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Journalist Dom Howson, who writes for Yorkshire Live, has tweeted aboutÂcentre-back Julian Borner, which has caused many of the Sheffield Wednesday fans to discuss the player.

The Sheffield Wednesday writer tweeted: “A year ago today, #SWFC completed the signing of Julian Börner. He has had his ups and downs but I think overall he has been a good free transfer signing.”

Since signing for the club, the German defender has made 37 appearances, keeping ten clean sheets and even managing to pick up one goal, per Transfermarkt. Clearly manager Garry Monk sees him as a good quality player as he has started him in a lot of games this season and at the age of 29, he looks like he will be in the starting eleven for a good couple of seasons.

However it seems like fans believe he is hit and miss and whilst some are appreciating his spell at the club, others believe he could have done better. The negative views perhaps come from a frustration at the team sitting 16th in the division with only four games left, per BBC Sport, with the German having played a major part in a largely disappointing campaign.

Here is what fans said following the tweet:

Owls fans, what are your thoughts on Borner? Comment below!

Coventry City midfielder Jordan Shipley has spoken with Callum O’Hare since the midfielder left the club following the end of his loan deal.

The Aston Villa academy graduate saw his contract come to an end at Villa Park in June, leading to much discussion over a potential return to Coventry, where he spent the 2019/2020 season on loan.

Performing well for the Sky Blues, O’Hare helped guide them to a successful automatic promotion to the Championship from League One, contributing with four goals and seven assists.

With Mark Robins’ side having begun pre-season training earlier this week, preparations are underway for the 2020/21 season in England’s second flight and Shipley has now revealed that he has spoken to the former Villa man.

Speaking to Coventry LIVE, Shipley said: “I’ve spoken to him since he left, of course I have, but I don’t know what he is going to do.

“He doesn’t give much away when we speak to him, he is a really quiet lad. He’s doing well though, personally, and we’ll see what happens.

“We all know he is a great talent. We all want him back, but at the end of the day it is up to him.

“We’re all the same, we’d all love him to come back but Callum has to do what is right for him at the end of the day.

“I’ve played against Callum for so many years with Coventry’s academy while he was coming through at Villa and I always knew that he was a sublime talent. He was always one of the best players I had ever played against growing up.

“We all know he is a great talent. We all want him back, but at the end of the day it is up to him.”

Aside from a potential return for O’Hare, Coventry boss Robins has already made moves to bolster his squad options for next term, bringing in defensive midfielder Gustavo Hamer from PEC Zwolle and Julien Dacosta from Chamois Niortais.

Shipley’s comments don’t reveal much about the future of O’Hare, however, it goes someway to show that the former Villa man is still speaking to his former teammates.

His signing is key for Mark Robins this summer and would be a superb addition along with Hamer and Dacosta.

It is an exciting time to be a fan of Coventry, and a deal for O’Hare would add further excitement ahead of the Championship season.

Do you think O’Hare will return to Coventry this summer? Let us know in the comments section below…

The Premier League have had more pressure piled onto them to give answers on the failed takeover of Newcastle United as thousands of letters have been sent to local MP’s urging them to write to the top flight and its chief executive Richard Masters.

Indeed, this adds to the pressure that he has been put under this week, including a petition signed by over 70,000 members of the Toon Army demanding for the CEO of England’s highest division to come out and give an explanation as to why the EPL was taking so long to make their final decision.

A link has been created by the Newcastle United Supporters Trust (NUST) and shared on social media to show how supporters of the Tyneside club can write to their own local MP asking for transparency from the Premier League, which has now generated thousands of letters.

Some MP’s have already replied to these fans, and others like Labour MP Emma Lewell-Buck for South Shields have also acknowledged requests from several members of the Toon Army.

Indeed, the pressure is building and building on the top flight and its chief executive Masters to come out and give an explanation for the lengthily process, which essentially caused the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) group to cut the wire on their own £300 million deal with Mike Ashley.

With the new 2020/21 season fast approaching, coupled up with the added fact that the summer transfer window has officially opened, perhaps this was an unsurprising move.

Nevertheless, England’s highest division are now under more pressure than ever before to give answers, as the Magpies continue to demand for them to be given.

Geordies, does the EPL need to give answers on the takeover? Comment below!

Brighton continue to show an interest in signing Barcelona prospect Monchu, although they face some stern competition in the race for his signature.

The Sunday Mirror reported [via Sussex Live] that the Seagulls are joined by West Ham and Juventus in their pursuit of the 20-year-old, with the La Liga trio of Real Sociedad, Valencia and Real Betis also though to be interested.

According to Sussex Live, the Serie A champions have already had a bid of £18m plus add-ons rejected by the Camp Nou club, who would be open to a loan move for him on the basis that the club taking him would pay his wages in full and agree to having an option to buy him for £36m when the loan deal expires.

Monchu, who according to The Sunday Mirror [via Sussex Live] has drawn comparisons with ex-Barcelona legend Xavi for his playing style, made his competitive debut for the Catalan club with a late substitute appearance in their Champions League win over Napoli on Saturday night. He had also been on the bench for several of their post-lockdown La Liga matches.

He scored 10 goals in 29 games for Barcelona’s B team as they narrowly missed out on promotion to the second tier of the Spanish football pyramid, losing in the play-off final to Sabadell.

It is an indication of how highly he is rated at Camp Nou that the club want to tie him down to a new four-year contract, although his lack of first team opportunities has reportedly prompted him to seek a move elsewhere. [via Sussex Live]

A central midfielder with an eye for goal, as well as being capable of playing in a defensive midfield role, Monchu could give Brighton a greater scoring threat from the middle of the park if he were to end up at the Amex Stadium – the Seagulls’ central midfield quartet of Aaron Mooy, Davy Propper, Yves Bissouma and Dale Stephens managed a paltry four goals between them last season.

Given his goal-scoring abilities and Barcelona’s desire to keep him at the club, Monchu certainly seems like he would be quite a coup for Brighton if they can land him.

However, with the La Liga side insisting on some stringent loan clauses, including that £36m option to buy, the Seagulls’ chances of signing him could be fanciful, particularly with Premier League clubs set to be hamstrung financially by the consequences of the global pandemic.

Also, with perennial Serie A champions Juventus lurking, the youngster could be tempted to the highly successful Turin outfit rather than taking the challenge of chasing Premier League survival at Brighton.

Brighton fans, how excited would you be if the Seagulls sign Monchu? Join in the discussion by commenting below!

Even though he is on the market for a couple of reinforcements himself, Steven Gerrard just might have his hands full with fending off potential suitors for Rangers stars.

According to the latest exclusive report from The Scottish Sun, Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United are interested in Ryan Kent and want to buy the wide forward in the ongoing summer transfer window.

The same outlet also states the Whites are planning to table a £10m bid in an attempt to convince Rangers to part ways with their star man. At the moment, however, it does seem like Kent is very much settled in Glasgow and wouldn’t mind staying put.

But, it will be up to Bielsa to convince Gerrard to sell with an official transfer bid that could indeed make the Rangers think twice before immediately shutting them down.

Of course, Kent is not the only wanted man at Ibrox and the Gers are very much used to declining offers left and right for their players. For that reason, Bielsa is aware of the fact that he may have to pay a lot of money to get his man.

He is, however, pretty adamant on securing the signing since Leeds are going into the Premier League for the upcoming campaign and they will need all the reinforcements they can possibly get.

Will £10m actually be enough this time around? At the moment, we still don’t know but going back to England is something Kent would possibly be open to. After all, he’s already had spells at Coventry, Barnsley and Bristol City and always wanted to make it in the Premier League.

Leeds can certainly use that to their advantage.

Verdict

Losing Kent now would undoubtedly be a big hit for Rangers and their quest of breaking Celtic’s domestic dominance.

It goes without saying, for that reason, that Gerrard should do everything to ensure he stays put in the Scottish Premier League.

Philippe Coutinho’s future seemed all but set in stone ever since his loan spell at Bayern Munich was officially confirmed last season. Barcelona were looking to ship him off at all costs and that has prompted a lot of interest from the Premier League.

In fact, the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur were believed to be in the race for the Brazilian’s signature but then, the Catalans changed their mind.

According to the latest report from Mundo Deportivo, the new Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has told Coutinho he counts on him for the upcoming 2020/21 season and the Brazilian might indeed stay at the Camp Nou.

Of course, one major reason is also that no one can actually afford what Barcelona are asking for their flop but the Dutch coach reportedly likes the player and sees him as part of his plans.

This will undoubtedly be a big blow to Mikel Arteta who was understood to be interested in incorporating the Brazilian into his squad. Coutinho’s future was always uncertain and there was no telling where he would end up.

But as things currently stand, a transfer away from Catalonia is looking less and less likely as time goes on. We don’t know how serious Arsenal were in their attempt but it seems the former Liverpool man is not going to make a huge move to the Emirates after all.

Verdict

Even if Barcelona were open to selling Coutinho for a cut-price, his wages would likely still be through the roof. The Brazilian has also just won the Champions League with Bayern Munich and he might be slowly but surely getting back to his feet.

For that reason, it’s difficult to tell how expensive this venture would be for Arteta and even though the Barcelona man is a quality player in his own right, there’s no guarantee he can find his best self once again.

And that may be too big of a risk for Arsenal anyway.

Fabrizio Romano has suggested that Wolverhampton Wanderers are “one step away” from signing Barcelona full-back Nelson Semedo.

What’s the word?

Wolves have been looking for somebody to come in at right wing-back after Matt Doherty was sold to Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the transfer window.

It appears that they will fill that void by adding to their Portuguese contingent and bringing in the Barcelona defender.

Romano suggested the deal is near to completion, with Barcelona willing to accept the fee proposed by Wolves, meaning personal terms are the only thing left to be agreed ahead of a move.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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Freeing Traore

One of the many things that makes Adama Traore so useful for Nuno Espirito Santo is that he can operate at right-wing-back, as well as his more natural position further up the pitch.

Due to Doherty’s departure, the Spaniard was deployed further back during the 2-0 win against Sheffield United, and that is likely where he will be played until somebody is brought in, as Oskar Buur is the main alternative in that position.

Traore, who Football Insider suggested Wolves would demand £70m for, was moved up in the 63rd minute against the Blades, when Buur was brought off the bench.

In that limited time, he managed three shots, one dribble and even made a tackle, indicating how much of an impact he can have when playing in a more attacking role.

Bringing in Semedo is an exciting move on its own merit, after he made a total of 42 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona last term, scoring one goal and assisting a further six.

The fact that bringing in the 26-year-old frees up Traore to play higher up the pitch is a massive bonus, even more so with the Portuguese right wing-back on just €60k-per-week at the Nou Camp, which is around £55k-per-week.

Fulham are expected to be one of the busier teams on Deadline Day.

The Whites’ Premier League campaign has gotten off to the worst possible start, losing each of their first four games this season, and with Tony Khan promising new arrivals after their 3-0 loss to Aston Villa last week, we’re expecting some names to come through the door on Monday.

It’s no secret that Fulham need to strengthen at the back, they’ve conceded 11 goals in four league games so far, and with The Athletic reporting that they want two centre-backs through the door, that will be their top priority.

With a hectic day expected, we’ve had a go at predicting at how Fulham could line-up after all is said and done.

The main thing to note is that we expect the London club to land their two centre-backs, with Timo Baumgartl and Jean-Clair Todibo coming in.

Todibo has been heavily linked for the past week, and it seems as though there has been a real breakthrough in that department, despite late interest from Borussia Dortmund.

The other centre-back spot seems to be a shootout between Baumgartl and Omar Colley, but with many reputable sources now reporting that Colley won’t be joining, we expect Baumgartl to come in after he was left out of PSV’s squad due to ongoing talks with the Cottagers.

The rest of the team remains largely the same, we expect Ademola Lookman to earn a starting berth after his electric league debut against Wolves, while Kenny Tete and Harrison Reed return to the XI.

Scott Parker will have a selection headache all season at left-back with Antonee Robinson and Joe Bryan being two solid options, but we’ve backed Robinson to take up the mantle in the near future.

Manchester United’s mad scramble to salvage the summer transfer window has left the Red Devils with more questions than answers. Their last minute-swoop for former Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani has not gone unnoticed.

What’s the word?

Harry Redknapp, who has never been one to mince his words, launched a scathing attack on United’s transfer strategy. The former Tottenham boss wrote in his column for The Sun on Sunday that “signing Cavani, 33, on over £200,000 a week on the final day of the transfer window did smack of desperation to me.”

The stakes have arguably never been higher for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after his side slumped to an embarrassing 6-1 defeat at the hands of Jose Mourinho before the international break.

Big gamble?

Whether or not United have made the right decision remains to be seen but all the signs seem to suggest it is a big gamble which could backfire. The 116-cap Uruguay international is PSG’s record scorer but he was released by the French giants amid fears over his long-term fitness.

Despite the fact that Cavani arrived as a free agent, the veteran will earn mega wages worth £200,000-per-week, which has made him one of the highest paid players at Old Trafford. By comparison Bruno Fernandes earns £100,000 a week and Paul Scholes has criticised the club’s “very strange” decision to sign the striker on the transfer deadline day.

The United legend is in full agreement with Redknapp that the forward may be past his best. He said “Five, six years ago, yeah he’s a great signing, he’ll take us onto that next level possibly. But I just don’t think he’ll take us to the next level now.”

Cavani only played 14 Ligue 1 games last term, with a significant amount of his appearances as a substitute, and he scored four goals and supplied one assist, whilst he averaged two shots and completed fewer than one key pass and one dribble per game, via WhoScored.

One thing is for sure, Ed Woodward will want to avoid another Alexis Sanchez situation at all costs. He will not want to pay out huge sums of money if Cavani is forced to spend a lengthy spell on the sidelines, which is always a risk with any aging player.

Some supporters have even accused the board of papering over the cracks. Would they have been better off focusing on all of their efforts on signing Jadon Sancho instead? Only time will tell.

AND in other news, Marcus Rashford’s performance highlights why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a problem at Man United…

David Moyes is set to be in dreamland once the West Ham United boss recalls Issa Diop to the starting line-up following vivid praise for Fabian Balbuena from Irons icon Frank McAvennie.

What’s the word?

Moyes has been unable to call on Diop in recent weeks after he and the French centre-half both returned positive tests for coronavirus, which sidelined the 23-year-old in mid-September and forced him to miss Premier League meetings with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City.

Diop returned to the West Ham bench last time out against Tottenham Hotspur but did not feature in the dramatic 3-3 draw in north London, and is expected to once again miss out on a starting role in the Hammers’ clash with Manchester City this Saturday.

It is predicted that Moyes will name an unchanged XI from the side which drew at Spurs, with Balbuena joined by Angelo Ogbonna and Aaron Cresswell at the back and summer signing Said Benrahma only featuring on the bench.

Moyes can take great confidence in his recently-utilised defence following their latest form, and McAvennie believes Balbuena is finally starting to display his potential thanks to the Scottish coach’s tactics and training.

“I have always liked him,” McAvennie told Football Insider. “I have known about him for a while and I knew how well the boy could play. On the top of his game, he is probably one of our best defenders.

“The fans are seeing it now and that is because he is getting worked on. David Moyes was a centre-half so there is no doubt in my mind that he is working with the defenders. They are getting worked every day in training.

“It is good and then benefits are there for all to see.”

But the benefits from Balbuena’s form will only continue on an upward trajectory once Diop has returned to the starting line-up, with the Paraguayan enjoying his best defensive partnership in east London with the Frenchman.

Moyes’ dream backline

Since Diop and Balbuena moved to the London Stadium in 2018, the pair have tackled 29 Premier League fixtures together in which West Ham have taken 13 wins, five draws and lost on 11 occasions.

Their win rate of 44.8% is vastly superior to the 34.7% that Diop shares with Ogbonna and eclipses the 42.8% that Balbuena and Ogbonna share – something Moyes will surely love to tap into once he feels ready to alter the names in his defence.

Balbuena is also currently recording the highest number of successful tackles per 90 minutes by one of West Ham’s defenders in the Premier League (2.0), along with their most interceptions (2.7), passes blocked (1.7) and accurate long balls (3.3), while Diop ranks first for shots blocked (1.5) and accurate short passes (42), per WhoScored.

The combination of Balbuena and Diop amid their form this season could prove to be a master plan for Moyes, who would be left in dreamland should the 23-year-old Frenchman also return to a level that saw West Ham demand £60million amid interest from Manchester United, FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain in 2019.

Current Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has also previously sung the praises of what Diop can offer, having lauded the defender for dominating Paul Pogba in a 3-1 defeat to the Irons during his tenure at Manchester United.

“[Diop had a] fantastic match,” Mourinho told BT Sport, via quotes by the Evening Standard. “Congratulations to the scout that found a 21-year-old kid Diop – a monster who dominated in the duels.”

AND in other news, West Ham risk a Jack Wilshere 2.0 scenario by signing a once-£42.4m-valued outcast backed by a club legend.