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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… 

Arriving in a £50m deal from fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace, Aaron Wan-Bissaka has nailed down the right-back slot at Manchester United with relative ease. The England U21 international has featured 15 times across all competitions this season, and has already impressed the Old Trafford faithful with his tenacious approach.

But one area that he certainly needs a lot of work on – and as quickly as possible for United’s sake – is his contributions going forward. The 22-year-old has yet to open his account for the Red Devils, and has also yet to provide a single assist too. And on Sunday afternoon against Sheffield United, his ineffectiveness in attack was a key reason why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were unable to secure a much-needed victory.

In recent weeks, United have deployed a back-three on occasion, with Wan-Bissaka once again occupying the wing-back role against the Blades at the weekend. The position places a far greater emphasis on what they can offer attacking-wise, rather than the more defensive requirements that the former Crystal Palace seems to thrive on. In the Premier League this season, he has made 55 tackles in total – the third-most in the division despite missing two games.

But whilst his tackling has almost become a given, his offensive contributions have been anything but. On Sunday, he had 103 touches of the ball (the most of any player on the pitch), yet he failed to provide any key passes and was unsuccessful with his two attempted crosses. His struggles only served to increase the pressure and burden on Daniel James in front of him, with the Wales international not having a reliable enough overlapping partner to wreak havoc with.

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Instead, defenders could double up on the ex-Swansea ace, and it was no surprise to see him lose possession 16 times. Wan-Bissaka’s huge flaw has an effect not just on his own game, but the way the rest of his team plays too. As long as Solskjaer continues to use wing-backs, the 22-year-old desperately needs to hone his attacking skills. If not, he risks jeopardising how effective United’s forwards are. It is a real concern for the United boss.

Meanwhile, amid criticism of Phil Jones, Victor Lindelof’s woeful performance against Sheffield United means he shouldn’t be let off the hook either.

According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Everton are interested in signing AS Roma winger Cengiz Under this summer.

What’s the word?

The upcoming transfer window will be Carlo Ancelotti’s second in charge of the Toffees, following his appointment as Marco Silva’s permanent successor back in December.

And according to Italian publication TuttoMercatoWeb, the Merseyside outfit have set their sights on bringing Turkey international Under to Goodison Park.

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The report claims Premier League rivals Tottenham are also interested in securing his signature, but that Everton are the “most motivated” in the race to sign him, especially as Ancelotti “liked him already at Napoli”.

Step up

Everton’s options on the right-hand side is certainly somewhat lacking in quality. Theo Walcott has played there 25 times this campaign, but has scored just one goal whilst only providing three assists.

Under could help solve that issue for Ancelotti. The Turkish ace is naturally left-footed and would offer a different dimension to the likes of Walcott and Bernard.

Despite not getting too many opportunities to impress with Roma this season, the 22-year-old still boasts an impressive average of 1.7 shots, 1.6 key passes and 1.9 dribbles per game in the Italian top-flight.

Considerably younger than Walcott (now 31), Under would fit in well with the likes of Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin who are both still developing and growing as players.

Unlike Under, Walcott has shown no real sign of bringing anything to the table when on the pitch, averaging just 1.3 shots, 0.6 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per game in the Premier League – all of those much lower than what the Turkish winger has managed.

It’s exactly why Marcel Brands should fend off Spurs’ interest to sign the £21.6m-rated ace. Turkey icon Emre Belozoglu once described the 5 foot 8 Under as a “talent that can reach the very top” – Everton could be the team to benefit the most from that.

Meanwhile, Everton face competition from Premier League rivals for this ace.

Lots of Newcastle United fans have been welcoming the idea of legends of the Tyneside club returning after the prospective takeover is completed.

As per ChronicleLive, the would-be owners in the North East are understood to be receptive to welcoming back a host of legendary players to the club as part of their grand takeover plan. However, it is too early to say whether some former players could be part of the back-room team or others would be handed ambassadorial roles but it has already been explored as an area that can be vastly improved.

Two names to have been mooted are Kevin Keegan and Alan Shearer. Both St. James’ Park legends have managed the club, with the latter perhaps more famous for what he did on the pitch for the Magpies. The 49-year old scored a staggering 182 goals in 375 appearances in all competitions for the Toon, according to Transfermarkt.

Indeed, it is safe to say that his managerial spell dis not quite go as to plan, having lasted only eight games. Keegan lasted just a bit longer than that, as one NUFC supporter claimed that he should already have a stand and a statue on Twitter.

Check out some of the Magpies fans’ reactions below:

Geordies, would you like to see some club legends coming back into the fold if the takeover goes through? Comment below with your views!

Alan Hutton has said that Barry Douglas could be a replacement for Borna Barisic.

Douglas currently plays for Leeds in the English Championship, with him making 11 league appearances so far this campaign. Barisic, meanwhile, has been an important part of Steven Gerrard’s side at left-back so far this term, but he could well move on in the near future considering Tottenham have reportedly been interested.

Hutton, though, believes that Douglas could replace him should he leave. He told Football Insider when asked if the Gers could make a move: “Yeah, possibly. I think you have to look at the Barisic situation.

“I think that would be a key factor if he was to stay or leave but look, I think Barry Douglas is an excellent player. He went abroad, did really well, came back to Wolves and I thought he was arguably their best player.

“It shocked a lot of people when he was moved upon promotion. Possibly a move to Rangers, with him saying he supports them, could be a good opportunity for him to get back on track, back playing.

“He’s a wonderful crosser of the ball so it’s something Rangers look for in a player so I think he could fit in but a lot would hinge on the Barisic thing. I wouldn’t imagine he wouldn’t want to come up north to be sitting on the bench.”

Barisic, with 14 assists in all competitions already, has been in stunning form this term and were he to exit, he would leave a big hole. However, the nature of Scottish football is that the best players will eventually leave, and for a reported fee of £22m, they could be quids in.

Douglas, meanwhile, has a Transfermarkt value of just £1.8m, and he himself has proven he can provide going forward – he picked up 14 Championship assists during the 2017/18 season with Wolves.

The Croatia international leaving would be a big blow, no doubt, but being able to replace him with Douglas would be a coup for Ross Wilson, and an inspired piece of business.

Let us know what you think below!

With the future of last year’s club record signing Tanguy Ndombele up in the air, it’s no surprise to see Tottenham being linked with another highly-rated midfielder this summer.

According to Italian publication Leggo, Spurs are interested in signing AS Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo to north London, and that due to the current financial situation affecting clubs across world football, the Italian giants may be forced into selling their young midfielder to help bring some respite.

The report further claims that Jose Mourinho’s side have been “pressing for months” to get a deal over the line, but that they are likely to intense competition from the likes of Manchester United and Juventus.

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Still only 20-years-old, it’s quite staggering the kind of experience and praise Zaniolo has received in his fledgling career thus far. He already has five senior caps for Italy, scoring twice, whilst he has already become the new heartbeat of Roma.

Prior to his cruciate ligament rupture, he had played 24 times across all competitions this season, scoring six goals and providing a further two assists, with his ability to play anywhere behind the striker giving his side an added string to their bow.

Roma legend Francesco Totti waxed lyrical about his fellow Italian, saying: “He has explosive strength and technique, and everything it takes to become a truly great player.”

This is someone who was called up to the Italy side by Roberto Mancini without actually having played a game in Serie A, with Italian football expert Mina Rzouki further hailing his ability. She said: “Zaniolo is a trequartista, he is someone who plays in the hole in attacking midfield. He is turning out to be an exceptional talent. He is somebody who is precise and quick in his passing. His decision-making is exceptional, he understands how to keep hold of the ball and is physical and big enough which means it is difficult to dispossess him.”

Of course, at the moment it’s Dele Alli who occupies that all-important number ten role at Spurs, but Zaniolo’s age and talent may even see him overtake the England international in becoming Mourinho’s jewel in the crown in north London.

Loads of Everton fans have been slamming former Manchester United and England legend now pundit Rio Ferdinand after he spoke exclusively to the Merseyside club’s official website about the English central defenders Mason Holgate and Michael Keane.

As per his interview, Ferdinand has backed the duo to flourish at Goodsion Park under manager Carlo Ancelotti, as he provided an insightful analysis of the defensive pair’s attributes. However, it seems as if several members of the Toffees faithful did not agree with his comments.

Holgate has featured in 22 games in the Premier League so far in the 2019/20 season, but the team have only kept three clean sheets whilst the 23-year old has been in the side, whilst he also loses possession 7.7 times per game, according to Sofascore.

On the other hand, Keane has played in the same number of matches as his centre-back partner in the top flight so far in this campaign, but the 27-year old actually loses the ball on average more times than Holgate and the team have only kept one more clean sheet with him in the side (via the website).

These Blues supporters slammed the analysis on Twitter, perhaps influenced by these kinds of stats:

The way @rioferdy5 talked up Keane prior to his arrival is now an embarrassment to him and his assessment of players. Demonstrates he cannot be an agent and objective/impartial pundit.

— jonny mc (@jonnymc1977) June 8, 2020

Evertonians, do you agree with Ferdinand? Comment below!

Alan Nixon has made a rather bold claim about the proposed takeover of Newcastle United after responding to a fan on his Twitter page.

As per his tweet, the journalist has claimed that it looks like the Premier League want the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to do a television deal at their end in order for the top flight to approve of the £300m bid from Amanda Staveley’s Saudi Arabian-led group.

This could be in response to the findings of a report from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which found that the KSA were responsible for running the pirate satellite TV channel beoutQ in their own country, therefore breaching their own international laws.

The Qataris are the only country in the Middle Eastern region to have the rights to broadcast and stream football games from the major leagues, including the Premier League, which are usually shown on beIN Sports. However, the Saudis were found to be broadcasting these matches on the pirate television channel, therefore breaching piracy laws.

The fact that they were showing games illegally from England’s highest division would surely not go down well with the league, especially since the buying side consists of the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and his Public Investment Fund (PIF).

However, the WTO report did not find a connection between them and the piracy issues themselves, so this could be a good omen for the Premier League to approve of the deal.

Geordies, will the Premier League approve the takeover? Comment below with your views!

Despite losing senior player Ramona Bachmann, Chelsea could look to focus on seeing Fran Kirby return to first team action.

It was announced over the weekend that Switzerland international Bachmann would be leaving the club to pursue a new journey in France (via chelseafc.com). The versatile forward has joined Paris Saint-Germain, who look to be bolstering their squad to challenge for the Division 1 title next season.

Bachmann’s final season with the Blues saw them win both the Continental Cup and Women’s Super League title. She spent four years in London but has opted to take on a new challenge in Europe as part of an exciting PSG team.

The forward, who can also operate as a full-back, will hope to help the French side break Lyon’s unstoppable winning streak.

England international Kirby, who has been absent for the majority of the 2019/20 season due to illness, could see the perfect window to make her return through Bachmann’s departure.

It was revealed earlier this year that Kirby had been absent due to pericarditis, a debilitating illness which affects the tissue around the heart (via The Guardian). As a result, the Lioness missed poignant moments this term, including her side beating Arsenal in the Continental Cup final.

Should she make a return, Kirby has one less player to worry about competing with for a spot in Emma Hayes’ starting XI.

Bethany England was Chelsea’s star player, scoring the same amount of goals as Golden Boot winner Vivianne Miedema, with the Dutch international winning by number of assists (via BBC Sport). However, it’s all to compete for with new addition Sam Kerr not yet replicating her impressive performances in the US.

If Kirby returns fit and firing next season, there’s a high chance Hayes will opt to slowly integrate her back into becoming a certain starter.

Do you think Fran Kirby will make an impact on Chelsea’s 2020/21 season, Blues? Have your say in the comments below…

In our Transfers that shook the club feature, Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at deals that had many may not have seen coming and the impact that they had during their time by using statistical data and pundit remarks.

Darren Huckerby had been part of some famous squads during his playing career, making a solitary appearance in Newcastle’s 1995/96 Premier League campaign when they pushed for the title under Kevin Keegan and playing for the Leeds side that went on to reach the Champions League semi-finals in 2001.

However, he tended not to stay for long in one place – less than three years at Coventry, 18 months at Leeds and roughly two-and-a-half years at Manchester City (with a loan spell at Nottingham Forest thrown in, too). Norwich knew they were signing a nomadic player when they initially took him on loan in September 2003 before later making the deal permanent, with TransferMarkt quoting the fee at £1.13m.

Having scored 20 goals in taking Manchester City into the Premier League two seasons previously, Huckerby had previous in that regard and repeated the trick for the Canaries, his 14 league goals in 2003/04 ending their nine-year exile from the top flight and earning him second place in the club’s Player of the Season awards.

Despite netting several goals in the Premier League the following season, he was unable to spare them from an immediate return to the Championship. However, he later revealed that, around that time, he had phone calls which presented opportunities for him to join Liverpool and Celtic, but he instead opted to remain at Carrow Road.

He was twice named the club’s Player of the Season, in 2004/05 and 2006/07, coming second in the intervening year, as well as being inducted into the Norwich City Hall of Fame in March 2006. Huckerby’s goal contribution might not have scaled the heights of his first season in Norfolk but his figures during the 2006/07 campaign, in which he tallied 13 goals and 16 assists, deserve huge commendation.

Unfortunately, injuries restricted his involvement in the 2007/08 season, which would prove to be his last one for Norwich. He nonetheless managed five goals and seven assists while also getting a chance to bid farewell to the Canaries faithful at a ‘Greatest Ever’ event at the end of that campaign. However, many supporters felt that this was an inadequate send-off for the player, who was ruthlessly released by Glenn Roeder during a very brief meeting (as per BBC).

Until arriving at Carrow Road, Huckerby had never truly settled down at any one club. That changed after a tremendous five-year spell at Norwich in which he scored 48 goals in 203 appearances and became a fans’ favourite, as well as being deemed worthy of Hall of Fame inclusion by the Canaries.

This weekend, he will see his former club play their final Premier League game for the foreseeable future as they make the trip to another one of his old staging posts, Manchester City. With Norwich only scoring 26 goals in the league all season, how they could have done with a peak Huckerby this term to have given them a stronger chance of beating the drop.

Norwich fans, what are your favourite memories of Huckerby at Carrow Road? Let us know in the comments section below!

Tottenham Hotspur have opened talks with Inter Milan to sort out some swap deals this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano. 

Discussions are ongoing between both clubs as Tottenham try to resolve Tanguy Ndombele’s future in north London, which has presented Daniel Levy with the perfect opportunity to organise some player exchanges.

It is understood that Spurs are closely ‘monitoring’ Ivan Perisic, despite interest from Manchester United. Recent reports revealed that the Lilywhites are in discussion with his representatives over a potential transfer in the summer.

Perisic has spent the past season on loan at Bayern Munich, scoring four goals and supplying three assists in the Bundesliga this season, taking 1.9 shots per game on average (via WhoScored).

Despite his best efforts, the German champions have informed the 88-cap Croatia international that he will not be offered a new deal at the Allianz Arena and he is now considering a move to north London instead.

Mourinho is a big admirer of the Croatian after he attempted to sign him during his time in charge at Old Trafford.

Given his age of 31, Perisic is arguably entering the twilight of his career, although Mourinho has renewed his interest in the World Cup finalist as he wants to add experience to his squad, as the Lilywhites have also been linked with Chelsea star Willian this summer.

Romano suggests that Spurs have a good relationship with Inter after Christian Eriksen left north London in January, which could pave the way for Perisic to move in the opposite direction more than six months later. He has shown no signs of slowing down any time soon, having scored seven goals in all competitions so far, and could fill the void left by Jan Vertonghen in the dressing room by acting as a mentor to younger players like Steven Bergwijn and Giovani Lo Celso.

Tottenham fans, should Levy sign Ivan Perisic in the summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!