Mikel Merino has informed Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez that he wishes to leave the club, according to TeamTalk.
What’s the story?
When Merino arrived at the club last summer on loan from Borussia Dortmund, the Newcastle fans were excited by his potential.
The deal was swiftly made permanent, but in recent weeks the midfielder has struggled for game time under Benitez.
In total, the Spaniard has started 14 Premier League matches and has come off the bench in a further eight, but he has only featured in six games in all competitions since the turn of the year.
According to TeamTalk, Athletic Bilbao are interested in signing Merino, who is believed to be keen on returning to Spain and has informed Benitez of his desire to leave.
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The report adds that the 21-year-old is unhappy with the manager’s decision to leave him out of recent fixtures.
Should Merino stick it out?
The midfielder has age on his side and still has room for development, so with that in mind, leaving Newcastle at this time would be too hasty.
Benitez’s main objective is to help the Magpies retain their Premier League status as they sit seven points above the drop.
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Merino may not be the finished product, and relying on his young shoulders to help the team survive is not the wisest move.
The Spaniard’s frustration is understandable, particularly as he has played a full 90 minutes just once in his last 10 outings.
However, it would be best for both the player and the club to stick it out for now.
According to CalcioMercato, West Ham United want to beat Premier League rivals Everton to the signature of Ajax playmaker Hakim Ziyech at the end of the season.
What’s the story?
West Ham are expected to be extremely active in this summer’s transfer market as the Hammers look to avoid a repeat of this season, which has seen them dragged into a relegation battle over the last few months.
There is no question that West Ham have a pull for foreign players, and according to CalcioMercato, the London club have identified Ajax’s Ziyech as the perfect player to boost their attack during the 2018-19 campaign.
The 25-year-old, who is also being linked with Everton, has scored eight goals and registered 15 assists in 36 appearances for his Dutch club in all competitions this season.
It would not be a surprise to see a number of teams join the race if it became clear that Ajax were willing to sell, but West Ham seem to be firmly in the picture for the moment.
Would Ziyech fit in at West Ham?
As discussed above, Ziyech’s statistics this season are very impressive. A creative player with an eye for goal, the Moroccan, who has previously been linked with Tottenham Hotspur, has the potential to thrive in the Premier League.
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According to transfermarkt.co.uk, Ziyech is valued at £18m, but West Ham might well have to break the £20m-mark to convince Ajax to sell in this summer’s transfer window.
If Marko Arnautovic is to continue as West Ham’s starting centre-forward next season, the Hammers need quality in and around him. Manuel Lanzini fits into that category, but Joao Mario is unlikely to join on a permanent deal from Inter Milan.
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As a result, there would certainly be a spot in the team for Ziyech, who is at the perfect age to continue developing in the English game.
It is certainly one to watch over the next few months as West Ham prepare to battle Everton for the signature of the extremely talented attacker.
According to Sky Sports, Everton are one of three Premier League clubs interested in signing £20m-rated Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson this summer.
What’s the word, then?
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Well, Sky Sports suggests that the 6ft 1in 25-year-old, who is the nephew of Boro owner Steve Gibson, is likely to be on his way out of the Riverside Stadium should they fail to clinch an immediate return to the Premier League – they currently lie in fifth position going into their penultimate match of the season at home to fellow promotion rivals Millwall on Saturday.
However, Sky Sports says he could stay if they do go up, although the interest from the Toffees, Leicester City and West Ham United could get serious whatever happens in the next couple of weeks.
How has Gibson done this season?
He has impressed, just like he did in the Premier League last term.
The Boro captain has played every minute of his side’s Championship campaign so far, with the Teesside outfit only conceding 43 times in their 44 league games prior to the visit of Millwall.
The 25-year-old is a leader and decent on the ball – he has a passing accuracy of 80.1% this season according to WhoScored.com – while he has shown his defensive qualities by making 259 clearances and winning 131 of the 227 aerial duels he has faced.
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Would he be a good signing for Everton?
It’s difficult to say.
The Toffees certainly do need a new centre-back this summer with Ashley Williams, whom fans on Twitter have had enough of, and Phil Jagielka getting on and Ramiro Funes Mori’s future seemingly uncertain, but whether a partnership of Michael Keane and Gibson at the heart of the defence would be good enough for what they want to achieve in the future is another matter.
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That said, with no European football on offer next season following a difficult campaign, the Merseyside outfit may not be able to attract the calibre of player they perhaps would have liked to this summer, unless they offer wages that those individuals can’t afford to reject.
While the 25-year-old could be a good addition at Goodison Park and would be accepted by the fans, it remains to be seen whether he is actually the club’s first-choice central defensive target, or not.
Manchester United fans continue to pine for former player Wilfried Zaha after his latest superb performance for Crystal Palace at the weekend.
Scoring and assisting in a 5-0 home win against Leicester City, Zaha was again the architect of an excellent Palace display and supporters of the Red Devils appear eager to re-sign him.
The attacker has produced three man-of-the-match calibre performances in his last four appearances, scoring four and assisting another in that timeframe. His direct goal contribution for the season stands at 11.
He made just four appearances for Manchester United in an ill-fated spell at the club, but now he’s older, more experienced and a better player, should the Old Trafford side make another move for him?
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Fans certainly think so, believing he now has what it takes to make it in Jose Mourinho’s first team squad.
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They took to Twitter after his latest performance to share their thoughts…
According to reports in the Evening Standard, West Bromwich Albion defender Jonny Evans is among Arsenal’s summer transfer targets, and he could be seen as a replacement in the XI for Laurent Koscielny.
What’s the word, then?
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Well, the Evening Standard says that the north London outfit expect to be busy in the transfer window under whoever their new manager is going to be, following a second successive season of finishing outside of the top four in the Premier League and failing to qualify for the Champions League.
The Evening Standard says that the Gunners want a new centre-back and Evans, who has 68 international caps for Northern Ireland could be available for just £3m if the Baggies are relegated because of a clause in his contract, is one of their targets.
It is no surprise that Arsenal are looking to strengthen their defence this summer having conceded 48 goals in their 36 top flight matches – 16 more than arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur and 11 more than seventh-place Burnley.
How has Evans done this season?
It’s been a tough campaign for West Brom and the versatile defender – who is capable of playing as a left-back as well as centre-back – and he played in just one of their three Premier League victories up until last month having missed the first two through injury back in August.
The 30-year-old has actually failed to get into the XI under Moore so far having been absent for the draw against Swansea City and the win against Manchester United because of injury, and he has had to settle for a spot on the substitutes’ bench with Craig Dawson and Ahmed Hegazi shining on the pitch.
The former Red Devil is known for his experience, leadership and being good in possession however, and he is sure to have his suitors whether the Baggies stay up or go down.
Would he be a good signing for Arsenal?
It’s difficult to say.
Evans certainly hasn’t had the best season but having played many times for Manchester United previously, he has shown that he can make an impact at the highest level in the Premier League.
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Whether that would be as a starter remains to be seen, but he would certainly add some much-needed English top flight experience alongside the likes of Shkodran Mustafi, Calum Chambers and Rob Holding.
He could also prove to be a decent replacement for Laurent Koscielny, whom Arsenal fans on Twitter had little sympathy for following his Achilles injury, with his arrival potentially bringing the Frenchman’s eight-year spell at the Emirates to an end.
It is only Manchester United’s stuttering form that prevented them securing second place in the Premier League prior to their 0-0 bore draw against West Ham.
The Red Devils would have had the luxury of resting players with even more time to spare before the FA Cup final had they not contrived to lose against Brighton and West Brom in recent weeks but after their stalemate against the Hammers means that the runners-up spot is finally theirs.
That means that Mourinho can – like he did last season before the Europa League final – use the campaign’s last Premier League engagement to showcase some of the club’s best young talent.
On that occasion, United ran out 2-0 winners against Crystal Palace with youngster Josh Harrop – who is now at Preston – getting the opening goal and Reds fans want to see something similar against Watford this weekend.
They are calling on Mourinho to ring the changes again and one or two names in particular keep cropping up…
Sir Alex Ferguson stunned Manchester United with his plans to retire at the end of the 2012/13 season and attempted to soften the blow by appointing his own successor.
It was almost an incredibly scaled-up version of an employee telling their boss that they need that day off that they were told they absolutely could not have but it’s fine because they’ve already organised cover.
Suddenly, two enormous decisions in the club’s history had been taken out of their hands; David Moyes wasn’t so much appointed by the club but anointed by Fergie.
As dire as times have become at Arsenal in recent years, they at least had a template on how not to replace a legendary manager which should have helped them avoid the same problems that United encountered.
Arsene Wenger’s departure from Arsenal has been as telegraphed as Ferguson’s was unexpected. The Gunners were only moving in one direction and it was just a case of when and not if the stagnation, the voices of discontent from Arsenal FanTV, the lack of a Premier League title challenge, the empty seats and the failure to make the Champions League became too much.
The club – one of the country’s best run off the pitch in terms of professionalism and slickness – had years to prepare for Wenger to leave and draw up a suitable succession plan.
Yet, it would seem that one was not put in place. Wenger has effectively revealed that he did not choose the timing of his departure from the Emirates but the Arsenal have reacted in the aftermath of the news with all the poise, composure and direction of a club who have had the decision sprung on them.
There is no uniformity among the managers who have been linked to the club as the leading candidates to replace Wenger.
Max Allegri, Mikel Arteta, Patrick Vieira, Theirry Henry and Luis Enrique are characters with vastly different levels of experience, playing styles and personalities. Arsenal have jettisoned Wenger without a clear idea of who – or even what type of manager – they want in.
Enrique was approached before Arsenal were put off by his eye-watering wage demands; surely the Gunners could have sounded out the former Barcelona boss at an earlier stage and procured this information sooner?
Arsenal look like a club without any clear idea of where to go after Wenger. Do they want Allegri or is he just appealing because he contrasts to sharply with Wenger’s style as a disciplined, defensively-focused manager?
Do they want a safe pair of hands to absorb the loss of Wenger before passing the reigns to a younger man to start a new dynasty?
Targeting untried managers like Arteta, Henry, Vieira or even Rui Faria or Zeljko Buvac would indicate a commitment – potentially misguided given the way that the United job swallowed even an experienced like Moyes whole – to developing a younger coach but those men have a spectrum of managerial influences.
There is not a playing style that connects them or suggests that Arsenal know the way they want to approach the post-Wenger era tactically.
Allegri has now committed his future to Juventus, which appears to have left the Gunners scrambling around somewhat; they may well have expected him to leave Turin but were either misinformed or unable to convince the Italian that the club would be competitive under his stewardship.
The prominence of Arteta and Henry in the race to succeed Wenger hints that a sentimental appointment could be made.
In the absence of an outstanding candidate, a sense of direction or a clear sense of identity in terms of playing style, the Arsenal board are moving towards simply appointing a man that the fans like.
In the Arsenal FanTV generation, there may well be a hope that appointing a former club captain or icon eases the instant pressure that comes with succeeding Wenger, especially in the absence of a clear blueprint for success in the Frenchman’s absence.
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The issue with #WengerOut – and the fact it lasted so many years – was the lack of clarity over who it was that the club’s fans actually wanted in charge. The frontrunner to take over from Wenger became secondary to the desire for him to leave.
It is not the fans’ role to choose, but the board’s decision to remove Wenger was taken with a similar lack of foresight. Choosing a former Arsenal man would be a transparent attempt to ease the scrutiny on a decision that looks increasingly likely to be taken in haste.
The post-Wenger era at Arsenal is off to a shambolic start.
Real Madrid attacker Lucas Vazquez has told Liverpool that he will not be joining the club this summer following their Champions League final defeat, according to Don Balon.
What’s the story?
The Spanish publication reports that Reds manager Jurgen Klopp has been keen on Vazquez moving to Anfield to provide competition for Roberto Firmino.
However, the Spaniard – valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt – reportedly decided on Saturday night that he does not want to join the Merseyside outfit following their Champions League misery.
The Reds were beaten 3-1 by Madrid in Kiev, and the collapse began after Mohamed Salah was forced off the pitch 31 minutes into the clash with a dislocated shoulder.
Loris Karius made two big blunders in goal, allowing Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale to strike, while the latter hit a stunning bicycle kick to take the headlines.
Vazquez has struggled for game time at the Bernabeu, and made just 16 starts in La Liga last season.
However, Don Balon reports that the attacker now wants to fight for his position in Madrid.
Will Liverpool struggle to sign stars?
If the Merseyside outfit had won the Champions League, then their position in the transfer market would have been boosted.
Financially, the club would have pocketed a tidy sum, and their reputation would have strengthened.
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It was not meant to be, though, which may cause some players to second guess whether joining Liverpool is the right option.
Klopp’s side have shown throughout the campaign that they are moving in the right direction, but they are not quite at the level to challenge the Real Madrids of the world.
Players that fit the manager’s mould should be excited by the prospect of competing at Anfield, but the club may need to work a little harder to get deals over the line.
Everton fans have been discussing a move for Sporting CP winger Gelson Martins, but it seems the majority of fans would rather stick with what they have.
Last week, a report from A Bola claimed William Carvalho isn’t the only Sporting player Everton are interested this summer.
According to the Portuguese outlet, new Everton director of football Marcel Brands has good connections in Portugal, and is eyeing up moves for Bas Dost and Martins.
All three players could actually be available for free this summer, as the trio are all expected to terminate their contracts due to the attacks at their training ground last month.
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Martins, valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, grabbed eight goals and eight assists in 31 league appearances last season, and has also been strongly linked with Arsenal.
The 23 year-old has electric pace, and is at his best on the right wing, where the Toffees currently have the equally speedy Theo Walcott.
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Fans have been voting on which winger they’d rather start next season with, and nearly two thirds of fans would prefer to stick with Walcott.
West Bromwich Albion have revived their pursuit of Fenerbahce midfielder Josef de Souza, according to Turkish publication A Spor.
What’s the word?
In August last year, the Express & Star reported that the Baggies had agreed a £10.6m deal to sign the Brazilian, who has made just three appearances for his national team.
However, the transfer never came to fruition, and De Souza later admitted that he was concerned about possible lack of game time.
Now, A Spor claims that West Brom plan to bid the same figure for the midfielder, who is valued at £8.1m by Transfermarkt.
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De Souza, who made 38 appearances in all competitions for Fenerbahce last season and scored four goals in the process, has one year remaining on his current contract.
Will West Brom finally get their man?
There is a vast difference between West Brom this time last year to West Brom now.
The club are no longer in the Premier League after suffering relegation to the Championship due to being rooted to the bottom of the table.
De Souza would probably not have concerns over available minutes given that a the Baggies could be without a few midfielders next season.
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However, it would be a surprise if the midfielder opted to join a club that had dropped out of the top flight.
The Brazilian has been at Fenerbahce since 2015, so perhaps a change would be good for the 29-year-old, but it would not make much sense to leave a team that finished second in their respective league to join one fighting for promotion.