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Recent reports have linked Sheffield United with a move for Birmingham City midfielder Jota Peleteiro.

The Spaniard has been out of sorts for a couple of seasons now, but there may not be a better place for him to recapture his best form which saw him gain many admirers during his time at Brentford.

The silky dribbler has only scored three goals this term, but his 11 assists show more of what he is capable of.

His strike tally from his time at Birmingham isn’t representative of what the 27-year-old is capable of. During his time at Brentford, he hit double figures in terms of goals in two separate campaigns, and there is no reason he can’t recapture that form at Bramall Lane.

The technician’s poor returns since his move to St Andrew’s has been attributed to his move to the right side of midfield. The consensus has been that Peleteiro is wasted out on the flank as during the most effective periods of his career he was playing through the middle.

In Chris Wilder’s 5-2-1-2 system, Jota would be able to return to the position in which he thrives most.

He would step into Mark Duffy’s current spot excellently and with the attacking style that the Blades play he would be able to recapture the type of form which saw him hit 12 goals in a Championship season.

Sheffield United’s current situation is not too dissimilar to Brentford’s when Jota was there. They will be outmatched in terms of personnel in most games, but they will still try to play a brand of stylish and expansive football.

Wilder has also had the golden touch when it comes to resurrecting under-performing players’ careers. David McGoldrick game to the Yorkshire club as a washed up striker who had just been released by Ipswich. He then went on to win their Player of the Year award and scored 15 goals as the Blades were promoted.

If Jota can get the same injection of rejuvenation under the tutelage of the 51-year-old, then the Steel City side may be about to pick up one of the most underrated and underutilised talents in the country.

It’s been a strange season for Mesut Ozil, hasn’t it? The German, who on his day is sublime, has been in and out of the Arsenal team, and with just 2 Premier League assists, it’s clear that he’s a player that is not at peak performance. 

It’s no surprise, then, that the attacker’s future is uncertain. He was recently asked about that very topic by Sky Sports, and he’s confirmed that he wants to stay.

As per Sky Sports, asked whether he wants to stay, he said: “Absolutely. I’ve got two more years on my contract. I don’t know after that but I’ve got two years left…[There are] No [issues with Emery]. Definitely not. There’s always speculation, everyone inside knew that our situation is positive.”

Clearly, then, on Ozil’s end, everything is fine, and his future at the Emirates is still safe. However, from the outside, it seems obvious that it’s time for the German to move on.

After all, as mentioned, statistically, he just hasn’t been good enough this term. A return of 5 goals and 2 assists is below par, and you’d expect much better from a player that has done so much good in the game. He’s not finding the passes, he’s not seeing the runs, and he’s just not offering enough moving forward.

Beyond that, it’s also worth considering that he’s 30-years-old. He’s arguably towards the end of his peak, and he is not getting any better. He’s only getting worse, and it’s clear that over the last two years, there’s been some real regression with regards to the German’s quality.

The truth is that, under Unai Emery, Arsenal are moving forward. Aaron Ramsey is on course for the exit, and with his departure, the Gunners are already moving into a new era. Selling Ozil would push them closer to where they need to be.

Arsenal fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

تحدث والد إيرلينج هالاند عن مستقبل نجله لاعب بوروسيا دورتموند الألماني، في ظل الأنباء المتداولة حول اهتمام ريال مدريد ومانشستر يونايتد بضمه.

النرويجي هو أحد أكثر المواهب المطلوبة في أوروبا، بعد أن أثبت قدراته في ألمانيا بعد ظهوره لأول مرة على الساحة مع فريق ريد بول سالزبورج النمساوي.

ونجح دورتموند في ضم هالاند لصفوفه، رغم منافسة عدة أندية، وعلى رأسهم مانشستر يونايتد الإنجليزي.

يُعتقد أن اللاعب البالغ من العمر 20 عامًا لديه اتفاق يمكنه من خلاله الرحيل في عام 2020 إذا أراد، لكن والده أكد أن ابنه في بيئة مثالية ويسعى للتويج بالألقاب مع دورتموند، ومع ذلك لم يغلق الباب أمام إمكانية الرحيل مستقبلاً.

ونشرت صحيفة “ميرور” البريطانية، تصريحات والد هالاند لـ “سبورت 1″، وقال: “عندما تلعب بشكل جيد، فمن المنطقي أن تطرق الأندية الكبيرة بابك، لكننا نتحدث عن التكهنات هنا”.

وأضاف: “في الوقت الحالي، لا أفكر أنا وهالاند أن ناديًا آخر سيتنافس من أجله، لقد وقعنا عقدًا طويلًا مع دورتموند ولديهم فريق رائع الآن لإيرلنج، لا نريد أن نتطلع إلى المستقبل”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. شكوك حول مشاركة مدافع مانشستر يونايتد أمام وست بروميتش

وتابع والده: “أنت لا تعرف أبدًا ما سيحدث، لم نتحدث عن مثل هذه الخطوة بعد، أعتقد أنه يرغب في الفوز ببعض الألقاب مع دورتموند، هذا هو هدفه”.

وأكد: “ما زال بإمكان إيرلينج تحقيق الكثير في ألمانيا وإحراز تقدم كبير، السفر إلى الخارج ليس أولوية بالنسبة لنا الآن”.

وأردف: “أعتقد في بعض الأحيان أنه يريد ويمكنه تأكيد نفسه في أي دوري، في الوقت الحالي، هو سعيد في البوندسليجا ويركز على دورتموند، إنه يريد فقط أن يكون لاعبًا أفضل ولا يتطلع بعيدًا إلى الأمام”.

وبالحديث عن مانشستر يونايتد، أكمل والد هالاند: “حقق مانشستر يونايتد نجاحًا كبيرًا في السنوات الأخيرة، يحاول النادي أيضًا بناء شيء جديد هناك، لكن إجراء هذه المقارنة الآن ليس بهذه السهولة لأنه يلعب بالفعل في دورتموند”.

وأتم: “هذان ناديان ذو قاعدة جماهيرية كبيرة وتاريخ مجيد، مان يونايتد ناد عريق للغاية، تمامًا مثل دورتموند في ألمانيا، ويريد دورتموند التفوق على بايرن ميونخ قريبًا، هذا هو الهدف الواضح، علينا اللحاق بهم، يريد إرلينج التمسك بهذا الهدف”.

Atletico Madrid defensive midfielder Thomas Partey has refused to rule out a move away from the Spanish capital with Arsenal said to be keen, according to Goal.

What’s the word?

After initially joining Atletico’s youth system in 2012, Thomas excelled on loan at Real Mallorca and Almeria before returning to Madrid in 2015.

The 2017/2018 season saw Thomas break into Diego Simeone’s side before he made 32 La Liga appearances this season as a crucial component of the La Liga runners-up.

With a €50m (£44m) minimum release clause, Atletico will be powerless to stop the midfielder’s departure as numerous sides circle.

Get it done

There are many reasons why Arsenal might not back up their interest in Thomas with a concrete offer.

With a projected budget of just £40m, should the Gunners miss out on Champions League football, Thomas might be seen as a superfluous expenditure, especially considering the presence of Lucas Torreira, Granit Xhaka, and Matteo Guendouzi already in his position.

However, Arsenal should ignore these reasons and do everything in their power to bring in the influential Atletico number five.

Since the departure of Patrick Vieira, Arsenal have struggled to assert themselves in midfield battles and despite the signing of Torreira last summer, that trend didn’t noticeably change as the Gunners were torn asunder by counter-attacking sides late in the season.

Xhaka and Guendouzi are both talented players, with the latter especially having room for improvement, but neither is likely to reach the heights of Thomas or offer the same array of skills.

Guendouzi lacks the discipline of an elite center-midfielder while also missing the ability to drive past opposition players. Xhaka is a terrific passer of the ball, but also lacks discipline and tends to go missing for large periods of time.

Thomas is an ultimate all-action midfielder. He can tackle, dribble, and shoot, and is known for his discipline and concentration, no doubt aided by his Simeone education.

The 25-year old is still relatively young and inexperienced in football terms, but he has already displayed elite talent flashes and the drive to improve.

With a base of Torreira and Thomas, Arsenal could finally control the midfield, allowing the Gunners attacking players including Mesut Ozil, the freedom to excel. For £44m in the current market, Thomas is a worthwhile risk as someone who could genuinely help establish Arsenal as a dominant force in English football again.

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Speaking to The Debate podcast (29/04), Paul Merson has outlined what he, as an ex-Aston Villa man, thinks they should be fearing the most.

What’s he said?

Villa’s march to the play-offs has been quite something and out of each team currently in with a shout of achieving promotion, their momentum is the greatest.

Before their 1-1 draw with Leeds last weekend, Dean Smith’s men had played out a stunning ten match winning streak.

However, that will of course count for nothing if they don’t then get the business done in the play-offs. A fantastic test of how far they’ve come in recent months presents itself with a clash against Norwich on the final day before the play-offs get underway.

It’s a game with not a lot riding on it for the Villans, but it’s a real opportunity to prove themselves.

At the moment, Villa sit in fourth place and could face Midlands rivals West Brom in the play-off semi-finals. With that in mind, Merson had this to say when speaking to The Debate (45:10):

“As a Villa man I’d rather play West Brom in one game at Wembley rather than two because West Brom have got firepower to hurt you over two games. Even though Villa are on such a good run that’s another thing that frightens me.”

Can Villa keep out a potent attack?

Villa’s defence in recent months has been far better than what we saw throughout the opening half of the campaign. Tyrone Mings has made a phenomenal difference since signing on loan from Bournemouth whilst the two full-backs, Ahmed Elmohamady and Neil Taylor, have both found consistency.

To add to that, even Mile Jedinak has stepped up in central defence with injury and suspension on separate occasions in recent times.

However, they’ll be met with one of their toughest examinations of the season if they meet West Brom in the play-off semi-finals.

Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez are two of the top scorers in the division and against a Baggies side in full flow, it’s incredibly difficult to keep them at bay. As a result, Merson is right to be scared about the threat they pose.

Keeping West Brom quiet for one game is tough as it is, let alone across two legs. Villa, therefore, will have to be at their very best if they’re to seal promotion back to the Premier League.

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Speaking to the Examiner, departing Huddersfield Town chairman Dean Hoyle has offered his replacement Phil Hodgkinson some advice on how to run the club, but his comments may give greater insight into why he has chosen to sell up.

What’s he said then?

Hoyle didn’t sound overly optimistic when passing his wisdom on to the new owner.

He heeded the warning that the club needs to be financially sensible rather than throwing cash at the squad in order to give them a steady footing in the second tier next year.

Hoyle said, as quoted by the Huddersfield Examiner: “So look at next season. What we can’t afford to do is boil our brains – a decision after we have a fire sale, a decision we hope for survival – it can’t happen.”

Furthermore, when asked if returning to the Premier League was a priority he said:

“I think if you make it a priority you are doomed for failure.”

How can that be interpreted?

Talking about survival after just being relegated from the Premier League is never a good sign.

The more you think about it, the more Hoyle’s sale of the club seems like a captain jumping from a sinking ship.

There is a severe danger that Huddersfield could go the way of Sunderland and suffer back-to-back relegations and end up in League One.

The former owner knows that and has surely sold up before the value of the club depreciates upon their downfall. Hoyle was under no illusions; he is aware that the Terriers’ best players will have to depart this summer, but he’s worried that the squad will be left bare.

The 52-year-old has warned Hodgkinson about the perils of a considerable squad turnover, but it remains to be seen as to whether or not the new man follows his advice.

He didn’t seem confident that the Yorkshire club will be back in the big time anytime soon and he seems to just want stability in the Championship rather than a Premier League return.

This should be a huge red flag for any Huddersfield fans, that a man who knows the club inside out isn’t looking for a Premier League return and has sold the club.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

The new owner may come in overly ambitious and undo all the hard work that was put in by Hoyle during his decade in charge at the John Smith’s stadium.

The Europa League final is set to be one of Arsenal’s most important games in a very long time.

Win, and the Gunners land themselves a spot in the Champions League for the first time in two seasons and an injection of cash that Unai Emery desperately needs in order to improve the squad over the summer. Lose, and Arsenal return to step one in their quest to return to European’s elite competition and face a summer of cheap signings and mass player sales.

But the final will also be a sombre one, in large part because of Petr Cech.

The veteran goalkeeper is in line to make his final ever appearance in professional football in Baku against the team he made his name at, and with Cech retiring the Gunners are in need of a new backup at the club, and a recent name could prove to be the answer.

According to Bild, Arsenal are interested in Dynamo Dresden goalkeeper Markus Schubert, who will be leaving the East German side this season on a free when his deal with the 2.Bundesliga side runs out.

A first-team player since the age of 18, the Germany U-21 keeper has made a name for himself in Germany in the past two seasons as a player with the potential to one day represent the senior national team. And, Schubert, who is valued at £900,000 on Transfermarkt, would prove to be an excellent addition this summer for the Gunners.

At 20-years-old, the German is in the early days of his footballing career yet already has enough experience in a respected league to be a suitable backup option for Arsenal next season. And, playing understudy to Bernd Leno, Schubert will be learning from not only a fellow countryman but also a keeper who has proven to be one of the best in England this campaign.

Cech has had a lasting impact on the Premier League and at Arsenal, but in Schubert, the Gunners will have a keeper who can take the goalkeeping great’s place on the bench and one day be a successor to Leno in the future.

Arsenal fans, would Schubert be a good replacement for Cech? Let us know!

It has been quite a year to be a Sheffield United supporter, hasn’t it?

Under the guidance of Chris Wilder and Alan Knill, the Blades have exceeded all expectations this season with last week’s victory against Ipswich Town confirming their automatic promotion to the Premier League.

With a massive summer ahead for the club, it is clear that they will need to strengthen their squad in the transfer window in order to give themselves the best chance of competing in the top-flight.

One area that Wilder will be targeting specifically is central midfield as he will need to find a sufficient replacement for Kieren Dowell whose loan deal at Bramall Lane expires at the end of the month.

According to reports in the Sun (as quoted by HITC), the former Northampton Town boss may have already found his man as he has been linked with a move for Chelsea ace Kelsey Palmer.

The 22-year-old has enjoyed a brilliant loan spell at Bristol City this season and is one of the key reasons to why Lee Johnson’s side are still in contention for a play-off place in the Championship.

An exciting, skilful young prospect, Palmer has all the ingredients needed to succeed at the highest level yet in order to fulfil his potential, he may have to leave Stamford Bridge as staying at the Blues could hamper his development.

Therefore, if the £1.35m-rated midfielder (via Transfermarkt) is made available for transfer, Wilder must go all-out to secure his signature. Although Palmer has only been directly involved in four goals this season for the Robins, he could be the perfect fit for the Blades’ 3-5-2 system and it may be worth the risk to bring him in.

What do you think United fans? Should Wilder do everything he can to bring in Palmer in the summer? If not, who do you think he should be targeting when the transfer window opens in July? Let us know below.

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Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool could play each other in the first all-English Champions League final since 2008, leaving Spurs fans in a state of shock.

The Reds produced a genuinely miraculous comeback on Tuesday evening, overturning a 3-0 deficit against Barcelona with an astonishing 4-0 victory at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp’s men will find out their opponents in Madrid on Wednesday, with Spurs set to take on Ajax in Amsterdam.

Tottenham lost 1-0 to the Dutch giants in the first leg in north London but will perhaps take heart from the amazing feats of their Premier League counterparts; they know that a victory by two goals or more would see them through.

And Spurs fans have called on their players to take inspiration from the Reds as the club yet again try to upset the odds in Europe.

They had taken one point from their first three games of the group stages, but staged a fight-back to qualify for the latter stages, before thumping Borussia Dortmund and somehow scraping past Manchester City.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

With a proper overhaul surely required to take West Ham United to the level Manuel Pellegrini wants them at, there have to be some sacrifices. That’s just life.

Cruel, cruel life.

In order to sign new players, some of the existing lot surplus to requirements have to make way.

It seems like the Hammers are already preparing for a busy summer window and have come to terms with Reece Oxford’s seemingly imminent departure. The youngster is keen on moving permanently to Bundesliga outfit Augsburg, according to reports (via Sky Sports) and, to be fair, it’s all a bit meh.

Indeed, the 20-year-old, who made history in becoming the Hammers youngest ever Premier League player, is enjoying life in Germany and a deal is said to be close.

He’s grown fond of the Bundesliga as his current employers are keen on making him an important cog in their defence. Oxford might’ve only made 6 appearances so far, but impressive stats like 2.3 clearances and 1.8 interceptions per game (stats via WhoScored) have made Augsburg fond of his talents.

It’s not as if his talents have ever been questioned. It’s just that things haven’t worked out since his stunning debut and everyone has, well, moved on.

With Pellegrini now trusting Issa Diop as his future defensive general and keen on making some signings to reinforce his back-line, Oxford’s services aren’t really required anymore. Despite his early debut, he never fit into the intensity of the Premier League, costing West Ham quite a few times.

While it’ll be disappointing to see an academy graduate leave so early, it won’t really sting the Hammers. They won’t really be in trouble without him and can take advantage of his sale, bringing funds back into the club.

West Ham fans, would you be disappointed to see Oxford move away next season? Join the discussion by commenting below…