Manchester City target Dani Olmo enjoys exciting debut for Spain

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

Dani Olmo is a name that could soon be well known all across the footballing world.

The now 21-year-old talent is currently plying his trade over in the Croatian top-flight, playing for Dinamo Zagreb, the team from the capital.

And so far, he’s having a wonderful season with the Zagreb Blues.

Dinamo are competing in the Champions League this year once again and Olmo has been a big part of their campaign so far, tallying a goal and an assist in the four games they’ve played so far in Europe.

Over in 1. HNL, the Croatian league, the 21-year-old attacking midfielder has bagged two goals and followed it up with two assists in a total of six games played.

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But goals and assists can barely begin to describe his talent and for that reason, recent links with Manchester City don’t really come as a surprise anymore.

Calciomercato reported that Pep Guardiola has taken an interest in the young prodigy but might have some competition from Italy on that front, namely from Roma and AC Milan.

Interestingly enough, Olmo made his debut for Spain’s senior team on Friday night and managed to score a couple of minutes after entering the pitch.

Apart from that, he also registered one successful dribble and three shots on target in 24 minutes he spent defending the colours of his country.

With the talent that’s on display with this youngster, it’s difficult to see him stay put in Dinamo Zagreb, and his current coach, Nenad Bjelica, feels the same way.

Just recently, he spoke to 24sata, a Croatian outlet, and stated that Olmo is already too big for Dinamo and that they will find it utterly difficult to fend off all the offers the kid has already warranted.

For that reason, the performance he mustered against Malta with Spain is just another line in his already rich CV that he keeps on growing.

Calciomercato mentioned a price tag of €40m (£34.2m) in their initial report but the longer they wait, the higher his value will go.

Let’s see if Guardiola ends up pulling the trigger and bringing the kid to the Etihad.

Sunderland fans urge the club to sign a striker in January

Stewart Donald has suggested that funds will be made available for Phil Parkinson to strengthen in January, and that has led fans to discuss what positions should be addressed.

For many there is improvement needed in a variety of areas, but attack seems to be the main point of concern, with the need for a new striker most pressing.

Will Grigg was brought in last January for an eye-watering fee of £4m, but he has since failed to deliver and now supporters are desperate for an upgrade.

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It is an understandable standpoint given Grigg and Marc McNulty have scored one and two league goals respectively, with the Black Cats totalling 22 goals from 15 league games this campaign.

Parkinson too has struggled so far with two wins in eight and deserves to be granted an opportunity to bring in his own players, and if he does that effectively he could begin to turn his team’s fortunes around.

Here are some of the reactions from fans calling on the club to sign a new striker.

West Ham fans couldn’t believe it when Manuel Pellegrini brought on Carlos Sanchez

West Ham United found themselves 3-0 down against their bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Manuel Pellegrini was about to make a substitution.

Many fans will have likely been expecting the manager to throw on Albian Ajeti in an attempt to overload the Spurs defence, hopefully getting on the scoresheet as a result.

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However, any expectations of this nature were wrong, as he proceeded to bring off Issa Diop and replace him with Carlos Sanchez:

There were plenty who had been left bemused by this decision, feeling disbelief that the manager had decided to throw on a holding-midfielder at that moment.

In fairness, the Hammers did go on to score twice following the substitution, even if it likely wasn’t directly linked to the Colombia international’s introduction.

He was a bit of a bystander once coming on, as he made 10 passes, completing all of them, with his only other contribution being an aerial duel that he failed to win.

A selection of Twitter reaction to the substitution, including posts from disbelieving fans, can be seen below:

Wolves fans furious at UEFA fine

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been fined nearly £9,000 by UEFA this week after their Europa League tie against Espanyol kicked off a few minutes late last month, and it has left fans furious in the west Midlands.

UEFA have blamed the Molineux-based outfit for the failure to start on time and will expect payment within 90 days. It remains to be seen whether or not Wolves will try to appeal the decision.

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Nuno Santo’s side won 6-3 on aggregate to go progress into the Round of 16 where they have everything to play for still after drawing 1-1 with Olympiacos.

It’s Wolves’ first venture into European competition in nearly 40 years, and they have every chance of competing in the tournament once again next term as they currently hold sixth place in the Premier League and of course, could still win it if they find a way past the Greek outfit.

For now, though, the Wolf Pack will have to top up fitness levels at home with a suspension putting pay to fixtures across the globe.

Here’s how supporters have been reacting to the news…

AND in other news, Conor Coady lauds PL LEGEND as big career influence…

Quiz: Did he play for Everton?

So, Everton fans, with football postponed indefinitely, how will you pass the time?

Unfortunately we don’t have an alternative as great as the beautiful game to offer you, but we do have a short-term fix that might just keep you busy enough to combat those Toffees withdrawal symptoms.

This Everton quiz comes with a simple premise. We show you a picture of a footballer, and you tell us whether they did or did not once play for the Goodison Park outfit.

Don’t be fooled though – this piece of trivia will be a real test of your Toffees knowledge, separating fair-weather fans from those who genuinely bleed blue.

And which of those categories do you fall into? Well, the only way to find out is by taking our quiz and sharing your score on social media so you can compare your knowledge with fellow supporters.

So, what are you waiting for? Give it a go now…

Aston Villa: Fans quote Homes Under the Hammer as former striker celebrates birthday

Many Aston Villa fans have wished former striker Dion Dublin happy birthday by responding to a tweet with some quotes from television programme Homes Under the Hammer.

Dublin joined Villa in 1998 after spending time with Coventry City and Manchester United earlier in his career, and it was at Villa Park that the Leicester born striker enjoyed some of his best form.

The former England international netted an impressive 51 goals in 182 games with the Claret and Blue, whilst also playing centre back on the odd occasion.

Leaving Villa in 2004 for boyhood club Leicester, Dublin would eventually move to Celtic and then finish his playing career with Norwich City.

Following his professional career, the former striker worked as a pundit, whilst he is also a host on television programme Homes Under the Hammer, working alongside Lucy Alexander and Martin Roberts.

Known on the TV series for the phrase ‘And here we have the stairs going up to the bedroom’, Villa fans chose to reference the quote in their celebration of his birthday.

Reacting to Villa’s tweet, fans issued a positive response and below are just some of those:

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Villa discussion going on in the Vital Villa Forum! Click here to get involved!

Spurs fans react to their interest in Barcelona star Arthur

As Jose Mourinho looks to strengthen his Tottenham squad this summer, one man who the north London side seemingly have an eye on is Barcelona star Arthur.According to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, the Lilywhites, along with Serie A giants Inter, have the Brazilian on their radar ahead of a potential move for the midfielder in the upcoming summer transfer window.

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The report claims that Spurs have asked about Arthur’s availability, and that given Barcelona’s concerns over the financial impact surrounding the current climate, he could be put up for sale.

After hearing about their links to the midfielder, Spurs fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on their rumoured transfer target.

One fan even suggested that Spurs simply swap Arthur for Tanguy Ndombele in order to bring the Brazilian to north London.

At just 23, Arthur could quite possibly hold down a position in Spurs’ midfield for the next decade or so.

The Brazilian has played at the highest level possible with Barcelona, competing at the top of La Liga and featuring in the Champions League too – he was of course part of the side that came to Wembley and beat Spurs 4-2 in the group stages of the competition back in October 2018.

A move for him would be a major statement of intent on the part of Mourinho’s team.

West Bromwich Albion: Fans expect Grady Diangana to return to West Ham

A number of West Brom fans are resigned to losing Grady Diangana once his loan deal expires at the end of the season.

Twitter channel @BaggiesHQ asked followers if they think Albion have a chance of signing the 22-year-old, currently on loan from West Ham, again for the 2020/21 campaign, but many supporters reluctantly believe that eventuality is unlikely.

Diangana has struck five goals and registered six assists in 22 appearances at The Hawthorns this term, including a brace in a 2-1 win at Luton early in the season. Unfortunately, a hamstring injury just before Christmas had heavily curtailed his involvement since then even prior to coronavirus halting English football in March. [via TransferMarkt]

It is an indication of how well the winger has performed during his loan spell under Slaven Bilic that he has the fourth highest average WhoScored match rating of everyone in the squad for the current campaign.

However, these West Brom fans on Twitter are pessimistic about the chances of Diangana pulling on a Baggies shirt again once his loan deal ends:

West Brom fans, do you think the club should at least try to sign Diangana again once his current loan expires? Comment below with your views!

Leeds fans go wild over Ben White report

Leeds United fans have been going wild this week after a fresh report emerged surrounding popular loan star Ben White.

According to John Percy at the Telegraph, the Brighton loanee is set to sign a two-month extension to his loan deal to remain at Elland Road for the conclusion of the 2019/20 Championship campaign.

It’s claimed the Premier League outfit will hold talks with the west Yorkshiremen this week with an extension until the end of July likely for the 22-year-old defender.

And the White faithful are absolutely thrilled by the news…

The centre-back as been integral to Marcelo Bielsa’s squad and their fortunes in the league this campaign. In fact, he’s not missed a single match and has even filled in for defensive lynchpin Kalvin Phillips on the odd occasion.

In 37 appearances, White has averaged three clearances, 2.3 interceptions, 1.7 tackles and 55.7 passes per game whilst also winning 2.8 aerial duels each match too, via WhoScored.

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It’s undeniable that his inevitable return to the south coast is going to leave a huge hole in United’s backline, even more so with Gaetano Berardi looking likely to leave following the expiry of his contract.

But many at Elland Road are desperate to see him stay at the club permanently.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for the young Englishman. Leeds will have a monumental fight on their hands to keep hold of him next season.

If Brighton get relegated, then they may be enticed into selling, but it’s believed that the PL big dogs are all keen on him, including front-runners for the title, Liverpool (as per The Athletic, via the Daily Mail).

This could well be a saga to develop over the course of the summer transfer window, whenever that may be.

AND in other news, Phil Hay makes claim about Leeds playing at neutral venues…

Coventry: Liam Walsh unlikely to return as Bristol City issue update on midfielder

Championship side Bristol City have issued an update on the future of Liam Walsh, who spent the 2019/2020 season on loan with Coventry City.

The 22-year-old, who was named Coventry’s Players’ Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year for the 2019/20 campaign, returned to his parent club after the League One season was ended via a points-per-game system.

Any hopes Coventry had of re-signing Walsh on loan have now seemingly been ended, with Bristol City confirming via their official website that he has had a clause in his contract activated. He is now expected to pursue the opportunity of becoming a first team regular for Lee Johnson’s side next term.

With Sky Blues boss Mark Robins keen to build a squad capable of taking on the challenge of the Championship next term after their promotion, Walsh’s services would have been key. The midfielder had a fine 2019/20 campaign, scoring three goals and supplying five assists.

The 22-year-old’s exit from Coventry has already been addressed to a certain extent with the impending announcement of the signing of midfielder Gustavo Hamer. The Dutchman, who played last season for PEC Zwolle, has jetted into England this week to undergo a 14-day quarantine period before having a medical with the Sky Blues.

Losing Walsh will be a blow for Coventry ahead of next season but Robins has already done his best to find a replacement by agreeing a deal for Hamer.

The Dutch midfielder will need to be afforded time to adjust but, should he perform to the same level as Walsh, he would then prove to be a fine addition and soften the blow of missing out on the Bristol City man for 2020/21.

How much of a loss is Walsh going to be for Coventry? Let us know in the comments section below…

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