Leeds fans enraged as Kemar Roofe attracts interest from Anderlecht

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Kemar Roofe has had no shortage of potential suitors this summer with his contract now in its final year.

He’s attracted the eyes of both Crystal Palace and Brighton but now according to Phil Hay, Anderlecht have serious interest in the forward.

The journalist describes that there is no firm offer yet but in a follow-up tweet, suggested that he could cost the Belgian side £7m.

Reacting to the news, it left a whole host of supporters angry with the way the club is operating.

One said that as a result of their activity this summer, their season now had mid-table buffet written all over it. Another fan was angry that Leeds would probably sell and have no replacement lined up.

A further supporter questioned what Andrea Radrizzani was trying to do.

Leeds fans’ concerns are completely understandable. After all, the Whites will have just one senior centre forward if Roofe does go. That option is Patrick Bamford, a player who missed 22 games through injury last term and scored nine times after his move from Middlesbrough.

His fellow striker, Roofe, scored 15 times, ending the season as their top-scorer. Losing him, therefore, would be a huge blow to their chances.

Here’s the best of the reaction.

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مدرب مولودية الجزائر يوضح سر التعادل مع الزمالك "متصدر الدوري المصري"

أكد لطفي عمروش مساعد مدرب مولودية الجزائر، أن الفضل في النتيجة الإيجابية التي عاد بها الفريق من مصر، تعود لحماس اللاعبين.

وتعادل مولودية الجزائر مع الزمالك في أولى مباريات المجموعة الرابعة، أول أمس الجمعة، بدون أهداف، في المباراة التي أقيمت على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي.

طالع أيضا.. الزمالك: لن نشكو حكم مباراة المولودية.. ونفتقد الفار في دور المجموعات

وصرح عمروش لقناة “النهار” الجزائرية: “لعبنا مباراة صعبة أمام متصدر الدوري المصري، الذي يملك لاعبين ذوي خبرة كبيرة في مثل هذه المنافسة”.

وأضاف: “بفضل حرارة (حماس) لاعبينا تمكنا من العودة بنتيجة ايجابية، وهم مشكورين على المجهودات التي بذلوها”.

وأتم: “أتمنى أن تساعدنا هذه النتيجة التي عدنا بها من مصر، في التحرر مجددا، في قادم مبارياتنا”.

ويتواجد الزمالك ومولودية الجزائر في المجموعة الرابعة بدوري أبطال إفريقيا، بجوار الترجي التونسي وتونجيت السنغالي.

Manchester United fans react as Aston Villa line up Tuanzebe loan

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One of the highlights of Aston Villa’s promotion campaign last season, Axel Tuanzebe enjoyed an impressive season-long loan at Villa Park from Manchester United.

The 21-year-old forged a fine partnership at the back alongside Tyrone Mings and returned to United this summer with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s approval.

However, according to The Telegraph, despite being named on United’s pre-season tour, Villa are prepared to “play the waiting game” with Tuanzebe to see if the defender is made available for another loan spell away later on in the window.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

After hearing the news the Midlands club were interested in taking on Tuanzebe for the upcoming campaign, United fans took to Twitter to voice their opinion on the matter.

Many Red Devils supporters felt that a year in the top-flight could do the centre-back’s career the world of good and give him regular first-team football again.

Indeed, many felt that seeing the England U21 international fail to get game-time on the United bench would stall his progression and urged him to get some much-needed Premier League experience.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

The Chalkboard: Why Forshaw couldn’t replace Phillips

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With rumours linking Kalvin Phillips to both Aston Villa and Wolves this week, Leeds may very well be looking for a new defensive midfielder come the start of next season.

Of course, their hunt should start from within, and the man who most fits the bill at the club is Adam Forshaw. But it’s hard to see the former Middlesbrough man making the same impact as the 23-year-old in the anchor man role.

Phillips’ duties

The midfielder has been the heartbeat of Leeds’ team since Marcelo Bielsa’s arrival. Phillips has played as the holding midfielder in the Argentine’s 4-1-4-1 formation, and the destructive work he does in the middle of the park is what made them such a force last season.

If the Whites were to lose the 23-year-old, then it would be a massive blow, and they would need to replace him in that role.

It is a position that requires the player to be tough tackling, strong and tireless when running.

Forshaw not the man

The Argentine could be tempted to try Forshaw in Phillips’ role if he departs the club, and on paper it doesn’t look like a bad idea.

The 27-year-old makes 3.2 tackles per game, and he also plays more passes per 90 minutes than the 23-year-old does.

However, stats don’t tell the full story, and the Leeds man would probably struggle to fill his younger teammate’s shoes.

Although he is a decent enough midfielder, he just doesn’t possess the physical attributes to play in this role.

Bielsa’s system is built around pressing, and the man just in front of the defence has to be able to run for 90 minutes without tiring. Forshaw doesn’t have the strength or the stamina to fill the gap that Phillips would be leaving.

Leeds’ number four is better utilised when he can play next to someone like the 23-year-old, but if he was asked to play that role on his own he would most likely struggle with the physical demands the role entails.

Verdict: Who should Arsenal prioritise getting rid of this summer – Ozil, Mkhitaryan or Mustafi?

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If The Mirror are to be believed, Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Shkodran Mustafi could all be casualties in a mass shake-up by Unai Emery of his Arsenal squad this summer.

The Spaniard is looking to make wholesale personnel changes after his first season in English football following heavy defeat by Chelsea in the UEFA Europa League final and missing out on a place in the top four of the Premier League.

Accordingly, the Gunners won’t be involved in the Champions League next season and their transfer budget will reflect that. In other words, big names and underperforming stars will need to be moved on for Arsenal to make significant changes to their squad this summer.

In fairness, Ozil, Mkhitaryan and Mustafi have all endured pretty woeful seasons under Emery and could easily be moved on before 2019/20 gets underway. But who should the Gunners prioritise pushing out of the exit door first? Today we put the question to a trio of Football FanCast writers…

Matt Dawson

“After his absolutely shambolic performance in Baku then the priority in terms of shipping a player out has to be Ozil. The amount of money he’s on per week has completely destroyed Arsenal’s wage budget and he’s probably one of the reasons Aaron Ramsey has been forced to depart. If any club will take him then he has to be first out of the door. Mustafi is a close second but Ozil’s attitude is simply terrible. He has to go.”

Harry Sherlock

“All of them! They’ve all been stealing a living for too long. Ozil, for a start, is nowhere near the world-class playmaker he was when he turned up in north London to a raucous fanbase who couldn’t believe they’d snatched one of Real Madrid’s best players. In Baku he was absolutely anonymous. Mkhitaryan, of course, wasn’t allowed into the country to play but it speaks to his ability that Arsenal didn’t actually seem all that bothered. And, as for Mustafi, this is a defender who has all the positional sense of a player learning the game for the first time. He’s woeful. They all are. Ship them all out asap.”

From 6-0 FA Cup final maulings to Mkhitaryan missing the Europa League final, is football broken? Fans discuss in the video below…

Billy Meyers

“1000% Ozil. The German’s attitude stinks and if he played for the club I support I’d want him gone out the door immediately. He has been awful all season whilst raking in £350,000 per week, and his decision to trudge off the pitch almost in slow motion with his side losing a European final should’ve made every Arsenal fan’s blood boil. If they can even find a suitor for him, which would be amazing, they should even consider giving him away for free. Rotten.”

Without a doubt: West Ham fans want Fernandes to be given chance to shine next season

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A number of West Ham United fans want forgotten man Edimilson Fernandes to be given the chance to impress for the Hammers during the 2019-20 season.

Fernandes moved to England from Sion in 2016 and has made 48 appearances for his Premier League club in all competitions.

The midfielder was deemed surplus to requirements ahead of the 2018-19 campaign, however, ultimately being sent on loan to Fiorentina.

The Switzerland international has been in good form this term – scoring twice and contributing two assists in 28 Serie A appearances.

As it stands, the 23-year-old will return to the London Stadium this summer with the view to battling for a spot in the XI next season.

And it would be fair to say that the majority of West Ham fans are keen for Fernandes to be given the chance to prove his worth under Manuel Pellegrini.

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…

A selection of the Twitter reaction in relation to the 6 ft 3 midfielder’s future can be seen below:

Sarri’s exit will cause Chelsea to fall even further behind Manchester City and Liverpool

There is no doubt that some Chelsea supporters will be glad to see Maurizio Sarri leave the club this summer.

The Italian, who is expected to succeed Massimiliano Allegri as Juventus manager (Sky Sports), has failed to get all of the Stamford Bridge faithful to buy into his idea of football despite the fact that it has guided the Blues to the Europa League and third place in the Premier League. Well, that and Eden Hazard.

The Belgian, in what looked to be his last season at the west London club, was in incredible form and really carried his team at times.

Nevertheless, Sarri still deserves some credit for what Chelsea were able to achieve in the recently concluded season and looked to have them on the right path going into the next campaign.

Against Arsenal in the Europa League final, the Blues were brilliant, finally showing what can only be described as Sarri-ball.

“I am starting to feel like this Chelsea team is mine,” were the words of Sarri after the triumph in Baku (Daily Express).

Considering that, losing Sarri now would be disastrous for Chelsea. Likely to lose the foundation the 60-year-old started to build and the ideas he brought, it will be back to square one for the Blues, putting them another season behind Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

In Chelsea’s defence, it does seem like Sarri is pushing for an exit rather than being forced out. But with the club not exactly fighting to keep hold of their man in the dugout and clearly open to his departure, once again, they have essentially hit the reset button.

Chelsea fans, do you view Sarri’s expected departure as a blow? Let us know in the comment section below!

It’s time for Arsenal to move on from Ozil

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!

Mixed opinions: West Ham fans offer views on potential Yann M’Vila swoop

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According to L’Equipe, West Ham United are considering a summer swoop for Saint-Etienne midfielder Yann M’Vila.

M’Vila moved to Saint-Etienne from Rubin Kazan in January 2018 and has made 30 Ligue 1 appearances for the French club this term.

The 28-year-old has a contract with the Ligue 1 side until the summer of 2022, but L’Equipe have reported that West Ham are interested in a swoop.

The Frenchman has experience of the Premier League having turned out for Sunderland on loan during the 2015-16 campaign.

The West Ham fans have been on social media reacting to the transfer report and it would be fair to say that there are a lot of mixed opinions on the subject.

Indeed, whilst a number are against the Hammers moving for M’Vila, others feel that the midfielder could turn out to be a decent signing for the capital outfit ahead of the 2019-2020 season.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be viewed below:

Julian Brandt would be a sensational signing for Liverpool

Liverpool surely won’t hesitate to improve their team despite possible successes they could enjoy come the end of the campaign. 

That at least is true judging by the constant reports linking them with new players over the summer period.

And to be fair, as proven with history, the more a team tries to improve, the more success they’re likely to enjoy.

For Liverpool, their spending spree last summer has put them in the favourable position they now find themselves in as they bid to win the Premier League. Yet they could form into an even greater team this summer, with the right players added.

Only quality squad improvements can be justified so to recruit a player like Bayer Leverkusen’s Julian Brandt is exactly what they need to do.

Interestingly, the attacker was signed for just £315k back in 2014.

Brandt, (who is valued at £40.5 million on Transfermarkt) would join the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Xherdan Shaqiri as another wide option but his creative is something the three don’t share with him.

Of course, a potential big fee won’t bother FSG as they’ve never been afraid to spend big in the past.

Seeing as the 22-year-old wing-wizard has been sensational for Leverkusen this season, it makes sense for Liverpool along with other top clubs (according to Sport Bild via the Mirror) to be enquiring for his signature.

With seven goals and 14 assists in all competitions, Brandt has taken his game to a whole new level this season and his contribution promotes him as a top signing for many teams this summer.

The German is more than capable of switching positions, whether that be on the wing, or playing in the middle of the park instead. He can do pretty much anything in the final third, whether’s it’s scoring goals, creating or dragging defenders out of position, which makes him such a dangerous player.

So therefore with age and quality on his side, what are you waiting for Liverpool?

Do you agree the Reds should try and move for Julian Brandt this summer… Let us know!

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