Arsenal should abolish their interest in out of sorts Barcelona player Denis Suarez and rather shift their focus to a more compatible and experienced midfielder to take over from Aaron Ramsey next season.
The Gunners are actively searching for a replacement for the Welshman who is set to leave the Emirates after a decade, following a stall in negotiations between him and the club, which means he will exit on a free transfer in May.
But it also appears as if the North London club are determined to find a replacement in January already to ease into Unai Emery’s structure’s before Ramsey officially leaves.
According to El Mundo Deportivo, as cited by Talk Sport, are Barcelona keen on getting rid of Suarez who has fallen down the midfield pecking order. With only one appearance to his name so far this season, and that in the Copa Del Rey first league, they will certainly be open to letting him go in the upcoming transfer market.
Arsenal however, should be wary of this idea and consider the fact that he has barely any game-time under his belt, while they are looking for someone who can be an important squad player in the latter part of the season.
The significance of using the 24-year-old Suarez in possible FA Cup matches or maybe the odd Europa League game could become a risk as the club might be under a lot of pressure at that stage of the season to progress to a next round or get positive results.
If Arsenal were to make a smaller midfield signing in January, then they should at least go for someone who has had a lot of game-time under his belt this season and hasn’t fallen out of favour with a manager.
According to a recent report from The Liverpool Echo, Ben Woodburn could be set for a move away come the New Year. The 19-year-old has been playing his football at Championship side Sheffield United in the first half of the season on loan from parent club Liverpool, yet a lack of regular football under Chris Wilder has opened up the possibility that the Welshman could be recalled in January.
And with reports suggesting that the Reds may do just that and thus look for a better destination for the £4.5 million-rated sensation (as per Transfermarkt) in the New Year, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers must seek to register his interest in a bid to strengthen his team’s chances of winning an eighth straight Scottish Premiership title.
The Breakdown
Ultimately, Rodgers’ men have completely dominated Scottish football in the last few years in winning each of the last six domestic trophies, and they’ll go for number seven when they face Aberdeen in the Scottish League Cup final this weekend.
However, they haven’t had it all their own way so far this term given they are just two points clear of second place Rangers, and as such it’s clear that the Bhoys face a battle to record an eighth title in a row.
And having scored five goals fewer than Steven Gerrard’s Gers, it’s arguable that further reinforcements are needed in the attacking third of the pitch to fend off their Old Firm rivals, with Liverpool’s Woodburn one man who should be on Rodgers’ January wishlist.
The 19-year-old has shot to prominence in recent years but has seriously struggled for regular football under Blades boss Wilder this term, appearing just seven times in the Championship for Sheffield United, of which only one has been a start.
And in failing to make seven of their last nine matchday squads, his loan spell at Bramall Lane is not doing him any good at all – and that is why a recall in January is without doubt in the 19-year-old’s best interests.
Yet one mustn’t forget the level of talent and potential Woodburn has shown so far in his career, be it netting for Liverpool on only his second senior appearance against Leeds United back in 2016, or indeed firing home an unstoppable strike on his senior Wales debut to help them to a 1-0 win over Austria back in September 2017.
Thus, there is clearly a very adept forward in Woodburn just waiting to produce the goods, and under ex-Liverpool chief Rodgers, who is renowned for giving young players a chance in the first team, the Wales star could seriously flourish north of the border.
And with attacking reinforcements possibly the order of the day come January, adding the supremely talented youngster would certainly help Celtic’s pursuit of an eighth straight league crown.
Arthur Masuaku was the target of plenty of criticism during West Ham United’s defeat to Manchester City.
The 25-year-old started the match at the London Stadium, but was withdrawn at half-time and replaced with Aaron Cresswell.
It was a horror first half for the left-back as the team conceded three goals in the first 34 minutes, but it did not get much better as Leroy Sane nabbed City’s fourth before the full-time whistle blew.
After the clash, Manuel Pellegrini’s players were understandably frustrated, but Masuaku let his emotions boil over on Instagram.
A West Ham fan posted a screenshot of an exchange on the social media site between the Frenchman and a disgruntled fan.
Masuaku responded with anger after a fellow Instagram user described him as a “useless left-back”.
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The footballer suggested that playing in that position is not favourable to him, and that he is better placed elsewhere on the pitch, presumably as a winger.
Safe to say Arthur knows he’s been poor from r/Hammers
Unsurprisingly, some West Ham fans had a few things to say about Masuaku’s comment.
Comment from discussion Safe to say Arthur knows he’s been poor.Comment from discussion Safe to say Arthur knows he’s been poor.Comment from discussion Safe to say Arthur knows he’s been poor.Comment from discussion Safe to say Arthur knows he’s been poor.Comment from discussion Safe to say Arthur knows he’s been poor.Comment from discussion Safe to say Arthur knows he’s been poor.Comment from discussion Safe to say Arthur knows he’s been poor.Comment from discussion Safe to say Arthur knows he’s been poor.
Marcus Browne is certainly making a positive impression on loan at Oxford United this season.
The 20-year-old has scored six times in 19 appearances for the League One outfit, including a brace against Rochdale earlier this week.
Browne belongs to West Ham United, coming through the youth system with the Hammers before making his first-team debut in August 2016.
The attacker has not been seen in a West Ham shirt since, but seems to be getting some valuable first-team action at Oxford.
Former Hammers defender Rio Ferdinand recently drew attention to Browne’s form.
And now the West Ham fans have been on social media commenting on the youngster.
The Hammers do not exactly have loads of options in the final third at the moment, and a number of the club’s supporters have called on head coach Manuel Pellegrini to bring Browne back to the London Stadium.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
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Burnley moved out of the Premier League relegation zone following a hard-fought victory against Brighton at the weekend.
The Clarets sat in the drop zone without a win in eight games prior to their meeting with the Seagulls. In an uneventful encounter, the deadlock was eventually broken by James Tarkowski who deflected home Jack Cork’s cross with his chest. Some resolute defending allowed Burnley to hold on for a valuable three points at Turf Moor.
Burnley were much improved against Chris Houghton’s men, controlling possession but failed to find their edge in the final third. Goals have been hard to come by for the Lancashire side this season, and Sean Dyche should be targeting a playmaker in the upcoming January transfer window to improve their form in front of goal.
One man who should be on his shortlist is Dijon star – Naim Sliti. Valued at £6.3m by Transfermarkt, the playmaker joined the club last summer on loan from Lille and was hugely impressive in his debut campaign. Sliti ended the season with seven goals and six assists in Ligue 1, and his showings prompted Dijon to make a move permanent for just under £2m.
The 26-year-old’s form has continued into the new campaign, registering three assists for his team-mates already. Sliti has also impressed on the international stage for Tunisia, scoring three goals in just four appearances in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers. His creativity and eye for goal could help Burnley steer away from danger in the New Year.
Sliti operates just behind the striker but is also comfortable on either wing, making him a useful option for Dyche to have at his disposal. The Tunisian has the vision to carve open Premier League defences, averaging 2.6 key passes per game this season. The playmaker also loves to beat a man himself using his expert dribbling skills – completing 2.5 successful dribbles this season (WhoScored).
Luring the former Paris FC man to Turf Moor could prove to be an astute piece of business.
Rolando Aarons is heading back to Newcastle United following a loan spell at Czech side Slovan Liberec.
Aarons joined Slovan Liberec on loan from Newcastle in September, and has made 13 appearances for the club in all competitions.
The 23-year-old has played the final game of his loan spell, however, with the winter break in the Czech Republic now kicking in.
The winger has only played five times for Newcastle since the end of the 2016-17 season, but will be hoping to feature for the Magpies in the second half of this term.
There is no question that the former England Under-20 international has a lot of talent, but it remains to be seen whether he is in the plans of Magpies boss Rafael Benitez in the second half of the 2018-19 campaign.
We recently asked the Newcastle fans whether they wanted to see Aarons handed a chance to impress with the Magpies upon his return to the club.
And 60% of those polled revealed that they wanted to see Aarons given the opportunity to feature.
According to The Mirror, former West Ham man James Collins has ripped up a £10,000-a-week, five-week contract as he sustained a calf injury in training just hours after signing it – meaning that he will have sacrificed £50,000 by the time the deal expires in January.
Steve Bruce called upon the Welshman when injuries and suspensions scythed down his defensive options and, after the 57-year-old was sacked in early October, Collins continued to impress under new honcho Dean Smith and thus earned himself a short-term deal with the Villans.
However, in a truly class gesture, the ‘Ginger Pele’ has effectively refused pay after being ruled out for the remainder of his contract thanks to the untimely training ground injury – bosses are understood to be highly impressed with such a rare show of decency and will give the 50-cap international every opportunity to earn a new deal at Villa Park when he returns to fitness.
Here’s how the Villa fans reacted on Twitter…
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Everton midfielder Andre Gomes struggled during his side’s 6-2 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park on Sunday before leaving the pitch in the 53rd minute with an injury issue, and Liverpool fans were quick to react on Twitter to his display.
The Toffees signed the Portugal international on a season-long loan deal from Barcelona during the summer transfer window, and while it took a while for him to make his debut because of injury, he has largely impressed for the Merseyside outfit since.
One of his best performances – and one which Everton fans waxed lyrical about – came in the derby against the Reds at Anfield earlier this month, but he couldn’t prevent them falling to a last-gasp 1-0 defeat.
Liverpool supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the 25-year-old’s most recent performance, and while one said he had “finally been found out”, another said “looks like that’s the end of Gomes’ Everton career”.
Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…
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In today’s footballing landscape, the opportunity to sign a young, promising player and develop him in to one of the world’s best is too good to turn down for most clubs.
It is a chance for clubs to not only improve the quality of their playing squads for a number of years but also their bank balance, should one of the elite clubs come calling for their most impressive young talents.
With all that in mind, here are some of the outstanding talents born in the year 1998 who we believe will go on to footballing greatness…
Kylian Mbappe
D.O.B.: 20.12.1998
Current Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Nationality: France
Current Market Value: £162million
Position: RW, CF, LW
What more needs to be said? Kylian Mbappe is the shooting star of this generation with a World Cup win under his belt at just 19 years old.
The Frenchman was already making waves when he was 17 and playing for AS Monaco. After his debut season he was loaned out to Paris Saint Germain, where his meteoric rise continued alongside superstars such as Neymar and Edinson Cavani.
His blistering pace, unbelievable ball control and expert finishing have made Mbappe the most sought-after talent football has had to offer since Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
After his loan spell, PSG made Mbappe the second most expensive player ever after Neymar by signing him permanently.
Christian Pulisic
D.O.B.: 18.09.1998
Current Club: Borussia Dortmund
Nationality: USA
Current Market Value: £40.5million
Position: RW, CAM, LW
Borussia Dortmund have long been known for bringing through impressive talents and shaping them into young players ready for one of Europe’s big five leagues, as well as international competition.
In the past, players like Mario Götze have enjoyed the fast track to the big stage. Christian Pulisic is no different. Brought over from Pennsylvania in 2014 at the age of 16, Dortmund quickly realised his talent and pulled him up to the first team, leading to a debut at just 17 years old.
He became Dortmund’s youngest debutant, as well as the club’s youngest goal scorer in the Bundesliga during the same season. Pulisic quickly grew into a regular first team starter, playing the majority of the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons, but the emergence of Jadon Sancho has seen a slight decrease in playing time.
Dayot Upemecano
D.O.B.: 27.10.1998
Current Club: RB Leipzig
Nationality: France
Current Market Value: £27million
Position: CB, CDM
Dayot Upamecano is another one of France’s hopefuls for the future. The defender has established himself as one RB Leipzig’s first-choice centre-backs.
His physical presence is impressive, and he is definitely one of France’s candidates for a senior team breakthrough. In July 2018, Upamecano was shortlisted for the 2018 Golden Boy Award.
Jacob Bruun-Larsen
D.O.B.: 19.09.1998
Current Club: Borussia Dortmund
Nationality: Denmark
Current Market Value: £13.5million
Position: LW, CAM, RW
An unknown quantity before the 2018/19 season, having played more in the Dortmund and VFB Stuttgart youth academies, Jacob Bruun Larsen did not take long to make a lasting impression.
His pre-season performances have earned him regular appearances in the Bundesliga and Champions League this season, with a combined 12 starts under his belt. His pace and eye for goal has become a real asset during Dortmund’s transition towards a new, younger squad.
Martin Ødegaard
D.O.B.: 17.12.1998
Current Club: Vitesse Arnheim
Nationality: Norway
Current Market Value: £3.6million
Position: RW, CAM, LW
Martin Ødegaard made headlines almost four years ago when Real Madrid signed him as a 15-year-old from Norwegian club Strømgodset.
In hindsight, many have regarded it as more of a PR stunt by Madrid, as Ødegaard subsequently spent his time with Real Madrid Castilla, rather than the senior team, and only made one appearance in La Liga.
In the following years, Ødegaard was unable to achieve a breakthrough at Madrid, and was loaned out to SC Heerenveen, and then Vitesse Arnheim. Ødegaard’s future in Madrid remains uncertain, despite still being one of the top talents amongst his age group.
Achraf Hakimi
D.O.B.: 04.11.1998
Current Club: Borussia Dortmund
Nationality: Morocco
Current Market Value: £9.9million
Position: RB, LB
Another shooting star from Real Madrid, Achraf Hakimi had a difficult time with the senior team, making few appearances during the 2017/18 season.
In order to receive more playing time, Hakimi was loaned out to Borussia Dortmund and has since risen to a starting spot in the absence of Marcel Schmelzer.
His attacking prowess is reminiscent of Marcelo’s style of play and under new Dortmund coach Lucien Favre, Hakimi has been given more freedom to help out in attack, letting him use the full length of the pitch.
Hakimi’s loan spell at Dortmund is set to end after the 2019/2020 season.
Weston McKennie
Soccer Football – Bundesliga – Schalke 04 v Bayer Leverkusen – Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany – December 19, 2018 Schalke’s Weston McKennie gestures REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler DFL regulations prohibit any use of photographs as image sequences and/or quasi-video
D.O.B.: 28.08.1998
Current Club: FC Schalke 04
Nationality: USA
Current Market Value: £10.8million
Position: CM, CAM, CDM
The young American has a past rooted in Germany, having lived in Kaiserslautern between the age of eight and nine. It was there that he discovered his love of football, and subsequently went on to play for FC Dallas’ youth academy. Despite signing a letter of intent to commit to the Univeristy of Virginia and receive a scholarship for football there, McKennie decided to go pro, turning down a homegrown player contract with FC Dallas.
McKennie moved to FC Schalke 04’s youth academy, where he made the jump to the first team a year after joining. During the 2017/18 season, McKennie made 25 appearances across all competitions.
In addition to his successful rise through Schalke’s ranks, McKennie has now become one of the new young talents regularly named in the USA national team.
[ad_pod ]Since earning promotion to the Premier League via the Championship play-off final back in 2013, Crystal Palace have made a number of shocking signings such as Emmanuel Adebayor, Kevin Doyle, Shola Ameobi and so on.They have often been guilty of being stingy, but every so often, the Eagles have managed to secure a gem of a signing that has gone on to play a pivotal role in securing their Premier League status.Palace have brought in the likes of Wilfried Zaha, signed for just a fraction of the price they sold him to Manchester United for, as well as some huge figures around the club in Jason Puncheon, James McArthur and Luka Milivojevic.Check out Neymar’s controversial new haircut for 2019 and Xherdan Shaqiri as you’ve never seen him before in the video below…You would argue that Zaha is the obvious choice, but the role Puncheon has had in one of the south London side’s most successful periods is undeniable.
Although he recently departed to Huddersfield, Puncheon scored vital goals which helped Palace survive a Premier League season for the first time in their history back in 2013/14, following that up with an FA Cup final goal which sparked scenes that some Eagles fans have described as the best moments of their Palace-supporting lives.
So, with that in mind, who is Palace’s best signing since their return to the Premier League? Have your say down below…