All posts by z3u9t.icu

A number of Leeds United supporters have been reacting to an injury update involving midfielder Tyler Adams.

The Lowdown: Hamstring injury

The Whites are gearing up for a crucial Premier League trip to Wolves this weekend but will be without Adams for just the third time during the current campaign.

The club officially confirmed on Wednesday that the USA midfielder has suffered a hamstring injury in training and will miss the match at Molineux and also won’t be available to represent his country during the international break.

Adams has been a regular since joining from RB Leipzig in the summer, making 26 appearances in all competitions, 24 of which have come in the Premier League.

The Latest: Fans fume

Leeds shared the news regarding Adams on their official Twitter page on Wednesday afternoon, and, as to be expected, a number of supporters were quick to react. These fans weren’t happy, with some even suggesting relegation could be on the cards as a result.

“That’s the final nail in the coffin that” – @Niall_LUFC

“Happy relegation season” – @bethgabriel_

“We are doomed aren’t we” – @ROI_LUFC

“That seals it then. Hello again Stoke away” – @FelixLUFC

“That’s us totally done now” – @lufc75kb

“relegation whites” – @georgeedgee

“Just end the season now” – @DannyAdams22

“Tyler Adams out is a big blow. We don’t need that and it would be a worry it’s going to be longer than simply the Wolves and USMNT games.” – @billywigwam13

“At this point I’m just numb to it all. We all know what’s coming at the end of the season.” – @L33dsLondoner

“Let’s be honest here we aren’t losing any creativity but defensively this leaves massive whole in an already leaky defensive setup” – @richnutting

The Verdict: Big miss

Adams has made a big impact since arriving at Elland Road, helping fill the void left by Kalvin Phillips following his move to Manchester City.

As per WhoScored, the 24-year-old ranks in the top five performers for Leeds this season, with a match average rating of 6.73/10. He has averaged an impressive 3.7 tackles per game while also ranking highly in the squad when it comes to interceptions and key passes made per 90. No player has averaged more passes per game than Adams either, so Javi Gracia may find it difficult to replace the midfielder this weekend, with the obvious solution being Marc Roca and Weston McKennie in a two-man midfield.

Adam Forshaw hasn’t been seen in a squad since New Year’s Eve either, so youngster Darko Gyabi could be the defensive midfield option from the bench this weekend.

Arsenal enjoyed a near decade of success under Arsene Wenger between 1996 and 2006, with the Frenchman changing the landscape of English football while leading the Gunners to three Premier League titles and four FA Cups, coming close to European glory on two occasions also.

His success in the transfer market was key to all of this, managing to sign players such as Thierry Henry, Marc Overmars and Sol Campbell and turn them into the finest on the continent within their respective positions which made Arsenal a club to be feared.

His final decade wasn’t as enjoyable, with the manager seemingly losing his touch when it came to transfers. Lucas Perez, Calum Chambers and Gervinho all arrived for fees which probably didn’t reflect their actual ability, and they struggled to live up to expectations.

One of his worst signings however was that of Sébastien Squillaci, who rinsed the club during his stint in London.

How much did Sébastien Squillaci cost Arsenal?

The Frenchman arrived at the Gunners in the summer of 2010 for a fee of £4m from La Liga side Sevilla, and it looked as though it could be another Wenger masterclass in the transfer market.

Here was a defender who had won two Ligue 1 titles with Lyon while also claiming a Spanish Cup with Sevilla and had represented France on 21 occasions, including at the 2010 World Cup and arrived with considerable pedigree.

His spell with the Gunners would be an unequivocal disaster. His first season saw the player make 32 appearances and score twice, yet over the next two campaigns he would make just seven appearances across all competitions all while collecting wages reported to be around £50k-per-week in the process.

He twice clashed heads with fellow defender Laurent Koscielny and was sent off against Huddersfield in the FA Cup during his spell at the club and Wenger finally lost patience with the defender, as his performances left much to be desired.

The former Lyon centre-back left the North Londoners in the summer of 2013, returning to France to join SC Bastia and across his 148-week spell under Wenger, Squillaci rinsed the club for £11.8m (his £4m transfer fee plus £7.8m in wages earned during that spell) and it’s clear this money could have been spent on other areas.

His signing proved to be a colossal waste of money and Wenger’s final years were littered with such transfers. Thankfully, Mikel Arteta looks to be signing players who will only add quality to the Arsenal side.

Manchester United CEO Richard Arnold has sanctioned a potential deal for Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane, according to The Daily Star.

What’s the latest transfer news on Kane and Manchester United?

The Red Devils and Erik ten Hag have made a new forward one of their transfer priorities this summer and are seemingly interested in a move for England’s all-time record goalscorer.

Reports earlier this month claimed that United have already made contact with Kane’s camp through a third party and have been encouraged by the response. They believe they will sign the 29-year-old at the end of the current campaign, should Spurs finish outside the top four in the Premier League. A further transfer update has now emerged regarding the £200,000-a-week forward and a potential move to Old Trafford.

The Daily Star’s chief sports writer Jeremy Cross stated that Ten Hag has made Kane his No.1 priority this summer and that Arnold has sanctioned a deal. The club now look set to rival Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Chelsea in a possible £80m transfer, with Ten Hag believing that the forward would turn United into genuine title contenders next season.

Should Kane move to Old Trafford?

United appear to have lacked an out-and-out world-class striker this season, with Antony Martial suffering numerous injury issues and Wout Weghorst only arriving on loan until the end of the season back in January and is yet to score in the league.

Therefore, going after a player like Kane appears to be a wise move by Ten Hag and the club, with the Spurs star guaranteeing goals in recent seasons. He has scored 17 Premier League goals or more in each of his last nine campaigns and currently stands on 204 top-flight goals in 310 appearances.

He has been heavily praised over the years as a result, with former Tottenham boss Antonio Conte recently describing him as ‘world-class’. Kane also seemingly has one eye on breaking Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League goalscoring record, something he could continue to look to achieve at Old Trafford.

You’d expect that he would be guaranteed chances in Ten Hag’s side as well, especially with Bruno Fernandes in behind, with the Portuguese playmaker creating 71 chances so far this season. Kane has also had more shots on target than any other Premier League player during the current campaign, scoring 21 times, so it’s easy to see why Ten Hag thinks he could take United to the next level.

Liverpool are interested in signing Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher this summer, according to an update from reliable journalist Miguel Delaney.

Could Gallagher leave Chelsea?

The 23-year-old spent last season on loan at Crystal Palace and enjoyed an impressive spell there, prior to returning to Stamford Bridge in the summer. He would have hoped to key a key role under Thomas Tuchel and then Graham Potter, but he has struggled for regular playing time.

This season, Gallagher has only managed to start 10 of Chelsea's Premier League matches, also coming on as a substitute 15 times, and he has scored and assisted just once apiece in the competition. The Englishman's current squad role may be causing him frustration, and for that reason, he could look for a fresh challenge at the end of the season.

The midfielder's current Blues deal expires in the summer of 2025 but an exit rumour has now emerged that suggests he could be heading to a Premier League rival in the next transfer window.

Could midfielder end up at Liverpool?

According to The Independent's Delaney, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has "identified" Gallagher as an option to sign this summer, bolstering his midfield options in the process. The Reds have struggled greatly in the middle of the park all season long, with Fabinho and Jordan Henderson seemingly past their best, and the likes of Thiago, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Curtis Jones out injured too often to enjoy a big enough influence.

The report states that Klopp feels Gallagher has "exactly the kind of energy and attributes that could go to another level" in his side, with Chelsea "under pressure to offload a number of players this summer", due to "Financial Fair Play requirements after spending so much in the first season of the new ownership".

Gallagher is clearly a good player – one who has won six caps for England and been hailed as "extraordinary and outstanding" by Tuchel in the past – but there are question marks over whether he is at the level required to help transform Liverpool's midfield issues, especially compared to someone like Jude Bellingham. There is a reason why he is struggling to consistently start games for Chelsea and he is also far from being a key man for England.

Granted, he possesses great energy and work-rate, averaging 1.2 tackles per game in the Premier League this season, but the Reds need to be bringing in more formidable signings, unless he is happy to again be handed a squad role.

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani’s bid to take over at Manchester United may have taken a huge twist, The Sun reports.

What’s the latest Manchester United takeover news involving Jassim?

Jassim made a revised Red Devils offer alongside Sir Jim Ratcliffe last month and was thought to be confident of sealing a takeover from the Glazers despite interest from Ratcliffe and the Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus.

The Qatari group leader even appears to be planning a first transfer move, should he take control at Old Trafford, with reports suggesting he is a ‘huge fan’ of Jude Bellingham and is plotting a stunning swoop for the Borussia Dortmund midfielder.

However, it seems as if there may be an off-field twist when it comes to Jassim’s attempts to take control, which may come as a blow as he was previously hoping to get things done quickly in order to support manager Erik ten Hag in the transfer market.

The Sun shared a story in the last 48 hours, claiming that senior Government officials have concerns about Jassim. They state that the reservations are related to a £1.4m fine handed out to Qatari Investment Bank’s UK unit by the Bank of England in 2016 for violating capital financial rules that left the bank exposed to high levels of risk.

The report states that it may well prove to be a major turning point and label it as a huge twist in the takeover process, with Jassim the most likely to meet the Glazers' valuation.

Will the Glazers sell?

There could still be plenty of twist and turns when it comes to a potential sale by the Glazers, who appear to be at odds over whether to sell or not. Reports have suggested that Avram Glazer doesn’t want to sell up, whereas Joel Glazer could be persuaded to cash in, while the other four siblings are in favour of selling at a big profit.

The revised offers are still thought to be below the Glazers’ asking price of around £6bn, with the bidders waiting to hear from Raine Group, the U.S. bank working with the Glazers.

Journalist Ben Jacobs believes that ‘suitors expect to hear back from Raine Group this week and get clarity on the next step of the process’. An extra stage of bidding could even be on the cards, so it could be a busy few days in the takeover process.

When Leeds United sold Billy Sharp to Sheffield United in 2015, few would have predicted his incredible impact at Bramall Lane in the eight years since.

How did Billy Sharp fare at Leeds United?

The English striker would spend just one season at Elland Road in the 2014/15 Championship campaign, netting only five goals in 35 appearances for the Peacocks.

It was easy to see why Sharp had been brought to Leeds, given his phenomenal goalscoring records with Scunthorpe United and Doncaster Rovers in particular, hitting 100 goals across his time with those two clubs.

There were few complaints therefore that the experienced frontman was sent back to the Blades for an undisclosed fee the following summer, but his performances since then suggest that Leeds might have been better off sticking with him.

Where is Billy Sharp now?

The Englishman was more than willing to drop down a division in order to help the Blades return to the second tier, and he was a massive part of their success in League One, hitting 21 league goals in his first season before firing them to the title in 2016/17 with 30 goals.

Another 13 goals came as Chris Wilder's side readjusted to life in the Championship, before he was the main man again the following season as they earned an unlikely promotion to the Premier League, with Sharp contributing a hugely impressive 23 goals and four assists in the 2018/19 term.

Leeds will already have been wishing that Sharp hadn't been sold back to Sheffield United at this point given that they would claim the second automatic promotion spot ahead of Leeds in third, with Marcelo Bielsa's side then falling short in the playoffs.

The veteran forward's game time in the Premier League was understandably limited but he still managed three goals in each of the Blades' seasons in the top flight, before marking his return to the Championship with another 14 goals and seven assists in the last campaign.

Sharp has understandably established himself as a club hero at Bramall Lane and is still contributing to their promotion push this season at the age of 37, with a return to the Premier League certainly looking on the cards for Paul Heckingbottom's side.

Upon the former Leeds striker turning 36, journalist James Shield wrote:

"Billy Sharp turns 36 today. He netted his 10th goal of the season against Birmingham City yesterday, after opposition manager Lee Bowyer had admitted the SUFC captain "scores them for fun." Those two numbers are ridiculous. In a good way."

Considering Sharp's incredible consistency and goalscoring record across the last eight years, which has seen him net 116 goals in all competitions, Leeds will surely be regretting letting him go so cheaply back in 2015.

West Ham tackle Gent in the second leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final at the London Stadium, with the tie finely poised after a mouth-watering 1-1 draw when they last clashed.

Understandably, for the match in Belgium last week, David Moyes named a much-changed line up as he attempts to balance the club’s European excursion and bid for top-flight survival.

However, the Hammers were perhaps fortunate to escape the Ghlemco Arena without a loss, as the home side absolutely peppered the West Ham goal. Gent had a mammoth 20 shots, in comparison to Moyes’ side’s disappointing two.

The Scottish boss will be keen to avoid a similar repeat tonight, especially in front of their adoring home support. One player who managed a rare start in the previous tie, but produced an anonymous performance was Manuel Lanzini.

Should West Ham drop Lanzini vs Gent?

The 30-year-old has endured a troubled and unproductive campaign, only starting two games outside the Conference League. During the early stages of the competition, albeit against weaker opposition, the Argentine was a regular starter and registered three goal contributions.

But, against a pacey and problematic Gent side last week, he failed to forge any long-lasting impact, and it would be a perplexing decision to start the midfielder in this pivotal encounter.

In the aforementioned match, the attacker started to rest Said Benrahma, but he failed to repay the faith that was shown in him. He failed to record any key passes, accurate crosses, shots on target and only had one successful dribble, as per Sofascore.

The £70k-per-week ace was then hooked after 61 minutes as he was unable to stamp meaningful authority upon proceedings or halt the Belgian onslaught.

The playmaker has previously been described as “non-existent” by Hammers journalist Alan Rzepa, and his season has unravelled into a hugely disappointing and non-impactful few months.

Throughout the campaign, Moyes has barely shown any faith in the former River Plate maestro, who has only started one Premier League game and been an unused substitute on 23 occasions, which included the recent 2-2 draw with Arsenal.

This is a pretty damning condemnation of his manager’s lack of trust when he doesn’t see Lanzini as someone who can help reverse West Ham’s horrendous domestic goal-scoring form that has only seen them score 29 times in 30 league games.

Earlier in this competition, it was an endearing sentiment for Moyes to start the man, who has been at the Irons since 2016, but the former Manchester United boss must find his ruthless self and ditch the Lanzini for this must-win game.

Chelsea return to Premier League action on Wednesday night as they take on Brentford at Stamford Bridge, and Frank Lampard should unleash Raheem Sterling in the hope that he can inspire the Blues to a rare win.

The west London outfit have lost all four games since Lampard returned as interim manager and with Mauricio Pochettino's appointment likely to be confirmed in the coming days, the Blues legend could soon find himself looking for another job after failing to turn Chelsea's fortunes around since taking over from Graham Potter.

Brentford pose a real threat of making it five defeats from five for Chelsea on Wednesday given their credentials under the impressive Thomas Frank, with a European finish still on the cards for the Bees if they can finish the season strongly.

However, the form book does not look good for Brentford either right now and Lampard could exploit their defensive vulnerabilities by unleashing Sterling on the left wing against 20-year-old right-back Aaron Hickey.

Should Sterling start for Chelsea against Brentford?

Sterling's move from Manchester City last summer has so far not paid off, as he boasts just four goals and two assists in 22 Premier League appearances for his new side, averaging a disappointing 6.65 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

However, only Kai Havertz has more goal contributions in the top flight than the England international and he is certainly not alone in struggling in the final third, as the Blues have mustered just 30 goals in the top flight so far this campaign; the fifth-worst in the division.

The experienced winger ranks fifth for shots, fifth for key passes and sixth for dribbles per game in Chelsea's squad so can certainly be relied upon to be a threat down the left-hand side, and perhaps the £325k-per-week ace just needs a run of consistent games in order to rediscover the sort of form he showed on a regular basis at City and Liverpool.

Last season saw him manage 13 goals and six assists under Pep Guardiola in City's title-winning campaign, and Chelsea just need to find a way of getting the best out of him at Stamford Bridge, as there is no doubt that he can be a world-class winger on his day, with Tony Cascarino singing his praises on talkSPORT last season.

He said: “Raheem Sterling has just been frightening. The year he has had since the Euros – he was brilliant then.

“This season, I thought, when they signed Jack Grealish I thought Raheem might be a bit part player in this City team but he’s become an absolute permanent fixture. Left or right, he is ripping people apart."

If Sterling is given space to run at Hickey, who has struggled in his first season at Brentford with a 6.44 average rating from WhoScored, then he could prove the difference in Chelsea picking up a positive result on Wednesday.

As such, Lampard must ensure that he gets the nod after starting on the bench against Real Madrid.

Journalist Jacque Talbot has claimed that Liverpool transfer target Jude Bellingham may not move this summer.

What's the latest on Jude Bellingham and Liverpool?

It's no secret that the Borussia Dortmund midfielder is one of the biggest talents in world football right now with a number of top clubs hoping to land him in the near future.

Indeed, alongside the Reds, the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City have been touted as possible destinations for Bellingham.

However, there has been plenty of noise recently in the media suggesting that Jurgen Klopp and co are actually out of the race.

Despite this, in what could be great news for Liverpool, Talbot has now claimed Bellingham may stay put for another year.

Indeed, speaking on his YouTube channel, he explained: "The way I hear it is this: Liverpool have been linked to Bellingham a long time; he's always wanted to come.

"The sound is now that he will probably look to stay for another year. Dortmund want to offer him a contract extension – his one finishes in 2025 now – with a release clause of about £80m.

"So in effect, okay, they wouldn't be getting £150m – well, I don't think they'd be getting that anyway in the summer – but they'll get to keep their player for another year and then get the £80m the year after. It's similar to what they did with Haaland."

Will Bellingham stay at Dortmund this summer?

Seeing as Liverpool may well not be able to pursue Bellingham this summer for financial reasons, it could be great if the teenager stays a year.

After all, after next season, the Reds may have finished in the Champions League places once again and so will have more money in the transfer kitty.

What's more, it has been claimed that around £100m upfront will have to be paid – on top of wages in the region of £300k-p/w – to land the Englishman this summer. But if that figure drops to £80m, he will suddenly become a lot more affordable for Liverpool – especially with the potential financial boost of European football.

It's also important to remember that it's been reported that Bellingham wants to join Liverpool – as made clear by Talbot. And so, maybe he'd be happy to delay a year and wait in Germany for one more season, while the Reds sort themselves out a bit and raise the funds to pay that touted future £80m figure.

Aston Villa have already turned their attention to the summer transfer window as the end of an impressive Premier League campaign is in sight.

With Unai Emery’s side sitting in seventh and knocking on the doors of European involvement next season, squad depth will be a talking point in the drawing board for summer transfer plans.

The Villains have transformed from relegation candidates at the start of the competition under Steven Gerrard, to European hopefuls with Emery at the helm.

The Spaniard has reinvented the football on show at Villa Park and has subsequently turned talk surrounding the Midlands club from mundanity to excitement, with his side being described as “unstoppable” right now.

What’s the latest on Villa's interest in Orkun Kokcu?

Dutch-born Turkish international Orkun Kokcu has been the subject of transfer speculation as the summer window moves closer.

According to reports from Dutch outlet De Telegraaf, the midfielder has racked up interest from a number of Premier League clubs, and clubs across Europe.

The 22-year-old talent has reportedly been monitored by scouts from the English top-division, including 'regular visitors' from Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace.

Talk surrounding the Feyenoord captain’s future with regard to Villa has heated following Benfica’s reported retraction of interest due to their inability to compete with the 'financial power' of Premier League representatives.

Kokcu’s estimated value has risen tp around £20m since the start of this season, with the asking price expected to increase as his integral presence in Rotterdam becomes more apparent.

What could Kokcu bring to Aston Villa?

Kokcu plays in a holding midfielder role for Feyenoord, where he has flourished this season for his attack prowess and innate reading of the game from central midfield.

The Turkey international ranks highly in comparison to players in Europe for his attacking capabilities and overall control in midfield. While his 15 goal contributions (11 goals, 4 assists) in 38 games in all competitions is impressive as a central midfielder, his passing ability is an area that could appeal to Emery.

The four-time Europa League winning coach places a lot of focus on the midfield, playing a 4-2-2-2 on paper but overseeing a perfectly orchestrated middle of the park free-for-all when Villa are on the attack.

It’s a tactical shift that has seen free-scoring striker Ollie Watkins thrive this season, and a focus on areas that would complement the strengths of a player like Kokcu.

Feyenoord’s no.10 has been elusive in progression play, highlighted through his 11.78 progressive passes per 90 minutes and 2.83 progressive carries per 90, via FBref.

The 22-year-old – who has been hailed as a "Champions League level" player by journalist Dennis van Eersel – ranks highly against Europe’s elite, with £106.8m Enzo Fernandez topping the progressive passing chart with 11.86, highlighting the potential of Kokcu in a fast-paced midfield.

WhoScored describe the attacking strengths of the young dynamo, with his passing, shooting ability and eye for a through ball listed as his most recognised attributes.

Similar strengths have been previously hailed about former Premier League ace Georginio Wijnaldum, who captured the eye of the English top division after making the switch from the Eredivisie to the league, showing the jump can be a successful one.

Perhaps sporting director Johan Lange could repeat this feat by bringing the Feyenoord sensation to Villa Park this summer.

Villa reportedly lead the race for Kokcu as the end of the season approaches, so only time will tell if the deal goes over the line, but the potential Emery could grant the Turkish superstar is undoubtably an exciting prospect.