Leeds fans are desperate for academy winger Jack Clarke to start after Paul Heckingbottom said there is plenty of competition for places.
If Leeds fans are fed up of watching their team put in soulless performances devoid of any real quality, they might be better served watching the Under-23 side, who are absolutely flying under the guidance Carlos Corberán.
After four consecutive wins, the youngsters sit third in their division, and fans have been extremely impressed by the likes of Sam Dalby and Tyler Denton.
Another young star who has earned plenty of admirers for his displays with the U23s is Jack Clarke. The 17 year-old winger signed his first professional deal with the club earlier this season, having been promoted to the U23 side following some fantastic performances for the U18s.
Clarke provided two wonderful assists in last week’s 3-0 win over Cardiff, when fans compared him to Leeds legend Eddie Gray.
With plenty of calls to write off the season and give the youngsters a chance, manager Paul Heckingbottom admitted Clarke has been “doing well for a long time” but insisted there is still quality competition in front of him.
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We don’t think Leeds fans agree with the boss on this one, and some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
Henrikh Mkhitaryan got a new lease of life when he made the move from Manchester United to Arsenal in the January transfer window.
The Armenian international was included in a straight swap that saw Alexis Sanchez move the other way to Old Trafford.
Since joining the North London outfit, Mkhitaryan has made 12 appearances in all competitions, including five starts in the Premier League.
In total, the winger has provided two goals and five assists, but last week he was struck down with a knee injury.
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The blow occurred during Arsenal’s 4-1 victory over CSKA Moscow in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final clash.
There were initial concerns that Mkhitaryan would not play again this season given that he suffered ligament damage, but manager Arsene Wenger has suggested that the midfielder will return before the close of the campaign.
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At the moment, the ex-United player is expected to be ruled out of the next three games, but could make a comeback later on in the month.
It would be fair to say that Arsenal’s acquisition of Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia in the summer of August 2016 has not quite worked out.
The Gunners paid more than £35m to sign the Germany international, but he has largely struggled to make his mark in the English game.
Errors have become a common part of the centre-back’s game in recent months, and that was again the case against Southampton last weekend as his clanger allowed the Saints to take the lead at the Emirates Stadium.
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Arsenal are currently preparing to take on Russian side CSKA Moscow in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final, and Arsene Wenger’s side are well placed in that tie following a 4-1 victory in the reverse match last week.
Head coach Arsene Wenger is expected to select his strongest available side, but the Arsenal fans are hopeful that does not include Mustafi, who is believed to be on £90,000 a week at the club.
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A selection of the Twitter reaction from the club’s supporters can be seen below:
Fernando Llorente has been linked with a move away from Tottenham after just one year in North London, as the Mirror report that he is open to a return to Athletic Bilbao.
Another transfer market failure would yet again indicate that Mauricio Pochettino’s major weakness is his competence in the transfer market.
What’s the story, then?
Llorente – valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt – arrived at Spurs on summer transfer deadline day as Pochettino left it until the last minute to secure backup for Harry Kane.
But the Spaniard only has one Premier League goal to his name and it is understandable that he is reportedly looking for a return to the club where he spent 12 years.
It would again leave Spurs scratching around for someone to replace Kane if, as has happened twice this season, he falls foul of injury.
Pochettino again fails in the transfer market
Pochettino has done a wonderful job on a tight budget at Spurs; developing younger players and securing cheap gems like Dele Alli and Eric Dier.
Yet, his one blind spot appears to be when he dips into the market for experienced or expensive signings; Serge Aurier, Vincent Janssen and Moussa Sissoko are other examples – it’s not just Llorente.
It is something that the Argentine desperately needs to work on, especially if he wants to accelerate Spurs’ development, which would surely lead to trophies.
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Daniel Levy is notoriously stingy with his funds and he may well stop trusting Pochettino to make the big calls on the big moves if his poor transfer record continues.
Watford’s Étienne Capoue fancies his chances against Newcastle this weekend, and Newcastle fans are finding it hard to disagree with the Frenchman.
Newcastle travel to Watford this weekend with both teams safe from the relegation scrap, and Watford midfielder Capoue reckons the Hornets will get back on track against the Magpies.
Watford are only six points clear of the drop, but there is clearly no real concern about their safety, as the Hornets have been playing like they’re already on the beach for weeks.
There was a similar feeling around the Newcastle performance on Saturday, as Rafael Benitez’s side followed up a loss to Everton with a disappointing home defeat to West Brom, and Capoue is hoping to add to that misery.
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“We created a lot of chances and this is important for the team, the strikers and the attacking midfielders. We kept creating chances against a big team, so we are in the right way and we are going to score on Saturday I feel it,” the 29 year-old said after Monday’s defeat to Tottenham.
“We managed to create chances and if we keep doing it we will begin to get results. We want to be focused on Newcastle and if we play like that we will get the points against Newcastle.”
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The Hornets will certainly be confident after winning the return fixture 3-0 at St. James’ Park, and Newcastle fans seem to agree with their rival on this one.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
According to German publication Bild, Leeds United are interested in signing Union Berlin left-back Kristian Pedersen this summer, and his arrival at Elland Road would surely bring the curtain down on a disastrous spell for Laurens De Bock.
What’s the word, then?
Well, Whites boss Paul Heckingbottom will already be identifying new signings as he looks to improve upon another disappointing campaign for the Championship club, as they went from promotion contenders in the first couple of months of the season to a 13th-place finish by the end.
Bild says that the Yorkshire outfit are keen on the 6ft 2in Pedersen, who only has one year remaining on his contract with the 2.Bundesliga club.
Leeds signed Laurens De Bock from Club Brugge from an undisclosed fee during the January transfer window, but injury and lack of form mean that he has endured something of a nightmare spell at Elland Road to date.
How has Pedersen done this season?
The left-back, who can also play as a centre-back, left wing-back and left midfielder, has scored one goal and provided a further three assists in 32 appearances in all competitions for the German outfit.
According to WhoScored.com, the 23-year-old’s main strengths are his ability to win aerial duels, make clearances and interceptions, and his tackling, and he has won 97 of the 154 headed duels he has faced in 31 2.Bundesliga outings this term.
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Would he be a good signing for Leeds?
It’s difficult to say, but he could certainly be a great versatile defender option for them.
Following a number of poor signings from European leagues, the Yorkshire outfit need to be smarter in the transfer market this summer, and they need to be sure that the players they buy are suitable for the Championship.
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Pedersen’s defensive skills and his physicality suggest that he would be a good fit, and he could be the perfect player to fight with youngster Tom Pearce for the left-back role next season.
His arrival would almost certainly signal the end for De Bock, who has been widely criticised on Twitter by Whites fans following some of his displays, with the Belgian just not getting to grips with the division at all when he has played.
Aaron Ramsey is reaching the end of his 10th year at Arsenal, and questions have emerged over his future at the club.The midfielder has not always had the best relationship with the fans due to inconsistencies on the pitch, but he has also been unfortunate with injuries.During the 2017-18 season, though, he was influential at times and scored some important goals over the course of Arsene Wenger’s final campaign as manager.In fact, the midfielder was recently voted by the fans as Player of the Season and also scooped Goal of the Season.
However, concerns have been raised about the midfielder’s contract situation.
According toÂThe Sun, the North London outfit are willing to sell Ramsey if he does not sign a new contract before the start of the 2018-19 season.
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The Wales international has one year remaining on his current terms, which means that he could end up leaving the club on a free transfer next summer.
Amid rumours that Arsenal are interested in signing Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri, we asked youÂif it meant the end of the road for Ramsey.
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The results show that the majority expect the 27-year-old – valued at £36m by TransfermarktÂ- to remain at the Emirates.
An ankle problem is currently keeping Joe Gomez on the sidelines, but there is no question that the Liverpool defender has made huge steps forward this season.
Indeed, the 21-year-old has appeared on 31 occasions for the Reds during the 2017-18 campaign, and would have surely travelled with the England squad for the 2018 World Cup had he been fit to do so.
England boss Gareth Southgate is clearly an admirer of the now three-time international, and he will be raring to go next season following a frustrating last few months.
It was actually Gomez’s birthday on Wednesday, and as expected, Liverpool’s official Twitter account was on hand to pay tribute to the defender.
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The response section was full of Liverpool fans revealing their feelings on the former Charlton Athletic youngster, with a lot of love being shown.
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Gomez looks to have a very good future in the game, and one Liverpool supporter has even claimed that he could captain the Merseyside outfit at some point.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
According to Paris Saint-Germain news Twitter account Paris United, Tottenham Hotspur have opened talks with Lyon over a potential deal for midfielder Tanguy Ndombele, and Spurs fans have been quick to react to the rumour about the highly-rated France U21 international.
Previous reports this summer have suggested that Mauricio Pochettino could sell Moussa Sissoko, Mousa Dembele and Victor Wanyama in the coming weeks, and if he does he will be looking to bring at least one new midfielder to the club.
6ft powerhouse Ndombele could be an option after a successful season-long loan spell with the Ligue 1 outfit, where he made 50 appearances in all competitions – scoring one goal and providing a further eight assists.
Tottenham supporters, the majority of whom would love their club to sign a goalkeeper from their Premier League rivals this summer, took to social media to give their thoughts on the link, and they are excited by the potential of him arriving in north London.
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While one described him as being “miles better than Fabinho”, another said he “has more talent than Pogba imo”.
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Former France International defender Bacary Sagna says he is very excited about the upcoming season and the next step in his career.
The ex-Arsenal and Man City full back, who starred in Italy’s Serie A in recent months whilst playing for minnows Benevento, is upbeat about joining a new club and beginning a new adventure elsewhere.
Sagna told FootballFanCast.com: “I signed a short term contract with Benevento and did this in the knowledge that I was joining a club who were very much cut adrift at the bottom of the table at the time.
“It was the challenge that intrigued me more than anything else but despite a big effort from the players, it was ultimately not enough to save the club from relegation.
“The highlight of my time there was the victory at the San Siro against AC Milan, that was a special night for the club and I will always remember the Benevento fans, who are so passionate. They always made me feel very special and because of those wonderful fans, many of whom had been messaging me asking me to stay, perhaps my heart ruled my head a little as I left the door open to possibly staying with them.
“Unfortunately, local reports that I have agreed to sign a new deal with the club are inaccurate and somewhat wide of the mark as my time there has now drawn to its natural conclusion.
“I have always been an optimist and I can’t wait to begin working with a new group of people, to make a new group of friends, to listen to fresh ideas.”
“The last few months of playing in Serie A have brought some great compliments from players, coaches and media pundits about my football and it is always nice to attract those kind of comments from respected people within the game.
“I have always lived a clean and healthy life. I have continued to maintain my own fitness regime outside of my club duties and I am feeling as good as I have ever done. I feel strong and positive that I have another two or three years of playing top level football still in me.
“I am in the fortunate position that I am a free player so there are several options open to me. Exactly where my next challenge is going to be is unknown at this moment but in football you must always have the burning desire to win, to keep improving, to be one hundred percent professional.
“If you have that, all things are possible for a club. I still hold my own ambitions and my next move will be to a club that thinks likewise. You must never lose the ambition to keep improving, no matter what position you hold in life.
“I have always been an optimist and I can’t wait to begin working with a new group of people, to make a new group of friends, to listen to fresh ideas.
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“Football brings many wonderful things into your life. I have just returned from Prague after playing in Tomas Rosicky’s farewell match at the weekend, it was a fantastic occasion and it was so great to catch up with Tomas and so many former team mates again.
“It was a real joy to be part of that.”
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