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If there was an award for most valuable signing of the season, then Manchester United magician Bruno Fernandes is surely near the top of the contenders list.

The Portugal international may have only arrived back in the January transfer window, but his impact on this Red Devils team has been nothing short of remarkable.

In 14 total games for the club across all competitions, he has scored seven times and provided a further six assists, with United remaining unbeaten in every single fixture he has been involved in.

And against Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon, he was once again in imperious form, scoring once, setting up two others and also providing an impressive five key passes. After seeing his performance in the 5-2 thrashing of the Cherries, United fans flooded to Twitter to share their reactions.

A couple of fans compared Fernandes to United legend Eric Cantona, and it’s certainly not something that feels too exaggerated – the Portuguese ace reached ten goal involvements in just nine Premier League games on Saturday, meaning he is the joint-quickest to do so for the club alongside Cantona himself and Robin van Persie.

The Cantona comparison says it all really.

Can you name every one of United’s top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…

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That has been the kind of transformation Fernandes has had on this United team, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side looking so much more devastating when going forward.

United have been blessed with some great attacking talents over the course of their history, and if Fernandes continues in this vein, then there’s no reason why he can’t join them.

Royal Antwerp midfielder Frank Boya has revealed that he turned down Glasgow Rangers before making the switch to the Belgian club.

Boya recently made the move to Antwerp, joining on a free transfer from Mouscron, and it appears that he had the choice of several clubs before making his final decision. He has said that he turned down not only the Ibrox outfit but also said no to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen:

“The proof that I did well at Mouscron was the amount of offers I received from big clubs.

“I had no shortage of offers and Rangers and Werder Bremen were the most keen for me to join them.

“So leaving Belgium could have been a solution, but I wanted my future to be settled quickly and none of the teams interested have as much ambitions as at Antwerp.

“As soon as I moved here, I knew it was the right decision. The staff here integrated me from my first day and my new team mates have been a huge help.”

Currently valued at £1.53m by Transfermarkt, it is interesting to see that Boya chose Antwerp because of their ambition, suggesting in the process that the 54-time Scottish champions were not on their level in that respect. The ‘Gers are going for the Scottish Premiership title next term and are currently in the Europa League round of 16 as well.

They have spent money, too, bringing in Ianis Hagi for £3m, for example – there seems to be plenty of ambition at Ibrox. Still, Boya has made his choice, so both he and the Scottish club will have to live with the consequences. If the ‘Gers go on to enjoy a successful 2020/21 season, don’t expect too many regrets over Boya’s snub.

‘Gers fans, were you dismayed by Boya’s decision to turn down the club in favour of a move to Antwerp? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti is plotting a squad overhaul at Goodison Park this summer and he has one name at the top of his wishlist.

What’s the word?

According to 90min, the Italian wants Lazio striker Ciro Immobile at the Toffees next season but he’s merely one of many players being targeted.

It’s claimed that the 30-year-old talisman could cost in excess of £50m whilst there is a suggestion that Ancelotti believes his task in Merseyside is now a lot harder than he first imagined when appointed back in December.

As a result, the 61-year-old, who has managed the likes of Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, has demanded to have more of a say in transfers alongside director of football Marcel Brands.

Major upgrade to DCL

The report suggests that Everton owner Farhad Moshiri is prepared to back Ancelotti if it means they’ll reach Europe next season, so a move for Immobile would absolutely be the right way to start.

To call the Italy international ‘prolific’ would be an understatement. Over the course of four seasons at Lazio, Immobile has found the net 124 times in 177 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

35 of those have come this campaign alone whilst he’s also provided nine assists and averaged a whopping 3.9 shots, 1.6 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

These are substantially better returns than Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has managed 13 goals and one assist. The Englishman also fires fewer shots at goal (2.4), way fewer key passes (0.4) and dribbles (0.4) too.

Immobile’s agent once described him as “the best striker in Europe, not just Italy,” and his numbers certainly back that up.

Moshiri absolutely has to throw money at Lazio to clinch an absolute beast of a goalscorer.

AND in other news,  transfer swoop for UCL winner would be shades of Distin…

The summer transfer window is now in full effect and things are moving at an incredible pace. Just around 36 hours ago, Hibernian’s attempt to land Rangers’ Ross McCrorie seemed to be under the bus but now, according to an exclusive report from The Scottish Sun, the move is back on.

Hibs have apparently returned with an improved offer after the initial one was seemingly declined by Steven Gerrard’s squad. Jack Ross is adamant on securing the versatile star, the same report states, and he is willing to offer more money to get him.

Of course, despite his quality and undeniable talent, McCrorie has seen his chances at Ibrox quite limited and having impressed on loan at Portsmouth last season, could be prime for another move.

The same paper also reminds that Gerrard himself has stated before that there is indeed interest in the player and his future at the club remains uncertain. He said, as quoted by The Scottish Sun: “We have had some interest from Hibs in Ross McCrorie. Those talks are ongoing. Ross and Greg Docherty will not be going on loan. If we get bids that we like, that are good enough and big enough, we will consider them.”

While this doesn’t outright confirm the deal is happening, it does suggest it’s on the cards and there’s a real possibility the 22-year-old’s days at Rangers might be numbered.

For Hibs and Ross, this is surely wonderful news.

Verdict

Even though the report doesn’t exactly state the figure Hibs are offering for McCrorie, with Rangers willing to sell and the player out of favour at Ibrox, it should be an acceptable deal for both sides.

The youngster is quite talented and versatile, being able to slot in various positions across the pitch, and that’s something Ross values highly. If this goes through, it could be a win-win scenario for all parties involved.

More than four years after leaving Elland Road, Lewis Cook could be set for an incredible return to Leeds United this summer.

The England international joined Bournemouth in the summer of 2016, with the Cherries’ chief executive Neill Blake declaring that they had signed “one of the country’s brightest prospects”.

But following Bournemouth’s relegation to the Championship, things are up in the air, with Football Insider now claiming that Leeds are eyeing up a move for their former midfield prodigy.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…



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The report claims that Cook is “firmly on their radar”, and that the 23-year-old’s close connection with the Whites could see him be convinced of a move back to Yorkshire.

Hailed as a “special talent” by Eddie Howe, Cook can return to Leeds and form an exciting partnership in the middle of the park with Kalvin Phillips.

The duo both came through the Elland Road’s side academy, and with the club making their return to the Premier League after well over a decade, it would be quite poetic to see the pair start in their first game back.

As clubs spend big money on signing players from all across Europe, the Leeds midfield could be dominated by two homegrown, local stars. When Cook was bursting onto the scene, then Whites boss Dave Hockaday waxed lyrical about the young prospect, saying “if you chopped Lewis’ head off and put an older head on his shoulders, you wouldn’t be surprised”.

It was Hockaday who handed the midfielder his debut and first start for Leeds before he left the club, and some of the credit for Cook’s emergence surely has to go to the former Whites boss for placing his trust in him.

And with the midfielder now having played a total of 75 times in the Premier League in his time at Bournemouth, he could provide Marcelo Bielsa’s side with some valuable top-flight experience.

Bringing a former academy starlet back home? It just seems like a no-brainer.

Everton are in drastic need of a new central defender as injuries have already started to pile up at Goodison Park and one reported transfer target could be the solution…

What’s the word?

According to Mundo Deportivo, the Toffees are one the teams to sound out Athletic Bilbao centre-back Unai Nunez over a potential move this summer.

They claim that the 23-year-old is considering a loan switch to the Premier League having only played a bit-part role in La Liga last season.

He still has three years to run on his current contract at the Basque club and also has a €30m (£27.4m) release clause.

Urgent need

Carlo Ancelotti is going to need a defensive addition before next month’s deadline if they are to truly contend for a European place this campaign.

Mason Holgate has been ruled out for several weeks and now young prospect Jarrad Branthwaite has joined him on the sidelines. Even Yerry Mina has had his injury troubles since arriving in 2018.

It means the Italian can only really call upon Michael Keane for consistency, which could prove to be a gamble as the season goes on.

Nunez very much fits the bill of your typical modern-day ball-playing centre-back, so he’d be an interesting prospect at Goodison Park.

During his Bilbao career, he has averaged 4.3 clearances, 1.7 interceptions, 1.6 tackles and a passing success rate above 83.4%, via WhoScored.

He’s twice silenced Real Madrid, one of which was in 2017 with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema failing to score against the 6 foot 1 colossus. Nunez recorded six clearances, three interceptions and only lost possession five times, per SofaScore.

This is one emerging issue that quickly needs a solution and with Nunez lacking regular gametime, it could be a win-win for all parties involved.

AND in other news, Summer deal for Toffees star with “no quality” has been one costly catastrophe…

West Bromwich Albion have around two weeks to secure themselves a new striker and with time running out, there could be the perfect solution…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the Baggies are one of several Premier League teams interested in signing Liverpool youngster Rhian Brewster this transfer window.

They claim that Crystal Palace are the front-runners to secure the 20-year-old striker whilst Sheffield United are also keen.

It’s thought that the champions would like to sell the England U20 international for £20m but that must include a buy-back and sell-on clause. He could also go out on loan once again.

Striker solution

Albion clearly need a new forward if they are to truly compete in the big time – Slaven Bilic has been playing winger Callum Robinson up front on his own during their opening two matches.

Neither Charlie Austin, Hal Robson-Kanu or Kenneth Zohore can break into the starting XI, which is rather damning, so perhaps a swoop for Brewster could solve the problem.

The young striker bagged 11 goals in 22 matches whilst on loan at Swansea City last season and clearly isn’t going to break into the first-team fold under Jurgen Klopp.

Brewster had a pretty disastrous afternoon against the Baggies back in March, picking up a 6.4 rating from SofaScore having managed just two shots. He also missed one big chance, lost possession 13 times and won only four duels.

Semi Ajayi and Dara O’Shea won that day, though it shouldn’t put anyone at the Hawthorns off a move for him.

Klopp is a big fan, once calling the academy prospect a “wonderfully skilled boy, [a] real striker, [a] good finisher, [with a] fantastic work ethic and all that stuff.”

Whilst Jadon Sancho believes Brewster “causes defenders nightmares” and has the ability to become a “great player.”

Whether it’s on loan or at £20m with a few clauses, Luke Dowling should look no further than adding Brewster. He could strike up another partnership with Conor Gallagher to become a hit in the Midlands.

AND in other news, Baggies must steer clear of mooted target who’s shades of Anelka…

West Bromwich Albion have endured a tough start to life in the Premier League.

The Baggies find themselves winless from their opening three matches, which puts them one place above the relegation zone at this early stage.

Last weekend’s exciting 3-3 draw with free-spending Chelsea provided some hope but Slaven Bilic’s men went into the break three goals to the good, so it’s a case of two points lost rather than one gained.

Slaven Bilic has switched system during the off-season, one that incorporates wing-backs alongside three centre-backs. When deployed, it is vital that there is sufficient balance in the midfield otherwise the side can quickly become overrun.

Having gone up against the likes of James Rodriguez, Youri Tielemans and N’Golo Kante, who have all seemingly come out on top – might it be time to consider who is playing there for Albion?

It’s clear to see that a partnership of Romaine Sawyers and Jake Livermore isn’t working out. Neither player is averaging above a 6.19 rating per WhoScored with the former performing the worse of the two.

Perhaps the Croatian should look to Sam Field instead.

Speaking to the Express & Star this week, Bilic claimed that the 22-year-old ‘has an important role to play’ this season and has opted against another loan move away from the Hawthorns.

However, the defensive midfielder, who is capable further up the pitch too, is yet to feature for more than 17 minutes so far this campaign.

Field is no stranger to the Premier League either, former Baggies boss Tony Pulis called on him last time the club was in the big time. He’s actually played 21 times at this level, per Transfermarkt.

The unpopular manager even labelled the academy graduate a “fantastic player” and went as far as claiming that “he’s as good and as gifted as any footballer I’ve seen at that age.”

Even Gary Megson lauded Field as having a “great future” and now at the age of 22, it’s time to see that come to fruition.

Forget Sawyers, it’s time for Field to shine.

AND in other news, Albion could land their next Kevin Phillips in £18m monster with “pace to burn”…

Everton’s summer signing Ben Godfrey put together an impressive showcase with England’s Under 21s as Aidy Boothroyd’s Young Lions beat Turkey 2-1 in a UEFA European U21 Championship qualifier on Tuesday night.

Godfrey’s performance will serve as a timely message to Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti that he is ready to make his Blues debut against Liverpool in Saturday’s Merseyside Derby, with the Italian facing a defensive injury crisis.

The Goodison Park natives finalised a deal with Norwich City worth £20million for Godfrey to join Ancelotti’s unbeaten squad earlier this month, but the 22-year-old was not named in Everton’s team to face Brighton & Hove Albion prior to the October international break.

Ancelotti may be forced into handing Godfrey his Everton debut sooner than planned, as the centre-half is one option being considered to replace Seamus Coleman at right-back against Liverpool with Jonjoe Kenny also out injured.

Midfielder Tom Davies is also in line to deputise for Coleman having taken over at full-back at home to Brighton, and may be required after Yerry Mina sat out Colombia’s 2-2 draw with Chile on Tuesday night after the £120,000-per-week ace felt discomfort in his right thigh in training, meaning the new boy may be needed at centre-back.

Godfrey had featured three times for Norwich in their Championship campaign before departing Carrow Road in the transfer window, racking up 270 minutes of first-team football in which he averaged 67 touches, 46.3 accurate passes, 4.3 clearances, 1.0 tackles and 3.7 duels won a game, per SofaScore.

Godfrey’s performances with Norwich saw Boothroyd name the York-born defender in his England U21s squad to face Turkey on Tuesday night, handing him his sixth Young Lions cap.

Norwich boss Daniel Farke expects Godfrey to go on and achieve more with the senior England set-up, having told reporters at the start of the month via quotes by The Pink Un: “He has all the potential to lead the Three Lions in the future.”

Godfrey impressed with a solid showcase against Turkey despite allowing Halil Dervisoglu to pull a goal back for Tolunay Kafkas’ visitors in second-half stoppage-time, four minutes after Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah had doubled England’s advantage to become the Young Lions’ record scorer.

The Toffees talent kept things simple as he amassed 78 touches of the ball and rarely turned over possession with 67 of his 71 passes finding a teammate. He further denied Kafkas’ visitors with one clearance, one block, one interception and three tackles, and won three of four ground duels, per SofaScore.

Everton’s late summer capture did not attempt a single aerial duel and committed one foul, though, but should be at the front of Ancelotti’s thinking as the Italian plans his way around a defensive injury crisis.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti can look to exploit an “incredible talent” when Everton host Liverpool this Saturday.

Leeds United have had a great start to their first Premier League campaign in 16 years.

The Whites have lost just one of their first four games despite facing off against two of the best teams in the league in the shape of Manchester City and Liverpool.

Marcelo Bielsa will be hoping that he can keep the momentum rolling after the international break, and in order to do that he has to pick the right team against Wolves.

Wolves won’t be an easy team to overcome and their task has been made that much harder by an injury crisis at centre-back.

Liam Cooper and Diego Llorente have both picked up injuries on international duty, so Leeds will have to operate with a makeshift centre-back pairing for this one.

We’ve had a go at predicting how Leeds will line-up against Wolves.

The first place to look is centre-back after Cooper and Llorente’s injuries.

This is a position that Leeds have already been in this season with Cooper being unavailable on the opening day of the season and Llorente not having signed by that point, and on that occasion, Bielsa looked towards Pascal Struijk to fill the gap.

We expect the Argentine to do the same again here, but whether or not this proves to be a good idea remains to be seen as Leeds conceded four the last time Struijk and Robin Koch played together.

Away from that change, the defensive spots remain largely the same, Illan Meslier, Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas retain their spots in goal and at full-back.

The midfield has just one change as Jack Harrison comes back after being ineligible to face his parent club a fortnight ago, while there is no space for £17m man Raphinha as of yet due to Bielsa preferring to give his new signings a bedding-in period.

Up front, Patrick Bamford starts once again, with Rodrigo’s goal against Man City not enough to earn him a place back in the XI just yet.