Leeds United: Bielsa must consider cashing in on Kalvin Phillips this summer

It has been a fantastic year for Kalvin Phillips at Leeds United, hasn’t it?

Under the guidance of Marcelo Bielsa, the 23-year-old produced a number of outstanding displays for the Whites during the 2018/19 campaign as he helped the club secure a third-place finish in the Championship.

Although Phillips ended up being powerless to stop Leeds’ capitulation in their play-off semi-final second leg earlier this month, he clearly has all the ingredients needed to become a modern-day hero at Elland Road.

However, with the Whites now facing yet another season in the second tier, it is not guaranteed that the midfielder will still be at the club in August.

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa and Derby County are both interested in signing Phillips who has two years remaining on his existing deal at Leeds.

Whereas a move to the Rams would be seen by many as a sideways move for the £6.3m-rated ace (via Transfermarkt), the Lions could be more of an attractive proposition following their play-off final victory yesterday.

Having demonstrated a superb level of consistency in the second tier over the past 10 months, there is no reason why Phillips cannot thrive in the Premier League next year and so Leeds may find themselves having to make an extremely tough decision this summer.

Although replacing the midfielder would be hard for the Whites, it could be argued that by cashing in on him, they may just have a better chance of achieving promotion to the top-flight.

Given his undoubted qualities, Phillips would attract a hefty fee if he is made available for transfer by Leeds which could be re-invested into the squad by Bielsa.

However, any possible sale may be dependent on whether chairman Andrea Radrizzani decides to sell his controlling share in the Whites to Qatari businessman Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

What do you think Leeds fans? Can your club keep hold of Phillips this summer? Or would it be more beneficial in the long term to sell the midfielder when the transfer window opens in July? Get in touch below.

The Chalkboard: Vinagre still has work to do following World Cup displays

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Wolves have some phenomenally gifted players coming through their ranks at the moment.

Given the fact they’ll need more depth next season amid European football, some of their fringe players could be on the verge of attaining more first-team minutes.

At the centre of that is likely to be Ruben Vinagre, a player who has undoubted amounts of potential.

The young left-back has been playing for Portugal’s U20 side at the World Cup in Poland recently but some of his performances have shown he still has plenty of work to do.

On the chalkboard

Based on potential, the 20-year-old is one of Wolves’ finest signings since Nuno Santo took over the club.

However, he has some way to go in order to dislodge Jonny, one of Wolves’ most important players since achieving promotion.

Going forward Vinagre is a fine player and is the perfect example of a modern full-back, something he showed on multiple occasions despite limited game time last season.

Getting in ahead of Jonny was difficult considering the performances of the Spaniard and although he might well do so down the line, the 2019/20 season could be too soon.

That’s judging by his performances at the U20 World Cup.

Once again he was brilliant in attack, something that was particularly evident in a 1-1 draw against South Africa. His crossing ability was on show and he was unfortunate not to claim an assist against Argentina.

However, in terms of Vinagre’s defensive capabilities, he was caught out. In a 2-0 defeat against the same opposition, he was at fault for their first goal.

He allowed the winger to get in behind down the left-hand side, caught flat footed. Although he made a recovery to get back to his man, he then allowed him to cut inside and pick out a player inside the box.

If he starts to play regular Premier League football then that aspect of his game will have to improve.

Is it unrealistic to expect another top half finish from Wolves next season? HRH discusses in the video below…

It could be the fact that playing in a four back doesn’t suit him. Among a five man defence, he’d have a left centre-back to cover the space behind him.

If he gets caught out in a similar fashion for Wolves, Willy Boly, who usually plays as the left centre-back, should be able to cover for him.

Despite that, it shouldn’t distract from the fact that Vinagre simply has to improve defensively.

The Chalkboard: Hard to see where Juan Mata fits in under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Man United

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Manchester United have confirmed via their official website that they have offered midfielder Juan Mata a new contract.

With other long-serving players such as Antonio Valencia and Ander Herrera leaving the club this summer, many had thought Mata might be on the way out the door too, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer clearly feels the 31-year-old can still play a role in his squad next season.

Reported by Spotrac to be earning £160,000-a-week last term, he is one of the club’s highest earners and surely will have to show more of an influence on the team next season to justify staying at Old Trafford.

Unfortunately for Man United fans, it’s hard to see how he can do that.

Will OGS still be in charge of Man Utd come next May? The Flying Pig discusses in the video below…

On the chalkboard

Mata made just 20 starts for the club last season, playing regularly under Jose Mourinho before being used more sparingly after Solskjaer’s arrival at the club.

With the new Man United boss opting to play two strikers or a front three, Mata often toiled in that system, even in matches United ended up winning well.

Frankly the former Chelsea man looked well off the pace in most of his appearances, slowing down play for the Red Devils in the final third rather than finding the confidence or combination with teammates to truly make an impact.

In the end he produced his lowest single-season goals and assists tally at the club to date, leaving no-one in any doubt that he is a player in decline. He’s not the kind of player the club should be paying such a heavy wage to either.

United’s future

Any Manchester United revival under Solskjaer is going to be one built from the ground up and getting rid of squad players like Mata should have been the first step for the Old Trafford club.

Why they see a future for him in Manchester is slightly baffling, especially when you consider the club appear to be targeting players who are young, hungry and eager to take the next step in their careers.

Mata simply doesn’t fit into the team or that new culture and although they do need some experience to help youngsters coming into the team, the Spaniard doesn’t play enough as it is to have an influence in that regard.

Right now, the smart money would be on Mata both not playing as many games next season as he did last, but also producing just as little a direct goal contribution too.

Man United need to re-assess their squad priorities.

Newcastle fans heap praise on departing Diame

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Loads of Newcastle fans have been saying their goodbyes to Mo Diame after the Magpies confirmed he will leave the club this summer.

St. James’ Park is shrouded in uncertainty at the moment. No one knows if Mike Ashley will still be in charge come the beginning of the season but even more worryingly, no one knows if Rafael Benitez will still be in the dugout by then either.

What is certain now though is that Diame, along with Josef Yarney, Cal Roberts, Tyrique Bartlett, Juanito, Otto Huuhtanen and Stefan O’Connor, will leave Tyneside when their contracts expire at the end of June.

The club confirmed the midfielder’s departure on Wednesday, and despite a pretty poor final campaign, fans are full of praise for the all-action Senegalese international.

The 31 year-old racked up eight goals and three assists in 103 games for the club, including one of the greatest (flukiest) strikes ever seen against Brighton, which can you relive here.

Take a look at some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Devastated: Leeds fans react as Phil Hay to leave the Yorkshire Evening Post

[ad_pod ]Leeds United fans are gutted after Phil Hay announced that he was leaving the Yorkshire Evening Post.The Scottish journalist had become somewhat of an icon for Leeds on social media due to his reputation for providing reliable news about the club and breaking some of the biggest stories about United.It is unknown what the writer’s next job will be but he has confirmed that he will continue to write about the Yorkshire club.Hay has for years been the go-to man for any transfer news or any rumours surrounding the team, and his live match updates often get more attention on social media than the club’s official Twitter.The Yorkshire Evening Post is a staple of the city of Leeds, and they are losing their most notable writer in Hay.Although he is a Hearts fan having been born in Edinburgh, he certainly has a soft spot for the club he has been covering for 13 years.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

Reiss Nelson takes England U21 snap with James Maddison, Tammy Abraham and Dominic Calvert-Lewin

After a rather successful loan spell at Hoffenheim, Reiss Nelson is set to return to Arsenal as his time in Germany comes to an end.

However, before he can start the new season as one of the Gunners once again, he’ll be joining his England U-21 squad in their European Championship campaign this summer. Nelson is one of the 23 players called up by Aidy Boothroyd and the youngster posted a snap on Instagram showing the team in preparation on the training ground.

Nelson is one of the four strikers called up and has already managed five appearances for the team so far, netting two goals in the process. The 19-year-old has two titles under his belt, including the U-21 Premier League, but is yet to taste success on the international stage.

England will be in group C with Croatia, France and Romania and will definitely be hoping to replicate and improve on their semi-final appearance from two summers ago.

No brainer: Arsenal fans call on club to sign Alves on a free

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Dani Alves has revealed that he will be leaving Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract on June 30.

The 36-year-old arrived at PSG from Juventus in 2017 and has won back-to-back Ligue 1 titles during his time in the French capital.

Alves is currently representing Brazil at this summer’s Copa America.

But he will not be returning to Paris for the 2019-20 campaign.

Alves is incredibly the most successful player in football history when it comes to trophies, having picked up 42 during a stunning career at the top level.

And a number of Arsenal fans have called on their club to move for the experienced right-back ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

For all of his success, Alves is yet to try his hand in the Premier League. He has, however, recently expressed a desire to play in England.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Gunners supporters can be seen below:

Many Liverpool fans worked up after Sturridge Instagram snap with Mbappe

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Liverpool fans on Twitter have been sent into a frenzy about the potential signing of Kylian Mbappe after Daniel Sturridge posted a photo on Instagram with the French superstar.

Supporters had previously written off any links to the Frenchman, but after this latest social media update, lots of fans couldn’t help but get caught up in the speculation.

There have been no concrete links between the Reds and the PSG star as of yet, but that hasn’t stopped some major news organisations talking about a potential move.

The hashtag #Mbappe2020 has been popular amongst a number of the Anfield faithful as some fans have theorised that the club will save money this summer in order to bring in the 2018 World Cup winner next year.

It would certainly be interesting to see how he fared in the Premier League, and if you only looked on social media then Liverpool fans would have you believe that a move is imminent.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Here’s what the Anfield faithful have been saying on Twitter…

Dani Olmo could be the man to lead Manchester United’s midfield

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

According to Sportske Novosti, Manchester United are interested in signing Dinamo Zagreb starlet Dani Olmo this summer.

What’s the word?

The report claims that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are willing to pay £35.7m for the 21-year-old, who originally came through Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy.

Watch a Man Utd fan’s epic Ed Woodward rant in the video below…

Olmo impressed in Spain’s triumph at the recent U21 European Championships and a potential move for the midfielder would certainly tie in with United’s philosophy of trying to sign young players with potential this summer, such as Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

A wise head on young shoulders

Having departed Barcelona’s academy in the summer of 2014 at the age of just 16, Olmo made the brave decision to move out of his comfort zone and join Croatian side Dinamo, where he would get regular senior minutes and not warm the bench behind the Catalan club’s array of talent.

Speaking to Jutarnji Iist in 2015 (via Goal), the Spaniard revealed: “There is no other club where, at my age, I would get so many chances as Dinamo. My former team-mates at Barcelona were first shocked, and then they understood my decision to move to Dinamo was the right one. Whilst I am playing senior football, they will have to wait two or three years, and that’s if they make senior football.”

Olmo has proven with this gutsy move that he is not afraid to take risks and has both the ability and temperament to take his chances with both hands.

United’s summer rebuild around youth is a refreshing approach to what the club has previously gone through and signing Olmo would certainly be the cherry on top.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

A versatile player capable of playing on the right-wing or as a more traditional attacking midfielder, Olmo enjoyed a fine campaign in Croatia’s top-flight. But it was in the Europa League where the 21-year-old made his mark, scoring twice and providing a further four assists in Dinamo’s run to the last 16; the first time the club had reached the spring stage of a European competition for 49 years.

To then take that form and lead Spain to glory in the U21 European Championships, where he scored the crucial second goal in the final, again shows his willingness to shoulder responsibility even at such a young age.

Too often the biggest criticism surrounding United last season was how players like Paul Pogba appeared to play for themselves and completely hide away when the team needed them most. Olmo’s career path is one of having the right attitude, mentality and ability – all of which the Red Devils desperately need this summer.

Manchester United fans react as Ander Herrera explains departure

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Having joined from Spanish side Athletic Bilbao in the summer of 2014, Ander Herrera endured a rather inconsistent career at Manchester United.

The all-action midfielder featured heavily in the early years of his time at Old Trafford, but began to see his first-team opportunities at the club become more and more limited, playing just 22 out of 38 league games last season.

After letting his contract expire this summer, it was confirmed that Herrera had joined French giants PSG on a free transfer. Now, speaking to Marca, the Spanish international has revealed that differences in opinion over his importance in United’s future plans saw him make the decision to leave Old Trafford.

After hearing the 29-year-old’s comments on his United exit, fans of the Manchester side took to Twitter to voice their opinion and many were seemingly divided about the issue.

Some seemed to take Herrera’s comments with a pinch of salt and instead suggested that the Spaniard’s reported wage demands were the main reason behind him choosing to join the cash-rich French side.

Others however seemed to be on the midfielder’s side and empathised with his comments that United’s offer had “arrived late” and felt it was a massive symbol of the current plight at Old Trafford.

Check out some of the mixed reaction of United fans below:

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