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Gary Nevilla ‘baffled’ by Manchester United’s handling of £35m star this season
Manchester United legend Gary Neville has said that he has been baffled by the Red Devils’ handling of Donny van de Beek this summer. The Netherlands international was the Red Devils first major signing of last summer’s transfer window, and he arrived with much fanfare. The former Ajax man came up with the reputation of being a brilliant box-to-box midfielder, but he has failed to make a mark with United. His handling by Ole Gunnar Solksjaer could be questionable, considering the Norwegian has offered him just 1130 minutes in his 29 appearances. In a Q&A session on Twitter earlier today, Neville was asked by a fan regarding the club’s misuse of Van de Beek, and he was equally surprised with the situation. I’m baffled by what’s happening with him. He must be really low. https://t.co/8bG...
“I won’t take anything for granted”: Van Dijk makes Liverpool injury vow
Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk has given an update on his injury problems, claiming he will not ‘take anything for granted’ when he does return to action. Van Dijk suffered his injury during the Goodison Merseyside derby back last October, following a late challenge from Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. That injury ruled him out of action for the rest of the season, with Liverpool struggling on multiple occasions in his absence. Speaking about his injury this week, Van Dijk has revealed he will not take anything for granted when he returns to action. “In this period of being injured, it makes you think about loads of stuff and appreciate even more what you’ve got,” Van Dijk explained in an interview with JBL. “Obviously, it’s not easy, but the most important thing for me is to stay tr...
Jack Grealish breaks his silence on injury setback after Smith provides latest update
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith confirmed that skipper Jack Grealish has suffered an injury setback and will not play against Liverpool this weekend. The England international midfielder is now set to miss the eighth consecutive Premier League game, and the Villans will have to find a way to get a result without him. Grealish returned to training this week, but things did not go as planned, and he could now miss a further three games. The Villa star continues to battle a shin problem and is now likely to return to action next month, with the trip to Everton earmarked as for his comeback. Grealish is gutted to be unavailable to help his side at a time when they need him the most, and he has taken to social media to break his silence on the latest setback. Missing it so bad! Doing everything ...
Southampton plan to offer an escape route to £19.8m Tottenham Hotspur star
Southampton are monitoring the situation of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks with a view to a possible summer move, Football Insider reports. Winks has had a tough campaign with the north London club, playing just over 600 minutes of Premier League football. His limited playing time has already put him out of contention for the European Championships with England, and he could be on the move this summer. The Saints are likely to assess their midfield options in the next transfer window, and it is reported that they have their sights on pursuing Winks’ signature. Sportslens view: Winks is presently behind Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Tanguy Ndombele and Moussa Sissoko in the pecking order, playing just 70 minutes of league football since January. He still has three more years remaini...
Leicester City will attempt to sign £28.8m Bundesliga attacker, if they make the top four
Leicester City could make an approach to sign Borussia Monchengladbach attacker Thorgan Hazard if they make the top four this season, Eurosport claims. The Foxes have had another fine Premier League campaign, and they are presently third in the standings, five points ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea. The Midlands outfit missed out on Champions League football on the final day of last season, but they will be hoping to avoid a similar repeat this term. It is now reported that Hazard is a potential summer target for Brendan Rodgers’ side, though there has not been any contact with Monchengladbach. It is added that the Foxes could make a move for his signature if they can secure a Champions League berth for the first time in five seasons. Sportslens view: The Foxes have been on the up under Rodg...
NSF: We’ve surpassed our expectations in swimming – Bayelsa coach
The coach of Bayelsa’s swimming team, Gentle Offoin, says the team has surpassed its expectations at the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival (NSF), Edo 2020. Offoin told newsmen in Edo on Friday, that nobody could stop Bayelsa in any swimming event after this NSF. The coach said the team’s success so far at the ongoing Edo 2020 was not magic, but due to hard work and the support of the state government. “Our success here is not magic, it is the training. We spent a lot of time training and training, even when the festival was postponed. “We kept training and at the end we got the result. “Our expectation for the festival was to win 10 gold medals, so far, we have nine and this is just the fifth day of the NSF and we hope to surpass our expectation,” he said. He added that the team hoped ...
Man United devise plan to sign £100m Premier League star, could propose swap deal
Manchester United could propose to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice in a player-plus-cash deal with Jesse Lingard moving in the opposite direction, The Athletic reports. Sportslens view: The Red Devils could be lining up a new midfielder this summer with Nemanja Matic no longer at the prime of his career at 33, while Paul Pogba’s future remains uncertain with his contract expiring in 14 months. Rice has proved to be one of the league’s leading midfielders this term, managing two tackles and two interceptions per game with an impressive pass success rate of nearly 88. He was on the radar of Chelsea last summer, but a deal never materialised. However, he could switch to United this year in a proposal that may tempt the Hammers. Lingard has been a huge success for the Hammers since...
Predicted Leeds starting XI: Bielsa to make two changes; 27-year-old set to return
Leeds United will travel to Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday. The Whites are heading into this game on the back of a 2-1 win over Sheffield United last week. However, they are up against Pep Guardiola’s Man City who sit 14 points clear at the top of the table. Marcelo Bielsa confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Leeds have no fresh injury worries. However, the Whites will be without Jack Harrison who is ineligible to play, as per the conditions of his loan agreement from City. Ezgjan Alioski and Helder Costa and the most likely option down the left. And yet, Alioski has not fared well as a full-back against top sides, while it will be a massive gamble to put him up against the likes of Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez and...
Predicted Aston Villa XI vs Liverpool: Smith to make one change, 26-yr-old to start
Aston Villa take on Liverpool in the Premier League this weekend and Dean Smith’s side will be looking to build on their impressive win over Fulham last time out. Villa have only managed to win one of their last five league games and they need to start putting together a winning run now. The West Midlands club started the season in impressive form but they are currently 9th in the table and the fans will be slightly disappointed with the decline. It remains to be seen whether Villa can finish the season strongly and secure a top-eight finish now. The last time these two sides met in the Premier League, Liverpool were crushed 7-2 and the Reds will be looking to avenge that defeat here. Liverpool are coming into this game on the back of a disappointing defeat against Real Madrid in the Champ...
Lingard and Garner steal the headlines, but how are the rest of Man Utd’s loanees doing this season?
Manchester United’s link with their academy is synonymous and the list of talent which has come through the ranks onto the pitch at Old Trafford is endless. However, progression into the first team isn’t something which comes easy, and even those of the most fame now – including David Beckham – sometimes have to go out on loan to prove their worth. We’ve profiled some of the United players currently out on loan this season – both young and old – and assessed what their chances are of returning to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s line-up at Old Trafford anytime soon. Jesse Lingard We’re going to start off with the players currently loaned out to clubs within the United Kingdom and undoubtedly, Jesse Lingard has started to shine since his move to West Ham United. The 28-year-old is the only name on th...
West Ham suffer huge blow as £70k-per-week star could miss most of remaining PL games
West Ham striker Michail Antonio could miss most of the Premier League run-in due to a hamstring injury. According to reports from The Times, the Hammers striker’s hamstring injury is worse than first feared. The club is unsure of how long he will be out. The report claims that his potential long-injury lay off could be a “blow to West Ham United’s bid” to qualify for the Champions League. The Hammers have punched above their weight this season, with David Moyes doing a fabulous job with the players he has at his disposal. West Ham find themselves fourth in the Premier League table, and they are expected to put up a strong fight to stay there, with several clubs like – Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham – looking to get an entry. SL View Antonio, who is on £70k-per-week wage...
When Grealish will reportedly make Villa return following latest injury setback
According to The Sun, Aston Villa skipper Jack Grealish will miss his side’s clash against Liverpool at Anfield this weekend and is set to be out for the rest of April. The England international was widely expected to return to action last weekend against Fulham having missed their last six Premier League games and Three Lions’ World Cup qualifiers due to a shin injury. However, the Villa star felt discomfort in the shin again, and the club medical team has advised him to spend the next three weeks on the sidelines in order to fully recover. As a result, Grealish is likely to miss the games against Manchester City and West Bromwich Albion later this month, with Villa’s trip to Everton on May 1 identified as the most probable date for his return. Sportslens View Dean Smith’s side have won j...
