Author: Thando Kanye
The injury to Virgil van Dijk might be worse than initially suspected with reports suggesting the Liverpool defender could be out for the entirety of the current season, with some pundits even expressing fears that he will not be the same player on his return. Van Dijk was at the receiving end of a nasty Jordan Pickford tackle during a hard-fought Merseyside derby that ended in a 2-2 stalemate. According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the injury could be worse than the ACL that Van Dijk was thought to have suffered from. However, the window of his recovery period could…
Former team-mate Per Mertesacker claims that family and marriage might be the reason that Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil might be finding himself out of favour at the Emirates. Ozil has not seen any action this season and was last week left out of the Gunner’s Europa League squad. Arsenal’s one-time assist king was also left out of Mikel Arteta’s Premier League squad for this season. Speaking on the Klick and Rush podcast, Metersacker said things had changed for Ozil who now had interests away from the football pitch. “A lot has changed away from the field. He got married, has…
When he went into the tie against Newcastle at St James Park with question marks hovering over his head, the 4-1 win would have brought more time for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to prove himself to the fickle Red Devils faithful. Before the awe inspiring performance at Newcastle, in which United attempted 28 shots on goal, the most by any team in the league this season, gnawing doubts about Ole’s fitness to sit on the United bench had already begun to grow. There were even rumours of a possible mutiny in the dressing room, with Portuguese firebrand Bruno Fernandes reportedly leading…
Former Arsenal prodigy Jack Wilshere will not be returning to the Emirates after the termination of his contract at West Ham. Wilshere, whose career at the Emirates was blighted by injury, made just 19 appearances in two years with the Hammers after leaving Arsenal in the summer of 2018. According to Goal’s Charles Watts, the injury prone midfielder is not part of Mikel Arteta’s plans this season. Wilshere was once thought of as one of English football’s greatest prospects at one point, with an encounter with a star-studded Barcelona in 2011 convincing fans and pundits that he was the next…
Despite Arsenal coughing up his hefty release clause of £45million, new signing Thomas Partey has said he is not under pressure to deliver for the Gunners, a side that has been lacking a midfield hardman for a few years. Partey was Arsenal’s main target over the recent transfer window, with the Gunners only making a move for their man on deadline day. The Ghanaian is expected to bring much needed steel to the Gunners midfield, which have been regarded as soft since the departures of champion midfielders Gilberto Silva and Patrick Vieira. Despite the high expectations, Partey says he does…
After some irresistible performances to kickstart the season, Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been rewarded with a call-up to the England side, with the striker one of three new caps in Gareth Southgate’s team. A three-goal haul in a Carabao Cup win over West Ham on Wednesday took his tally to eight goals in five games in all competitions, cementing his position as one of the in-form strikers in the league. “He’s in a very good moment,” Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti said after Wednesday’s victory. “Whether he’s the best (striker in England) I don’t know, but I don’t care. For me,…
Manchester United have not given up their pursuit of Jadon Sancho, with the Red Devils set to submit an improved bid which is still some distance from Borussia Dortmund’s evaluation of the English prodigy. Sancho has been United’s main transfer target throughout the summer but despite their interest, the Manchester side have been rebuffed by Dortmund who refuse to budge on their £108 million asking price. There were hopes that Dortmund’s stance would soften closer to the end of the window but that has not proved the case. According to beIN sports correspondent, Tancredi Palmeri, United chiefs had offered up…
Mikel Arteta’s resurgent Arsenal side is set for a massive clear-out as the end of the transfer window beckons, with the Gunners targeting Houssem Aouar and Thomas Partey as the possible solution to their midfield woes. With Mesut Ozil out of favor, Aouar looks like a ready made replacement for the German playmaker, with the Gunners’ creative options in the final third looking decidedly thin in the final third. Partey will bring the necessary steel to an Arsenal midfield that has not possessed a leader since the departure of Gilberto Silva and Patrick Vieira almost a decade ago. Before the…
Mikel Arteta has given the clearest indication yet that Mesut Ozil will not see much action in the upcoming season, saying it is difficult to see where the German midfielder will fit in his “evolving” squad. The out-of-favour Gunners assists king failed to make the match day squad for the 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Leicester City, as other fringe players got a run. After the match, Arteta said after the game how pleased he was with the attitude shown by both young and experienced players. “I’m really happy with the performance, first of all the attitude and the way…
Liverpool are using Senegalese forward Sadio Mane to entice compatriot Kalidou Koulibaly to move to Merseyside, with the Reds looking to upstage Manchester City and snatch the highly sought after defender. According to French newspaper La Parisien, Liverpool are hoping to use Mane’s links to Koulibaly to sign him for a fee thought to be in the region of £64million. Jurgen Klopp is thought to be keen to strengthen the English champions’ defensive options, with the decision to play Fabinho at the heart of defense during the 2-0 win Chelsea showcasing the English champions’ deficiencies. Mane and Koulibaly are not…