If the reports coming from The Telegraph are to be believed, Liverpool are on the verge of signing Fulham starlet Harvey Elliott.
The winger is only 16 but has already racked up three first-team appearances at Craven Cottage, and The Times claim that the Reds have beaten PSG, Real Madrid and RB Leipzig to his signature.
Last season in the U-18 Premier League, Elliott played a total of 12 games, scoring five goals and assisting a further three in the process. He also became the youngest player to ever feature in a Premier League match earlier this year.
Reds fans are no doubt pretty excited about the signing, but they don’t know much about the youngster due to his limited first-team experience.
Still, since this would very much be an investment for the future, they were quick to compliment Jurgen Klopp’s transfer policy, which looks set to make Elliott the second teenager to join the club this month after Sepp van den Berg.
You can see some of the best Twitter reactions down below…
Christian Purslow has been no stranger to both fans and the media since Aston Villa were promoted.
Back in May, he laid down comments about the state of the club and their ambitions to hold onto Jack Grealish whilst he’s also laid down prior comments regarding the need to build an exciting team.
However, before the club kicked off their pre-season against Minnesota on Thursday morning, he featured in a question and answer session.
Villa’s Chief Executive spoke impressively, talking about a number of things including his attraction to the club and their transfer policy, as well as revealing that whilst he’s been at Villa Park, not a single player has turned them down.
Those responses from Purslow sparked a phenomenal reaction from Villa supporters who reacted to a post on Twitter sharing the interview.
One fan expressed that they were delighted with what he was saying as another said it was absolutely outstanding. A further individual remarked that they loved him.
Purslow arrived at Villa in August 2018, being appointed by owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris as CEO and ‘minority investor’.
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Since he came into the Midlands, it seems as though he’s truly worked himself into the hearts and minds of Villa fans.
Lots of Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was reported by The Telegraph that David De Gea has agreed terms on a new six-year contract said to be worth a whopping £117m in total.
The agreement will see the Spain international earn around £375k-a-week, making him the world’s best-paid goalkeeper.
Check out 5 reasons to hate the Glazers in the video below… not that Man Utd fans need any!
Talks over a new deal had stalled as the former Atletico Madrid glovesman was hoping to be placed on the same earnings as Alexis Sanchez, who is said to earn around £400k-a-week at Old Trafford.
However, the Red Devils’ insistence that he would be made the second highest earner at the club, plus Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s support in the final few weeks of the campaign in which De Gea’s form nosedived, are said to be the reasons behind the 28-year-old’s decision to commit his future to his current employers.
Some United fans were fairly divided on the idea earlier this week, but with the deal now seemingly agreed, these supporters below are ecstatic about it…
Having marked his appointment as West Ham boss last summer by bringing in over £100m-worth of new players with which to shape his revolution, Manuel Pellegrini will surely have been hoping for better than the 10th-placed finish his side managed last term – the Irons were five points off seventh and seven points off 14th.
Considering the fate of Fulham, who spent a similar amount and were relegated, perhaps it was a successful campaign for the Hammers after all – they still have some work to do if they are to challenge the likes of Wolves for seventh-spot, though, and pre-season has thrown up some interesting questions ahead of the Premier League 2019/20 opener against Manchester City.
With the weeks leading up to the start of the new campaign widely-regarded as pretty inconsequential, fans can be forgiven for not keeping up to date with all the goings-on, which is why we’re here to give you the lowdown on what we’ve learned from West Ham’s pre-season – click through the gallery for our five takeaways…
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West Ham United midfielder Jack Wilshere
With Manuel Lanzini having returned to action after missing 33 games through injury since June 2018, West Ham have yet another option in attacking-midfield – the Argentine has 20 goals and 13 assists for the Hammers in the league – to compete with Jack Wilshere and new boy Pablo Fornals for a starting spot.
Former Arsenal man Wilshere missed much of the 2018/19 season too and staked his claim in the starting XI during the victory over Altach, as he was by far the best player on the pitch after coming on for the second half.
Fornals, whom the Irons signed for £24m, completed 1.4 key passes per game last term and will be keen to hit the ground running in the Premier League. It will be hard for Pellegrini to accommodate and give suitable game-time to all three but it’s not a bad headache for the Chilean to have.
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Another player who will be hoping to get back up to pace with the Premier League as quickly as possible is Andriy Yarmolenko who, after joining from Borussia Dortmund last summer, suffered an Achilles tendon rupture which kept him out from October 2018 until the end of last month.
West Ham fans who tuned in for their side’s 4-1 defeat at the hands of champions City in the Asia Trophy thinking that the departed Marko Arnautovic was still playing in claret and blue can be forgiven – Yarmolenko, who took the controversial Austrian’s number 7 shirt, showcased some of the skill and hold-up play associated with his former teammate and produced a wonderful backheel to present Javier Hernandez with the perfect opportunity to score.
Unfortunately, the Mexican could not convert the gilt-edged chance, but the work from Yarmolenko was certainly promising.
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Josh Cullen enjoyed a stellar campaign on loan at Charlton last season as the Addicks battled through the play-offs to ensure Championship football for 2019/20 and the Irishman surely saw this pre-season as the perfect opportunity to stake his claim with West Ham.
Sadly, the 23-year-old seemed off the pace in the 1-0 loss to Newcastle in the third/fourth-place Asia Trophy play-off and, with reliable Hammers insider ExWHUemployee suggesting that this summer was ‘make or break’ for the player, it would seem that this poor performance may have cost him his future in claret and blue.
Charlton fans will love it, particularly if he returns – their interest in another loan has been reported – but it’s certainly gutting for Cullen himself, who has some real ground to make up if he is to remain at the London Stadium.
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Given the manner in which the former Stoke man crowbarred an exit, most West Ham fans were surely keen to see the back of Arnautovic when he completed his £22.4m move to Shanghai SIPG earlier this month, although they could have done with the 6 foot 4 hitman in their defeat to the Magpies.
The Irons failed to record a shot on target in a sub-par performance and thus lost their second consecutive game of pre-season, having previously been dispatched by the Cityzens – 30-year-old Arnautovic managed a team-high 2.2 shots per game last term and this frequency of efforts will be missed by the east Londoners.
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Pellegrini’s decision to bring Carlos Sanchez to the London Stadium last summer is looking all the more misguided one year later, with the Colombian charging all over the pitch in the victory over Altach – the 33-year-old’s heat map may have been impressive, but he was inefficient and erratic throughout.
The enforcer might have given his side the lead with a solid header but, prior to that rare show of quality, was a liability – he gave the ball away too frequently and was nearly caught dallying on the edge of his own box. Of course, this was only the first game of the Hammers’ summer preparations but his display, in which he also received a customary yellow card, should be of big concern to his manager.
Amongst Johnson’s admirers is fellow youngster Declan Rice, 20, who took to the club’s official Instagram to post his lofty predictions for the full-back for the upcoming term.
Rice said: “Breakthrough season.. incoming”
The Academy of Football product knows a thing or two about ‘breaking through,’ after firmly announcing himself on the domestic and international stage last season and claiming three awards in the process, so we trust his judgement on this one.
This is the tenth instalment in Football FanCast’s Legacies series, which pays tribute to those players and managers who leave a compelling story behind as they move on to pastures new.
Danny Welbeck has enjoyed five years at Arsenal after making a name for himself at Manchester United, but he has now departed north London after the Gunners decided against offering him a new contract.
He’s enjoyed wonderful moments of quality and class, won many trophies and been part of some top teams throughout his injury-plagued career.
In our latest contribution to the series, we look at the legacy left behind at both Old Trafford and the Emirates by this fan favourite.
An Overview
Danny Welbeck burst onto the scene with a debut goal against Stoke City, a wonder strike by the 17-year-old forward that flew into the top corner.
It was in the 2011-2012 season that Welbeck really broke into the starting XI, forming a partnership with Wayne Rooney and being used for his dynamism, work-rate and pace to compliment the England star’s strengths.
What gave Welbeck an edge was his ability to play out wide, which he was often asked to do, most notably at the Bernabeu where he scored for the Red Devils in a 1-1 Champions League draw. He was favoured by Sir Alex Ferguson and played a lot under David Moyes as well, but the arrival of Louis van Gaal saw him leave almost immediately as Radamel Falcao arrived.
At Arsenal, Welbeck was an instant hit. The Gunners had been dealing with the inconsistency of Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski in their forward ranks, and with Theo Walcott struggling to claim the number nine spot for himself, Welbeck’s arrival was welcomed with open arms.
After a strong start to life at the Emirates, including a Champions League hat-trick against Galatasaray, the striker’s injury problems began in earnest at the beginning end of the 2014/15 season.
A series of long-term absences saw him miss huge parts of the following campaign.
The injuries forced the English forward to become more of a squad player in north London.
Stats breakdown
His trophy cabinet is as impressive as most of the biggest names in English football, boasting two of each of the domestic titles, winning both his FA Cups with the Gunners.
Despite his impressive collection, his goal tally doesn’t reflect that of a top centre-forward. Just 42 Premier League goals in 206 appearances isn’t particularly impressive, though Welbeck was never the type of forward to be relied on for goals. While the striker’s finishing was often suspect and criticised, his role as a striker was always far more complex and rounded than that of a typical poacher.
The ex-United forward was often deployed in roles where he’d have to run the channels, hold up the ball, and look to disrupt opposition in the build-up phase of play rather than being the man for the end product. This may explain why his 30 assists are only 12 short of his total goals because he was often providing as well as scoring.
Celtic fans aren’t happy about Arsenal’s bid for one of their key players…
Memorable moments
While Welbeck will have many memorable moments at Manchester United during title-winning campaigns, including his fantastic debut goal, at Arsenal there’s one moment that stands above the rest when looking back at his career.
With Arsenal and Leicester battling it out in the title race and the two sides facing each other, with seconds left on the clock and the scores tied at 1-1, Welbeck leapt highest to meet Mesut Ozil’s cross and convert in the dying seconds, earning his side all three points in a 2-1 win.
The goal may not have led to the great title challenge most Gunners fans would have been hoping for, but it was certainly one of the most dramatic moments of the season and certainly remains in the memories of many fans. Welbeck returned in the most fairy-tale of ways to help his side when they needed it most.
What’s his Arsenal and Manchester United legacy?
Despite the number of trophies, Welbeck was never integral enough to either club to merit the label of a legend or even an icon. His work ethic is undeniable, and he’s certainly been part of top sides, delivering big performances in big games himself, but those terms are a stretch too far.
The striker has always been loved wherever he’s played, being a fan favourite on all accounts. Even when there’s criticism towards him, he’s never been truly written off, which is why the lack of contract offer at the Emirates may have seemed strange to some.
Welbeck will go down as one the fans loved and appreciated with or without the stats to back his brilliance.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s One to Watch series, which focuses on those players we think are particularly worth keeping an eagle-eye on as the 2019/20 season unfolds.
Ayoze Perez’s arrival at Leicester City was certainly one of the surprise deals of the summer, with few expecting that Brendan Rogers would spend £30m on the hit-and-miss Newcastle forward.
The story so far
Perez, who wears the name ‘Ayoze’ on the back of his shirt, joined the Magpies in 2014 and slowly endeared himself to the supporters, though he was subjected to stark criticism during particularly toothless spells.
He enjoyed 195 games in the black and white of Newcastle, scoring 48 goals in the process. It’s not the most overwhelming return at first glance, but for a player who’s played predominantly as a second-striker, it’s a strong tally indeed.
The forward enjoyed his best scoring season last year under Rafael Benitez, bagging 13 goals across the whole season with the majority coming towards the end of the season, including a hat-trick against Southampton in a 3-1 win at St James’ Park.
On the back of this impressive run, Leicester City have come calling, and Perez arrived as one of three incomings so far. Despite the high price tag, he’s not the most expensive to sign; that title belongs to Youri Tielemans, who signed after his successful spell with the Foxes on loan from January last season.
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What’s in store for Perez in the 2019/20 season?
The Perez signing is a strange on because it’s difficult to know exactly where he slots into the Leicester starting XI, which one would assume he’s going to do having been signed for £30m.
Out wide seems the most obvious position for Perez to play, considering none of Leicester’s options have really cemented their place in the starting XI just yet and Marc Albrighton is hitting the latter stages of his career.
He’s unlikely to displace James Maddison as the number 10 – though the aspiring England international is also prone to playing in an inside left role – nor Jamie Vardy, who’s surely set to start upfront. So, unless there’s a huge change in system an approach from Rogers, it looks like a wide role for Ayoze.
With Albrighton, Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Demarai Gray all in contention to start out wide, he’ll certainly be rotated and rested on occasion. If he’s to play off the left or right wing, one would assume his role will be less about stretching the pitch and running at defenders, and more about receiving the ball in half-spaces to feet and looking to retain possession, exploiting his creative talents all the while.
It’s the uncertainty surrounding his role in the side considering his arrival for a big fee that makes him Leicester’s one to watch this season.
What would be a good season for Perez?
The Spaniard arrives at the club to join a squad containing a plethora of talented young players who all specialise in doing what he does well himself, so it’s naive to think that he’s guaranteed game-time.
A good season, therefore, will be defined by his number of regular opportunities to impress from the outset, scoring goals, providing assists and exciting the King Power Stadium along the way.
He may even see himself as a striker and the long-term replacement for Vardy, so his versatility should bring plenty of opportunities in the coming 12 months.
Pep Clotet had hoped his Birmingham City side would bounce back following their 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, as he told the club’s official channels.
He certainly got that, as his side went on to beat Barnsley 2-0 on Tuesday night, thanks to goals from Lukas Jutkiewicz and Alvaro Gimenez.
While it is easy to say that the overall performance improved, there is an intriguing pair of statistics from the two games when compared with each other: possession and shots.
Playing a 4-4-1-1, Birmingham had 53.1% of possession during the game against Forest, though it was the men in red who took more shots – 14 to Blues’ nine – while Clotet’s men managed a mere two on target throughout the 90 minutes, as per WhoScored.
Just a few days later, Clotet switched it around and played three centre-backs against Barnsley and his game plan worked. The Blues only held 36.1% of possession, though it was they who got six shots on target, compared to the visitors’ solitary strike that tested Lee Camp.
Speaking after the game, Wes Harding, who set up Jutkiewicz’s opener, told Birmingham’s YouTube channel: “We just said we are trying to go forward with our football and do all the pretty things, but today we’ve just got to get back to the gritty Birmingham we are and the rest will follow.”
This will give Clotet encouragement, as it highlights that while there is an attempt to push Birmingham forward slightly stylistically, they can revert back to the more resolute side of their game while that is built upon.
The two matches do highlight that it is not all about having possession of the ball, but more what you do with it.
How pleased were you with his decision? Join the discussion by commenting below…
Tottenham Hotspur fans have urged Fernando Llorente to avoid making a move to Manchester United this summer.
Gazzetta dello Sport, via Sport Witness, reports that United have made contact with the Spaniard and offered him a two-year contract.
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His deal at Spurs expired at the end of the season and he has yet to commit to fresh terms in north London or anywhere else for that matter.
Llorente, of course, enjoyed an exceptional season in 2018/19 as the club reached the Champions League final.
He scored the winning goal in the quarter-final second leg against Manchester City and also played a key role in the comeback victory over Ajax in the semi-final.
Overall, Llorente scored eight goals in all competitions in 2018/19 and he could now be on his way to Old Trafford in a shock move.
But Spurs fans have urged him to reject their advances.
Tottenham Hotspur loanee Jack Clarke has been called up to the England Under-20 squad, the FA have confirmed.
What’s the word?
The winger, signed from Leeds United in the summer and immediately loaned back to the Whites, has yet to play in the Championship this season.
He has made two appearances in the League Cup, though, playing 70 minutes in the 3-0 win over Salford City and 45 minutes in the penalty shootout defeat to Stoke City.
Nevertheless, he has been selected in Keith Downing’s squad, his first call-up for the age group.
Promising signs
This is good news for Spurs.
International recognition for a player of any age is something to be celebrated, with England’s Under-20 side set to take on the Netherlands and Switzerland.
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He is now likely to play alongside defender Japhet Tanganga, who is also on the books at Spurs.
Clarke has yet to gain too many minutes for Leeds this season but this is a step forward and, at the very least, a chance for him to get some game time under his belt.
If he proves his worth, his burgeoning reputation will only grow.