According to reports from Football Insider, Leeds United are in negotiations with Fulham over the potential transfer of Adam Forshaw.
The former Middlesbrough man has been one of the most dependable midfielders in the Championship over the past few years with successful spells at Wigan, Boro and Leeds.
The Whites would be losing a useful member of their squad and his stats show how what he brings to the squad.
As the above infographic shows, the Whites will be losing one of the hardest working and most dependable midfielders in the division.
Forshaw does an unbelievable amount of defensive work. He attempts 4.5 tackles per 90 minutes, which is more than Kalvin Phillips.
Many of those tackles that are attempted are successful as well, but what is most impressive is how well he manages to time his challenges. The 27-year-old commits just 1.1 fouls per 90, showing how good he is at putting a foot in.
Although the midfielder isn’t really a flashy player he rarely puts a foot wrong – he is dispossessed just 1.1 times per 90 mins, and a dependable player like that can prove invaluable in this division.
On top of this 88.2% of his passes find their mark which is the highest pass completion percentage of any player who played consistently for Leeds last season.
All of these positive statistics have seen Fulham pursue the 27-year-old, and if the Yorkshire club lose him to their promotion rivals they may miss his consistency in the middle of the park.
Premier League youngsters and loans abroad are a bit like London buses. You don’t get one for a long time and then a whole host come one after the other.
After Jadon Sancho pioneered the way with a move to Borussia Dortmund, several youngsters from many of English football’s top-flight have followed the 19-year-old abroad.
After sending the likes of Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe to the Bundesliga last season, the Gunners have now confirmed that fellow academy product Jordi Osei-Tutu will head to Germany to join second-tier side VfL Bochum on a season-long loan.
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The news saw Arsenal fans take to Twitter to voice their opinion on the matter and many revealed their surprise at Unai Emery’s side allowing one of the club’s natural right-backs to head out.
First-choice option Hector Bellerin remains out with a long-term injury, leaving Ainsley Maitland-Niles as the club’s most reliable option in that position – both Stephan Lichtsteiner and Carl Jenkinson on the other hand appear to have no future at the Emirates.
Fans of the north London side were quick to wish Osei-Tutu the best of luck for the upcoming campaign and hoped he would come back to stake a claim for a first-team place next season.
Check out some of the reaction of Arsenal fans below:
Midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu has left Celtic less than a year after signing for the club.
Mulumbu arrived at the end of last summer’s transfer window but managed to make just three appearances before moving out on loan in January.
The player is currently at the African Cup of Nations with DR Congo, so his absence from Celtic’s training camp didn’t raise any eyebrows, but manager Neil Lennon has now confirmed his contract has been terminated.
Leigh Griffiths is ready and raring to go for Celtic next season. One fan discusses what we can expect from him in the video below…
Mulumbu won his move to the Hoops after impressing with Kilmarnock during the 2017/18 season and having returned to the club on loan this year, the Ayrshire club are no doubt again in the running to sign him up.
Celtic have already moved to strengthen the midfield area with the signing of Luca Connell and when you consider they have Scott Brown, Callum McGregor, Ryan Christie, Olivier Ntcham and others, they will not be left short by Mulumbu’s departure.
Hoops fans are unconcerned by his exit, taking to Twitter over the weekend to share their thoughts…
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
According to The Evening Standard, Arsenal are inching ever closer to securing a deal for St Etienne’s teenage prospect William Saliba.
What’s the word?
Reports in recent weeks had suggested that Arsenal’s number one priority at centre-back was trying to seal a deal for Saliba. The 18-year-old burst onto the scene at St Etienne last season, leading to great speculation over whether he could be on the move this summer.
Now, The Evening Standard report that Unai Emery’s side are closing in on a £25m move for the Frenchman and that as part of the agreement to sign him, the defender will return to St Etienne on a season-long loan. Whilst the Gunners may feel slightly aggrieved at potentially not seeing Saliba anytime soon, the prospect has shown that he could be well worth the wait.
Calm amongst the storm
One of the big criticisms of Emery’s debut campaign in charge at the Emirates was his apparent failure to really improve the defence. The hallmarks of all the defensive troubles endured under the Arsene Wenger reign remained untouched; the Gunners were brittle, panicky and never assured. Traits that were hideously exposed in arguably the side’s costliest result of the season when they were turned over 3-2 by Crystal Palace.
The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…
In Saliba, Arsenal would be getting a teenager who played last year with the composure of a seasoned veteran. The 18-year-old boasted an impressive 85.6% accuracy from his 40.3 average passes per game and seemed completely nonplussed when put under pressure.
Indeed, his exemplary disciplinary record paints a truly startling picture as to how cool, calm and collected the defender has proven to be. In his 16 appearances last season for St Etienne, Saliba received just the solitary yellow card.
In comparison, Arsenal’s blundering centre-back Shkodran Mustafi received nine across the campaign. Saliba also committed just 0.6 fouls per game; his German counterpart on the other hand contrived to make 1.4.
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Gunners fans have long been used to centre-backs sliding into unnecessary challenges or getting bullied off the ball. Standing at 6 foot 4, Saliba is an absolute beast compared to some of the current Arsenal defenders and is a reassuring physical presence at the back, while also being cool as a cucumber in possession.
If getting a deal for the Frenchman over the line means waiting another season for him, then the Gunners should not think twice about it.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Andriy Yarmolenko is set for a make-or-break season at West Ham United.
The Ukraine international, signed for a fee of £17.5m from Borussia Dortmund last summer, Yarmolenko made just nine Premier League appearances for the club prior to a season-ending Achilles injury.
A good dribbler of the ball with an eye for goal, the 29-year-old showed flashes of his talent in east London, scoring twice in a 3-1 win over Everton and laying on an assist in a victory by the same scoreline against Manchester United.
His injury came at a time when he was just getting into his stride.
He made his comeback on Thursday, however, playing 45 minutes as the Hammers beat Austrian side SCR Altach 3-2 in a pre-season friendly.
The Irons, of course, are thin in the striking department after the departures of Marko Arnautovic, Lucas Perez and Andy Carroll.
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They desperately need attacking talent and Yarmolenko’s return to form offers them a versatile option.
While he is not an out-and-out striker, he is a flying right winger who can supplement the threat offered by the likes of Manuel Lanzini, Pablo Fornals and Felipe Anderson.
Putting all four on the same pitch may seem like a stretch but utilising one of them as a false nine – perhaps Anderson – could be a solution for Pellegrini if the club are unable to acquire another striker in this transfer window.
Per Understat, Yarmolenko averaged 1.78 shots per game, along with 0.99 key passes and an expected goals (xG) rate of 1.25. He had an xG-per-90 of 0.25, too, meaning he is likely to score at least once in every four games.
If he were to play an entire season, that would come out to between nine and 10 goals in a campaign.
That’s an excellent return for a player who normally features on the wing and those stats do not take into account the intangible of form. If a player hits a hot streak, one can expect that number to rise.
However, the same is true if they fall into a funk, and that is why one has to feel that Yarmolenko faces a make-or-break season.
He was one of the club’s marquee acquisitions last summer and yet he has barely played, much less had any opportunity to repay his transfer fee.
If he is given a chance to play regularly this season, he could well grab it with both hands.
Or he could see his form diminish; serious injuries can often rob players of their pace and finishing ability.
West Ham simply have to wait and see; if it goes wrong, he may not get another chance.
Leeds fans have taken to Twitter to voice their concerns after a Phil Hay update left supporters reeling.
The journalist hinted that Leeds’ transfer business could be done, saying that it wouldn’t surprise him if they didn’t add a centre-back, whilst also saying they’d be unlikely to sign a striker unless Kemar Roofe departs.
Roofe has been linked with a move to both Brighton and Crystal Palace but their lack of further transfer activity has got fans worried.
The Elland Road faithful seem to be frustrated at their squad depth, bemoaning the fact that they could suffer from injury problems again next season.
Last term, Roofe and Patrick Bamford both suffered spells out which clearly had a negative impact on their forward line.
One fan said they were concerned that Liam Cooper could suffer a long-term injury whilst one commented that a lack of depth and cover may prevent them from securing a top-two finish.
A further individual mentioned that it would be a struggle if they suffered from similar setbacks next term, claiming they were expecting the worst.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
According to The Daily Mail, Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson is closing in on signing a new contract at the club before heading back to Sheffield United on loan.
What’s the word?
The report claims that negotiations over a new deal for the England U21 international are “well underway and have been positive”, and that part of the talks have revolved around Henderson being allowed to go out on loan once more.
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It adds that United see the 22-year-old as a future number one at Old Trafford and are keen for him to get regular playing time in the Premier League – something he would get at Sheffield United having helped the Blades to promotion from the Championship last season.
It was initially indicated by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that Henderson would link up with the United squad on the second part of their pre-season tour in Singapore, but the report claims that the goalkeeper has remained behind in England to find a resolution to his future.
Could this year have been his best chance?
Whilst there will be understandable excitement if Henderson does indeed put pen to paper on a new deal at United, the situation surrounding the man he will eventually be competing with at Old Trafford makes for bleak reading for the Englishman.
Reports in recent weeks have suggested that David De Gea is inching closer to signing a new contract of his own, and whilst the premise of Henderson being seen as a future number one is admirable, just when will that future come?
De Gea will only turn 29 this November despite seemingly being around for ever, and in goalkeeper terms, he is still a relative baby, and could quite conceivably play for another decade – just ask 41 year-old Gianluigi Buffon.
De Gea’s rough year by his own standards last season should surely have warranted Henderson the chance to prove he could step in right away. In his entire Premier League career, De Gea has made just ten errors that have directly lead to a goal; last year he had four alone.
Henderson on the other hand came off the back of a stellar campaign with Sheffield United, as the second-placed Blades conceded just 41 goals in 46 games; the joint-best record in the division.
This summer felt like it could have been a watershed moment for Henderson’s potential career at Old Trafford; instead, he may well get lost in the wilderness of season-long loans for the entirety of De Gea’s stay.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Stan Collymore has tipped Leeds for promotion this season, suggesting they’ll go up automatically in his Sunday People column, via Leeds Live.
What’s he said?
Leeds have had an incredibly mixed pre-season, losing to Manchester United in Australia but enjoying a victory over Western Sydney Wanderers.
They also drew with Serie A outfit Cagliari last weekend.
However, it’s in the transfer market where most of their frustrations have lied.
They’ve lost Pontus Jansson and failed to bring in a replacement whilst they also suffered an injury blow with Kemar Roofe following a period where they didn’t bring in another striker to bolster their ranks.
Despite that, Collymore is still tipping them for promotion, writing in his Sunday People column, via Leeds Live:
“Fulham and Leeds are my tips for gaining automatic promotion to the Prem from the Championship this season.
“I pick Fulham because of their squad and Leeds because Marcelo Bielsa will make sure they bounce back from the disappointment they faced at the end of the last campaign.”
Collymore tipping Leeds for the wrong reasons
It wouldn’t be a great surprise if Leeds were again among the front runners for promotion, but Collymore is wrong to tip them for the reason which he’s given.
The fact of the matter is that given Marcelo Bielsa’s history, he hasn’t been great when it’s come to bouncing back.
The way in which left jobs with Marseille and Lille so quickly is evidence of that.
When in charge of Bilbao, he reached the Europa League final in his first campaign before dropping all the way down to 12th in his second. He then walked out of Marseille after the first game of his second year in charge.
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As for Lille, he walked through the exit door after just 14 matches.
On that evidence, this is a manager who seems to relish new challenges but then lose interest very quickly.
If Leeds are going to achieve promotion it won’t merely be down to their ability to bounce back and Collymore’s assumption that Bielsa will ensure they do is wrong.
Given the Argentine’s track record, he could well have his work cut out to amend the mistakes of 2018/19.
Tottenham Hotspur were serious about signing Paulo Dybala from Juventus this summer before their Premier League rivals got involved.
Sources told Football FanCast that there was genuine interest from Spurs in bringing in the Argentina international as they looked to add to the signing of Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon.
However, Manchester United were also interested, per the Daily Mail – but a deal is said to have collapsed over the weekend over the player’s demands.
That has essentially left the door open for Spurs to lead the charge for Dybala’s services should they wish to and Sky Sports Italia (via Football Italia) even claim a fresh €70m (£64.5m) bid has been tabled.
But going back in for the Argentine would be a fatal mistake.
The potential overall cost looks to be extortionate – the previously linked Daily Mail piece claims that his agent demanded a £15m payment simply to buy his image rights, while Dybala’s wage requirement was £350k per week.
But more importantly, the Spurs squad has a number of deficiencies that have to be addressed before nearly that kind of money is splashed out on another attacking player.
One has to point out that Dybala would likely be an excellent signing – this is a player once likened to Lionel Messi – and he would supplement the threat offered by Harry Kane very well as a second striker.
But he would also be a vanity buy. Indeed, with Christian Eriksen still at the club, Mauricio Pochettino has the Dane, Dele Alli, Heung-min Son, Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela as his attacking midfielders. There is also interest in Sporting Lisbon’s Bruno Fernandes, Giovani Lo Celso and Philippe Coutinho.
Bringing in Dybala, then, would be to ignore the squad’s most glaring deficiency: defence.
Kieran Trippier has departed for Atletico Madrid, leaving Spurs with Serge Aurier and Kyle Walker-Peters as their specialist right-backs. Aurier is currently sidelined with a hand injury after reportedly smacking a table in frustration during an Ivory Coast fixture at the African Cup of Nations and, really, that says more to his lack of discipline than any kind of statistic.
As for Walker-Peters, he has yet to really be given a chance at Spurs. He has made a total of 19 appearances for the club and seems to constantly be on the precipice of a breakthrough, only to be yanked back by his shirt collar.
FFC understands that Juan Foyth could be installed as the first-choice right-back in Trippier’s stead but, really, he is a centre-back and he has a lack of discipline that has cost him at the highest level, while his injury sustained against Bayern Munich has been a setback.
Over on the left, Danny Rose was left out of the pre-season tour of Asia to explore opportunities with other clubs. It did not come about prior to the Audi Cup, as he was included in the starting XI for the friendly against Real Madrid, but one imagines that Spurs actually want him to leave the club.
There have been links with Ryan Sessegnon, the Fulham full-back-cum-winger, but he is more an attacking player than a defender and talks are dragging over the deal, which has yet to be sealed.
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Ben Davies, the other option, has not enjoyed a pre-season, missing the trip to Asia and the Audi Cup with injury after undergoing surgery in the summer so it is difficult to imagine the Wales international being fully up to speed when Spurs take on Aston Villa in their opening fixture of the 2019/20 season.
At centre-back, meanwhile, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are both into the final years of their contracts. If they aren’t going to be renewed, then a succession plan needs to be in place that spans wider than potentially promoting Foyth alongside Davinson Sanchez.
In the backline is where investment is needed. Of course, if Eriksen departs, then by all accounts, Spurs should be looking at goalscoring attacking midfielders.
But now, it feels like a dereliction of duty, particularly with Fernandes, Lo Celso and Coutinho already being targeted. To bring one of those in and then still swoop for Dybala wouldn’t just be misguided, it would be downright stupid.
Spurs need bodies at the back. Pochettino may feel that he can turn Foyth into an excellent full-back and he may well be right once he recovers. He could enjoy a breakthrough season.
But it’s a risk, particularly with Aurier and Walker-Peters as his deputies.
And if Rose leaves, the situation is all the bleaker on the other flank. Spurs simply cannot head into the season with one senior left-back, especially not one who has spent the entirety of the summer recovering from surgery.
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Buying Dybala would be the kind of coup that spawns its own hashtag. It would create real excitement.
But, really, it would be like putting a cherry on top of an unfinished cake mix. Spurs need to bake it before they start adding the decorations.
Indeed, Mauricio Pochettino has always been very good at that. Since his appointment in 2014, the club have been reserved in the transfer market.
They have bought Ndombele and Jack Clarke this summer but, previously, they have simply filled gaps that needed filling; very rarely have they indulged in vanity signings, players coming into the club simply because they are available.
Perhaps the last real example came in the 2014/15 season when Benjamin Stambouli joined the club. A defensive midfielder, he joined in the same window as Eric Dier, with Spurs already boasting the likes of Etienne Capoue, Mousa Dembele, Ryan Mason, and Nabil Bentaleb as their midfield options.
Stambouli ended up making just 25 appearances for the club and, while Dybala is clearly a better player than the Frenchman, who is now at Schalke 04, the similarities are there.
Dybala would join an already crowded attacking field.
Arsenal got their season off to a good start on Sunday as they beat Newcastle 1-0 at St. James’ Park.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the only goal of the game for the Gunners who, despite not putting in a stellar performance, were able to get the job done and come away with all three points.
Unai Emery started with three academy products in his lineup, one of which was Joe Willock. The 19-year-old has so far made 18 appearances for the Emirates outfit, scoring three goals.
Against the Toon, he played as part of a three behind Aubameyang in attack, and was replaced in the 64th minute by on-loan Real Madrid player Dani Ceballos.
And during just his second ever start in the Premier League, the club’s fans were not overly impressed with his performance. They seemingly expect a lot more from him going forward and took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the teenager.
You can see some of the best comments on the social media platform below.