Oumar Niasse’s nightmare at Everton has come to an end (for the time being) after joining Hull City on loan for the rest of the season.
Since signing for the Toffees from Lokomotiv Moscow last February for a reported £13.5m fee, the striker has made just five Premier League appearances, and they were all last season under former manager Roberto Martinez.
In the current campaign, Niasse has not featured once for Ronald Koeman, who later ordered him to train with the Under-23s.
In an interview with The Guardian in October, the Senegal international, who played for just 45 minutes in Everton’s pre-season fixtures, revealed that he no longer had a locker in the dressing room.
Now, though, has the chance to get minutes under his belt and revive his career at the KC Stadium.
Meanwhile, the Tigers have also swooped for Evandro, who has joined from Porto on a two-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee.
After the news was announced, fans took to Twitter to wish Niasse well, while some Everton supporters used the opportunity to rejoice in offloading him.
Make no mistake about it, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the greatest strikers in the modern game and the Swedish icon has remained consistent throughout his career, from his days with Inter Milan, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.Now at Manchester United, the veteran has cleared any concerns of him not being able to cut it in the Premier League as he took his tally to twenty goals for the season and continued a fantastic personal record in the process.
As shown in the clip above, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored twenty or more goals for the last ten consecutive seasons across European football, with his impressive record for Manchester United standing at 20 goals in 33 games so far.
With a few months remaining in the season, there’s every chance the 35-year-old can continue his excellent run into the latter stages of the season and he’ll be crucial in Manchester United’s attempts to return to the Champions League.
Manchester United had hoped to make another big wave in the transfer market last summer after lodging a lucrative move for Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller, according to reports cited by ITV.
What’s the word?
Links between Thomas Muller and Manchester United never seem to go away but many would have expected the Red Devils’ interest in the German World Cup winner to have cooled last year, following the capture of Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as well as the breakthrough of Marcus Rashford.
However, despite splashing an incredible £89m figure on Pogba, United had ambitions of sealing another huge deal before the start of the current season and saw an astonishing €100m (£85m) bid for Muller rejected by Bayern Munich.
Where Muller would have fitted in at Old Trafford is highly-debatable but would have most likely seen the German play on the left-side of attack, creating a deadly force alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba.
What was said?
Confirming Manchester United’s renewed interest in Muller in comments made to Sport Bild, Bayern’s chief financial officer Jan-Christian Deesen revealed a genuine offer was made:
“There really was such a thing. A fax came from England. For us, however, selling Thomas Muller was never discussed. If a player fits here, we would be stupid to go for the short-term prospect of a record profit only to weaken him.”
Could a move happen this summer?
It’s certainly possible, although Manchester United seem to have their sights firmly set on Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann. If that deal were to reach a dead end though, renewed interest in Thomas Muller would make sense.
A move could also finally emerge successful at the end of the season as Muller has struggled to find form for Bayern Munich this season, with Carlo Ancelotti often overlooking the German World Cup winner altogether when selecting his starting XI.
With the World Cup scheduled for next summer, Muller needs regular football to cement his position in Germany’s audaciously talented international squad and a transfer, alongside promises of regular football, could see a move take place.
Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are both chasing Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot but could face competition from Real Madrid, according to varied reports.
What’s the word?
Arsenal have been linked with a move for young French midfielder Adrien Rabiot for a while and it appears a move could materialise this summer, with The Daily Mail reporting the 21-year-old is ready to consider offers from other top-sides.
First making a breakthrough into the first-team in 2012, Rabiot has impressed for Paris Saint-Germain in the following five years and also made his international debut for France in a friendly against the Ivory Coast in November.
With his vast success in France, winning four consecutive Ligue 1 titles, two French Cups and three French League Cups, Rabiot could seek new challenges elsewhere- but Arsenal will face competition from Real Madrid for his services.
What was said?
Addressing the reports linking him with a move across Europe, he told Europe 1:
‘I am under contract until 2019 and I do not think I am in a rush. Honestly, I am not thinking about that. If there are offers from big clubs, that obviously demands that they are considered.’
‘Clubs like Real Madrid, they are truly great clubs but, truly, the most important thing is the present and I am concentrating on what I am doing right now, that is the best thing to do.’
What about Spurs?
As well as battling Real Madrid for Rabiot’s services, Arsenal will also face competition from just around the corner in North London as The Daily Mirror states Tottenham Hotspur are considering a fresh move for Rabiot’s signature.
Two years ago, Spurs had a loan bid for Rabiot turned down by the French giants and Mauricio Pochettino is ready to revisit the situation again this summer- although this time a permanent transfer could be on the cards.
With two-years left on his PSG deal, any interested party will have to pay a pretty sum and that could be decisive when discussions about a transfer come around.
According to reports on talkSPORT, Everton striker Romelu Lukaku is set to end any speculation regarding his future by signing a new five-year deal with the club this week.
What’s the story, then?
Well, the Belgian striker’s agent, Mino Raiola, held talks with the Merseyside outfit last month over a new long-term contract extension, and talkSPORT are now claiming that a deal will be completed later this week, with the signature of Toffees chairman Bill Kenwright all that is now needed.
Lukaku moved to Goodison Park from Chelsea in the summer of 2014 following a successful loan spell, and he has quickly gone on to prove that he is one of the best finishers in the Premier League.
How big a boost is this for Everton?
It’s a huge one.
Lukaku was heavily linked with a move back to former club Chelsea last summer, and manager Ronald Koeman – and the supporters – would have been relieved that no transfer materialised.
The prolific attacker has continued to go from strength to strength and became the club’s all-time Premier League top goalscorer when he netted his 61st top flight goal for the club in their 3-2 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on Sunday – taking his tally to 18 for the season.
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Does this show that the club is going places?
Definitely. Keeping your best players – as a club like Southampton have struggled to do in recent seasons – could be the first step on the ladder as Everton and Ronald Koeman look to challenge for a spot in the Premier League’s top four in years to come.
According to reports from Mirror Football, Gareth Southgate is facing a bit of a selection crisis ahead of next week’s international break, when England will face Germany in a friendly before hosting Lithuania in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley.
Ahead of Euro 2016, the strike-force was arguably the Three Lions’ strongest department, but it’s steadily depleted over the course of 2016/17. Jamie Vardy, Daniel Sturridge and Marcus Rashford have all struggled to match their tallies from last season, whilst captain Wayne Rooney and Premier League top scorer Harry Kane look set to miss next week’s outings due to injury.
With that in mind, the English strikers in the Premier League appear to be on relatively even terms ahead of Southgate’s next squad announcement – none particularly standing out as undisputed options. So we’re hoping our readers can do the England gaffer’s job for him, by voting for which strikers should and shouldn’t be included in the next Three Lions selection.
Let us know by giving each centre-forward a thumbs up or a thumbs down!
Liverpool are no longer interested in Borussia Monchengladbach’s Mahmoud Dahoud and Goal report that Jurgen Klopp’s midfield experiment this season has prompted this U-turn.
What’s the story?
Last summer the Reds were widely linked with the 21-year-old playmaker on the back of his impressive Bundesliga season, but a deal failed to come to fruition as Gladbach lost both Granit Xhaka and Havard Nordtveit to Arsenal and West Ham respectively, leaving them somewhat reluctant to sanction a transfer.
Reports had since suggested that Liverpool remained keen on the silky starlet, but now Goal have stated that Klopp’s changed his mind in regards to the Syria-born player, with Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum and Adam Lallana’s performances having been key.
It’s understood that Henderson’s use of the ball from deep, Lallana’s chance creation and goal output and Wijnaldum’s ability to knit the two together have prompted the re-think, with RB Leipzig’s Naby Keita mooted as a more attractive proposition now.
How Does Dahoud rank?
Well, the stats (via Squawka) somewhat back up Goal’s claims. With Dahoud failing to top any of the Reds’ current options in the aforementioned areas. Indeed, his pass accuracy, total passes, chances created, assists and goals scored-per-game tallies fail to top the trio of Anfield stars’ returns, albeit he has made more interceptions – a count seen as vital in Klopp’s counter-pressing style of play.
Although abandoning their pursuit makes some statistical sense, beyond Henderson, Wijnaldum and Lallana, Liverpool have very few options, with only Emre Can of sufficient quality to step in easily – although there is an argument for pushing Philippe Coutinho central from his left-wing berth.
Rangers’ quest to chase down Aberdeen took a massive blow on Saturday after they dropped more Scottish Premiership points, at home to Motherwell.
After the Dons thumped Dundee 7-0 on Friday, supporters were looking for a convincing victory against the Steelmen to keep pace. However, they now find their team a massive 10 points behind second place.
Louis Moult got his second goal at Ibrox this season, opening the scoring just 3 minutes into the match.
A dire first half performance from the Gers meant Pedro Caixinha made three bold substitutions at half-time, bringing off three defenders out of the four who started. He switched the formation to three at the back and his side managed to get themselves back into the match through a Joe Garner effort.
However, the Light Blues couldn’t find it themselves to grab the winner, leaving supporters questioning the team again after a fairly positive month had boosted morale at Ibrox.
They took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the afternoon…
Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of their first FA Cup title since 1991 will continue on Saturday when they take on Premier League title rivals Chelsea in the semi-finals of the competition.
Spurs are eight-time winners of the biggest cup competition in England, but the London side have not lifted the trophy for 26 years.
For all of the praise that has been sent towards Mauricio Pochettino and his team this season, there is a feeling that Spurs need to win a trophy in order to be recognised as currently one of the best teams in English football.
Spurs are threatening to snatch the Premier League title away from Chelsea in the final weeks of the campaign, and the club’s official Twitter account looked to rally supporters with a post on social media before Saturday’s last-four affair in the FA Cup.
Whilst Chelsea supporters appear nervous due to their team’s current stutter, Spurs fans are full of confidence entering the Wembley fixture.
Manchester United will look to keep their chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League alive, and extend their incredible unbeaten run, when they host lowly Swansea City at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The Red Devils can make it 25 Premier League matches without tasting defeat if they avoid a loss against the Welsh outfit, but manager Jose Mourinho will know that they need to take all three points if they are to improve their chances of finishing in the top four and overhauling the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City.
United drew 0-0 with the latter in the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night, and the Portuguese boss will be missing two more players this weekend after Marouane Fellaini was sent off for head-butting Sergio Aguero and Timothy Fosu-Mensah suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder.
With key men like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Juan Mata and Paul Pogba all likely to be missing it won’t be an easy task against Paul Clement’s men, who are two points from safety and in desperate need of points themselves as they look to stave off the threat of relegation.
Here is our Man United predicted XI that will beat Swansea…
David De Gea
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Even though he continues to be linked with a move back to Spain, the goalkeeper continues to impress between the sticks for United and has played a big part in their impressive unbeaten run.
The 0-0 draw against arch-rivals Manchester City at the Etihad on Wednesday night meant that he picked up his third successive Premier League clean sheet, and the Spaniard will be expecting another quiet afternoon when a struggling Swansea visit Old Trafford on Sunday.
Antonio Valencia
Even though he has competition from the likes of Ashley Young and Matteo Darmian for the right-back spot, there is no doubt that Valencia is Jose Mourinho’s first-choice in that position.
The 31-year-old has enjoyed another consistent season for the Red Devils and he did well to nullify the threat of the speedy Leroy Sane during his team’s 0-0 draw against Manchester City on Wednesday.
Strong defensively and good going forward, he could prove to be a thorn in Swansea’s side.
Eric Bailly
With Marcos Rojo definitely out and Chris Smalling and Phil Jones major doubts as they continue their returns from injury, Mourinho is running out of options at centre-back.
Summer signing Bailly is certain to start at the heart of the defence when Swansea visit Old Trafford and aside from one or two suspect moments, he has looked good in his first season in the Premier League.
He will know all about the Swans’ Fernando Llorente from his time in Spain, and it could be an interesting battle between the two on Sunday.
Daley Blind
As we mentioned previously, Mourinho’s lack of options at centre-back has meant that the versatile Blind has filled in at the heart of defence in recent matches, and he should do so again on Sunday.
While there may be a concern that he will fail to match up against the height of Fernando Llorente if the Spaniard starts for Swansea, his awareness and anticipation mean that the Dutchman will be confident of dealing with the tall striker.
Luke Shaw
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Despite the criticism against him from manager Jose Mourinho last month, Shaw has bounced back well and as well as winning the late penalty against Everton earlier this month, he also put in an impressive performance in the victory at Sunderland too.
After finding himself back on the substitutes’ bench for their three Premier League matches since then, the Portuguese manager may be tempted to put the England international back into his team for the visit of the struggling Swans.
Ander Herrera
The Spaniard has quickly become one of United’s most impressive and important players in recent weeks, and he looks to be undroppable at the moment after scoring and assisting in the 2-0 win against leaders Chelsea earlier this month.
With Paul Pogba still a doubt and Marouane Fellaini out following his dismissal against Manchester City, Mourinho could choose to revert to the 4-2-3-1 formation for the visit of Swansea and the onus will be on Herrera to make an impact defensively and offensively from the middle of the park.
Michael Carrick
With the injury problems and suspensions mounting up for the Red Devils, Herrera is likely to be partnered by Carrick in midfield on Sunday.
The 34-year-old was on the receiving end of high praise from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola prior to the dull Manchester derby on Wednesday night, and Mourinho will know that he can rely on the experienced star to protect his defence and keep things ticking over in the centre of the pitch against Paul Clement’s side.
Jesse Lingard
After starting the Premier League wins against Chelsea and Burnley, Lingard was dropped to the substitutes’ bench for the trip to Manchester City on Wednesday.
Jose Mourinho has favoured a 4-3-3 formation in recent weeks but with both Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini set to miss out against Swansea, he could choose to select Lingard on the right side of an attacking midfield three as he appears to be more committed to his defensive duties than perhaps Henrikh Mkhitaryan is.
Wayne Rooney
Despite scoring one and playing a crucial part in the other after starting as a striker in his side’s 2-0 win against Burnley at Turf Moor last weekend, Rooney was once again an unused substitute for the Manchester derby on Wednesday night.
With a change of formation on the cards with Mourinho short of options in midfield, it could give the 31-year-old a chance to feature in a slightly deeper role behind the striker against Swansea, and he will be looking to make a big impact once again.
Anthony Martial
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The Frenchman has looked out-of-sorts at times and has struggled to impress Jose Mourinho at points during the season, but that has certainly changed in recent weeks.
The 21-year-old has looked to be far more of an attacking threat and his decision-making also looks to be improving.
A fine finish after a sweeping counter attack and a clever assist for Wayne Rooney in last weekend’s 2-0 win against Burnley should mean that he is given the opportunity to shine against Swansea too.
Marcus Rashford
After scoring just one goal in 17 appearances in all competitions between January and April – in the FA Cup against Blackburn Rovers – the exciting 19-year-old looks to have rediscovered his confidence in front of goal.
The England international has now netted three goals in his last six Red Devils outings – including the opener against Chelsea – and Jose Mourinho could give him a start for the visit of a vulnerable Swansea on Sunday, as he did for the Manchester derby on Wednesday night.