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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Italian publication Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), AS Roma are interested in making Chris Smalling’s loan move from Manchester United, permanent.

What’s the word?

The England international was the big casualty of the Red Devils’ summer pursuit of Harry Maguire, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed it was in the centre-back’s own interests to seek out first-team football elsewhere.

Since joining Roma, the 29-year-old has featured in four Serie A games, helping his team keep two clean sheets in the process, and averaging an impressive 1.8 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game in the league. Now, Corriere dello Sport claim the Italian club’s hierarchy “have already communicated they are interested in making the loan a permanent one”.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

The report adds however that the “door hasn’t been closed” from a United perspective, although it remains to be seen whether the Englishman does have a long-term future at Old Trafford.

End of the chapter

After joining from Fulham back in 2010 in a reported £7m deal, Smalling wasn’t entirely convincing at the back for United. The 29-year-old’s time at the club was littered with high-profile mistakes and stinging criticism, and it was unsurprising to see him being the one to make way for Maguire’s big-money arrival in the summer.

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Jose Mourinho’s damning verdict on Smalling’s inability to play out from the back has defined his career, with England manager Gareth Southgate even revealing he had dropped him from the Three Lions squad due to that specific reason. For two of his high-profile managers to come out and say that in public really put the nail in the coffin.

So whilst United may be keeping a close eye on the 6 foot 4 man’s progress over in Italy, there really shouldn’t be any way back for him at Old Trafford. The Red Devils simply have to move on, and close a chapter that started almost a decade ago.

An up-and-coming prospect at French side Lille, Boubakary Soumare has seen his named linked with a whole host of clubs since bursting onto the scene. Back in January 2018, reports had claimed Manchester City were planning on making a bid for the midfielder, but that potential move failed to materialise.Now, transfer rumours involving the 20-year-old have resurfaced, with ESPN claiming City’s rivals Manchester United are keen on bringing him to Old Trafford. It claims the Red Devils see the Frenchman as a potential long-term successor to Paul Pogba, and that he fits the box of being a young and talented player.After hearing the transfer report linking their club to Soumare, United fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the matter.Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Many supporters of the Manchester side revealed their excitement at making a move for the 6 foot 2 man, with one fan in particular insisting he is very similar to Pogba.

Some Red Devils fans suggested the news sounds very promising, and another supporter claimed it would be a “wise move” on the part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

When you’ve only scored 13 goals in your opening 11 Premier League games this season, surely you would be constantly racking your brains of new ways of helping to change that?

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has seen his side dramatically under-perform since their 4-0 thrashing of Chelsea in their opening league game of the campaign, and Saturday afternoon’s 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth simply reinforced that.

The Red Devils looked toothless in attack, with only Fred managing to create one big chance in the game according to Sofascore. The man who played in the number ten role meanwhile, Andreas Pereira, could only muster up one key pass.

So with their side devoid of any real creativity, United fans flooded to Twitter to vent their frustrations at seeing 19-year-old Angel Gomes continue to be overlooked by Solskjaer.

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Many supporters of the Manchester side revealed they are stunned that the likes of Pereira and Jesse Lingard continue to be the United boss’ main men, and insisted Gomes is far better than the duo.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

Saturday was filled with frustration for many linked with Tottenham Hotspur, as they drew 1-1 against Sheffield United.

What makes the result even worse is that Spurs had 60.9% of possession, but only managed 1 more shot on target than the Blades, while having the same number of corners and dribbles.

Even the club’s Twitter admin sounded dejected when the final whistle was blown:

Plenty of the discontent many Spurs fans were feeling after the disappointment the game provided ended up working its way towards Mauricio Pochettino.

With the club currently sitting in the bottom half of the table, there are fans who feel now is the time for the Argentinian to leave the club.

There is a sign that Pochettino is aware of the pressure that is building on him, as he was quoted in football.london after the game as saying: “You expect better results than you get. Of course we are in a process to build and we’ll see if we have time to build what we want.”

A selection of Twitter reaction to the result, including posts from fuming Spurs fans, can be seen below:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Everton U23s boss David Unsworth has praised Oumar Niasse after the struggling striker bagged two goals for the youth side against Crewe Alexandra.

What did he say?

Niasse’s goals in the 2-2 draw at Gresty Road were enough for Unsworth’s men to advance in the Leasing.com trophy. It was a rare sight to see 29-year-old on the scoresheet, as Niasse has failed to make a name for himself on Merseyside over the past few years.

However, the U23s boss has sung his praises after his recent display and praised his attitude.

Unsworth told Evertonfc.com: “Oumar gives you everything he’s got.

“The lads love him and they were all singing his name in the dressing room at the end!

“The man is just infectious. His attitude is incredible and he got his goals tonight.”

First-team still far off

Marco Silva has struggled to get goals out of his side this season. Everton’s first-team currently sit 17th in the table and have only scored 11 goals in the 11 games that have been played.

This awful record puts Silva’s squad as the joint fourth-lowest scoring team in the Premier League.

The likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison up top have been looked at for these goals. However, the two have just five league goals between them so far.

On the other hand, Niasse only has nine goals in 39 appearances for the senior squad, a record which has justifiably seen him drop into the reserves to find some form. The former Cardiff City man is perhaps fifth in the pecking order for a role as Everton’s striker, with the likes of Cenk Tosun and Moise Kean most likely ahead of him.

Plus, if there is anybody who is going to make the move to the first-team it is Anthony Gordon.

The youth star has six goals and three assists for the U23s so far and is pushing for a senior appearance.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Sheffield Wednesday’s current season takes a short break from league action as Euro 2020 qualifying amongst other international competitions takes centre stage.

The Owls are sat eighth in the Championship table, three points behind a playoff position, and eight points behind their next opponents, the league-leading West Bromwich Albion.

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This two-week hiatus gives manager Garry Monk an opportunity to iron out some of the problems his side have faced in recent weeks, most notably, their lack of game management as in three of their last five matches, his team have thrown away some form of valuable points.

Although, the 40-year-old will be without those on international duty, and one player could well be in line to start on Sunday when England play Kosovo.

On the Chalkboard

Some of those at Hillsborough may find their loyalties divided as Atdhe Nuhiu has a very good chance of starting against the Three Lions at the Pristina City Stadium.

Tottenham Hotspur-linked (Fanatik per Aksam) striker Vedat Muriqi has withdrawn from the squad with an ankle injury, and there’s only one other player fit to play the role other than the Wednesday colossus.

Nuhiu’s physical advantage could make him the ideal choice against an England side that has probably never faced such a threat before.

At 6 foot 6, the 30-year-old towers above pretty much every player on the pitch whenever he features – this season, he has won a total of 58 aerial duels at an average of 4.8 per game, via WhoScored.

England have a wide choice of central defensive options to call upon, but none stand as tall as Nuhiu.

John Stones has only won 3.3 aerial duels per game while Harry Maguire, the tallest defender in Gareth Southgate’s squad, has won just 3.7 aerial duels per match.

While surely the younger, less experienced heads of Joe Gomez (2 aerial duels won per game) and Fikayo Tomori (2 aerial duels won per match) won’t be called upon against such a physical powerhouse.

Nuhiu didn’t feature when the two teams met last month at Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium as England won 5-3, but based on the above factors alone, the Wednesday striker has the capability to be a real handful on Sunday afternoon.

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… 

Sheffield Wednesday return to league action this weekend, and those involved with the club will be hoping that they have learned a thing or two over the international break.

The Owls were left reeling in several matches before the two-week league hiatus kicked in as game management has cost them an array of points.

Too often lately have Garry Monk’s side let slip of a potential victory or even that crucial away point, so hopefully, signs of that being put right will occur against Championship-leading West Brom this weekend.

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However, one of their major issues this season doesn’t necessarily have a quick or easy fix – goalscoring.

Top goalscorer Steven Fletcher is currently enduring a barren run of six games without a goal, and under the 40-year-old, the side have bagged just 14 goals from ten matches, four of which coming in one fixture alone.

But one of Wednesday’s reported targets continues to display why he could be a potential solution, and one that doesn’t necessarily have to lead the line.

Per TEAMtalk at the start of the month, the Owls were leading the chase for Crawley Town striker Bez Lubala after his impressive start to the season in League Two.

The 21-year-old has continued to prove that he is a goal threat, even when playing from a wide position, as he has bagged eight goals in 17 appearances this campaign.

Lubala was handed his first senior debut by Monk when the pair were together at Birmingham City, so that only adds fuel to the fire, but it is a move that makes a ton of sense outside of that factor alone.

The goal-laden ace has primarily been deployed as a left-winger in Gabriele Cioffi’s system, and it has paid serious dividends.

Lubala is averaging a massive 4.4 shots per game, which far exceeds Wednesday’s best as Fletcher is averaging 2.7 per game while Kadeem Harris, who has played on the left this campaign, has managed just 1.6 per match, via WhoScored.

He also averages 1.9 dribbles, 1.9 key passes, and 1.2 crosses a game, which only goes to show he can offer multiple qualities – the sort that can help Monk resolve his goalscoring crisis.

That’s both in a team player sense, as his numbers for passes and crosses show, and as a threat in front of goal.

The 40-year-old knows the player well enough from the Blues, and the fact that he can play on the wing or as a striker should have the Owls chief pleading at Dejphon Chansiri’s door this January.

This article forms part of our Profit Players feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how well a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how good of a deal the club managed to achieve.

When signing from Bolton Wanderers in August 2015, Tim Ream was looking to follow in the footsteps of Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra and become another successful American export at Fulham.

Having been told he was free to leave the club upon the arrival of Slavisa Jokanovic at Craven Cottage later that year, it may have seemed unlikely he would significantly add to the history his compatriots had made at the club.

But fast-forward to the present day, and Ream is an integral part of the Fulham defence, and captain of the United States.

And what was a mere £1.5m signing (according to Transfermarkt) turned out to be arguably the piece of the puzzle that helped Fulham temporarily regain their top-flight status.

He had to work his way into Jokanovic’s plans, and arguably did not manage to claim a Reading in the 2016/17 season.

Everything came together in the following campaign, as Ream’s part in Fulham’s long play-off final saw the American become the club’s Player of the Season as they secured promotion to the top tier.

His performances in that campaign had fans and journalists singing his praises:

While last season would end in despair, Ream has continued to front the fight for promotion once again, playing in all but one of Fulham’s league fixtures as they strive to bounce back immediately under Scott Parker.

Ream’s status in the squad represents a remarkable turnaround for a player who Jokanovic had not initially wanted, and considering the small fee that brought him to Craven Cottage, it is nothing short of a great success story for the 32-year-old, who remains a vital component of the team after relegation.

And by recently extending his deal at the club until 2021, Fulham will surely be hoping they can continue to profit from their wise decision to recruit the USA international over four years ago.

Fulham fans, how important has Ream been to the team’s progress in the last few years? Let us know below!

Danny Rose played the full 90 minutes as Tottenham Hotspur recorded a 4-2 win over Olympiacos in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Spurs actually trailed 2-0 in the opening 19 minutes as the visitors made a very quick and indeed very impressive start to the European affair.

Dele Alli, Harry Kane (2) and Serge Aurier all responded with goals, though, to ensure that Jose Mourinho’s side would book their spot in the next round of the competition.

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All things considered, it was another positive night for Spurs.

However, it would be fair to say that a number of the club’s supporters were unhappy with the performance of Danny Rose.

According to WhoScored, the left-back only made one successful tackle during his 90 minutes on the field, and the Spurs fans were not very impressed at all.

Rose was strongly linked with a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the summer but ultimately remained at the club.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Meanwhile, the Tottenham fans have recently had their say on reports linking their club with a move for a Netherlands international.

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…

Availability is such an important trait in football, and when a player is susceptible to serious injury problems, it can make any amount of money spent on them a risk.

This statement is especially applicable to Southampton and Danny Ings.

Following a troublesome stint with Liverpool, in which he made just 25 appearances across a four-year stint at Anfield, eyebrows may have been raised when the Saints parted with £20m to sign the England international following an agreement to sign him following a loan deal in 2018.

Ings injured his anterior cruciate ligament back in 2015 while playing for the Merseysiders that sidelined him for seven months, and upon his return to full fitness, suffered an issue in the very same knee which ruled him out for a further nine months.

Now, that would surely leave huge concerns over Ings’ ability to remain fit, but nevertheless, Southampton took an expensive gamble on the boyhood Saints supporters and they are now being rewarded for such a show of faith.

So far this season, the 27-year-old has scored nine goals in all competitions, with seven of them coming in the Premier League, placing him seventh in the scoring ranks behind world-class names such as Raheem Sterling and Sadio Mane – he has outscored Mohamed Salah and is level with Harry Kane.

Most recently, it was Ings’ goal that kick-started a five-minute turnaround against relegation rivals Watford, a game that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side could ill afford to lose.

In addition to his crucial 78th-minute equaliser, the former Burnley hitman recorded two key passes and also completed two dribbles, while getting involved defensively with two clearances to his name.

Having someone who can put the ball in the net during a relegation battle is like gold dust, and if Ings can keep Southampton in England’s top-flight with his goals, then he will have been worth every penny – even now, the Saints are truly being rewarded for their massive gamble.

The south coast side earned over £104m for staying in the Premier League last term, so if Ings’ goals fire them to safety, he will have paid off his own fee and more.

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