All posts by h716a5.icu

Some players you see fire on loan and wonder just why they were sent out when their parent club could really do with what they have to offer. With Leeds United and Mallik Wilks, that was what a lot of fans might have been thinking last season considering their struggles in front of goal.

The youngster only dropped down one division to turn out for Doncaster Rovers, and he gave it a good go in England’s third tier. At the age of just 20-years-old, the young Englishman fired in 14 goals and eight assists and now he could be set to try and do similar for the Elland Road faithful next season.

After chipping in a combined 22 goals and assists in his 46 games for Doncaster the youngster has surely proven to Marcelo Bielsa that he can be trusted, and the fact he failed to miss a single game shows the level of reliability that the versatile youngster has.

Considering how badly injuries impacted Bielsa’s first season in Yorkshire it would be a smart option for the Argentine to bring in and rely upon players who have got it about them to play twice a week, of which Wilks is certainly one of them.

Last season we all saw Jack Harrison run up and down the flank for Leeds to reasonably little effect (recording just four goals and three assists as well as being labelled as inconsistent by Noel Whelan), and it could prove to be an effective move to not only go with one of their own in Wilks instead of resigning Harrison, but to go with the man who’s produced the better numbers over the last 12 months.

It also usually goes a very long way to the Leeds supporters when they have one of their to get behind. Jamie Shackleton has felt the love this season from the fans, and with the likes of Bailey-Peacock-Farrell and Jack Clarke also starring, it would make perfect sense for Bielsa to give another young gun a go.

Leeds fans, do you want to see Mallik Wilks feature for you next season? Comment below!

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Liverpool’s pursuit of winger Nicolas Pepe has been quashed by Melissa Reddy of ESPN, who has said that the Reds have told her that concrete talks between Lille and them were pure lies and had made the club furious.

Contrary to a report in France, ESPN claim that Michael Edwards personally called the French side up, informing them that they have no interest in signing the player this summer.

It was news that left Liverpool fans extremely confused as they reacted on Twitter to the speculation surrounding the Ivory Coast international.

One simply questioned why the club would get in contact to say they didn’t want to sign a player whilst another queried why the Reds would be angry about things.

A further supporter brought Virgil van Dijk into the discussion, another player the club revealed they had no interest in before going onto sign.

One individual was left so perplexed that they suggested Liverpool just wouldn’t sign anyone this summer.

Pepe was in outstanding form for Lille last term, finding the net 22 times whilst also picking up 11 assists in 38 games.

Here’s the best of the reaction.

David de Gea had a season he will quickly want to forget.

The typically reliable stopper made a number of costly high-profile errors throughout the season and consequently lost his place as Spain’s number one

There were, of course, still a few excellent performances, one of which was the Spaniard’s display in United’s 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley in which he made 11 saves to deny Spurs in a magnificent display. 

The World of Lewis, who can be seen in the video above filling out his Panini Tabloid, called the saves “Absolutely amazing.”  

Check out Lewis’s thoughts on De Gea in full in the video above.  

The Premier League Panini Tabloid is a special commemorative newspaper sticker collection celebrating the exciting new partnership between the greatest league in the world and the legendary name in football publishing, Panini. As the official collectable licensee to the Premier League, Panini are delighted to bring consumers a new era of collectables and the best collecting experience. See more here: http://bit.ly/PaniniFFCEditorial

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The end may very well be near. After a series of underwhelming performances and that unsavoury exchange with the club’s supporters at Old Trafford, Paul Pogba’s career at Manchester United might just be over. For the second time.

Reports in recent weeks and months had suggested the Frenchman was perhaps angling for a move away, and now, after some comments from Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola, there appears to be no way back.

Speaking to The Times, Raiola confirmed that the France World Cup winner wants to leave the club this summer and that he was in the process of trying to arrange a move away for his client.

The report adds that Real Madrid are understood to be the 26-year-old’s preferred destination, although Juventus are also interested in securing his signature for next season.

After hearing the revelation, United fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the matter and there was certainly a sense that enough was enough when it came to Pogba’s future.

Red Devils supporters urged the club to get rid of him in order for the side to move forward, and simply wanted any interested teams to stump up the money they wanted.

Indeed, some fans pointed to the Frenchman’s “heart being elsewhere”, and said that it had reached a point of no return in respect to any chances of him potentially staying.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

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Just two days after Benfica had sold the mercurial 15-goal talent of Joao Felix for £113m, they were to part ways with another of their young attacking players.

This time there was no large fee involved, nor was it a permanent transfer. Instead, a player who was once one of their best players in Filip Krovinovic packed his bags and headed off to English shores

The 23-year-old joined West Brom on loan last week, presumably fresh with the knowledge that it would be a considerable step-down.

After all, this is an attacking midfielder who has gone from playing continental football to now plying his trade in the Championship.

He’s not the first to make a similar move, however. Joao Carvalho joined Nottingham Forest last summer from the Portuguese giants, scoring four goals and claiming eight assists.

If Krovinovic can come close to that he will surely be considered a success.

But the truth is, the Croatian has never yet reached those heights, even in Portugal. In his time playing in Liga NOS, he’s scored six goals and laid on five assists in 52 matches.

However, that doesn’t tell the full story of a player who has had a rather unfortunate career to date.

The creative midfielder arrives off the back of a season in which he played just four times in the league, struggling to bounce back from a horrendous cruciate ligament rupture.

The injury kept him out for almost the entirety of 2018, missing 33 games and 288 days of football.

His spell on the sidelines would have been a lonely one but he now has a chance of rejuvenation. Under fellow Croatian Slaven Bilic, a loan spell with West Brom could be exactly what he needs.

He may not boast the greatest numbers in terms of goals and assists but he certainly arrives with a reputation.

Krovinovic was so impressive before his injury that his absence was argued as one of the reasons why Benfica didn’t win the title in 2017/18 by Portuguese football expert Alex Goncalves.

Speaking to Express & Star, he waxed lyrical about the midfielder, even comparing his technical qualities to Kevin De Bruyne.

Goncalves said: “Not that he’s on the same level by any means at all, but in terms of style, you could say that there are certainly some comparisons to be made with someone like Kevin De Bruyne.

“He’s technically gifted, got good passing range and vision, happy to take on a shot and is good with the ball at his feet.

“He certainly likes to play a similar role to the Belgian international, albeit has a long way to go to get to his overall level.”

West Brom, therefore, could have a star on their hands.

Goncalves explained that big things were expected of him when he joined Benfica from Rio Ave, but his career is yet to really take off.

At the age of 23, he is still uncapped at senior level and there is a danger of unrealised potential for Krovinovic.

But in the Championship under Bilic, the stage could well be set for a career transformation.

This is an individual hailed for his creativity and composure, something that Albion are certainly in need of.

The Baggies looked brilliant when they had Harvey Barnes in the team last season. The Leicester man spent the first half of last term on loan, playing as a left midfielder and in an attacking midfield role behind the striker, scoring nine times and picking up seven assists.

No one came close to him in terms of matching that creative quality, as Matt Phillips also struggled with injury.

The signings of Jefferson Montero and Jacob Murphy on loan didn’t go to plan either. The pair of them scored just three times after arriving for temporary stays.

In the latter stages of the season, West Brom lacked a genuine number ten. However, Krovinovic will give them that, and that’s why he could be so crucial going into next term.

Craig Dawson, Jay Rodriguez and Dwight Gayle may all now be elsewhere, but there are certainly reasons to believe Krovinovic can be every bit as influential.

The fact Goncalves labelled him as one of Benfica’s best players in the past provides evidence of that.

Watch fans explain why the Football League is better than the Premier League in the video below…

Only time will tell whether he can truly bounce back from injury, but Bilic has got the best out of creative midfielders in the past.

He of course managed Luka Modric when he was in charge of Croatia, whilst he also signed both Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini when he was at West Ham

The former bagged nine and laid on 12 assists in the Premier League after signing for the Hammers whilst the latter scored six himself.

After signing Krovinovic, Bilic is likely to tweak Albion’s formation slightly to accommodate the Croat and in that number ten role, he could become a key player.

Arguably this signing is a major coup for West Brom and if Bilic can help him rejuvenate his career, they’ll definitely have a much greater chance of achieving promotion next season.

It’s now over to the two of them to muster up something special.

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Tottenham Hotspur have started their pre-season in some style.

What better way to continue your tour than by beating Juventus in a seriously tight game via an outrageous winner in stoppage time?

It’s difficult to think of many better scenarios.

And what makes that incredible achievement even better is that Harry Kane manged to lob a former Gunner, Wojciech Szczęsny, who was left embarrassed when the Tottenham star managed to beat him with a strike hit from just in front of the halfway line.

It was an open game with an abundance of chances and goals but that strike topped it off in dramatic style.

Naturally, Kane took to

/B0LnXnJBzf0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram to celebrate the win and that match-winning goal, and other stars were quick to swarm his profile with praise and great messages of support.

Legends of the game, as well as the current stars, replied to Kane and gave him all sorts of praise for the strike.

From “ridiculous” to “nasty”, many of football’s biggest names just couldn’t get enough of the wonder goal.

Even Mauricio Pochettino said it was undeniably an unbelievable goal and worth every bit of praise it has induced.

And other stars would most certainly agree with that sentiment.

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This week was a busy one for Leeds as they played two friendlies whilst waving goodbye to Samu Saiz as well.

The Whites were in action against Manchester United in Australia, suffering a hammering, before those left behind in England beat Tadcaster Albion.

However, the futures of Kalvin Phillips and Kemar Roofe still appear to be in doubt – that’s despite Victor Orta claiming they’d stay.

He told Leeds Live: “Personally, as Victor Orta, I believe [Phillips will sign a new deal]. The same. Personally, I believe he [Roofe] will stay.”

Yet, it was a statement that seemed to divide a certain segment of Leeds fans on Twitter.

One fan went as far as saying Orta out, whilst another refused to believe what he said, claiming one of the two players would be gone by August.

However, other supporters were far more positive. One individual said it was very good news as another commented that it was ideal.

Phillips has attracted the interest of both Wolves and Aston Villa this summer whilst Roofe reportedly also has suitors in the Premier League. Crystal Palace and Brighton want to add him to their squads according to Sky Sports.

Here’s the best of the reaction.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Spanish publication Sport, Manchester United have lined up Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic as one of their “top targets”, if Paul Pogba leaves the club this summer.

What’s the word?

Reports this summer have suggested that Pogba could be on his way out of Old Trafford following comments from himself and his agent Mino Raiola.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Red Devils have been linked with a move for long-term target Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from Lazio, but it now appears that the Manchester side have another midfielder on their shortlist.

The report adds that the club “sounded out a possible deal”, and that whilst Barcelona denied that there was an official offer on the table, they expect one to arrive.

A midfield playmaker

Whilst Luka Modric continues to be Croatia’s star man after winning the Ballon d’Or last year, Rakitic has been a picture of consistency himself. The midfielder has enjoyed a stellar career in Spanish football with both Sevilla and Barcelona, and would offer United a calming reassurance in the middle of the park.

In the previous campaign in La Liga, the 31-year-old averaged a superb 74.6 passes per game and boasted an impressive 91.4% pass accuracy. The Croatian has adapted well to the possession-based game at the Camp Nou, but showed in his time at Sevilla that he can offer a goal-scoring presence too.

In the season that eventually earned him his move to Barcelona, Rakitic netted 15 goals and provided a further 18 assists, and if asked to play that more attacking role at United, could help replace some of the goals that will be missed with Pogba’s potential departure.

His ability to dictate the tempo and the style of play at both clubs is evidence of just how smart a footballer the Croatian is, and this would give the Red Devils some control in the middle of the park.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

At 31, Rakitic – valued at £36m by Transfermarkt – may not exactly fit the profile United are seemingly going for this summer. But he remains one of European football’s most accomplished midfielders and would certainly improve Solskjaer’s team next season.

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Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has been on quite the spending spree this summer by bringing in 12 new arrivals for over £130m – only Manchester United have topped that so far as they secured Harry Maguire for a world-record £80m.

It appears that his spending isn’t going to stop there with deadline day looming. Sky Sports report that Villa are keen on making a move for RB Leipzig striker Jean-Kevin Augustin who struggled to get much game time last season.

The Bundesliga side finished 3rd in the league but Augustin made just 17 appearances – only three of which were actually starts. The 22-year-old scored three goals, all of which came in the first five weeks of the campaign.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Villa seem keen to add another striker to their squad ahead of their Premier League opener against Tottenham Hotspur even despite smashing their club-record transfer fee (£22m) to sign Wesley Moraes from Club Brugge.

The club have also been linked to Neal Maupay and Southampton’s Charlie Austin.

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It is thought that Leipzig would want to recoup the £15m they paid for the France U21 international when he joined from Paris Saint-Germain two years ago.

The potential move for Augustin has left many fans at Villa Park feeling rather indifferent with some seeing the move as a good option whilst others are wondering why they are even interested.

A couple of supporters questioned his arrival as he is currently behind two other strikers at Leipzig – Timo Werner and Yussuf Poulsen with one fan seriously doubting the move.

Others picked up on his goal tally from last season, claiming it wasn’t good enough as the club need a 25+ goals a season forward. Another supporter said he wasn’t better than Jonathan Kodjia.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

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Croatia have had their fair share of footballing superstars in the past. Of course, many are familiar with the likes of Davor Šuker, Zvonimir Boban, Robert Prosinečki and more recently, Luka Modrić, Ivan Rakitić and Mario Mandžukić.

These are just some of the talents that sprung out of a little country with a total population that barely exceeds four million inhabitants.

And it’s not just footballing individuals that shine but the country’s national team as a unit as well. We don’t have to look further than the World Cup in Russia where “Vatreni” or in a loose translation “the fiery ones”, ended up clinching the silver medal, only falling to the eventual winners France. Going back in the past, they did a similar thing in 1998 when they finished third.

But as much as Šuker or Prosinečki had their heirs in the form of these modern superstars we mentioned, who exactly is in line to take the torch from Modrić, Rakitić and co.? Well, a couple of names spring to mind and among them is certainly Dinamo Zagreb’s Nikola Moro.

Moro currently plays his football for the country’s most successful football club, Dinamo Zagreb. And ever since his emergence to the scene just a couple of years back, he has been a player of incredible talent. Some of his best traits include – but are not limited to – versatility, creativity, ball control, technical prowess and passing play. Let’s try and dissect them further.

What stands above anything else is Moro’s passing. For a 21-year-old midfielder, he is already well-developed in this area. Just a quick glance at Wyscout’s database shows us that overall, in all competitions and seasons, he achieved 83% passing accuracy while playing 4.74 long balls per game, 60.7% of which hit their mark.

What is particularly telling is how forward-thinking his passing tends to be.

He sends an incredible 10.82 passes into the final third, 2.96 into the box and plays 1.33 through balls per game. And this is exactly where his quality really comes to light. Let’s take a look at how that usually goes down on the pitch.

Moro usually likes to be the creative spark of the team, often playing as a number ten or as a more advanced, playmaking number eight. Still, he has this tendency to create space for himself but also make use of it even when he’s closed down by markers.

In the example below, we can see him control the ball in the final third and send through an incisive pass through the defence before his marker can react and stop him. The ball arrives at its destination perfectly and Dinamo soon get into a really promising situation.

But this is not nearly the only thing Moro does on the pitch. Often, as was seen in the stats above, he participates in the team’s defensive phases. The numbers clearly support this as the youngster averages 4.56 interceptions per game, makes 9.39 recoveries and also wins 52.4% of all of his defensive duels.

These are some impressive figures for an advanced playmaker and both of the aforementioned skillsets complement each other rather well. In other words, Moro can quickly dispossess the opposition and turn defence into attack effectively.

Notice in the example below how he rushes to tackle the opponen, retains possession and then starts Dinamo’s transition with a cheeky backheel right into the path of his teammate.

According to Wyscout’s numbers, this is a regular occurrence in his arsenal, rather than an anomaly.

Moro truly is a true gem that any manager would like to have in his squad. Yes, that is mostly because he is technically gifted and has a high work-rate but it’s also because he can be deployed anywhere across the middle of the pitch. Wyscout notes a total of seven major positions Moro has been used in so far.

That and a quick look at his heatmap tell us how effective he is all across the pitch regardless of his predetermined position on the teamsheet.

Despite being only 21, he already has some national team exposure, having gone through the youth ranks of Croatia’s national team. He recently featured in their U21 European Championship run as well and managed to tally one assist in three games.

Moro certainly is a true prospect and has already been attracting some serious attention from big clubs in Europe. With such talent, a move away from Dinamo Zagreb becomes a triviality and simply a matter of time.

The man already dubbed the “new Modrić” is destined to go abroad and really make a name for himself.

But at the end of the day, that part is really up to him and the way he develops in the future.

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