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West Ham United target Oleksandr Zinchenko gave David Moyes plenty of reasons to walk away from a potential deal for the Manchester City left-back, by producing a shaky display in Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup semi-final win over rivals Manchester United.

Pep Guardiola kept the 24-year-old in his starting line-up for the midweek meeting at Old Trafford, having recalled Zinchenko for Sunday’s win at Chelsea after more than two months out of the Sky Blues’ Premier League side.

Reliable insider ExWHUemployee revealed last month that Zinchenko was a potential target for the London Stadium outfit in the January transfer window after Moyes lost Arthur Masuaku for the foreseeable following knee surgery, while reports claimed Guardiola is open to offers.

Man City were believed to be prepared to listen to bids for Zinchenko this month after initially falling out of favour at the Etihad Stadium, with Southampton and Leicester City also keen to monitor the former Wolverhampton Wanderers target’s situation.

Zinchenko now appears to be back in Guardiola’s good backs after two successive starts across all competitions for the first time since October, yet was far from the star of the show as the Citizens secured their place in the Carabao Cup final.

The £18m-rated left-back endured more than his fair share of shaky moments up against Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with Zinchenko often lacking the physical presence needed to contain Manchester United’s right-sided options.

He struggled to contain Anthony Martial at set-pieces, too, but produced a bright moment in the 24th-minute to feed Phil Foden through to score, only to see the strike ruled out for offside.

All in all, Zinchenko ended the night with success in just one of his eight combined duels for a measly success rate of 12%, having lost each of his three battles on the ground and four of his five aerial contests, per SofaScore.

He additionally lost possession 12 times, failed to complete his only attempted dribble, made no successful tackles, was dribbled past twice, recorded no clearances or blocked shots and registered just one interception.

The defender was often safe in possession with 79 completed passes from 89 attempts having seen the ball frequently for 102 touches, but struggled to offer any real accuracy at range with six of his nine long balls failing to find a teammate.

Zinczenko’s performance will have offered Moyes plenty of reasons why West Ham should walk away from any interest in the Ukraine international, should the former Manchester United boss look to acquire a new left-back to replace Masuaku.

AND in other news: “Problem in the dressing room” – Exclusive: Pundit issues stark warning on £9m-rated West Ham target…

This has been another horrendous year for Sunderland, one that’s failed to buck the trend at the Stadium of Light.

Once again, the Black Cats failed to achieve promotion from League One and are now enduring a third successive year at this level.

For a club with such rich history, one that were in the Premier League so recently, it’s far from ideal.

However, are they beginning to turn the tide towards the end of 2020? Stewart Donald sold his majority stake to Kyril Louis-Dreyfus on Christmas Eve and they have also sacked Phil Parkinson.

Lee Johnson arrived and they have lost just once since he took charge, being beaten on his first day in the job. Together with Kristjaan Speakman and their new owners – Dreyfus and Sartori – there are reasons to be positive and hopeful for a brighter future.

Of course, Sunderland supporters won’t want to count their chickens but 2021 could well be their year.

So, what better way to bring it in than partaking in our big fat Sunderland quiz of the year for 2020, we bet you can’t get 100% correct…

AND in other news, SAFC must swoop for “speedball” who’s a “nightmare to play against”…

Manchester City secured their place in the Champions League knockout stages with a 1-0 win against Olympiakos on Wednesday night but Pep Guardiola may be most happy with the performance of John Stones.

The England international was handed a rare start by the Spanish manager, and although it was a game which was completely dominated by the Citizens, he performed his job admirably when called upon.

The former Everton man has started just one game in the Premier League so far this season but has been more of a regular in the Champions League, having started two and appeared as a substitute in two of their four games thus far.

After an impressive display in the reserve fixture, in which he earned a strong 7.08 rating for his display, he was rewarded with another start against Pedro Martins’ side, and helped the Citizens to another clean sheet; picking up a 7.37 rating for his display (per WhoScored).

Following his performance in the 3-0 win, Guardiola was full of praise for him in his post-match interview, saying:

“It was really good, especially Nathan for the beginning and from John. He’s back at his level with an incredible performance – almost perfect – and it is not easy when you are a long time without playing.

“I am so delighted for his mentality, he played really good.” (per Bitter and Blue)

It was an imperious display from Stones, with the Olympiakos forwards failing to trouble him and his centre-back partner Ruben Dias during the 90 minutes.

As per SofaScore, the 26-year-old picked up a strong 7.3 rating for his display, which was the joint-second best of any Manchester City player during the game.

The Englishman was extremely assured with his passing during the game, as 50/58 of his passes found their mark, resulting in a strong pass accuracy rate of 86%.

He also lost possession on just eight occasions during the game, whilst two out of four of his long balls found a Manchester City shirt.

However, we have always known that Stones has been confident on the ball, so it was perhaps the battling aspect of his display that will have pleased Guardiola the most.

Of the five duels the centre-back was involved in during the game, he won 100% of them, in what was a completely dominant display from the defender.

It would be a surprise to see him keep Aymeric Laporte out of the team for Premier League games, but Stones has certainly shown himself to be a reliable option for Guardiola when called upon so far this campaign.

AND in other news… Manchester City made a huge error in selling “very quick” centre-back in 2018

Manchester United really, really want a right winger. Only time will tell if the board will be able to bring Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele in on a loan deal, or sign Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund, or someone else entirely.

Edinson Cavani and Alex Telles are both signing their contracts as we speak while Donny van de Beek has already settled into life at Old Trafford.

What’s the word?

According to Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Red Devils have reached an agreement with Atalanta for Amad Traore, although the teenager will arrive in January due to a complication with his work permit and passport.

The Ivory Coast international became the youngest player to score in his Serie A debut during Atalanta’s 7-1 win over Udinese, via ESPN.

Ed Woodward has handed out new deals left, right and centre to the likes of Brandon Williams and Dean Henderson while the club have finally found an adequate attacking midfielder for the first time since Paul Scholes left the club in January signing Bruno Fernandes.

They’ve even brought in Van de Beek to provide cover and competition for Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic.

If you were Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, you would imagine he would be quite happy with the signings so far, but they still need to strengthen the right wing, which is a bit of a problem when the transfer window closes in such a short space of time.

While Traore, 18, has made all of the headlines in Italy after breaking through the ranks into the first team, he is still largely unproven at the top levels of the game.

Daniel James 2.0?

As far as Solskjaer is concerned, Jadon Sancho remains his number one target, although The Athletic’s David Ornstein recently reported a deal is off as it stands.

The young Ivorian, who was born in 2002, is obviously one to keep an eye on for the future, but he is still vastly inexperienced and cannot be expected to shoulder the responsibilities on the right wing.

In fact, United have been in this situation before. It wasn’t all that long ago that they signed Daniel James for an initial fee of £15m from Swansea City last summer, and we all know how well that worked out, as the Welshman only managed to score three goals and supply six assists in the Premier League, via WhoScored.

And Traore won’t come cheap either, with Romano revealing he is expected to cost €30m, which roughly equates to £27m at the time of writing.

With Traore set to link up with the squad next year, United need a right winger now, not in several months time, it really is that simple. The Red Devils have run out of options on the right wing as Andreas Pereira and Juan Mata are simply not up to the standards required.

Pereira, who fell out of favour with Solskjaer, has found himself shipped out on loan to Lazio.

And United need to sign a player who can dictate play and supply a steady stream of assists for the front three this season, someone who can hit the ground running, not someone who will only be available halfway through the season.

It will leave a sour taste in the mouth if Woodward is unable to sort out a deal with Dortmund for Sancho, a player whom the club have coveted for so long.

AND in other news, Edinson Cavani’s imminent arrival at Manchester United raises more questions than answers…  

Everton appear to be in the market for a new right-back this summer after opting to not sign loanee Djibril Sidibe on a permanent basis and they could soon have an upgrade in the role…

What’s the word?

According to Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), the Toffees have tabled an offer for Barcelona and Real Betis’ co-owned defender Emerson but the La Liga giants have rejected their advancements.

It’s claimed that Carlo Ancelotti’s men proposed a two-year loan deal with a €20m (£18m) option to buy but Barcelona want €32m (£28.5m) for his services.

Emerson would like to play at the Nou Camp, though if he’s unable to break into Ronald Koeman’s side, then he’ll look for somewhere that could offer him European football.

Upgrade?

The 21-year-old enjoyed a standout campaign in La Liga this term where he provided three goals and six assists whilst averaging 2.2 tackles, 1.4 clearances and 0.9 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

Being a Brazillian who is contracted to Barca, there have been unsurprising comparisons made to Dani Alves as well as the legendary Cafu, who the right-back models his game on.

“I have some things from Daniel Alves and others from Cafu. I am very focused on working and being like or better than them. Cafu is an idol for me and I look at Daniel a lot too. I do some similar things so that three or four years from now I can win as Daniel or Cafu did.”

Currently, Ancelotti has skipper Seamus Coleman in the role whilst he could bring in Jonjoe Kenny back into the equation after a successful spell with Schalke 04 but none seem fit for a European charge more than Emerson.

The Irishman averaged fewer in all aforementioned facets whilst he only delivered one assist in 27 Premier League appearances.

For £28.5m, Everton could be getting a long-term option at right-back, which is why Marcel Brands absolutely must push to seal this deal.

AND in other news, Toffees to battle with Newcastle and Aston Villa for talismanic striker…

Liverpool are conducting their business early this summer and now new left-back Kostas Tsimikas is through the door, it’s time for further additions up the pitch.

What’s the word?

According to Yahoo Esportes, the Premier League champions have made contact with Brazilian outfit Vasco da Gama over a potential move for young forward Talles Magno.

The 18-year-old is hot property across Europe with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille and Sevilla also mooted with interest.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail expand on this story and claim that due to the club’s difficult financial situation, Vasco could be open into telling their prized asset for just £18m despite having a £45m release clause.

Firmino mould

This would be quite the bargain for the Reds if they are able to do a deal for the enigmatic teenager.

Magno was part of Brazil’s U17 World Cup-winning squad and was named in the Guardian’s top 60 talents to watch in 2019, where they labelled him a ‘breath of fresh air’ who is ‘utterly unafraid to use his skills’ to take on opponents.

He’s even been likened to Neymar as a result, but interestingly, it’s the comparison to Merseyside nemesis Richarlison which hints at a suitability to Jurgen Klopp’s system at Anfield.

The 6 foot 1 forward can play centrally or out wide and is known for his dribbling ability and showboating – he’d surely be right at home in Merseyside given the current Brazilian contingent at the club.

Magno is very much a similar build to Roberto Firimino and if you were to blend Neymar with Richarlison, then the apple wouldn’t fall too far away from being a match to Liverpool’s current number nine.

Which could be why Klopp is keen to bolster his attacking ranks with a player could fit in instantly and become the perfect understudy to the underrated 28-year-old.

He very much appears to be a special talent, one that Liverpool should be gagging to sign.

AND in other news, 6-foot La Liga colossus would be a bargain replacement for Dejan Lovren…

According to Leeds Live journalist Beren Cross, Wigan starlet Joe Gelhardt is a player Marcelo Bielsa’s side are interested in a transfer this summer.

What’s the word?

The 18-year-old has been one of the break-out stars of the Latics’ season, making 19 appearances for the first-team this season, with 18 of them coming in the Championship alone.

And in a Q&A session for Leeds Live, Cross delivered a transfer update on the Whites’ plans for the summer, indicting that Gelhardt appears to be the latest name on the short-list.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…

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He said: “Gelhardt is certainly the freshest name which looks closest, but it’s easy to overlook the names everyone knows about, who cost money. Meslier and Costa are already done. Harrison should get signed off this week or next, while, unsurprisingly, Ben White is the big target of the summer. Harrison will be another year’s loan. Led to believe many names out there at the moment are wide of the mark.”

Orta’s youth revolution

Having lost Jack Clarke to Tottenham last summer, Victor Orta will surely have one eye on trying to reignite a new youth project at Elland Road over the next few seasons.

And that could well be the 18-year-old, Gelhardt. The young Wigan striker has already earned rave reviews for his performances, with former Latics boss Paul Cook saying: “He’s got that unique talent to find space in a telephone box. He’s such a natural, good footballer. To get a goal like that in front of his own fans was a special moment. We’re just lucky to have a boy with his humility playing for us – the game is easy for him.”

Gelhardt’s former teammate at Wigan, Alex Bruce, further talked up his potential, declaring: “I played with Joe at Wigan when he was a young kid coming through and he’s an outstanding prospect, I have to say. He’s a tenacious young centre-forward and he’s a good finisher as well. He’s got a bright future ahead of him, that’s for sure.”

If Leeds are keen on finding someone to offer them the kind of potential and promise Clarke showed before he left, then Gelhardt could be that player.

Hibernian are after Ross McCrorie from Rangers this summer. The 22-year old midfielder spent last season on loan at Portsmouth, and is on the radar of Hibs boss Jack Ross.

According to Edinburgh News, McCrorie would prefer a permanent move away from Ibrox this summer rather than going out on loan again. Jack Ross is in pursuit of the versatile midfielder and he feels like the addition of McCrorie will be vital to his squad.

McCrorie has played nearly 50 times for Rangers, though has been subject to various loan spells at Ayr, Dumbarton and recently Portsmouth. He is a defensive midfielder by trade, though he can also play at centre-half and right-back if needed.

The young Scott has two years left on his contract, and it is still unclear as to whether or not Rangers would be willing to let him leave on a permanent deal. In addition to McMcrorie, Hibs are also hopeful of signing Greg Docherty on a permanent deal from Rangers, having spent the last few months with Hibs.

Steven Gerrard’s Rangers take on Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday, and McCrorie is in his extended squad, despite being low-down the pecking order.

Rangers could lose a future gem

If Hibs can sign McCrorie on a permanent deal he would be a great addition to their squad and he has a lot of potential for the future also. He is very versatile and can fill in many positions if needed, and this is vital for any team. Rangers would hope to keep him on loan, though McCrorie is after a permanent move to progress in his career.

McCrorie is a natural born leader, having captained the Scotland under-21 team, and has had a taste playing at different levels during his loan spells. It would definitely be a great move for the young Scotsman.

According to Football Insider, Chris Hughton has told friends that he is set to take the hot-seat at Bristol City, meaning that Glasgow Rangers’ Steven Gerrard is all but out of the picture.

Gerrard, who has now been at Ibrox for two seasons, had been linked with a move to the English Championship side along with the former Brighton boss, with him emerging as a shock target for the club’s billionaire owner Steve Landsown. However, if Hughton’s reported latest words are anything to go by, the former Liverpool man will not be moving on from his current job any time soon.

There would have been plenty of reasons why a move to England would be appealing to Gerrard. After all, that is likely where he will want to end up in the long term, and the Championship is a very competitive league. Also, he would have more funds available to him – for example, last term the Ashton Gate outfit spent £29.39m, whilst the 54-time Scottish champions have not spent that much in the last two seasons combined.

Having said that, Gerrard still has unfinished business north of the border – he is still without a trophy at the Gers and, although there have been some positive signs, such as their progression to the Europa League round of 16, the only real success that will count, at the end of the day, is silverware.

As such, it is a big boost for the club that Gerrard looks as though he will be staying put – clearly, he is still hungry and believes that he may not be too far away from reaching his goals.

Let us know what you think below!

Newcastle United have made an offer for Malaysian wonder kid Luqman Hakim, according to Arena (via NUFC Blog).

According to The Guardian, the 18-year old was on the list of ‘top 60 young footballers of 2019’ last year and has been tipped to make the move to Europe in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Hakim secured a deal of five years with Belgian first division team K.V. Kortrijk last year, which is owned by Vincent Tan, who English football fans will also recall is the owner of Cardiff City.

He graduated from a football development programme in Malaysia and seemed to graduate with flying colours, and was going to be rewarded by being able to train with Cardiff until he turned 18 in March earlier in this year.

However, that arrangement was postponed, and thus he has been playing with Malaysian giants FA Selangor instead.

Lionel Foy is the agent of the prospect and has claimed there are lots of teams in the Premier League interested in securing the signature of the striker, however, it is not known yet if he would be allowed to be given a work permit first that would allow him to play in the English top flight.

Nevertheless, if the Magpies’ offer for Hakim is accepted by his club, then it could possibly be a sign that the proposed takeover at St. James’ Park will go through.

Given his strong connections in Asia with Malaysia, the youngster could attract more supporters from that part of the world, and could be an incentive for the Saudis especially to push through their £300 million bid.

Only time will tell whether their deal with Mike Ashley goes through, but if it does, Hakim could be a catalyst for that given his Asian connections.

Geordies, do you see any link between the Hakim offer and the Saudi takeover? Comment below!