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[ad_pod ]Hector Bellerin has been sidelined for quite a while now.The young Spanish full-back suffered a serious injury in January that ended his season half-way through. It was during Arsenal’s two nil defeat against Chelsea that the 24-year-old was taken off on a stretcher, and he won’t return until the 2019/20 kicks off in August – or even later – according to recent reports.It was later revealed that he indeed suffered from a cruciate ligament rupture, which was his second injury of the season. Even though he is on a path to recovery, the Gunners will have to wait a bit more until they see him donning that new kit of theirs.Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Be that as it may, Bellerin took to Twitter to post a mysterious message that has fans guessing.

It was just a simple emoji of an hourglass, which could either indicate that something is about to happen or that he is merely patiently waiting to return from injury.

Plenty of fans jokingly suggested that agent Hector was working on something behind the scenes, while others hope that it could be a positive sign regarding his return from injury.

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According to ExWHUemployee, West Ham United have identified Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey as a potential transfer target this summer.

However, it would be fair to say that the majority of the Hammers fans are against their club moving for the 27-year-old.

Shelvey only made 18 appearances for Newcastle during the 2018-19 season.

The midfielder will see his contract at St James’ Park expire in little over two years, meanwhile, and according to ExWHUemployee, Shelvey is a target for West Ham.

The six-time England international struggled with injury last term and missed 22 of his team’s 38 Premier League matches.

There is no question that the former Charlton Athletic youngster is a talent. However, his career appears to have stalled over the last 12 months or so.

The West Ham fans have been on social media offering their views on his potential arrival.

And it would be fair to say that not too many want their club to move for the Romford-born midfielder – a selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Leicester’s transfer policy in recent years has been hard to work out.

They’ve spent £29m and £25m on Islam Slimani and Kelechi Iheanacho, whilst they’ve let players like Andrej Kramaric slip through the net.

On the other hand, they’ve added players like Harry Maguire and James Maddison to their ranks.

In amongst the poor dealings, there have been some masterstrokes.

Yet this summer looks like it could be going the way of the former. The Foxes are at least trying to build an identity by believing in young players, but their reported recruitment so far is heading in the wrong direction.

Last week Leicester were subject of a report claiming they were interested in Reece James. The Chelsea man had a superb season on loan at Wigan, featuring as a right back and central midfielder.

Meanwhile over the weekend, journalist Alan Nixon suggested that the Midlands club were keen on Luton defender James Justin.

Given Leicester’s two full-backs are some of the first names on the teamsheet it seems questionable. Ricardo Pereira had an outstanding first season in English football whilst Ben Chilwell is easily one of the best left backs in the division.

As a result, it looks like Leicester’s policy this summer is off the mark. The focus shouldn’t be on strengthening the defence – there are other areas of the team that badly need improving.

Defensively Leicester are a sound outfit but going forward there is room for improvement. That’s despite the quality Maddison gave them in 2018/19.

The void Youri Tielemans will leave behind is significant and that’s where the focus needs to be.

Signing Justin or James would fit the club’s philosophy but do they need them? Arguably not.

Unless they played the latter in midfield, it would feel like a wasted signing. They’d represent shrewd deals but it’s hardly an area that needs immediate work, especially considering the short amount of time clubs now have to buy players.

The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…

In some senses it’s sending out the wrong message about the future of their full-backs. Both players are clearly good enough for top six sides but whether they’d be interested in leaving remains to be seen.

For now, the Foxes need to be searching for players in other positions. The wide area desperately needs improving whilst a back-up for Jamie Vardy also needs to be found.

If they don’t improve in those areas, they can wave goodbye to any chance of reclaiming a place in Europe.

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BBC Football pundit Mark Lawrenson has delivered his last set of Premier League score predictions for the season ahead of the final day on Sunday, and he has made an interesting claim about Newcastle United.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Magpies travel to already-relegated Fulham this weekend in what is a largely meaningless match for both sides, with only the visitors able to finish higher – by a single place – in the top-flight standings.

It is no surprise then that Lawrenson was keen to focus on what the uncertain future of Toon manager Rafa Benitez instead, talking about what the future holds for the Spaniard under owner Mike Ashley.

The former Liverpool boss’ contract runs out this summer, as of yet there has been no suggestion as to whether he is going to stay or not – the fans have certainly made it clear what they want.

Lawrenson certainly seems to sympathise with Ashley when it comes to investing his own money though, telling BBC Football:

“The big questions, as ever, for the Magpies are will manager Rafa Benitez stay, and will he get the money that he wants to spend?

“I think the answers are ‘yes’ and ‘no’… but he will get some of it, and enough to make some more improvements to his squad.

“We already know Magpies owner Mike Ashley is never going to splash the cash, because he could give Benitez £100m and he is realistically only going to finish seventh, at best.”

Fair comments?

They probably are, yes.

Even if Benitez was given a war-chest to spend by the controversial business tycoon, he would undeniably find it difficult to finish any higher than seventh.

The likes of Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United have been so inconsistent this season, yet seventh-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers are still nine points adrift of the latter.

It will therefore be difficult for Newcastle to make a dent in the top six, but Lawrenson has also missed the point slightly.

What’s the point for the Tyneside outfit and their supporters if they can’t show the ambition to go and try and do exactly that?

Who is your club’s Lionel Messi? Fans of Spurs, Chelsea, Newcastle and more answer in the video below…

Otherwise they will just keep petering along and finishing in the bottom half of the Premier League year after year, with no hope of doing anything more.

Showing that willingness to at least want to push on is important, and in Benitez the Magpies already have the man capable of taking them a lot closer to where they dream of being.

Manchester United might find themselves having to look for a David De Gea (linked with PSG by the Express) replacement this summer, but they may have already found him in Ajax’s Andre Onana.

The 23-year-old was sold by Barcelona in 2015 for £135,000 (as per Transfermarkt), but this season he’s shone at Ajax. There’s no way his team would have been so impressive without him and it seems like United know that too, according to the Daily Record.

Indeed, such a low transfer fee speaks to what a gem he is and, while he’s obviously worth far more than that now, it’s hard to imagine the stopper attracting the sort of fee the likes of Matias De Ligt and Frenkie De Jong will command.

The aforementioned report believes United have made attempts to sign the Cameroon international, but Ajax have rejected their offer so far. That’d be a harsh blow for the club, but they could up their bid to secure the man who could be the next hero at Old Trafford.

De Gea has achieved almost god-like status during these tough times since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. In the future, Onana could reach the same heights but by bringing United back to the forefront of English football, a platform they are struggling to get back to. In fact, at this point, anyone who helps the Red Devils recover would be a hero for years.

He’s looked very promising in the Champions League this season, proving he can cope with the pressure of playing on the big stage. He was particularly impressive against Spurs in the semi-final, making some outstanding saves, despite the dramatic loss.

Trained at two of Europe’s most historic clubs, the African certainly has the kind of footballing pedigree to fit in at the Theatre of Dreams.

United need a clean sheet in more ways than one. A fresh start is needed for players right across the pitch, whether that be through transfers or a change in attitude. Bringing in Onana as a De Gea replacement would give United a new hero to get behind.

United fans, who do you want your club to sign if David De Gea leaves? Join the discussion by commenting below.

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Manuel Pellegrini wants to use his experience at Villarreal to help take West Ham United to the next level, per the club’s official website.

The Hammers lost 2-1 to Manchester United at the weekend but turned in a spirited performance at Old Trafford, with the Chilean clearly hoping to build on that display.

What’s the word?

During his spell at Villarreal, between 2004 and 2009, Pellegrini achieved qualification for European football in every single season.

The Hammers have performed admirably against a number of the top-six this term, beating Arsenal and United at home and drawing with Liverpool.

After their latest display, Pellegrini has revealed his hope that he can emulate his success in Spain in east London.

Speaking to the club’s official website, he said: “It’s my intention, at least. Maybe when I arrived [at Villarreal], I arrived to something different. It was 2004 and they were a very small team, but we were growing with a complete project with the club and, fortunately for us, we drew nil-nil four times with Manchester United [in the Champions League].

“We did very good work in that club and arrived in the semi-finals of the Champions League [in 2005/06].

“My intention is just to try to repeat here in West Ham what we did there and when we played like we did on Saturday, I think we can do it.

“Now, we must be consistent. When I started in Villarreal 15 years ago maybe the amount of money [paid for] big players was not so high, so now the big teams in this period have more advantage. In that moment we bought big players but now teams like Villarreal are not able to do it.

“Finally, the project and the style of football, I will try to do the same.”

Nowhere near

West Ham aren’t anywhere near Villarreal’s achievements.

The club qualified for the Champions League numerous times and, as Pellegrini said, reached the semi-finals.

West Ham cannot even qualify for the Europa League.

This is a club that simply cannot string wins together and these words are being said after yet another defeat.

Yes, West Ham played well, but if they are to take the step up, they need to be taking points from such encounters.

As it is, Pellegrini’s dream will remain just that.

Middlesbrough have suffered a poor run of form at just the wrong time, with three successive defeats having Teesside nerves jangling at the prospect of blowing their play-off chances.

Failure to rectify the downturn in form will undoubtedly see them overtaken in a play-off race that is as wide-open as it has been for many seasons.

Seven teams are within seven points of Middlesbrough, meaning any side all the way down to Hull in tenth will fancy their chances of putting a run together to make a charge to the post-season games.

Sheffield Wednesday, under Steve Bruce, are the perfect example of that, with their double digit unbeaten run seeing them come from nowhere to the heart of the battle.

Boro’ have to put things right before it is too late, but they have a massive task to end their miserable run this weekend, with a teatime game against leaders Norwich at the Riverside.

But after this game, the fixtures do not appear to bad for the Teessiders, and we have crunched the numbers, and see Tony Pulis’s side picking up the points needed to secure their play-off place.

Crucially, if our predictions prove correct, Boro’ will finish fifth, avoiding the unlucky loser in the automatic promotion race — who will be Sheffield United in our opinion.

It will see them take on West Bromwich Albion in the semi final, and although that will be an incredibly difficult game, it will be better than it could have been.

We have Boro’ losing just two more games this season — Norwich on Saturday and the away game at Aston Villa — while managing draws at Swansea and Nottingham Forest.

Strugglers Bolton and Rotherham look like two straightforward away games, while Bristol City, Hull, Stoke and Reading will be seen off at the Riverside.

That said, the longer the poor run goes on, the more confidence takes a hit, and the domino effect will see each game become harder and harder as a result.

But as long as they get back to winning ways soon, we cannot envisage them missing out. Boro’ fans will be hoping for the same.

What are your thoughts on your run-in Boro’ fans? Do you think they will get out of their slump soon? Who is to blame? Let us know below…

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Manchester United fans on Twitter have been busy discussing the Independent’s story on Declan Rice, which suggests that the Red Devils are willing to break the bank in order to sign the West Ham man.

Rice only recently signed a new five-and-a-half year deal back in December, that saw his £3,000-a-week salary increase to £30,000, although United are prepared to dwarf that figure completely with their offer.

Watch the video below to find out what Jesse Lingard is like off the pitch in the latest Match Of The Bae with Emma Conybeare…

The England international has shone for the Hammers this season in a midfield role, earning plaudits left, right and centre, and has been so impressive that the Irons are set to demand in excess of £50m for their academy product.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is also looking to sign Jadon Sancho, as the 20-time Premier League champions target a youthful overhaul and a new strategy in the transfer market.

Despite his blossoming reputation, loads of United fans on Twitter strangely don’t want to see the 20-year-old arrive at Old Trafford for such a huge amount of money…

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Sheffield United fans on Twitter have been reacting on Monday morning as WWE legend Mick Foley announced that he is now a Blade.

Foley posted a picture of himself in a club shirt on the social media platform with the words “I am officially a Blade,” much to the delight of the fan base.

This came after striker Billy Sharp mimicked the ex-WWE wrestler and current commentator’s famous ‘Mr Socko’ celebration back in January.

It was Sharp who sent the 53-year-old the jersey to parade on Twitter so that fans could officially welcome Foley into the United family.

“Cactus Jack” has previously shown an interest in English football, often appearing on Soccer AM for Sky Sports, but never before pledging allegiance to a certain team.

Supporters of the club currently chasing automatic promotion to the Premier League reacted very positively indeed and were extremely proud of the announcement, repeating “he’s a Blade” and telling him that he’ll forever be one, with one even commenting “this is the best thing ever” in response to the “surreal” news.

Below is a list of their best reactive Tweets…

Did Chris Wilder get it wrong in the Steel City derby? Check out the thoughts of Ingood Nick below…

[ad_pod ]Leeds are set to be without Kemar Roofe for considerable time due to a knee injury, and Izzy Brown now has the perfect chance to make a huge impact at his loan club.

What’s the word?

Leeds have suffered another huge injury setback, as Roofe suffered knee ligament damage during the win over Swansea, reports Phil Hay of the Yorkshire Evening Post.

The 26 year-old, who has struck 14 times in the Championship this season, is expected to return before the end of the season, but it seems highly unlikely he’ll play a significant role in the run-in given the seriousness of knee ligament injuries.

Whether he returns this campaign or not, the Whites need a new number ten while the ex-Oxford United ace is out of action, and that offers Brown the chance to re-pay the club’s faith in him.

On the chalkboard

Brown stepped on to the Elland Road turf for the first time on Monday afternoon, taking part in an Under-23’s match against Bolton.

While he only played 45 minutes and was reportedlyÂlimping when he was withdrawn at half time, the injury is not expected to be serious, and he is now another 45 minutes closer to full fitness.

The 22 year-old is yet to feature for Marcelo Bielsa’s first-team after several setbacks on the road back from a knee injury, but his skill, vision and work rate can provide a fitting replacement for Roofe, who has adopted a slightly deeper position since Patrick Bamford’s return to the starting XI.

The Chelsea youngster will not offer the goal threat that Roofe is capable of, but his intelligence and eye for a pass in the middle of the attack will help break down deep defences, and could even pave the way for Bamford to go on a goalscoring run.

Roofe’s injury is a massive setback without a doubt, but Brown is on the verge of showing why Bielsa and the club have stood by him through his long road to recovery.