Leeds United fans have been giving their views to reports that the club’s goalkeeper Rob Green is wanted by Arsenal.
The story, which has come from the Sun on Sunday, claims that manager Arsene Wenger is considering the Englishman as his number two keeper behind Petr Cech.
It is believed that the futures of David Ospina, Wojciech Szczesny and Emiliano Martinez are in doubt due to other clubs showing an interest.
The report states that Fenerbahce are eyeing current number two Ospina, while Juventus are keeping track of Szczesny following his two-year loan stint at Roma.
As for Martinez, Spanish side Valencia are believed to be admirers of the shot-stopper, who has been an Arsenal player since 2010 when he joined the youth academy from Independiente.
Green signed for Leeds from Queens Park Rangers in 2016, and went on to make 47 appearances in all competitions under former manager Garry Monk.
After the surprise news emerged of Arsenal’s reported interest, Leeds fans took to Twitter, with the majority laughing it off.
The biggest transfer news of the past week involves potential moves for two big-name strikers to either Chelsea or Manchester United.
With Man United having reportedly agreed a £75million fee for Romelu Lukaku, the Independent is reporting the Real Madrid’s Alvaro Morata is now determined to join Antonio Conte at Chelsea.
Interestingly enough, earlier it in the summer it looked like Lukaku would be returning to former club Chelsea while Morata joined Jose Mourinho at Manchester United.
The 21-cap Spain international, valued at £34m by transfermarkt, scored 15 league goals in 14 starts for the European champions and is looking for more of a starting role, which he would certainly get at Chelsea or United. The Red Devils were put off by Madrid’s £90m valuation of their super-sub and quickly turned their attention to Lukaku.
59-cap Belgium international Lukaku, valued at £42.5m by transfermarkt, scored 25 league goals for the Toffees last campaign and his Premier League experience makes him a better option for either club. The 24-year old has the physicality needed to thrive in England and comes at a more reasonable price than Morata, whose 20 total goals last season were his career high.
Do you think Mourinho is making the right choice United fans? Let us know by voting below…
Following an impressive 3-0 win against Saint-Etienne in their previous pre-season friendly fixture on Saturday, Southampton fans would have been hopeful of another positive result when their team hosted Bundesliga outfit Augsburg at St Mary’s on Wednesday.
Saints secured an eighth-place finish in the Premier League last season while their German opponents ended the campaign in 13th and just one point above the bottom three.
However, things certainly didn’t go to plan for Mauricio Pellegrino in his first match in charge at St Mary’s with two first-half goals from Michael Gregoritsch giving the visitors a 2-0 advantage at the break.
If the Argentine boss expected an improvement after the interval he was disappointed as further goals from Ja-Cheol Koo and Raphael Framberger saw Augsburg secure a comfortable 4-0 win.
While of course you shouldn’t be too hasty following a heavy defeat in a friendly, it seems to be glaringly obvious that the Southampton side needs boosting with new players in certain areas to have any chance of competing for a European spot next season – which should be the aim.
Here are three positions the south coast need to strengthen in after the Augsburg humiliation…
Centre-back
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With the situation regarding the future of Virgil van Dijk still far from being sorted and the Dutchman refusing to play and being kept in isolation away from the rest of the squad, Southampton have had Maya Yoshida, Jack Stephens, Jan Bednarek and Florin Gardos as their centre-backs in their pre-season friendlies to date.
While Stephens and Yoshida did a fine job in the second-half of last season, it seems to be clear that Saints need a new, dominant central defender whether Van Dijk stays or not if they are to challenge for Europe, with summer signing Bednarek and forgotten man Gardos not looking to have the quality needed for the Premier League.
Central midfield
Southampton were at their strongest when they had Victor Wanyama alongside Morgan Schneiderlin in the middle of the park a few seasons ago, and they don’t really seem to have replaced the effective Kenyan since he left for Tottenham a year ago.
While Romeu was Saints’ stand-out performer last term, he is more of a hybrid of the aforementioned duo as he can tackle but also has good technical ability, and he could do with a new partner with the likes of Steven Davis, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Jordy Claise failing to make the grade.
The south coast outfit are certainly missing that physical presence in the middle of the park and one that provides a barrier in front of the central defensive pairing.
Southampton became renowned for having one of the best defences in the Premier League but the 4-0 defeat against Augsburg will be a worrying sign ahead of the new campaign.
Right wing
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Saints boss Pellegrino has preferred the 4-2-3-1 formation that has served the club so well in the past during pre-season and it has often been Shane Long that has been picked out wide despite making his career as a striker.
However, the Republic of Ireland international has struggled to make an impression there and with Nathan Redmond likely to continue on the left after linking up so well with Ryan Bertrand last season, Southampton must be looking to bring in an out-and-out right winger with James Ward-Prowse often featuring there last term.
Although they do have Sofiane Boufal and Dusan Tadic, it appears as though those two players are more effective in the attacking midfield role rather than out wide.
According to reports on ESPN FC, Southampton are closing in on the signing of Juventus midfielder Mario Lemina with sources close to the player saying he is due to have a medical on Sunday.
The Guardian says the 23-year-old will cost the south coast outfit a club-record £18m fee, with £2m to potentially follow in add-ons for a player that has also attracted interest from their Premier League rivals Stoke City and Watford.
The Gabon international has struggled to cement a regular spot in the starting line-up for the Italian giants following a permanent move from Marseille last summer, and he made just eight Serie A starts last term.
If Lemina completes his move to St Mary’s he will be the second summer arrival of young Polish defender Jan Bednarek and Southampton fans were quick to have their say on the potential addition via social media.
While many believe he is what they are missing in the midfield and could prove to be a bargain buy, others say he is good enough to go on and be worth a bigger fee than the one Van Dijk would currently command.
According to reports in The Sun, Sunderland are keen to re-sign midfielder Grant Leadbitter from Middlesbrough before the transfer window slams shut at the end of this month.
The Sun says that even though the 31-year-old is club captain at the Riverside Stadium, he is likely to find first team football hard to come by under new boss Garry Monk this season.
Leadbitter, who is valued at just £1.8m by transfermarkt.com, was an unused substitute in their 1-0 opening day Championship defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, and the report adds that Simon Grayson could look to sign him in a cut-price deal as he has just one year left on his Boro contract.
Meanwhile, Leeds United manager Thomas Christiansen has already significantly strengthened his squad with a number of additions already this summer, but he may not be finished in the transfer market just yet as he looks to lead the Yorkshire outfit back to the Premier League for the first time since 2004.
Here are three reasons Leeds should hijack Sunderland’s bid to sign Leadbitter…
Quality
The midfielder certainly showed how good he can be at this level when he was an influential performer in Middlesbrough’s promotion to the Premier League in the 2015/16 campaign.
Making 40 Championship appearances, Leadbitter showed his attacking abilities by scoring four goals and picking up three assists from the 59 chances he created, while he showed how comfortable he is in possession by successfully completing 12 of the 18 take-ons he attempted.
However, the 31-year-old is also effective defensively too and he won 56 tackles as well as making 68 interceptions and 37 clearances.
While he found first team football harder to come by in the top flight last season – mainly because he had a hernia at the beginning of the campaign – the midfielder can certainly still be a hit at this level.
Experience
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As we mentioned previously, Leadbitter captained Middlesbrough to promotion from this division just two seasons ago and that experience and knowledge could prove to be vital if the 31-year-old moved to Elland Road – even on a short-term deal.
While Leeds have some great young players like Kalvin Phillips and Ronaldo Vieira in the middle of the park – Christiansen may feel that he needs a more experienced head in what is a vital part of the pitch alongside the more senior pros like Liam Bridcutt, Eunan O’Kane and Mateusz Klich.
Having spent seven of the last eight seasons of his career in the Championship, Leadbitter could prove to be an influential figure on and off the pitch.
Leadership
Having captained Middlesbrough in the Championship as well as when he started in the Premier League last season, Leadbitter has those leadership skills that can prove to be so important over the course of the 46-game campaign.
That is one of the reasons Steve Bruce would have chosen to sign John Terry this summer, while Leeds have strong characters like Pontus Jansson and Liam Bridcutt in the side already, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to add another to try and help them finish in the top six and finally try and secure that long-awaited Premier League return.
Juventus have contacted Chelsea over a possible deal involving club captain Gary Cahill, according to The Sun.
What’s the story?
Only a month ago, the Blues made Cahill captain following the departure of stalwart John Terry, but now it seems that his future could be in doubt.
The Sun claim that Italian giants Juve – Antonio Conte’s former club – have made initial enquiries about a possible transfer for the centre-back.
It is believed that the Serie A club are hunting for a new man to help marshall their defence following Leonardo Bonucci’s move to AC Milan.
Juve reportedly switched their attention to Cahill after learning that he may not play a regular role at Stamford Bridge this season.
The arrival of Antonio Rudiger suggests that one of David Luiz, Cesar Azpilicueta or Cahill will have their playing time cut.
How important is Cahill?
For Conte to hand the former Bolton Wanderers defender the captain’s armband suggests that he is an integral part of the team.
However, being leader of the pack does not necessarily mean that playing time is guaranteed, as a large part of a captain’s job is to be an example off the pitch.
It is no secret that some fans grew frustrated with the England international last season, and he did not help his case by getting sent off against Burnley in the first Premier League game of the season.
There is a chance that he will have a spot on the bench more often during the campaign, but it would make no sense for the Blues to let him go.
Chelsea have not had the most positive of transfer windows having sold Nemanja Matic to Manchester United and Diego Costa refusing to return to the club.
So, losing Cahill as well could severely damage the club’s reputation as an elite force, while also potentially causing uncertainty among the players.
Aston Villa will be looking to improve on their disappointing start to the Championship season when they host one of the other pre-season favourites for promotion at Villa Park on Tuesday night in the form of Middlesbrough.
Steve Bruce’s men have won just one of their opening six fixtures to leave them in 18th position, despite bringing the likes of John Terry, Glenn Whelan and Ahmed Elmohamady to the club during the summer transfer window.
Villa were held to a goalless draw by Brentford at Villa Park on Saturday, and it was once again their lack of cutting edge that cost them – something that was also a huge problem as they finished 13th last term.
It certainly won’t be an easy task to take all three points when they host Garry Monk’s Boro side either, with the Teesside outfit recovering from taking just one point from two league fixtures by comfortably beating Bolton Wanderers 3-0 at the Macron Stadium last the weekend.
The win was their first in 13 months away from home and they will travel to the Midlands in confident mood on Tuesday.
Here are four key battles that will decide the result when Villa host Middlesbrough…
Neil Taylor vs Adama Traore
Former Aston Villa man Traore has electric pace and loves to run at opposition full-backs, but he has struggled to find that quality in the final third when needed – until Saturday that is.
The 21-year-old winger assisted both of Britt Assombalonga’s goals in the 3-0 win against Bolton, and the former Barcelona man is likely to be one of his side’s biggest attacking threats when he makes his return to Villa Park.
Taylor is an experienced defender but he will know that he could have a really tough task on his hands in trying to keep the Spaniard quiet.
John Terry vs Britt Assombalonga
Two of the stand-out signings by Championship clubs during the summer transfer window come up against each other on Tuesday night when Terry will be tasked with stopping an in-form Assombalonga.
The Villa captain will not be pleased with the start the defence has made to the season after conceding nine goals in their opening six league fixtures, and he will know that he will need to be at his best to stop the threat from Assombalonga.
Middlesbrough signed the prolific 24-year-old from Nottingham Forest for a club-record £15m fee in July and he has already scored four Championship goals for them this term, including two against Bolton on Saturday.
Scott Hogan vs Ben Gibson
Keinan Davis has led the line for Aston Villa ever since he impressed after being handed a start in the win over Norwich City last month, but he could lose his place in the team for the visit of Middlesbrough.
The 19-year-old was taken off on the hour-mark against Brentford on Saturday after struggling to make an impact, and he could be replaced by the more experienced Hogan on Tuesday night as Steve Bruce searches for goals.
The former Brentford man has struggled with injury and form since making the move to Villa Park from the Bees during the January transfer window, although he has scored three goals in two EFL Cup appearances this term.
If he does start Hogan will be coming up against one of the best centre-backs in the division in Gibson though, who was one of his team’s stand-out players in the Premier League last term despite their relegation.
Robert Snodgrass vs Cyrus Christie
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Steve Bruce boosted his squad with the signing of West Ham winger Snodgrass on a season-long loan deal towards the end of August, and the Scot could be handed his full debut against Middlesbrough on Tuesday night.
The 30-year-old came off the substitutes’ bench against Brentford on Saturday but he couldn’t help Villa find the breakthrough against the Bees.
Snodgrass is likely to be handed a start against Boro with Andre Green injured and Keinan Davis struggling to make an impression last time out, and he will be looking to provide some ammunition and quality from the left-hand side – something he did for Hull City at this level two seasons ago.
If he does start he will come up against right-back Christie, who has been an ever-present and solid performer for the Teesside outfit so far this season after moving to the Riverside Stadium from Derby County during the summer.
Do you agree, Villa and Boro fans? Let us know below.
West Ham boast two representatives in Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad for upcoming qualifiers with Slovenia and Lithuania, but it remains to be seen whether either will have a significant role to play at the World Cup in Russia next summer.
Aaron Cresswell is very much a stand-in at left-back for the likes of Luke Shaw and Danny Rose, while summer loan signing Joe Hart’s status as the Three Lions’ No.1 has come under serious threat during the last few years.
While Hart, who Transfermarkt value at £11.7million, came under criticism for his performances at Euro 2016 and hasn’t quite been at his best at club level for a good few years now, the 30-year-old now faces intense competition from a number of rival glovesmen – namely Jordan Pickford, Jack Butland, Fraser Forster and Tom Heaton.
So, West Ham fans, who do you think should be Southgate’s first-choice shot-stopper by the time the World Cup comes around in 2018? Let us know by voting below…
Aston Villa are on a very positive run in the Championship having gone seven games unbeaten.Steve Bruce’s side claimed their fourth league win of the season on Tuesday night in the form of a 4-0 triumph over Burton Albion on away soil.On an individual level, Conor Hourihane is performing well having scored five goals in the Championship so far.The 26-year-old took to Twitter on Thursday to provide some motivating messages, insisting that he and his teammates need to continue their unbeaten run.
The Midlands outfit will play at home this weekend when they welcome Bolton Wanderers to Villa Park.
In the last five meetings between the pair, both have won two, while the other match ended in a 1-1 draw, but there is currently a gulf in between them in the league table.
As it stands, Villa sit eighth in the standings, a whopping 14 points above the Trotters, who are situated at the bottom with just two points to their name.