According to The Star, Sheffield Wednesday attacker Fernando Forestieri has insisted that he is happy to stay at the club for the rest of the season.
This comes after journalist Alan Nixon recently said on Twitter that The Owls had valued the attacker at £14m.
The 29-year-old has only played 12 games this season, as he has been blighted by injury. Nonetheless, he has still managed three goals and one assist. Likewise, he only managed 10 Championship appearances last season, managing five goals. He is a threatening player, but has had his injury troubles lately. With many players, it is hard to shake off injuries once they start coming. The Owls could cash in here before the player builds a reputation and other clubs lose interest in him.
Moreover, £14m will be a huge injection of money into a team that are struggling financially. They must comply with Financial Fair Play regulations, and they are currently walking a thin line. To get so much money for a player that has not been at the forefront of the club’s plans as of late would be a huge boon at Hillsborough.
Finally, with Steve Bruce incoming, it is unclear that the Argentinian will even be favoured by the former Aston Villa boss. Of course, there is only one way to find something like this out- keeping him at the club, but with the potential of making quite a deal out of his departure, it is worth Sheffield Wednesday taking the money and running if any club is interested.
With the Premier League back underway the Fixture in Focus Podcast returns this week to take a close look at West Ham and Liverpool’s clash at the London Stadium on Monday night.
After both title chasers slipped up in midweek – Manchester City losing to Newcastle and the Reds failing to take advantage by drawing with Leicester City – there’s now a massive emphasis on this clash. Drop points against the Hammers and the hunt for the Premier League crown could become essentially a level playing field.
Helping us take a look at the Liverpool side of things is Football League World’s member of the Anfield faithful George Dagless, while regular host James Jones of course provides the inside scoop on West Ham.
Christy Malyan and Chris McMullan are also in the studio, for an agenda that includes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s shrewd use of substitutions, Marko Arnautovic’s transfer situation, why the FA Cup is in decline, what makes this Liverpool team so different to its predecessors and how Jurgen Klopp could establish himself as one of the all-time managerial greats.
If you love what we do and don’t want to miss another episode, don’t forget to subscribe on your preferred podcast platform by clicking here.
[ad_pod ]BBC journalist Adam Blackmore has revealed via his official Twitter account that Southampton striker Michael Obafemi is back in training following a hamstring injury, but he won’t be available for the crucial Premier League clash against Cardiff City at St Mary’s this weekend.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the 18-year-old looked as though he could be a key player under Ralph Hasenhuttl having featured against Manchester United and Huddersfield Town – scoring in the latter – but he then suffered a hamstring injury that has seen him miss their previous nine fixtures in all competitions.
Following an injury to Danny Ings that will keep the 26-year-old out for 2-3 weeks, as per southamptonfc.com, the Austrian manager really could do with having the Republic of Ireland international back available, but he will have to made do with Charlie Austin, Shane Long and Sam Gallagher against the Bluebirds.
When asked by a Saints fan if there was an update on the teenager, Blackmore replied: “Back in training but Saturday too soon”.
Have Southampton missed him?
They probably have, yes.
Obafemi showed the impact he can make in the win against Huddersfield with his pace and his finishing ability, and both traits are something that the south coast outfit have struggled with in recent weeks with the likes of Long and Austin not making the required contributions.
While Nathan Redmond has stepped up, Southampton and Hasenhuttl could really do with that extra threat in the attacking third for the upcoming Premier League games with Arsenal, Fulham and Manchester United, and Hasenhuttl will hope that he has the 18-year-old available again as soon as possible.
Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…
There’s no denying how brilliant Luka Modric was when he was at Tottenham, and since that point, he’s only gotten better. The Croatian midfielder was the magician in the heart of the Spurs team, and his departure left a gaping hole in the squad that has never really been directly replaced.
He passed brilliantly, he was great from set-pieces, he dribbled, he scored – Modric genuinely did it all. And Spurs haven’t had a deep-lying playmaker quite like him ever since.
However, that doesn’t mean that nobody in a Tottenham shirt has been able to match him. In fact, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has claimed that somebody is starting to overtake him as far as his importance to Spurs goes. Speaking during his stint on beIN Sports, Wenger has claimed that Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen is offering everything that Modric did and more at present under Mauricio Pochettino.
Wenger said: “He has developed extremely well. He can score, he can deliver on set pieces, he can give a final ball, he works very hard for the team.”
He continued: “You do not find players with so many qualities. He’s the player that Modric was before..but he scores more goals!”
Of course, Modric was a fantastic player for Tottenham, and that’s exactly why he earned a huge move to Real Madrid. Since then, he’s developed significantly, but in his absence, Eriksen has certainly filled the gap.
Generally playing on the left-hands side of the Tottenham attack, Eriksen is a focal point of the team. He’s able to score goals, he’s able to assist them, and he’s able to serve as the link between the midfield and the attack all the while.
He, of course, plays further forward than Eriksen ever did, but he’s mobile and agile, meaning that he can regularly drop back and help out in the heart of the pitch when required.
Modric scored 4 league goals during his final season at Tottenham, and that’s a tally that Eriksen has already beaten this season, wth the Dane bagging as many as 10 league goals per season in previous years.
The pair are different players, of course, but Modric and Eriksen share many characteristics. Wenger, though, isn’t wrong, and if there’s any trait that Eriksen has on the Real Madrid man, it’s his ability to score goals.
Crystal Palace went one step closer to the FA Cup final with a 2-0 win over Doncaster Rovers on Sunday ensuring they progressed to the quarter-finals – a feat manager Roy Hodgson has achieved just twice previously in all of his years in the dugout.
First-half goals from Jeffrey Schlupp and Max Meyer proved decisive although the Eagles could have been out of sight had referee Mike Dean been inclined to award the visitors a penalty.
Two handball incidents were dismissed by Dean, with the second in particular sending the Selhurst Park faithful into outrage. First, Rovers’ Danny Andrew appeared to swing his arm at Scott Dann’s header, before Blackburn loanee Paul Downing blocked Patrick van Aanholt’s cutback with his left-arm.
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…
Play continued in both instances, with Downing comically holding his face after making contact with his hand and Palace would surely have been furious had their hosts capitalised on their second-half domination – Alfie May looked likely to score and Wayne Hennessey cast an unassured figure between the sticks.
Nevertheless, the win sees the south London outfit through to the last eight of the competition and, with bitter rivals Brighton also emerging victorious in their cup clash with Derby, there could be a spicy fixture to come.
Here’s how Palace fans on Twitter reacted to Mike Dean’s clanger…
Arsenal seem to be stuck in somewhat of a lull at the moment. Mesut Ozil has started just two games since Boxing Day, Aaron Ramsey has signed a pre-contract agreement with Juventus and four of their first-team defenders are on the wrong side of 30.
Gunners boss Unai Emery has a rebuilding job on his hands this summer, but it will be even tougher after it was revealed that he will only be handed £40m to spend – he will have to be shrewd in his dealings, and maybe look to offload a name or two. Or three. Or four.
Arsenal have a number of stars who aren’t pulling their weight, and they aren’t exactly earning peanuts at the Emirates Stadium.
So, Football FanCast have taken a look at who Emery could shift off the wage bill this summer to free up some vital funds, based on figures from Spotrac.
Those who are (almost) definitely leaving
As previously mentioned, Ramsey has already signed a contract with Serie A champions Juventus, so his £6.24m salary will be struck off the wage bill in the summer.
Additionally, Danny Welbeck, Carl Jenkinson and Stephan Lichtsteiner are all out of contract and one would assume they are unlikely to be offered fresh terms. Respectively, they each earn £6.5m, £2.34m and £3.9m per-year.
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Petr Cech, who earns £5.72m, has also announced that he will retire at the end of the season.
Those who look to have no future at the club
Arsenal have a number of players either out on loan or at the club who don’t appear to have any kind of future with the north London-based side.
The likes of Emiliano Martinez and Mohamed Elneny are currently on the fringes of the first team, with the former out on loan at Reading and the latter struggling for game time. Both have not set the world alight and have done little to catch Emery’s attention.
Argentinian stopper Martinez earns £1.04m, whilst Elneny is apparently on £2.6m each season.
Those who aren’t doing enough to warrant their wage
The Gunners have some astronomically high earners who simply aren’t pulling their weight.
Ozil has been told by Emery that he ‘needs to be consistent in training and for matches, without injury or being sick’ – the fact that he isn’t even keeping himself fit and available whilst earning a club-highest £18.2m per-year is ridiculous.
Other high earners such as Mustafi and Mkhitaryan have been below-par this season, failing to perform their duties to the level expected and certainly not to the level that their wages warrant. The German international takes home £4.68m, whilst the former Manchester United attacker’s salary is set at £9.36m.
Arsenal’s potential savings
If the Gunners can manage to offload the aforementioned names along with the ones who are certain to leave, then a staggering £1.165m will be freed up on the weekly wage bill, which means that the north Londoners will save £60.58m annually.
Depending on how much of that figure Stan Kroenke allows the Spaniard to have included onto the transfer budget remains to be seen, but if Emery can convince him to carry some of it over, that slim £40m will receive a much-needed boost.
Brendan Rodgers’ departure for Leicester City’s rattled Celtic’s comfortable season, as they’ve been left hanging heading into the Scottish Premiership finale.
While former boss Neil Lennon’s been reappointed to steady the ship, Rangers could be the biggest beneficiary from Rodgers’ untimely move.
With eight games still left, Rangers are quite far off their rivals, being eight points adrift of the top spot. That being said, the departure of such an influential manager’s certain to have an adverse effect on the players. They’ll now have to change their style to suit Lennon’s philosophy and this awkward change could affect key results ahead.
The Bhoys’ next fixtures include a tricky trip to Heart of Midlothian and against Aberdeen. If they’re to drop points in those games, Rangers could climb back to turn up the heat behind them. The Old firm derby’s scheduled to take place at the end of March, and the last time Rangers defeated the Celts at Celtic Park was way back in 2010.
However, The Gers are a rejuvenated unit under Steven Gerrard, who has instilled heart and soul into their gameplay, which allowed them to stun Celtic earlier this season. If Neil Lennon doesn’t get up and running quickly, the pressure could end up crumbling Celtic’s comfortable momentum.
The chances might be low, but Rangers will be eying the title after this untimely roadblock in Celtic’s campaign. The Gers need to win all their games themselves and hope Celtic slip-up, allowing them to create history under Gerrard.
If not anything else, Liverpool’s recent 0-0 draws have proven one thing. Their squad depth is frail. Despite heavy spending in recent years, the Reds need to continue building their squad if they’re to keep competing against the mighty Manchester City.
In fact, we’d forgive Liverpool fans for being a little bored right now. There’s been so much talk about potentially ‘bottling’ – whatever that really means – the title and, Watford aside, nobody needs reminding that the performances have been rather slow.
So, why not talk about a big transfer rumour? However dubious it may be.
With their attack needing a boost, according to report from Italian outlet Tuttosport via Football Espana, the Reds are looking to sign Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio to do just that. Indeed, the winger is reportedly annoyed at not getting enough regular game-time at the Santiago Bernabeu and, after the embarrassing string of losses, is looking for a move elsewhere.
Asensio can be quite an asset for Liverpool, bolstering their attack even more. With the capability of playing both the wings pretty well, having a deft touch and impressive goal-scoring ability, he can thrive in the Premier League.
While, he’s only scored three goals and assisted twice in all competitions, not being able to fit into the post-Zidane era. There are deep-rooted problems in the Spanish capital, far bigger than his dip in form, and it seems one of the most talented youngsters in the world needs a way out.
With that in mind, he can adapt to Jurgen Klopp’s heavy-metal football really well.
Asensio – valued at a whopping £72m by Transfermarkt – clearly loves flaunting his trickery and move forward with pace, something which will suit Liverpool’s system. He can definitely create stark chemistry with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, with his fantastic striking ability making him capable of creating nightmares for oppositions.
While the Reds will surely face heavy resistance to sign him, they could make a world-class addition with the youngster.
Asensio’s blooming talent is set to reach its peak quickly, and Liverpool would love to have him tormenting oppositions at his best.
Liverpool fans, do you think Marco Asensio will be a good addition? Join the discussion by commenting below.
Aston Villa beat Birmingham City 1-0 in an ill-fated Second City derby on Sunday.
In a game marred by controversy, a goal from Jack Grealish gave Villa a vital victory, their second win over their bitter rivals this season.
Grealish was attacked by a Birmingham fan in the first half; the supporter evaded security and punched the England Under-21 international in the face.
A tweet from West Midlands Police later confirmed that the assailant had been arrested and Grealish hit back in the perfect manner, scoring the winning goal in the 67th minute.
Central defender Tyrone Mings, who arrived on loan from AFC Bournemouth in January, was a key member of the victory, too, turning in a colossal performance at centre-back to keep his side’s clean sheet.
Per WhoScored, Mings made two tackles, 10 clearances and one interception, while he also won four aerial battles throughout the 90 minutes.
And a number of supporters were delighted with their defender’s display as Villa took home the bragging rights yet again.
West Bromwich Albion caretaker manager Jimmy Shan provided an injury update ahead of the trip to Brentford on Saturday via wba.co.uk, and he has refused to rule out a return for Matt Phillips.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the 28-year-old sat out the 3-0 win against Swansea City at The Hawthorns on Wednesday with an ankle issue – one that saw him taken off in the 63rd minute of Darren Moore’s final match in charge last weekend.
The Baggies will know that they need three points against the Bees to have any chance of maintaining their automatic promotion hopes as the games start to run out, and Shan discussed whether a number of players – including the Scotland international – could feature at Griffin Park.
The 40-year-old told wba.co.uk: “Both of them (Dawson and Holgate) will be fine and available.
“Craig was much better yesterday (Thursday). They’ll both be reviewed again today, but I’m imagining after reports from my medical team, they’ll be okay.
“Matty still has some ankle soreness. Again, I’ll have a further update on him.
“Tosin, with his hamstring, won’t be available.”
Phillips can play key role
While Shan has said that Dawson and Hegazi should be fit and Adarabioyo won’t be, he has been far less committal on the 28-year-old.
He may not have been at his best at times this season, but five goals and six assists in 25 league appearances show what the former Blackpool man is capable of on his day, and he has the ability and the pace to be important against Brentford.
West Brom fans will want to cover their ears for the video below…
The visitors’ game-plan may well be to play on the counter-attack against a team they will be expecting to attack them, and having Phillips in the XI would be hugely useful in that regard.
Should he start he could fill in on the right-hand side for Jacob Murphy, who put in another disappointing display against the Swans.