According to Don Balon, West Ham target Yerry Mina is set to leave Barcelona on loan this summer, and the Premier League is his preferred destination.
What’s the word?
Yerry Mina arrived at Barcelona in January hoping to become the next long-time servant in the heart of the Catalan giants’ defence, but the towering defender has played just once in the league since the move.
Mina’s position in the squad was clear for all to see this weekend, as Ernesto Valverde rotated the squad for the win over Leganes and still couldn’t find a place for the 23 year-old centre back.
According to the report from Don Balon, Mina wants to leave on loan to somewhere he is guaranteed minutes on the pitch, and despite interest from Girona and Villarreal would prefer a move to the Premier League.
The Hammers were the only Premier League club mentioned in the report.
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Should Moyes make a move?
Valued at £8.1million by Transfermarkt, Mina’s physicality could make him the perfect fit for the Premier League, but his lack of mobility could just as easily hamper any progress in English football.
West Ham have had plenty of troubles at the back this season, with James Collins reaching the end of his career and Winston Reid losing form, but moving for Mina is not the solution.
Mina is a raw talent, but at 23 he should already be showing the refined skills a top centre back must add to their raw instincts. West Ham already have a young star in the making in Declan Rice, who has been superb in the last two matches against Southampton and Chelsea.
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Rice may not have the physical skills Mina has, but he is four years younger and already has more experience in a top league than the Colombian.
The last thing David Moyes needs is a Barcelona reject who wants “guaranteed” minutes coming in and upsetting the dressing room. The Hammers should be looking for a bona fide star to challenge Reid, Rice and Angelo Ogbonna, not a raw talent looking for some free playing time.
West Ham fans, would you like to see a loan move for Mina this summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
Liverpool and Manchester United rarely do transfer business due to the fact that most players are far too aware of the intense rivalry between the two clubs.
However, a surprise story has emerged from the transfer rumour mill, suggesting that Marouane Fellaini could be on his way to Anfield.
According to L’Equipe, the Reds have offered a deal to the midfielder, who is also believed to be on the radar of numerous European clubs and those in the Chinese Super League.
The 30-year-old has often been spoken fondly of by United manager Jose Mourinho, but he has struggled for regular game time.
The Belgian has started just three Premier League matches and has come off the bench in a further 10.
In total, Fellaini has had 18 outings in all competitions, scoring four goals in that time.
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The link to Liverpool appears to have come out of nowhere, but the overwhelming reaction from the fans has been one of surprise.
It seems that not many would be keen for the club to recruit a player who is regularly mocked by his own United supporters.
When any transfer window rolls around, particularly in the summer, Manchester City are always expected to spend big.
The club’s owner Sheikh Mansour does not tighten the pursestrings when players need to be bought, and a recent report in the Daily Mail claimed that manager Pep Guardiola will be given in excess of £100m to spend.
The club are already above the rest of the pack in the Premier League given that they scooped the title last Sunday without even kicking a ball.
Manchester United’s shock 1-0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion meant that City’s 16-point lead was impossible to close down.
City already have a wealth of talent within the squad but it seems that they want to take it up a notch.
One thing that evaded Guardiola and the club this season was the Champions League.
The team were beaten 5-1 on aggregate by fellow English club Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the competition.
In order to progress further than the final eight this season, it appears that Guardiola has turned his attention to Paris Saint-Germain and his former club Bayern Munich.
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According to Sky Sports News, City have placed attacker Kylian Mbappe and midfielder Thiago Alcantara on their wishlist.
Supporters have been giving their thoughts on the speculation via Reddit.
Comment from discussion Kylian Mbappe, Thiago Alcantara top Pep Guardiola’s transfer wishlist at Manchester City | Football News | Sky Sports.Comment from discussion Kylian Mbappe, Thiago Alcantara top Pep Guardiola’s transfer wishlist at Manchester City | Football News | Sky Sports.Comment from discussion Kylian Mbappe, Thiago Alcantara top Pep Guardiola’s transfer wishlist at Manchester City | Football News | Sky Sports.Comment from discussion Kylian Mbappe, Thiago Alcantara top Pep Guardiola’s transfer wishlist at Manchester City | Football News | Sky Sports.Comment from discussion Kylian Mbappe, Thiago Alcantara top Pep Guardiola’s transfer wishlist at Manchester City | Football News | Sky Sports.Comment from discussion Kylian Mbappe, Thiago Alcantara top Pep Guardiola’s transfer wishlist at Manchester City | Football News | Sky Sports.Comment from discussion Kylian Mbappe, Thiago Alcantara top Pep Guardiola’s transfer wishlist at Manchester City | Football News | Sky Sports.Comment from discussion Kylian Mbappe, Thiago Alcantara top Pep Guardiola’s transfer wishlist at Manchester City | Football News | Sky Sports.
Chelsea host Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday knowing only a win will keep their outside chance of qualifying for the Champions League alive. The Reds, meanwhile, know that just a point will clinch their place in Europe’s top competition next season barring an unprecedented turnaround in goal difference during the final few games.
It represents something of a Champions League shootout then, although Liverpool will feel confident of grabbing the points they need against Brighton at home on the final day of the season if they don’t pick them up at Stamford Bridge.
But heading into this weekend’s game, which manager is faced with the bigger injury problems? How could the referee influence the match? Who enters Sunday’s clash in the best form? And can history tell us anything about what to expect from the Blues and the Reds’ latest encounter? Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the 4.30pm kickoff…
What History Tells Us
Quite incredibly, from their 51 Premier League meetings to date Chelsea and Liverpool have won, lost and drawn precisely the same number of games with 19 victories apiece. The Blues will argue they’ve performed somewhat better than the former during those encounters though; they’ve scored more goals and kept more clean sheets, albeit suffering twice as many red cards in the process.
Likewise, Chelsea have beaten Liverpool more times than they’ve failed to at Stamford Bridge – a ground where the Anfield outfit’s win rate is less than 25%. But the Blues haven’t actually beaten Sunday’s visitors in the Premier League since 2014 after claiming three victories on the bounce, a run that has seen them draw 1-1 four times and lose twice.
Form Guide
Who enters this fixture in better form almost depends on your interpretation of what that means. While Chelsea have claimed more wins than Liverpool during their respective last six Premier League outings, the Reds haven’t actually lost in that time – their last top flight defeat was to Manchester United at the start of March – whereas the Blues were beaten by London rivals Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.
But Liverpool haven’t faced the most formidable of competition, their highest ranked Premier League opponents being Merseyside rivals Everton. They also failed to beat relegation threatened Stoke last time out, and were held to a 2-2 draw with bottom-placed West Brom.
In terms of goalscorers, meanwhile, although he didn’t produce much against Roma on Wednesday night or the Potters last weekend, former Chelsea man Mohamed Salah has averaged more than one goal a game during Liverpool’s last six outings. Chelsea, on the other hand, have been forced to depend on six different goalscorers netting once apiece, alongside Olivier Giroud who has bagged two.
Referee Influence – Anthony Taylor
Alongside Michael Oliver, Anthony Taylor is probably the strongest referee the Premier League boasts at this moment in time. There’s real authority about the 39-year-old and all of his returns this season, ranking between seventh and 14th from the 20 referees to work in the top flight, reflect a healthy balance between avoiding needless decisions and making the important ones. That should ensure a fair contest on Sunday that isn’t decided by a moment of controversy from the man with the whistle.
Perhaps the worrying news for Chelsea though, is that less than half the games Taylor’s officiated this season have ended in home wins. Only victory will do for the west Londoners this weekend, but Taylor’s season thus far suggests that’s more unlikely than likely.
Team News
While Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Swansea City last weekend wasn’t wholly convincing, we’re expecting Antonio Conte to stick with almost exactly the same lineup, with the exception of Marcos Alonso – who Transfermarkt value at £31.5million – returning to the starting XI following his three-game suspension. Emerson Palmieri has performed well in his absence but the Spaniard has been one of the key lynchpins in Chelsea’s system under Conte since the start of last season.
And it’s likely the Italian will stick with the same shape from last weekend, chiefly because it sealed Chelsea a crucial point at Anfield in the reverse fixture earlier this season with Eden Hazard in a free role just behind a central striker. The Belgium international created five chances that day, including the assist to Willian, and completed ten dribbles.
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Likewise, although Jurgen Klopp could ring the changes after an exhausting clash against Roma in midweek, victory this Sunday will seal Liverpool’s Champions League status with a game to spare and the German gaffer will likely be keen to keep the momentum going heading into the Reds’ European final.
Once again then, the only predicted change is on the side of defence, with 14-cap England international Nathaniel Clyne potentially coming in for Trent Alexander-Arnold. The youngster was exposed at times by Roma and it shouldn’t be forgotten that Clyne had established himself as one of the more dependable full-backs in the Premier League before his lengthy injury layoff. He played the entirety of the Merseyside derby and has picked up minutes from the bench since then, so should have recovered some of his match sharpness.
So much of Mauricio Pochettino’s success at Tottenham has been based on the development of young players that it is understandable to see the club’s fans fawning over the latest crop of youth talent in pursuit of the next cab off the rank who can help the first team continue their progression.
It would appear that Reo Griffiths is the man among the current crop who has grabbed the imagination to the greatest extent among the Spurs’ fanbase.
The academy prospect is a striker who scores goals for fun and there is simply nothing that gets football fans quite as excited as a player who knows where the net is.
As the Spurs Under-19s stormed into the semi-finals of yet another tournament, the prolific Griffiths was the man all the fans wanted to talk about.
Some hope he can be kept from the clutches of RB Leipzig, while others want him to become part of the first-team sooner rather than later…
Everton fans are absolutely gutted for Oumar Niasse, after the Senegalese striker missed out on his country’s World Cup squad.
There are plenty of players who Everton fans feel have been hard done by in recent times, and Oumar Niasse is certainly one of them.
The Senegalese striker has nearly always made a positive impact when he gets a chance, but has started just ten times in the Premier League this season.
The 28 year-old clearly hasn’t had the trust of either Ronald Koeman or Sam Allardyce, but has still managed nine goals and two assists in all competitions this season.
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Remarkably, the speedy striker actually has the most shots on target in the league for Everton this season (18), despite only making ten starts.
The striker’s progress has obviously not been noted by his country though, as he was left out of the squad for this summer’s World Cup. Toffee teammate Idriss Gueye is in the squad.
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Fans are devastated for their cult hero, and they can’t believe Stoke City’s Mame Biram Diouf has been selected instead.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
According to reports in the Sun on Sunday, Everton have joined a number of their Premier League rivals in the race to sign £60m-rated Crystal Palace attacker Wilfried Zaha, who earns more than £120,000-a-week according to The Guardian.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Sun on Sunday says that the Toffees, along with Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City, are all keen on the 25-year-old, who would play a key part in a new manager’s reign at Goodison Park.
The Sun on Sunday says that Marco Silva is the favourite to take the hot-seat that Sam Allardyce was sacked from on Wednesday, and that Zaha is seen as a player who can significantly improve their chances of qualifying for Europe next season.
The report adds that the Eagles are prepared to fight to keep their star man at Selhurst Park, after he proved to be influential in their bid to stay in the Premier League this term.
How good was Zaha this season?
He was brilliant, and is showing the consistency needed to make an impact for one of the top clubs in the English top flight.
The Ivory Coast international scored nine goals and provided a further five assists in 29 Premier League appearances, including one in the 2-2 draw between the Eagles and Everton, whose fans on Twitter want to see two Eredivisie stars follow Marcel Brands to Goodison Park, at Selhurst Park in November.
According to WhoScored.com, Zaha made 53 key passes in total, while he also successfully completed 119 of the 197 dribbles he attempted.
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Would he be a good signing for Everton?
He certainly would be, but the club may question whether he is worth £60m despite the fact that they were willing to splash out on Gylfi Sigurdsson from Swansea City last summer.
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Nevertheless, there is no doubt that Zaha causes huge problems to opposition defences because of his pace, trickery and general unpredictability, and he would be an effective player in the Toffees frontline.
The 25-year-old can play as a centre-forward or on either wing, and that versatility is another big positive as he could take up a position in any of the front three spots for the Merseyside outfit.
There is no doubt that he would be an upgrade on Yannick Bolasie on the left and would provide some much-needed competition for Cenk Tosun through the middle, and he is the type of player that would help Everton gatecrash the dominance the top six clubs showed in the Premier League this season.
According to Sky Sports, Leeds United are reportedly getting closer to appointing Marcelo Bielsa as Paul Heckingbottom’s successor, and if they do the Argentine manager should make an audacious move to bring Athletic Bilbao striker Artiz Aduriz to Elland Road.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Yorkshire outfit sacked Heckingbottom on Friday after he won just four of his 16 Championship matches at the helm, and it appears they are closing in on getting the 62-year-old as his replacement.
Bielsa has managed Argentina, Chile, Marseille and Bilbao among others, and he was a huge success at the latter, for whom he re-signed Aduriz from Valencia in 2012.
The centre-forward has gone on to be a huge success for the Spanish club and despite being 37 years of age and having just one year left on his contract, he continues to find the net on a regular basis – he has 165 goals in 365 matches in total for them.
How did Aduriz do during the 2017/18 campaign?
He was, once again, excellent.
The veteran striker scored 20 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions for Bilbao – with eight of those coming in the Europa League – while he also provided a further two assists.
While the 37-year-old doesn’t have too much pace, he is hugely effective in the air and as well as being a bit of a specialist when it comes to scoring with his head, according to WhoScored.com he won 153 of the 278 aerial duels he faced in 43 outings in La Liga and in Europe last season.
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Would he be a good signing for Leeds?
He certainly would be, and one that would excite the fans, who believe the club is close to confirming their first summer signing following a huge development.
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While he may not be speedy, Aduriz is strong, good in the air and able to hold the ball up for his teammates, which means he would be perfect in the lone striker role in Bielsa’s preferred 3-3-3-1 formation.
It would be a huge coup to bring the Spaniard to Elland Road despite his age, and with just a year left on his contract he may well be tempted by one last challenge in his career.
He would also finally be a replacement – albeit in the short-term – for Chris Wood, and would boost the Yorkshire outfit’s goal threat in what is going to be a hugely important 2018/19 season for them.
According to L’Equipe, Manchester United are preparing a £31m move for Sevilla defender Clement Lenglet.United boss Jose Mourinho is in the market for a new centre-back this summer, and the Red Devils have been strongly linked with Tottenham Hotspur’s Toby Alderweireld.However, according to L’Equipe, Lenglet has emerged as a potential transfer target ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.The 22-year-old was in outstanding form for Sevilla last season – scoring four times in 54 appearances in all competitions for the Spanish outfit.[brid autoplay=”true” video=”253293″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Four times Jose Mourinho spoiled the party”]Spanish champions Barcelona have been strongly linked with a move for the Frenchman, but it appears that United are confident of swooping in to land the centre-back, if they so wish.There is absolutely no question that Lenglet has talent, and he would certainly be cheaper than Alderweireld, who is believed to be valued in the region of £75m.The United fans have been reacting to the transfer speculation surrounding Lenglet, and a selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
According to Turkish website Milliyet, Everton’s Yannick Bolasie is a target for Fenerbahce.
The Congolese international joined Everton two years ago for a reported fee of £26million but has struggled to impress for the Toffees.
The 29-year-old made 16 appearances last season, scoring just once and not registering a single assist.
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The player did suffer a serious injury after only 13 Premier League appearances for the club which ruled him out for 12 months but it now appears that Everton are willing to let their player leave for the coming season.
The report says that Fenerbahce have made a loan offer for the player.
Having not yet managed a full season for the Merseyside club, it may be a bit harsh to judge Bolasie on his poor return, but Everton fans seem to be happy with the news that one of their players might soon be on his way out of the club.
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Supporters have been reacting to the news on social media and this is what they had to say:
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”255857″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Everton’s opening fixtures for the 201819 Premier League season”]