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Manchester United’s summer transfer business is going to be at the centre of many publications over the coming weeks.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is desperate for some fresh faces in his squad as he seeks to overhaul a team which has underperformed for too long now for a club of United’s stature.

Signing those players though is another matter indeed, with the club being knocked back in some of their attempts to bring talent in, while other clubs are also now on a par or above United when it comes to the package they can offer the best players in the world.

However, United have got to take advantage of the admission that Dutch youngster Donny van de Beek has made this week, with the 22-year-old seemingly opening the door for a move away from Ajax (as per Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan who told talkSPORT, via Manchester Evening News).

“Van de Beek has his eyes set on the Premier League.

“He is a proper Premier League player with an Ajax education and can play in many positions in midfield. He wants a move to Man United or Spurs and his agent says if that materialises that would be right up his street.”

Van de Beek has been in tremendous form for the resurgent Dutch side this year, contributing a whopping 16 goals and 12 assists across all competitions as he helped his side to the Champions League semi-finals.

Van de Beek’s passing is also something which United could well make use of, especially with Ander Herrera leaving the club and Nemanja Matic not getting any younger in the middle of the park. Indeed, an impressive pass percentage completion rate of just shy of 80% suggests van de Beek is the sort of player who United can set their tempo through. And, he averages more key passes per game (1.3) than the likes of Jesse Lingard (0.8) and Ander Herrera (0.7), so he would definitely offer more attacking impetus in terms of creating key chances.

At a time when United are surely trying to land big names and get back to competing at the top, signing someone of the talent and attitude of van de Beek would be the ideal first step to climbing back up the ladder.

عاد الدولي الأوروجوياني فيدي فالفيردي، لتدريبات ريال مدريد استعدادًا لمواجهة بوروسيا مونشنجلادباخ الألماني، في بطولة دوري أبطال اوروبا.

ريال مدريد فاز أمس على إشبيلية وعاد لطريق الانتصارات في الليجا، ويسعى للفوز على مونشنجلادباخ يوم الأربعاء المقبل، من أجل التأهل إلى دور الـ16 بـ دوري أبطال أوروبا.

طالع أيضًا.. باريس سان جيرمان يوجه صدمة لطموحات ريال مدريد بشأن مبابي وشارك اليوم اللاعب الأوروجوياني في تدريبات ريال مدريد بعد تعافيه من الإصابة التي لحقت به الشهر الماضي، وغاب عن مباريات الملكي الماضية.

ويأمل اللاعب الأوروجوياني في المشاركة أمام بوروسيا مونشنجلادباخ، ولكن قرار مشاركته يعود للمدرب زين الدين زيدان والإدارة الطبية في الفريق الملكي، حتى لا يتم المجازفة به.

With the summer transfer window just days away from opening, West Ham fans will be on the edge of their seat as to what Manuel Pellegrini decides to do.

The Hammers are set for an important window, with many players likely to leave and even more joining the club in an attempt to take West Ham to a European finish in the Premier League table, and one of the more popular rumours this summer so far has been AC Milan playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu.

The Turkish international has been linked with a move to east London in the Turkish (Fanatik) media and given the fact the number 10 is likely to leave Milan this summer, there could be so truth behind the whisperings going on about a move to the Premier League, and recent performances show that West Ham could be getting a player of immense talent.

The 25-year-old was recently named Man of the Match in Milan’s 1-0 win over Fiorentina where Calhanoglu scored the winning goal to secure the Rossoneri the three points, and its performances like this that should have Manuel Lanzini worried.

Calhanoglu, who is valued at £19.8 million on Transfermarkt, has shown in the past he is capable of playing at a top level in Europe, and if West Ham are able to acquire the services of the playmaker then it will fill a large void in the team that has been damaged recently due to Lanzini’s poor form.

The Argentine fan favourite could find himself out of favour if Calhanoglu makes the move, but for West Ham supporters, it will be a small price to pay to see an incredible talent at the London Stadium.

West Ham fans, would Calhanoglu be a good signing? Let us know!

يؤمن خوسيه لويس مارتينيز ألميدا، عمدة مدينة مدريد الإسبانية، أنّ فريق العاصمة الثاني أتلتيكو، لديه القدرة على التغلب على مُنافسه برشلونة، في الدوري الإسباني.

أتلتيكو مدريد يستقبل برشلونة، مساء السبت، في تمام العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، على ملعب “واندا متروبوليتانو”، ضمن لقاءات الجولة العاشرة من الليجا.

اقرأ أيضًا.. جواو فيليكس: جاهز لمباراة برشلونة.. سيجعلوننا نركض أكثر!

وقال ألميدا في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية: “بالتأكيد مباراة يوم السبت لن تكون سهلة على أتلتيكو مدريد، هُناك بعض الغيابات في الفريق، ولكن أتلتيكو لديه موارد كافية”.

وأضاف: “أتلتيكو مدريد فريق كبير، ولديه القدرة على تعويض الغيابات، وحتى تحقيق الفوز يوم السبت على برشلونة”.

وأتم تصريحاته قائلًا: “أنا واثق في الفريق، وأعتقد أنّ لديهم حلول عديدة للتغلب على برشلونة”.

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Luke O’Nein has won Sunderland’s Young Player of the Year Award, after a stellar first season for the Black Cats, though the 24 year-old was surprised he was even in the running for the “young” player award at his age.

Sunderland fans however were quick to heap praise on the midfielder turned right back who has impressed since joining from Wycombe Wanderers in the summer.

O’Nein has gone on to make 34 appearances, scoring five times and registering six assists – these are very impressive numbers for a right-back and show that the Hemel Hempstead born defender is excelling in the new role Jack Ross has given him.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

The fans are delighted that he won the award with one saying he is “exactly what the club needed this season” whilst another said: “We sussed you as a good lad on day one.”

His emergence as a quality right back has been perhaps the surprise package of the season, and while the versatile ace gets set to possibly enter the play-off gauntlet, fans are heaping praise on his development.

Take a look at the Twitter reactions down below…

Tomorrow sees the Edinburgh derby take place at Tynecastle, with the hosts knowing that a win against their arch-rivals will put them — temporarily at least — within two points of a Europa League spot.

Equally important, will be the four-point gap they will open up over their noisy neighbours, ahead of the division split which happens after this weekend’s round of matches.

With their remaining games — apart from the clashes against the top two — all against their direct rivals, as it is for the others too, the opportunity to put daylight between themselves and Hibs in sixth, will effectively mean the Europa League chase is between just three teams, albeit for just one likely remaining spot.

But manager, Craig Levein, is already looking towards summer recruitment, in a bid to make sure they can ensure a top three finish next season, in a less frantic way.

The former national team manager knows that he needs to be able to break teams down when they allow Hearts to come on to them, and to do that, he needs to bring in players with an eye for a magic pass, and who can create something from nothing.

He told the Edinburgh Evening News: “It does seem to be that we are better in the games in which teams will have a go at us. It’s harder when the opposition sit in and we have to make the running. That’s something which is really interesting for me for next season.

“We can do both things, which I think we’ll need to do next season. I think we need more creativity in the last third. I think we have players who can do that but we aren’t doing it as regularly as we need to do it. We could do with another couple of creative players in the final third.

Levein’s summer shopping has already started, with Livingston central defender, Craig Halkett, penning an agreement to join Levein, which will become official when his current contract expires at the end of June.

The prospect of bringing some flair to the side should excite fans, and although they are still in the Scottish Cup and fighting for that Europa League spot this season, next year could be one for Hearts fans to savour.

What are your thoughts on the job Craig Levein has done this season? Can they reach the top three this year, starting with a win over rivals Hibs tomorrow? Let us know your thoughts…

Aston Villa have completely reinvented themselves in recent weeks and now have a brilliant chance of achieving promotion back into the Premier League, against all the odds.

Because of their poor run of form initially under Dean Smith, any kind of success was deemed highly unlikely until now. So, as you Villains will know, with a string of impressive performances, you are now looking a formidable obstacle for any team in the Championship to overcome, which leaves you with a good chance in the play-offs, should they keep their place in the top six.

There are plenty of games that could still be won or lost so Dean Smith must ensure his players are performing to the best of their capabilities.

Of course, changing the team around won’t be high on his agenda, preferring to stick with his trusted options but utilising Andre Green could transpire to be a very good idea. Green, (who is valued at £900k on Transfermarkt) is clearly a talented youngster that has all the ability to make it far in the game.

Despite his time on the South Coast with Portsmouth not being as successful as he and others would have hoped, Dean Smith saw fit to bring him back to Villa Park as another option out wide. Obviously, there’s a player in there somewhere and the amount of trust shown in him is hugely refreshing.

Whilst having only made three starts in the Championship, it has to be remembered that Andre Green is still just 20-years-old, therefore meaning he has plenty of time to make his mark in the game. Even the most ardent Villa fan would surely agree that Villa Park can be a scary place when things aren’t going well, so it’s important he’s afforded time.

Aston Villa fans have liked what they have seen of him upon his return to Villa Park and it should lead to him getting more game-time towards the end of this season and into next.

Villa fans, do you agree that Andre Green is someone Dean Smith should consider using more… Let us know!

[ad_pod ]It goes without saying that Mousa Dembele was one of the most important players in the Tottenham squad. A number of the Belgian’s teammates at the club always mentioned him when being asked as to who the most talented player in the team was, an unsurprising answer given the slump in form seen since his departure to China back in January.The former Fulham man could dribble past almost anyone in the Premier League, possessing ridiculous balance combined with a large, powerful frame that made it near impossible to get the ball off him once he got going.It was this feature of his and Spurs’ play that freed up so much room for the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Heung-min Son to work their magic in, but two of these men above all of the aforementioned are suffering most without the Belgian.Kieran Trippier’s own goal against Chelsea looks even funnier up close. Just ask Thogden in the video below…Alli, a man who we have come to recognise as a prolific goalscoring midfielder over the last few seasons – he has hit 10, 18, and nine goals across each of his last three league campaigns – has only found the back of the net five times this term.Prior to his departure, an injury-hit Dembele had only managed 10 league appearances, and while the England international has suffered spells on the sidelines too, it is no coincidence that Alli’s form has dipped during a season where the powerhouse hasn’t been heavily involved.Nowadays, whereas the MK Dons academy graduate used to have acres of space to roam in that No.10 role and a man who would be able to deliver to ball to him on his doorstep, it is looking all the more busy in there as a result of the current Tottenham midfielders’ lack of adventure – Harry Winks, Moussa Sissoko and others lack that natural offensive vision.In Eriksen’s case, the Dane looks a shadow of his usual self this season. The former Ajax man has hit five goals and recorded 10 assists in the league this term, but his influence on games has waned significantly compared to the previous campaign.

Many Spurs fans have highlighted the 27-year-old as the player whose form has tailed off drastically compared to his previous excellence, and a common denominator is Dembele’s absence in the midfield. Once again, it’s a question of the space Dembele created for Tottenham’s advanced midfielders, through the sheer attention the opposition were often obliged to give him.

Tottenham did look to be in with a shot at the title earlier in the season, but since January, their form has declined massively and now they find themselves in a serious battle to even finish in the top four – their chase for a Champions League place could have been all over right now were it not for Son’s superb run of form at the start of 2019.

If Mauricio Pochettino wants to see the man who once hit a ridiculous 18 goals from midfield reach those kind of numbers yet again and Eriksen return to his playmaking best, he must properly replace Dembele in the summer.

[ad_pod ]Aston Villa midfielder Jordan Lyden confirmed on Instagram that after 14 years he would be leaving the club, but it wasn’t news that left many followers of the Midlands club angry.

The Australian-born player has featured just four times for the club in what has been an injury-stricken career to date. However, many fans don’t think he was good enough anyway, suggesting that it made sense for all parties that he moved on to pastures new.

The fact he was always injured has led to one fan forgetting he was actually still at the club, with another individual claiming there were five better players ahead of him in the pecking order.

Lyden had spent a period on loan at Oldham but hasn’t done enough to warrant a new contract at Villa Park and as a consequence will be released. One supporter issued a statement based on his loan, claiming it spoke volumes about his quality that he couldn’t star even in League Two.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

However, despite some fans bemoaning the injury-prone man, one individual wished him luck for the rest of his career.

Here’s how some of the Villa Park faithful reacted.

Sheffield United will be preparing for their Sheffield derby meeting with arch-rivals Sheffield Wednesday on Monday night at Hillsborough.

And, it appears The Blades could be about to go into the game with a boost after receiving some positive news.

The club have confirmed on their official website that Jack O’Connell has agreed to terms over a new contract that will see him stay at Bramall Lane until the summer of 2023.

The 24-year-old, who has been at the club since the summer of 2016 following his switch from Brentford, has been a key member of Chris Wilder’s side this season as they chance promotion to the Premier League.

Wilder revealed his delight about the deal, telling the club’s website: “It’s another boost that Jack has pledged his long-term future here and we are all delighted. He’s been a big part of the past and will play a big part in the future for us.”

Having made 130 appearances for Sheffield United across all competitions, O’Connell is likely to play a prominent role in their match against The Owls on Monday night.

The two sides played out a goalless draw in November, however, Wilder’s side did have the chance to win from the penalty spot but David McGoldrick saw his spot-kick saved by Cameron Dawson.

The Verdict:

O’Connell’s new deal will come as a great boost to Wilder and Sheffield United, capping what could turn into an excellent season for the club.

However, The Blades will be hoping the news will be able to motivate their players even further ahead of their Sheffield derby on Monday.

A win will go a long way into helping the club achieve their aims of winning promotion to the Premier League next season, whilst having the bragging rights of the city would not be too bad either.

Sheffield United fans – thoughts?