According to recent reports, more good news could be that Son looks set to begin talks over a new deal – as claimed by reliable transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
As Tottenham drop this latest Instagram tease over the star’s return, it appears he will be ready to partner Kane against Man City at the weekend.
In other news: Levy could be forced to sell this ‘perfect’ Tottenham star, find out more here.
Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin has been linked with a couple of European heavyweights, including Champions League finalists Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, and a new club has now entered the race as it remains uncertain whether the right-back will still be at the Emirates Stadium after the current transfer window.
According to Sport, via Metro, Barcelona are the latest club to make an approach to sign Bellerin and have held initial talks with Edu about a potential transfer. However the La Liga side are unable to meet the price tag that the Gunners have placed on the Spaniard, who is valued between €20m (£18.1m) and €25m (£22.7m).
The 25 year-old has made 205 appearances for the north London side, scoring eight goals and supplying 25 assists, per Transfermarkt, but he only managed 15 appearances last season in the Premier League mainly due to injury.
He nonetheless recorded some impressive defensive statistics last season, with match averages of 1.3 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 1.6 clearances, via WhoScored.
Bellerin has been a great servant for the Gunners but it seems that they could allow him to leave if they receive the right amount of money for him, which makes sense as they have a good full-back alternative in Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who made his senior England debut this week.
He was filling in for the injured Bellerin last season and he actually had a better season in some respects as both players had the same average for clearances, but Maitland-Niles managed 2.1 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game, via WhoScored.
Therefore, if Arsenal cash in on the Spaniard once an acceptable offer is made, they can rest assured that they have a strong readymade option immediately ready to fill the vacancy.
Gunners fans, would you accept an offer of roughly £20m for Bellerin? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below!
Sunderland midfielder Max Power has revealed that he is delighted with his new advanced midfield role and that he wants to add more goals to his game.
Following the Black Cats’ 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers at the weekend, attention has now turned to Saturday’s fixture with Oxford United.
Power, who was named team captain prior to the start of the season, featured throughout the draw with Rovers, playing in a more advanced midfield role than his accustomed holding midfield position.
Former Wigan Athletic midfielder Power has made 85 appearances for the Black Cats, netting seven goals and gaining 4 assists.
And he has now revealed his ambitions to add more goals to his game, speaking with Northern Echo on Tuesday.
“I’ve spoken to the gaffer and said I want to improve on the goal return,” said Power. “In the last few games, I’m getting in the box a lot more now.
“It’s something I want to add to my game. I’ve been given more of a licence to go forward, so I feel as though I’ll be able to arrive in the box and get shots off.
“I’m a team player and I’ll always do what’s asked of me. But I won’t hide the fact that I do enjoy playing higher up. I feel as if I can get more goals there. Over the last two seasons, the goal return has probably been in question, but I’ve been playing a disciplined role in front of a back four. I want to justify the manager’s faith for playing me ten or 15 yards further up the pitch.”
Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson will be hoping his side can bounce back from the 1-1 opening day result which saw George Dobson sent off in added time to hand the Black Cats boss a selection headache.
Power could very well be Sunderland’s key player this season, having been handed a more advanced role and the team captaincy role.
Having suffered a failure to gain promotion last term, Power’s words are positive and good to hear as the Black Cats look to return to the Championship.
Do you think Power will net a sufficient amount of goals this season? Let us know in the comments section below…
Manchester United face Leicester City at the King Power Stadium in a Premier League blockbuster on Sunday.
Man United limped to a disappointing draw with West Ham, meaning they need to pick up a point from their final game of the season to qualify for the Champions League.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side moved into third place, a point ahead of Leicester, with everything left to play for when the two teams meet at the weekend in what is essentially a Champions League play-off.
The Red Devils had been enjoying a 19-game unbeaten run until they came up short against Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final, and they will be looking to rediscover their winning touch they have discovered since the Premier League restart when they face the Foxes.
The Transfer Tavern has put together a predicted starting lineup, which sees Solskjaer make four changes to the side that struggled to break down the Hammers at Old Trafford.
Solskjaer named a largely unchanged side from the defeat by the Blues to welcome West Ham to the Theatre of Dreams, and he is expected to do likewise at Leicester, despite the fact they have shown signs of tiredness lately.
He will be well aware that victory for Brendan Rodgers’ men will deny United a spot in Europe’s premier competition next season, unless Chelsea lose to Wolves.
David de Gea has not looked particularly convincing between the posts in recent weeks, and fans will be fretting about the prospect of him facing Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho.
While Solskjaer selected him against West Ham, United’s number one goalkeeper has copped a fair amount of criticism this season after making a string of high-profile mistakes, and he may decide this is not a risk worth taking with so much still at stake.
Sergio Romero, who has been linked with a move to Everton and Leeds United in the summer, could earn a rare start in the league to replace the Spaniard, as he looks short of confidence.
Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof take their places in front of the sticks, with Solskjaer’s first-choice right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka slotting in alongside Lindelof, which sees Timothy Fosu-Mensah drop to the bench.
Luke Shaw will be given the chance to prove his match fitness and he will surely come back into the starting lineup after missing the past three games with an ankle injury.
Moving further forward, Paul Pogba came under fire for the part he played in West Ham’s equaliser, but he is set to resume his partnership with Bruno Fernandes in the midfield.
Scott McTominay could supplant Nemanja Matic next to the mercurial Frenchman. As Matic isn’t getting any younger, McTominay may get the nod from the Norwegian instead, as his teammate lacked any influence in the draw with the Irons.
United should start the game as favourites against the Foxes, as they are unbeaten in the last five league games, but they will have to play at their very best if they are to pick up the vital point. The stakes have arguably never been higher in the race for the top four.
United fans, do you think this is how Solskjaer will lineup against Leicester? Let us know your views by commenting below!
Manchester United are reportedly ready to join Chelsea in the pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz this summer, after doubt has been cast over Jadon Sancho’s move to the Red Devils.
The young German international star has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League this summer, with Frank Lampard’s Chelsea as frontrunners to sign him. The 21-year-old has also been previously been linked with Manchester United and Liverpool during the transfer window.
The Bundesliga side have valued Havertz at around £90m, according to the Mirror. The attacking midfielder has proven his worth after the past couple of seasons, scoring 18 goals and assisting nine in all competitions just last season.
Chelsea have already signed Hakim Ziyech from Ajax and Timo Werner from RB Leipzig this summer, and the Blues are now after a versatile attacking midfielder like Havertz.
As a result of Leverkusen’s exit from the Europa League in this week’s quarter-final against Inter Milan, they look ever so likely to sell the German now.
United have saved £80m to bring in Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund this summer; however, sporting director Michal Zorc has confirmed that the English winger will not be leaving Germany during this transfer window after United missed the club’s deadline to submit an attractive offer.
The Red Devils now face a tough decision as to whether they should pursue Sancho still, or move onto their next target – Kai Havertz.
Verdict
This looks to be rushed decision from Manchester United, and despite the fact they are desperate to add to their attack this summer, would Havertz really fit into their starting-11 with Bruno Fernandes on top form and Paul Pogba back from injury?
Instead of signing Havertz for big money, they should focus on recruiting new defenders as their attack has not been the problem this season by any means.
Forever a hero in Tottenham’s eyes, Lucas Moura’s name will be etched in the history books for that incredible hat-trick in the Champions League semi-final against Ajax last season. His start to the current campaign however has seen him blow hot and cold, with a goal and an assist in his first two games, before suffering an eight-game drought.
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But against Wolves on Sunday afternoon, the former PSG star continued his form under recently appointed manager Jose Mourinho. After netting in the Portuguese man’s first game in charge against West Ham, Moura scored last week against Burnley, and once again got on the score-sheet at Molineux. It was a goal oozing in quality and confidence, but whilst that was no doubt the standout moment of the game, his overall performance was particularly impressive too.
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Whilst Moura has pace to burn, and bags of tricks in his locker, his defensive side of the game caught the eye too. In blustery conditions and against a physical Nuno Espirito Santo side, the Brazilian more than held his own in the numerous physical encounters he found himself in. In fact, as per Sofascore, his total of 11 duels won was second only to Harry Kane, and more than any of Spurs’ defenders.
No clues whatsoever: Which seasons do these iconic Spurs images belong to?
Add to that his three interceptions and two clearances, and it is so clear to see that he has bought into the work ethic Mourinho typically demands from his players. He never shied away from challenges, and refused to be bullied or hustled off the ball. And when he did receive possession, he was absolute dynamite with it. His four key passes was only bettered by Joao Moutinho over the whole game, whilst he also completed two of his three attempted dribbles.
It was a performance dripping in technical quality, but also a surprising amount of resilience too. The £23m man’s display arguably typified Spurs’ victory. Hard work and gruelling.
Meanwhile, Tottenham fans have lauded this man for his commanding display against Wolves.
Burnley have declined to offer Joe Hart a contract extension at Turf Moor, with the veteran ex-England goalkeeper set to become a free agent from next week.
The Daily Mail reported that the 33-year-old has been told his contract won’t be renewed beyond its 30 June expiry date, even with the Premier League season continuing until late July.
As per Daily Mail, Hart is not the only goalkeeper set to leave the Clarets in just over a week’s time, with reserve netminder Adam Legzdins also set to leave at the end of this month.
Hart featured in 19 Premier League games for Burnley last season but the imperious form of Nick Pope this term has left the ex-Manchester City man kicking his heels on the substitutes’ bench. His only appearances in the current campaign have been in domestic cup competitions, with seven goals conceded in those three games (as per TransferMarkt).
His imminent departure will see Bailey Peacock-Farrell being promoted to the role of number two from next week. The Northern Ireland international has yet to feature for Burnley since joining them from Leeds last summer, while his only appearances in a matchday squad came whenever Hart got the nod to start.
However, with Hart and Legzdins both leaving the club in just a few days’ time, that will leave Dyche with only two senior goalkeepers in his squad – one of whom hasn’t played a single minute for the Clarets.
Backup goalkeepers might not see much action generally, although it is not unknown for them to suddenly be called upon. Liverpool’s first choice ‘keeper Alisson has had two spells out injured this season, duly thrusting Adrian into the fray. At the weekend, Arsenal’s number one Bernd Leno suffered a knee injury which could keep him out for some time, with Emiliano Martinez now set to fill the void.
The possibility of a similar setback occurring to Pope is not inconceivable and, if it does, Peacock-Farrell will swiftly go from third choice netminder to crucial first team presence for Burnley. The 23-year-old had a decent record with Leeds last season, conceding just 32 goals in 28 league games (1.14 per game). He could yet prove to be a very important figure at Turf Moor, despite still awaiting his debut nearly 11 months after arriving in Lancashire.
Burnley fans, can you see Peacock-Farrell having a part to play before the season is out? Comment below with your views!
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…
Former Leeds player Noel Whelan has told Football Insider that Ben White is better than Joe Gomez.
What’s the story?
Liverpool have been linked with a move for the Whites defender, and were they to sign the 22-year-old centre-back, it would likely be the former Charlton academy graduate he would be in competition with having found himself behind first Joel Matip and then Dejan Lovren in the pecking order this season.
And Whelan believes it is the man playing in the second-tier who is the better of the two. He explained: “Ben White is good enough for Liverpool, in my opinion he is better than Joe Gomez.
“There is no doubt Ben White will be an England international sooner rather than later.
“It’s incredible to think he’d never played in the Premier League or Championship before this season but, deary me, he is brilliant.
“I’ve seen him every game this season and he’s the best centre-back I’ve seen at Leeds since Rio Ferdinand.”
Not a bad shout
At first look, you might raise your eyebrows in regards to these quotes from the 44-year-old. After all, Gomez is an eight-time England international and has a Champions League medal to his name, whilst White currently plays in the second tier and is yet to make an appearance in the Premier League.
However, if you delve a bit deeper, then it can be argued that Whelan has a point. This season, White has been in fantastic form for Marcelo Bielsa’s team, picking up an average WhoScored rating of 7.24 in the Championship. Gomez, meanwhile, has managed just 6.26 in the Premier League, and whilst he has done better in Europe, his 6.96 rating doesn’t reach the same level.
The Elland Road outfit have by far the best defence in their division, having conceded just 10 goals, and White has appeared in all 19 matches. Gomez, meanwhile, has made just 13 appearances, but has conceded 15 goals during the 753 minutes of action he has seen.
Gomez appears to have been struggling recently. His bit-part role has led to speculation that he could be looking to leave the club should he continue to spend so much time on the sidelines.
White, however, is on the up, and is clearly playing with plenty of confidence. His ability on the ball, too – he has a pass accuracy of 85% this term – shows that he would fit in with Liverpool’s team, where the centre-backs average between 80% and 90% as well.
Real Reds will get full marks: Take the ultimate Liverpool quiz below…
Of course, White would need to perform at the highest level to back-up Whelan’s claims. However, he may be on to something here, and the Anfield team’s interest could see the youngster get that chance to prove the ex-player right.
In other news, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain names Liverpool dressing room leaders.
Pontus Jansson played for Leeds for three years but his acrimonious departure from Elland Road likely left a sour taste in the mouth of some Leeds fans, who aren’t able to view him in the same way.
The Sweden international commented this week on what life was like under Marcelo Bielsa, stating that he was “mental” in the way he views football, while also stating that he prefers not to have close relationships with his players.
It is little surprise, therefore, that Jansson and Bielsa didn’t see eye-to-eye on occasion, and ultimately a disagreement between the two led the centre-back to leave the club.
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By contrast, Thomas Frank at Brentford has shown tremendous faith in him by handing him the captaincy, though some supporters feel Jansson’s negative words about Bielsa are due to him being bitter.
Other fans couldn’t really care less about what their former player has to say. As mentioned, he left the club in a bad way and cut ties and ruined any memories he may have made with the fans.
Leeds are coping just fine without him, too, as they sit top of the Championship table with the best defensive record of any team in Europe’s top five leagues, which suggests Jansson isn’t missed.
Furthermore, his replacement Ben White has proved more than capable, with many fans constantly praising the young defender for his positive impact and strong performances.
If he maintains his current form he could be key to ensuring the Whites win promotion this time around, and if he does that then any memory of Jansson will long be forgotten.
Meanwhile, fans have also been reacting to a moment Leeds produced against Hull in mid-week, which amazed several supporters.
Everton boss Marco Silva is seemingly feeling positive about the future based on the comments that he has made in an interview with the club’s official television channel.
Indeed, Silva has claimed that “it is turning”, suggesting that the Toffees are finally moving in the right direction after a difficult campaign to date.
The Merseyside giants have won three of their last five matches in all competitions, suffering just one defeat, which came away at Brighton & Hove Albion on October 26.
Cenk Tosun scored late in a 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month, before the Toffees won 2-1 at Southampton to ensure that they would enter the November international break feeling better about themselves.
Silva seems to think that things are starting to turn for the club.
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And whilst some of the Everton fans appear to agree with their manager, it would be fair to say that not everyone is convinced at this moment in time.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below: