In an exclusive by French outlet Le 10 Sport, West Ham could be at the centre of a sensational January transfer story involving themselves, Dimitri Payet, Anthony Martial and Manchester United.
Wait, what?
Anthony Martial hasn’t really found his feet under Jose Mourinho and as we discussed last week, the Man United boss is said to be a big fan of Dimtri Payet.
That’s led to Le 10 Sport putting their name to an exclusive that says West Ham United are eager to swap the players in January.
It’s an audacious ploy by West Ham, especially as we’re only 18 months removed from Martial’s big money move to the Old Trafford side.
If Mourinho is serious about bringing Payet to Manchester, this could be what it takes to get the deal done.
Football Soccer Britain – Liverpool v West Ham United – Premier League – Anfield – 11/12/16 West Ham United’s Dimitri Payet celebrates scoring their first goal Action Images via Reuters / Lee Smith Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative fo
Payet vs. Martial
Dimitri Payet has been a talisman for West Ham over the last 18 months but his move away from the club may be inevitable with the likes of Man United looking in.
A move for Martial could prove to be the best case scenario with likely a big fee required to replace the creativity Payet brings.
How have they both been performing this season? Payet has contributed five assists and three goals for the Hammers so far while Martial has the reverse, five goals and three assists!
Like for like then, but Payet is doing it in a less talented side and Martial is struggling to become a prominent part of Mourinho’s Man United XI.
At just 21, Martial has plenty of potential to develop further but whether he wants to switch Old Trafford for the London Stadium remains to be seen.
Dele Alli has stolen the headlines following his brace against Chelsea on Wednesday night, but the performance from his Tottenham Hotspur teammate Victor Wanyama has not gone unnoticed.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side denied Chelsea the opportunity to set a new Premier League record of 14 wins on the bounce by claiming a 2-0 victory at White Hart Lane.
The Blues remain at the top of the top-flight standings, but the gap between themselves and second-placed Liverpool has been reduced to five points, while Spurs are just seven adrift.
Alli continued his goalscoring form by scoring two headers on either side of half-time, pushing his recent tally to seven in four league games.
Sky Sports awarded the Man of the Match gong to Alli, but it could easily have been Wanyama’s title as the Kenyan put in a solid display in midfield.
The 25-year-old controlled the middle of the park, in the process stopping N’Golo Kante from orchestrating play.
Wanyama has had his critics since joining Tottenham from Southampton last year, but there was no doubt about his impressive performance against the title challengers.
Much of the Twitter plaudits went to Alli, but his teammate was also singled out for praise.
Patrick Roberts’ 18-month at Celtic is almost up, with the player due to return to Manchester City in the summer as things stand.
As The Scottish Sun report, though, Brendan Rodgers is keen to keep the winger at Celtic Park for a little bit longer to help the youngster blossom further into a player ready for Premier League football and so the Bhoys retain an excellent option on the wings without having to shell out money.
While it may only be a loan extension Rodgers is looking to agree with City, we reckon that the Hoops should be looking to do a deal that takes Roberts to Celtic Park on a regular basis.
The19-year-oldd is a popular figure at Paradise, with fans taking to his flair, ability and the excitement he brings to a football match when in possession.
If a deal could be done to take him to Celtic Park on a permanent basis, we’re sure it would be welcomed by supporters.
Here are THREE reasons why Rodgers should considering shelling out for the youngster…
He’ll be reaching his potential soon
Britain Football Soccer – Heart of Midlothian v Celtic – Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership – Tynecastle – 30/4/16Celtic’s Patrick Roberts celebrates scoring their second goalAction Images via Reuters / Russell CheyneLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your acc
The staff at Celtic Park have put a lot of work into the development of Patrick Roberts over the last 12 months. First under Ronny Deila and now Brendan Rodgers, Roberts has worked under some of the best coaches in the UK honing his skills as an exciting young winger.
The Bhoys have invested time and effort, so it only makes sense for them to try and reap the benefits of that.
Roberts will be coming into his own as a player in the short-term as he racks up the professional appearances, gets stronger physically and figures out how to beat opposition defences more regularly.
Investing money into the player only makes sense after all that. If Celtic can get a deal done for the winger, they will have a player with frightening potential in a place where he’s happy and enjoying his football.
He has Champions League potential
Britain Football Soccer – Manchester City v Celtic – UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group C – Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England – 6/12/16 Celtic’s Patrick Roberts scores their first goal Action Images via Reuters / Jason Cairnduff Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Patrick Roberts showed against his parent club that he has the ability to be an effective Champions League footballer. The Bhoys are looking to take the next step on the continent and players like Roberts that will allow that to happen.
Celtic need players that can compete at Premier League level to become competitive in the group stages of the competition and should put the significant sum of money earned by this year’s European journey back into the squad.
Roberts has shown in his first experience of club football’s biggest challenge that he can step up and produce magic on the night. He’s a born match-winner that is only going to go on to better things.
First-team football doesn’t look to be on the cards at Man City so Celtic are in a unique position of being able to offer him that, experience at the highest level and the chance of silverware. All of these things should be attractive to an ambitious 19-year-old.
He has a unique cutting edge
Britain Football Soccer – Manchester City v Celtic – UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group C – Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England – 6/12/16 Celtic’s Patrick Roberts celebrates scoring their first goal Reuters / Phil Noble Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Patrick Roberts can do things with the ball that most players at Celtic can’t. Possessing devilish trickery, he can go by a man with ease on his day to set-up chances or score himself.
The young winger has scored ten goals for the Hoops in all competitions despite rarely getting an extended run in the team, so Celtic are just scratching the surface of his potential right now.
With defences in Scotland often deep and compact, Celtic need a different option, a cutting edge that can do the unexpected.
Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka has claimed that he will not stop Stewart Downing from joining another Premier League club, amid rumours that Crystal Palace want him, according to The Mirror.
What’s the latest?
Downing has struggled for regular game time at the Riverside this season, starting just 11 Premier League matches and coming off the bench in six of them.
The Mirror reports that Downing informed chairman Steve Gibson that he wants to move elsewhere in order to rack up some more minutes on the pitch.
However, Karanka has claimed that the former England international is still available for selection ahead of this weekend’s match against Watford.
With more than two weeks left in the transfer window, there is still plenty of time for Downing to make a move, and Karanka has claimed that he will not oppose offloading him to a rival.
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The Spaniard is quoted by The Mirror as saying: “If Stewart wants to leave, and all the clubs agree, then would I be happy [to let him go]. Yes, of course.
“I don’t want to think about what scenario is better or worse – Crystal Palace or a Championship team – because at the moment, I don’t know anything on that score. But I take every single decision here. I have all responsibilities.
“I have always said that if a player wants to leave, and Middlesbrough and another club agree a transfer, then that is fine with me.”
Is Palace the right move for Downing?
Positives in the midfielder switching to Selhurst Park is that he remains in the Premier League and is very familiar with Palace’s manager Sam Allardyce.
The 32-year-old played under the ex-England coach for two seasons at West Ham United after joining the club from Liverpool in August 2013.
If the Eagles are in fact keen to make a move for Downing, then it proves that Allardyce is an admirer, which boosts his chances of playing regular football for the remainder of the season.
The problem for the midfielder, though, is that Palace already have a number of players, including Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend, in his position.
Moreover, Jeffrey Schlupp, who Sky Sports claim is closing in on a move to Palace from Leicester City, can also play on the left wing, but he is likely to occupy the left-back spot.
Perhaps Allardyce will use Downing in a more central role, which he adopted during his time at West Ham.
The FA Cup is back this weekend and although the Fourth Round always lacks the excitement of its immediate predecessor, there’s still plenty for English football fans to dig their teeth into – not least including Southampton vs. Arsenal at 5.30pm on Saturday.
Featuring two Premier League sides in decent form, this is very much the heavyweight contest of the round. Southampton will be looking to make another mark in competition football after progressing to the EFL Cup final, whilst Arsenal will hope they can match the FA Cup-winning feats of 2014 and 2015.
Of course, weakened starting XIs are somewhat inevitable at this time of year, which adds an element of unpredictability to Saturday’s clash at St. Mary’s. Nonetheless, statistics can be a real eye-opener in terms of what to expect from any given game and with that in mind, we’ve taken a look at THREE numerical gems that give us an insight into how the fourth-round clash could pan out.
Southampton love crosses
Southampton may not seem like a particularly big aerial threat, but that hasn’t stopped Claude Puel’s side launching crosses for fun this season. Indeed, Saints average the most crosses-per-match of any Premier League side this term at a whopping 27 and although they do lack that aerial target in the final third, crosses always carry a chance of creating havoc in the box. This statistic should worry Gunners fans; in contrast, Arsenal rank 14th throughout the Premier League for aerial duels won this season.
Courtesy of Whoscored.
Bogey team
A state of affairs most Arsenal fans will already be well aware of – Southampton are very much the Gunners’ bogey team, taking three victories from their last six meetings compared to Arsenal’s two despite their usual distance in the Premier League table. What stands out most, however, is the north London outfit’s goal tally. They’ve scored the most goals from open play of any Premier League side this term, 35, but have managed just three goals throughout their last six encounters with the Saints, two of which came in the same game last season. Fortunately for them, Southampton have been weakened at the back by Virgil van Dijk’s injury.
Courtesy of Whoscored.
Arsenal attack through the middle
There’s a common gameplan to beating Arsenal, or at the very least frustrating them, and this statistic pays homage to how effective it can be. Whilst most Premier League side tend to favour one flank or both, Arsenal’s attacking play is much more evenly spread with 33% going via the middle of the pitch – the highest percentage throughout the Premier League. And as Gunners fans will be more than aware, that usually sees sides sit deep and try to bog down the No.10 area as much as possible – something Claude Puel will surely attempt on Saturday.
It’s been a brilliant season for Elias Kachunga down at Huddersfield Town.
There’s always a concern over whether foreign players have the physicality and aggression to succeed in the largely attritional world of the Championship but the ex-Inglostadt winger has actively defied that notion since moving to John Smith’s Stadium on loan at the start of the season.
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Indeed, the 24-year-old has gone on to become Huddersfield’s top scorer in the second tier, netting nine times whilst predominately operating as a wide man to put the Terriers in contention for an automatic promotion slot.
That’s drawn transfer interest from Premier League outfits Everton, Watford and Middlesbrough according to Mirror Football, but it’s not only Kachunga’s goal tally that stands out.
As our infographic shows, Kachunga’s also an impressive creative force, conjuring up 39 chances this season, whilst his direct dribbling (27 successful take-ons) has also caused huge problems for opposition defences, as demonstrated through his 63 fouls suffered – that’s more than two-per-match!
Manchester United won their first major honour since Jose Mourinho took over as manager last summer with a dramatic and pulsating EFL Cup Final victory over Southampton.
The 3-2 win could easily have gone the other way with Saints putting up quite a fight in their quest to end their 30+ year trophy drought.
In the end United’s class shone through and one man in particular raised his game to ensure victory; Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swedish striker was immense throughout the 90 minutes, from his stunning free-kick opener right through to his late header that provided victory.
It was a wonderful day for Man United fans and they can now look forward to a period of new success under the guidance of Jose Mourinho.
These are the FIVE photos that summed up all the action…
Who else but Zlatan?
After an evening opening period to the game that didn’t see too much action, Zlatan Ibrahimovic brought the final alive with a sumptuous free-kick from 25 yards out. Fraser Forster didn’t get near it and may be disappointed not to get a hand onto it, but to be fair to the English ‘keeper it was always curling away from him.
It was a truly glorious strike and had the scores remained 1-0 it would have been a goal worthy of winning any cup final.
Lingard loves Wembley
After scoring the winning goal at Wembley in last season’s FA Cup Final, Jesse Lingard was at it again on Sunday, finishing smartly past Fraser Forster to make it 2-0.
This came against the run of play with Southampton competing well and looking like they could get a goal of their own at the other end.
When this went in most people thought it was all but over, but they weren’t counting on the contribution of Southampton’s new star signing…
Gallant Gabbiadini
Manolo Gabbiadini’s double either side of the half-time whistle was a storming contribution and one which threatened to take the game to extra-time. He’s made himself an instant hero with the Southampton support, now having scored five goals in his first three matches.
If Saints had gone onto win the game he’d be regarded as a club legend even though he’s been at the club for less than a month.
Southampton played very well throughout the 90 minutes and probably deserved to get something from the game or at least take it to extra-time but only Gabbiadini showed the lethal touch in front of goal.
Incredible Ibrahimovic
With just minutes remaining Zlatan Ibrahimovic sparked a counter attack that turned into a classy passing move of sustained pressure. Eventually the Swedish striker ghosted his way into the the middle of the box to give Ander Herrera the option to cross. A beautiful ball was curled in and Ibrahimovic bang it home with his head before wheeling away with the above smile on his face.
He’s become a Manchester United icon in his short time at the club and with more silverware up for grabs could well make himself a legend in just one season.
Success begins
After a slow start under Jose Mourinho, Manchester United are now looking like a club that can reach the heights of English football once again. Winning his first trophy as Man United boss at the first time of asking is no mean feat and when you take into account their fantastic league unbeaten run and their other cup runs then things are certainly looking up as a United fan.
Can Mourinho usher in a new era of sustained success at a club?
A very promising midweek round of Championship fixtures ended with some rather drab results, but Fulham hosting Leeds at least brought some drama to the table.The Cottagers were trailing for the bulk of the tie after a Tim Ream own goal, but Tom Cairney popped up deep into injury time to level with a stunning effort from the edge of the box, handing the Londoners what may be a vital point in their hunt for a play-off spot.Fulham, although they held home advantage, were perhaps not expected to beat the Yorkshire outfit, who are flying high just outside of the automatic promotion slots, but even though they snatched a point in dramatic fashion, their manager Slavisa Jokanovic put out a slightly bitter tweet after the match, claiming that his side were “the ones who played all the footballâ€â€¦
Fulham are now five points adrift of the last play-off spot, while Leeds sit nine below Brighton in second spot.
According to an interview on Sky Sports, West Ham United captain Mark Noble has hit back at Irons supporters that have criticised him this season.
What’s the story, then?
Well, in recent weeks Irons manager Slaven Bilic has leapt to the defence of his skipper after some Hammers fans called for him to be dropped from the starting XI during a difficult run of results.
With the start of the campaign also proving disappointing as the team struggled to adapt to life at the London Stadium, and the Dimitri Payet exit during the January transfer window proving to be a big distraction, it has been a frustrating campaign for all involved.
Britain Football Soccer – Southampton v West Ham United – Premier League – St Mary’s Stadium – 4/2/17 West Ham United’s Mark Noble celebrates after Southampton’s Steven Davis scores an own goal and the third for West Ham Action Images via Reuters / Matthew Childs Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/p
What did he say, then?
Noble told Sky Sports: “If I am really honest, a lot of people who now go to football don’t really understand the game.
“It’s just football, you’ve got to live with it. Players like Wayne Rooney, some people want him out of the Manchester United team.
“That’s why we are captains of our clubs, because we can handle that pressure.”
Is the criticism justified?
Not really.
Aside from perhaps Michail Antonio, the majority of the West Ham team would admit that their performances have been below-par this season.
Should he be in the team right now?
Of course.
It might be a cliché but the midfielder bleeds claret and blue and having made almost 400 appearances for the club, it’s obvious that he has their best interests at heart and will continue to deal with the scrutiny he is coming under.
What’s next?
West Ham will look to end a run of two successive defeats and pick up their first win in five games when they welcome Premier League champions Leicester City to the capital this weekend, and Noble should once again lead the side out at the London Stadium.
Burnley defender Michael Keane is keen on joining Everton this summer, according to The Sun.
What’s the word?
The 24-year-old is believed to have attracted numerous Premier League suitors due to his impressive performances at the back for Burnley.
Keane, who joined the Clarets from Manchester United in 2015, has started every league game this season and has even contributed with two goals and an assist.
His displays earned him a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad and he was named in the starting XI for both games against Germany and Lithuania.
The Sun reports that Keane will depart Turf Moor this summer in a £25m deal, with Everton currently leading the race as the player is interested in a switch to Goodison Park.
The publication adds that the defender’s top priority is gaining regular first-team football, and he believes that he will get that at Everton.
Is Everton the best option?
As mentioned, a handful of clubs are reportedly keeping a close eye on Keane, with Liverpool and his former club United thought to be among them.
Joining Everton would be a step up for the defender and he could be involved in the start of a huge progression for the Merseyside outfit.
The club have a better financial clout thanks to Farhad Moshiri, and they have shown intent by taking the initial steps towards building a new waterfront stadium.
Keane would be a strong partner for Ashley Williams at the back, but Everton’s neighbours should also not be ruled out.
In most cases, it would be more difficult for a player to break into the first team at Liverpool, but Jurgen Klopp’s defence is crying out for a new figure.
If Keane made the jump to Anfield, he could become a regular starter very swiftly.