In Focus: Chicharito should fight for his place at West Ham

Sky Sports reports that Javier Hernadez’s agent has disclosed that the Mexican forward is willing to depart West Ham United having only been at the club for six months.

The 29-year-old has failed to fulfil the expectations bestowed on him with the Hammers, and there are persistent rumours linking him with a move away from West Ham.

What’s the story?

Manchester United’s former striker – who is valued at £16.2m by transfermarkt.com – is willing to leave West Ham having failed to emulate the dizzying heights that he achieved during his last spell in the Premier League. Since completing a £16m switch from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer transfer window, the Mexican forward has only scored five goals in 21 games for the Irons.

In fact, he has failed to score in cup competitions for David Moyes’ side this season, and in the eyes of many supporters, he has failed to justify the relatively sizeable fee they paid for a player who is approaching the age of 30.

David Moyes has publicly stressed his desire to keep every player that he has at his disposal beyond the window. Thus, it will be interesting to see how this story progresses.

Should he go?

The players’ agent has highlighted the need for regular first-team football – in a World Cup year – as Hernandez’ justification for willing to leave West Ham this window. While those claims are understandable, as his country’s all-time leading goal scorer it is difficult to envisage Mexico opting to exclude the striker from their squad.

Additionally, given the injuries that Andy Carrol and Marko Arnautovic have sustained, it is conceivable that the Mexican will be rewarded with greater first-team involvement over the course of forthcoming weeks.

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If he seizes his opportunity, then he could reinvigorate his career in East London. Accordingly, he should stay and fight for his place in Moyes’ team.

In Focus: Liverpool should not think twice about spending £30m on James Maddison

According to reports in The Mirror, Norwich City are preparing to sell Liverpool target James Maddison in the summer, but they will demand up to £30m for the exciting attacker’s services.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Mirror says that the Reds and Tottenham Hotspur have been tracking the talented 21-year-old for weeks, and now Manchester City have joined the race to land the highly-rated Championship star.

The Mirror says that the Canaries refused to sell Maddison during the January transfer window having already let Alex Pritchard join Huddersfield Town earlier in the month, but they are now ready to sanction the £30m exit of their prized asset as their parachute payments are due to run out at the end of the season.

How has Maddison done this season?

He has been brilliant.

The 21-year-old has established himself in the starting XI as a key Norwich player, with nine goals and eight assists in 34 appearances in all competitions prior to his side’s clash against Derby County on Saturday.

According to WhoScored.com, the attacking midfielder has made 74 key passes in 28 Championship outings this term, while he has further shown his ability on the ball by successfully completing 59 of the 84 dribbles he has attempted.

Would he be a good signing for Liverpool?

He certainly would be.

The 21-year-old looks to have all of the ingredients and the potential to go on to become a Premier League star, and it is no surprise that some of the biggest teams in the top flight are looking at signing him.

While Maddison may not be a starter right away next season, he has the ability to push for a spot in the side or the squad, and his goalscoring ability and keen eye for a pass mean that he could even play in a similar role to former Red Philippe Coutinho.

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Liverpool certainly shouldn’t be afraid to spend £30m on the England U21 international, even if they perhaps have more pressing transfer issues this summer.

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In Focus: Jean Seri is the ideal all-round midfielder Jose Mourinho is looking for

According to reports in the Daily Mail, Manchester United are keeping tabs on Nice midfielder Jean Seri, who has a release clause of around £33m, ahead of a possible summer move after watching the Ivory Coast international in action in the Europa League on Thursday night.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Daily Mail says a number of the Red Devils’ scouting team watched the 26-year-old in action in his side’s 3-2 defeat against Lokomotiv Moscow at the Allianz Arena on Thursday night, while their head of scouting, Marcel Bout, also watched him in person against Monaco last month.

Jose Mourinho is known to want to strengthen his midfield options during the summer with Michael Carrick retiring and with the futures of Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera potentially in doubt with the Belgian still yet to sign a new contract and with the Spaniard being linked with a move to AC Milan.

How has Seri done this season?

The 26-year-old nearly joined Barcelona during the summer after a brilliant 2016/17 campaign for the Ligue 1 outfit, but he has been slightly less effective from an attacking point of view this term as he has often played in a more defensive role in the middle of the park.

The Ivorian has scored one goal and provided a further six assists in 30 appearances in all competitions, compared to seven goals and 10 assists in 34 outings in total during the previous season when he was playing more of a box-to-box role.

According to WhoScored.com, he has an overall passing accuracy of 90.9% in 23 appearances in Ligue 1 and the Europa League this term, while he has still made 50 key passes even when he has mainly been playing in a deeper defensive role.

Would he be a good signing for United?

He certainly would be.

If Mourinho is looking for an energetic midfielder to make an impact at both ends of the pitch to work alongside Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba, then it is no surprise that Seri is near the top of his list.

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The 26-year-old has been hugely impressive for Nice and looks as though he has the ability to make the step up to a club like the Red Devils.

At £33m he could be one of their cheaper options in that position too, and would allow Mourinho to play the 4-3-3 system that so many fans seem to want him to play to get the best out of Pogba.

Southampton fans think FA Cup run is already over following quarter-final draw

Southampton fans have not had much to celebrate this season due to the team’s poor form in the Premier League.

Mauricio Pellegrino’s side remain in the relegation zone, one point from safety following just five wins in 27 matches.

In the FA Cup, though, things have looked much more positive as the club managed to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the competition.

On Saturday, the Saints took on fellow top-flight club West Bromwich Albion after ousting Fulham and Watford in the previous rounds.

Wesley Hoedt and Dusan Tadic put the coastal club two goals to the good before the hour mark.

Salomon Rondon pulled one back for the Baggies, but it was not enough to inspire a comeback.

Later that evening, the quarter-final draw was made, and Southampton were rather unlucky as they could face league leaders Manchester City in the final eight.

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Pep Guardiola’s side take on Wigan Athletic in the fifth round on Monday evening, and barring a major upset, the Cityzens will face Southampton at home for a place in the semi-final.

Many Saints supporters are convinced that the team will play City instead of Wigan, and the prospect is filling them with dread.

Newcastle fans weren’t happy with Kenedy’s performance against Liverpool

Newcastle United’s worries of English Premier League relegation continued on Saturday after they fell to a 2-0 defeat away to Liverpool.

It wasn’t the most surprising result given the Reds’ excellent attacking form of late, but still a disappointment for Rafa Benitez’s side, who now sit just two points above the bottom three.

Rather predictably, it was Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane who grabbed the goals, living up to their reputation as two of the best attackers in the division.

Newcastle supporters were left disappointed with the Magpies’ negative performance and had particular criticism for Chelsean loan star Kenedy who again failed to impress on the flank.

After promising initial performances against Norwich City and Burnley, the Brazilian has failed to find consistency.

Some fans are now suggesting he is dropped as Benitez looks to find a winning formula in the final stages of the season.

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They took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

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Arsenal fans sum up Europa League draw in three words

Arsenal have had their fair share of bad luck this season, but in the Europa League, they managed to avoid Atletico Madrid in the quarter-final draw.

Instead, Arsene Wenger’s men were handed a two-legged tie against CSKA Moscow, with the first match being held at the Emirates on April 5 and the return fixture in Russia a week later.

The draw comes amid some tension between the two countries after a Russian-made poison was used on a former spy and his daughter in Salisbury.

Russia have denied involvement in the incident, which has caused friction between the countries.

With regards to footballing matters, Arsenal have a realistic chance of reaching the semi-finals of the second-tiered European competition.

Given that Wenger’s side are likely to miss out on a top-four position in the Premier League, winning Europa could be their only chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

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Arsenal’s Twitter page asked the fans to sum up their feelings on the draw in three words, and below is a selection of their responses.

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Everton fans can’t wait to see Onyekuru in action

Everton fans seem pretty excited Henry Onyekuru, after the youngster shared his return from injury on Twitter.

Of all the signings Everton made last summer, the one that could have the biggest long-term impact is yet to kick a ball for the club – Henry Onyekuru.

The young attacker joined Everton from Belgian side Eupen for £7million last summer, and was immediately loaned out to Anderlecht, where he scored nine times in 19 league appearances.

A knee injury ended the 20 year-old’s spell on loan though, and he returned to Everton to get back to full fitness.

Onyekuru is extremely highly regarded in Belgium, and has already earned two senior caps for Nigeria. Usually playing either as a central striker or coming in off the left, he impressed in his short stint at Anderlecht with his pace, dribbling and finishing.

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There haven’t been too many success stories from Everton’s busy summer window, but fans seem pretty excited about Onyekuru’s potential return to action.

Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

Wolves fans absolutely loved 9-man win over Middlesbrough

The momentum swung on more than one occasion when Championship table-toppers Wolves visited in-form play-off chasers Middlesbrough on Good Friday.

After a closely fought opening half hour, two goals in five minutes from Helder Costa and Ivan Cavaleiro looked to have taken the game away from Tony Pulis’ side and Wolves went in 2-0 up at the break.

It should have been relatively plain sailing from there but the visiting players lost their heads after George Friend went unpunished when they felt the Englishman had brought down Costa when he was through on goal.

After that, Ruben Neves and Matt Doherty deservedly picked up second yellow cards, which left Nuno Santo’s side to play the final 19 minutes, plus stoppage time, with just nine men.

Despite their numerical advantage, Boro just couldn’t find the space to create the chances to get them back into the game and Patrick Bamford’s goal came too late to be anything more than a consolation.

Wolves fans absolutely loved their side’s battling 2-1 win and we’ve taken a closer look at the best of the reaction to a dramatic night as Santo’s men took another huge step towards the Premier League…

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Arsenal boss unsure of Lacazette involvement

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has said that he has not yet decided whether Alexandre Lacazette will face CKSA Moscow in the Europa League on Thursday night.

Lacazette made his return from a knee injury in Sunday’s Premier League clash against Stoke City, and netted a late penalty for the Gunners in their 3-0 success.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is ineligible to represent Arsenal in the Europa League this season, which could open the door for Lacazette to start against CSKA Moscow.

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Wenger, however, has admitted that he is still unsure whether he will select the France international, who is said to be on £120,000 a week at Arsenal, from the start against the Russian giants.

Wenger told reporters, as identified by Arsenal’s official website:

“I don’t know. I will have to wait a little bit before making that decision.”

Arsenal are currently 13 points off the top four in the Premier League table, and therefore almost certainly need to win the Europa League this season to secure Champions League football for the 2018-19 campaign.

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The Gunners, whose supporters have recently given Danny Welbeck a rocket or two on social media, have won their last four matches in all competitions following four straight defeats between February 22 and March 4.

Leeds fans heap praise on Peacock-Farrell

There hasn’t been much to cheer about at Elland Road this season, but Leeds fans are once again applauding the form of Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

Paul Heckingbottom’s side fell to yet another damning defeat at Villa Park on Friday night, as Lewis Grabban headed home the winner for the hosts in the 29th minute.

Despite the 1-0 defeat though, fans have taken some positives from the performances of several youngsters.

Paudie O’Connor was impressive once again in the heart of defence, while Tom Pearce continued to show incredible composure for such a young lad at left back.

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None were more impressive than Bailey Peacock-Farrell though, as the young keeper continued his incredible form since breaking into the team.

The 21 year-old returned from an unsuccessful loan spell at York City in January, but grabbed his chance with both hands when Felix Wiedwald’s poor form left the goalkeeper position vacant.

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He was in fine form once again on Friday, making good saves to deny attempts from Lewis Grabban, Jonathan Kodjia and Albert Adomah.

Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

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