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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

As quoted by Sky Sports, Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers has revealed Manchester United still remain a big draw for players despite their recent struggles.

What did he say?

The Red Devils haven’t won the Premier League title since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, and finished sixth last season after a particularly disappointing campaign.

However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side did once again spend big in the summer transfer window, signing Daniel James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Leicester’s own Harry Maguire.

Now, Rodgers has insisted United’s history means they remain an attractive proposition for players, and revealed he understood why Maguire found the club “too hard to turn down”.

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He said: “I’ve been fortunate enough having been at Liverpool, and I understand the draw that type of club has. Liverpool and Manchester United are the two biggest clubs in the country by far. There are other great clubs and big clubs but those two, in terms of worldwide status, are above everyone else.

“When players get the opportunity to go to one of those clubs and experience that pressure and expectation – and of course the financial side as well, where you can go and double your salary – then that package, in a short career and at Harry’s age, is perhaps too hard to turn down.”

Blowing smoke

United’s glorious history is undeniable, that is for sure. But would the Red Devils genuinely fend off competition for a transfer target nowadays if Premier League rivals Manchester City or Liverpool decided to make a move too?

Stuart Pearce’s advice to James Maddison earlier this week spoke of the kind of state United find themselves in. The club’s recent results show no real signs they are ready to claim a Champions League spot this season, and ultimately, that is the competition top players want to be playing in.

You can throw the money around all you want, but if push came to shove and the Red Devils found themselves in a transfer battle with other top European clubs, there would be no guarantees they would get their man, as they found out with their well-documented pursuit of Matthijs de Ligt.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Everton’s clash with Bournemouth this weekend will be heavily influenced by a key battle between two players.

On the chalkboard

The Toffees have mostly enjoyed their encounters with Bournemouth since the latter’s promotion to the Premier League, having lost only twice in eight games, but will look to improve on the draw they claimed in their last visit.

A lot has changed since their last game at the Vitality Stadium more than a year ago, when they took a 2-0 lead despite Richarlison being sent off, only to be pegged back in the closing stages.

They are now more defensively resolute, and they ended last season with three clean sheets in four matches while they have kept two already this season, and Lucas Digne has been a part of the backline throughout.

If he is able to keep Harry Wilson quiet on Sunday then Marco Silva could claim his first away win of the Premier League season, but it is easier said than done.

The Frenchman helped his side to an eighth-placed finish last term – they conceded 46 goals, fewer than both Manchester United and Arsenal – but it is his threat going forward which makes him so useful, and such a fan favourite.

In 2018/19 he scored five and assisted nine and his attacking attributes should help to nullify Wilson’s danger since the on-loan Liverpool man could end up as preoccupied with defending as attacking himself.

That could be vital to Everton’s chances of getting a result, as the 22-year-old has two goals from his three league starts so far, and often looks to get involved in the final third, as evidenced by his 2.7 shots per game, according to Whoscored.

Added to that, he has averaged 1 key pass per game and as a result, Digne will need to get tighter to him than he did to Jota, who provided an assist from the right flank as Aston Villa beat the Toffees 2-0.

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According to Whoscored, this season Digne has averaged 0.3 interceptions per match, which suggests that anticipating danger and marking his opponent is an area of weakness for the left-back, but he may find life easier against Wilson.

The winger is not blessed with blistering pace and therefore the former Barcelona man should be able to track him efficiently.

Going forward, Silva will also be relying on the 26-year-old to produce the goods, and his link-up with Richarlison could once again prove decisive.

A Digne cross allowed Richarlison to head home against both Lincoln and Wolves so if he can maintain or improve on his average of 2 successful crosses per game, then Everton may be able to take all three points away from the south coast this weekend.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Samuel Eto’o did an interview for QueThiJugues and SER Catalunya Radio and has tipped Xavi Hernandez to eventually manage Barcelona.

What did he say?

Eto’o is a familiar name to all Barca fans.

The former Cameroon international joined the Blaugrana from Mallorca in 2004, and he stayed at the Camp Nou until 2009 when he moved on to join Inter Milan in Italy.

Even though he had a short spell with Real Madrid before joining Mallorca, Eto’o has cemented his place as one of the best Barca players of the modern era.

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The forward played a total of 199 games for the Catalan giants and managed to score 130 goals and register 40 assists in the process.

He also won practically everything there was to win for the club – three La Liga crowns, two Champions League titles and one Spanish Cup among other silverware.

And the experienced forward believes that Xavi, who spent 24 years at the club, is the perfect man to eventually step into the dugout.

Of course, the ex-Spain international won eight La Liga titles, along with four Champions League trophies in Catalunya.

Here’s what he had to say:

“Xavi is the [sic] boss in Qatar & Spain. If he doesn’t finish training Barça, I’ll kill him!”

Just a matter of time

Eto’o has probably stated what many of the Barcelona fans are thinking or rather, wishing for. Xavi himself has stated on various occasions before that his goal is to one day be the coach of the Blaugrana.

But in order to achieve that goal, he will first have to gain some experience in that field.

Indeed, expectations will be sky-high if he makes the transition from player to manager.

He was one of Barcelona’s best players in the history of the club with 769 appearances and countless trophies and silverware won.

He currently coaches Al Sadd and is already showing his tactical prowess and managerial skills.

Just recently, his team progressed to the AFC Champions League semi-finals after beating Al-Nassr 3-1, which is proof enough that the now 39-year-old is making strides in his new profession.

If he keeps it up, perhaps it will just be a matter of time before he ends up back at the Camp Nou.

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has urged Ole Gunnar Solskjaer not to play Mason Greenwood when Manchester United host Arsenal on Monday evening.

United have just two wins from 11 games going into the clash against Merson’s former side, and he feels that playing youngster Greenwood in a team that is underperforming will be a hindrance to his development.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ The Debate, Merson believes that while Greenwood has a bright future, Solskjaer and United will be better off maintaining his confidence by not throwing him in at the deep end and starting him in the big match at Old Trafford.

Merson said (via Metro): “I hope – I know this won’t sound right – the young kid doesn’t get a chance, Greenwood.

“I think he’s a good player, I think he’s going to be special. You don’t want to be putting a young kid into a bad team.

“When you’re a centre forward, you’re only as good as the service you get. If you ain’t getting the service, you ain’t scoring the goals – I don’t care who you are.

“Not just his confidence, everything. The pressure is going to be on him. The fans are going to be saying ‘Oh, Greenwood’s in’. Solskjaer’s already said he’s one of the best finishers he’s seen.

“I just hope the kid don’t get in when the team are playing poorly because I think this lad is going to be special.”

Greenwood certainly has the makings of a fine footballer – getting off the mark for Manchester United in their recent Europa League tie against Astana.

And if going by precedent, Solskjaer would perhaps be better served ignoring Merson and selecting Greenwood based on his individual ability rather than the form of the team.

Starting the 17-year-old would echo the Premier League debut of Marcus Rashford, who scored twice against Arsenal back in 2016.

So Solskjaer needn’t be put off by Merson’s comments nor United’s frustrating form – and play to his team’s strengths wherever they lie on Monday night.

Manchester United fans, would you start Greenwood against Arsenal? Let us know in the comments below!

Arsenal are among the top European clubs fighting to sign Real Madrid starlet Martin Odegaard this summer, Spanish news outlet Eldesmarque have claimed.

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The report, cited by SportWitness, says Real Madrid have ‘no intention of negotiating’ Odegaard’s departure and only a fee of around £71m would make them consider cashing in on him. His current market value is £18m, according to Transfermarkt.

Madrid shocked Europe when they bought the Norwegian for £2.5m in 2015, making him the youngest ever player to feature for the club at 16 years old.

Since then, he’s drifted under the radar until this season where he’s made seven appearances for Real Sociedad, netting two goals and assisting another two (via WhoScored).

Eldesmarque believe that’s been enough for Pep Guardiola and Unai Emery to want to bring him to the Premier League this summer.

The report says Emery sees him as a replacement for Mesut Ozil, although the Gunners may have to fight off Manchester City in the process.

It’s unclear whether the board would be willing to pay the £71m required. Ozil is earning £350,000-per-week so if they can get rid of him, that would free up some cash, but bringing in Odegaard wouldn’t introduce the experience Arsenal are lacking at the moment.

It’s clear they can be deadly going forward, but it seems money would be better spent on experienced defenders rather than a forward-thinking youngster when looking at their goals scored tally compared to goals conceded in the Premier League.

Do you think Martin Odegaard would be worth £71m? Have your say by commenting below!

Juan Foyth is expected to start for Argentina tonight in what will be his first appearance of the season, and the news is being met with a mixed reaction from Tottenham fans.

The defender has missed the opening of 2019/20 due to an injury issue, and therefore the international break could allow him to get valuable minutes under his belt as he looks to work his way back into contention with the north London outfit.

Although he is naturally suited to playing in central defence, it looks likely he will start at right-back against Germany, but that could be an advantage to him as it is currently a problem position for Spurs with both Serge Aurier and Kyle Walker-Peters coming under criticism from the fans for their performances. If he impresses he could persuade Mauricio Pochettino that he deserves the spot ahead of his teammates.

However, one fan is concerned that his return could cause his injury to recur, whilst others believe the youngster isn’t the answer to the right-back issue regardless of how well he may play tonight.

Here is some of the reaction from the Tottenham fanbase.

Matteo Guendouzi has been voted as Arsenal’s Player of the Month for September.The French midfielder picked up the accolade ahead of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang despite the Gabonese striker netting six times during the month.Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The fact that a striker found the net so consistently throughout the month and was still beaten to the award by the Frenchman is a testament to how good the youngster has been.

The curly-haired maestro took to Twitter after winning the award.

Guendouzi was quick to thank the supporters after he scooped the prize – stating that they give him his strength.

He showed a great attitude in his post as well as he didn’t get hung up on his individual accolade as he posted the hashtag #keepworking.

The fact that he’s so focused on continuing to work hard after being recognised with this award bodes well for his chances of continuing his good form, and that’s exactly what Arsenal fans will be wanting.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Football Insider, Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund have their eyes on Wolves teenager Chem Campbell.

What’s the word?

The reports suggest that the German club are keen on continuing the trend of bringing young English talent across Europe as seen first-hand with Jadon Sancho, while more recently the likes of Ademola Lookman and Jonjoe Kenny have made similar moves to the Bundesliga.

Wolves are at serious risk of losing the 16-year-old as he is unable to sign professional terms at Molineux until he becomes 17 in December, and by then, he may well have had his head turned by such a big club as they have competed in the Champions League in eight of the last nine seasons.

Campbell is yet to feature for the west Midlands club on the senior stage, but he has clearly caught the eye of manager Nuno Santo after he was invited to train with the first team during pre-season.

He’s also currently playing well above his age group following his promotion to the U23 squad.

Would go against Fosun’s aims

Fosun have made it clear in the past that they would like to build something special at Wolves, and the first stages of that have occurred with the club winning the Championship in 2018 before earning a spot in the Europa League after just one season back in the top-flight.

Nuno’s men romped through the qualifying rounds to make the group stages of the competition, too.

Now the owners want to see the west Midlanders begin to build from within with Morgan Gibbs-White being the only real academy graduate to properly breakthrough in recent years.

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The 19-year-old has gone on to make 63 appearances since making his debut aged 16 back in January 2017.

Meanwhile this season, the likes of Taylor Perry and Luke Cundle have been able to feature in the Carabao Cup.

Losing Campbell would be a hammer blow to Fosun’s ambitions considering the Wales U17 international clearly has something about him as he is playing several years above his own age group – if he continues at that rate, he could well be part of the first-team fold before he leaves his teenage years.

The promising starlet has netted twice from midfield in six appearances so far this campaign, per Transfermarkt.

Wolves simply need to tie him down to a professional deal in December if they want to truly stay on track with their academy aims.

Leeds Live has reported that the club is expecting to wear it for the first time when they travel to Hillsborough on Saturday, subject to approval by officials.

Let’s hope for our eyes’ sake, we indeed get to see this fine piece of simplicity in action sooner rather than later – and ideally when the Whites face off with Sheffield Wednesday.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Italian publication Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), AS Roma are interested in making Chris Smalling’s loan move from Manchester United, permanent.

What’s the word?

The England international was the big casualty of the Red Devils’ summer pursuit of Harry Maguire, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed it was in the centre-back’s own interests to seek out first-team football elsewhere.

Since joining Roma, the 29-year-old has featured in four Serie A games, helping his team keep two clean sheets in the process, and averaging an impressive 1.8 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game in the league. Now, Corriere dello Sport claim the Italian club’s hierarchy “have already communicated they are interested in making the loan a permanent one”.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

The report adds however that the “door hasn’t been closed” from a United perspective, although it remains to be seen whether the Englishman does have a long-term future at Old Trafford.

End of the chapter

After joining from Fulham back in 2010 in a reported £7m deal, Smalling wasn’t entirely convincing at the back for United. The 29-year-old’s time at the club was littered with high-profile mistakes and stinging criticism, and it was unsurprising to see him being the one to make way for Maguire’s big-money arrival in the summer.

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Jose Mourinho’s damning verdict on Smalling’s inability to play out from the back has defined his career, with England manager Gareth Southgate even revealing he had dropped him from the Three Lions squad due to that specific reason. For two of his high-profile managers to come out and say that in public really put the nail in the coffin.

So whilst United may be keeping a close eye on the 6 foot 4 man’s progress over in Italy, there really shouldn’t be any way back for him at Old Trafford. The Red Devils simply have to move on, and close a chapter that started almost a decade ago.