Category Uncategorized

Aston Villa have been handed a major blow before their Premier League clash against Manchester City on Wednesday night, with news that Morgan Sanson is set to miss out once again.

The Frenchman was taken off in Villa’s game against Fulham, and he subsequently missed the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool last week.

And now, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Pep Guardiola’s side, Dean Smith confirmed: “Morgan Sanson’s got a knee injury as well. He’s still feeling it so we’re not too sure how long he’ll be out.”

The £16.2m-rated midfielder only joined the club back in the January transfer window from Marseille, and has only slowly been eased to life in the Premier League, playing just 291 minutes of top-flight football.

Speaking after his signing, Smith waxed lyrical about the kind of qualities the Frenchman could bring, saying: “He has got a big game mentality, he has played at the top of the French league for the last five years, played in the Champions League.

“He is a great technician and has great tactical awareness. He can play in a number of positions, can set up goals and can score goals. He has a bit of everything in his game so we’re really pleased with the acquisition.”Dubbed as a “warrior” by himself, Sanson showed his qualities as a really effective box-to-box presence in his time at Marseille.Before his move to the Midlands, he averaged an impressive 1.8 tackles and 1.1 key passes per game in Ligue 1, both of which ranked him favourably compared to the rest of Villa’s squad. In fact, only two other players have averaged more tackles per match than him, while again, only two other have averaged more key passes too.[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-aston-villa-transfer-rumours-and-news-copy-copy” title=”Latest Aston Villa transfer rumours and news”]News that he will once again be missing for a crucial Premier League game in Villa’s quest to finish in a European spot for this season, will come as a big blow to Smith. And, the fact the manager has admitted that there is uncertainly over “how long he’ll be out” for, makes it an even bigger pill to swallow.Meanwhile, Dean Smith must drop this Villa liability tonight vs Man City…

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has delivered a major update on Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw.

What’s the story?

The £60k-a-week earning ace has been out of action for Marcelo Bielsa’s side for well over a year, and thus, is still yet to make an appearance in the Premier League for the Whites.

Now, Hay has suggested Forshaw is closing in on a potential return to the first-team, with the 29-year-old set to feature for the U23s.

He revealed: “Leeds midfielder Adam Forshaw could make his first competitive appearance in more than 18 months this week following a long fight to recover from hip surgery, reports Phil Hay. Forshaw has a chance of playing in the under-23s match between Leeds and Aston Villa on Friday, a year and a half on from his last first-team outing.

“Forshaw is understood to have completed an hour of a game organised between Leeds’ under-23s and non-League York City at Thorp Arch on Saturday. The former Middlesbrough midfielder is understood to have come safely through the 60-minute run-out and will now be considered for another academy game in the days ahead, raising the prospect of a first-team comeback.”

Bielsa will be buzzing

Given how he’s still been yet to call him up for a game in the Premier League, the news on Forshaw nearing a first-team comeback will surely have Bielsa buzzing.

Before his injury, the midfielder was clearly someone who had impressed the Argentine, who said: “Forshaw is a player who, when he has played, he is always between the better players of the team.

“He has a feature that is very difficult to get. He defends similar to Kalvin, he attacks similar to Klich. What he does close to Phillips doesn’t impede, it is not a problem for him when he goes close to Klich to attack.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Latest Leeds transfer rumours and news”]”You are not going to find a lot of players with this kind of characteristic. Always Adam when he plays is one of the players who runs more and not just in total distance, in sprints in high intensity.”With Leeds being linked to midfielders like Teun Koopmeiners ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, Forshaw’s impending return will give Bielsa some time to assess the 29-year-old before the end of the Premier League season and whether he can cut it at this level.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing this 6 foot 3 powerhouse…

Everton slipped up in the race for Europe with a home draw against Crystal Palace on Monday evening.

James Rodriguez had set the Blues on course for a precious three points, but Michy Batshuayi struck in the 86th minute to deny them.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side remain eighth in the table, but West Ham’s victory at Wolves means they have slipped five points off the top four, albeit with a game in hand.

Same old story for Everton

The result represented a continuation of Everton’s poor home form after defeats against the likes of Fulham, Newcastle and Burnley earlier in the season.

After the game, 27 year-old Lucas Digne took to Twitter in a bid to reassure supporters that the team would continue battling.

“We have the opportunity to do better but it’s football, keep going,” he wrote.

Digne had actually played reasonably well – he created three chances – but that didn’t stop fans venting their anger in the replies.

Everton fans air their frustration in response to Digne tweet

“Lucas it’s hard supporting this team sometimes. I was 15 last time I saw Everton win anything and I’m now 40. It is the same year on year and you become numb to it. It’s down to you as a team, if you collectively put the effort in then you win.”

Credit: @PaulSaul2001

“If only the players knew or cared how much we want and need this. Yes keep going, but please can you start winning.”

Credit: @jazzyjjo89

“It’s not football mate, it’s a case of not performing at the standard we expect, the home form is terrible and the lack of quality up top today was disappointing to say the least, we expect far better than recent performances.”

Credit: @18_JUNIOR_78

“You’ve had plenty of opportunities to do better…after the Fulham game, after the Newcastle game etc etc…heard it all before. Until the squad improves you lot will continue to disappoint.”

Credit: @5teVanDamme

“Not good enough lad, keep saying the same stuff week in week out”

Credit: @mxrganhulme7

“It’s April. We’ve won one match at Goodison this year. That’s not good enough. As a team, collective responsibility should be taken.”

Credit: @jimefc81

“Sounds like excuses every week, it’s really not good enough.”

Credit: @pbo1379

“Sorry mate but we’ve completely bottled this season”

Credit: @SlendermanXXI

In other news, a football finance expert has made a prediction about Everton’s spending.

As Benji Kimpioka wheeled away after scoring in the 90th minute to rescue a draw with Coventry in 2019, it felt like a landmark moment.

11 months on from when Josh Maja had been sold, a member of Sunderland’s academy was scoring goals again.

Unfortunately for the 21-year-old, he has not scored for the senior team in league action since.

Chances have been hard to come by for Kimpioka, a young talent who swapped Swedish shores for the north-east of England in 2016.

It was in Scandinavia where he learned the game, but it’s at Sunderland where he’s been developed and tailored.

That being said, it has not been an easy ride for the striker, someone who has struggled to make a sufficient impression under both Jack Ross and Phil Parkinson.

Ross was the man to give him his senior debut but he’s not kicked on and has also had his troubles with injury.

Speaking in October 2018, just over a year before he scored his first league goal, Ross commented: “He’s an enigma at times. He’s got really good attributes. It’s just about trying to piece it all together.”

Indeed, not a single manager has been able to piece them together until recently. Kimpioka has been busy making a big impression for Elliott Dickman’s U23s but his season hasn’t been without its setbacks.

The talented forward didn’t even have a club at the beginning of the term. He was out of contract with the Black Cats and even went back to his native Sweden to train with his former club, IK Sirius.

He eventually penned new terms at the Stadium of Light in October and immediately hit the ground running, scoring four goals in five Premier League 2 outings.

A hamstring injury in November proved another setback, but we’re starting to see signs of a revival. He was among the substitutes bench for the EFL Trophy final at Wembley just over a week ago which clearly shows Lee Johnson has him on his radar.

The arrival of Ross Stewart has damaged the potential of further senior minutes but with Will Grigg out on loan, there is a spot in the first-team with Kimpioka’s name on it.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-sunderland-news-and-gossip” title=” Latest Sunderland news and gossip!”]

If he continues to score with great regularity for the U23s, there’s no reason he can’t make an impression at first team level. After all, Johnson has already handed minutes to the likes of Dan Neil and Ollie Younger.

Could Kimpioka be the next in line? You should hope so. The forward has proven he can hit the back of the net this season and Sunderland are surely done with Grigg.

Therefore, the youngster should be unleashed next season instead.

AND in other news, Drop him: Sunderland gem who lost 67% of his duels continues to let Johnson down…

MatériaMais Notícias

Volante de técnica e precisão, além de ótima marcação, César Sampaio brilhou nos gramados nos anos 90 e início dos anos 2000. O ex-jogador começou no Santos em 1986 onde começou a se destacar logo cedo.

Mas sua passagem mais marcante no Brasil foi pelo Palmeiras, onde teve duas passagens vitoriosas. No início dos anos 90, ganhou o bi Paulista e o bi Brasileira em 1993 e 1994, além do Rio-São Paulo de 93. Depois, em 1999, foi campeão da Libertadores e faturou mais uma vez o Rio-São Paulo de 2000.

Pela Seleção Brasileira, jogou entre 1993 e 2000, com passagem destacada na Copa do Mundo de 1998, na França, onde marcou três gols. Sampaio jogou ainda no Japão, La Coruña, Corinthians, e encerrou sua carreira no São Paulo, em 2004.

Leeds United decided to slam the door on any potential movement for rising talent Sam Greenwood. Clubs including Swansea City have been circling the 19-year-old striker as he’s been making waves at the U21 level at Elland Road.

But despite the interest, The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath has reported that Leeds rejected Swansea’s approach for his services. Marcelo Bielsa reportedly wants to see the teenager stay with the Whites for the second half of the season.

What does the future hold for Sam Greenwood?

For the Argentinian boss to reject any moves for Greenwood, he must have some plans up his sleeve for the former Arsenal man. According to Transfermarkt, he has already netted six goals in ten appearances for Leeds’ youth side. He was also handed his first Leeds senior appearance when the Whites took on Crawley Town in the FA Cup third round earlier this month.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-leeds-transfer-news” title=”Read this week’s latest Leeds news!”]

Patrick Bamford is currently Bielsa’s only reliable option when it comes to strikers. The Englishman boasts Leeds’ highest goalscoring tally, leading the way with 11 goals and four assists so far this season. The player with the next highest amount is winger Jack Harrison, who has five goals and four assists, according to BBC Sport.

But Bamford still leads the way by a large margin. In fact, the only out and out back-up he currently has in case of injury is Joe Gelhardt. Summer signing Rodrigo can play as a centre-forward, but he recently admitted that his preferred role is operating in the pocket of space just behind the striker.

With Bielsa opting to keep Greenwood at Leeds for the rest of the season, he may have plans to bring him into the action off the bench. The teen could be given the chance to live up to his hype – after being likened to Robin van Persie during his days in Arsenal’s youth system.

With Bamford picking up a dead leg injury against Leicester, options are very, very limited. This could be Greenwood’s time to really kick start his career and show what he’s made of in England’s top flight if he is given a chance to shine.

If he isn’t in Bielsa’s plans, then the decision to not let him leave on a loan would be seen as an odd one, so by keeping him around, the boss may be thinking of using Greenwood at some point in the coming months.

In other news, Leeds taking a risk amid Phil Hay’s deadline day update…

Crystal Palace have completed the signing of Jean-Philippe Mateta from Mainz 05 on an 18-month loan with an option to buy, and it could be bad news for Michy Batshuayi.

What’s the word?

Mateta arrived in London for a medical last night ahead of a move worth up to £16m, with the initial loan costing £2.5m whilst the option to buy is worth a further £13.4m providing he starts 15 games in the Premier League.

The 23-year-old told the club’s website: “I’m very happy to come to Crystal Palace and I look forward to training.”Playing in the Premier League was my dream when I was a child. Now I can play, I will show the fans of Crystal Palace what I can do.”

📸 No Worries. #CPFC | https://t.co/utMcYSDkhb pic.twitter.com/VN4FHWjxcu

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) January 21, 2021

“We have followed Jean-Philippe’s development with keen interest for some time, and I’m so pleased that we have been able to bring him to south London,” said club chairman Steve Parish.”He is a player that is full of potential with a proven goal-scoring record, and his signing reiterates our commitment to ensuring we have a well-balanced squad in terms of youth and experience for the seasons ahead.” Bad news for Batshuayi

Mateta has impressed with his performances in the Bundesliga for Mainz, bagging 27 goals in 71 appearances across all competitions, including a hat-trick against SC Freiburg.

The Paris-born Frenchman has continued his prolific form since the start of this season, scoring seven goals in 15 top-flight games, resulting in a solid 6.72 average rating.

His arrival at Selhurst Park could spell trouble for Michy Batshuayi as it may have all but ended his hopes of joining Palace on a permanent basis in the summer.

Palace signed the Chelsea striker on loan until the end of the season, with the option to make his move permanent at the end of his loan spell, but he has been restricted to just four starts in the Premier League this season so far, with the last of his appearances coming off the bench in the 4-0 defeat to Manchester City.

It’s been nearly six months since the misfiring Batshuayi signed for Palace, and it’s fair to say that his second stint at Selhurst Park hasn’t quite worked out, having so far failed to find the back of the net for Hodgson’s side this season.

The 27-year-old, who is currently valued at £10m via Transfermarkt, has done little to justify such a hefty price-tag, and he may in fact cost even more if Palace wish to make his move permanent after he agreed a one-year contract extension with his parent club in the summer.

Should Mateta hit the ground running – and he has certainly shown that he should be able to do this, given his excellent goal return for Mainz – it’s hard to imagine Parish will want sanction such a move for Batshuayi, given his struggles in front of goal, as he may struggle to get a decent amount of game time under Hodgson as he already finds himself behind Jordan Ayew and Christian Benteke in the pecking order.

The Palace flop may in fact be forced to return to Chelsea with his tail between his legs instead.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace must avoid signing Fiorentina striker Christian Kouame in January…

According to The Guardian, Crystal Palace have set their sights on signing Demarai Gray, who appears set to leave Leicester City this week.

What’s the word?

Gray has been frozen out of the first-team picture at Leicester by boss Brendan Rodgers and is being chased by clubs across Europe as they seek to secure his services for a cut-price fee.

The versatile forward, who is out of contract at the King Power Stadium this summer, has also been linked with a move to Bayer Leverkusen. The Bundesliga giants are believed to have made an approach for Gray but it’s unlikely a move to Germany is on the cards following his swift rebuttal.

As per the report, Roy Hodgson’s side have now entered the race to sign the uncapped Englishman. They are willing to integrate him into his plans for the second half of the season by reaching an agreement with his representatives regarding a move to Selhurst Park.

Imagine Gray and Eberechi Eze

Born in Birmingham, Gray joined Leicester for £5m from the Blues back in 2016 and was part of the squad that famously won the Premier League under manager Claudio Ranieri.

After impressing for Ranieri, the 24-year-old has featured 40 times for Brendan Rodgers over two seasons but has made just one solitary appearance in the Premier League so far this season. In all competitions so far, he has tallied a total of 169 appearances across all competitions for the Foxes.

Palace are crying out for a new winger right now, especially after Jeffrey Schlupp succumbed to injury. When he is fit, and with Eberechi Eze already a regular starter and Andros Townsend providing competition for places, the Eagles are actually quite well-stocked out wide.

However, Schlupp hasn’t featured since the start of the year as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury. Although he will be sidelined for at least three months, the Ghanaian is still expected to be a part of Hodgson’s plans when he makes a comeback, having scored two goals in 15 top-flight appearances this season.

The future of Townsend, though, remains up for debate as his contract is set to expire in the summer. It appears that Hodgson is open to the prospect of making further additions to his options out wide with one eye on the future.

Given his age, there’s no doubt that Gray, who earns around £55,000-per-week at the King Power Stadium, ticks plenty of boxes for Palace as a fully-fledged professional who still possesses plenty of untapped potential. Rodgers previously praised him for his “excellent” display after he dazzled during a brief cameo back in 2019.

Last season, the attacking midfielder managed to score two goals and supply three assists from just three starts in the top flight, averaging 1.1 shots per game, via WhoScored. For context, that’s more than Townsend himself has managed this season (0.9), which suggests that he could provide more of a cutting edge for the Eagles.

Capable of playing on the left, on the right or in the midfield, his ability to play in three positions across the midfield would be an added bonus for Hodgson.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace can sign their next Scott Dann in Stoke City’s Nathan Collins…

Kyle Walker-Peters has established himself as one of the first names on Ralph Hasenhuttl’s teamsheet this season and the Austrian manager will surely be delighted with the decision to bring him in on a permanent deal.

The 23-year-old was originally signed on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in January 2020 before joining on a permanent deal in the summer, having impressed Hasenhuttl with his performances for the South Coast club.

Last season saw the right-back average a solid 6.86 rating for his displays in the Premier League with Southampton but he has stepped it up a level this season, having averaged a superb 7.01 rating across his 16 appearances in the top-flight.

His recent performance against Fulham, where he made the most tackles of any Premier League player this season, and the most of any Saints player in over six years, emphasises just how important he has become in Hasenhuttl’s side, as he is showing maturity beyond his years in the right-back role with the South Coast club.

If his current form continues, it might not be a surprise to see him earn a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad in the near future, although the Three Lions do boast an extraordinary amount of talent in that position, with the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Reece James to name just a few.

Earlier this season, Walker-Peters earned the praise of teammate Theo Walcott, who said:

“I’ve only trained twice because of the mini lockdown we have had. I have had my eye on a couple of the other players too but it’s Kyle who has really stood out to me.”

The defender was solid once again in the Saints’ stalemate with West Ham on Tuesday night, helping Hasenhuttl’s side to their seventh clean sheet of the Premier League season, with puts them well on track to surpass last season’s tally of just nine in the Premier League, which reflects the impact Walker-Peters has had in this Southampton side.

Hopefully, he can continue his impressive form throughout the season, with the £12 million deal to bring him in during the summer looking more and more like a brilliant decision by Southampton.

And, in other news… Boufal 2.0: “Super talented” Hasenhuttl buy risks following failed path at Southampton

Wolves’ relationship with super-agent Jorge Mendes could bear fruit once again this January if latest reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to Polish outlet Sportowe Fakty, the Midlands outfit are interested in striking a deal over Wisla Krakow wonderkid Aleksander Buksa.

It’s claimed that Molineux is his most likely destination amid uncertainty over his immediate future with his agent Pini Zahavi and Mendes looking to secure a move to Wolves.

The 17-year-old’s contract is due to expire in the summer but he could sign a professional deal in January when he turns 18, but it would mean he is available for just €5m (£4.5m) thanks to a release clause.

Generational star?

You could be forgiven for not knowing who the young striker is but after scoring four goals in 21 appearances for Wisla last season, he made the Guardian’s ‘Next Generation’ list.

They have ranked him amongst the 60 best young talents in world football – Maciej Slominski wrote: “Both Buksa brothers are tall, technically proficient, left-footed, blonde strikers. Barcelona are said to have scouted him.”

Whilst FootballTalentScout likened his playing style to that of Arkadiusz Milik, claiming that Buksa is a “determined forward with killer-instinct, interesting technique on the ball, decent dribbling skills and cleverness at his off-the-ball movements,” so perhaps it is no surprise to see him dubbed the ‘new Lewandowski.’

The Old Gold have a track record of paying up for relatively unknown youngsters – Pedro Neto, Rayan Ait-Nouri (if he signs permanently) and Leonardo Campana spring to mind.

So if they believe that the Polish sensation has a genuine chance of transforming into a generational star, then they should be trusted with the decision – even if Mendes is involved.

It is his relationship with Fosun that could see him come to the Midlands instead of the La Liga giants.

AND in other news, Nuno could land a true Traore replacement in £45m-rated destroyer…