With the regular season wrapped up and attention now firmly focused on the play-offs, it will soon be time to start speculating who Kenny Jackett wants to bring in this summer.
The Portsmouth manager has the luck of having one of the best sides in League One and an owner with the funds to attract some big names to the south coast, and with some big teams relegated down to League Two this season, there are players out there who could be available on the cheap as well as bring more quality to Pompey, and one of those names is Plymouth Argyle defender Ryan Edwards.
According to the Sun via Football League World, Pompey are interested in the 25-year-old centre-back, and with the Pilgrims recently booking their ticket down to League Two with relegation confirmed on the final day of the season, Edwards could be a very cheap pick-up for Jackett this summer.
Despite being part of a side that has been relegated, Edwards has been one of Plymouth’s most impressive players this season, and his experience in League One will make him a desirable acquisition for teams in the division looking to bolster their backline, and Pompey should be making the defender a top priority regardless if they’re promoted or not.
Edwards would add needed experience and quality to an area of the pitch Portsmouth will need improving on next season, and the Plymouth man could be the defender to solve that problem for Jackett.
Portsmouth fans, would Edwards be a good summer signing? Let us know!
[ad_pod ]QPR’s steadily-declining season ended on a high note with a 2-1 win away at Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend, Matt Smith scoring a super volley to secure all three points in the dying seconds. One man who wasn’t part of the Hoops’ send off for the season, though, was Nahki Wells, with the Bermudan’s 90 minutes at Derby proving to be his last appearance for the W12 outfit.The on-loan striker is set to return to his parent club, Burnley, this summer having chalked up nine goals and six assists for the R’s in all competitions. QPR’s final day victory over Wednesday, therefore, presented the 28-year-old with the opportunity to thank the club for his time at Loftus Road.The versatile forward clearly feels that he had a lot more to offer Steve McClaren and then John Eustace, although he will surely arrive back at Turf Moor with a desire to make an impact.The QPR keeper was giving it large to Bolton fans at the weekend. Find out who had the last laugh in the video below…Some R’s fans, though, are hoping that it might not be the end of Wells’ career in blue and white just yet, as they responded in their numbers on Twitter. You can check out the best of the reaction below…
[ad_pod ]Raheem Sterling has undoubtedly become one of the most impactful players of his type in the world since leaving Liverpool for Manchester City. He was directly involved in 29 of City’s Premier League goals in 2018/19 as they successfully defended their league title. He has become the guy the greatest coach in the modern era turns to when it matters most. For England too he is indispensable.There was a time too when he was indispensable for Liverpool. During the exhilarating season of 2013/14, the Wembley boy tore defences apart in tandem with Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez as the Red men so nearly broke their Premier League duck. He was loved at Anfield; loved for his adventurous wing-play that conjured up something pure, almost childlike.Speaking of which, though he has been lured north from QPR as a wide-eyed 15 year old Sterling was by default an academy kid. He was theirs, this dribbling tearaway. Raheem Sterling was money.Sadly though money came to define Raheem Sterling, entirely unfairly but through a course of events that can be made sense of. He was no longer adored for his instinct to entertain, nor admired for his ambition and self-belief but rather labelled as ‘greedy’ and in the same manner as ‘Cashley’ Cole before him the player became a by-word for footballing excess and entitlement. More so, his highly publicised switch from Liverpool to Manchester City in the summer of 2015 was the most controversial and fractious since Sol Campbell limousined across north London.We are all pertinently aware of what this stigma led to. There was the media castigation that eventually took the form of a witch-hunt and took us down some very strange avenues such as criticising the City winger for buying a Greggs pasty and damning him for an unwashed car. There was – and is – his hostile receptions at Anfield that were initially vicious but now take the form of pantomime booing to unnerve a dangerous opponent. We know too that thankfully the unedifying circus that surrounded the lad for far too long seems to have finally abated as a reappraisal of who he actually is takes over.This isn’t about any of that though. This isn’t the Raheem Sterling story. This is about a transfer that shook the world.And that began in earnest – or at least entered the public domain – in February 2015 as Brendan Rodgers first acknowledged an impasse in contract negotiations between club and player by stating that Sterling had received an ‘incredible deal’ supposedly worth up to £100,000 a week but in all likelihood no conclusion would now be reached until that summer.Some context is needed here and it is context that damns Rodgers. First of all the winger had two years remaining on his present contract so was in no rush to commit either way. Additionally, there were legitimate concerns emanating from this overtly ambitious player over Liverpool’s ability to match his desire to secure silverware. That season the Reds had relatively struggled, eventually finishing sixth as a collective hangover took hold following their tremendous charge to 84 points the previous May. Suarez had now departed for Spain. Gerrard was heading to America. Sterling, then, was absolutely within his rights to wait and see what Liverpool’s transfer plans were even if that displays the arrogance of a 21st century footballer.Much more of relevance however is this undeniable truth: right now, every single top flight club will have a player who is stalling on penning a new deal. At Manchester United it is David De Gea. At Manchester City it is Ilkay Gundogan. We really could go on. Yet when do we ever hear a manager so candidly reveal such details as Rodgers did? Never. That’s when. Never.The Northern Irishman’s intention clearly was to put pressure on his young charge, pressure of the worst possible kind. Throughout Liverpool – a city much like any other where rumours spread like wildfire – people had long known that Raheem Sterling and his employers were at loggerheads. Rodgers’ words though confirmed it; made it a great big issue. And boy did the club and fans respond.For the following game right up until the end of that season Sterling’s every touch was booed by his own supporters. A coterie of former Liverpool players meanwhile wasted little time in condemning his perceived disloyalty and even his own captain Gerrard got in on the act stating that he found his team-mate’s behaviour ‘disappointing’. In reality it was Gerrard’s decision to invite further castigation onto a colleague that was disappointing.Later Sterling would claim that one of the reasons why he opted to leave Anfield was because he felt ‘bullied’ during this period. Looking back through the press clippings you can see why.
Not that all of the blame however can be attached to the club. Exasperated at seeing his reputation tarnished, Sterling then came out and gave an ill-advised interview with the BBC that April where he denied that money was his primary objective. And if that were not inflammatory enough his agent Aidy Ward soon after insisted that his client would not be staying on Merseyside no matter the amount offered to him. “He is definitely not signing. He’s not signing for £700, £800, £900 thousand a week. He is not signing.â€
Needlessly the player and his agent poured petrol onto an already roaring fire and in July – when it was abundantly obvious to one and all that a move was now inevitable – Sterling then refused to fly out to Thailand as part of Liverpool’s pre-season tour.
The duo’s words and actions have been described above as ‘ill-advised’. Perhaps this is wrong because then for equilibrium the words and actions of Rodgers, the fans, and ex-players such as Phil Thompson, John Aldridge and Jamie Carragher should also be deemed that. And that’s not the case at all. From Liverpool’s side it was, bluntly, hubris because they routinely did this to other clubs – unsettled their best player, even encouraged them to strike if need be. They didn’t have it done to them.
That summer 27 players moved from one Premier League club to another but it was only Sterling’s £49m transfer to Manchester City – that concluded a prolonged chase for his signature – that dominated the headlines and felt like a bitter war.
And four years on we can seek out who was to blame all we like but ultimately it comes down to a deterioration of a relationship, one that is commonplace throughout the game. A player wanted a move. The club wanted him to stay. The player got his way and the club was well remunerated.
The circus, however, pitched up regardless and the madness and witch-hunt duly began.
So then, another season of the Premier League is done and dusted and it’s time for the 20 teams to start reviewing their campaigns and putting plans in place for the 2019/2020 term.
Little has changed at the top of the league with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City marching to back-to-back English top-flight titles after the title race went right down to the wire.
However, the battle to be the best of the rest and to secure the first place outside of the top six, seventh, was just as absorbing. West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton, Leicester City and Watford were all vying for what would become the final UEFA Europa League spot after Man City defeated the Hornets in the Emirates FA Cup final.
Although the Hammers would eventually come up five points short and finish in tenth place, they still enjoyed an admirable first season under new manager Manuel Pellegrini. Ultimately, filled with more ups than it was downs, and laying the foundations for a potentially very successful reign in East London for the 65-year-old.
In light of all this, today we review the Irons’ campaign, from who the unsung hero was, to the best signing, and which player takes the unlucky crown of Flop of the Season…
Unsung hero – Lucas Perez
Every team in every campaign has their unsung hero. That player who contributes in a big way, but isn’t noticed or given as much attention as some of the other stars in the team, and in the case of West Ham’s in 2018/2019, was actually criticised by the masses.
Lucas Perez came under fire a fair amount in what proved to be his only term at the London Stadium, though in reality, defied his critics by chipping in with some crucial goals. Examples of the unsung hero’s key strikes include those in the Cardiff City and Leicester City encounters.
But despite his vital touch in front of goal on those occasions, Pellegrini felt the Spaniard had no future in his plans, and allowed the 30-year-old to join Deportivo Alaves on a permanent deal less than a year after he joined the club.
Goal of the Season
Fighting off competition from stunners such as Andriy Yarmolenko’s strike at Everton, Marko Arnautovic’s Arsenal hit and his own goals against Manchester United and Southampton, Felipe Anderson’s worldie at home to Crystal Palace takes the Hammers’ Goal of the Season crown.
Receiving the ball on the edge of the box from Javier Hernandez, the Brazilian club-record signing got it out of his feet and magnificently stroked it into the far top corner with the shape of a golf shot. The hit sent Pellegrini’s men well on their way to a third successive league win.
Turning point – Newcastle United victory
Whether good or bad, subtle or major, every campaign has its turning point, no matter what club you are. And the Irons’ arrived on the first day of December.
Up until their trip to St. James’ Park in the Premier League, the East Londoners had only managed three victories in the league and were staring down the barrel of another relegation battle. However, a 3-0 triumph in the North East sparked a run of four consecutive wins and from then, Pellegrini only ever looked up rather than down.
Success or failure? – Success
All in all, West Ham’s season has to be looked back on as a success, with the club securing a top-half Premier League finish for the first time since the 2015/2016 campaign, and achieving their highest points tally since then.
Yes, it was marred by poor performances in both the Carabao Cup and the Emirates FA Cup, with the Hammers knocked out by Sky Bet League One strugglers AFC Wimbledon in the latter of which. But there’s been clear improvement under Pellegrini, and the Claret & Blue Army couldn’t have asked for much more from the Chilean’s first term.
Most controversial moment
If you’re familiar in any way with West Ham United Football Club, you’ll know that controversy is never far around the corner and it reared its head in January when the club’s most controversial moment of 2018/2019 arrived.
Star striker Marko Arnautovic was linked with a move to the Chinese Super League throughout that transfer window, and appeared to wave goodbye to fans in the home win over Arsenal. However, after missing matches while he tried to force his move away, the number seven eventually signed a contract extension and is still in Claret & Blue. The side’s first victory following the saga wouldn’t come until late February.
Worst result – AFC Wimbledon (A) – 4-2
The low point of the campaign for the Hammers, without doubt, came in the wake of FA Cup Fourth-Round exit down at the Cherry Red Records Stadium – after their worst result of the season.
West Ham travelled to South London expecting to breeze through to the Fifth Round of football’s oldest competition against the basement boys of League One, having overcome them in the Carabao Cup already. They were met with a scintillating Wombles outfit who dispatched them 4-2, Kwesi Appiah, a Scott Wagstaff double and Toby Sibbick rendering Perez and Anderson’s goals meaningless.
Best signing – Lukasz Fabianski
Pellegrini’s first transfer window in charge was a very busy one indeed, with no fewer than 11 arrivals – two more being added in January – and just shy of £100million spent.
The pleasing thing for the board will be that there was no shortage of contenders for Signing of the Season after the splurge. In the end, it can be no other than Lukasz Fabianski, though.
At a mere £7m, the Polish international was an absolute steal, and the Irons can only imagine how many points they wouldn’t have secured if he wasn’t their number one.
Is the manager safe? – Yes
In modern football, managers are arguably the most dispensable thing, and had Pellegrini not delivered any signs of improvement in his first campaign in East London, he may well have been making way. Luckily for him, he did.
Under Slaven Bilic first and then David Moyes in 2017/2018, West Ham finished 13th on 42 points and weren’t far away at all from dropping into the Sky Bet Championship. Under the Chilean, however, they eclipsed that by three places and ten points, playing a much more attractive brand of football. So yes, Pellegrini is safe but must keep improving to remain that way.
Who should be sold?
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While a mass exodus isn’t required after a much better season, the Hammers could still do with selling at least three of their current squad members and those stars are Arthur Masuaku, Robert Snodgrass and the aforementioned Arnautovic.
The first of those names has reportedly attracted interest from the likes of Spurs and Borussia Dortmund, and some fans would snap your hand off to see the back of him for a decent fee. The second, in spite of an excellent first half of 2018/2019, is now past it and West Ham must cash in. The third name, Arnautovic, is a bad egg and the club can’t risk him damaging the squad harmony anymore.
Interesting stat – Perfect Fredericks
When one of those summer signings, right-back Ryan Fredericks, looks back on his maiden season in East London, he will have mixed feelings having only really got into his groove in the latter part amid injuries and poor form.
But the 26-year-old did contribute to the most interesting club stat of the season. In the early-May 3-0 London Stadium beating of Southampton, Fredericks became the first defender since Arsenal’s Thomas Vermaelen in October 2009 to receive a perfect 10/10 match rating from renowned stats website WhoScored for his fantastic goalscoring display.
Jack Grealish has dominated the limelight at Aston Villa this season. Boyhood Villa fan turned captain and a creative English midfielder coveted by a variety of Premier League clubs, the narratives have been quite simply too tempting to resist.
But that has allowed the other standout midfield talent in this Villa team to seep under the radar. John McGinn arrived at Villa Park last summer and has been as crucial as Grealish in their push for promotion – it just so happens he plays directly alongside a young player who everybody, for one reason or another, appears to have a vested interest in.
McGinn was the Man of the Match at Wembley on Monday as Villa secured promotion with a 2-1 victory over Derby County through a performance that defined much of his first season with the Birmingham-based outfit. By no means his best display of the campaign, the Scotland international still created the most chances and made the joint-most tackles of any Villa player, while scoring what proved to be the winner.
“Fair play nonsense!” – Watch one fan’s astonishing defence of Leeds’ controversial goal against Villa on Sunday in the video below…
Again, McGinn has netted more illustrious strikes this season – seven in the Championship alongside nine assists – but this goal was all about grit and determination, rushing into the box and rising to a loose, looping ball just in time to beat Kelle Roos to it. For a club with as much potential as Villa, it was a massive goal.
McGinn’s performance will no doubt gain some more attention than his expert displays have received for much of the season, but the good news for Villa is that he’s still very much their secret weapon. Top flight clubs will focus on Grealish next season as this team’s beating heart and talismanic influence, yet McGinn has proved he’s just as capable of being Villa’s driving force.
Premier League be warned; there are two quality midfielders at Aston Villa – ignore either at your peril.
[ad_pod ]Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first few months in the Manchester United hotseat had some people thinking he was the answer to the club’s many problems.The Norwegian almost won all of them, drawing the other, whilst swatting teams aside and being able to coax genuine consistency out of the likes of Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba, who seemed like lost causes under Jose Mourinho.Had the Red Devils cracked it? Was their former fox-in-the-box actually the managerial reincarnate of Sir Alex Ferguson?No.One point separated City and Liverpool but twenty-five separated them from the rest! Fans discuss who could reduce the deficit next season in the video below?He had only previously managed Molde and Cardiff, and most people involved in football would have been able to tell you that his early success would be a mere flash in the pan based on no substance whatsoever; someone forgot to tell United that, however, and they handed him a three-year deal.To compare Solskjaer’s first ten games to his last 10 in all competitions, while he began his stint with nine wins and a draw – 5-1 win over Cardiff being his first game – the Norwegian won just two games and lost six as the season drew to a disappointing close.But why? What changed?Well, to start off with, Solskjaer didn’t really face a serious challenge in his first ten games. He picked up wins over Cardiff, Huddersfield, Newcastle, Bournemouth, Reading, Brighton and Leicester, and also drew to Burnley.To make matters worse, those wins weren’t on the basis of a sustained, effective plan, but more down to fortuitous circumstances, proven by the wheels coming off at the end of the campaign.Everyone was fit. Everyone was happy that Mourinho had gone. And most importantly, everyone had their confidence back and had the freedom to express themselves; Solskjaer physically couldn’t do any worse than the Portuguese boss had done in his final weeks at the club.
As of the 6th of March – admittedly after his first ten games had been played – United’s expected goals were down by almost 10 in comparison to their actual amount of goals scored, which suggests that they were performing well above the level they should’ve realistically been at. In short, it was unsustainable.
At the other end of the pitch in defence, United were expected to have 21.3 goals go past them, although in reality, they conceded just 13; again, this was unsustainable and showed that opponents were creating enough to beat them.
The Red Devils were also awarded seven penalties before the 6th of March, which helped make their actual goals in comparison to expected goals look a little bit easier on the eye.
In the last ten games, Solskjaer picked up just two wins having come up against considerably harder opponents.
The Norwegian faced off against some of Europe’s elite clubs in Manchester City, Barcelona and Chelsea and ended up losing six of the last 10 games of the campaign whilst drawing two.
Along with the fact that the quality of opponent was ramped up in comparison to his first 10 matches in charge, a number of other factors have to be taken into account.
After reports emerged towards the end of March linking star man Paul Pogba with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, the Frenchman’s form tailed off massively and consequently saw United’s level of performance suffer too.
Since being linked with the switch to the Spanish capital, Pogba hit just two goals from then until the end of the season; both of those came in the same game, a narrow 2-1 win over West Ham.
Given the fact that the former Juventus man was arguably one of the main catalysts behind United’s revival post-Mourinho, any dip in form from the midfielder would have been bound to negatively affect the whole team, and so it did.
Furthermore, Solskjaer also saw some important players crippled with injury problems, but none more damaging to results than Ander Herrera.
The Spaniard, who has since announced that he will be leaving the club, is the only one of his kind at Old Trafford in the dogged, determined way that he sets about winning the ball back and distributing it wisely; he was Solskjaer’s N’Golo Kante.
So, when a hamstring injury forced the former Athletic Bilbao man off against Liverpool in late February, it would prove to be a monumental blow for Solskjaer and United as he managed to appear in just four games throughout the remainder of the campaign.
All of these individuals factors proved too much for Solskjaer to handle, and completely tore apart the arguments that could’ve been made to justify his appointment on a permanent basis.
It was unbelievably foolish of the Red Devils to jump the gun and hand him a contract as long as a three-year one after a decent run of form in which everything fell into place for the former Molde man; surely they should’ve waited until a rainy day arrived to see how Solskjaer would stand against the tide?
Solskjaer really was riding the crest of a wave at Old Trafford whilst the shackles of Mourinho were taken away from his players’ legs, but it was never going to last.
It was a ‘new manager bounce’, the type we see relegation candidates enjoy momentarily before their actual state of incompetence and inferiority resumes and normality is restored.
Rangers are showing interest in former Middlesbrough and Liverpool midfielder Stewart Downing, according to Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie.
What’s the story?
With the departure of Ryan Kent back to Liverpool after the expiration of his loan, manager Steven Gerrard is on the hunt for wide midfielders he feels can make an impact Ibrox next season.
Sky Sports’ North East reporter Downie reckons the Gers are one of three clubs chasing Downing after he left Middlesbrough at the end of the season, with Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn Rovers also credited with an interest.
Gerrard connection
The Rangers manager of course will be more than familiar with Downing considering they played together not just in the England set-up, but also at Liverpool for two seasons in 2011/12 and 2012/13.
Gerrard has demonstrated already he isn’t afraid to bring veterans to the club, signing up players such as Allan McGregor, Steven Davis, Gareth McAuley and Jermain Defoe to the cause.
Check out Keith from C’mon the Hoops’ fascinating video on the origins of the Old Firm derby below…
Not what Rangers need
Downing is about to turn 35 and having played at left wing for the majority of his career would look to be a potential replacement for Kent on that side of the pitch, but clearly is a different kind of player who relies less on his pace and attacking contribution.
Rangers need exciting, direct wingers on both flanks next season to try and punish opposition defences and although the former Boro man has shown versatility in his later years, just doesn’t have that cutting edge anymore that can slice open a backline who sit in and are under pressure.
The reputation of Ibrox as a retirement home for former Premier League players can’t be allowed to take hold and they must look to utilise the skills of young, hungry individuals like Kent instead if they are to challenge Celtic next season.
When Guochuan Lai bought an 88% stake in West Brom in 2016, he said: “I don’t want to be a pop star; I want to become a great owner.”
Reflecting upon that, he’s been neither. Lai isn’t a popular figure at the club, nor has he been a great owner.
In fact, he’s been a disastrous owner.
When Jeremy Peace sold the club Albion were a team who were establishing themselves in the Premier League. The Baggies may never have been an excellent top-flight side, but after a topsy-turvy two years they now sit in a perilous position.
Having been relegated from the Premier League, West Brom failed to achieve promotion during their first term back in the Championship.
The club sacked Darren Moore in March and ever since that moment, matters at the club have been a circus.
Three months later West Brom are still searching for a new manager and after an initial shortlist of four targets had been drawn up, Chris Wilder, Slaven Bilic and Lee Bowyer have all also been in the running.
However, for anything to change at the Hawthorns next season, there needs to be a huge change at the top.
That involves seeing Lai leave the club. Mark Jenkins and Luke Dowling have proved themselves to be pretty incapable at replacing Moore but nothing will improve unless drastic measures at board level are taken.
Having bought the club for £200m, Albion’s majority shareholder has barely invested a penny into the football club.
One of the few times West Brom have made serious investment was in signing Yuning Zhang, a Chinese prodigy who cost the club £6m, per Express & Star. He didn’t play a game after arriving, something that sums up the rather farcical nature of the football club in recent years.
To think Albion can’t now bring in players like Dwight Gayle is a damning indictment of where they sit.
They’re in danger of falling away and if there isn’t change at the top, West Brom’s failed campaign could turn into something far worse next season.
Having attended just one match in the entirety of 2018/19, it’s clear Lai doesn’t hold a huge interest in the club. His words in 2016, therefore, offered false hope.
As another cracking Championship season draws to a close, check out the top 5 fan chants from 2018/19 in the video below…
In a fan survey conducted by Express & Star at the end of last season, 90% of West Brom fans declared they had no faith in their owner. 87% of supporters also said they had no faith in the board.
After the events of the past few months this is hardly surprising, but it just goes to show the troublesome relationship between those who attend the Hawthorns and those who simply oversee aspects behind the scenes.
Pumping millions into a rebuild over the summer wouldn’t be sustainable, but the fact they’re having to cut back is a sign of what’s gone wrong in recent years.
Unless things are altered behind closed doors, though, West Brom could be damned to the Championship for the foreseeable future. Something has to change.
Celtic fans are not keen on signing Kilmarnock defender Stephen O’Donnell this summer, despite the club’s need to sign a right-back.
With Cristian Gamboa’s and Mikael Lustig’s contracts expiring, alongside loan player Jeremy Toljan’s return to Borussia Dortmund, the Hoops badly need a player in the position during the transfer window.
The Scottish Sun reported last month that manager Neil Lennon could make a move for Scotland international O’Donnell, while former Celtic defender Mark Wilson tipped the player to make the switch to Celtic Park last week, speaking to The Daily Record.
How does Neil Lennon turn his doubters into believers? The answer lies in the video below…
O’Donnell has been a key part of Killie’s resurgence in the last 18 months, offering impressive stability on the right flank as part of Steve Clarke’s side.
Clarke has since selected the 27-year-old for Scotland, with the player starting the country’s last two qualifying matches.
Plenty of Celtic supporters watching Scotland against Belgium on Tuesday night though weren’t impressed, giving any move for the player a big thumbs down.
These fans have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts…
Leeds United may be about to make their most counter-intuitive transfer move in years.
Jack Clarke could well be on his way to Tottenham, while the Whites are looking at loaning in some wingers in order to replace him. Ryan Kent, Jack Harrison and Helder Costa have all been linked with a move to Elland Road, but replacing your brightest young talent with a plethora of loanees doesn’t seem to make any sense.
Aiming for promotion
The Whites may get £20m for Clarke, and if they do then selling him makes sense, but they must replace him with something worthwhile.
Indeed, the Whites are aiming for promotion next season, and that money could help to bring in the players that are needed, but the signings the Yorkshire club are targeting won’t do that.
Helder Costa is undoubtedly quality, but Ryan Kent and Jack Harrison have both proven that they aren’t that effective at Championship level. There is an argument to make that Clarke is actually the stronger player than either Kent or Harrison as his goal contribution to minutes ratio is much better in this division.
Losing their prized asset
Not only would Leeds be sacrificing Clarke’s influence on the pitch, but they would be losing their prized asset.
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If the fee they receive for the 18-year-old is partially spent on loan fees and wages for the likes of Kent and Harrison, then surely that is a bad move.
They will be helping develop young players that don’t even belong to them, and if they aren’t promoted they will return to Liverpool and Man City respectively.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side would then be back to square one except without Clarke and with less money than they would have had if they hadn’t loaned these players.