AND in other news, Man Utd plotting Jarrad Branthwaite transfer with an eye on the future…

According to Bristol Live, West Bromwich Albion are interested in signing Jonson Clarke-Harris from Peterborough this summer.

Baggies eye Clarke-Harris

The Baggies are said to be interested in signing the 26-year-old in a few months – even though the striker only moved to Posh from Bristol Rovers last summer.

The Hawthorns outfit’s pursuit of Clarke-Harris depends on whether they stay in the Premier League. The player is said to be currently rated at £5m.

Bargain for a goalscorer

Peterborough clearly have a knack for picking up quality goalscorers. Ivan Toney netted 24 goals in League One last term and now has 25 in 33 games in the Championship after completing a move to Brentford (Transfermarkt), while Clarke-Harris has 21 strikes to his name in the league this term. With 84 goals throughout his career, he appears to be getting better and better with each passing campaign.

Of course, there is always the risk a player will be unable to perform at a higher level. However, for a fee of just £5m, there would be little risk for Sam Allardyce and co if they were to make a move. It remains to be seen whether they do indeed make a concrete approach this summer.

In other news, West Brom fans want Luke Dowling to be replaced by this man.

Everton are at risk of losing Moise Kean to Paris Saint-Germain on a permanent deal as Il Bianconero report that they want to keep him at all costs.

Everton should give Kean another chance

The Toffees should really think about giving Kean another chance at the club based on his form so far in the French capital in 2020/21.

The former Juventus ace has scored no fewer than 15 goals in just 27 matches in total across all competitions this season, and three of those have come in the Champions League (Transfermarkt).

Former PSG striker Pauleta was full of praise for Kean in February, describing the Italy international as a ‘very talented’ player, and there is no doubt that he has shown his talent for the 2019/20 Champions League finalists.

Although it did not quite work out at the Toffees, the youngster only had one full campaign at Goodison Park and should be given another season at least to prove what he can do.

It takes time for some foreign players to adapt to life playing in English football, and the 21-year-old perhaps needed a loan move away in order to regain some confidence.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the Blues will be looking for no less than €45m-€50m (£38.7m-£43m) to sell the striker in the summer, but Everton should not be so quick to jump the gun.

In other news, find out which Everton star has been claimed to start against Chelsea!

Manchester United could potentially welcome David de Gea back into the first team fold this weekend for their clash with West Ham United.

The Spanish goalkeeper has been spending time back in his home country following the birth of his child. Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has already confirmed that the stopper is back and is currently self-isolating ahead of a potential return to action.

This could tempt the Norwegian to reintroduce the 30-year-old straight back into the starting line-up in place of Dean Henderson, but the latter is more than deserving of holding onto the number one position.

When comparing the two goalkeepers’ statistics so far throughout the season, it is the former Sheffield United man who easily comes out on top.

According to SofaScore, Henderson has only conceded 0.6 goals per game in the Premier League compared to De Gea’s 1.2 – exactly half. Across the 16 games he has played in all competitions, the Englishman has claimed ten clean sheets.

Whilst that is a small sample size, as De Gea has the same clean sheet tally from 29 appearances, there is also quite a considerable gap between the two keepers’ personal performance levels.

Henderson, rated at £18m, is averaging 3.8 saves per game, whilst his Spanish counterpart is contributing just 2.3 per match in the Premier League – a huge gap.

One defence of De Gea could be that Henderson is slightly error-prone, as evidenced in the recent 1-1 draw against AC Milan in the UEFA Europa League as he flapped at Simon Kjaer’s late header.

However, there isn’t actually that much difference in that respect between the two ‘keepers.

In De Gea’s 337 Premier League appearances, he has committed 14 errors leading to an opposition goal. Meanwhile, Henderson has made two in his 41 appearances in the competition. Should he make as many top-flight appearances as De Gea, this would mean that he would go on to make just 15 at his current rate – a marginal difference.

On paper then, the two stoppers are certainly very similar, with Henderson having had the better 2020/21. Following last week’s 2-0 win over Manchester City, Solskjaer said of the Englishman: “Dean came in and played well and he’s ready.”

It means that there should be no rush to reintroduce the Spaniard and Henderson should remain as United’s last line of defence.

In more news, read how Manchester United could save millions on a centre-back with an exciting academy prospect…

West Ham have a 75% winning record when Said Benrahma starts and just 36.4% when he doesn’t, as highlighted by @WestHamStatto on Twitter.

The Hammers have emerged victorious in nine of 12 matches when the Algerian attacker has been selected from the start. When he begins the game on the bench, though, that falls to four out of 11 (Transfermarkt).

It should be noted, for added context, that five of those 11 games were against teams currently in the top six of the Premier League.

Benrahma joined West Ham from Brentford last October on an initial loan deal which was made permanent in January. The deal could wind up costing the Hammers £30m.

The 25-year-old was dazzling in the Championship last season, scoring 17 goals and assisting 10.

He is now finding his feet in the top flight. He has yet to open his Premier League account but he does have four assists to his name. Of his team-mates, only Aaron Creswell (seven) has set-up more goals this season.

After Benrahma was again relegated to the bench at Manchester United on Sunday, when West Ham barely threatened the home side’s goal, these Irons fans called on David Moyes to start him consistently given his record when playing from the outset:

These West Ham fans want David Moyes to start Said Benrahma

“These numbers are mad! For me much more telling than any individual stat – Benrahma plays = we are a better team it’s that simple!!”

Credit: @CoyleEndean

“Has to start.”

Credit: @T0M_EDWARDS

“We’re fifth. Trust Moyes. But yes he should start.”

Credit: @WestHam_Central

“I think he tends to miss out when we play back 5 and even though I really like Bowen I think he starts in front of him at the moment.”

Credit: @redgewd

“Agree he does start “easier” games but how are we ever gonna know how the big games will turn out with him starting…UNLESS HE STARTS!!”

Credit: @STU_IRONS_COYI

“LOOK WEST HAM, PLEASE LET HIM START!!!”

Credit: @WHU99

In other news, some West Ham fans have been reacting to this player’s training return.

Leeds United are reportedly still interested in signing Torino centre-back Nicolas Nkoulou this summer, with talks becoming more ‘intense’.

Marcelo Bielsa could be on the lookout for new addition in the next transfer window as he aims to bolster his squad and establish the Whites as a solid Premier League outfit again.

One area where Leeds appear to be relatively well-stocked is at centre-back, but that hasn’t stopped one rumour from doing the rounds.

Bielsa has been linked with bringing Nkoulou to Elland Road in the past and it is now claimed that they are still eyeing up the 72-cap Cameroon international.

[freshpress-quiz id=“347980″]

Leeds still keen on Nkoulou move

According to Calciomercato [via Leeds All Over], talks over a move for the 30-year-old have become ‘increasingly intense’, with his contract at Torino expiring at the end of the season.

Nkoulou has been at the Serie A club since 2017 and may believe that a fresh challenge is required.

Transfer Tavern take

As mentioned, there is no great need to sign a centre-back this summer, although Nkoulou’s vast experience could prove to be a shrewd addition. Also, his 88.7% passing success rate is better than any of Leeds’ senior centre-backs, while nobody at Elland Road can match his average of 2.4 interceptions per game – Liam Cooper comes closest at 2.3.

Bringing him in for free may not affect the club’s transfer budget, either, which is another reason why taking a punt on him could be worth it.

It feels like a win-win scenario, with Leeds already possessing strong options in that area should Bielsa opt against a move for Nkoulou.

In other news, Leeds have received a boost in their quest to sign a world-famous star this summer. Find out who it is here.

A journalist has claimed that Chris Wilder could end up going to Newcastle United to replace Steve Bruce after recent reports linking him with the job.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Alan Biggs, who has been a football reporter for Sky, the Sheffield Star and the Daily Telegraph, claimed when asked about the former Sheffield United boss: “I do see either West Brom or Newcastle”, adding that the St. James’ Park faithful “investigated the possibility” of hiring him back in 2019.

Newcastle should not overlook Wilder

The North East club should certainly not overlook the possibility of hiring Wilder as their new coach if Bruce were to leave.

Even though the Blades have struggled at the foot of the table in the Premier League so far in the 2020/21 term, which subsequently led to the Yorkshireman leaving, his success in the previous season should still be greatly admired, having guided them to a pretty impressive ninth-placed finish having just been promoted up from the EFL Championship.

Nonetheless, Wilder is experienced in the top flight as well as in the lower divisions, so it could well be an inspired appointment even if the Tyneside club were to find themselves relegated at the end of the campaign.

With tensions certainly rising at the Magpies, there are few better candidates to choose from.

In other news, find out what inside claim Liam Kennedy has dropped on takeover talk at NUFC here!