A breath of fresh air from Onana

Andre Onana is a frustrating character; brilliant one minute and losing focus the next. United fans have been very vocal in criticising some of his performances this season but the goalkeeper has hit back telling them they are wasting their time shouting abuse at him from behind the goal and getting impatient with him. In […]

Andre Onana is a frustrating character; brilliant one minute and losing focus the next. United fans have been very vocal in criticising some of his performances this season but the goalkeeper has hit back telling them they are wasting their time shouting abuse at him from behind the goal and getting impatient with him.

In Sunday’s derby game against Man City, the fans again shouted at him to release the ball more quickly to enable the team to spring a counter attack. Holding on to the ball blunted any attacking move and gave the defending opponents’ time to readjust and man mark. He responded by saying, “To be honest it doesn’t affect me and I wanted to give the team a breather after City had the majority of possession. Sometimes, I make the right decision and sometimes I get it wrong.”

 

RB Leipzig agents meet with Arsenal

I picked up news from RB Leipzig this week that the club has been having meetings regarding their financial difficulties caused by elimination from the Champions League. This might have an effect on whether or not they sell Benjamin Sesko to Arsenal. The Gunners have been tracking the forward for months and he was involved in 25 goals in 39 matches. Chelsea have also shown interest but the player himself prefers a move to the Emirates Stadium. His agents were in London this week and met with Arsenal officials to progress negotiations. They were guests at the Champions League match against Real Madrid on Tuesday.

 

Good news for Liverpool fans

In a complete turnaround, Virgil van Dijk’s representatives are negotiating with Liverpool in order to progress with a new contract for the defender. And to make the Kop fans even happier, Mo Salah signed a new contract on Friday morning.

• Akpabio petitions IGP, demands Natasha’s prosecution over assassination allegation
• MRA slams NBC over ban on Eedris Abdulkareem’s song

Van Dijk, at 33 years-of-age, wants a two year contract, whereas previously, he has been offered only one. The club team captain said this week, “There has been progress, yes. I love the club, and I love the fans. I want them to be there for us against West Ham on Sunday and make the stadium an amazing venue like it always is.”

Undoubtedly, music to the ears of the Kop fans who have accepted that Trent Alexander-Arnold is likely to leave for Spanish giants Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer.

Liverpool are expected to be knee-deep in big expensive transfers this summer with Newcastle’s striker Alexander Isak and Bournemouth’s centre-back Milos Kerkez both high up on their wish list.

 

De Bruyne … De Gone

Manchester City have to get used to life without Kevin De Bruyne as he prepares to leave the club at the end of the season. Kevin has played a huge part in Pep Guardiola’s success but at the age of 33, he feels it is the right move and the coach agrees. David Beckham’s Inter Miami have expressed an interest and contacted his representatives.

City have been working on a replacement for the important midfielder and after a long meeting with scouts and senior management, have decided on Bayern Leverkusen”s wonder talent Florian Wirtz as their choice. City’s agreement with De Bruyne not to renew his contract was partly motivated by their belief that they can prise Wirtz away from the Bundesliga club even if it once again means breaking the £100 million barrier.

 

City’s new incoming director of football Hugo Viana will be given the task of initiating and completing the deal and he will offer 21-year-old Wirtz a substantial pay rise on his current £3.7million contract. It will however not be an easy ride with Leverkusen planning to offer him better terms and lucrative add-ons as part of a new deal despite his contract having two years to run.

 

Why Casemiro is back in favour

Watching Casemiro in training, it is obvious that Ruben Amorim admires the Brazilian. It is also obvious that the player has listened to his boss and readjusted his way of playing. The Brazilian won everything there is to win in football with Real Madrid. He was a kingpin in midfield surrounded by Galacticos and it was difficult for him to come to the Premier League and set the world alight. Amorim said he lacked intensity. Motivation was a problem, not because he didn’t care but because he had to think about the way he played and learn about the qualities of those around him. After several sit down talk sessions with Amorim, Casemiro went about his business in a very professional way. It took time and he had to sit on the bench, often coming on late in a match but gradually improving on the requirements of the coach. The Brazilian superstar, and a superstar in any language, has now started five of the last six games after playing only 19 minutes in the Europa League and FA Cup between December 30th and February 16th.

 

Merino is living the dream

Mikel Arteta has turned Mikel Merino into a real striker. The Spanish international has surprised even himself by scoring five goals since Mikel Arteta converted him from a midfielder to a striker following injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus. After scoring two goals against Leicester in February and then netting the only goal against Chelsea last month, he struck the opening goal against Fulham last week and followed that up with a superb goal against Real Madrid in the Champions League this week. He said, “I have been a bit surprised at being able to perform and contribute to scoring so often. It’s something I’ve always had inside me, which I could have tapped into more throughout my career but I didn’t. I had no idea I would reach this level.” Merino is 6ft 2in tall which makes him a threat in the penalty area and particularly from set pieces. He had already headed in a free kick against Liverpool in October and has scored three goals from headers among his seven in all competitions.

 

Potter to clear out unwanted players at West Ham

In order to prepare for next season West Ham manager Graham Potter has drawn up a list of players “surplus to requirements” as he builds a new team capable of improving on this season’s mediocrity.

The players involved in a move away from the London Stadium are Guido Rodriguez, Niclas Fullkrug, Emerson Palmieri, and Michail Antonio. Players with contracts ending in June and unlikely to be renewed include Danny Ings, Vladimir Coufal, Aaron Cresswell and Lukasz Fabianski. Paris Saint-Germain’s on loan midfielder Carlos Soler is not expected to complete a permanent move and will depart back to France in July.

 

16-year-old Monga attracting best clubs in Europe

With Leicester looking ever likely to face the drop at the end of the season, Jeremy Monga, their highly rated young defender, is attracting the attention of Manchester City, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. Players are not allowed to sign professional contracts until they are 17 years old, which Monga would attain by July 2026. However, clubs can make offers before that and if the player himself wants a move, he has to inform Leicester and the league by the first Saturday in June.