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[ad_pod ]This article is part ofÂFootball FanCast’sÂTransfer FocusÂseries, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…According to Matt Wilson of Express and Star, West Brom are trying to sign Chris Willock from Benfica as the Baggies are linked to a number of wingers on deadline day with the club also closing in on loan moves for Grady Diangana and Matheus Pereira.

What’s the word?

Slaven Bilic said following his side’s 2-1 opening day victory over Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest that he wanted four more additions and he may well get his wish if all goes to plan today.

There are only a matter of hours left in the transfer window but West Brom have been linked to Southampton striker Charlie Austin as well as the aforementioned winger trio so it’s clear that the Croatian wants those additional options in attack.

Willock has been plying his trade in Portugal for Benfica – but not their first team – he’s only appeared for their ‘B’ side since joining them in 2017.

He is the brother of Arsenal’s rising star Joe Willock and Matty Willock who plays for League One side Gillingham.

The 21-year-old was formally at the North London club with his brother before joining Benfica on a five-year deal following the expiry of his Arsenal contract.

Questionable moves

If Bilic is truly on the hunt for additions in the wide areas then it raises question marks to why he has allowed one of their promising youth graduates depart the club on loan this summer.

Jonathan Leko has made a temporary switch to Charlton for the remainder of the season, though, he does have a January recall clause within the deal.

The 20-year-old has actually gained experience playing in the Premier League under the Baggies before they were relegated in 2018 and also had a spell at Bristol City on loan in the Championship where he made 11 appearances, assisting one goal.

That’s one player they should be developing instead of bringing in a couple of loans that will only improve them short-term and aid another club in the long run rather than themselves.

Willock hasn’t even managed to break into Benfica’s first-team setup let alone the squad which raises further questions over the standard of football he’s been playing at.

Their activity doesn’t make too much sense in this regard and it may have been a case of leaving it a little too late.

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Leeds United are planning to build a new “world-class” training facility on the site of a former inner-city school, as reported by The Yorkshire Evening Post.

The Whites currently train at Thorp Arch, which was opened in 1994.

However, the Championship outfit are keen to put together a new facility on the grounds of Matthew Murray High School in Holbeck, which closed in 2006.

The Yorkshire Evening Post has reported that a decision on the land will be made on September 18.

As expected, the news has been greeted well by the Leeds fans on social media, with a number pleased to learn of their club’s plans.

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It remains to be seen whether the Whites can launch another challenge for promotion this season, and ultimately secure a return to the top flight.

However, building a new training facility would be a huge step in the right direction for the club’s future.

While the general reaction has been good, as seen below, one supporter has questioned what would happen to the existing facility:

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The game against Real Betis last weekend was huge for Barcelona in so many ways.

Firstly, it was their maiden game at the Camp Nou in the new 2019/20 La Liga season, and on top of that, it was also their first victory and the first three points in the new campaign.

But regardless of that, it also represented something much bigger for their young 16-year-old prodigy, Ansu Fati.

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The youngster made his senior team debut against Real Betis in front of the roaring Camp Nou crowd, and if the latest social media activity is any indication, it seems that he’s quickly become a fan favourite.

Many Barcelona fans have already taken to Twitter to support Fati and call for him to be given a chance this weekend when the Catalans play Osasuna away from home.

Below, you can see a collection of tweets showing how the fans feel about this highly talented young prospect of La Masia.

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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…

Ladies and gentlemen, Alexis Sanchez has finally left the building. The 30-year-old endured a horrific time at Manchester United since making the move from Premier League rivals Arsenal back in January 2018. The Chile international struggled hugely with form and injuries, and it was little surprise to see the Red Devils look to move him on this summer.

It may have taken a long while to do so, but Sanchez’s exit – albeit a temporary one for the time being – has finally been confirmed.

United’s pursuit of the versatile forward seemed to come as a result of wanting to get a one-up on their ‘noisy neighbours’ Manchester City, rather than trying to weigh up whether he would actually fit in their team. The Chilean became a poisoned chalice, and symbolised everything that has gone wrong at Old Trafford in recent seasons.

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On-the-pitch, Sanchez managed just five goals and nine assists in 45 appearances, and never appeared to find his place in United’s team. He was the main man at Arsenal under Arsene Wenger, but never got anywhere near that level of creative freedom at Old Trafford. Instead, the forward suffered as much as anyone from Jose Mourinho’s rigid structure and tactics.

Away from his non-existent efforts on the field, Sanchez’s reported £350k-a-week wages became a stick to beat United’s transfer policy with. Eye-watering money for someone who barely contributed.

Squad depth is understandably a major concern at Old Trafford, particularly following the departures of Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku. Some United fans were even clamouring for the former to stay at the club just to provide Solskjaer with some numbers.

But ultimately, if the Norwegian feels the side are better off without such a presence in their squad, then he has to be backed. The Red Devils desperately need everyone to be pulling in the same direction, and the end of the Sanchez nightmare may just allow them to do so.

There’s an awful long way to go yet to get back on that perch, but the club finally seems to be taking forward steps rather than backward ones.

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Celtic stopper Scott Bain commented on what was likely on all of our minds…

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Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce is confident that Matt Ritchie is on the right tracks with his recovery, and may return to action earlier than initially thought, as quoted by the Chronicle.

Ritchie has been out of action since the Magpies were beaten on penalties by Leicester City in the Carabao Cup last month, when the former Scotland international suffered three cuts to his ankle from a challenge by Foxes midfielder Hamza Choudhury.

Bruce was livid at Choudhury for the tackle he dispensed on Ritchie, and suggested the Leicester man could have ended the Gosport-born winger’s career (BBC) had his leg been planted in the ground.

The Toon boss has now revealed that Ritchie is already back out on the training fields at Darsley Park, despite initial indications pointing toward the 30-year-old facing two months on the sidelines.

“Matt Ritchie being Matt Ritchie is surprising us all,” Bruce said. “When I looked over today [Tuesday], he was running. He’s back on the training ground running in straight lines.

“I think that’s better news. With Matt, the good thing is it’s an impact injury. If there’s anything that an injury picks up on is impact. We know what it is. If it’s muscles, it’s always a bit of a problem and ligaments and things like that, but he’s out on the grass and the progress he’s made in two weeks is quite remarkable. I think it could be good news for all of us.

“He doesn’t look as if he’ll be [out for] eight weeks, I wouldn’t think. The way he is at the minute – we don’t put timescales on these things – but closer to four or five weeks might be better.”

Ritchie’s blow was the second injury concern the Scot had issued Bruce since the Newcastle head coach’s appointment in the summer, after the former AFC Bournemouth midfielder was forced off with a suspected hamstring injury against Hibernian during a pre-season friendly in July (Chronicle).

He was not ruled out of the curtain-raiser encounter with Arsenal at St. James’ Park as first feared, however, and featured for the full ninety minutes in each of the Magpies’ opening three Premier League games before the Leicester encounter in the Carabao Cup (TransferMarkt).

Two months out would have meant Ritchie missing upcoming games with Liverpool, Brighton & Hove Albion, Leicester, Manchester United, Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers, but he may now be in line to feature in the latter three of those.

Potentially having Ritchie back at his disposal against Manchester United, Chelsea and Wolves will almost certainly be a welcoming comfort for Bruce, as the 30-year-old offers his head coach a versatile option that can play on either flank, at left-wing-back and – as shown in the second-half against Arsenal – in the engine room.

Returning to action earlier than first thought puts more pressure on Jetro Willems to deliver in the Magpies’ upcoming fixtures, too, as the Dutch defender signed on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt must use Ritchie’s absence as the perfect chance to prove why he deserves to be the natural choice at left-back over a natural midfielder.

Newcastle fans, how big of a boost is Ritchie potentially returning to action earlier than planned for your side? Let us know in the comments below…

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Tottenham Hotspur will hope to get their Champions League campaign off to a bang when they face Olympiacos in Athens on Wednesday evening.

Spurs went all the way to the final last season where they were beaten by Premier League rivals Liverpool, and having got a taste for it then they will surely be determined to make it back to the last two again this time around – potentially even going that crucial step further.

They warmed up for the trip to Greece perfectly with a comprehensive 4-0 win against Crystal Palace at the weekend, but what XI will manger Mauricio Pochettino select in midweek considering he has openly talked about rotating his team?

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Here is our prediction…

Football London correspondent Alasdair Gold tweeted on Tuesday that Danny Rose and Serge Aurier have remained back home in London, which suggests Ben Davies and Kyle Walker-Peters are all-but certain to take up the full-back roles against Olympiacos.

Inside of them will be Hugo Lloris between the sticks, with Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld continuing their recent partnership at the heart of the backline.

Midfield is where it gets interesting, with two ever-present starters this season in Erik Lamela and Moussa Sissoko dropping down to the substitutes’ bench, with club-record buy Tanguy Ndombele returning to the XI alongside Harry Winks, and Dele Alli and Lucas Moura given their opportunity to impress – of course the latter netted a brilliant hat-trick against Ajax back in May to take Spurs to Madrid.

Christian Eriksen features alongside them as two-goal weekend goalscorer Son Heung-min also misses out, with Harry Kane once again leading the line up top.

Arsenal fans aren’t sure of Unai Emery’s reason for leaving playmaker Mesut Ozil back in London ahead of the club’s game against Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Spanish manager has said that he left Ozil back in London so that he can rest ahead of Arsenal’s game at home to Aston Villa on Sunday (via Goal).

The former Germany international has played just one game this season, the 2-2 draw away to Watford last Sunday (via Transfermarkt).

Ozil has had a rollercoaster few months in north London, first being attacked by an armed gang before the start of the Premier League season, delaying his campaign (via BBC). The midfielder then suffered an illness, further delaying his integration back into Emery’s side.

The game would’ve been the German’s first game back in his homeland since he famously retired from international duty citing racism as one of the reasons (via The Guardian).

Despite Emery’s reasoning behind Ozil’s absence, fans took to Twitter to doubt their manager.

Here is a selection of tweets from Gooners:

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While Ben White didn’t feel the need to lavish praise upon himself on Instagram after winning the PFA Fans’ Player of the Month award, one of his teammates was more than happy to oblige.

Indeed, Kalvin Phillips couldn’t resist congratulating his teammate after he was given the accolade this week.

The midfielder took a candid shot of the centre-back receiving his award and posted it onto his Instagram story alongside a complimentary caption.

Phillips was over the moon for his teammate, as he stated that the Championship was too easy for him after winning Fans’ Player of the Month at the very first attempt.

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Before the start of this campaign, the highest standard White had played at was League One, but he’s taken to his new surroundings like a duck to water.

The 21-year-old still has a lot of developing to do, and if he can continue to improve during his time at Elland Road he could find himself in the Premier League sooner rather than later, whether that be in Yorkshire or back at his parent club.

Newcastle United are a bit of a mess right now.

The Magpies have been mismanaged by Mike Ashley for years, and after being beaten 5-0 by Leicester on Sunday the club are in a bad place.

Jonathan Woodgate claims Middlesbrough are a bigger club than Newcastle. Watch a Magpie fan’s hilarious response in the video below…

It’s easy to see that the Tyneside club are in a bit of trouble, and despite some players and pundits seemingly not wanting to upset the apple cart, one man who hasn’t held back with his views is Shaka Hislop.

“It’s desperate, it really is.”

The first words out of Hislop’s mouth when asked about his former team’s current situation tell you all you need to know.

Of course, he quickly pointed the blame at Mike Ashley, but unfortunately, he says that he doesn’t see where the bad times end for the Magpies.

The former goalkeeper goes on to say that relegation is a real possibility this term, and it’s hard to disagree with that sentiment after watching Steve Bruce’s side this weekend.