World Cup 2018 Golden Boot: Kane beats Lukaku & Mbappe to top scorer award
The Tottenham striker won the battle for sharpshooting supremacy, which involved some of the best strikers in the world
The Tottenham striker won the battle for sharpshooting supremacy, which involved some of the best strikers in the world
Leeds United are enjoying a strong run of form in their returning Premier League campaign. Thanks to numerous solid performances and Marcelo Bielsa’s steady hand on the throttle, the Whites are in a more than respectable 10th place in the table, one point ahead of upcoming opposition Arsenal.
Victor Orta and co didn’t utilise their option to splurge in the January transfer window, but could have some surprises up their sleeve leading into the summer. The future of Jack Harrison still remains unknown, but Leeds have the opportunity to bring him to Elland Road permanently for a fee of £10million.
Phil Hay recently confirmed that the club officials are keen on activating this clause, but if something goes wrong with the deal, Harrison will depart the club in the summer upon the expiry of his loan contract.
This is very similar for the manager himself. Bielsa is into the last six months of his deal with Leeds and no talks as of yet have emerged regarding an extension. However, Hay has one again come up with the goods and has delivered some very telling comments regarding Bielsa’s future.
In the latest episode of The Phil Hay Show, he discusses the Argentine and his role at the club. The Athletic reporter revealed that Bielsa is happy where he is, despite only penning a one-year deal back in September.
For fans, this will be a delightful piece of news. The 65-year-old is hugely respected by the Leeds fanbase and is held in high regard after he took them back to the Premier League following 16 long years away. Whites supporters will not want to see their boss go anywhere any time soon.
Even Andrea Radrizzani recently expressed his desire to see Bielsa stay at the club. He clearly fits the club very well and his results so far have been admirable for a side fresh up from the Championship. The fans, players and club officials would no doubt be elated if Bielsa decided to commit his future to Leeds.
In other news, Raphinha footage shows Leeds struck gold on the transfer market…
Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for a Serie A winger this week…
According to Club Doria, Spurs boss Jose Mourinho is keen on signing Sampdoria sensation Mikkel Damsgaard with the north London outfit expected to bid ‘at any moment.’
It comes after mooted interest from Premier League rivals West Ham United, who are said to have held a meeting with the 20-year-old attacker.
There are also claims that his impressive performances this season has attracted Italian giants Inter Milan and Juventus.
Earlier in the month, it was reported by Gazzetta dello Sport that his value had tripled to around €20m (£18m).
Indeed, the young Dane has been one of the Claudio Rainieri’s star performers since his 50m kroner (£4.5m) move from FC Nordsjælland in the summer as he ranks fifth for average rating (6.78) of any player to start at least ten times.
Damsgaard has contributed two goals and three assists in 18 appearances, per WhoScored.
Whilst no other player in the I Blucerchiati squad is averaging more than his three dribbles per 90 minutes. He successfully pulls these off at a rate of 62.5%, which means more often than not, he beats his man.
Another interesting attribute of the industrious wide man is his defensive and off-the-ball capabilities, which may well point towards why Mourinho may be so keen to sign him.
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He’s averaged the sixth-most tackles in this Sampdoria team, managing 2.4 per game, making him quite a hard man to bypass on the flank. A tackle success-rate of just over 50% highlights the sort of graft he’s able to put in to deny the opposition, via WhoScored.
We’ve seen this sort of player over in north London already with Steven Bergwijn. Whilst his goal returns have been poor – contributing only two assists in the Premier League all season – he offers Mourinho a lot defensively.
For example, no other Spurs winger is averaging more than the Dutchman’s 0.8 tackles per game, whilst his seasonal heat map shows he’s having more of an influence in his own half, meaning he’s tracking back and helping whoever is starting between Serge Aurier or Matt Doherty.
It is why the former PSV star regularly starts (eight times) over Lucas Moura (four starts) and Gareth Bale (one start) in the Premier League.
As seen above, via SofaScore, one of Bergwijn’s most intense positions is just before the halfway line.
As a further example, the following is his heatmap against Arsenal – he failed to score or assist, but was imperious towards them keeping a clean sheet as he was almost acting as a wing-back.
Indeed, SofaScore graded him an abysmal 6.4 but you bet Mourinho was still happy with his display as he managed two tackles, two clearances and one successful dribble – all similar characteristics to Damsgaard.
The versatile Sampdoria winger has also caught the eye of former Spurs midfielder Christian Eriksen – he told TV2 Sport earlier in the campaign:
“We talked together after the match. He praised me for the situation around my assist. He is a really nice person and really sweet to talk to. It was just nice that he wanted to talk to me after the match.”
That day, Damsgaard ghosted past two Inter Milan defenders before slotting Keita Balde’s second-half winner and again proved he could contribute at either end of the pitch as he won five duels and made one clearance, per SofaScore.
It’s no wonder that PL-winning boss Rainieri tipped him to have a “big future.”
As we’ve seen with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Bergwijn, Mourinho loves a relentless workhorse and the Danish starlet would bring that as well as an extra creative influence in the attack, as evident throughout this piece.
For just £18m, Daniel Levy could well secure Spurs another Bergwijn-like beast.
AND in other news, £27m-rated passenger who made ONLY eight passes badly let Mourinho down on Monday…
Reports earlier in the week by Sampiy10 claimed Everton are monitoring Christian Luyindama’s uncertain future at Galatasaray, but Marcel Brands would be barking up the entirely wrong tree by pursuing a January transfer of the DR Congo defender.
Everton are in the midst of a challenge for Champions League qualification under Carlo Ancelotti, having enjoyed their best start to a season since the 2013/14 campaign with 32 points after 17 games.
That season’s early efforts returned 34 points by the same stage of the campaign to sit level with Chelsea but in fifth on goal difference, and ultimately fell seven points shy of fourth-placed Arsenal after losing one in every three of their remaining 21 fixtures.
If this term is to end any different for Everton, Brands and Ancelotti ought to be utilising the winter market to strengthen the Italian’s squad with options who can prove the difference. However, Luyindama would more likely than not prove a wasted investment if signed.
Galatasaray are claimed to be open to parting company with Luyindama during the winter market amid claims of interest from Everton and Aston Villa, as the Turkish giants believe his departure will raise funds that can be put to better use elsewhere.
Yet the Turk Telekom Stadium natives will only sell for offers that exceed €10m (£9m), having seen head coach Fatih Terim utilise the 6 ft 3 titan in 65% of his starting line-ups, with Luyindama given opening roles in 11 of his 13 appearances in Super Lig fixtures ahead of Sunday’s derby with Besiktas.
Luyindama began the season as Terim’s first-choice option but lost his place in Cimbom’s backline after a 2-1 win at Sivasspor in November, which has helped Galatasaray to produce a title-chasing season with three points at Vodafone Park this weekend enough to move above their top-of-the-table rivals.
The likelihood of Luyindama moving to Goodison Park and improving Ancelotti’s defensive line would have to be questioned, especially in a season in which the Italian has a realistic chance of securing Everton’s return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2005/06 season.
Luyindama would not be arriving to offer any experience of playing for the best sides in Europe with his time at Galatasaray the highest level the 27-year-old has ever reached, while only ever making 15 outings on the international stage since making his DR Congo debut in 2017.
Yerry Mina may not have lasted long at FC Barcelona before departing the La Liga powerhouse in a £27m deal two-and-a-half years ago, playing just six times across all competitions, yet at least featured for the Camp Nou natives as they clinched the 2017/18 title.
He is now a firm fixture of Ancelotti’s backline, even though the Italian expects the occasional mistake from the 26-year-old, who has started 15 of Everton’s Premier League games, he would find himself hard done by to be displaced by Luyindama.
The Galatasaray man may be a colossus in the air with success in 3.6 duels a game in the Super Lig this term thanks to a 66% success rate, per SofaScore, enough to rank first at Goodison Park for the efforts of Everton’s current central defenders in Premier League games, but is not an unmovable force for opposition forwards.
Luyindama would rank last on the blue side of Stanley Park for successful tackles a game (0.6) if he were to bring his Super Lig performances to the Premier League, and would join Seamus Coleman as the only member of Ancelotti’s backline in having made errors that have led to opponents taking a shot.
Luyindama has also given away one penalty, which only Andre Gomes, Tom Davies and Ben Godfrey – when playing at left-back – have done to date in the English top-flight. Ancelotti further already has Godfrey, Mason Holgate and Michael Keane to contend with Mina for minutes after sanctioning a loan deal for Jarrad Branthwaite to join Blackburn Rovers for the rest of the season.
AND in other news, Everton have no reason not to sell a £7m outcast in the January transfer window.
In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former footballer and current pundit Carlton Palmer has spoken about young Norwich City right-back Max Aarons.
The 21-year-old defender was a regular in Daniel Farke’s side last season but was unable to help them stave off relegation to the Championship; making 36 appearances and averaging a 6.55 rating.
His last spell in the second division saw him win the Championship young player of the year award and he has started this season in impressive form, averaging a 6.83 rating for his performances, with the Canaries once again top of the league.
Palmer seems to think that the England U21 international is destined for a move to a top-four club and tipped him to be a Manchester City player in the future.
Asked whether he thought Aarons would be a good signing for Manchester United in January, Palmer told FFC exclusively:
“I don’t think they’ll let him go in January, I think he’s their key to getting back to the Premier League. I think if they get back in the Premier League, I think they’ll find it hard to keep hold of him because I think the offers will come in. It wouldn’t surprise me if the likes of Man City went after him.
“The way he plays, he looks like a Man City player and I think he could fit into their style of system quite easily. He’s a talented young player, I would think he’s on all the top clubs’ radar.”
Certainly, Aarons has been attracting interest from United in recent weeks according to The Sun, so the Citizens would have to see off competition from their rivals if they wanted to bring the 21-year-old to the Etihad in the near future.
Whilst both Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker have been in impressive form at times this season, the latter is now 30-years-old and as he gets older you wonder how much of his explosive pace, which is so important to his game, he will be able to maintain, so perhaps Aarons could come in as his long-term replacement.
As Palmer suggests though, the £18 million-rated man would not come cheap and will no doubt be keen to help the Canaries earn promotion back to the top-flight, so the Citizens may have to wait until the summer until making a potential move.
AND, in other news, 108 touches: MCFC beast is proving he can replace City’s ageing £150k-p/w titan…
What Sunderland do in the January transfer market will be fascinating to witness.
One thing’s for certain, Lee Johnson and Kristjaan Speakman will look to sign a player that’s competent in attacking scenarios.
Speaking last week about what he needed in his side, Johnson admitted that he could do with a player capable of stretching the play a bit more.
Of course, Jack Diamond’s introduction has helped somewhat with that but signing a more experienced professional certainly wouldn’t go amiss.
While this is all going on, Sunderland also have a takeover happening in the background. Prospective buyer William Storey outlined that if he sealed the deal, he’d look to bring in some Premier League players from respective U23 sides.
Thus, The Sunderland Echo have compiled a list of targets that could be available. One such player is Southampton’s Josh Sims.
The winger is currently on loan at Doncaster in League One but his deal with the club expires in January so may be available to move on loan elsewhere.
This deal depends on a host of things. Whether the Saints want to loan him again, or whether he just stays at Donny. Currently, Sims is rated at £1.4m.
Sunderland need to sign quick players in January and in Sims, they’d have their missing ingredient.
Speaking about the 23-year-old winger, Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl said: “I think the system’s perfect for him. And he’s not so easy to defend, because he’s small, quick and has good movement.”
That must be music to the ears of supporters at the Stadium of Light, people who became accustomed to some laboured build-up play under Phil Parkinson.
However, most promisingly is his similarities to Jonny Williams. The Charlton attacker spent a period of time on loan with the Mackems in 2017/18 but unfortunately endured most of the season out injured.
That being said, when he did play, he demonstrated immense qualities with the ball at his feet. He was a creative spark and if he’d been fit all season, the Black Cats may have stayed in the Championship.
Sims has six strikes this season and has also created eight goals, and if we compare the two players more closely, there are clear similarities.
For Sunderland, Williams averaged one dribble per game while Sims is currently averaging 0.9 for Donny. Furthermore, they are both fouled with great regularity. The former was brought down 1.4 times a game during his spell in the north-east. Sims, on the other hand, is fouled 1.7 times a game.
Combine that with the fact they can play on either wing or through the middle and you have two creative players who can magic something out of nothing.
Sims would be an astute capture if Speakman can pull off a deal.
AND in other news, Storey would be staring at INSTANT disaster if Sunderland sign ace with “big energy”…
Xherdan Shaqiri was linked with a move away from Liverpool throughout the summer transfer window and although no deal could be completed for the former Bayern Munich man, it looks as though he is still likely to depart in the near future, as he remains on the fringes of Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
Unfortunately for the German manager, and sporting director Michael Edwards, the 29-year-old’s performance for Switzerland against Spain on Saturday night showed signs that he may no longer cut it at the top level.
Although 10-man Switzerland were only pegged back in the 89th minute after a Gerard Moreno goal, the Liverpool man’s disappointing display must be cause for concern for those at Anfield.
As per SofaScore, the winger picked up a disappointing 6.6 rating for his display, losing possession eight times in the 72 minutes he was on the pitch.
Perhaps most worryingly though, was that he was able to make just 12 successful passes during his time on the pitch, suggesting that he was unable to have any real impact on the game.
The 29-year-old also had just 25 touches of the ball and missed one big chance during the game, so it is perhaps no surprise that he was substituted by Vladimir Petković.
If any potential suitors took note of that display, they may well be put off trying to sign the Swiss international in January or next summer, which could cause a headache for Klopp and Michael Edwards.
Since joining from Stoke City in the summer of 2018, Shaqiri has gone on to make just 46 appearances for the Reds, contributing eight goals and six assists (per Transfermarkt).
This season has seen the winger make just two substitute appearances in the Premier League, although he was able to contribute an assist in one of those games (per WhoScored).
The £14.4 million rated man did earn the praise of Pep Lijnders earlier in the season for his performance in the League Cup against Lincoln, with the Dutch assistant manager saying:
“He had a superb game against Lincoln in a different position to he is used to playing so that makes it even more recognisable and great.”
“Also, for himself, to play [after a difficult spell with injuries] and play in this manner. If we expect one thing from Shaq it is that he tries to dictate the game and search for attacking solutions and be involved in the build-up and creating.” (per Liverpool Echo)
Whilst he has had his memorable moments at Anfield, including a brace against Manchester United in the 3-1 win in December 2018, you would imagine that with the summer signing of Diogo Jota, he perhaps does not have much time left with the Merseyside outfit but this international performance will have done his chances of earning a move away from the Reds no favours whatsoever.
When Manchester City allowed Douglas Luiz to join Aston Villa in 2019, it perhaps always seemed likely that the Brazilian would return once he started performing in the Premier League.
The Daily Star have reported recently that the Citizens are exploring the option of bringing him back to the club in January, following his impressive recent performances for Aston Villa.
Issues with the defensive midfielder’s work permit prevented him from making an appearance for the Citizens’ first-team during his time at the club and he opted to join Dean Smith’s side in a £15 million deal last summer (per BBC Sport).
Luiz joined City from Vasco da Gama in 2017 and after a two-year loan spell with Spanish side Girona, he finally departed for Villa, where he was able to secure a work permit.
Since then, the Brazilian has gone on to make 50 appearances for the Birmingham-based club, in which he has contributed three goals and four assists (per Transfermarkt).
His performances with Villa were enough to see him earn a call-up to the Brazilian national side, and he made his debut for Selecao in November of last year.
So far this season, the 22-year-old has appeared in all seven of Villa’s Premier League fixtures, in which he has provided one assist, with his performances earning him a solid average rating of 6.84 (per WhoScored).
Smith suggested last season that following the restart of the Premier League, the Brazilian had been “unbelievable” (per Hampshire Live), so he clearly holds him in high regard.
Unfortunately for the English manager, if City opt to activate their reported buy-back clause for Luiz, then there may not be much Aston Villa can do to keep him.
The youngster is perhaps touted as a long-term replacement for Fernandinho, with the 35-year-old’s best years certainly behind him now, and if he can have anywhere near the sort of impact the former Shakhtar Donetsk man has had during his time with the Citizens, then it will surely prove to be a good decision to bring him back.
If his impressive performances with the Villans continue, it certainly would not be a surprise to see him return to the blue half of Manchester in the near future.
If you look through Wolves’ squad and indeed their academy, they are incredibly lucky.
Why? Because their current crop of youngsters is arguably the best we’ve seen in the last decade. Morgan Gibbs-White is currently on loan at Swansea but in the summer, they brought the likes of Fabio Silva and Rayan Ait-Nouri to Molineux.
They are spoiled for choice when it comes to younger players, also possessing former Liverpool starlet Ki-Jana Hoever, someone with enormous potential.
Lest we forget Taylor Perry and Theo Corbeanu as well, the U23s top scorers this season. However, for now, we want to focus on a versatile individual who makes more of an impact in defensive situations.
The man in question is Austrian youth international Pascal Estrada, a teenager who can play at centre-back or midfield.
More naturally a defensive midfielder, he’s spent the 2020/21 season playing at the heart of defence for Wolves in Premier League 2. Whether that’s the best use of his talents remains to be seen, but there is already a firm belief he could be the heir to Joao Moutinho’s throne in the Midlands.
The experienced Portuguese has been a pillar of consistency since signing for Nuno Santo’s men but at the age of 35, he is in the twilight of his career. You feel as though someone like Moutinho could play for a long while yet but if they do want to make a change, they need to look no further than one of their own – Estrada.
Speaking in March 2019, the 18-year-old said: “Joao Moutinho plays a similar type of football to me. He has a lot of experience and has had some great performances at Molineux. He has everything, so intelligent and composed on the ball.”
So, we’ve heard it from the horse’s mouth, now he just needs to realise how far he can go in the game.
Estrada is yet to earn a senior call-up but it surely won’t be too long before we see the tall youngster on the first-team scene.
He battles hard and even pops up with the odd goal, scoring in a 3-0 win for the academy side over Fulham in November.
The teenager has lofty ambitions too. His favourite player is Toni Kroos and he wants to win the Champions League. First and foremost, however, is the domestic scene.
“My dream is to play in the Premier League. I’m loving every day right now,” Estrada commented last year.
It can’t be too long before we see the ball-playing midfielder in Nuno’s plans.
AND in other news, Wolves can DISCOVER their Conor Coady heir in rarely-seen starlet with “lots of pace”…
Several Manchester United fans are unhappy with the club’s reported plans to offer a contract extension to Paul Pogba.
The Daily Mail reported that the Red Devils are set to activate a one-year option on the Frenchman’s contract in order to protect his value, with his current deal at Old Trafford set to expire in 2022. The news was later shared on Twitter by @utdreport.
While the club have yet to formally discuss a longer extension to the 27-year-old’s contract, they know that they have the safety net of extending his current deal (as per Daily Mail).
Pogba became the then-most expensive player in world football when he rejoined United from Juventus in 2016 for £89.2m and has scored 32 goals in 159 games for the club since then, as well as making the PFA Team of the Year in 2018/19.
However, the midfielder has also been a lightning rod for criticism from elements of the Old Trafford faithful for some mediocre performances and has been accused by some pundits of having attitude problems, with persistent rumours of a move away from the club. He also came under from numerous supporters over a less than stellar display in the recent defeat to Crystal Palace.
These United fans on Twitter voiced their opposition to the reported plans to extend his contract, with one supporter fearing that it will “get messy”:
Man United fans, what have you made of Pogba’s time at the club so far? Have your say by commenting below!