According to Football League World, Callum O’Dowda has his heart set on a move to Elland Road after rejecting three contract offers from Bristol City.
The Whites have been linked with a move for the winger this summer by The Mirror, via HITC, but they would be foolish to pass up on this opportunity if the Irishman wants the move.
What’s the story?
Leeds have been chasing the Bristol City man for some time now having been linked with him this summer and back in January.
The wide man has now made it clear that he wants to leave Ashton Gate by rejecting multiple contract offers, but he has also indicated that he wants a move to Elland Road.
Foolish to pass it up
Marcelo Bielsa has prioritised strengthening the wings in this upcoming transfer window, and O’Dowda is precisely the type of player he should be looking at bringing in.
The 24-year-old has proven himself to be Championship quality through a good goals and assists return during his time at Ashton Gate, and more importantly he wants to play for the club.
Loanees are all well and good, but if the Whites don’t go up next season, they could be left with a barebones squad for 2020/21 if they sign the likes of Helder Costa, Ryan Kent and Jack Harrison on loan.
A permanent deal is on the table for the Ireland international, and it is should be an opportunity that they grab with both hands. They need to focus on the long-term this summer by bringing in a player who can produce the goods beyond the end of the upcoming season, rather than just loanees who will return to their parent club after 12 months.
It’s a deal that makes sense on so many levels. He’s a proven Championship player, he wants to play for the club, and it would allow Leeds to plan for the future. Therefore, the Whites must act on his desire to play for the club and firm up their interest in him.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…
Slaven Bilic may not have been at West Brom very long but reports suggest he’s already plotting reunions with four players from his previous days in management.
At Besiktas, Tolgay Arslan has been linked with a switch whilst Reece Oxford, Sam Byram and Carl Jenkinson are also being touted.
Albion are reportedly already in talks with the latter over a deal but it remains to be seen whether they’ll actually get it over the line.
Jenkinson, of course, played under Bilic at West Ham, being picked up by the Croatian for a second stint at the Hammers after initially playing on loan the season before.
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He benefitted significantly from regular game time in 2014/15, starting 29 matches. However, the time he spent with Bilic was unfortunately not as productive.
The Englishman’s performances down the years for Arsenal haven’t been too convincing and despite a move away having the potential to revive his career, it could equally go up in smoke.
That’s based on the statistical evidence from Jenkinson’s time under Bilic previously.
Before injury, he started 13 Premier League matches whilst appearing as a substitute on a further seven.
The most impressive stat that he managed to accumulate was the number of clearances he made per game. At a rate of 2.7, it was better than Mason Holgate’s 2.4 that he averaged in the West Brom side last term.
However, as far as his other numbers go, Bilic would need to get far more out of Jenkinson in order for him to replace Holgate sufficiently.
Despite scoring twice, the full-back’s impact in the final third was concerning, making just 0.4 crosses per game in 2015/16.
Considering he liked to get forward this is a ratio that could have been far better and perhaps also provides evidence that Bilic doesn’t like his full-backs to create much width.
West Brom lacked a great deal going forward from right-back last term so this is something that could remain an issue if they land Jenkinson.
Watch fans explain why the Football League is better than the Premier League in the video below…
But the most concerning aspect will be in terms of his defensive capabilities.
In regards to tackles and interceptions, he is also far worse than Holgate, mustering some pretty low numbers despite playing in a side who will have had to do more defending.
Comparing the 27-year-old’s numbers to Holgate, the latter made 2.7 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game compared to the sub-par stats that Albion’s target provided.
As a result, Bilic and Jenkinson will need a far greater understanding of each other if they link up again.
It seems that the holiday season for some of footballing superstars is coming to a close.
With the new Premier League campaign little over six weeks away, preparations for another gruelling season are now underway.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli is one of those players that is already on the grind to get himself as fit and strong as possible ahead of the 2019/20 season.
Indeed, the former MK Dons man shared an Instagram snap from Los Angeles that shows he’s already back in the gym.
Alli’s most recent season was a story of underachievement. For all his talent and seemingly extraordinary potential, he struggled to discover his majestic best form on a consistent basis last season.
Fleeting moments of quality manifested from time to time, but all too often games would pass him by.
The 23-year-old scored five times and assisted a further three in 25 Premier League games, a modest return for a player of whom so much is expected.
Still, he is a young player and very much developing his style, and he has vowed to return stronger next year. His Instagram picture would indicate that his actions are mirroring his words.
If he can stay injury free we might well see his promise come to fruition.
West Ham United fans have slammed injury-prone midfielder Jack Wilshere after the club posted a video on Twitter commemorating the day he signed for them.
The former Arsenal midfielder joined the club on a free transfer last summer following his exit from the Emirates Stadium.
However, he has gone on to make a mere eight appearances for the Hammers due to an injury-plagued 2018/19 campaign.
Indeed, the club lost all of his first four appearances and, following those games, he played a total of 55 minutes of football in the top-flight.
Thus, fans have decided to hit out at the ex-England international’s lack of appearances for the club after the Irons decided to post a video on the anniversary of his arrival.
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Indeed, Wilshere was injured for a total of 26 Premier League games last season as Manuel Pellegrini’s men ultimately finished 10th.
Take a look at the best of the reaction on social media below!
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
According to The Mirror’s John Cross, Barcelona made enquiries over the availability of Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.
What’s the word, then?
Well, whilst writing his weekly column, Cross slips in the fact that the Spanish champions made advances towards the Dutchman, but were quickly told where to go with van Dijk’s representatives not even bothering to take Barcelona’s interest any further.
The £75m man has emerged as arguably Europe’s best centre-back, and is the current favourite to win the Ballon d’Or after a phenomenal season with the Reds.
Check out some amazing tekkers in the video below…
The 6 foot 4 colossus was named as the PFA Player of the Year for his efforts last term, and also played a huge role in Liverpool becoming European champions – the 28-year-old is looking like a snip at £75m when players such as Harry Maguire are valued at £90m this summer.
Rejection shows how far Liverpool have come
Whenever this kind of transfer approach would happen in previous years, it would always seem to cause a stir around Anfield.
Chelsea came for Fernando Torres. He handed in a transfer request and was gone.
Barcelona came for Luis Suarez. He swiftly left and also caused problems the year before by trying to force a move to Arsenal – the Uruguayan considered handing in a transfer request whilst court action was also a possibility.
Manchester City tried to get Raheem Sterling. They found barely any problems in convincing the forward to leave after the England international informed Liverpool that he wanted the move – he is now one of the best attackers in the Premier League having hit 17 goals last term.
Last but not least, Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian got wind of Barcelona’s interest and submitted a transfer request, whilst also paying a chunk of his own money towards the move.
Liverpool have been bullied, humiliated and pushed around in the market for years, but van Dijk’s stern rejection of Barcelona’s advances shows that he sees Anfield as a better place to be – it is a true sign that times are changing for the Merseysiders in how they are viewed by the elite players.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
Former Liverpool and Fenerbahce defender Martin Skrtel has confirmed that he’s held talks with Steven Gerrard’s Rangers, according to The Daily Record.
What’s the story?
Skrtel has been a free agent since leaving Fenerbahce this summer and has stated that he’s spoken to five clubs across Europe, one of which is Rangers, about possible deals.
The Slovakia international confirmed that as well as holding talks with Rangers, he also has had enquires from Parma, Olympiakos, Basaksehir and former club Fenerbahce.
The 34-year-old has reportedly been a target for the Ibrox club ever since his former Liverpool teammate Gerrard took the reigns in May 2018. The apparent stumbling block was the central defenders’ wages, with Skrtel bagging a pricey £60,000-a-week in Turkey.
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Now though, the issue that seems likely to impact any deal that brings Skrtel to Ibrox is the signing of Swedish defender Filip Helander from Bologna, who joined in a reported £3.5m deal.
Helander’s arrival now means there are four first-team centre-halves at the club, with the Swede joining Connor Goldson, Nikola Katic and George Edmundson, who’ll also embark on his first season at Rangers.
Does Gerrard need another option at centre back?
Helander joins a talented trio competing for Gerrard’s two central defensive slots and will surely be expecting to play more often than not given his fee – he looks the ideal man to partner Goldson.
The former Malmo man is the club’s biggest outlay on a player since their return to the top flight of Scottish football and he will likely be treated as such by the former Liverpool captain.
Gerrard does like a big squad that offers him a variety of options though – he included 46 different players in his squads over last year’s campaign.
He also likes to have an experienced centre half, having regularly tried to sign Skrtel and eventually settling on bringing in then 38-year-old Gareth MacAuley to provide experience to his back-line.
However, given that the club just spent a relatively big sum to find the perfect partner for Goldson, and the fact that both Katic and Edmundson will be desperate to prove they are more than just young players with potential, there may just be no room at the inn for Gerrard’s former teammate.
One of Leicester City’s midfielders is gaining interest from Ligue 1 outfit Saint-Etienne.
According to Evect, Nampalys Mendy is one of the targets they want to pursue this summer which has left some supporters in the Midlands wanting the club to recoup some of the £13m fee they paid for him back in 2016.
The Frenchman has made only 42 appearances for the Foxes since joining the club from Nice, the majority of which came last season as Leicester finished ninth.
Despite that, he found himself an outcast under Brendan Rodgers, failing to start once after the Northern Irishman arrived.
A number of fans took to social media to give their thoughts on the potential exit of the former France U21 international with one supporter urging to move him on as he’s never going to be a consistent starter.
Others were a bit more blunt calling to simply get rid, whilst a few believed he’s behind Wilfred Ndidi and Hamza Choudhury in the Foxes’ midfield pecking order and should be moved on.
Here’s the best of the reaction from Leicester fans over the potential sale of Mendy.
Gareth Bale’s Real Madrid adventure looks set to end in flames, literally.
The Welshman has been a big part of the Los Blancos’ squad ever since he arrived at the club from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013, almost six full years ago. And since then, it’s safe to say that it has been quite a mixed ride.
Sure, there were highs, like the four Champions League crowns the 30-year-old forward helped put into Real’s cabinet – how could anyone forget his double to sink Liverpool in the final last year, including that wonderful scissor-kick that leftLoris Karius, and the world, stunned.
Or going a bit further back, to 2014 when Real Madrid beat none other than Barcelona in the final of Copa del Rey and Bale was the one blazing through the flank to score the match-winner. So yes, there are some extremely fond memories that both the player and the club will undoubtedly cherish. And precisely because of that it really is a surprise to see Bale essentially forced out of the club with such cruelty and disrespect, after all those years of service. Or is it really?
Real Madrid attacker Gareth Bale
Well, no – it is not. Not when we know that Bale is not the first one to get that kind of treatment. Not when he is not the only Real Madrid icon turned into an outcast, and not when even the trophies, all the goals, the years of service, blood, sweat and tears are not enough to satisfy the giant of the footballing world that is the club from the Spanish capital.
And how do we know it’s not enough? All we have to do is look a bit into the past to find another case that is fairly similar to this one and involves a player with a much bigger pedigree than Bale. His name? Iker Casillas.
And that name certainly means a thing or two to the average football fan, let alone to the Madridistas. Casillas spent the big majority of his professional career guarding the net of Real Madrid. He was a player brought up by their academy and one that burned through the ranks in a blaze of glory until he reached the senior team in 1999, just at the turn of the century.
And what a turn it was – Casillas went on to spend the next 16 years as their man between the sticks, winning three Champions League titles and being crowned Spain’s best five times in the process, among other triumphs. Surely such a player would be held in high regard long after he’s gone from the club and would surely never leave their memories regardless of how much time passes along the way. But that is exactly what happened.
Casillas’ last days at the Santiago Bernabeu were spent in agony and when the time finally arrived in 2015 for him to leave, there was no one to shake his hand – no highlights of his career, no pictures being taken with the president, no teammates to clap as he exits the pitch for the final time. Just a conference room with some journalists and a legend covering his face to stop the tears that went streaming down it.
He too was turned into an outcast, Sid Lowe declaring that he was shown the exit door with ever-decreasing subtlety before being granted the most unceremonious of exits. Once he became dispensable and he no longer played a major role in the club, Real Madrid were ready to bin him, quite literally, and never to speak about him again. And sure, just like Bale and his ever-returning injuries and his unwillingness or inability to learn the language, he too had his faults. But who doesn’t?
Naturally, as he grew older his skill deteriorated accordingly and granted, maybe it was time to say goodbye anyway. But even if that were true, legends and faithful servants of the club deserve more than an empty conference room when they finally call it a day.
And this is why Bale’s case is no surprise and also no mere coincidence at all. No, Bale’s case could very well just be a sign that there are problems running far deeper at Real Madrid than the naked eye can see. Whether their core values are wrong or these heroes of their teams did something terrible we’re all not aware of, these sentences seem rather harsh and odd, to say the least.
Check out an epic rant about Real Madrid fans that we can all relate to below…
Casillas ended up being shipped to Porto and Bale’s future is yet to be fully decided. But one thing is clear – Zinedine Zidane doesn’t want him there and so he’ll leave. And at the end of the day, as this relationship finally comes to its conclusion, it looks like it’s probably for the best. Bale should definitely leave a club that is showing him no respect, a club which he gave six years of his career, prime years at that, too.
His biggest statement, his biggest retaliation would be exactly that – leave, and succeed somewhere else. Show Real Madrid that they were wrong to treat him like that, show them that that is certainly not the way to handle your players. Especially the ones that scored 102 goals and assisted further 65 in 231 games. Especially not the ones that bagged three goals in two finals of the Champions League. And especially not the ones that helped you win countless silverware.
It still remains to be seen how Bale’s time at Real Madrid will be remembered but one thing seems pretty clear now – these scenarios are not isolated cases at Real Madrid and while we can’t say for sure they represent a bigger problem at the club, the signs are pretty worrying.
Will this change in the future? Only time will tell and we can only hope so.
[ad_pod ]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 Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie O’Hara has defended chairman Daniel Levy from the ire of supporters, per talkSPORT.
What’s he said?
Levy has been at the centre of a firestorm of criticism from fans since manager Mauricio Pochettino alluded to his frustrations with the club’s transfer policy earlier this week.
Since then, supporters have called on Levy to splash the cash and back the manager or leave the club, with deals for Real Betis’ Giovani Lo Celso and Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon both continuing to drag on.
But O’Hara, who played for Spurs between 2005 and 2011, has defended the club’s powerbroker.
He said: “Let’s go back ten years to when I was there; we were a good side and it was a good club to be at, but they weren’t what they are now.
“Tottenham are a top football club, they’re established and week-in, week-out they’re performing at the highest level. You can’t say that’s not down to Levy and the infrastructure he’s put in at the club.
“It’s not just Pochettino who has done this – Levy built the training ground, he built the stadium, he’s got the players in, he’s done the contracts, he’s kept these players there.
“Yes, Pochettino has done a fantastic job in terms of the squad, but for a Spurs fan to say, ‘get Levy out’, I think is the completely wrong message.â€
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Spot on
Levy is underappreciated at Tottenham.
The club’s chairman has overseen the construction of a £1bn stadium, arguably the finest in the Premier League, and has also helped the club build a state-of-the-art training ground.
He has also broken the club’s transfer record this summer to sign Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon ahead of a clutch of clubs, including European giants Juventus.
Fans, of course, love to moan, and many believe that the purse-strings could be loosened just a little in north London.
But the club could well end up with Lo Celso and Sessegnon joining the squad, strengthening a pool that reached the Champions League final last season.
Levy has overseen growth both on and off the pitch and, as O’Hara says, he deserves credit instead of criticism, particularly with the transfer window remaining open.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
According to The Telegraph, Liverpool rejected the opportunity to re-sign their former No.10 Philippe Coutinho as part of a £100m package.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Reds made no significant signings following their sixth major European Cup win in Madrid.
Jurgen Klopp and Michael Edwards oversaw the arrivals of Adrian to replace Simon Mignolet, whilst teenage duo Harvey Elliott and Sepp van den Berg also arrived.
Coutinho would’ve certainly been a significant arrival given his pedigree in the game, despite the recent turbulence he has had to endure at Barcelona after a disappointing campaign last term.
Liverpool were right to reject him from a moral viewpoint
Taking great care in not contradicting myself, it was previously argued that the Brazil international would be a good addition primarily for footballing reasons given the lack of creativity in Klopp’s current midfield, and that point is stood by.
Having said that, the decision to reject Coutinho was the correct one from an off-pitch perspective, a viewpoint focusing more on morality rather than what happens on the field of play.
The 27-year-old acted unforgivably in forcing a move away from Anfield back in 2018.
Where do I even start?
Coutinho firstly handed in a transfer request, which is a fairly normal occurrence in the game but still not one that sits right with supporters.
However, after that, the former Inter Milan man appeared to fake a back injury in order not to play for Liverpool, an issue which had magically disappeared by the time it came to international duty with Brazil.
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In addition to this, the 5 foot 8 midfielder even paid a chunk of his £142m transfer to Barcelona out of his own pocket, parting with £11.5m in order to force the move away from Anfield.
His conduct in leaving the Reds was despicable, and whilst he is still a hugely talented footballer who would improve most sides, Liverpool were correct to rebuff the chance to sign him for moral reasons above all.