West Ham must move for Aleksandar Mitrovic instead of Maxi Gomez

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According to The Mirror, West Ham United are considering a move for Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the word, then?

Mitrovic spent the second half of last season on loan at Fulham before joining the Cottagers on a permanent deal from Newcastle United last summer.

The 24-year-old has been unable to prevent Fulham from dropping straight back into the Championship, but his form during the 2018-19 campaign has been good.

Indeed, the striker has netted 10 Premier League goals for Scott Parker’s side, which is a brilliant return when considering the team’s struggles this season.

It seems unlikely that Fulham will be able to keep hold of the Serbia international this summer and, according to The Mirror, West Ham are interested.

Football.london report that Mario Husillos and Pellegrini have identified Gomez as a priority signing, but they should forget the Uruguay international and sign Mitrovic instead.

Why would Mitrovic be the better fit?

There is no question that Gomez is a talent. Indeed, the striker has scored 11 La Liga goals for a struggling Celta team during the 2018-19 campaign.

The 22-year-old is untried in England, however, and it would be a big risk for West Ham to shell out a sizeable price for a player who could take a while to settle, if he does at all.

Mitrovic, on the other hand, knows the English game and has proved that he can score goals at the top level.

West Ham will be in the market for a new striker this summer as Andy Carroll prepares to move on, whilst Marko Arnautovic could also finally leave.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Newcastle did not want Mitrovic, but it is not too difficult to understand why West Ham are interested in a summer deal.

And Hammers head coach Manuel Pellegrini should insist that Mitrovic and not Gomez is the club’s number one attacking target ahead of the 2019-2020 campaign.

Ref in Focus: Leicester and Newcastle won’t be pleased by Kavanagh appointment

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With Leicester City chasing a seventh-place finish and Newcastle United still not safe from the drop, Friday’s clash under the floodlights at the King Power Stadium is a relatively big one.

Brendan Rodgers’ men will be in confident mood following four successive Premier League wins, but the same can’t be said for the visitors who have lost two on the bounce and lie just seven points from Cardiff City in the final remaining relegation spot.

A miserable 2-0 defeat in their previous match on the road against Arsenal was hardly a good sign for them when it comes to picking up points on the road, and they need to perform much better against their in-form opponents.

The appointment of Chris Kavanagh as referee isn’t good news for them considering their record when the 34-year-old has been in charge of their matches this season, although Leicester find themselves in a similar boat.

The official has been the man in the middle for three Foxes fixtures, as per WhoScored, with them losing two and drawing one.

Those two defeats came away against Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers on miserable days for former boss Claude Puel, and obviously fans of the east Midlands outfit will hope that their fortunes have changed under Rodgers.

Newcastle actually have exactly the same record under Kavanagh as Leicester, although all of those have come when Rafa Benitez’s men have been on their travels.

Reverses against Chelsea and West Ham United were accompanied by a goalless draw at Southampton.

That means in six attempts the 34-year-old official is yet to oversee a win for either side, and if history is to repeat itself a draw may well be the most likely result on Friday.

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Of course it could also mean that something finally gives with both teams in need of the points at this stage of the season.

One thing is for sure, neither club will have been happy when they saw Kavanagh’s name next to the fixture on Tuesday.

Man United must rekindle their interest in Joshua Kimmich right now

It’s now confirmed that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is remaining at Old Trafford for another three years and fans are understandably elated because of how good he’s been so far. You Red Devils reading this must be absolutely delighted, considering how bad things have largely been over the course of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Spirit is flowing around Old Trafford as a result of the Norwegian’s stint as manager so far because the players are playing for the shirt once again, something that couldn’t be said when Jose Mourinho was in charge. Remember those days? Yuck.

It has been a quick change under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but certainly a good one at that and, finally, England’s biggest club can start planning, something fans don’t need telling they’ve struggled with over the course of the campaign.

Manchester United fans right now though, are more concerned about whether he will be given significant financial backing over the summer to improve his team. If money really isn’t a problem and Ed Woodward is prepared to go all-out, a target looked at (via CaughtOffside) under Jose Mourinho should most definitely be looked at once again this summer and that is Bayern Munich’s, Joshua Kimmich.

Kimmich, (who is valued at £54 million on Transfermarkt) is arguably one of, if not the best right-back in the world right now and Man United would be very lucky to have a player of his quality in defence. Largely brought to an English audience this season for his performance against Liverpool in the Champions League, the sight of the German international shouting at Sadio Mane after missing would have pleased the United faithful.

Not only is he a formidable right-back but Kimmich is well equipped to play as a defensive-midfielder alternately as well for United.

At the age of 26, Kimmich is now reaching the very best days of his career so far and what an asset he could be at Old Trafford.

With Antonio Valencia set to leave this summer, the need for a top right-back is essential and what better way to replace the pair than to sign the best one around. That’s the Manchester United way of thinking.

Is signing Joshua Kimmich a good idea for Man United… Join the discussion and let us know below!

Spurs fans react as Winks is ruled out of Champions League clash

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Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that Harry Winks is not fit to play in the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester City, to the chagrin of supporters.

Spurs won the first leg in north London 1-0 thanks to an excellent goal from Son Heung-Min.

A clean sheet, then, would see Spurs through, as would any kind of draw or even a 2-1 defeat.

But their cause will not be helped by the absence of striker Harry Kane, who damaged his ankle ligaments in a clash with Fabian Delph in the first leg.

And Spurs have now confirmed that Winks will also be absent from the encounter.

The England international missed the 4-0 win over Huddersfield Town at the weekend and supporters were hopeful of the midfielder being fit for the decisive encounter with the Premier League champions.

He will instead be on the treatment table, along with Kane, Eric Dier (hip) and Serge Aurier (hamstring).

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

Hakim Ziyech would be another masterstroke signing

Liverpool managed to move back to the top of the table yesterday thanks to goals from Georginio Wijnaldum and James Milner in what was a rather tight encounter. 

The Reds won’t accept anything less than the Premier League title this season having come on leaps and bounds under Jurgen Klopp, but they may not have a chance if Manchester City win all of their remaining games.

Although, it looks as if the Merseyside club are already looking at strengthening in the summer, as according to The Mirror, Liverpool are interested in Ajax’s Hakim Ziyech.

Interestingly, the Morocco star is available for just £25 million which represents an absolute bargain price when you consider just how special he’s been this season, producing 19 goals and 20 assists.

The crazy thing is that Ajax only signed the magician for £9.9 million back in 2016.

FSG have managed to secure a number of bargains over the years, including the likes of Mohamed Salah, Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho, but Ziyech may just be the best of the bunch if they manage to sign him.

He really would be a masterstroke signing as he’s established himself as one of the best attacking midfielders in world football this season, having proved himself against some of the world’s best in the Champions League.

Liverpool are still yet to replace Coutinho and have lacked creativity in the final third at times this season, so bringing Ziyech to Anfield makes perfect sense. The Moroccan has all the ingredients to take the Reds’ attack to another level and his passing ability would work wonders with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane getting in behind.

Liverpool fans, surely signing Ziyech would be absolutely massive this summer? Join the discussion by commenting down below!

Portsmouth must try and acquire Ryan Yates once again this summer

This run of form is unbelievable! Portsmouth are doing absolutely everything they can to launch themselves into the automatic promotion spot and the way they’re going, they really could do it.

Indeed, it seems the boost that the Checkatrade Trophy victory has provided has been massive for Pompey and consequently, the position they find themselves in now is a lot healthier. Throughout the years of pain, the South Coast have maintained their passionate fanbase and they are seemingly in good spirits, hoping they will be getting more success by the end of this season.

If they do make it back into the Championship, the jump up and gulf in class between the two leagues cannot be underestimated, so great care and consideration has to go into who Portsmouth will buy to improve their team.

Ryan Yates is someone Nottingham Forest have tended to use in occasional rotation but for a player of his ability, he could bring so much more to the table than the service he is currently providing, instead for Portsmouth. The 21-year-old central-midfielder is someone the club have reportedly (the Mirror via HITC in December) tried to pursue before back in January but for whatever reason, a deal failed to materialise.

Since the turn of the year, Yates has been more involved with Nottingham Forest’s first-team, with 12 appearances to be exact, though Portsmouth can still fancy their chances about securing a deal to bring him to Fratton Park.

The Englishman is a hard-working midfielder and one that would certainly improve upon the current options Kenny Jackett has available to him.

Whether or not promotion becomes a reality, it goes without saying that Ryan Yates would be able to hack it in either league Pompey may find themselves in.

Portsmouth fans, would you take Yates? If not, why not? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

Arsenal exploring possible bid for Aubameyang’s perfect partner

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Arsenal are monitoring Lorenzo Insigne ahead of a possible summer bid for the Napoli star, per Corriere dello Sport via Sport Witness.

What’s the word?

The Gunners, the report claims, are exploring the possibility of a move for the Italy international.

Insigne has struggled with injuries throughout the campaign and has been limited to just 25 Serie A appearances, though he has scored nine goals and laid on six assists.

He also played six times in the Champions League, scoring the winner in the 1-0 victory over Liverpool while netting in each group clash with PSG, though Carlo Ancelotti’s side did not progress to the knockout stages.

Corriere claim that, along with Chelsea, Arsenal are interested in bringing the 27-year-old to England, a move that would end Insigne’s 13-year association with the club.

He is said to be valued at €100million (£85.8m), a figure that is surely way out of the Gunners’ price range.

Insigne’s agent, Mino Raiola, though, is said to be keen to speak to both Chelsea and French giants PSG before contemplating discussing a deal with the Gunners.

Aubameyang’s dream signing

This would be a hell of a deal if Arsenal could pull it off.

Insigne is lightning quick, creative and technically gifted, while he also has international experience, having played 30 times for Italy.

Across his Napoli career, Insigne has scored 76 goals and laid on 70 assists and he would be the perfect foil for both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette at the Emirates Stadium.

He is pacier than Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Mesut Ozil and offers the goal threat that they both lack.

It would be a dream signing for both strikers, who would see their loads lightened and their goalscoring chances increased exponentially.

State of our club: Manchester United fans discuss Scott McTominay winning POTM

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Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to discuss Scott McTominay being named as the club’s Player of the Month for April.

The Scottish midfielder scored the first goal of his United career in the 2-1 loss to Wolves at the start of the month with a well taken long-range effort, and followed that game up with a fantastic performance in the 1-0 loss to Barcelona at Old Trafford – some fans still see him as a not-so-talented workhorse figure, however.

The Flying Pig unleashes fury on Dea Gea, Young, Sanchez and Pogba in the funniest player ratings ever in the video below…

Despite his good showings, the Red Devils lost both of those games, and went on to lose all of their fixtures throughout April.

Many United fans have pointed to the fact that McTominay picked up the award as a sign of the mediocrity being accepted at the club, especially as he only started three of their seven fixtures and didn’t feature at all in two of them, and they don’t seem particularly happy that the academy graduate has received the award.

Let’s see what the United supporters on Twitter have been saying about the decision…

West Brom: Letting Rekeem Harper leave would be a slap in the face

Regardless of whatever transpires in the Championship play-offs for West Bromwich Albion ahead of their second-leg fixture at home to Aston Villa, they’ve set up a philosophy which focuses on long-term success.

Well, kind of. Darren Moore obviously wasn’t given much of a chance on that front.

Indeed, the Baggies are producing some top young talents through their academy, with breakout star Rekeem Harper among the most promising.

The 19-year-old’s put in some stunning performances in midfield this season, dazzling fans with his impressive ability on the ball. However, his work hasn’t gone unnoticed. It never does.

According to reports from the Sun (via HITC), Norwich City are keen on the youngster’s services this summer. Now, West Brom face a fight to keep him if they can’t secure Premier Leauge promotion themselves. Why does supporting the Baggies never get easier?

That being said, the club cannot allow such a prime talent to leave so soon. The talented midfielder’s seemingly unwilling to sign a new contract due to their predicament, but Jimmy Shan and company need to press hard in getting it done. Harper’s turned into an important fixture in the midfield, adding energy, bite to their engine room and, after so many years of looking stale in that department, is just a general breath of fresh air.

He’s added excitement to their attack with his movement, dribbling past opposition with ease. Harper’s single goal and assist in 13 Championship starts proves he has potential to deliver in goals going forward, while averaging 1.3 dribbles, 86.4% passing accuracy (stats via WhoScored) per game indicate a confident talent.

Losing him now would be a bitter blow for a club looking to reconnect with the fans and the community after a number of years of poor transfer decisions and managerial appointments led to discontent.

With Gareth Barry and Chris Brunt both reaching their endgame, Harper’s the one to lead West Brom forward. He brings many qualities to their midfield, pressing down oppositions fiercely and also driving the Baggies forward. Letting him leave would be a big mistake, as the 19-year-old is crucial to keeping a lively midfield in years to come.

West Brom fans, would you be disappointed by Harper’s potential departure? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Transfer target Youri Tielemans the man to take Man United into a new era

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It was 26 November 1992. An unremarkable day by any standards in the world, but perhaps the biggest moment in Manchester United’s footballing history since the appointment of Sir Alex Ferguson years earlier.

Eric Cantona, the swashbuckling Frenchman, arrived at Old Trafford from Leeds United and swaggered straight into the United dressing room. 

If there were ever a footballer who single-handedly dragged his side to success, then Cantona’s influence on the Red Devils comes as close as it gets. The maverick forward left the side having led them to four Premier League titles in just five years, his name forever etched in the club’s legacy.

Fast forward more than two decades later, and Manchester United once again find themselves battling to stave off mediocrity. A dismal end to the season saw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side limp into sixth and face a season away from the glitz and glam of the Champions League.

The Norwegian himself admitted that it could ‘take a long time’ for the club to get back to competing for honours; but perhaps all it takes is for United to discover their 2019 Eric Cantona.

Step up reported transfer target Youri Tielemans. Not the biggest name in football, nor even someone who’d feature on a dream shopping list for fantasy football managers. But maybe the right man at the right time.

The Belgian has revitalised his career in a short six-month loan deal at Leicester and under the guidance of Brendan Rodgers is back to showing the form that made him such a highly-regarded prospect at Anderlecht.

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Since his arrival on English shores, Tielemans – who parent club Monaco reportedly value at €45million (£39.34m) – has netted three goals and provided a further four in just 13 Premier League appearances. Even with just half a season under his belt, the midfielder found himself just outside the top ten for passes for the Foxes, and became one of the first names on the Leicester team-sheet.

His vision, his composure and eye for goal were all evident from midfield, and at Manchester United he’ll be able to offer that reassuring presence to those alongside him.

Such is Tielemans’ temperament and ability to inspire not only himself but the others around him to better performances, he was handed the captaincy aged just 19 in both legs of Anderlecht’s Europa League last-32 tie against Zenit St Petersburg.

With the future of Paul Pogba uncertain, United are in dire need of a player able to handle the pressure and the limelight to carry the team on his back much like Cantona did. Manchester United may not be the attractive proposition they once were, but for Tielemans, that only sets the stage for him to lead the new Old Trafford era.

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