All posts by z3u9t.icu

The domestic transfer window is coming towards an end, and it seems as though there’s still business to be done at Elland Road.

Leeds United are seemingly still in the market for a new midfielder with both Louie Sibley and Todd Cantwell linked in recent times.

However, despite all the intrigue about potential incomings at Leeds, there is one potential exit that is making headlines.

Indeed, Barry Douglas could be set to leave the club on loan, with Watford apparently showing interest in the former Wolves man.

Douglas looks set to leave Leeds on loan for the remainder of the season, but we can’t quite get our heads around why Victor Orta would sanction such a deal.

The Scot is in the final year of his contract, meaning that a loan exit would likely see him leave on a free transfer next summer as he’s seemingly surplus to requirements at Elland Road. So why aren’t Leeds selling him for a fee?

Of course, selling a player is easier said than done, and there may be no interested suitors. However, if he’s going to go on a free next summer you should be looking for some sort of fee, even if it’s negligible.

Douglas isn’t a bad player by any means – he got 14 assists in the Championship during his last season with Wolves, and while he hasn’t quite reproduced that form at Leeds, it shouldn’t be that hard to find a club that are willing to pay a fee for him.

Getting Douglas off the wage bill seems to be a priority, and with just a few days left in the window, the loan move to Watford may be the best option at the moment, but United have had all summer to find him a permanent destination and to perhaps pocket a bit of extra cash from a sale, but for one reason or another, they’ve failed to do so.

Loaning Douglas out is almost consigning him to a free transfer next summer, and when you consider that Leeds spent £3m to sign him from Wolves, getting no return on that investment is nothing short of a disaster.

Burnley look set to lose talented young defender Ali Koiki after he rejected the offer of a new contract at Turf Moor.

Football Insider reported that the 20-year-old had been offered a contract extension by the Clarets but he has instead decided to leave the club upon the expiry of his existing deal and is set to become a free agent.

According to Football Insider, the left-back was unhappy at never being given a senior debut by Sean Dyche, believing that his performances in the underage ranks had earned him a shot at the first team.

Koiki has indeed enjoyed a superb season for Burnley’s under-23 side, scoring no fewer than 10 goals despite playing as a left-back and reportedly attracting interest from clubs in the Championship and League One as well as abroad, according to Football Insider.

He was named on the bench in a couple of first team fixtures this term but did not make an appearance in either (as per TransferMarkt). Even with Dyche naming several academy prospects among the substitutes for the recent Premier League games at Manchester City and Crystal Palace and not being able to name the maximum permitted complement of nine subs, the 20-year-old was conspicuous by his absence.

With four players leaving the club this week upon expiry of their contracts, Burnley’s senior squad is now down to just 20, seven of whom are either injured or completely out of favour. Somewhat unluckily for Koiki, both of the Clarets’ senior left-backs Charlie Taylor and Erik Pieters are among the precious few players still at the club and available for selection.

While Koiki’s frustration at not getting a chance at first team level is understandable and he feels that a move away is what’s best for his career, it seems a shame that he is set to walk out on Burnley given their depleted numbers at the minute.

Dyche has already had his squad heavily curtailed without letting young talents leave and, in the case of the 20-year-old defender, some of those appear to have plenty of promise given their performances at underage level. Koiki’s departure is one that the Clarets could come to regret.

Burnley fans, are you disappointed that Koiki is leaving or is it a case of ‘good riddance’ seeing as he turned down the club’s offer? Have your say by commenting below!

Chelsea have been one of the most active Premier League clubs in the ongoing summer transfer window. And maybe that doesn’t come as a big surprise given Frank Lampard’s Blues have indeed suffered that niggling transfer ban not that long ago so they’ve been playing catch-up ever since. Now, according to an exclusive report from The Sun, they were given a huge boost in the chase of West Ham’s Declan Rice.

The paper insists the Hammers might be forced to sell their star if they are to bring in some new faces themselves this summer. Of course, having narrowly avoided relegation at the very end of the 2019/20 season, David Moyes will be keen on reinforcing the team for the upcoming campaign, something he’s confirmed himself recently as well.

Naturally, the news from West Ham’s camp is that they still don’t want to part with their talent and player of the year but there’s also the feeling that it would be quite hard for them to turn down an offer that comes close to their £70m valuation.

Besides, with the recent outbreak of the virus which has emptied both the stadiums and the register, the Hammers don’t exactly have the funds to refresh the squad.

The only way to actually do that may be to first sell in order to buy. And no player on their squad can get them as much as Rice. Of course, they would lose an incredible asset but they might not have a choice at the end of the day.

Verdict

Chelsea have been extremely busy this summer and are still expected to finalise a couple of deals despite the fact it’s still quite early in the window. Apparently Lampard wants to convert Rice back into a defender to boost an area that’s been the Blues’ weak spot for quite some time now.

There’s no doubting the 21-year-old’s quality and potential but Chelsea will have to splash the cash to get him.

Arsenal should take the gamble of signing Philippe Coutinho for the asking price of €80m (roughly £71.5m) as Spanish publication ABC reported that Mikel Arteta is targeting a transfer move for him in the upcoming summer window.

As per the report, the Spanish coach has already confirmed that he would like to have Coutinho at Arsenal for next season and that the Barcelona ace would be a key pillar in his project.

Arteta is apparently convinced that the player can regain his best level and help the north London club to compete with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City. Coutinho has also apparently confirmed that his priority is to return to the Premier League, the competition in which he arguably lived his best moments. By style, the Gunners arguably fits perfectly with the way they play. [via ABC]

Indeed, the attacking midfield player made 152 appearances in the English top flight for Liverpool, scoring 41 goals and making 37 assists, according to Transfermarkt.

His pedigree in England’s highest division not just as a creator but also as a goalscorer could prove to be the difference between Arsenal regaining Champions League football or continuing to miss out and, with a couple more additions, maybe even competing for the league title once again.

Take Mesut Ozil, who plays in the same kind of role but has only netted once and provided two assists in 18 matches in the Premier League so far this campaign (via Transfermarkt). At 27 years of age, Coutinho is four years younger than the German and so is arguably reaching the peak of his career whereas Ozil’s best years may be drifting away.

Even though the asking price is relatively expensive, Arsenal should take the gamble on Coutinho.

Gooners, do you think the club should sign Coutinho for £71.5m? Comment below with your views!

Manchester United target Achraf Hakimi prefers a move to Bayern Munich, according to reports in Spain. 

Spanish publication AS claims the Red Devils are chasing Hakimi but he wants to join the German giants.

The Real Madrid star has spent the past couple of seasons on loan at Borussia Dortmund and has emerged as one of the highest-rated full-backs in the world.

He has impressed Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane during his loan spell, but remains unconvinced about his future at the Bernabeu, which has left the door open for other European clubs to make their moves.

After arriving at the Signal Iduna Park, Hakimi has established himself as one of Europe’s hottest talents. The 21-year-old has played 70 games for the Bundesliga giants, bagging 12 goals and creating 17 assists in all competitions up until now (Transfermarkt).

Moreover, the Moroccan has made 30 appearances in the German top flight this season, scoring 5 goals, providing 10 assists, making 1.9 tackles per game, averaging 1.1 shots, and producing at least 1 key pass on average (via WhoScored).

Understandably, he has been labelled the “next Carvajal” in reference to his esteemed Madrid teammate, but he has made it clear he has no intentions of becoming an understudy.

At the moment, Hakimi would be willing to give up his place in Dortmund’s starting lineup.

He would almost certainly be a dream signing to make, but it is unlikely he will be anything more than that this summer.

It is worth pointing out Hakimi wants to stay in Germany, where he has settled in quickly.

The Spanish outlet notes Madrid value him at €60m, which equates to £53m, and Bayern are prepared to offer him up to €7m-a-year.

Indeed, the Norwegian arguably has bigger priorities that urgently need addressing, and Solskjaer may instead turn his attentions elsewhere.

United fans, should the board sign Achraf Hakimi in the summer? Let us know down below!

Plenty of Newcastle United fans have been remembering David Ginola’s ‘unbelievable’ volley against Hungarian side Ferencvaros in Europe back in 1996 after a poll emerged about the club’s greatest goals from each of the last three decades.

The Athletic journalists Chris Waugh and George Caulkin picked their best strike from the 1990’s, 2000’s and 2010’s and asked members of the Toon Army to vote for their favourite.

Papiss Cisse’s banana shot away at Chelsea in the Premier League was the nominee for the latest decade and won 31% of the vote, whilst Alan Shearer’s volley against Everton in the top flight in the 00’s got 32%. The winner with 35% was Philippe Albert’s chip against Peter Schmeichel in the 90’s.

2% was dedicated to other nominations, and many supporters thought Ginola’s goal should have been mentioned. The Frenchman controlled the ball before unleashing some superb skill to take it away from the defender and then firing into the top corner. Magpies can replay the strike over and over again here.

These supporters remembered the finish well, with one fan branding it ‘unbelievable’:

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Villa discussion going on in the Vital Villa Forum! Click here to get involved!

Many Sheffield Wednesday fans have fondly looked back on John Harkes’ memorable goal against Derby whilst playing for the club.

After developing his football in his homeland of America, Harkes quickly became known for ability, making his first appearances for the US national side in 1987.

Interest would soon follow from European football, and it was Sheffield Wednesday who would agree a deal with Albany Capitals for the midfielder.

Arriving to help the Owls gain promotion from the second division to the first, Harkes would also go on to play for the Yorkshire club in the Premier League campaign of 1992/1993.

A consistent performer, Harkes would create history at the club when he scored what was later named ‘English football’s Goal of the Year’, netting from distance against Derby County, for whom Peter Shilton played in goal for.

Leaving Wednesday in 1994, Harkes would join Derby, having two years at Pride Park, before finishing his spell in England with a short spell at West Ham United.

Now head coach of Greenville Triumph, Harkes 90 international caps to his name and no less than 358 career club appearances.

Looking back on footage of his strike against Derby, Wednesday fans issued the following responses on Harkes’ memorable moment…

Owls fans, what are your memories of John Harkes? Let us know below…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…

Conor Masterson joined QPR this summer following his release from Liverpool, where he had been highly-rated by the likes of Steven Gerrard and Alex Inglethorpe.

Jurgen Klopp has also championed the defender in the past, and included him in first-team training and in matchday squads on occasion, which says a lot about both his attitude and ability.

Things may not have worked out for him at Liverpool, but he has shown in the past that he is an accomplished defender, and given the current lack of quality in the heart of the R’s defence there could be a place for him.

Watch Queens Park Rangers Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

The 20-year-old is useful with the ball at his feet, and that is crucial to the style Mark Warburton is implementing at the club, and if he can show the required defensive attributes in training it may not be too long until he gets a call.

After all, his manager has stated that there will be a pathway for young players if they’re good enough and since QPR have conceded 30 league goals already, there could be questions raised of Warburton’s refusal to hand Masterson a chance seeing as others have let him down.

Yoann Barbet is one defender who springs to mind in that regard. He has made several mistakes this season, particuarly in giving away penalties, and therefore Masterson is worth a shot, if only to test his readiness for the first-team.

He has decent experience, too. He has previously been part of a good Liverpool youth team and his performances have been recognised by the Republic of Ireland U21s, which suggests he has been in good form.

QPR have benefitted this season from the performances of their young players, particularly Eberechi Eze, and integrating Masterson into the side would fit that philosophy perfectly, and perhaps put an end to their defensive woes in the process.

Mason Greenwood opened his Premier League account for Manchester United on Sunday afternoon away at Sheffield United.

With United trailing 2-1, Greenwood timed his run to perfection and stabbed Marcus Rashford’s delicious cross to level the scores in the 77th minute.

The exciting teenager has been a key topic of discussion since he broke into the senior squad towards the end of last season, with fans anticipating a glowing future for the academy product.

And his landmark strike served as a reminder of his natural ability during a season in which his promise has been showcased in fleeting bursts.

Following his strike, Greenwood took to Instagram to acknowledge his goal and the spirit of his teammates to fight back from two goals down to secure a point.

/B5Qqz30J3-0/

Typically his post prompted plenty of replies from his adoring followers, but he was also treated to some congratulatory messages from his fellow professionals including fellow academy products Rashford and Angel Gomes, while Chelsea’s rising star Reece James also offered his support.

This could well be the first of many for the 18-year-old prodigy and Gomes, James and Rashford look nailed on to establish themselves as Premier League regulars alongside him.

Aston Villa’s summer spending spree has, so far, paid off with the majority of Dean Smith’s additions making a significant contribution to the Premier League.

Their club-record signing Wesley has notched four goals in his last seven games as he slowly adapts to life in England while a couple of their defence have been performing at an elite level.

Tyrone Mings is second in the top-flight for clearances per game (7.2) while Frederic Guilbert ranks third for interceptions per game (2.9), via WhoScored.

Any criticisms of Villa’s reported £144.5m spending and subsequent comparisons to Fulham have surely been put to bed after the start they’ve had to the season as they currently sit 12th in the league on the back of successive league victories for the first time this campaign.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Although, it could have been a very different story had they signed Pione Sisto, who appears to be struggling in La Liga since rejecting a move to the west Midlands.

According to recent reports, Villa’s former summer transfer target will be made available in January, according to TODOFICHAJES, who claim Celta Vigo want to offload the winger.

Sisto has appeared sporadically for Fran Escriba’s side this season, starting zero matches with him coming off the bench on five occasions. Now seems like a good time to assess the mistake Villa would have made if everything had gone to plan.

In just 46 minutes of action, the 24-year-old has failed to record a single key pass, has recorded only 0.4 shots per game, and has lost his side possession 2.8 times per match.

On top of that, he has only managed to get 17% of his crosses to a teammate, proving highly wasteful.

These are quite damning figures, and although there’s nothing to suggest that this level of poor performance would have translated onto the pitch for Villa, it still highlights why it may have been a blessing in disguise as Sisto clearly has a negative aspect to his game.

Aston Villa’s summer signings’ performances so far this season are rated in the video below…

Marca reported that the west Midlanders had a bid of €10m (£8.6m) accepted by Celta Vigo, with the club offering the Denmark international a contract of approximately €1m-per year (£863k) – something he rejected.

Had he joined in the summer and produced the level of output as mentioned above in the claret and blue shirt, there’s no doubt Smith would have been left asking himself why he brought him to the Premier League.

The 48-year-old can be glad that the rest of his squad have lived up to their price tags so far.