With a couple of victories in succession, Southampton now seem set to avoid relegation this season and considering their earlier form this campaign, that’s a strong achievement. Other than the gutting loss to Liverpool, things are going incredibly well on the South Coast.
Thanks to the influence that Ralph Hasenhuttl has had on the players and around the club, St Mary’s is in far better spirits knowing they are almost safe. Thank the heavens for that, after such a miserable time of things over the last few years.
Though despite all the Austrian’s hard work, big changes must occur for Southampton to better themselves ahead of next season.
This transfer window is arguably their most important for years and it could really make or break their future as a Premier League club. Reports from TEAMtalk are circulating that one player Southampton hold an interest in is current Freiburg loanee Vincenzo Grifo.
Grifo, (who is valued at £5.4 million on Transfermarkt) is a dynamic wide player that could bring something totally different to St Mary’s next season and that would intrigue fans. After seeing how well Dusan Tadic has been playing since his departure, it’s clear the club need to replace him and the signings made over the course of the summer just haven’t worked.
Southampton are reportedly one of a number of sides that have pledged their interest in the Italian international and capturing him would certainly be a coup. Indeed, the lure of playing Premier League football could give Vincenzo Grifo all the incentive he needs to join Southampton, for whom he could make a real difference.
Although wingers have typically been poor for the Saints, take Sofiane Boufal and Mohamed Elyounoussi for example, Vincenzo Grifo is an experienced player that just wants to settle down with a permanent team.
With four goals and six assists in his 16 appearances this season, Southampton should see no reason but to invest in the 25-year-old this summer, given his prime age as well. Everyone knows their strikers can’t score, so why not try and introduce more goals throughout the team? It can’t get more barren, so taking a transfer gamble is certainly in order.
Do you agree that Southampton should target Vincenzo Grifo… Join the discussion and let us know!
Arsenal are no strangers to transfer setbacks which leave a lingering smog of regret, envy, bitterness and fury all rolled into one.
The sales of Robin Van Persie to Manchester United and Samir Nasri to Manchester City were those which particularly induced fury out of exasperated Gunners.
That anger was largely vented in the direction of the players in question, but the imminent departure of Aaron Ramsey has left supporters bemused at the club’s hierarchy rather than the Wales international.
Allowing him to leave on a free transfer appears illogical and foolish given the wealth of his talent and transfer value, but that is the reality which lies ahead.
His excellent all-round display against Napoli on Thursday, which he capped with a well taken opening goal, underlined his quality and reopened discussion over his move to Juventus.
And that discussion has extended into Football FanCast towers, where our writers have been discussing how high Ramsey’s departure ranks on the list of regrettable setbacks.
Even on a list including Nasri, Van Persie, Alexis Sanchez and Thomas Vermaelen it’s fair to say Ramsey ranks very highly indeed.
Here’s what our writers have had to say…
Matt Dawson
“Arsenal seem to have a habit of letting players leave far too easily. In recent memory Wojciech Szczesny to Juventus and Serge Gnabry to Bayern Munich stand out as ones that got away. But the fact Aaron Ramsey is being allowed to leave the club so easily and for free is madness to me. It’s certainly up there as the biggest blunder they’ve made. The midfielder will be near impossible to replace given his goals and assist output from midfield. His impact in the big games has dragged the Gunners through many games and they will struggle without him.”
James Beavis
“It probably ranks at the very top. Aaron Ramsey has been with Arsenal for so long and clearly cares about the club (a lot more than someone like Alexis Sanchez), and to get to a situation where you are losing him for nothing is unforgivable. The Welshman is in the prime years of his career and showed just how good he is in the win against Napoli on Thursday night. Stan Kroenke will live to regret this.”
Harry Elnaugh
“It’s certainly up there if not right at the top. The Welshman showed against Napoli on Thursday night, once again, how indispensable he is to the Gunners and, as long as he continues to impress week after week, Arsenal fans will surely feel even more agonised when he inevitably departs in the summer. It’s a huge mistake but credit to him for not throwing strops and continuing to give his best on the pitch, unlike some of the other players who have donned red and white in recent years.”
Jack Saville
“I think what makes this such a huge kick in the teeth is that Unai Emery seems to be steering the club in a really positive direction. The signs are in place to suggest the Spaniard is laying the foundations of a massive future for the Gunners, but the departure of his most talented and senior central midfielder is undoubtedly a setback which won’t be forgotten quickly. This one is right up there with Van Persie in terms of the loss of quality, though the psychological effects will not be as profound with Ramsey moving to Serie A. The only silver lining is that the signings of Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira prove Arsenal’s scouting team are looking in all the right places for fresh talent.”
It’s fair to say Seamus Coleman hasn’t enjoyed his best season as an Everton player with many ups-and-downs during the 2018/19 campaign to date.
The Republic of Ireland international has largely remained a regular in the starting XI despite not producing the consistently good performances he has in recent years, but he looked to be getting back to a higher standard during the recent run of three successive wins.
However, the 30-year-old endured a miserable day as the Toffees were beaten 2-0 by already-relegated Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday, being torn apart by Ryan Babel of all people.
Meanwhile, Jonjoe Kenny has been a promising young player at Goodison Park for a while and has had some spells in the team in the past couple of seasons.
It all begs the question; why is manager Marco Silva ignoring the 22-year-old right now?
The England U21 international hasn’t even made the 18-man squad for the Merseyside outfit’s previous four matches, and the Portuguese manager’s reluctance to put him in the side is certainly not because of the duo’s defensive stats.
According to WhoScored, Kenny has averaged more tackles and made more interceptions and clearances than his senior teammate per appearance, albeit in 16 fewer Premier League outings.
Few would argue that he isn’t stronger at the back than Coleman given how the Irishman has struggled at times this term, but another stat will probably shock a few – their dribbling.
That has been one of the 30-year-old’s main strengths during his career as he flies down the wing, takes people on and launches crosses into the box, but it just isn’t happening now – a sign of age and injury creeping up on him perhaps.
Kenny has averaged 0.8 dribbles compared to 0.3 for Coleman, but it is the crossing stats that are ultimately keeping the latter as the first-choice right-back.
It is clear to see that Silva wants his full-backs to be a big attacking outlet and the main supplier of crosses in the team, which is shown by the fact that Lucas Digne on the opposite flank has averaged 2.3 per game.
Compare that to wingers like Richarlison (0.1), Bernard (0.4), Theo Walcott & Ademola Lookman (both 0.3), and it is clear to see that the former Watford boss needs his defensive flankers to make an impact in the final third.
There is more chance of Coleman doing that for the rest of this season at least as his crossing average lies at 0.6 per game compared to Kenny’s 0.4.
The 22-year-old will need to show a significant improvement in that area of his game if he wants to ever be a regular starter at Everton, but with his teammate declining it would be no surprise to see Silva dip into the transfer market for a right-back this summer.
It may not be a great time to be a Nottingham Forest fan at the moment. The club find themselves in poor form and have fallen away from the play-offs after previously having hopes of potentially gaining promotion.
If there was a positive to take from it though, then it would the fact Arvin Appiah has just made his first-team breakthrough. However, there is a player who potentially has the ability to surpass his development.
Forward Brennan Johnson has been in magnificent form of late and is showing plenty of tricky attributes that could make him a force to be reckoned with in the Championship in the near future.
At 17 years of age, he is still exceptionally raw but his latest performances have shown just how promising he is.
This week, he scored a hat-trick for the club’s U23 side as they hammered Ipswich 4-1. All of his goals were of extreme quality. He first displayed his dead-ball technique, striking a free-kick home from 25 yards, before his second came courtesy of a sweetly struck long-range effort.
If that wasn’t enough, he then found the back of the net once again from a cleverly worked set-piece, coming short, before bouncing the ball over a crowd of players.
It was three goals that showed the confidence of the player, having scored twice against Millwall a week previous too.
It’s no surprise that the attacker has attracted the interest of Everton before. The Premier League side were sniffing around the player in March 2017, only for Forest to issue a hands-off warning.
And they will be counting their blessings that they were able to keep him.
All of the debate surrounding the youth academy at the moment appears to be whether he can become better than Appiah.
Only last week, Chris Cohen, Forest’s U23 assistant coach said this: “The debate in the staff room for a number of years has been who is going to be better, Brennan or Arvin. And not everyone always says Arvin, so that probably shows you the level that we believe Brennan can get to.”
Johnson already has Forest pedigree running through his blood. His father, David Johnson was a huge hit at the City Ground between 2001 and 2006 but if his son continues at the rate he’s going, he may well be able to surpass him.
Liverpool are enjoying such a prolific season that, not only their own players, but those on loan are also enjoying success.
Indeed, the Reds’ loanees have been impressive in different leagues, with midfielder Marko Grujic finding his form with Hertha Berlin.
The centre midfielder’s proved his talent in the Bundesliga with some impressive performances. The 23-year-old’s been an absolute rock in midfield, protecting Berlin from trouble time and again. As well as having scored four goals, the Serbian’s worked tirelessly on his defensive side, averaging 2.2 tackles, 2.5 clearances and 3.4 aerials won per game (stats via WhoScored).
He’s been a diligent figure, distributing possession proficiently and also helping cover for his defence. As a result, interest for him is mounting up. Indeed, Spanish giants Atletico Madrid are seemingly especially keen. However, according to reports (via Independent), the Reds are demanding a fairly shocking £35 million for someone who is surplus to requirement.
Clearly, FSG are just trying to churn out profit and it’d clearly but a masterstroke but the required fee is way too inflated. So much so that it could even put interested parties off. Indeed, Grujic’s only made eight league appearances for Liverpool and is definitely not getting into their packed squad anymore. They should just decrease the fee by a few million to cash in.
Obviously, everyone involved with Liverpool would want as much money as possible and that’s both understandable and commendable in equal measure. However, why run the risk of putting anyone off? A more reasonable fee would surely be in order here, capitalising on any big interest from the Spanish capital.
Liverpool fans, do you think Grujic should be sold this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…
Josh Cullen might be raring to go with Charlton’s promotion opportunity via the play-offs just around the corner, but the midfielder has seemingly ruled out any possibility of remaining at SE7 beyond the current campaign, with his loan deal set to expire in the summer.
The 23-year-old is set to return to West Ham after a stellar season in League One but some fans have surely been hoping that he would secure a permanent switch to The Valley. Unfortunately though, the dynamic Irishman has made clear his desire to fight for a first team spot with the Hammers.
What did he say?
Well, speaking about his time at Charlton and his future at West Ham, the 5 ft 9 workhorse said:
“I’ve always said that the main focus is to go back to West Ham and get a first-team place there. I’ll go back.
“They want me back to go and do pre-season and try and make my time there successful. Get in the first-team and warrant that place. That’s what I’m looking to do and hopefully that will happen.”
Can’t get Cullen
Having made 28 appearances for the Addicks, chalking up one goal and five assists, the industrious number 8 has been a huge hit at promotion-chasing Charlton, who would certainly be hopeful of tempting him back to The Valley for another season at least. The player himself, though, has other plans and few can surely blame him for trying to fight for a future at a Premier League outfit.
Check out what happened when two of Charlton’s best players faced-off in a game of ‘Splat’ in the video below…
Whether or not he can be successful, only time will tell, although with Reece Oxford having failed spectacularly to build on early signs of potential, it may be already too late for Cullen, who will have to fight for a midfield spot with the likes of 20-year-old Declan Rice.
What do you think, Charlton fans? Would Cullen get into West Ham’s team or would he be better served staying at The Valley? Let us know in the comments below…
Everything looks rosy at Liverpool right now. Jurgen Klopp has turned them into genuine title challengers against one of the best teams we’ve ever witnessed in Premier League history: Pep Guardiola’s record-breaking Manchester City.
The Reds are also in the final of the Champions League for the second season in a row, where the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have been in world-class form yet again to fire them through to the latter stages of Europe’s elite competition.
So, after this memorable campaign comes to a close, who should Klopp sell, loan out or keep? Football FanCast assesses the Liverpool squad…
[snack_break title=”Goalkeepers – Alisson Becker, Simon Mignolet, Caoimhin Kelleher”]
Soccer Football – Champions League Semi Final First Leg – FC Barcelona v Liverpool – Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain – May 1, 2019 Liverpool’s Alisson gestures REUTERS/Sergio Perez
Alisson Becker – Keep, obviously.
Simon Mignolet – James Milner recently spoke of his admiration for Mignolet’s professionalism despite being benched in favour of Alisson. The Belgium wanted to leave back in the summer, but the Reds refused his wishes; maybe he should be granted his wish as a result of his commendable attitude.
Caoimhin Kelleher – Loan. The young Irishman is very highly rated at Anfield, but is in need of some first-team football elsewhere to truly test himself.
[snack_break title=”Full-backs – Alberto Moreno, Andy Robertson, Adam Lewis, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Nathaniel Clyne”]
Alberto Moreno – Out of contract in the summer, and not a big favourite at Anfield anyway.
Andy Robertson – One of the world’s best. Keep.
Adam Lewis – Klopp is clearly excited at the exciting youngster’s potential having included him in his squad for the warm weather camp in Marbella earlier this year. A loan would be a smart move for an obviously talented left-back.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – Also one of the world’s best, and a scouser. Looks set to stay for the long term.
Nathaniel Clyne – Loaned out to Bournemouth in January and could command a decent fee. Sell him and get cover for Alexander-Arnold in.
[snack_break title=”Centre backs – Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Dejan Lovren”]
Virgil van Dijk – Arguably the world’s best defender. Do I even need to say it? Keep him and build that statue.
Joe Gomez – A fantastic young defender with incredible potential. Keep.
Joel Matip – Has shown in Gomez’s absence that he can be an excellent defender and a reliable presence; his ability to bring the ball out from the back has been impressive. He should be kept around.
Dejan Lovren – Nearing his 30th birthday and has struggled with injury problems this season. Probably best to move him on and get a decent fee for him whilst they still can.
[snack_break title=”Central midfielders – James Milner, Gini Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Adam Lallana, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita”]
James Milner – Milner is almost 34-years-old, and his current deal expires in just 12 months. His leadership and versatility have been key, but it might be time to move him on now Oxlade-Chamberlain is back fit and Keita has settled.
Gini Wijnaldum – Liverpool’s unsung hero. Wijnaldum is a fan favourite at Anfield and has come up with some big moments for the club. He is also a tidy footballer who never lets anyone down. Definitely keep him around.
Jordan Henderson – Captain fantastic. Maybe in the first half of the season you could have argued that the England international should be moved on but, after a chat with Klopp, he has become a key figure in Liverpool’s run to the Champions League final. Has to be kept.
Fabinho – The £39m summer signing has given Liverpool’s midfield some bite and a new dimension. The No.3 sets the tempo in Klopp’s gegenpressing system and is arguably one of the most important players in the side. A must keep.
Adam Lallana – Lallana has made just 16 appearances this season as he once again struggles to maintain his fitness. With the amount of midfielders Klopp has at his disposal, maybe it’s time for the former Southampton man to be moved on. Does he even get in the side when fully fit? Probably not.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – The Englishman’s return to action after roughly a year out was one of the moments of the season. He is a popular figure at Anfield and offers something different in midfield for Klopp. Keep.
Naby Keita – The Guinean was just starting to find his feet at Anfield before suffering a groin injury against Barcelona – Keita had three goals in six games before the incident inside the Camp Nou. After a good pre-season, he should be more like the player we saw at RB Leipzig.
Soccer Football – Champions League Semi Final Second Leg – Liverpool v FC Barcelona – Anfield, Liverpool, Britain – May 7, 2019 Liverpool’s Xherdan Shaqiri celebrates after the match REUTERS/Phil Noble
Xherdan Shaqiri – Had a strange period out of the team after January, where he played just 40 minutes in almost three months. Showed his obvious quality against Barcelona, but there are some doubts over his work ethic. An improvement could easily be found, so Shaqiri should be moved on for a decent profit on the £13m Liverpool spent on him.
Sadio Mane – Keep. Obviously
Mohamed Salah – You’re joking right? Keep.
[snack_break title=”Strikers – Roberto Firmino, Divock Origi, Daniel Sturridge”]
Soccer Football – Champions League Semi Final Second Leg – Liverpool v FC Barcelona – Anfield, Liverpool, Britain – May 7, 2019 Liverpool’s Divock Origi celebrates scoring their fourth goal with Xherdan Shaqiri and Trent Alexander-Arnold REUTERS/Phil Noble
Roberto Firmino – Klopp’s No.1 choice for the centre-forward role and the man that makes Liverpool’s attack tick like clockwork – he must be kept.
Divock Origi – The Champions League semi-final hero, Origi’s status at Anfield has very quickly turned from bit-part player into a heroic figure. However, he hasn’t been needed for large parts of the campaign and Liverpool should use his newfound form to whack a few extra quid on his price tag and sell him on.
Daniel Sturridge – Is out of contract in the summer, and should rightly be let go. Looks a shadow of his former self.
[ad_pod ]West Ham United are set to explore the possibility of signing both Yacine Brahimi and Hector Herrera from FC Porto this summer, per ExWHUemployee.
What’s the word?
Brahimi and Herrera both have deals that expire this summer.
They are each a key member of the club’s squad, with the latter actually serving as the club’s captain.
Brahimi has played 47 times in all competitions, scoring 13 goals and laying on nine assists, while Herrera has made 51 appearances, netting eight times and laying on two more.
West Ham were linked with a move for the Algeria international in 2018, per Record via TribalFootball, with a £30million bid mooted.
Noble’s replacement and fresh attacking blood
West Ham have often been criticised for buying past-it players on deals that do not cost the club an awful lot of money.
Samir Nasri is one such example this season but it finally appears as though they are seeing the light, particularly if this story is true.
Herrera is a battle-hardened midfielder who has pretty much done it all and he is also a fully-fledged Mexico international with bags of international experience.
At the age of 29, he can replace Mark Noble in the centre of the pitch while retaining the Irons skipper’s bite in the tackle.
Brahimi is the same age and he offers both versatility and genuine attacking verve; he is quick, clinical and an excellent dribbler of the ball and offers a genuine alternative to Marko Arnautovic, who could be on his way out of the club this summer after his lengthy flirtation with a move to China in January.
Getting these deals done, then, would be a feather in the caps of both David Gold and David Sullivan.
It will be intriguing to see how Tottenham Hotspur approach the upcoming transfer window with a multitude of players rumoured to be moving in both directions, including Bayer Leverkusen star Julian Brandt.
What’s the word?
Spurs fans may remember Brandt from the World Cup last year. The distinctively Aryan looking Germany international was called up to Joachim Lowe’s squad at the expense of Leroy Sane.
Rumours linking him with a move to Liverpool go back as far as 2017, but a recent report from German media outlet SportBild (via Sport Witness) suggests that Tottenham have joined the race for his signature.
The north London outfit, Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund have all reportedly held discussions with the player’s father.
Crucially, in a report published last month, SportBild (via Daily Mirror) also revealed that the 23-year-old has a release clause of just £21.5 million.
One point separated City and Liverpool but twenty-five separated them from the rest! Fans discuss who could reduce the deficit next season in the video below?
Versatility and interchangeability vital to Pochettino
With a return of nine goals and 17 assists in all-competitions this season it’s easy to understand why Spurs are expressing an interest in Brandt’s services.
At this stage it would be wise to ask where the exciting midfielder slots into Tottenham’s system, but there isn’t a straightforward answer to that question.
He forced his way into Lowe’s squad last summer following an impressive season in which he predominantly operated from the flanks.
But he has undergone something of a stylistic transformation this season and regularly operated in the heart of midfield and as a number ten, while continuing to provide spark out wide when called upon.
The versatility he has showcased will naturally entice Pochettino and his success across multiple positions proves he is tailor-made to slot into Tottenham’s system.
Lucas Moura has been willing to adapt to a handful of different positions since arriving at the club, Son Heung-min has filled in at centre-forward when needed and both Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen are comfortable interchanging in the midfield and drifting into space out wide.
Brandt’s glowing Bundesliga performance in four key positions – central midfield, attacking midfield, left wing and right wing – have enabled him to tick a vital box for Pochettino, and that could be a determining factor as Tottenham weigh up a potential bid this summer.
At just £21.5 million this could be another stroke of genius from Levy.
According to The Mirror, Paris Saint-Germain have shelved their interest in Everton’s Idrissa Gueye to target a move for Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante instead.
And it would be fair to say that Toffees fans are pleased with the report.
PSG were strongly linked with a move for Gueye during the January transfer window, but were unable to secure a deal for the former Aston Villa ace.
One of Everton’s most important players, the 29-year-old made 35 appearances in all competitions for Marco Silva’s side during the 2018-19 campaign.
It remains to be seen whether the Merseyside outfit are able to keep hold of Gueye, who has also previously been linked with Manchester United.
In this era of ‘big 6’ dominance, has finishing 7th become as good as winning a trophy? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…
However, news that PSG will seemingly not be following up on their interest in the winter window has been well received by fans of the Toffees, which is not a surprise given how impressive the Senegal international was in recent months.
A selection of the Twitter reaction is available to view below: