All posts by h716a5.icu

Many Everton fans have been left to slam the news from the Daily Express that Thierry Small is reluctant to sign a new deal with the Goodison Park faithful.

As per the news outlet, the 16-year-old does not want to commit his long-term future to the Merseyside club as he has been given a lack of opportunities in the first-team squad, including just training with them.

Small is understood to be wanting to prioritise a breakthrough into the men’s game and is even willing to turn down any interest from both Arsenal and Manchester United for his signature.

Bayern Munich have also shown an interest in signing him, while Brighton and Hove Albion, Leeds United and Brentford are all prepared to offer the left-back a direct pathway straight into their first-team set-up.

Small will enter the final year of his scholarship in the next term, meaning that the Toffees would still be entitled to demand a transfer fee for the Englishman in the region of £1m, but it seems as if several Blues supporters do not want to sell.

Everton fans on Small contract update

These EFC fans slammed the contract update on Small on Twitter, with one supporter even going as far as to claim that he is ‘the best young talent we have’:

“People thinking this is an April Fools joke, it’s unfortunately true”

Credit: @Paul1971EFC

“This is an April Fools joke isn’t it? Right?…please?”

Credit: @_luke1878_

“Hope it’s an April Fools joke arguably the best young talent we have”

Credit: @dadalife369

“Seriously?”

Credit: @lewissefc

“Grim, supposed to be very good this lad. Can’t get my head around why we don’t use either him or Niels as a LM while they are developing and we need more options in that position tbh”

Credit: @Shakeitupbaine1

“NOOOOOOO”

Credit: @jonesyefc

In other news, find out what fitness update before Crystal Palace has been slammed by Everton fans here!

Aston Villa must seize their perfect chance to sell Bjorn Engels amid reported transfer interest from Royal Antwerp.

What’s the story?

The £55,000-a-week centre-back has been a complete outcast at Villa Park this season, barely featuring for Dean Smith’s side in the Premier League – in fact, he’s yet to make a single competitive appearance in any competition in 2020/21.

His time at the club could soon be over, with Belgian publication Voetbalkrant saying (via Sport Witness) that Antwerp are eyeing a summer move for the 26-year-old as they look to bring him back to his native Belgium.

The report added that a deal for Engels to leave is “inevitable”, and that Antwerp are at the front of the line for a deal. It was even suggested that Villa would be prepared to sell him for very little just to get him off their books.

Sawiris surely buzzing

It comes as no surprise, then, that former Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has claimed that Engels’ career at the club is over, insisting that he just doesn’t have the qualities needed to succeed in the Premier League.

The 34-year-old said earlier this year: “It’s time for him to move on. The problem with the Premier League now is you have to have pace in defence. Unless you’re an unbelievable defender and you can read the game unbelievably you need to have the pace at the back.

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“That’s what Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause allow you. If they make a mistake they’ve got the pace to make up for it. If they’re left one-on-one they’ve got the pace to stop the attacker.

“The problem with Engels is that if he’s left one-on-one he hasn’t got that pace so he’s going to get found out a bit. That’s what it is, it’s one of those things.”

With Antwerp now showing interest in taking him off Villa’s hands this summer, Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens will surely be buzzing that one of the club’s highest earners could well be off their books way before his contract comes to an end in the Midlands.

Given that he’s yet to play at all this season for Smith, letting him go for whatever fee is presented just seems like the perfect eventuality for all parties concerned.

Meanwhile, Villa must sell this first team ace in the summer…

Leeds should look at a summer move for Harry Winks after Paul Robinson claimed he would be a “great signing” for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

What’s the story?

The £25m-rated England international has struggled for game-time in the Premier League this season with Spurs, making just ten appearances in the top flight.

Robinson has suggested that Bielsa’s side could be an ideal destination for Winks to rejuvenate his career, and insisted that he remains a “great player”.

The former Whites goalkeeper said: “Harry Winks would be a great signing, I’d love him to come to Leeds. He’s a great player, I rate him really highly. He’s been unlucky at Spurs not to get more game time because I think he could get in any of the top-six sides. He’s a great player.

“If he came to Leeds it would be a real coup. Harry Winks and Ben White would be a great start to the summer and I expect Leeds to spend big again.”

Midfield technician for Bielsa

The £50,000-a-week earning Winks has fallen off the radar somewhat in recent seasons, having been a firmly established player at both club and international level when Mauricio Pochettino was in charge at Spurs.

The former Lilywhites boss made it clear just how much he rated the 25-year-old, saying back in September 2018: “The characteristics are perfect to play football. When we talk about midfielders – because you like to use Spanish midfielders like Xavi and (Andres) Iniesta – he’s like this type of player, this capacity but please he needs to take in a very positive way my words.”

While that Xavi comparison certainly seems far-fetched given how the Spurs midfielder’s career has stalled, Winks still hasn’t lost his calmness in possession and has averaged a superb career passing accuracy of 90.2% – far better than any Leeds player who has played more than 90 minutes this season.

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Being able to retain possession and keep things ticking over in the middle of the park would give Bielsa’s side a bit more control in the engine room and help them build out from the back to feed the likes of Raphinha and Jack Harrison further forward.

Victor Orta could strike gold in the Spurs gem this summer.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign a real upgrade on Patrick Bamford in this star…

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that Leeds could do a lot worse than signing Harry Winks, who he thinks is a Marcelo Bielsa type player.

Winks has fallen out of favour under Jose Mourinho, and after being strongly linked away in January, is now being monitored by a La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid, making a Spurs exit likely this summer.

The midfielder has also lost his place in the England squad after starting just four times in the Premier League since September, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Tanguy Ndombele being Mourinho’s favoured central midfield pairing at present.

Winks’ only outing in the last month came in Tottenham’s embarrassing Europa League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, and if his opportunities don’t improve before the end of the season he might have no choice but to depart his beloved Spurs.

Despite previous interest from Valencia, staying in England would appear favourable for Winks, who received high praise from Frank Lampard back in 2017.

And Windass told Football FanCast that Leeds would be a good destination for the central midfielder, but only with Marcelo Bielsa in charge:

“I think if Bielsa does stay and brings in his own players, they will be a top four or top six side, and Harry Winks could get into any of them teams. He’s Bielsa’s sort of player.

“Is he going to play to two sitting midfield players? But Winks can get forward as well. Phillips was once a right-back and now he’s turned him into an England international sitting midfield player. The manager is obviously good on the training ground at developing players.

“I don’t think Leeds United players would say no.”

St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson has recently admitted that he wants to take Rangers youngster Glenn Middleton back on loan next season but, after a lack of playing time with The Saints this season, Ross Wilson and Steven Gerrard should reject any approach which would see him return to McDiarmid Park next term.

The highly-rated winger joined Davidson’s side on loan in January but has been limited to only six appearances in the Premiership since then, totalling just 151 minutes of action.

Before the season split, all of Middleton’s appearances for St Johnstone had been brief cameos from the bench, but he earned himself a start in the first game after the international break against Aberdeen, having scored the winning goal against Ross County to earn his team a place in the top six.

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As a result, Davidson is clearly keen to bring him back to the club on loan next season, as he recently admitted: “Glenn has had to be patient but he’s come off the bench against Ross County and scored the goal that got us into the top six. That’s some achievement.

“He’s worked really hard from the day he arrived and the more I get him involved, the better he’ll be. He’s great about the place, he wants to learn and has a really positive attitude. So we’ll be looking to have a conversation with Rangers about next season. I think Glenn is at the stage in his career where he now needs sustained game time.”

However, there is clearly no guarantee of first team football for Middleton at McDiarmid Park; and given that he has contributed five goals and five assists in 29 appearances for Rangers so far in his career, he has shown that he could be considered by Steven Gerrard for a place in the champions’ first team squad next season.

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If the Ibrox outfit decide to send him out on loan again next term, they should find somewhere that is willing to give Middleton regular first team football, as unfortunately his lack of starting appearances in Davidson’s side means that it has been something of a disastrous loan spell in Perth, and he deserves more scope to show what he can do in 2021/22.

In other news… Gerrard could sign his dream Helander heir at Rangers in 26 y/o beast

Given that he was linked with a move away from Leeds United in the January transfer window, it’s been a real turnaround in fortunes for Tyler Roberts in terms of his position at Elland Road.

The Wales international appeared to be heading for the exit door a couple of months ago, with reports suggesting that clubs from the Championship were looking to sign him.

Now, he’s become a permanent fixture in Marcelo Bielsa’s starting eleven over recent weeks, especially with summer signing Rodrigo struggling with injury, and is likely to be in contention to start against Liverpool in the Premier League on Monday night.

But while he had a couple of impressive cameos against Arsenal and Southampton back in mid-February, picking up a couple of assists, he’s been way off the pace in Leeds’ last six Premier League games – no goals or assists whatsoever.

Former Leeds Noel Whelan simply insisted that the £4.5m-rated forward just may not be cut out for the top-flight, saying: “Is he good enough? In my opinion he isn’t. I would love him to go out there and prove me wrong because I want everyone to succeed. I need him to show me more. He needs to show more fight and desire. I just do not see that.

“It makes me wonder whether he would be better off leaving and going somewhere where he would get regular game time. I do not think we have seen the real Tyler Roberts yet. I find it very hard to see a career for him at Leeds United on the current evidence.”

Whelan himself has even called on Bielsa to drop Roberts from the starting line-up before the game against West Ham last month, saying: “I’m just not seeing enough from him. There’s glimpses there but he’s not hurting teams with his performances and his creativity. Now number 10, you’ve got to be that special player. You’ve got to be that player that can open up teams and really take the game by the scruff of the neck. I just don’t think Tyler Roberts does that for Leeds.”

Playing in a Leeds team that operate at full throttle over the 90 minutes, and commit men forward to try and create chance after chance, Roberts should be racking up decent numbers, particularly when you think he’s been the man playing that support role to Patrick Bamford.

As per Whoscored however, his measly averages of 0.9 shots and 0.6 key passes per game in the Premier League are even worse than the likes of Stuart Dallas and Gjanni Alioski respectively, and a real indictment on his lack of end product.

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Roberts just hasn’t shown that clinical edge or creative guile, and Bielsa must absolutely drop him for the Premier League clash against Liverpool tonight.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing a summer swoop for this European star…

Many fans of West Ham United have been reacting to a post on Twitter in which Pedro Almeida claimed that the Hammers are set to make Jesse Lingard’s loan deal a permanent move this summer.

According to Almeida, Manchester United will demand a fee of around €25m (£21.5m) in order to part with Lingard on a permanent basis this summer, a figure that West Ham are prepared to pay.

Indeed, it is not difficult to understand why David Moyes’ side are keen to keep the 28-year-old at the London Stadium beyond his current loan deal. Since arriving at the club in January, he has gone on to score a remarkable nine goals and provide three assists in his 10 Premier League appearances for the Hammers so far.

In reaction to Almeida’s post on Twitter, numerous fans of West Ham flocked to have their say on the matter, with many delighted at the club’s prospects of landing the England international on a long-term basis this summer.

So, what did these West Ham fans have to say in reaction to the claim regarding Jesse Lingard?

“What a day. West Ham winning the Premier League and signing the best player in the league.”

@whumako

“If there’s any truth in players not being able to represent their nations if they’re in a Super League team, we’ll get him for half that and we’ll put in an offer for Rashford, Shaw and Henderson for an extra £20m.”

@ConCroucher

“What a day for football.”

@Ollyhx1

“Winning the league and signing JLingz. My club is massive.”

@lukejessop16

“Winning the league and signing Lingard whilst football’s crumbling – that’s West Ham in a nutshell.”

@ScoutSoucek

“Value for money.”

@GrzywkaWHUFC

In other news: West Ham eye summer swoop for in-demand defender; GSB could land deal for £13m – find out more here!

West Ham are set for a huge boost ahead of their final five matches of the Premier League season…

What’s the latest?

According to the Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser, Irons midfielder Declan Rice has returned to training this week and there is even optimism that he could be involved for their trip to Burnley on Monday evening.

The 22-year-old was also pictured back on the grass, which was shared by popular fan account WestHamViews, though it remains to be seen to what extent he was involved.

Rice, now capped 15 times by England, had picked up a worrying knee injury during the last international break, and it was even thought that it was going to put his place at this summer’s European Championships at risk, as a result.

Huge boost

The Hammers’ impressive and surprising season has taken a turn for the worst in the absence of Rice, having suffered back-to-back defeats against Newcastle United and Chelsea.

David Moyes’ side now sit in fifth, three points behind their aforementioned London rivals, whilst the likes of defending champions Liverpool and Spurs are hot on their tail.

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By the time West Ham kick-off at Turf Moor in under a week’s time, they could’ve sunk to seventh place, results dependent, and that would be a massive blow to their lofty European ambitions.

However, having Rice back will be a monumental boost, as he’s not only been one of West Ham’s best players but one of the best in the Premier League this season, too.

Just this week, former top-flight striker Marcus Bent told Football FanCast exclusively that the 22-year-old “will be one of the world’s best” soon, whilst only three other Irons stars have bettered his average WhoScored rating of 7.02.

The £54m-rated star is also the best at reading the game in Moyes’ squad, having averaged two interceptions per game, on top of 1.9 tackles and 0.7 key passes, via WhoScored.

Rice, who is now thought to earn around £60k-per-week at the London Stadium, has also been hailed as “exceptional” by Keith Gillespie and “outstanding” by Moyes, so clearly having him back around will benefit their season tenfold.

The 58-year-old Glaswegian will undoubtedly be buzzing to see his “special talent” back in training this week.

AND in other news, GSB could deal Moyes another big blow with West Ham swoop for “special” £18m-rated gem…

Southampton have been linked with a move for AC Milan winger Jens Petter Hauge recently and he could prove to be a superb addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Italian football journalist Nicolo Schira, both Southampton and Udinese have shown an interest in signing the Norway international ahead of next season.

Whether it would be a loan deal or a permanent deal for Hauge is unclear but after his superb form in 2020, it seems clear from the replies to the tweet from Schira that plenty of Milan fans rate him highly and would be disappointed to see him go.

Would he be a good signing?

Since making the move to Milan from FK Bodø/Glimt in October 2020, the 21-year-old has gone on to make 24 appearances for the Italian side, in which he has contributed five goals and one assist.

There was, unsurprisingly, a huge amount of excitement from Milan fans when he hit three goals and one assist in just five Europa League appearances during the last campaign but he has not been able to have as much impact in Serie A this season for Stefano Pioli’s side.

In 18 appearances in Italy’s top-flight, the youngster has two goals and no assists to his name, although 15 of those appearances have come from the bench, which suggests that he may have been underused at the San Siro.

Although Southampton already have a number of wingers on their books, both Nathan Redmond and Moussa Djenepo have struggled for goals and assists, so adding someone such as Hauge, who has impressed when given opportunities, could prove to be a smart piece of business by the Saints.

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The 21-year-old showed last season in Norway that he can be extremely dangerous in the final third, with 14 goals and 10 assists to his name in just 18 appearances, and whilst the Premier League would obviously be a step up for the 21-year-old, it did not take him long to make an impact at Milan.

Hauge’s impressive performances for club and country have won over Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Haaland, who was full of praise for him late last year, saying:

“Hauge is doing well and we are very good friends, he is a great talent. He has to continue to work hard and play like that, he has a great career ahead of him.”

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Therefore, Southampton could perhaps take advantage of the fact that he isn’t getting much game time at Milan this season and bring him in this summer, as he could prove to be a really exciting signing, regardless of whether he joins on loan or permanently.

And, in other news… Semmens disaster: Southampton missed out “brilliant” PL gem perfect for Hasenhuttl

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Derby County and Wigan Athletic manager Paul Jewell has urged Liverpool’s owners, FSG, to put some money into the club and back Jurgen Klopp.

John Henry, the owner of FSG, put out an apology following the rise and immediate collapse of the European Super League, which would have seen the Reds leave the Premier League.

Klopp will recognise that his team needs freshening up this summer and after managing to score 55 goals in the Premier League this season, they have been linked with a move for Jadon Sancho.

Speaking on how FSG have lost a lot of trust from the supporters and why putting money into the club is the best way to forgiveness, Jewell exclusively told FFC:

“This will never be forgotten, but whether it’ll be forgiven is up to Liverpool supporters, but these owners have got to realise that the game is bigger than them and whatever they do, they’ve got an awful lot of trust to win back.

“You know what football fans are like, the best way to get their trust back is to put money into the club in the right way because we all know that money makes the world go round.”

Liverpool have been off the pace this season having surrendered their Premier League crown to Manchester City fairly early on this season, and their main goal is to now qualify for the Champions League.

Their only way into next season’s competition is by finishing in the top four after they were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.