Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has revealed that his club will again spend big on a marquee player in next summer’s transfer window.
Paul Pogba arrived in an £89m deal from Juventus in the summer of 2016, before United paid £75m to sign Romelu Lukaku from Everton ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.
The Red Devils have since been linked with the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Paulo Dybala as Mourinho looks to put together a team capable of challenging Manchester City for the Premier League title.
The United boss has said that ‘two or three more players’ will arrive at Old Trafford next summer, and one of those will be a marquee signing.
Mourinho told reporters:
“I think, next season, we are going to get two or three more players.
“My club, two years ago, paid a lot of money for Paul [Pogba]. Last year, they paid a lot of money for Lukaku and I’m sure, next year, they are also going to pay a lot of money for one player.”
United are also expected to move for a new midfielder next summer as captain Michael Carrick prepares to announce his retirement following the expiration of his contract.
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The futures of Daley Blind, Marouane Fellaini, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Matteo Darmian are also unclear heading into 2018.
Everton are in talks with former Liverpool midfielder Momo Sissoko, reports the Daily Mail.
The 28-year-old is available on a free transfer, and could move to Goodison Park as Roberto Martinez looks to bring in a new defensive midfielder.
Sissoko, who could have joined Everton in 2005, moved to Anfield instead, and spent 3 seasons with the Reds. But Martinez wants the former Red to play on the other side of Stanley Park, and is ready to meet his £70,000-a-week wage demands. The Toffees boss will need to move quickly to, as Cardiff City are also interested in the Mali midfielder.
Everton had been heavily linked with Gareth Barry, is free to leave Manchester City as he enters the final year of his contract at the Etihad. But the Englishman is reluctant to move to Everton, leading to the former Wigan boss to look at Sissoko.
As well as looking for new players, Martinez is focusing on keeping Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini at his new club. The pair were the subject of a joint bid from Manchester United, and Martinez wants to ensure that the duo reject the interest from their former boss David Moyes.
Everton have until September 2nd to secure a move for Sissoko, as the transfer deadline day fast approaches.
Would Everton fans welcome Sissoko? Do they need a defensive midfielder?
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Cheick Tiote and Davide Santon have been added to Newcastle’s injury list and will miss out against Manchester City this weekend.
The Magpies have struggled with injury problems all season and they are starting to bite again at a crucial stage of the season with six players set to miss the City clash.
Boss Alan Pardew has confirmed that both Tiote and Santon are struggling with muscle strains and will miss the clash against City. Santon picked up his injury against Wigan and it looks as though Tiote suffered his in training.
French full-back Mathieu Debuchy will also miss out due to his hamstring injury picked up at the DW Stadium, while Massadio Haidara could play against Benfica in the Europa League but this weekend’s game comes too soon.
Tim Krul and Fabricio Coloccini are also back in training and could return for the Benfica clash but Pardew will not risk them at the Etihad Stadium this weekend.
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It was pretty inevitable that serious questions were going to be asked of Manuel Pellegrini’s Manchester City tenure; losing to Barcelona in the Champions League has merely prompted the question sooner.
Stalling league form, disappointing domestic cup exits and last night’s loss have meant that City, barring a miraculous turn around in the league, will end the season trophy-less. The question regarding Pellegrini’s reign now doesn’t actually lie on the merit of his team this year, but more on the managerial policy that the upper-echelons of the club’s hierarchy want to take.
City and their fans have always been slightly different to the public-bashing norm of English fans, having faith in their cohort of managers even when times are bad. Roberto Mancini by all accounts had an awful season before being sacked, yet left on incredibly positive terms with the club’s supporters (they had a £7000 whip round for an advert in an Italian magazine to thank him for his work).
That’s a far-sight different from the situation reflected most similarly in City’s equivalent, Chelsea, where their sadist owner Roman Abramovic sharpens his proverbial manager-guillotine everytime he sniffs a scent of weakness in his management team.
Pellegrini, therefore represents a converging policy-point for owner Sheikh Mansour and his board. Sack him and you create an ingrained culture of managerial intolerance which will resonate deeply with all incoming managers in the future, weary of the demand to perform exceptionally to stay in the job. Alternatively, keep the faith, exploit the admirable compassion of the club’s fanbase, and show the footballing spheres that City won’t conform to the savage conventions of managerial-bashing.
It really is a bit of a toss up – Pellegrini has walked into a very corrosive medium, where the fans would hardly revolt if he stayed, but City could easily tap into their fickleness and cast him side anyway.
You can therefore take the cynical view, considering the last couple of months in isolation to come to a pejorative verdict on Pellegrini. Or more holistically, you can take a sympathetic approach, and be weary that there are deeper-rooted problems at the Etihad that are beyond Pellegrini’s de facto control.
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It must be remembered that City’s transfer policy over the last couple of years has largely failed. In an era of extensive scouting systems and directors of football whose priority is to identify talent, Pellegrini can not be solely blamed for the imports who have failed to improve the team.
Fernandinho is perhaps the player who epitomises this disappointment most. A truly fantastic midfielder in his time at Shakhtar, yet now a place-filler who hardly contributes. This squad’s average age is also 29.1, a sign that it is coming to the end of it’s cycle and will need overhauling with conviction soon; only Sergio Aguero, Wilfried Bony and Eliaquim Mangala are under the age of 27 . Why shouldn’t Pellegrini, with his ideals now lain in the club, oversee that transition?
What is to be gained from bringing in someone new and burdening them with the elusive task of assembling a new team? And what if they fail? Do you then restart this interminably unproductive cycle until someone gets lucky, displacing all long term consistency and continuity within the club?
If City’s board can attract a candidate of the highest calibre, a Diego Simeone or a Carlo Ancelloti, or – whisper it quietly – a Pep Guardiola, then it’s a risk worth taking. But beside that very minor elite of the world’s best managers, City won’t find a superior alternative to Pellegrini.
It’s worth remembering the last manager in England to win a double in his first season before being sacked prematurely the following year for winning nothing. That was Carlo Ancelloti at Chelsea, and his dismissal remains one of the most ridiculous decisions in the Abramovic era.
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Pellegrini has asserted his confidence in assurances that he’s under no direct pressure to win anything this year. But then Roberto Mancini made worryingly identical remarks this time two years ago – he appeared assured that his position was tenable, only to be shown the door.
It’s a difficult position to call and City should act wisely. Pellegrini is an excellent manager and should be gifted more time on the assumption that City don’t have access to that bracket of superior alternatives.
Although lacking the whimsical nature of it’s immediate predecessor, there’s something to be said for the Fourth Round of the FA Cup – this year’s edition seeing three Premier League sides held to a draw or defeat by teams from the Football League.
Throw in some gorgeous goals, heroic performances, VAR controversy and even a red card for spitting, and the weekend’s FA Cup action was littered with contentious talking points. Football FanCast run the rule over the most significant by looking at the biggest winners and losers from the Fourth Round…
Winner – Jarrod Bowen
An FA Cup clash right at the end of the transfer window was always going to be something of an audition for Hull City’s highly-rated youngster Jarrod Bowen, but especially with scouts from reportedly no less than eight Premier League clubs attending the KCOM Stadium to run the rule over him. And it’s safe to say the 21-year-old, currently amid his first full season in the Tigers’ first team, passed with flying colours, scoring Hull’s first and assisting the second in a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest.
The youngster is proving himself to be a real match winner and, assuming we won’t see a deal completed before Wednesday’s transfer deadline, he’ll be desperate for Hull to draw a Premier League club in the next round to showcase his talents against top flight opposition as well.
Loser – Jurgen Klopp
Soccer Football – FA Cup Fourth Round – Liverpool vs West Bromwich Albion – Anfield, Liverpool, Britain – January 27, 2018 Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp reacts REUTERS/Phil Noble
Jurgen Klopp has now been eliminated from the FA Cup during the Fourth Round for all three of his campaigns as Liverpool manager and in the process, he’ll probably miss out on bringing some much-needed silverware to Anfield for a third consecutive season as well.
Indeed, Liverpool’s home defeat to West Brom has left the Reds with only a top four finish and a solid run in the Champions League to play for. In more bad news for Klopp though, it also means he’s once again slipped behind predecessor Brendan Rodgers for winning returns as Liverpool manager, tasting one less victory than the now-Celtic boss after 134 games in charge.
Loser – Arthur Masuaku
Arthur Masuaku’s ‘despicable’ spit, to quote David Moyes, compounded what was a dreadful afternoon for West Ham up at Wigan Athletic as the Irons produced easily their worst performance of the Scot’s short tenure thus far. The Hammers didn’t manage a single shot on target against the League One side and finished up with just 48% possession, and Masuaku’s shocking spit early in the first half was symptomatic of their frustrations.
While Moyes will be quietly relieved he no longer needs to contend with an FA Cup run as well as a relegation battle though, the ninety minutes cost West Ham dearly. Including Masuaku’s six-game suspension for spitting and Pedro Obiang’s first-half injury, the east Londoners now have an incredible 13 players either injured or banned ahead of a week in which they face fellow relegation candidates Crystal Palace and Brighton.
Winners – Manchester United
The Alexis Sanchez era at Old Trafford will be a frighteningly exciting one if the former Arsenal star’s Manchester United debut is anything to go by.
While the League Two side hardly represented the most formidable of opposition, Newport County’s draw with Tottenham shows how difficult these ties can be, even for England’s top clubs. But United surged to a 4-0 victory with aplomb and Sanchez was at the performance’s beating heart, providing the ingenuity the Red Devils have often lacked between the midfield and the attack this season.
Perhaps more crucially, United remain in the hunt for their likeliest chance of silverware this season after being eliminated from the League Cup by Bristol City.
Losers – Tottenham
Tottenham may have drawn with Newport County in the end as Harry Kane came to the rescue but the cost is arguably greater than a defeat for Mauricio Pochettino’s side. The Lilywhites were due to play Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Juventus in their next four games but the middle two contests will now have the Fourth Round replay with Newport County sandwiched in between as well.
That gives Tottenham three days less to prepare for the North London derby, not to mention creates a run of five matches in the space of 14 days, and although Pochettino will fancy his second string to beat Newport in the relative comfort of Wembley, it’s nonetheless a drain on his resources at the worst possible time. On three fronts – the top four battle, the FA Cup and the Champions League – the next fortnight will define Tottenham’s season.
Winner – Riyad Mahrez
Riyad Mahrez didn’t kick a ball during the Fourth Round, instead watching on from the bench as Leicester City ripped apart Peterborough in a 5-1 romping. But it’s no secret the Algerian playmaker has sought a big move in recent summers and the Foxes’ reluctance to let their talismanic star leave may have waned substantially over the course of Saturday’s early kickoff as 22-year-old Fousseni Diabate produced a stunning debut performance for his new club that was very much in the Mahrez mould.
Indeed, the Malian midfielder provided an abundance of creativity and netting prowess, scoring twice and conjuring up four chances, while continuously marauding through the Posh defence with the ball at feet. It’s still early days in his King Power Stadium career but with a successor seemingly at the club already, Leicester may feel far more open to bids for Mahrez when the summer transfer window comes around.
Winners – West Brom
West Brom appeared to have turned a corner under Alan Pardew some time ago and those subtle improvements reached something of a climax at Anfield on Saturday night as the Baggies scored three goals in a single game for only the second time this season, the other being against Accrington Stanley, to claim their third victory in four games across all competitions.
The performance was clear evidence of the much-needed positivity Pardew has brought to the Hawthorns and just rewards for the good work for he’s done since replacing Tony Pulis. And although Pardew probably doesn’t want an FA Cup run to deal with in the middle of a scrap for survival, that emphatic win at Anfield will give the Baggies huge confidence ahead of a run of fixtures that includes Southampton, Huddersfield and Watford in their next five games.
Loser – VAR
For the second round in a row, VAR appeared to cause almost as many problems as it solved in the FA Cup.
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After Norwich and Chelsea’s replay at Stamford Bridge drew criticism for VAR’s failure to bring a challenge defender Timm Klose later admitted was a penalty to the attention of the referee, Liverpool and West Brom’s Fourth Round clash provided a glimpse of the opposite end of the spectrum, with official Craig Pawson turning to video technology three times in the first half to ironic chants of VAR from bemused spectators.
On the one hand, VAR did mean every big decision in the game was eventually the right one, but on the other, it slowed down the match considerably, dampening the atmosphere, and the lack of communication became increasingly frustrating.
Baggies gaffer Pardew even believes the stoppages in play lead to two hamstring injuries for his players, unveiling yet another unforeseen consequence of the new system.
Yesterday afternoon, Leeds United officially announced the signing of former Southampton striker Billy Sharp.
The 28 year-old played a crucial role in the Saints’ promotion to the Premier League in 2012, but he struggled for game-time in the top flight, spending the last two years on loan to Nottingham Forest, Reading and former club Doncaster.
Sharp’s goalscoring credentials at Championship level are undoubted however, and following the departure of talismanic forward Ross McCormack, Whites fans will hope the former Sheffield United youngster can replace the Scot’s netting prowess.
So in honour of his move to Elland Road, here’s FIVE things Billy Sharp will bring to Leeds United.
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GOALS
It goes without saying that Leeds have saved Billy Sharp from his Southampton nightmare to fill the goalscoring void left behind by the £11million departure of Ross McCormack to Fulham.
Indeed, the 28 year-old may have struggled to impact in the Premier League but his quality at second-tier level has never been in doubt.
He’s netted 65 times in his last 158 Championship appearances throughout spells with Doncaster, Nottingham Forest, Reading and Southampton, boasting a strike-rate of one-in-two during his two-and-a-half campaigns at the Keepmoat stadium.
If David Hockaday can set up a steady supply, the former Sheffield United youngster will undoubtedly find the net. Here’s a look at all of the striker’s goals for Donny:
VARIETY
Billy Sharp is often dubbed as a ‘fox in the box’, suggesting he does little more than turn up in the right place at the right time to knock the ball in.
But in truth, the former Southampton and Doncaster striker is capable of putting away a variety of chances. As viewable below, he can finish with both feet and exceptionally lethal in the penalty area:
But he’s good with his head too for a 5 foot 9 striker, take this goal against former club Scunthorpe for example:
Or this effort against another former club, Doncaster:
And I’m sure Leeds fans remember this goal, demonstrating Sharp’s ability to maintain concentration amid a 28-pass move:
He’s also scored a few worldies from long-range too, but we’ll get onto that later.
MATCH-WINNER
Far from simply being a striker who racks up a decent tally each season purely for the sake of statistical enjoyment, Sharp scores goals that matter. Resultantly, he has the potential to be a real match-winner for Leeds.
Take his short stay at Southampton for example. The Saints are now flying high in the Premier League with many of their (now former) stars representing England at the World Cup.
But they wouldn’t have got there without the 28 year-old going on a run of nine-in-fifteen at the end of the 2011/12 campaign, netting vital braces against Peterborough, Portsmouth and Doncaster to earn Southampton a vital seven points effectively single-handedly.
Here’s a look at his nine-goal run for the south coast outfit:
MOVEMENT IN THE FINAL THIRD
It’s no secret that Billy Sharp isn’t the most athletic striker. He measures in at 5 foot 9, isn’t quick or particularly powerful, and that is the underlying reason why he’s never met the standards of the Premier League.
But for what the 28 year-old lacks in natural physicality, he makes up for in intelligent movement and determination. To directly quote Lincoln City goalkeeper David Preece, who has played against Sharp before, “It’s his movement that gives defenders their biggest headache, particularly inside the penalty area. As soon as the defender focuses his attention away from him and on to the ball coming in, Sharp makes his move and pulls away from his marker to give him that precious yard or two of space.
“Outside of the box, Sharp will willingly use his bullish physique to hold up balls played into him or offer himself to a more positive pass down the outside of central defenders by using the same movement of pulling away diagonal from them for the ball slipped in behind.“
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Leeds have height and strength in Matt Smith and Steve Morison, experience in Noel Hunt and pace in Dominic Poleon, but none come close to matching Sharp’s immense positional awareness and persistent movement in the final third.
A modern day cult hero
In the modern game where the size of the wage packet appears to rule all, there aren’t too many cult heroes remaining.
But Billy Sharp bucks that trend, not least because he has the name of a footballer from the 1920s. Furthermore, he’s a player determined to make up for his aforementioned lack of physicality with sheer effort, desire, determination and technical skill, which in the current climate is exceptionally refreshing.
Premier League fans may never truly appreciate him, but all loyal followers of the Championship certainly do.
And that in part is due to perhaps one of the most touching moments ever witnessed in second tier football. Days after the death of his two year-old son, the striker produced this sensational strike and touching tribute celebration:
The 28 year-old now runs the Luey Jacob Sharp Foundation, a charity to raise money for research into gastroschisis.
For his passion, his bravery, and his dedication, in Billy Sharp, Leeds truly have one of the rare few genuine cult heroes in the English game today.
Mario Mandzukic and Arjen Robben’s goals ensured Bayern Munich a 2-1 Champions League final victory against Borussia Dortmund.
In a closely-fought affair at Wembley Stadium the first all-German final had to wait until the hour mark for its opening goal with Mandzukic converting.
Ilkay Gundogan levelled up from the penalty spot before Robben won the match late on to give Bayern their first Champions League win since 2001 and made up for their 2010 defeat to Inter Milan and last year’s penalty shoot-out heartbreak against Chelsea.
Dortmund pressed Bayern from the off and their prolific marksman Robert Lewandowski had the first attempt in the 14th minute with his rising strike from outside the area tipped over by Manuel Neuer.
A minute later Jakub Blaszczykowski met a ball in from the right with a first-time effort which Neuer did well to turn round his near post.
On 19 minutes Marco Reus was sent clear by Kevin Grosskreutz and his effort from outside the area was pushed out for a corner by Neuer.
Sven Bender was picked out in the box by Grosskreutz three minutes later but his effort lacked any real power to beat Neuer.
Bayern finally woke up and almost scored on 26 minutes when Franck Ribery’s great left-wing cross found the head of Mandzukic who forced a good save from Roman Weidenfeller.
Robben then went clear down the right of the Dortmund area but Weidenfeller raced out to narrow the angle and blocked his effort.
Dortmund had another opportunity on 35 minutes as Lewandowski turned Jerome Boateng in the area but his low strike was saved by Neuer’s feet.
Robben had the final chance of the half when the ball fell to him just inside the Dortmund area but Weiudenfeller thwarted his attempted chip with his face.
Bayern took the lead on 60 minutes when Ribery played in Robben down the left side of the area and he teed up Mandzukic for a simple tap-in.
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The lead only lasted eight minutes as Dante’s clumsy tackle on Reus in the area saw Dortmund handed a penalty which Gundogan converted as he sent Neuer the wrong way.
Neven Subotic did brilliantly well to slide in and cleared Thomas Muller’s angled effort off the line on 72 minutes with Robben also looking to get in and force the ball home at the back post.
Lewandowski fired in a brilliant dipping volley from outside the area for Dortmund but the referee had blew up for a free kick, while at the other end Weidenfeller did well to parry away a David Alaba strike. Bastian Schweinsteiger then forced a good save from the Dortmund custodian with just three minutes left on the clock.
But in the final minute of normal time Ribery’s back-heel played in Robben who went past a couple of defenders before flicking the ball into the net past Weidenfeller to claim Bayern’s fifth European crown.
Most up and coming French starlets are linked with Arsenal, this is nothing new. The reason for this is often that most French talent want to work with Arsene Wenger, and Nabil Fekir is no different, according to reports in The Daily Mail.
Fekir the headlines again last weekend after scoring two goals in a sensational performance for Lyon which is only going to increase the likelihood of a move to a bigger club. But he has also hit the headlines for another reason this week – taking some of the sheen of such a convincing performance at the weekend – and unfortunately, this might give the Premier League club reason to think twice.
The 21 year-old, who was born in Lyon to Algerian parents, has been offending almost everyone with his to-ing and fro-ing as he decides which country he would like to pledge allegiance to. Fekir was called up to the French Under-21 squad in October and back then his father told the media that his son would play for Algeria rather than France at senior level.
The player himself however, stayed silent on the issue until the new year, and I do wince when I see footballers’ fathers talking to the media when it comes to transfers or decisions like this. It’s hard to criticise the youngster for what his father said to the media.
But Fekir’s own handling of this has been disastrous. He did later speak out himself, telling the press that he hadn’t yet decided which country to choose, and would do so by the end of March, by which time he could be called up to a senior squad.
And so here we are in March, and right on queue Fekir has made a mess of the situation. He has turned it into a soap opera, played out in full view of the public.
Initially, the French and Algerian associations were trying to play this cool and not say anything which might cause a diplomatic incident between the federations. Both coaches, Didier Deschamps for France and Christian Gourcuff for Algeria, tried to avoid putting pressure on the player to decide one way or the other. But Fekir has dragged all parties into it: both managers, both federations and even his own club.
After Fekir had spoken to Gourcuff, the Algerian manager understood that Fekir wanted to play for Algeria. Of course, we don’t know what was said, but Gourcuff was convinced enough to include the youngster in his squad.
The Lyon player responded by publishing a statement on the club’s club website, saying that he had not told Gourcuff that he had decided to play for Algeria – which Gourcuff and Algeria dispute – and subsequently the player spoke to Deschamps.
After this phone call it appears that Fekir told Gourcuff that he had changed his mind. Eurosport reports that Fekir told French sports newspaper L’Equipe that he had made his ‘definitive decision’, and that was to play for France.
He told the paper that Deschamps was ‘very convincing’ in the phone call, and that it was in his interest to play for France.
So it is now alleged that Deschamps is angry because he wanted to stay out of it, and didn’t want to appear to ‘convince’ the player at all. French fans are angry that Fekir could choose to play for their country because it was ‘in his interest’.
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Gourcuff is angry because he felt he was lied to and dragged into a situation he wanted none of. The Algerian FA are angry for the same reason, but they are also angry because they feel that the club have been putting pressure on Fekir to choose France over Algeria – a claim that stems from the statement that Lyon published on their website, but a claim that is rendered a little odd by the fact that Christian Gourcuff is the father of Lyon midfielder Yoann Gourcuff. Presumably Fekir’s club, then, aren’t too happy about his dragging them into it either.
On top of all this, you also get the feeling that Fekir is jumping the gun somewhat by making all of this public before actually having been called up to a France squad. His performances certainly merit a call-up, and he’ll bring something a little different to the side, but no one knows just yet whether he’ll be offered a place.
So you would forgive Arsene Wenger for looking at all of this and wondering if he’s worth the hassle. Especially since his father has also been speaking to the media about Arsenal, saying that Fekir would only move to Arsenal if he left Lyon, and could only develop under Arsene Wenger. The Arsenal is yet another party being dragged into a situation he wanted no part of by an interview-happy father!
As messy as this situation is though, we must remember that Fekir is still just a kid and although he has made a mistake in how he has handled the situation perhaps the main protagonists of this soap opera should be looking to give him better guidance rather than direct their anger towards him. Certainly better guidance than his clearly partisan father seems to be giving him.
After all, that’s what he needs: guidance.
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Fekir has other players to look up to in this situation, like Karim Benzema and Saint Etienne’s Romain Hamouma. Benzema also came through the ranks at Lyon, is also of Algerian origin and also caused controversy by declaring for France before moving to Real Madrid.
Hamouma was offered a call-up to the Algerian squad owing to his grandfather who was born there. The Saint Etienne winger refused as he said he felt French and not Algerian, but he will probably now never get the chance to play international football.
I hope that Wenger, if he is interested in Fekir’s signature, could look to all of this mess and see it not as indicative of a spoilt and fickle player, but as the actions of a youngster who has been given some bad guidance. Fekir looks to me like a man who is torn between doing a noble thing, and playing for the country of his heritage, and making a career-move and playing for a French side who are the hosts of the Euros next year.
It should be his fantastic feet that do the talking, and not which country he decides to play for, and I hope that a club like Arsenal can take him on board and show him that.
Steven Gerrard has urged Liverpool to tie key duo Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling to new contracts, reports the Guardian.
Captain in waiting Henderson has just 18 months left to run on his current deal, whilst joint top scorer this season Raheem Sterling has been negotiating terms of a new deal for several months, with a new deal still yet to be signed.
Sterling has been linked with big money moves to Real Madrid, Chelsea and Paris St Germain since, and Gerrard says it is vital Liverpool tie the duo to new contracts, given they are the ‘future’ of the club.
The departing Liverpool captain said: “They need to sign him [Sterling] now. He knows what I want him to do. Not just him, Jordan Henderson as well. When I was coming through at Liverpool, every time you got within a couple of years left your contract would be renewed and there would no worrying or panic stage, but I see Henderson with a year left and I see Sterling – it is in the paper too much and I know there is no smoke without fire.
“So, for me, the message to the club is to get these done sharpish because these are the future of the club and I want to watch this team do well, in cup finals and challenging for the league. Those players, Sterling, Henderson – [Philippe] Coutinho and [Daniel] Sturridge who just signed up – they are the ones who are going to deliver, so it’s vital they get them done before it is too late.”
Gerrard’s immediate focus is on his final Merseyside derby, with Liverpool making the short trip across Stanley Park to take on Everton this evening.
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The 34-year-old has scored 10 goals in 32 meetings against his local rivals – only Ian Rush has more goals against Everton in the Reds history.
So it’s all finally coming together for Louis Van Gaal and his Manchester United side.
After a slow and stuttering start to his Old Trafford career, we’re beginning to see the fruits of his labour and can be pretty sure they’ll finish in the top four again after a 12 month exile.
But having spent over £150million on reinforcements last summer, there remains a few weaknessess within Van Gaal’s squad that need ironing out before we can really count United as title contenders, which is why he’s already got his eye on spending another pot load of cash this summer.
United have been linked with a whopping 31 players ahead of the summer transfer window, so we asked the Old Trafford faithful which ones they’d prefer to see playing for their beloved Red Devils next season.
A respectable 214 United fans took part in the poll, submitting 2,504 votes between them in the process. But who did they vote for and who didn’t get the vote of confidence that you’d perhaps expect to be high on the fans’ wishlist?
After closing the poll we were surprised to see who the top five players were, and even more so the players who didn’t make the grade.
So here are the five players Manchester United fans want signed this summer, as voted for by the fans…
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5. Gareth Bale
The Welsh wizard has been linked with a return to the Premier League ever since he signed for Real Madrid two seasons ago.
Last month, the Express, amongst many other media outlets, were reporting that Man United were serious about signing Gareth Bale in the summer, but such advances have since been quashed by the player himself.
Still, United fans seem to want Louis Van Gaal to bring the former Tottenham star to Old Trafford, no matter what he might cost.
72 fans voted in favour of a Bale transfer, while an unambitious 41 said they weren’t too keen.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo
Any poll that includes Cristiano Ronaldo as an option is always going to have him voted high on the list, but it’s something of a surprise that the Real Madrid superstar isn’t the fans’ number one choice.
The Ballon d’Or winner has indeed been linked with a move away from the Bernabeu this summer after reports surfacing of a rift between him and manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Manchester United would obviously be the only place the Portuguese forward would end up if he were to return to the Premier League, given the time he had at Old Trafford before his then world record move to the Spanish giants back in 2009.
At the age of 30 Ronaldo isn’t getting any younger, but his recent performances for Real Madrid are all the proof you need that he can still perform at the highest level and can still be regarded as the best player on the planet.
How many United fans voted for him? Sixty five, while 35 would rather not see the Messiah return in the summer. Weird.
3. Nathaniel Clyne
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A surprising inclusion, particularly when you consider more Man United fans want him this summer than Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.
But it’s no secret that Man United are crying out for a decent right back, what with Rafael clearly not favoured by Louis Van Gaal and Paddy McNair lacking in experience.
So Nathaniel Clyne was always going to be linked with a move to Old Trafford after a solid season with Southampton that has seen him called up for England and even touted as Roy Hodgson’s first choice right-back.
A huge 88 Man United fans voted in favour of signing the Saints defender ahead of next season, while 21 would seemingly prefer other options.
2. Memphis Depay
When a player who impressed for Holland under Van Gaal at last summer’s World Cup is up for grabs, you just know the Dutch manager is going to explore every possibility of being reunited with him at club level.
And that is what’s happening with PSV wonderkid Memphis Depay at the moment. MirrorFootball are reporting that it’s going to be a straight out tug of war between United and Depay this summer, which they also reckon United will win hands down.
The 21-year-old winger is reportedly available for as little as £25million and, according to MirrorFootball, United have no problem with that fee and are prepared to meet it, leaving Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool losing out with their pathetic £20million valuation.
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Still, while Louis Van Gaal definitely wants him, so do the United faithful. 122 fans voted for Depay to be signed this summer, with just nine voted against a £25million outlay on one of Europe’s most exciting and promising prospects.
1. Mats Hummels
First of all, we really hope this transfer happens, purely because we’re getting bored of speculating on the Germany international’s future.
The World Cup winner looks set to be on his way out of Borussia Dortmund this summer, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea all joining United in the race for his signature.
But Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp has hinted that Old Trafford looks the most likely destination for Hummels this summer, which pretty much makes it a done deal then. Doesn’t it?
With Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo being Van Gaal’s only ‘decent’ options in the centre of defence, it’s not rocket science to work out that the Dutch boss will have a world class centre-half at the top of his wishlist ahead of next season.
So who better than Hummels to strengthen what is arguably United’s weakest area?
That’s probably why 130 fans voted for Hummels as their ideal summer signing. Thought there’s eight fans out there who would rather someone else, but we’ll ignore them.
Make it happen, Louis. The fans are counting on you.