All posts by h716a5.icu

Some Manchester United fans have been left to fume at an update from Fabrizio Romano on the contract situation of Paul Pogba.

As per the Italian football journalist and transfer guru (via utdreport), there are currently no talks or agreements in place by the Red Devils to extend the former Juventus star’s deal at Old Trafford, and he is still looking for a new club.

While Pogba has certainly split opinion among the current fanbase, the central midfield player has upped his game in recent weeks, including scoring the winning goal at the San Siro against AC Milan to send Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team through into the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Europa League.

He can still be world class on his day, and MUFC should seriously consider trying to keep hold of the 28-year-old France international at all costs if they want to push on to try and win the Premier League and Champions League in the near future.

Manchester United fans on Pogba update

These Man Utd supporters fumed upon reading the update on Twitter:

“Stupid club, Bruno will wake up and leave soon once he realise we are going nowhere”

Credit: @UnclePogbaJr

“Man this club is gonna be the end of me, he’s going on a free isn’t he?”

Credit: @faruoeQ

“We’re so finished”

Credit: @muchuichris_

“Pain”

Credit: @ELLIS22SZN

“the end is near.”Credit: @Jimgroom92″We’re in the mud”Credit: @ksenguptaaIn other news, find out whose display against Milan was slammed by United fans here!

Steve Bruce must look to let Elliot Anderson off the leash after Newcastle United’s hopes of signing Cardiff City talent Kieron Evans took a huge blow.

What’s the word?

Reports by Wales Online last month claimed that the Toon were one of a small group of Premier League clubs eying Evans’ situation at the Cardiff City Stadium with a view to a potential summer swoop.

However, the Bluebirds announced on Wednesday that the 19-year-old has now agreed on a new, two-year contract with the Championship side, he’d have been a free agent at the end of the season if he didn’t put pen-to-paper.

Evans is on the cusp of making his first-team breakthrough in south Wales after being listed in five senior squads so far this term, but is yet to step foot onto the field for his debut.

Cardiff rate the Wales U19 international’s potential highly and have now moved to avoid losing his services for nothing more than a compensatory sum, amid the alleged interest from Newcastle, West Bromwich Albion, Burnley and Sheffield United.

“Kieron Evans has been a standout performer since I’ve come in,” Cardiff’s U23 coach Steve Morison said following the attacking midfielder’s new contract. “He’s been excellent.

“To top it all off, he’s now adding assists and goals in every game alongside his performances, which have got him really noticed. He deserves it.”

Evans was noted to have attracted attentive glares from top-flight clubs last month after scoring and assisting as the Bluebirds U23s beat Millwall, while also finding the back of the net against Severnside rivals Bristol City.

Should Newcastle test Cardiff’s resolve?

Cardiff moving to tie Evans down to a two-year contract just goes to show how highly he is rated in south Wales, likely making any attempt by Newcastle to prise him away in the off-season a futile pursuit.

But United should not be overly concerned by missing out on the attacking midfielder, who can also operate on the wing, as the Magpies already have a promising rising star in their ranks in Anderson.

Bruce has previously stated that he has been “very pleased” by how Anderson has progressed and settled into the Toon senior fold, after coming on in the closing stages of regular time for his first-team debut against Arsenal in the FA Cup in January.

The 18-year-old did not look out of place among his more experienced teammates in north London, and was expected to force his way into Bruce’s plans more often before the Toon’s form derailed and were engulfed in a relegation battle.

“As soon as he comes on to the pitch, he accepts the ball and receives the ball,” Bruce said following the FA Cup clash, via quotes by Chronicle Live. “He never looks rushed. Everything is effortless to him and easy. We hope he’s got a big future.

“He’ll remember his debut. He could have scored in the last minute, couldn’t he? What a wonderful debut that would have been. I’m very pleased with his progress and he’s one that we hope can do us a good turn over the season.”

More recently, Bruce has shared that Anderson must wait for more opportunities despite the injuries for Miguel Almiron, Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson, as he needs experienced heads to help with a relegation fight.

But that should not be the case, and Bruce should be looking to unleash Anderson and let him prove that he is ready, while his age is just the number currently being used to hold him back.

AND in other news, Newcastle face a global battle to land a £8.5m striker with 18 goals in 26 league games this term…

Manchester United have been dealt a significant injury blow ahead of their UEFA Europa League meeting with AC Milan after Marcus Rashford, who was pretty much ruled out of the game, now also set to miss this weekend’s key clash against West Ham United.

The forward sustained what looked like a serious ankle knock in the 2-0 win against Manchester City after tracking back.

He was eventually withdrawn from the action and despite it being previously suggested that Rashford had managed to dodge a long-term problem, Solskjaer has confirmed he is unlikely to be ready for the meeting with West Ham too.

He said:

“Even though normally I’m a very optimistic guy, I still think he’s going to be out [of the Milan game] and a doubt for the weekend.”

His absence is, of course, going to be felt hard by the Red Devils.

The £72m-rated forward has of course been in exhilarating form for United this season. Currently, in the middle of his most productive campaign to date, he has netted on 18 occasions, whilst also providing a further 12 assists.

Only Bruno Fernandes has contributed more than Rashford throughout the 2020/21 campaign.

The 23-year-old is also going to be sorely missed considering that he has been one of the most reliable players at Old Trafford this season. Having made 43 appearances, he has appeared in every single match in all competitions for the Red Devils.

That is even more damaging considering that there seems to be a real lack of replacements at the club. Fellow forward Edinson Cavani remains ruled out through injury, whilst Mason Greenwood has only managed four goals in all competitions – a far cry from Rashford’s output.

Solskjaer who admittedly is usually “optimistic” about his players’ returns has even admitted that Rashford is unlikely to be fit for the West Ham game. Considering not only the Milan match but also the big clash in terms of the top four race with the Hammers, the United boss will surely be gutted to have one of his key players missing during such a crucial week.

AND in more news, read why the Red Devils could be proven wrong as Diogo Dalot returns to Old Trafford with AC Milan…

David Sullivan should fund a revised swoop for West Ham United to sign Youssef En-Nesyri, with Sevilla reportedly expecting a new offer from the Premier League side this summer.

What’s the word?

According to La Razon, Sevilla chiefs have begun drawing up a shortlist of candidates to replace En-Nesyri at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium and have named Real Madrid’s Mariano Diaz as a potential option.

The Nervion outfit anticipates being active in the transfer market at the end of the season as En-Nesyri is likely to drum up vivid interest across Europe, after Sevilla successfully fended off the Hammers’ efforts to sign the Moroccan during the mid-season window.

Sevilla have not ruled out West Ham making a renewed approach in the summer but will again urge that the Irons to pay €40m (£35m) for his services, as AC Milan and AS Roma are also now willing to challenge for the 23-year-old.

Reports last month by The Athletic claimed the London Stadium natives had an opening offer of €25m (£22m) plus €5m (£4.5m) in additional add-ons rejected, while the Daily Star later alleged that an improved bid worth up to £32m was on the table.

David Moyes later confirmed that West Ham had seen an offer rejected for the €50,000-per-week (£44k-p/w) marksman, who has since taken his tally to 17 goals in 33 games.

“He’s not the only one we’ve bid for. We’ve bid for others. We’ve really knocked on the door of three of four really good players, which we think would have helped us if we’d got them,” Moyes said, via quotes by the Evening Standard.

Should West Ham revisit En-Nesyri this summer?

As West Ham ultimately did not sign a striker to replace Sebastien Haller during the winter transfer window, the East London outfit will have to hit the market this summer to add depth behind an injury-prone Michail Antonio.

With the Irons also, allegedly, not too far off of matching Sevilla’s demands for En-Nesyri and Moyes even admitting to making an offer last month, it would not be that surprising to see a revised approach made at the end of the season.

Sullivan will have to dig a little deeper to come up with the extra few million needed to land the free-scoring 23-year-old, though he should not err on the side of caution too much.

Roma and Milan are unlikely to be the only clubs around Europe who could challenge West Ham for En-Nesyri, given the Moroccan’s record in front of the net this season. The 35-cap international has scored 13 goals in 22 La Liga fixtures and four goals in six Champions League ties.

West Ham have not had a player score as often in a single league season in more than a decade, with Marko Arnautovic’s 11-goal haul in 2017/18 the highest tally a Hammers player has achieved in that timeframe.

The Irons also have few players who have featured as often in Europe throughout their careers as En-Nesyri has just this term, with Andriy Yarmolenko playing 72 games, Vladimir Coufal 31 matches, Tomas Soucek 22 fixtures, Pablo Fornals 19 matches, Lukasz Fabianski 16 matches, Arthur Masuaku 15 games and Manchester United loanee Jesse Lingard featuring 39 times in UEFA competitions beyond the qualifying stages to date.

Those players may be able to build on their records next season with West Ham in contention for a European qualifying slot, but having a goalscorer of En-Nesyri’s calibre will be very beneficial to them, regardless of whether they’re playing in Europe or not.

AND in other news, West Ham are willing to take a £19m hit to offload a £85k-p/w flop…

West Brom may have uncovered a vital piece of the puzzle as they look to achieve the unthinkable and stave off relegation from the Premier League.

The Baggies remain 11 points adrift of safety, but performances have been much more encouraging in recent weeks, so much so that they now actually look like a side capable of competing in the top-flight.

But is it too little, too late?

It’s no coincidence that their form has transformed thanks to the loan arrival of Okay Yokuslu from Celta Vigo as he’s slotted in seamlessly and made an instant impact.

If only he’d been there from the start of the season…

Indeed, the 28-time Turkish international, who is valued at €10m (£9m) by CIES Football Observatory, is atop of WhoScored’s average ratings (6.9) for the Baggies squad.

That’s better than the top-scoring Matheus Pereira (6.74) and arguable Player of the Year, Sam Johnstone (6.58).

Albion have leaked 12 more goals (55) than any other Premier League team after 25 games played, though in his two starts for the Midlands outfit, they have conceded just once, that coming in a 1-1 draw with title contenders Manchester United.

Prior to his involvement, West Brom had let in at least two goals in nine successive matches in all competitions, so that only reinforces his immediate influence, tenfold.

Yokuslu’s work-rate and positioning off the ball as an anchorman in front of the leaky backline has been much-needed. Across those two games, he has managed a total of four interceptions and five clearances, via WhoScored, sweeping up a lot of the work that the likes of Jake Livermore and Romaine Sawyers were struggling to do.

This would be enough to see him top the charts for interceptions with both of the Baggies’ left-back options averaging 1.6 per game.

Club captain Kyle Bartley has also noted his impact, he told the official website:

“He seems to have settled in really quickly which is always important for a player at a new club. You can see already that he’s a really good player,” before adding: “He’s tenacious. He’s good on the ball. He’s calm and composed. I think he’s made a big difference in there.”

The 26-year-old monster has added a new dimension to Sam Allardyce’s midfield – the sort of role that has been long missing since the days of Claudio Yacob, who was a key cog of the Hawthorns side that finished eighth under Steve Clarke in 2012/13 – yes, that long.

Across 176 league games in English football, the industrious Argentine averaged 3.1 tackles, two clearances and 1.9 interceptions per game, via WhoScored – all similar returns to that of Yokuslu, in already a short time.

Allardyce may well have unearthed Albion’s next Yacob and regardless of the division they’ll be competing in next season, the club needs to tie him down permanently, something that his parent club are expecting to happen, according to AS.

AND in other news, £17.5k-p/w “real competitor” deserves new West Brom contract

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Howey has heaped praise on Rangers duo Allan McGregor and James Tavernier for their performances this season.

The former Newcastle and Manchester City centre-back waxed lyrical about McGregor and Tavernier when speaking exclusively to FFC earlier this week.

Veteran goalkeeper McGregor has quickly re-established himself as the first choice between the sticks since returning to Ibrox on a two-year deal.

And Tavernier, who has arguably been one of Steven Gerrard’s best and most consistent players, seems to have found an entirely new level over the past 12 months.

The club captain has now scored 17 goals this season as he continues to rack up astonishing numbers from right-back as Gerrard’s side edge closer to Scottish Premiership title glory.

When asked by Football FanCast to name Rangers’ best player this season so far, Howey went one step further than that, by saying that both players have been immense for Gerrard’s band of merry men.

Here’s what he had to say about McGregor and Tavernier when speaking exclusively to Football FanCast:

“With Rangers, the two players that have stood out for me this season – and all of them really have done very well, everyone’s chipping in – but Tavernier, some of the goals he has scored from set-pieces and Allan McGregor the goalkeeper (stand out) but, I think all of them have done very well.

“If you take Tavernier, for example. He was at Newcastle and this is why I’ve got such admiration for these players because ultimately, they’ve been rejected.

“We’ve seen so many good players who have been at clubs and have been released and not come back because they’ve let the rejection get to them.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, the likes of Adam Armstrong, Ivan Toney and Tavernier have all suffered massive setbacks but they’ve come good.

“And again, I’m delighted for Tavernier, I think he’s been excellent this season.”

Tavernier has even managed to turn his domestic form into two goals and three assists in six Europa Lague appearances, whilst he’s clearly turning heads amid interest from clubs south of the border.

It’s no surprise, then, that his market value has soared, as he is currently valued at £7.2m via Transfermarkt, which is a dramatic increase in his market value last year.

This means that any potential move away from Ibrox won’t come cheap, with Gerrard reluctant to sell any of his key men in the January transfer window as he bids to stop Celtic from ten in a row.

Both men are two of the most seasoned and experienced members of the squad and it’s unlikely that the board would be willing to let both players leave halfway through the season, especially when they find themselves leading the title race at the top of the table.

Rangers fans will hope that the two men picked out by Howey continue to shine and lead Rangers to the title.

AND in other news, Rangers loanee Kai Kennedy showed his class against Hearts…

Manchester City moved up to second place in the Premier League after a comprehensive 4-0 win against Crystal Palace on Sunday evening.

Goals from Ilkay Gundogan, Raheem Sterling and a brace from centre-back John Stones secured the three points as Pep Guardiola’s side continued their superb run of recent form.

However, not every City player would impress against the Eagles, with Bernardo Silva extremely disappointing on the right-wing for the Citizens.

As per SofaScore, the former Monaco man would pick up a 6.6 rating for his performance, which comfortably ranked him as City’s worst player of those that started the game.

During his hour on the pitch, the winger completed 29/34 passes, resulting in a pass accuracy rate of 84%, which is lower than his season average of 89.8%.

After his brace in the FA Cup against Birmingham City last weekend, there were perhaps hopes that Silva’s form would improve but he is still without a single goal or an assist in the top-flight so far this season, something which will certainly concern Guardiola.

During his time on the pitch against Roy Hodgson’s side, the 26-year-old failed to find a City shirt with either of his two crosses, whilst neither of his two long balls were accurate, suggesting that his passing was nowhere near his best standards on Sunday evening.

Whilst winning duels is not the winger’s strongest point, the fact that he failed to win any of his four duels during the game is slightly concerning, as it represents a real decline from his performance against Brighton in midweek, where he won seven duels and earned an impressive 7.6 rating.

Silva also lost possession on 10 occasions against Palace, whilst he failed to attempt a single dribble, or even have a single shot on goal with the Crystal Palace defenders clearly getting the better of him.

Therefore, it would definitely be fair to suggest that Silva was nowhere near his usual standard son Sunday evening and as such, he will be Guardiola’s one disappointment from a hugely positive win.

And, in other news… Manchester City can sign their Gundogan heir in £30m beast who “dreams of playing in the CL”

Former Arsenal and West Ham midfielder Jack Wilshere has been strongly linked with a switch to Glasgow Rangers in recent months as he is available on a free transfer.

What’s the word?

A recent report from talkSPORT, as relayed by TEAMtalk, had revealed that a move to Rangers “should not be ruled out” despite the fact the Gers signed South Africa international Bongani Zungu from French Ligue 2 side Amiens on an initial loan deal on transfer deadline day.

Wilshere was handed a three-year-deal by former West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini in 2018, but this was terminated by mutual consent, which has raised questions over his future.

The Stevenage-born star has been without a club ever since he was released by the Hammers, with rumours linking him with a move to Scotland.

Following months of speculation, he has finally broken his silence, saying he hasn’t been approached by Ross Wilson, but admitting that he is a big fan of Gerrard.

When asked about the reports, Wilshere told Dubai Eye radio, as quoted by The Daily Record: “It would interest me because it’s Steven Gerrard, and that’s no disrespect to Scotland.

“My granddad married a Scottish woman 30 years ago so she’s like my nan and that’s all I’ve known growing up.

“It never crossed my mind playing there, but now that Gerrard’s there, the door definitely isn’t closed.

“But at the same time it wouldn’t be my first choice.

“There’s been no contact.

“I’ve read all the rumours, but honestly, there’s been no contact.

“Listen, I played with Gerrard for England, I watched him growing up. He was one of my heroes growing up and he’s a legend.

“But there’s been no contact.”

Imagine Wilshere and Kamara

The 28-year-old remains a free agent but the Gers may well have an advantage when it comes to potential negotiations with his representatives, considering just how much he admires the manager.

Steven Gerrard’s side have made a strong start to the season, sitting top of the Scottish Premiership after 15 games. Celtic are 11 points behind the Light Blues, but have two games in hand, so Wilshere may be the man to give the Gers a cutting edge in midfield and help them to regain the title for the first time since the 2010-11 season.

The Ibrox boss is pretty spoilt for choice in the midfield as he can call upon the likes of Zungu, Scott Arfield, Steven Davis, Glen Kamara, Ryan Jack and Joe Aribo, but most, if not all of them, are central and defensive options, so Wilshere might be the man to add some attack-minded talent to the midfield and keep them ahead of the Hoops.

Wilshere has had his fair share of injuries, that much is for certain, but during his time at West Ham, he still showed flashes of his overall brilliance, as he featured eight times for the Hammers in the Premier League in the 2018-19 campaign, registering one assist, whilst he averaged 1.9 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

He demonstrated his versatility during his time at Arsenal as Arsene Wenger deployed him in various positions across the midfield, which would surely be an added bonus when you consider the fact he won’t cost Wilson a penny.

Last month, Barcelona legend Xavi was full of praise for the former England international, saying he would be the best player in Scotland if he reunited with Gerrard at Ibrox, whilst the Gers manager has admitted that he admires his former international teammate in the past.

Xavi told The Daily Record: “Rangers could be a very good fit for him. The pace in Scotland is not as fast as England and it would give him more time on the ball. That is where he excels, his vision and passing is incredible.”

It goes without saying that Wilshere could be a shrewd signing, especially when you consider the fact that he is currently valued at £3.6m via Transfermarkt. He could become a bargain signing if Wilson and co. can reach an agreement with his representatives.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers left-back Calvin Bassey is the heir apparent to Borna Barisic…

If at the start of the season Aston Villa fans hoped their club wouldn’t be involved in a relegation battle by the time Christmas rolled around, then they must be absolutely bouncing at seeing their side’s incredible start to the Premier League campaign.

Dean Smith’s side have been the undoubted surprise packages of the season, particularly when you consider how they survived relegation back to the Championship on the final day of last season.

Heading into their Boxing Day clash against Crystal Palace, Smith will be keen to keep this momentum going, and below is a look at just how Villa might line up on Saturday afternoon.

In goal, Emiliano Martinez will look to continue his fantastic start to life at Villa Park, having helped his new side in becoming one of the meanest defences in the Premier League with just 13 goals conceded.

The back four could see one big change, with the £12m Ezri Konsa back in first-team training and likely to come straight back in for Kortney Hause who has deputised for him whilst he’s been out injured.

Both John McGinn and Douglas Luiz should be the central midfield duo once again, whilst Smith has a massive call to make over whether he brings Ross Barkley into the team based on how his fitness is during the week.

The England international has been out of action since picking up a hamstring injury in the early moments of the Brighton game, and Anwar El Ghazi laid down his case to keep his starting spot with a brace in the win over West Brom.

Smith may feel that with games coming thick and fast, and El Ghazi in form, it may be wise to just hold Barkley back for this game, and potentially bringing him off the bench to ease him back into action.

Predicted XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; McGinn, Luiz; Traore, Grealish, El Ghazi, Watkins.

Former Glasgow Rangers manager Alex McLeish believes it is “amazing” that the Gers are said to be interested in Sampdoria midfielder Jakub Jankto.

Jankto on radar

Reputable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano recently revealed that the Gers were “so close” to signing 24 year-old Jankto. In the end, though, he ended up staying in Italy.

The fact that the 54-time Scottish champions were linked at all appears to have delighted McLeish. He told Ibrox News:

“It’s amazing to see Rangers getting linked with young international players like this after playing catch-up for four or five years.

“I think that they’ve been pretty studious in terms of the players that are brought in. A lot of them do have young legs and are learning the game but they’ve adapted really quickly.

“A lot of players can come and become a household name in Scotland. You saw Virgil van Dijk come here, spread his wings and go on to be a superstar. 

“But it’s not easy coming to play for Rangers – you have to stand up and be counted.”

Shows how far the Gers have come

Indeed, this is a big boost for the Gers even if they were unable to actually get their hands on the player in the end. Jankto is a player who has 28 caps for the Czech Republic, and has also previously been linked with Italian giants Juventus. The fact that the Gers were even in with a chance is a big statement of what they are trying to achieve at Ibrox.

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Currently valued at £8.55m (Transfermarkt), he would not have come cheap, and after two goals and one assist in six matches in Serie A so far this term for Sampdoria, his current employers may have decided against selling him. This level of player, though, is one the Gers should be targeting on a regular basis if they want to get back to where they belong.

In other news, Rangers fans surprisingly laud this Scotland star.