Premier League
West Ham join Newcastle in race to sign 24-year-old striker with 20 goal contributions
West Ham United have joined Newcastle United in the race to sign Slavia Prague striker Jan Kuchta, Football Insider reports. The 24-year-old rejoined the Czech champions from Slovan Liberec last summer and has impressed with 13 goals and seven assists from 25 appearances. His form has grabbed the attention of many Premier League sides including the Magpies and Southampton, but the Hammers are considered as front-runners to sign him. David Moyes’ side were recently keeping tabs on his performance during the 1-1 draw against Rangers in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16. Sportslens view: The Hammers have been pretty smart with their signings under Moyes, who has emphasised that he won’t spend just to please people. They have had a good association with Slavia, having brought in t...
Predicted Leeds starting XI vs Chelsea: Bielsa to make two changes; 24-year-old returns
Leeds will face Chelsea in the Premier League clash at Elland Road on Saturday. Ahead of the match, Bielsa delivered some positive injury news in his pre-match press conference. Summer signing Robin Koch has returned to training and it won’t be long before he gets back in the starting line-up. Gaetano Berardi is back amongst matchday squads, while Jamie Shackleton has been cleared to feature. Only Pascal Struijk and Pablo Hernandez are absent from this game. The Whites are going through a poor run of form having managed just one win in their last five games, losing the other four. However, if you observe carefully, the results do not give the proper picture. Leeds were dominant in most of their games but they weren’t just clinical enough. The defence looks pretty settled at the moment, wit...
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer provides fresh injury update on Manchester United trio
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has provided an injury update on three midfielders ahead of Sunday’s Premier League meeting with West Ham United. The Red Devils were disappointing in midweek where they played out a 1-1 home draw against AC Milan in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16. They will return to Premier League action on Sunday against the Hammers and, ahead of the game, Solskjaer delivered an injury update on three United players. Paul Pogba (thigh), Donny van de Beek (calf) and Juan Mata (knee) have been on the sidelines and Solskjaer has said that neither will return to face the Hammers. However, he was hopeful that at least one of them could be available for selection before the international break towards the end of the month. He told Manutd.com: “No ...
Thomas Tuchel confirms double Chelsea injury blow ahead of Leeds United clash
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed a double injury blow for the Blues ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League clash at Leeds United. The west London outfit are unbeaten in the league since Tuchel took charge in January, winning six and drawing three of their last nine games. They are currently placed fourth in the table with a two-point lead over West Ham United, although the Hammers have a game in hand. Ahead of tomorrow’s clash, Tuchel confirmed that Abraham won’t be available as he is still carrying an ankle injury sustained against Newcastle United last month. He told football.london: “I’m a bit concerned because the pain from the tackle against Newcastle is still there.” “It’s been a long time since he’s been 100% free and comfortable in training. “Even if he finishes in training,...
Chelsea stars ruled out, Tottenham sweating on key player’s fitness
The 2020/21 Premier League season continues this weekend, with some intriguing EPL fixtures scheduled over the next four days. The action gets underway on Friday evening as Newcastle United go head-to-head with Aston Villa at St James’ Park. The early kick-off on Saturday is at Elland Road, with Leeds United facing Chelsea. The Blues will be without Tammy Abraham and Thiago Silva, with manager Thomas Tuchel confirming they are sidelined with injuries. There are three other games later the same day, with the clash between Fulham and Manchester City the pick of the bunch. Fulham have given themselves a great chance of avoiding relegation, but they could have their work cut out against the champions-elect. The Sunday line-up features a quartet of matches, headlined by the north London derby b...
Three things Arsenal must avoid against Spurs on Sunday
Arsenal are scheduled to host arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday and the game can be considered a must-win for them in their quest for Champions League football. Mikel Arteta’s side are already 12 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with a game in hand and need to come on top in the north London derby to maintain their slim chances of qualifying for the elite competition through the league. Ahead of the much-anticipated clash this weekend, we look at three things the Gunners must avoid as they look to beat Spurs for the first time in six games across all competitions. Cut out unforced defensive errors: Since the turn of the year, the Gunners have largely been the reason behind their own downfall. The capital outfit have conceded 14 goals in all competitions in 20...
Bielsa confirms two Leeds players won’t play vs Chelsea; three players available
Marcelo Bielsa has suggested in his pre-match press conference today that Pablo Hernandez and Pascal Struijk won’t play against Chelsea this weekend. Leeds have lost four out of their last five Premier League games. The Whites are up against the Blues, who are on a superb run of form under Thomas Tuchel. Bielsa has confirmed that Kalvin Phillips and Rodrigo are both fit, with the England midfielder playing the entire game on Monday against West Ham. “Neither will be able to play”, said Bielsa when asked about the latest update about Hernandez and Struijk. Injury news – Struijk and Hernandez will miss the Chelsea game again. Shackleton is back and Phillips and Rodrigo came through the West Ham game without any issues. Koch could play in the 23s on Monday. #lufc — Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) March ...
Man United, Chelsea interested in £49.5m French star, but his club want to keep him
Kingsley Coman is attracting interest from both Manchester United and Chelsea, but Bayern Munich are determined to extend his contract, Sport1 journalist Florian Plettenberg claims. Coman is currently in his sixth season with the Bundesliga giants, accumulating 39 goals and 48 assists from 188 appearances in all competitions. His career has been plagued by multiple injuries, but he has stayed unscathed for most of the current campaign, which has brought the best out of him. The 24-year-old has registered six goals and 13 assists for the European champions this term, and it is already his best-ever return in a single season. Despite this, there has been speculation regarding his future, and a recent report from The Mail claimed that both United and the Blues are keeping tabs on him. Wh...
Transfer planning underway at Arsenal – club must get it right
With the Premier League season concluding in just over two months, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta recently confirmed that planning for the summer transfer window is already underway. Speaking to the media last week, Arteta admitted that potential business will be more challenging due to the pandemic, but also added that any deals they do might be affected by their finishing position in the league. Ahead of the Europa League tie against Olympiacos on Thursday, Arteta was asked again about the club’s plans this summer. “We don’t know yet because we have so many things to do,” he said (via football.london). “We have people on loan, people finishing contracts. There was a lot going on in the last two transfer windows that had to be done the amount of things we had to do which was probably u...
‘It’s possible on a football level’: Key Chelsea star linked with summer move to Serie A club
Chelsea midfielder Jorginho has been linked with a return to Napoli this summer. The Italy international joined the Blues from the Serie A club on a five-year deal in 2018. His move coincided with Maurizio Sarri’s appointment as manager at Stamford Bridge. The pair had previously worked together at Napoli, coming close to winning the Scudetto with an exciting brand of football. Sarri subsequently guided Chelsea to success in Europa League but left for Juventus after just one season in charge. He was sacked by Juve last August and has now been tipped to return to Napoli, sparking talk from Jorginho’s agent that his client could follow him. Speaking to Radio Kiss Kiss, Napoli’s official radio station, Joao Santos said: “Sarri at Napoli with Jorginho is a wonderful idea. The player has two-an...
Leeds United make transfer decision after Wolves reportedly set £30m price tag for attacker
Leeds United are unlikely to make an approach for Adama Traore despite Wolverhampton Wanderers significantly reducing the price tag for the winger, Football Insider reports. Traore had an impressive 2019/2020 season with Wolves, registering six goals and 12 assists from 54 games while making other scoring contributions. However, his form has slumped this term with only one goal and one assist from 31 appearances for the Midlands outfit. Wolves valued Traore between £60-70 million last year, but it is reported that they have reduced their asking price to just £30m ahead of the summer. Leeds were said to be closely monitoring the situation, but it is now claimed that manager Marcelo Bielsa has no desire to land the winger. The Whites boss has concerns over the Spaniard’s techn...
Manchester United, Manchester City to compete for signing of £45m Spanish star
Manchester United and Manchester City are among the clubs interested in signing Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres in the next transfer window, Manchester Evening News reports. The Spain international graduated through the youth ranks of the La Liga outfit, and he has made 74 appearances in all competitions for the club to date. The 24-year-old has been regularly linked with a move away from the Yellow Submarines in the past, and it is now reported that he is on the radar of United and City. United head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants a left-footed centre-back in the squad, and Torres appears to fit their requirements. City manager Pep Guardiola is aiming to bolster his central defensive options and wants another addition in the department this summer. Sportslens view: Harry Maguire has be...
