Manchester United fans are worried over rumours that France international Anthony Martial wants out of Old Trafford.The 22-year-old has been on the fringes in recent games after the arrival of Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez in the January transfer window.The former Monaco man has had a relatively good season in Manchester, scoring 11 goals and linking up well with Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba.However, Martial has not scored since the 1-0 win at Burnley in January and has been on the bench in the last couple of games.According to French media outletÂRMC Sport, the Frenchman is unhappy with his lack of minutes under Jose Mourinho and has rejected a new five-year contract.RMC Sport also claim that his relationship with the Portuguese has soured since the turn of the year.It’s safe to say that Manchester United fans are not happy with the news…[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/hesham786/status/983698286262571008[/EMBED_TWITTER][EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/RealTalkMUFC/status/983702219001290752[/EMBED_TWITTER]
Without Rafael Benitez there would be little optimism at St James’s Park.
By some measures little has changed around the club since the Spaniard’s arrival, yet it feels as though so much has changed: it feels as though the Magpies are on the brink of a new era.
Perhaps it’s because takeover talk has been on the agenda for quite some time, but things are better than they were upon Benitez’s arrival just over two years ago.
The former Real Madrid manager couldn’t stave off relegation and stayed with the club in the second tier, winning the Championship and sealing a marching return to the Premier League. When he arrived, things had to get worse before they got better. That is clear progress, but away from the pitch, not too much has changed.
Benitez spent the summer at loggerheads with his board over player transfers, a battle played out in full view of the watching media. Investment has been limited at the club despite promotion, with Burnley, Swansea and Huddersfield among the many Premier League clubs who spent more money than Newcastle last summer.
By the time the window shut, the manager stopped moaning and got on with the job. The same thing happened in January. It was politics on all sides, and the situation was, to a certain degree understandable: Benitez wanted to use his platform to get more money from the owners, whilst Mike Ashley wanted to spend as little money as possible in order to get a better deal from any potential buyer.
It almost cost Newcastle their Premier League status. The squad, barring one or two players, didn’t look like a top flight squad. It is to Benitez’s eternal credit that his side have broken the 40 point barrier with five games of the season still to play. Not just because of the quality of the squad, but because of the uncertainty around the club off the field this season, too.
The inevitable question from the national media since Benitez’s arrival in the North East has been about his eventual departure. How could a manager of such name recognition swap Real Madrid for relegation candidates Newcastle? How could he stay with them in the Championship? And now, when other jobs may be available this summer at teams who might actually spend some money, how could he stay at a club with a bare-bones squad and an owner who can’t seem to do anything right?
But those questions are to misunderstand the situation.
Surely, at any point where those questions were asked, he could have walked away. So why would he consider doing so now?
The role of emotion in football has come to the fore in the last few weeks, lifting the sport beyond the clinical tyranny of stats and logic. Liverpool’s epic Champions League first leg victory over Manchester City saw the Anfield crowd play a crucial part in unsettling the Premier League champions and still one of the best teams in the world – or at least lifting their own team. There are countless examples of St James’s Park providing the same cauldron of noise: victories over Manchester United and Arsenal at home this season are just two of the most recent.
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That same emotion applies to a manager who is in charge of a club whose fans adore him, and who respect his managerial abilities – which has not been the case for Benitez at every club he’s managed.
It’s impossible to tell where Newcastle would be without Benitez, but in all likelihood it wouldn’t be good. They started this season in the Premier League with a Championship squad, but they’ll start next season in the same league with a better one. A much better one if there’s a takeover and an owner prepared to spend some money.
And even if there is to be no change at the top this summer, and even if Benitez still has limited resources there’ll still be incremental progress. But from the manager’s point of view, surely that’s still a lot better than gambling elsewhere: why on Earth would he leave now?
Philippe Coutinho dominated Liverpool’s transfer window last summer due to the will-he-won’t-he leave saga.
In the end, the Brazilian got his wish to join Barcelona in January, and now attention has switched to the future of Emre Can.
The Germany international’s current contract expires at the end of the season and he is yet to sign fresh terms.
Liverpool fans have gone back and forth with their views on Can’s situation, but the media have already begun suggesting that the Merseyside outfit are hunting for replacements.
According to the Daily Star, Napoli midfielder Jorginho is one of Jurgen Klopp’s top targets for the summer window.
The report, which was published in March, claimed that the Reds hope to seal a deal for around £25m, but they face competition from Manchester United and Manchester City.
With the transfer window just a matter of months away from opening, rumours are beginning to do the rounds.
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Some eagle-eyed Liverpool fans recently spotted on Instagram that Jorginho had liked a post from lfcvids8 claiming that the midfielder would be a good addition to Klopp’s team.
Well this is interesting (look who liked it). from r/LiverpoolFC
Liverpool fans have now had their say.
Comment from discussion Well this is interesting (look who liked it)..Comment from discussion Well this is interesting (look who liked it)..Comment from discussion Well this is interesting (look who liked it)..Comment from discussion Well this is interesting (look who liked it)..Comment from discussion Well this is interesting (look who liked it)..Comment from discussion Well this is interesting (look who liked it)..Comment from discussion Well this is interesting (look who liked it)..Comment from discussion Well this is interesting (look who liked it)..Comment from discussion Well this is interesting (look who liked it)..Comment from discussion Well this is interesting (look who liked it)..Comment from discussion Well this is interesting (look who liked it)..Comment from discussion Well this is interesting (look who liked it)..
According to The Manchester Evening News, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has made Juventus left-back his number one target this summer.
What’s the story?
Jose Mourinho is keen to clear out the dead wood from his squad and strengthen at the back in this summer, as he aims to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title next season.
Luke Shaw, Matteo Darmian and Daley Blind are among the defenders expected to leave Old Trafford during the close season. All three players have failed to establish themselves at left-back, with Ashley Young filling in for most the season.
While Young has acquitted himself extremely well, playing his way into the England squad, Mourinho will be looking to sign an established left-back this summer and the Portuguese manager has prioritised signing Brazilian star Sandro as a replacement for left-back Shaw.
Transfermarkt value the Brazillian at £45million.
Why Luke Shaw never worked out?
Luke Shaw joined Man United from Southampton for £27m in 2014, making him one of the world’s most expensive teenagers. He never fulfilled the potential that made Man United fork out such a large sum.
He has had a torrid time with injuries, the worst of which was a broken leg in a 2015 Europa League against PSV Eindhoven.
He spent almost a year on the sidelines and has struggled to reach his full potential since.
In fairness, Mourinho never gave him a consistent run in the team. However, when he did play he never looked solid. He looked slow, lethargic and out of shape.
Only the player and manager know what really went wrong but it is clear the Shaw did not do enough in training or in games to fulfil is potential. Whether it was an attitude problem or confidence issue it is a shame for both Shaw and Man United that it never worked out.
Alex Sandro would solve Man United’s left back conundrum
Man United will most likely cut their losses and sell Shaw this summer. In Alex Sandro, they will be signing a left back who has been an integral part of Juve’s solid defence. Despite being in an out of the team this team, in 2016/17, Sandro was part of a defence that did not concede a goal until the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Sandro created more chances (50 to 44), completed more dribbles (49 to 43), made more interceptions (57 to 40) and won more duels (207 to 122) than fellow Brazillian Marcelo last year, despite playing three fewer league games.
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He is the archetypal modern fullback – dangerous going forward and solid defensively. He can not only play as a full-back but also as a left wing-back.
If Man United sell Darmain, Blind and Shaw, they might be able to balance the books. In reality £45 million for a player is nothing in today’s market and Mourinho is right to make the Brazillian his number one target this summer.
Liverpool produced the perfect end to their potent Premier League campaign on Sunday, demolishing Brighton 4-0 at Anfield. It means the Reds didn’t lost a top flight home game throughout 2017/18 and finished their Premier League bid with an impressive 84 goals scored, a return only beaten by champions Manchester City.
Following Sunday’s big victory, we asked Liverpool fans to issue player ratings for each of those involved in the resounding 4-0 win. Here’s a rundown of the players who impressed Reds supporters the most, picking up the highest average scores…
Virgil van Dijk – 7.7/10: Brighton didn’t give the Reds too much to do defensively but you have to wonder if Liverpool would have made much harder work of that game during the first half of the season, when they didn’t have Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the backline. The Dutchman won a whopping nine aerial duels and completed 90% of his passes.
Roberto Firmino – 7.7/10: The unsung hero of Liverpool’s ferocious front three, Firmino’s contributions in terms of goals, chance creation, movement and pressing high have been crucial to Liverpool’s season. Sunday was a somewhat quiet outing by the Brazilian’s usual standards but he still took five efforts at goal.
Andrew Robertson – 7.9/10: The Scotland international has been one of the real success stories of the season on Merseyside, and he fittingly ended it with a goal and assist against the Seagulls. Robertson also completed 92% of his passes and won three headers the cap off a fine debut season with the Reds.
View the results in full below…
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According to Turkish journalist Firat Gunayer on Twitter, Manchester United have an agreement in place with Besiktas attacking midfielder Anderson Talisca to sign him this summer, and Red Devils fans are excited by the rumour.
United manager Jose Mourinho may well be looking for attacking reinforcements this summer after his forwards once again drew a blank in the 1-0 defeat against Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Juan Mata and Anthony Martial coming up short.
Meanwhile, Talisca has scored 20 goals and provided a further eight assists in 47 appearances in all competitions for the Turkish giants – playing largely as a central attacking midfielder – and he seems destined for Old Trafford if this latest report is to be believed.
Man United supporters, who have urged their club on Twitter to re-sign a 24-year-old former winger who flopped for them, were quick to have their say on the link via social media, and while one said he is “100% better than Lingard, Mata and Rashford”, another described him as “better than Fekir”.
As reported by The Daily Mail, Manchester United are interested in signing Atletico Madrid full-back Sime Vrsaljko this summer.
What’s the story?
After a disappointing season which has resulted in zero silverware, Jose Mourinho will surely be a busy man in the upcoming transfer window as he looks to build a squad capable of competing for major honours next term.
One man that could arrive at Old Trafford is Atletico right-back Sime Vrsaljko.
That’s according to The Daily Mail, who say the £30m-rated defender is on a shortlist of potential defenders.
The paper reckon that United are weighing up whether to make an offer or not for the Croatian international, considering his rather steep asking price.
Would he be a good signing?
United don’t have much depth in the full-back areas and Vrsaljko is a player with excellent experience at the top level who can play on both the right and left hand side of defence.
The 26-year-old is a reliable hand for Atletico, with just enough attacking prowess to provide a potential attacking outlet on the right flank.
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As affordable options go he could be an excellent buy this summer, especially if the club also buy a quality, natural left-back and finally bring balance to a makeshift defence.
New Arsenal manager Unai Emery wants to make experienced Swiss international full-back Stephan Lichtsteiner his first signing at the Emirates Stadium, on a free transfer from Juventus, according to the Evening Standard.
What’s the story, then?
The Standard report says that Emery is looking for experienced leaders and a free transfer for the Juventus right-back is seen as one cut-price way to do exactly that.
It goes on to say that the deal is close as Lichtsteiner has been shown round the Gunners’ training ground at London Colney, although terms are yet to be agreed.
It also says that the Gunners are confident that the deal will be done in the coming days and that Lichtsteiner is seen as a good squad player, as opposed to first-team competition for Hector Bellerin.
Experience on the cheap is Allegri’s style
Arsenal may have missed out on Allegri from Juventus but Emery has shown with his interest in the Swiss international from the Italian giants that he is a similar character in terms of the transfer market.
The Gunners have lacked leaders for quite a few years now and one way to rectify that is to add experience and a winning mentality to the dressing room without breaking the bank.
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However, if Bellerin does pick him an injury, Lichtsteiner does not have it in his legs to do a full season and that’s a worry.
Ever wanted to check how good a player is on Football Manager while on the move? Well, you’re in luck…
Sports Interactive and SEGA have announced the immediate release of FMdB, a new app that gives you access to the world’s largest football database in your pocket.
FMdB is available immediately as a free download on the App Store and will be available on Google Play in the near future.
Powered by Football Manager, FMdB includes data on more than 400,000 players from across the world of football, giving a quick guide to their ability, potential, contract details and position. For those that subscribe to the app, there is additional information about each players’ attributes, career history and more.
You can keep tabs on the players that are making the headlines with the app’s ‘Trending’ section and share player profiles with friends via social media.
In addition, there is a host of nation and club information including each team’s best 25 players, sorted by ability.
“FMdB is the ultimate football knowledge app, essential for the info that you need ahead of what promises to be a fantastic summer of football and beyond,” said Sports Interactive’s Studio Director, Miles Jacobson.
“If you’re unsure how good the player is playing at right back, or who the midfielder is your team is looking at in the transfer window, FMdB gives you that info at the press of a button – it’s time to be properly ITK.”
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Further updates to FMdB are planned over the coming weeks and months into the start of the European football season.
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Various reports have made Tottenham the clear favourites to land Jack Grealish this summer, and the overwhelming majority of fans would back a move… for the right price.
Since a report from the Telegraph claimed Grealish is a “prime target” for Mauricio Pochettino, the rumour mill has been in overdrive linking the feisty youngster with a move to North London.
Some bookmakers have the 22 year-old as low as 13/20 to join Spurs, although Leicester are also in the race.
Grealish suffered an injury-hit season last year, and not for the first time in his career, but was extremely impressive playing from central midfield in the second half of the season.
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The young Englishman scored three goals and assisted six more, but it’s his driving runs from midfield that really make him special.
There have been conflicting reports over his price, but with Villa struggling with Financial Fair Play sanctions, Daniel Levy is expected to try and get the price down to around £15m.
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If Spurs can get such a talented, hungry young star for £15m it would be an absolute bargain, and a whopping 81 per cent of fans agree with that.