According to reports, Hakan Calhanoglu, the latest rising star of the Bundesliga, has been heavily linked with Liverpool, as the Reds continue to look at rediscovering last season’s performances.
The Reds saw great potential in Calhanoglu over the summer, but opted instead to sign fellow Bayer Leverkusen man, Emre Can, who has so far failed to make any meaningful impact at Anfield this season – largely through injury. Whilst the young international was surfacing all over Brendan Rodgers’ radar last summer, the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea have both since expressed an interest in bringing Hakan Calhanoglu to the Premier League.
At only 20-years-old, Bayer’s newest asset has been labelled the ‘new Mesut Ozil’ for his calm composure on the ball and ability to pick out a fine pass. Calhanoglu also shares the fact that that he was born in Germany, but to Turkish heritage like the current Arsenal playmaker. Unlike Mesut Ozil, however, Bayer’s No. 10 has opted to represent Turkey on the international scene instead of his place of birth.
Hakan Calhanoglu signed for Leverkusen in the summer for a fee of around €12.5 million. He has now won fans over as the best free-kick taker in the Bundesliga, with comparisons with other great set-piece specialists, such as Juninho and David Beckham, already surfacing around the young Turkish international. Calhanoglu has scored seven free kicks across two seasons in the German top flight, with converted dead-ball opportunities flying in against the likes of Werder Bremen, Schalke 04 and FC Koln already in 2014.
Bayer’s No. 10 also has a flair for long-range finishing. Just last weekend Calhanoglu scored his first non-set-piece goal for his new team, with a rocket lob against Lucien Favre’s Borussia Monchengladbach. Manuel Neuer has also felt the full force of the young midfielder, after the current BayArena favourite blasted in a low shot for Hamburger SV against the almighty Bayern in 2013/14. Calhanoglu’s finest goal, however, came against Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund side last in season’s campaign.
From no less than 40 yards out, the daring Turk sent a crazy free-kick past a flailing Roman Weidenfeller in the BVB net. It was simply an out of this world finish and was rightly touted as one of the best goals in European football last season. Calhanoglu now has seven goals in 25 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen, which is impressive considering that he is predominantly a midfielder, not a striker.
Whilst the 20-year-old may not appease Brendan Rodgers’ current striking woes at Anfield this season, Calhanoglu would certainly give the Reds that bit more creativity they need in front of goal. Although the ‘new Mesut Ozil’ is very much of the Markovic/Lallana mould, his set-piece prowess gives him an asset that simply can’t be found amongst Liverpool’s other attacking midfielders.
Rodgers’ has seemingly lost out on signing Calhanoglu on the cheap, however, as the young midfielder is now gaining widespread praise from everyone involved with the Bundesliga and beyond. The Liverpool boss may have to re-evaluate his transfer policy and spending practises after missing such a great opportunity for his club.
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Fans of the English football will certainly like to see the young international make it to the Premier League, as Hakan Calhanoglu is undoubtedly one of football’s brightest stars in the making.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Following a capitulation in the second half of the campaign, Manchester City’s title defence has run ashore and widespread changes are expected at the Etihad Stadium this summer.
With an ageing squad, an injection of youth seems necessary for Manuel Pellegrini’s men to put forward a consistent title challenge next season.
Although City will surely invest in new players in the transfer market, financial fair play rulings could well stifle their ambitions. As such, looking within the club’s current ranks for stars ready to make a step-up would be a sensible option.
With City’s investment in youth facilities and commitment to producing young players as a result, it seems like time that some of the next generation’s players are given a chance to show their worth.
Here are three youngsters ready for first-team consideration.
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Karim Rekik
The confident young Dutch centre-half has been on loan at PSV Eindhoven for the last two seasons and is making waves in his homeland.
Rekik was a dependable figure in Phillip Cocu’s Eredivisie-winning side this season and has been recognised in the senior Dutch squad, making his Netherlands debut last year.
With Vincent Kompany showing signs of frailty, Eliaquim Mangala still not convincing and Martin Demichelis not getting any younger, fresh blood at centre-half seems like a prerequisite this summer.
Rekik is ready for Premier League football and could well be the injection that City’s back four desperately needs.
Jose Angel Pozo
The young Spaniard was afforded a chance to play in a number of Premier League fixtures earlier in the campaign due to an injury crisis in attack, but the chance probably came a year too early for the 19-year-old.
A member of Real Madrid’s youth academy for five years, Pozo has been with the outgoing English champions since 2012 and has made significant progress in the youth and reserve ranks.
A feature for his nation at age-grade level, Pozo’s injection of pace and purpose could well keep some of City’s elder statesmen honest in their pursuit of a starting berth.
Using Pozo as an impact substitute would add urgency to a City side that have been laborious at times this season.
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Thierry Ambrose
Labelled as the ‘new Thierry Henry’ in some quarters, Ambrose has been starring in the City reserve ranks, despite only recently turning 18.
With pace and power to burn, the young Frenchman has the versatility to play anywhere across the forward line and could well be an exciting addition to the first-team set-up at the Etihad Stadium next season.
With an eye for goal, exceptional technique and upper body strength to boot, Ambrose seems set for a bright future.
Introducing him to playing alongside players such as David Silva and Sergio Aguero will only see the youngster improve further, with Ambrose representing the best hope of a successful product from City’s big-money academy.
Manchester United boast arguably the most successful academy in the history of English football, producing the likes of Bobby Charlton, George Best and the ever-famed Class of ’92 – who became so intrinsic to the Red Devils’ late-90s-early-2000s dominance that they even have their own documentary.
Likewise, nurturing young talent into world-class stars is one of the hallmarks of Louis van Gaal’s management career. Spanning spells at Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, the likes of Edwin van der Saar, Patrick Kluivert, Clarence Seedorf, Carles Puyol, Andres Iniesta, Thomas Muller and Toni Kroos all became first team regulars for their respective clubs under the Dutchman’s leadership.
So with that in mind and the new Premier League campaign just around the corner, Football FanCast have taken a look at the SIX Red Devils youngsters you should be keeping an eye on next season.
Could one of these SIX emerge as the next Gary Neville or Ryan Giggs by the end of the 2015/16 season?
ADNAN JANUZAJ
Let’s start with the obvious – Adnan Januzaj. The winger wizzkid may have endured a woeful 2014/15 campaign, failing to record a goal or an assist in 850 minutes of Premier League football, but his enormous potential is undeniable.
Indeed, the manner in which he exploded onto the Premier League scene with a stunning brace against Sunderland in October 2013 was truly something special, and there’s just something about the way the 20 year-old manipulates the ball that insinuates superstardom could be just around the corner.
Some have suggested a loan move for the Belgium international this season – certainly a sensible idea considering how severely his development could be stunted by another season on the bench.
But reports in May revealed Januzaj isn’t interested in leaving the club temporarily and Louis van Gaal has since hinted the prodigious winger will have a significant role next season.
In addition to providing back-up on the flanks, the Old Trafford gaffer intends to utilise Januzaj as a centre-forward next term – a change in role that could be the making of him.
JESSE LINGARD
Louis van Gaal is clearly fond of Jesse Lingard, issuing the Warrington-born youngster a Premier League debut during his first competitive fixture as Manchester United boss.
Unfortunately, it was ended after just 24 minutes due to injury, which ended the 22 year-old’s involvement in first team affairs for the rest of the season and eventually resulted in a 15-game loan spell with Derby County in February.
But the winger-forward was arguably the only England U21 to leave the summer’s European Championship with his reputation enhanced, netting a stunning strike in England’s solitary win against Sweden.
And since returning to club football, he’s enjoyed a prominent role on United’s pre-season tour, featuring against Club America and San Jose Earthquakes as well as scoring against Barcelona last Saturday.
The Metro have tipped Lingard for a bigger role in the first team next season and it seems relatively likely.
How much game-time he receives, however, will be largely dependent on the Red Devils’ transfer activity. Barcelona’s Pedro looks set to arrive at Old Trafford, whilst Angel Di Maria is expected to leave for PSG.
JAMES WILSON
Striker James Wilson originally broke into the Red Devils first team during Ryan Giggs’ short stint as interim manager, netting a brace on his senior debut against Hull City.
And despite managing just two goals at senior level since, Louis van Gaal has clearly seen enough talent in the youngster to keep him involved in first team affairs, issuing him 17 appearances across all competitions last season.
He’s certainly an industrious kind of forward – which is quickly becoming the preferred model in the Premier League over the more lackadaisical, poacher styles of yesteryear.
And much like Adnan Januzaj, the United boss has hinted that he’ll continue to use Wilson in a cameo capacity next season, recently listing the 19 year-old as one of his centre-forward options.
With the summer window dragging on, it’s becoming less likely United will find replacements for Radamel Falcao and now-Fenerbahce star Robin van Persie, suggesting whether by fortune or design Wilson will see a decent amount of Premier League action next term.
ANDREAS PEREIRA
Playmaking midfielder Andreas Pereira is amongst United’s most exciting academy products, having captained the Red Devils to Milk Cup glory in 2013, played an intrinsic role in the Brazil side that reached the U20 World Cup final last month and picked up 2014/15’s Reserve Player of the Year award at Old Trafford.
The 19 year-old made his Premier League debut against Tottenham Hotspur in March and was rewarded with a long-term contract two months later, tying him down to the Red Devils until 2018.
There’s been some murmurings of the 5 foot 10 midfielder going out on loan next season, but Pereira’s father has already suggested that won’t be the case as the youngster looks to break into United’s first team.
Considering United have already signed two international midfielders this summer in Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger, a consistent run in the Premier League seems unlikely.
But a recurring role in the auxiliary tournaments – the Capital One Cup and the FA Cup particularly – is certainly plausible.
SAM JOHNSTONE
A potential beneficiary of the ever-complicating David De Gea situation, depending on how transfer matters develop between now and the close of the summer window promising goalkeeper Sam Johnstone could soon find himself bumped up the Old Trafford pecking order.
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Indeed, De Gea is still expected to join Real Madrid by the end of August whilst Louis van Gaal has declared back-up Victor Valdes will be sold after apparently refusing to play for the reserves and informed Anders Lindegaard that he’s free to find a new club.
That leaves bosman signing Sergio Romero and Johnstone as the only remaining goalkeepers on the United books. Even if United sign mooted target Jasper Cillessen as De Gea’s replacement, the England U20 will still be the club’s third-choice ‘keeper.
It appears to be a situation van Gaal is already preparing for – selecting Johnstone over Lindegaard in three of the Red Devils’ pre-season fixtures against Club America, San Jose Earthquakes and Barcelona.
The son of former Preston North End goalie Glenn Johnstone has certainly earned his stripes in the Football League, registering 70 appearances throughout loan spells with Scunthorpe, Yeovil, Doncaster and PNE, but whether he has what it takes to fill the void between the Old Trafford sticks remains to be seen.
MEMPHIS DEPAY
He may have arrived at Old Trafford for a whopping £25million in June but let’s not forget Memphis Depay is still just 21 years of age.
Of course, the Netherlands international will be held to completely different standards to the rest of the youngsters on this list. Whilst Lingard et al are just breaking through, Depay has already earned a nomination for the Best Young Player award at a World Cup and fired a club to a league title, with his 22 goals last season securing PSV their first Eredivisie crowning since 2008.
Talents from the Dutch top flight have struggled in the Premier League before and the continuous comparisons with a young Cristiano Ronaldo seem a little premature. But the fact Louis van Gaal felt obliged to ‘act quickly’ to sign the winger-forward amid approaches from PSG, Bayern Munich and Liverpool tells all about how highly-rated Depay truly is.
It seems dangerous to judge Depay on just a single season but Premier League fans will certainly be monitoring the 17-cap international’s progress closely next term.
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.
According to Yahoo Sports, Monaco attacker Thomas Lemar has rejected Arsenal and Manchester United in favour of joining Liverpool.
What’s the story?
Arsenal came extremely close to signing Lemar during last summer’s transfer window, with the Gunners minutes from completing a deal.
The breakdown of Alexis Sanchez’s expected move to Manchester City saw the deal go cold, however, and Lemar is still a Monaco player.
Arsenal and Man United are both believed to be interested in the France international, but according to Yahoo Sports, it is Liverpool that have won the race.
The Reds reportedly want Lemar as a replacement for Philippe Coutinho, and believe that they can secure a deal for the winger before the January transfer window closes for business.
What would Lemar bring to Liverpool?
Lemar only turned 22 in the latter stages of 2017, but has already made more than 100 first-team appearances for Ligue 1 champions Monaco.
The attacker scored 14 goals in 55 appearances for Monaco during the 2016-17 season as the principality club won Ligue 1, in addition to reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League.
This term, Lemar, who is valued at £27m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has scored twice and registered four assists in 13 league appearances.
It is a case of when and not if the Frenchman leaves his current club, and it would be some coup for Liverpool if they managed to win the race ahead of their Premier League rivals.
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The expected loss of Coutinho will be a tough one for the Liverpool fans to swallow, but Lemar would certainly ease the blow.
According to reports by ESPN FC, Southampton and West Ham United have been boosted in their pursuit of Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge, who is rated at £25m according to The Mirror, with the Reds keen to move the England international on this month as they are reluctant to loan teammate Danny Ings out.
What’s the word, then?
Well, ESPN FC says that Sturridge and Ings are both attracting interest from a number of Premier League clubs during the January transfer window, but Jurgen Klopp isn’t willing to let both players leave in case he leaves himself short of options up top in the second-half of the campaign.
ESPN FC says that Ings appears to have jumped above his striking teammate – who has missed the Merseyside outfit’s last eight games through injury and illness – in the pecking order, and they are more willing to sell the 28-year-old than they are to let the former Burnley man leave on a temporary basis.
The report adds that Saints and the Irons are admirers of Sturridge, and they are weighing up making a move for him before the window slams shut on January 31.
How has Sturridge done this season?
The 28-year-old has once again struggled for first-team minutes, scoring three goals and providing a further three assists in 14 appearances in all competitions, with only nine of those coming in the Premier League.
As we mentioned previously the striker has missed Liverpool’s last eight matches through injury and illness, and hasn’t played for the club since a late outing from the substitutes’ bench in the 7-0 win against Spartak Moscow at the start of December.
Would he be a good signing for Saints or West Ham?
He certainly would be, as long as he can keep fit and his wage demands are sensible.
There has never been any doubt over Sturridge’s ability – he has scored 64 goals in 133 appearances for the Merseyside outfit – but his injury problems would be a worry for any club looking at buying him this month – especially for the reported £25m asking price.
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That said, if both clubs can keep him on the pitch he almost guarantees goals, and he would be motivated to do well considering he wants to win his place back in the England squad before the World Cup this summer.