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Ian Wright has savaged Arsenal flop Henrikh Mkhitaryan, per Premier League Productions via the Daily Express.

The ex-Manchester United star has struggled at the Emirates Stadium and was again in poor form as the Gunners laboured to a 1-0 win over 10-man Watford on Monday evening.

What’s he said?

Mkhitaryan has scored nine goals and laid on 12 assists in a total of 49 appearances for Arsenal, having netted 13 and provided 11 assists in 63 United games.

Wright believes that the Armenia international, such a hit at Borussia Dortmund, has simply struggled to adjust to life in England.

And he insists that both he and Alexis Sanchez, with whom he was involved in a swap deal that saw the Chile international move the other way, have each struggled immensely since their transfers.

Speaking to Premier League Productions, via the Express, he said: “He’s come in and we know he’s a quality operator but it’s just not happened.

“Between these two [Mkhitaryan and Sanchez], they’ve both had an absolute nightmare. Honestly, they’ve had an absolute nightmare.

“Even if that’s the case, then you’d have to say with the assists, it’s not enough.

“I think Man United will be looking at Sanchez and would’ve thought they’d have got more than that.

“The people who got the best deal out of this was the agents, really, to be totally honest. Them two, they’re nowhere near what they should be.”

An easy target

Wright has picked on two easy targets here.

Every United fan knows Alexis has struggled just as every Arsenal fan knows that Mkhitaryan has endured a genuinely difficult spell in north London.

The former Gunners striker is merely picking on the easiest target he can find and Mkhitaryan’s contribution this season, in fact, has not been as terrible as Wright is claiming.

Against Southampton earlier this season, Mkhitaryan scored one and provided the other in a 2-0 win, while he netted twice in the 3-2 reverse at St Mary’s and scored Arsenal’s only goal in a 1-1 draw with Wolves.

Mkhitaryan may not have played all that well against Watford but this is lowest common denominator punditry and Wright should do better.

West Ham United fans are probably still yet to get over Saturday’s result as their side were pegged back in the dying embers of their Premier League clash at the London Stadium. 

The Hammers could do with making a number of changes in the summer as they’re still quite a way off challenging the top-six sides, so David Gold and David Sullivan face a big challenge.

Although, it looks as if the London club already have a player in their sights, as according to Calciomercato (via Read West Ham), West Ham are in the race to sign Hoffenheim’s Kerem Demirbay.

He joined the German club for just £1.53 million back in 2016.

Demirbay has produced four goals and nine assists in the current campaign. He operates in the middle of midfield but can also move higher up the pitch to influence the game in the final third, which would benefit the Hammers massively as Pellegrini has used two defensive-minded midfielders in the form of Delcan Rice and Mark Noble.

It’s safe to say that the midfielder would be the perfect partner for Manuel Lanzini and Rice as he can provide the attacking qualities that the youngster lacks, as well as using his incredible passing ability to provide the Argentine with plenty of chances. And, he has the ability to drag defenders out of position when he goes on his jinking runs which would create space for Lanzini to operate in, with Rice staying back to protect.

The 25-year-old has established himself as one of the rising stars in the Bundesliga this season and he still has his best years ahead of him, so it would make sense to bring him to the London Stadium.

However, David Gold and David Sullivan will have to splash the cash to bring the German to England as he’s valued at £22.5 million (by Transfermarkt), but that shouldn’t matter as they weren’t afraid to spend big last summer.

West Ham United fans, surely signing Demirbay is a must this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Southampton signed Danny Ings on loan from Liverpool last summer.

And according to the club’s official website, the deal will become permanent at the end of the 2019-2020 campaign.

That will upset a number of the Southampton fans, though, with many not wanting the 26-year-old to join the club on a full-time deal this summer.

Ings has found the back of the net on seven occasions in the Premier League this season, which is pretty good for a team struggling towards the bottom of the table.

The striker has had his injury problems, though, playing just three of the club’s last nine Premier League matches due to a hamstring injury.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

Ings struggled to make his mark against Newcastle United in Saturday’s late kickoff and that led to a number of the Southampton fans revealing their views on the 5 ft 10 in ace.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Fernando Llorente proved on Tuesday that he cannot be trusted in big Tottenham Hotspur games.

The Spaniard played the full 90 minutes as Spurs laboured to a 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

On the chalkboard

Manager Mauricio Pochettino showed a great deal of loyalty to Llorente on Tuesday evening, playing the striker despite his obvious drawbacks.

He is not a quick player, like Son Heung-Min, nor is he clinical, nor is he, contrary to common belief, any good in the air.

Playing against a team that were set to defend throughout the 90 minutes, utilising a low block, was never set to work out for Llorente.

But, per WhoScored, he turned in a remarkably leaden-footed performance at the worst possible time.

With a clash with Ajax, a Champions League semi-final, looming, this was a chance for Llorente to prove his worth.

Instead, he touched the ball just 23 times, failed to have a shot on goal and completed just 18 passes, the fewest of any Spurs player.

He did win two aerial duels, though he challenged for nine, while he also failed to complete a dribble or a tackle.

It is hard to stand out as a striker at Spurs unless your name is Harry Kane, but with the England captain injured, and the biggest game in the club’s history looming, Pochettino needed Llorente to step up.

He roundly failed.

One moment does not a striker make

Llorente scored the decisive goal in the Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City. Challenging for a corner at the near post, he lost Aymeric Laporte and diverted the ball past goalkeeper Ederson, though he may not have known too much about it, as it hit his hip before crossing the line.

That has left Spurs within three wins of the unlikeliest of European triumphs, but emotion cannot cloud judgement of his ability.

Llorente is 34 and lacks the basic mobility Tottenham need, while his goal record does not speak to any lengthy stay at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

After his display against Brighton, Pochettino has a decision to make. Lucas Moura should probably lead the line in the first leg against Ajax, otherwise Spurs risk having a deficit to overturn if they are to reach the final.

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Wolves have lacked strength in depth this season but, when faced with the question of whether their fans would be happy with the club signing Huddersfield’s Aaron Mooy, they were particularly unhappy.

Nuno Espirito Santo has a particularly good midfield at his disposal, but Mooy, a proven Premier League man, would be a fine squad player to add over the summer.

However, a host of supporters didn’t seem too pleased with the potential of signing him when a debate unfolded on Twitter.

The response from fans saw them largely argue against signing the midfielder. One supporter sarcastically claimed it would ruin the brand, hinting he wouldn’t fit in with the look of the Portuguese players.

A further fan said that Mooy wasn’t good enough for Wolves and another commented that the club had moved on from players of his level.

Mooy starred for the Terriers last season, scoring four goals and claiming three assists in 36 Premier League matches. This term has been more difficult, though, with the £12.6m-rated man, per Transfermarkt, struggling with injury.

Here’s what supporters have been saying about the prospect of signing Mooy this summer…

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Aston Villa star Jack Grealish has been regularly linked with Tottenham Hotspur for the best part of a year, so it was no surprise that his participation in the semi-final of the Championship play-offs attracted plenty of interest on Twitter yesterday afternoon.

The 23-year-old playmaker struggled to make an impact in the first-half, with West Brom’s solid rearguard and a flat team performance from the hosts combining to nullify his threat.

But he stayed patient and grew into the game, eventually providing an assist for Conor Hourihane to slam home an emphatic equaliser from the edge of the box.

He wasn’t finished there though as he won a spot-kick for his side just moments later, which Tammy Abraham coolly converted to hand Villa a 2-1 advantage heading into the second leg on Tuesday.

Grealish was far from his exhilarating best under testing circumstances, but the Spurs faithful on Twitter clearly saw enough to suggest that he could be an inspired signing in the summer.

The midfielder used to cut a slender physique during his formative years but he has considerably developed the physical side of his game with some hard hours in the gym – as one supporter alluded to – as well as his technique and, under a manager of Mauricio Pochettino’s expertise, you’d expect him to step up another level.

However, it remains to be seen whether Daniel Levy and Pochettino are in agreement with the supporters over his credentials.

Here’s what the Lilywhites had to say about Villa’s crown jewel against West Brom…

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With Kemar Roofe out injured Marcelo Bielsa will have to call upon an out of form Patrick Bamford in the playoff semi-final second leg, and potentially the final.

With the former Middlesbrough man being out of sorts for the past few weeks Bielsa will have to use some man management (man-management) skills to get him firing again.

On the chalkboard

Whereas some players need a shot in the arm to improve their performances, it seems that Bamford needs more of an arm around the shoulder.

The striker’s form throughout his career suggests that he is a player who thrives on confidence and his recent run in the league won’t have helped him.

He was suspended for a dive against Aston Villa which saw him recieve backlash from fans all over the country, and on top of that he has been a detriment to his side on the pitch in his last two appearances.

Bamford may be feeling low and pressurised as he is forced to take Roofe’s place on Wednesday, and Bielsa needs to instil confidence back into Bamford to get him firing on all cylinders.

Bamford’s confidence

When he is feeling up to it and happy on the pitch, there may be no better striker in the Championship than Bamford. He won the Championship Player of the Year award for his 2014/15 campaign but he seemingly can’t recapture that form consistently.

When he hits top gear he can blow away any side in the division, as shown by his run of eight goals in five games last season, which included a hat trick against Leeds.

Bamford’s only setbacks appear to be in his own head and when he isn’t feeling confident he can become a nightmare for his teammates, (full stop, hyphen or connecting word) he has a tendency to hesitate on the ball and fails to choose the right moment to get a shot away.

Bielsa must reassure Bamford of his abilities heading into Wednesday’s game and make sure he is in the right mindset to fire Leeds to Wembley.

Everton enjoyed a captivating end to the season after going on a winning streak that landed them ultimately in eighth place.

Considering it’s Marco Silva’s first season in charge, that end result will be pleasing and leaves them in good shape to kick-on over the summer.

Many would say that Everton are a few quality additions away from being able to launch a real top six push, so this window could be the perfect chance to allow that to come to fruition.

Money isn’t an issue for the Toffees but often, locating the right players for their team is.

In terms of weak-links, Everton have few but an area that could desperately do with some reinforcing is right-back, with the capture of Paris Saint-Germain’s Thomas Meunier being perfect.

Meunier (who is valued at £31.5 million on Transfermarkt) is an experienced player that could perform wonders for Everton if he was to join, having been touted as a potential target for the upwardly ambitious Merseyside outfit by TeleFoot earlier this month.

It will be a tough task in the first place to overcome the challenge of beating Manchester United to his signature but Everton have attracted big players before and could do again.

The Belgium international has made 29 appearances in all competitions this season, going on to provide five goals and seven assists from right-back and right-midfield.

But with the influential folk behind PSG, they’re always striving for their team to be better. As a result, no matter how well he has performed this season, Meunier could be waving goodbye to France and saying hello to England.

Though Seamus Coleman has been a stalwart in Everton’s back-line for years now, he’s getting on with age and will need replacing in the near future. The acquisition of Meunier would improve the Toffees massively.

Do you think Thomas Meunier would be a good signing for Everton… Let us know!

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The importance of Nathan Redmond to Southampton’s success in 2019 highlighted the need for another winger at St Mary’s Stadium – should the former Norwich man get injured, the Saints lack pace and skill going forward.

Now it would seem that Ralph Hasenhuttl and co are keen to act on that lack of depth this summer, with Sky Sports reporting that  the south coast outfit have set their sights on Liverpool’s Harry Wilson, who is valued at £25m.

The forward has chalked up 18 goals and six assists while on loan at Derby across all competitions in 2018/19 and has a knack for scoring beauties – the left-footer has netted five direct free-kicks for the Rams, including one against Manchester United’s David de Gea at Old Trafford.

Southampton fans may love Ralph Hasenhuttl but do the owners? Check out the video below…

The Saints will have to contend with Newcastle, Brighton and possibly Crystal Palace for the 22-year-old’s signature but the opportunity to work under Ralph Hasenhuttl, who is renowned for his development of young players, could swing negotiations Southampton’s way.

Here’s what the St Mary’s Stadium faithful had to say about the interest on Twitter…

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Naby Keita will not be fit to play in the Champions League final, potentially opening the door for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to make a sensational return.

Liverpool are still waiting on the fitness of Roberto Firmino, but Keita is definitely out, Jurgen Klopp has confirmed.

“No chance for Naby,” Klopp said when quizzed about the Guinean, as reported by Sky Sports.

“He is progressing well but we will see how it will work out for him for African Cup of Nations, we don’t know that yet.”

After a difficult start to his debut campaign at Anfield, the 24 year-old enjoyed an excellent end to the season, proving why the manager was do desperate to sign him from Red Bull Leipzig, but how can the Reds adjust without their most inventive midfielder?

Has Alisson been Liverpool’s most important signing of the season? Check out the video below to find out why Jurgen Klopp thinks so…

On the chalkboard

It is inevitable that three of Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Gini Wijnaldum and Fabinho will start the final in Madrid.

Henderson and Wijnaldum are likely nailed on after their semi-final performances, and Fabinho is surely the ideal candidate to shield the back four from the likes of Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen.

However, none of those four offer true playmaking skills going forward, which is why Oxlade-Chamberlain’s impact as a substitute could be vital.

The 25 year-old will almost certainly start on the bench, and if the Reds need a goal he should be the first man off it.

The former Gunner’s ability to pull defenders towards him with his dribbling should open up spaces for the front three to exploit, just as Keita did before his injury.

His pace and energy against tired legs could completely change the course of the game in the second half, and his relationship with Mohamed Salah could well be the thing that unlocks the Egyptian’s path to final stardom.

Over a year on from the knee injury that ended the fan favourite’s hopes of making a difference in Kiev, what a fairy-tale it would be if he made one in Madrid instead.

Keita’s absence is a blow for the former Leipzig man, but a huge blessing in disguise for potential super-sub Oxlade Chamberlain.