All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leicester City could receive a huge blow this summer after star midfielder Youri Tielemans was linked with a move to Manchester United.

What’s the story?

According to Belgian journalist Sven Claes, the Red Devils are keen to secure the 24-year-old’s signature over the upcoming transfer window, with one of Spain’s top teams also said to be interested in him. He also said that he expects Tielemans to leave the King Power Stadium this summer.

Tielemans won Leicester’s 2020/21 Supporters’ Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season after a stellar campaign, once which has seemingly attracted the attention of the continent’s best clubs.

Would be a huge blow

The Belgium international has been one of the Foxes’ standout performers since his arrival on loan from Monaco halfway through the 2018/19 campaign.

After making his stay at the King Power Stadium permanent at the end of the season in a £40 million deal, Tielemans has gone from strength to strength under the tutelage of Brendan Rodgers.

He’s made 108 appearances for the Midlands outfit, scoring 17 goals and laying on 19 assists in the process, but his stunning effort to seal the club’s maiden FA Cup crown last season is undoubtedly the midfielder’s key contribution.

However, with just two years remaining on the £33,000-per-week contract Tielemans signed back in 2019, Leicester are keen for the midfield maestro to put pen to paper on a new deal.

Contract talks are thought to have begun as Rodgers attempts to keep hold of his prized possession, although the lure of United would be enough to tempt plenty of players into making a move.

It’s easy to see why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen to sign the diminutive star after he recorded an average of 65.2 passes per game last term and 1.3 key passes, both the second-highest totals in Leicester’s squad.

Those figures also illustrate how big a blow his departure would be for Rodgers as he aims to guide the 2016 Premier League champions back into the Champions League.

If the Foxes are to stand any chance of securing a top-four finish next season, then keeping hold of Tielemans has to be a priority, and his exit would be a serious step back in the club’s progress.

And, in other news…Time’s up: Rodgers must ruthlessly axe £7.2m-rated Leicester flop, he’s not needed 

Many Everton fans have been reacting to an update from Patrick Boyland saying that the Toffees passed up on the chance to sign Daniel Jebbison in 2018.

The Toffees were defeated 1-0 at Goodison Park on Sunday by Sheffield United as their hopes of qualifying for European football next term suffered a huge blow. Jebbison scored his first goal for the Blades in the victory on what was his first start for the club (Transfermarkt). With six goals in six FA Youth Cup games across the past two seasons, it is clear that he possesses plenty of talent.

It appears that Everton had the chance to sign him in the past. According to Boyland, Jebbison was on trial with the Merseyside club in 2018, but Everton passed up on the chance to capture his services.

Boyland shared the news on his official Twitter account, and it attracted plenty of attention from Everton supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Everton missing out on Jebbison

“You couldn’t make this stuff up. At this point all we can do is laugh because the other option is to cry.”

Credit: @UpperGwladysBlu

“Not helpful Patrick!”

Credit: @JustinLang

“Now that’s a full house of Everton bingo!”

Credit: @mattwyatt1

“Thanks for that. Really needed to read this first thing this morning.”

Credit: @Nedd_Stewart

“Not now, Paddy.”

Credit: @nsno_83

“Why are you like this”

Credit: @_lauraaj96

In other news, some Everton fans were livid with this man’s performance against the Blades.

It’s looking increasingly unlikely that Harry Maguire will play any part in Manchester United’s Europa League final tonight after he failed to participate in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s final training session.

The 28-year-old had played every minute of every Premier League game for the Red Devils since his arrival in the summer of 2019, until he injured his ankle against Aston Villa on May 5th.

His likely absence will be a huge blow to United’s hopes of securing their first major trophy in four years when they take on La Liga outfit Villarreal in Gdansk, Poland.

United flew Magurie out to Poland in the hope of him getting over his ankle issue in time for the game, but it looks like time has run out for the England international.

In Solskjaer’s press conference on Tuesday evening, the Norwegian manager kept his cards close to his chest over the England international’s fitness levels.

“Harry is just going to jog up and down the sideline a bit I reckon,” said the United boss after he was asked about Maguire’s chances of playing in midweek.

However, left-back Luke Shaw offered more insight into his teammate’s wellbeing.

“Harry’s here, he’s travelled with us. There’s another session to go, and we’ll see how he is. We’re hoping he’ll be available, but the main focus is for the players who are out there to fit to enjoy the session today and be ready for tomorrow,” said United’s Players’ Player of the year.

Despite Shaw’s apparent optimism, though, Maguire, who is currently valued at £36m, could only watch United’s last training session from the stands, disappearing down the tunnel after just fifteen minutes, meaning it looks certain that he won’t be fit enough to play in the game.

The former Leicester City man’s likely absence will offer an opportunity to either Eric Bailly or Axel Tuanzebe to stake a claim for a regular starting berth next season as talk continues to rumble on over who should partner the Ole Trafford outfit’s captain in the long-term.

A dominant display alongside Victor Lindelof could give either man’s career a significant boost, whether they remain at United or not, and it will be intriguing to see how the rest of the side cope without their influential leader in the biggest game of the season.

Ultimately though, the United fans will undoubtedly be gutted at the news of Maguire’s expected unavailability at it a major setback for the Red Devils as Maguire’s presence on the sidelines, rather than the starting XI, significantly harms their chances of lifting the Europa League trophy once again.

And, in other news…No Maguire, De Gea starts as £31.5m star axed in 10 changes: Predicted Man Utd XI 

Manchester United will be aiming to extend Manchester City’s wait for the Premier League title as they take on Liverpool at Old Trafford today.

Pep Guardiola’s men will be crowned as champions if the Red Devils fall to defeat against their great rivals so there is even more motivation for them to claim victory against the Reds.

Considering that then, how many changes could United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer be tempted to make from the 6-2 thumping of AS Roma in Europa League action midweek?

We are expecting just two changes from the Norwegian for the clash – neither of them being much of a surprise.

Dean Henderson should be recalled to take his place between the sticks having seen David De Gea start on Thursday evening. The former Sheffield United loanee has started each of the last seven Premier League matches for the Red Devils.

Elsewhere, he should be shielded by an unchanged back four of Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

There should also not be any changes from the defensive midfield pairing of Fred and Scott McTominay.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/the-latest-man-united-transfer-rumours-and-news-from-old-trafford-fofana-solskjaer-van-de-beek-wwodward” title=”The latest Man United transfer rumours and news from Old Trafford…”]

After his two goals against AS Roma, Bruno Fernandes is once again sure to take his place in a slightly more advanced position.

Meanwhile, there should be a slight tweek to the attack. Edinson Cavani is sure to start after his two goal and three assist haul in midweek and will once again be supported by Marcus Rashford.

Mason Greenwood should come into the starting line-up though at the expense of the £54m-rated Paul Pogba.

The 19-year-old appears back to his best form having hit six goals since the start of March in all competitions for Manchester United.

AND in more news, take a look at why Mason Greenwood simply must start for the Red Devils against Liverpool today…

A number of Aston Villa supporters have hit out at Ross Barkley on social media for his first half display against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.

Dean Smith named the same side which beat Everton 2-1 last time out, with Jack Grealish unavailable for the 12th game in succession.

However, it was Barkley’s performance which had a number of Villa fans talking online, and not for the right reasons.

The 27-year-old was making his 17th Premier League start of the season and 26th appearance in all competitions during the current campaign. His display in the opening stages didn’t exactly impress some fans, though, with many venting their frustrations on Twitter.

The attacking midfielder was lining up in front of Douglas Luiz and John McGinn at Villa Park but failed to really get involved, leaving many Villa fans frustrated as he wasted a 14th-minute cross, a moment indicative of his display.

Villa fans react to Barkley’s performance

Here is what these Villa supporters had to say about the England international, with one describing his display as ‘poor’.

“Traore and Barkley really doing us no favours”

Credit: @_C45EY_

“Barkley is a waste of a man on the pitch”

Credit: @MJDodge84

“Dross Barkley strikes again”

Credit: @b0ngs12

“Traore and Barkley are so so poor”

Credit: @UTV_LC

“Can we send Barkley back now?”

Credit: @kandemanUK 

“If Barkley had just some footballing IQ”

Credit: @josh_priv3

In other news: Villa make contact for in-demand defender; report shares brilliant reason for weekend absence, find out more here. 

As Liverpool take an important step in their quest to salvage something from what has been a disappointing title defence by beating Arsenal 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium, many Reds supporters weren’t impressed with the performance of Sadio Mane. 

Jurgen Klopp’s men put themselves back into top four contention with the away victory after fellow contenders Chelsea surprisingly fell to a 5-2 defeat at home to West Bromwich Albion earlier on Saturday.

Diogo Jota’s brace and Mohamed Salah’s effort in the second half rounded off a crucial win for Liverpool (BBC), sending a statement as they keep pace with the rest of the top four chasing pack.

However, one man who didn’t impress a section of Reds supporters was Mane – and it’s understandable why judging by his SofaScore statistics. The Senegalese star, who was the second lowest rated Liverpool man (6.8) behind Ozan Kabak (6.7), lost possession 17 times and missed two big chances over the full 90 minutes.

Reacting to his performance, many Liverpool supporters flocked to have their say on Twitter, with one calling Mane ‘absolutely shocking’ by the enormous standards he has set in the last few seasons and another believing he is inferior to the often-maligned Roberto Firmino.

Here is a flavour of the reaction from Kopites:

Liverpool fans slam Mane

“Mané is worse than Firmino btw I won’t hear it any other way”

Credit: @lfcladerino

“Mane sharper? U kidding me? Man busted 3 chances and 1 good pass/tap. He’s a liability tonight.”

Credit: @amalmiori7

“Mané is awful”

Credit: @truelegend23

“Mane has been our worst player this season. By his standards he’s been absolutely shocking.”

Credit: @LiV_erPool1

“sell Mane. he is lost”

Credit: @santilfc

“Mane’s decision-making is horrible.”

Credit: @salim9081

“Jota’s progress shows mane needs to be sold. Mane and Firmino are both useless.”

Credit: @Germaine_jay

“Mane has been awful for some time now”

Credit: @LFCTN18

In other news: Many Liverpool fans also want this ‘perfect’ forward, find out more here.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who is a Wolves Hall of Famer, has claimed that Oli McBurnie is frustrated at Sheffield United but can’t see his former club signing the 24-year old this summer.

Wolves have been linked with a £15 million move for the striker, who became Sheffield United’s record signing when he joined for £20 million from Swansea City in 2019.

McBurnie has found chances and goals difficult to come across this season, as have all of the Blades strikers, but the Scotland international has just one goal to his name in the Premier League this season.

Speaking on if he could see McBurnie making the move to Molineux and why he might want to leave Sheffield United at the end of this season, Bull told FFC:

“I can’t see that happening to be fair but I think Oli McBurnie is frustrated at Sheffield United so he might want to get away but I can’t see it myself.

“I think Wolves will be looking more towards a Portuguese striker with Mendes’ links, but I’ve said before that we do need somebody who has done it in the Premier League.”

Sheffield United are currently bottom of the league for both points and goals scored with their top scorer, David McGoldrick having scored just six times in the league.

Wolves have not performed much better in the final third since Raul Jimenez got injured in November as Pedro Neto and Ruben Neves are their joint top scorers with five goals.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee, who is a Newcastle United Hall of Famer, asked for the Magpies’ Head of recruitment, Steve Nickson, to come out and admit he got it wrong over bringing Joelinton to the club and paying £40 million for him.

Newcastle smashed their record transfer fee before the 2019/20 season as they splashed out £40 million for Joelinton who was playing for Hoffenheim at the time and finished the season with seven goals and seven assists, his best-ever return.

Joelinton is now into his second season on Tyneside and it is still unclear what his best position is having been played as a striker and a winger on both flanks with little effect, which has raised multiple questions over who brought him to the club, with reports suggesting the deal was agreed five months prior to the Brazillian signing.

Speaking on who he wants to come out and take the blame for the Joelinton signing and how the club doomed him from the beginning, Lee told FFC:

“First of all, I want to know who spent £40 million on Joelinton. If it was Steve Nickson, then come out and hold your hands up and say ‘yeah, I sanctioned and put forward that deal’, but I’m sure he won’t.

“Secondly, the club should have made it clear from the beginning that he’s not a centre forward and they could’ve done that by not giving him the number nine shirt.

“The minute he was given the number nine shirt he’s a centre forward. He’s the club’s most expensive signing and with him being a forward player as well as the number nine, people instantly expect him to score 20-25 goals a season.”

Joelinton has been an ever-present under Steve Bruce, despite his poor form and decision making in the final third.

Since arriving at Newcastle, he has managed just seven goals and seven assists in 72 games – that output was the same as what he got in his final season with Hoffenheim.

Rangers were one of several clubs reportedly interested in signing Ivan Toney last summer and, after his hugely impressive season, it was clear that Steven Gerrard missed out on a top-quality player.

However, sporting director Ross Wilson can amend this error by bringing Jonson Clarke-Harris to Ibrox ahead of next season.

According to Football Insider, Rangers scouts were in attendance at the Weston Homes Stadium at the weekend to watch the Peterborough United striker and were treated to an incredible performance from the 26-year-old, as he hit a hat=trick in a 7-0 thrashing of Accrington Stanley.

The former Bristol Rovers man, who incidentally joined the Posh as Toney’s replacement, has managed to outscore his predecessor, hitting 25 goals in 37 league appearances so far this season.

Toney managed 24 goals in 32 league appearances last term before the season was ended early due to the current viral outbreak, and completed a move to Championship side Brentford last summer despite reported interest from Rangers.

The 25-year-old has gone on to enjoy a superb campaign with the Bees and has been the driving force behind their promotion push, contributing 28 goals and nine assists in just 36 Championship appearances this season.

Therefore, it seems fair to suggest that Toney would have been a hit in Gerrard’s side this season and that Wilson made an error in not bringing him to Ibrox.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-rangers-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read this week’s latest Rangers news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Their reported interest in Clarke-Harris looks to be the ideal second chance for Wilson this summer and he should avoid making the same mistake again, as the Englishman could prove to be an excellent addition to Gerrard’s squad.

Earlier in the season, the striker was heavily praised by his manager Darren Ferguson, who said:

“Jonson’s goals have been valuable, but he’s more than just a goalscorer. He is a leader, a winner and a real focal point for this team.“He was our number one target when Ivan Toney left and we had to work hard on his fitness when he first got here, but he’s been an outstanding signing and a real pleasure to work with.”[freshpress-quiz id=“588789″] After the striker’s impressive showing in front of Rangers scouts at the weekend, Wilson will be aware of Clarke-Harris’ talent, and will hopefully realise that he can amend last summer’s transfer failure with Toney by ensuring that, if the 26-year-old leaves Peterborough this summer, it will be to make the switch to Ibrox.And, in other news… Bye-bye Edmundson: Rangers signing £1.08m-rated beast would surely be bad news for 23 y/o

Lots of Arsenal fans have been discussing the club’s links with a move for Inter Milan wing-back Achraf Hakimi.

The Telegraph have reported about Hakimi, claiming that Arsenal have now been alerted to the Moroccan’s situation at Inter, with the club’s owners Suning Holdings Group possibly under pressure to sell a few Nerazzurri players to alleviate some financial burden.

The report added that Hector Bellerin has caught the attention of Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, and Arsenal see Hakimi as a chance to replace the Spaniard.

Not just Arsenal, but Chelsea are also looking at Hakimi; and they believe that the former Real Madrid man can thrive in a more advanced role since Reece James is currently their long-term option for right wing-back under Thomas Tuchel.

Hakimi has impressed for Antonio Conte’s men this season, making 33 appearances in all competitions and scoring six goals as well as picking up six assists, proving to be a potent and creative presence in the final third.

As per WhoScored, he has been one of Inter’s standout performers all-round in 2020/21, with an average match rating of 7.0 from the website.

The news linking Arsenal with a move for Hakimi drew the attention of many Gunners fans, who made their opinion clear about potentially signing the 22-year-old:

What did Arsenal fans make of the news about Hakimi? “Arsenal showing interest in Achraf Hakimi. YES PLEASE!”Credit: @unclenabz”Going from Bellerin to Hakimi would be the biggest 180 and system shock you’d ever see. Need him at Arsenal.”Credit: @Naif63062887″Would be a perfect signing imo. We’re managing our defense fairly well with Bellerin even. So with Hakimi in there who has actual ability in the attack we would look like a different breed. That being said, getting his signature seems like a farfetched dream.”Credit: @zinowor”I would take him any day.”Credit: @ezrandez”I’m in the minority of Arsenal fans who would be keen on Bellerin remaining first-choice RB next season, but if we’re showing interest in Hakimi, we would be crazy to not try and sign him, one of the few players that would justify replacing a fan favourite like Bellerin.”Credit: @dylanwalsh_”I’d love him.”Credit: @journalismbondIn other news, Arsenal have been linked with a move for a former PL defender – read more here.