Lookman coming back to Premier League
I am a great fan of Ademola Lookman. He has moved clubs several times and played for Everton, Fulham, Leicester and is currently at Serie A club Atalanta. The 27-year-old Nigerian international is coming back to the Premier League and expected to cost £40 million. Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini described Ademola as one of […]
Ademola Lookman
I am a great fan of Ademola Lookman. He has moved clubs several times and played for Everton, Fulham, Leicester and is currently at Serie A club Atalanta. The 27-year-old Nigerian international is coming back to the Premier League and expected to cost £40 million.
Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini described Ademola as one of the “worst penalty takers” he has “ever seen” when he missed a spot kick in the Champions League play-off defeat to Belgian side Club Brugge but his overall quality is in no doubt.
Arteta joins executives to secure Myles-Skelly and Nwaneri
Mikel Arteta is determined that both Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri will be Arsenal players next season and he has joined his management staff in their contract negotiations to make sure it happens. The two Academy players have become firm fan favourites and essential to Arteta’s plans going forward.
Lewis-Skelly signed his contract in October 2023 and Nwaneri put pen to paper in March 2024. Both contracts run out next summer. Arteta will join new Sporting Director Andrea Berta and Managing Director Richard Garlick in the talks. He said, “I will talk to the players and to the club about what will be my ideas. I try to convince them and especially feel if they are fully happy with us and want to commit to us. Then it is up to Andrea and the board to get the right deal”.
Arteta and Berta are also working on new contracts for Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel who all have deals ending in 2027.
**Arsenal made contact with Bayern Munich this week regarding the availability of 28-year-old Kingsley Coman. The French winger has scored four goals and made four assists this season. He has a market value of £30 million.
Guardiola might have a replacement for De Bruyne
After Manchester City’s 5-2 win over Crystal Palace and during the press conference, Pep Guardiola was asked if James McAtee is the one he sees as the successor to Kevin de Bruyne who is leaving after this season. The Spanish coach was quick to respond but would not be drawn as to his plans for McAtee in case the youngster felt that amount of weight on his shoulders could cause him to suffer a consequential lack of form. However, after the comfortable win, it was clear to see that a City legend is coming back to his splendid previous form. Former club captain Ilkay Gundogan played down the left with such precision and reading a game that he almost made it easy for De Bruyne to work his magic during the glory years. Guardiola said of Gundogan after the Palace game “Today against Palace, is the Gundo I remember from when we won the treble and the quadruple. His pace, his defensive intelligence, how he arrives. Now, having him with us is massive.”
City plans to spend big in the summer in order to rebuild but it looks like Gundogan still has a part to play.
United have to be in Europe to attract Delap
Manchester United owner Sir James Ratcliffe has told coach Ruben Amorim that the club cannot afford the £80 million wanted by Portugese club Sporting Lisbon for Viktor Gyokeres.
The United man then turned his attention towards Ipswich striker Liam Delap after his highly successful season with the Tractor Boys. However, Delap has told close friends that he only wants to move to a club that is involved in European football next season. United have to win the Europa Cup to achieve that.
The new name on the Villa block: Donyell Malen
When we talk of Aston Villa, Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio are inevitably the names who dominate the conversation. Now, a new name is cropping up more and more: Donyell Malen. This humble man is making news and scored his third consecutive goal in the last three games and this time he scored a beauty as he lashed the ball into the net from a difficult angle which was struck low into the far corner of the net.
The Dutchman has the best strike rate in the Premier League during this campaign as he averages better than a goal every 90 minutes and he has had most shots on target in front of Jhon Duran, Omar Marmoush and even Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak.
At the moment, he is Villa’s finisher off the bench and the answer to Villa losing Jhon Duran and despite coach Unai Emery moving Morgan Rogers out to the left wing, a position favoured by Malen, the Dutchman’s time is fast arriving as a regular starter.
Chelsea’s wingers at last proving themselves
For the price of only £25 million, Chelsea fans thought they had bought the bargain of the season.
During the course of the year, many changed that opinion and Jadon Sancho’s lack of consistency mirrored the performances of Noni Madueke.
After a shaky start to the season, when things didn’t go well for Madueke, he has recently been in sparkling form since Christmas and earned himself an England international place.
He scored 2 goals against Legia Warszawa last week – which saw Sancho play a great game and he assisted Noni Madueke to complete a couple of well taken goals. In training, Enzo Maresca has worked tirelessly with both Madueke and Sancho and his work is at last paying off. He was the first to congratulate the pair after the Warsaw game.
Someone is leaking Tottenham’s injuries and tactics
Things are going from bad to worse for Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham. He has vowed to track down an inside informer who has been releasing details of Tottenham’s squad before
a game. When Wilson Odobert missed Spur’s Europa League 1-1 draw with a hamstring problem, the news appeared online early and before the club released the information.
Postecoglou said, “There’s no doubt we have a leak inside the club. They have been leaking information all year including injuries and tactics. We’ve narrowed it down and I have a pretty good idea who it is. I will deal with it.”
Brentford open the door for Eriksen’s return
Thomas Frank and Brentford have left the door open for Christian Eriksen to return to the Gtech Community Stadium ground when he leaves Manchester United at the end of the season.
Eriksen has started 11 times for United during this campaign but with Ruben Amorim and James Ratcliffe planning to rebuild the team during the summer, the Danish international doesn’t fit into their plans at the age of 33. Frank said, “Christian is an excellent player and he is always welcome here and can play a part in our team for next year.”