All posts by h716a5.icu

Aston Villa are interested in a move to bring Inter Milan forward Joaquin Correa to the Premier League, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Senior attacker required

Following the departure of Danny Ings in January, Unai Emery moved to replace him with Jhon Duran, but being just 19 years of age, the boss is likely to be in the market for a more senior replacement and has identified the 28-year-old as an ideal candidate.

The Argentinian international’s contract at the San Siro isn’t due to expire until 2025, but having made just four starts this season in the Serie A under Simone Inzaghi, has fallen out of favour.

Emery already came close to working with the striker before having arrived at Sevilla shortly after the boss departed in 2016 but it appears that he’s now planning to try and capture him himself.

The Latest: Villa eyeing Correa

According to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), West Ham United are currently in ‘pole position’ to sign Correa but are set to face ‘competition’ for his signature from Aston Villa.

The Midlands outfit are ‘lurking’ in the background and have already ‘expressed interest’, though it’s made clear that they would have to ‘rebuild him both physically and mentally’.

Inter are reportedly ready to ‘offload’ him in the summer with a sale being sanctioned ‘increasingly probable’, and the two clubs mentioned are ‘very wealthy’.

It’s believed that the attacker ‘wouldn’t mind a different challenge’ regarding a move to England after the last two ‘unforgettable’ seasons.

The Verdict: Potential bargain

Inter Milan wanting to get rid of Correa may mean that they are willing to let him go at a cut price so Aston Villa would be getting a bargain should they secure his services for a reduced fee.

The 6 foot 2 colossus has posted 102 goal contributions (63 goals and 39 assists) in 346 career appearances and ranks in the 99th percentile for pass completion, highlighting how prolific he is in the final third and how strong his link-up play is with his fellow teammates.

The Juan Bautista Alberdi would also bring plenty of versatility to Villa Park having played in six different positions since emerging onto the scene, including out wide on both flanks and at centre-forward.

Finally, Correa has been dubbed a ‘formidable’ player by his manager Simone Inzaghi and he has all of the qualities to fit the profile of striker that Emery has been looking for.

As Newcastle United romped to victory over Manchester United on Sunday afternoon, one of the more underrated performers in that 2-0 triumph was midfield gem, Sean Longstaff, with the Magpies academy graduate having again been an energetic and relentless presence in the centre of the park.

Although faced with taking on a man who could take his place at St James' Park in the form of Scott McTominay – who is reportedly of interest to Eddie Howe ahead of the summer window – it was the Englishman who undoubtedly came out on top, having added 'drive and burst' to his side's midfield ranks, according to the Independent's Jamie Braidwood.

The 25-year-old notably won a standout tally of eight of his ten total duels on the day and was awarded a respectable 7.2 match rating, as per Sofascore, while that man McTominay won just eight of his 19 total duels, while also recording a meagre 6.5 match rating.

While the latter man was 'absent for large spells of the game', according to GOAL's Peter McVitie, Longstaff was far more impressive for the hosts on the day, notably seeing a fierce effort flash narrowly wide inside the first half.

That standout showing from the North Shields-born "machine" – as hailed by journalist Charlie Bennett – was no doubt what those on Tyneside have come to expect from the £50k-per-week menace of late, with the player himself admitting that he is currently "living the dream" at his boyhood club.

After previously falling out of favour under Steve Bruce – having failed to start more than 15 Premier League games in each of the past three seasons – the 5 foot 11 ace is now a central figure under the new regime, having already started 23 times in the top-flight this time around.

With reports suggesting that the aforementioned McTominay – who has only started eight league games this season – could cost as much as £40m if a deal is to be agreed this summer, the northeast side would be wise to save themselves millions by sticking by the flourishing Longstaff.

How much is Sean Longstaff worth?

Among those who look "reborn" under Howe – according to Bennett – the rise of the one-time Blackpool loanee is also showcased by his soaring valuation, having notably blossomed since making his first-team debut back in August 2018.

As per Transfermarkt, Longstaff has enjoyed a 660% rise in his valuation since March 2019, with the improving gem now said to be worth roughly €22m (£19m), having been valued at as little as €2.5m (£2m) just over four years ago.

Not that Newcastle will be looking to cash in any time soon, although that merely reflects the great strides that the midfielder has made in recent times, emerging as something of an "unsung hero", as per pundit Tam McManus.

In a season which has notably seen Longstaff score twice in the League Cup semi-final win over Nottingham Forest, there could well be further high points to come over the next few weeks, with hopes of securing Champions League football having bolstered by that latest victory over Erik ten Hag's side.

To think that one of their own could potentially be competing in Europe's premier competition is a prospect that Magpies supporters will surely relish, with the club having truly hit the jackpot by bringing the local lad up through the youth ranks.

Leeds United will have some big decisions to make this summer, regardless of the division they find themselves in at the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign.

Too many members of the Championship title-winning squad have been allowed to stagnate at Elland Road in the Premier League and they must be moved on by Javi Gracia in order to free up room for more talented young signings such as Wilfried Gnonto and Tyler Adams.

There were once high hopes for one of Leeds' most promising young midfielders, Jamie Shackleton, but the 23-year-old should finally be allowed to leave the club on a permanent deal this summer.

Should Leeds sell Shackleton this summer?

Shackleton would join Leeds when he was just seven, meaning he has been at the club for 16 years now, making his first-team debut under Marcelo Bielsa in the 2018/19 Championship season.

He would go on to play 78 times under the Argentine manager at Elland Road but has been used sparingly since his exit, featuring just once under Jesse Marsch before being allowed to join Millwall on loan in the Championship last summer.

While he has featured 34 times in all competitions for Gary Rowett's side so far this term, only half of those have been starts, with the youngster having failed to score or assist in any of his appearances.

Worryingly, WhoScored has awarded the £1.5k-per-week earner a dreadful 6.25 average rating for his performances in the Championship, which suggests that even if Leeds do go down this season, he cannot be trusted to be an effective player in the second tier.

Rowett has sung his praises already this season however, with the midfielder lauded by his manager after filling in at right-back in the win against Sheffield United earlier this year.

He said: "Shacks was absolutely outstanding alongside Sav, who was really good as well.

“He (Shackleton) only came off with a bit of cramp because he hasn’t played much. I said to him a month ago that you’re going to get game time and don’t be too disappointed. I couldn’t quite give it him that point, for different reasons, but now he has got the opportunity and he looked a player who really wanted to take that opportunity.”

Unfortunately, he has rarely lived up that billing on too many occasions throughout his career.

Indeed, Although Bielsa was clearly a fan of Shackleton, his performances didn't really merit so many appearances in the Premier League, as he was ranked as their 14th-best performer last season with a woeful 6.45 average rating from WhoScored.

Considering he hasn't lived up to his potential at Leeds and has struggled in the second tier this season, Gracia must ensure that he leaves on a permanent deal this summer, rather than letting him languish at the club until his contract expires in 2024.

Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Florian Neuhaus this summer, having been linked with him in the past.

Is Neuhaus thriving in Germany?

The German was linked to joining the Reds back in the summer of 2021, at a time when midfield reinforcements were needed to make up for the loss of Gini Wijnaldum to Paris-Saint Germain. Neuhaus ended up staying at Monchengladbach, however, and Liverpool made no new signings in that area.

This continued lack of investment in the middle of the park has become increasingly problematic for the Merseysiders, as age catches up with the likes of James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Thiago.

It is essential that Liverpool make midfield additions at the end of this season, especially with Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain moving on, but with a move for Jude Bellingham appearing to be dead in the water, they need to look at alternatives.

Are Liverpool back in for midfielder?

Taking to Twitter, whilst sharing his article for 90min, reporter Graeme Bailey provided an update on Neuhaus' future, admitting that there is interest in him, as well as name-checking Liverpool in his piece as one of the clubs who are keen in the article:

"A number of Premier League clubs are looking at German star Florian Neuhaus. Back from a knee injury, Borussia Moenchengladbach are trying to tie him to a new contract – if not he could move this summer."

Neuhaus could still be a good signing for Liverpool this summer, even though his reputation arguably isn't as great as it was back in 2021, at a point where his performances for Monchengladbach were particularly strong, scoring six goals and registering five assists in the Bundesliga in 2020/21.

This season, the 26-year-old has only started 10 league matches, which is largely down to a serious knee ligament injury that saw him miss around three months of action.

He has been back playing regularly of late, though – deployed in three full 90 minutes since the middle of March, and given his age, signing him wouldn't feel like too big a gamble.

Journalist Jack Collins once hailed Neuhaus as a "magnificent" player and his all-round midfield ability as a footballer – he has 46 goal contributions (22 goals and 24 assists) in 166 Monchengladbach appearances, and netted twice in 10 caps for Germany – could help ease Liverpool's woes in that area moving forward.

Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister this summer and the Argentine could be a big upgrade on Mason Mount at Stamford Bridge.

Could Chelsea sign Mac Allister?

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the midfield maestro will depart the Amex Stadium early in the summer transfer window, with Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool all said to be keen.

The three clubs are all said to have approached the Seagulls over a potential deal for the 24-year-old, who was reportedly valued at an eye-watering £70m for the 24-year-old, who has caught the eye with his performances for club and country this season.

"Alexis Mac Allister, expected to leave early this summer — understand there are three clubs in the race: Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United," the renowned transfer guru tweeted. "These clubs have approached player’s camp to discuss the project. #BHAFC will decide price tag soon."

Blues owner Todd Boehly has invested a remarkable amount of money during his time at Stamford Bridge but could be swayed by Mac Allister after he starred in Argentina's World Cup win in Qatar, where he contributed one goal and one assist in six appearances, earning a strong 7.11 rating from WhoScored.

His performance in the final against France was particularly impressive, with journalist Roy Nemer celebrating his display just a few days after Lionel Scaloni's side took home the trophy.

He said:

"Alexis Mac Allister was unplayable in the World Cup final. The intelligence, the technique. Incredible talent."

The former Argentinos Juniors man has also been a key factor in Roberto de Zerbi's side's success in the top flight so far this campaign, as he boasts eight goals and one assist with an average rating of 7.08 in the Premier League, which is better than everyone bar Reece James in Chelsea's squad.

Would Mac Allister be a Mount upgrade at Chelsea?

For this reason, he could be a big upgrade on Mount at Stamford Bridge next season, with the England international looking likely to leave amid a contract dispute with his boyhood club.

If you compare the two midfielders' performances in the top flight so far this term, it seems clear that the Argentina international would be the better long-term option for the Blues.

Mount boasts just three goals and two assists in 23 Premier League appearances this campaign, with a far less impressive average rating of 6.72 for his performances.

He has also averaged fewer shots (1.4 vs 2.5), dribbles (0.7 vs 1.2) and tackles (1.4 vs 2.2) than the Brighton maestro, which are all stats you would hope from an all-action, creative midfielder, and this suggests that Mount would not be missed at Stamford Bridge should Boehly bring in Mac Allister as his replacement this summer.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Julian Nagelsmann has pulled out of the Chelsea managerial race due to poor timing.

What are the latest Chelsea manager rumours?

The former Bayern Munich has been considered one of the main candidates to take over in west London after Graham Potter was recently sacked.

Indeed, just a matter of days ago, The Guardian claimed the 35-year-old was the frontrunner after "impressing in talks" following a meeting with the club’s sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley.

However, since then, Romano has reported that the German is no longer likely to be hired by Chelsea after he has made himself unavailable to take over.

While speaking in more detail about the whole situation on his YouTube channel, Romano explained just why this had happened.

He explained: "What happened? In the last few days, from what I understand, the situation has changed. What happened is that Julian Nagelsmann… timing is a factor; also, he wants to plan for his future and he knows that Chelsea are taking time to make a final decision.

"At the moment, Julian Nagelsmann, it looks like his final decision looks ready to leave the race to become the new Chelsea coach."

Why won't Nagelsmann join Chelsea?

Judging from Romano's claim, it seems as though Nagelsmann isn't quite ready to take the job at this moment in time.

This could suggest that Chelsea want to hire a manager immediately even though Frank Lampard was appointed as interim until the end of the season.

Seeing as the Englishman has struggled since taking over, with the Blues losing his first four games in charge, perhaps Todd Boehly and co have lost patience and are now pushing to bring in a new face as soon as possible.

But if Nagelsmann doesn't want the job yet, he may have ruled himself out. This matches up with a recent claim made by insider Dean Jones to GiveMeSport.

Before this latest Chelsea development had occurred about Naglesmann pulling out of the race, the journalist wrote: "The German does not want to take up a new job during the season, preferring to come in for the summer to attack pre-season and focus fully on preparing a squad for a full campaign."

And so, it certainly does seem as though the timing just isn't right for Naglesmann, which raises the question of who the Blues go for next.

Mauricio Pochettino seems to be next on the list if the latest reports are to be believed, so perhaps links to the Argentinian will become more prominent over the coming weeks.

Chelsea have suffered their fair share of howlers in the transfer market over the previous decade or so, having signed countless flops while selling players far too hastily before they have gone on to shine elsewhere.

Jose Mourinho was arguably the key protagonist in this regard, especially during his second spell at the Stamford Bridge side. He did secure another Premier League title and League Cup win in 2014/2015, yet his transfer record was a strange one.

The likes of Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas improved the side yet moves for Mark Schwarzer and Marco van Ginkel didn’t exactly work out. The Portuguese manager sold Kevin De Bruyne in 2014, and he has developed into arguably the "best midfield player in the world", as per Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp.

It wasn’t just Mourinho who was prone to a howler however, with Antonio Conte selling Mohamed Salah in the summer of 2016 to AS Roma for just £12m – a decision that does appear to have been a huge mistake.

How much is Mohamed Salah worth now?

Salah couldn’t quite settle in at Chelsea, making just 19 appearances during his brief spell, although it wasn’t for a lack of trying, especially with his performances in training.

Fellow teammate at the time, Filipe Luis, said in an interview with the Guardian that Mourinho didn’t bring the best out of Salah: “When [Salah] went Fiorentina, I said: ‘Why are you going, Momo? This is Chelsea.’ And he said: ‘I need to play.’ I thought: ‘This kid’s good.’

“He never went for money or to win more; he went to show he could play. In training he was like Messi. Really, like Messi. Ask anyone.”

High praise indeed and clearly a sign of things to come, especially judging by his records since joining Liverpool from Roma in 2017 for £34.4m.

He has gone down as an icon at the Anfield side, spearheading them to their greatest era since the 1980s and scoring 183 goals in 299 appearances, a staggering record.

His value has soared since departing Chelsea in 2016, with Football Transfers now valuing the forward at €65.8m (£58m) and it certainly proves just how big a mistake it was for Chelsea to sell the 87-cap dynamo when they did for such a small fee.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and would Salah have blossomed into the layer he is now if he had persisted at Chelsea under Conte? Who knows, but it will go down as a major transfer howler by the Stamford Bridge side that’s for sure.

West Ham now only have three games remaining in their 2022/23 Premier League campaign, and the threat of relegation can be put to bed in the coming weeks for David Moyes' men.

Victory last weekend over Manchester United meant that the Hammers sit seven points clear of the drop, meaning they could confirm their safety this season regardless of their result against Brentford, who they face on Sunday.

However, should their relegation rivals pick up points over the next couple of games, there could still be jeopardy ahead for the east Londoners, with a Europa Conference League tie to navigate ahead of their trip across the capital.

Here's how Football FanCast thinks the next few games will pan out…

West Ham fixtures 14 May: Brentford (a) 21 May: Leeds (h) 28 May: Leicester (a) Brentford v West Ham

Following their Conference League tie against AZ Alkmaar in midweek, the Hammers head across London to face a mid-table Brentford side perhaps understandably blowing hot and cold at this stage of the season.

A win will secure Premier League football next term for West Ham, and with the Bees' season effectively over, they may be there for the taking this coming weekend.

This is also a Brentford team that have only won twice at home since early February, with late goals sealing the victories on both occasions against Fulham and Nottingham Forest.

One thing that may play into the hosts' favour, however, will be any tired legs West Ham have from their European exploits. But having reacted to a midweek defeat by beating Manchester United last time out, this is a hurdle we know the Irons can overcome.

Prediction: Brentford 0-2 West Ham

West Ham v Leeds

Sam Allardyce returns to West Ham looking to save a Leeds side who could be relegated if results go against them on the penultimate weekend.

Whether any lingering animosity amongst the fanbase over Big Sam's tenure in east London will have an effect on the atmosphere and performance in a fortnight's time remains to be seen, but there will certainly be something on the line when these teams meet.

West Ham will head into the game knowing their Conference League fate, and in all likelihood, will be safe by the time kick-off comes around on that Sunday afternoon. This means that even if their Premier League status is secured, players will be aiming to sneak into Moyes' cup final plans should they overcome AZ on the preceding Thursday.

Provided there is no European hangover, they should still go into this one as morale-boosted favourites, with Leeds not winning a game of any description at the time of writing since mid-March.

Prediction: West Ham 3-0 Leeds

Leicester v West Ham

With this game 10 days before a potential European final, West Ham's squad selection could be intriguing given that they will likely be safe before facing Leicester City on the final day of the league campaign.

It must be said that Leicester could well be relegated before kick-off, meaning this could be a dead rubber. That said, the Foxes won't want to exit the top flight with a whimper, and with one eye on either Prague or the summer holidays, it may not be surprising to see Hammers players refraining from going hell for leather.

Despite their struggles this season, Leicester have a fairly fearsome attack when they're on song, and though they have seldom shown this form throughout the campaign, we feel the most likely set of circumstances ahead of the game will have the home side hell-bent on getting a result, regardless of their fate.

Prediction: Leicester 2-1 West Ham

Predicted run-in points: 6/9 Predicted total points: 43

Kaushal Silva said a determined effort to put the pressure back on England’s bowlers was the key to Sri Lanka’s batting turnaround in the second Test

Andrew Fidel Fernando31-May-2016Leaving, defending and patience are generally held up as necessary virtues for openers in early-season England.  A little counter intuitively though, Kaushal Silva has said it was the adopting of a more assertive mindset that saw Sri Lanka make improvements to their batting in the second innings at Chester-le-Street.Silva hit 60 in a team total of 475, and though he stressed that leaving and defending remained important on seaming surfaces, he also endorsed a more positive attitude towards run-making.”If you attack any bowler, they will be put on the back foot by that,” he said.  “If you keep leaving the ball, these bowlers are so skilful that there is still a chance of getting out. Rotating the strike is crucial. When we score runs there is a little pressure on them as well.”Here, the difference is that the good ball is what you should expect – that is what is normal, because the skills of their bowlers are great. So to counter that, we have to try and bat positively. Even if the correct decision is to leave, you have to commit wholeheartedly to that.”The second innings at Chester-le-Street saw Sri Lanka batting past the 45th over for the first time in the series, as Silva, Angelo Mathews and Rangana Herath hit half-centuries, while Dinesh Chandimal scored 126. They survived 128.2 overs in total, after Silva and Dimuth Karunaratne had put on their longest opening stand of the tour, seeing out 16.2 overs before the first wicket fell.”An opener’s role is especially important here, because our success has knock-on effects for the team,” Silva said. “If Dimuth and I bat a good number of overs, the ball gets old and the others find it easier. It’s England’s opening bowlers who are the real wicket-taking threats, and the pressure they apply is immense. In the last innings Dimuth and I batted 17 overs, and that made it much easier for the rest of the team.”The other thing is to get their quicks to bowl three or four spells. With any fast bowler, if you have them bowling 15-20 overs, anyone will tire and drop their performances a bit. Between the seven batsmen we have to be able to do that. Whoever is batting well that day should be able to bat through and ensure that happens.”Silva said the second innings had restored confidence to a top order that had been shaken by three collapses before that. With the Test at Lord’s more than a week away, Sri Lanka’s challenge will be to approach the third Test with the positivity they had ended the second with.”We all knew we had it in us to bat like that – it’s just that we weren’t able to in the first three innings. Now a few individuals have scored runs. They’ve got confidence. It’s only after you’ve done it a few times that it becomes easier for you. But we need to replicate that by training with that intensity, then taking it into the next match.Silva’s two previous half-centuries in England had come in the 2014 match at Lord’s. “Personally, I’m disappointed about the way I got out. But I’ve played four Tests in England now, scored three fifties but no hundred yet. I’m hoping to get set and go for the big one – to a hundred.”Sri Lanka had taken four excellent catches on the first day at Chester-le-Street, but marred that performance by dropping Moeen Ali twice on the second day as well as Chris Woakes. They had also reprieved Alex Hales and Jonny Bairstow at Headingley. Moeen and Bairstow went on to make big hundreds, while Hales laid a solid foundation.”I don’t think we are a terrible fielding team,” Silva said. “Some days we field well and others we don’t. That happens with the batting as well. Consistency is what is missing. Maybe lack of anticipation is an issue. But we can’t have those excuses. If a bowler is doing well on a flat wicket and a catch gets dropped, that’s really tough on them. As a policy we don’t blame cricketers for dropping catches, because we all train hard. Anyone can miss a catch, but there is lots of room for improvement.”

Journalist Lee Ryder has slammed Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson after his 5/10 display against Arsenal on the weekend.

What's the latest on Callum Wilson and Newcastle United?

The Magpies' hopes of finishing inside the top four took a blow on Sunday at St James' Park as they lost to their Premier League rivals.

Indeed, Martin Odegaard's first-half strike was then compounded by an own goal from Fabian Schar as the Gunners picked up all three points away from home.

Despite the loss, Champions League qualification still looks likely for Newcastle who sit third in the division, three points ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool despite having played one game fewer.

But manager Eddie Howe will no doubt be disappointed to have lost this big match and it seems as though one of his stars let him down on the day.

Indeed, in the player ratings for ChronicleLive, Ryder noted just how little Wilson managed to actually impact the game with his 5/10 display.

The journalist wrote: "Has been unbelievable of late. But didn't manage a shot and had just 19 touches."

How bad was Wilson against Arsenal?

It was actually a bit of an experiment for Howe to play Wilson upfront with Alexander Isak, as both were starting together for the first time.

However, this ploy failed in the eyes of Daily Mail journalist Daniel Matthews, who wrote: "But Wilson endured one of his quieter afternoons, while Isak threatened only in flashes before being moved to No 10. And then No 9 for the final 12 minutes after Wilson came off and the experiment was shelved."

And when you look at the stats on SofaScore, you can see that £46k-p/w Wilson didn't have the best performance up against the Arsenal backline.

Indeed, he actually finished the game having had fewer touches than Nick Pope. Indeed, the goalkeeper has 34 while the striker had only 17.

On top of that, Wilson was wasteful in possession giving the ball away 11 times and completing just 3/8 (38%) of his passes. While he didn't help win the ball back either, losing all four of his attempted ground duels.

After the game, manager Howe told the BBC that his team needed to do better at both end of the pitch, saying: "Missed chances. The moments were there for us. We had a lot in the game. They didn't go in and we are hugely frustrated with that part of our game. We probably didn't defend as well as we have for the majority of the season, either. We were good without being at our very best."

It's fair to say, Wilson didn't really help much with that on the day.