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Leeds United’s good start to the Premier League season has had many pundits raving about the Whites’ attacking intent, but it’s easy to forget that one man who deserves just as much credit as any forward player this season is United’s goalkeeper.

Indeed, Illan Meslier may have only kept one clean sheet so far this season, but he has been instrumental in Leeds’ success so far, earning all sorts of plaudits along the way.

Undoubtedly, his best performance of the season came against Sheffield United where he made two saves from John Lundstram and George Baldock at point-blank range to deny the Blades and eventually earn his team three points.

It’s hard to imagine where Leeds would be without their goalkeeper, and the fact that he cost just £5m this summer, makes his performances that much sweeter.

Marcelo Bielsa’s comments on him last season show just how good he is while also highlighting how much of a bargain he was.

“He is a goalkeeper without weak points and he has been with us from the beginning of the season,” Bielsa said.

Nobody expected a youngster from Ligue 2 to be Premier League ready this quickly, but Meslier is doing the business against the very best sides in the league.

Yes, he conceded eight in his first two games, but with three of those being penalties and others being down to individual errors, such as Liam Cooper’s poor marking of Aleksandar Mitrovic against Fulham, those numbers look far more forgivable.

At just £5m he has a better save percentage than £65m man Alisson, and if you discount the three penalties that have been scored against him, his save percentage goes up to 80%, which is good enough for third-best in the league.

In an age where relegated goalkeepers can cost £18.5m signing Meslier for £5m is one of the biggest bargains we’ve seen this summer, and Leeds can be proud of the fact that they’ve uncovered such a gem from absolutely nowhere.

According to the Evening Standard, Barcelona have approached Tottenham Hotspur over Tanguy Ndombele and Ryan Sessegnon to enquire about signing the Spurs pair in part-exchange deals.

The La Liga giants are prepared to offer the duo a way out of Tottenham but only if the Premier League club are willing to accept players plus cash, as they are strapped for cash as a result of the pandemic. The duo cost a combined total of £80m last summer but are prepared to reconsider their futures at the club as they fear they will spend another season on the fringes.

Jose Mourinho has already rejected the interest in Sessegnon, who is being monitored by a number of potential suitors. Spurs have blocked Barca’s approach for Ndombele, even though Mourinho has reservations about the club’s record signing. However, they may leave the club anyway in the not-too-distant future. [via Evening Standard]

Sessegnon’s development has been restricted right from the start as he moved to north London with a hamstring injury that he picked up while away on international duty.

The 20-year-old has grown frustrated by a lack of opportunities, as he was an unused substitute against Manchester United and West Ham before being dropped from the squad altogether for the past two games.

Mourinho sees him as a full-back in the long run, as he considers him a successor to his former pupil Ashley Cole, but he included Dennis Cirkin in his place instead on Monday night. This hasn’t gone down well with Sessegnon, particularly as the Portuguese wanted to sign him from Fulham during his time in charge of Manchester United.

Earlier this week, The Telegraph reported that Spurs may be forced to send him out on loan in the summer, as the club are concerned that he is failing to make any progress under Mourinho.

He needs to be playing regularly so he can develop as a player, which is something the head coach cannot guarantee at the moment. His versatility continues to be a problem, as even Mourinho can’t work out where he best fits, so he may choose to leave in order to work his way into contention for Gareth Southgate’s England squad for EURO 2020.

Meanwhile, Ndombele and Mourinho have a strained relationship, which has come under scrutiny in recent weeks. Despite the manager’s denial of any rift, he has only used the Frenchman once since the Premier League restarted last month.

Ndombele has struggled for form and fitness throughout the season and could be on his way out of the club sooner rather than later. Paris Saint-Germain have been calling for his signature and their wealth may be too tempting for Daniel Levy to ignore.

It is no secret that the chairman likes to count the coffers and he will want to recoup some of the funds that he spent on the French international last year. Ndombele is open to a move and it may be best for all parties involved if he were to move on, as Spurs could then reinvest the income for him on a player who may be more to Mourinho’s liking.

Tottenham fans, do you think Levy should let Ndombele and Sessegnon go? Let us know in the comments below!

Plenty of West Ham fans have been reacting to reports hinting at Felipe Anderson’s potential exit from the club, eliciting a mixed reaction from the Hammers faithful.

Football Insider claimed that the winger is in Italy attempting to engineer a return to his former club Lazio, from whom the Irons signed him two years ago for what was then a club record £36m (as per BBC).

The Brazil international enjoyed a fruitful first season at London Stadium, with 10 goals and five assists in 40 appearances, but the 2019/20 campaign was a rather subdued one for the 27-year-old. He only managed one goal in 27 outings last term, falling out of favour under David Moyes towards the latter part of the season.

The decline in Anderson’s performances from 2019/20 compared to the previous campaign is reflected in him taking fewer shots (1.6 to 0.9), executing fewer key passes (1.8 to one), playing fewer passes (46.3 to 35.8) and winning fewer tackles (2.5 to 1.8) per game, as per WhoScored. He also copped strong criticism from some West Ham supporters for some lacklustre performances in recent months.

These Hammers fans on Twitter had mixed views on the reports hinting at his possible exit – some retain faith in his ability based on his strong first season, while others have evidently lost patience with the 27-year-old:

West Ham fans, would Anderson be missed if he were to leave the Irons? Comment below with your views!

As was always going to be the case considering the current circumstances, Manchester United’s latest financial results have shown that things have taken a bit of a dip.

According to Sky Sports, United recorded an overall loss of £3.3m between January 1 to March 31 of this year – a figure largely attributed to there being a 51.7% decrease in broadcast revenue.

However, it appears some United fans have taken solace in the fact that, comparatively speaking, the club still remains in a financially strong place given the situation.

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Speaking after the announcement, the club’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward said: “Manchester United is a resilient club and a resilient company. We’re well-positioned, both operationally and financially, to navigate this global crisis and we very much look forward to returning to play and building upon the strong on-pitch momentum we experienced up to mid-March when we stopped.”

And after The Athletic journalist Laurie Whitwell revealed that cash reserves were at £90.3m, with access to an additional £150m under a revolving credit facility, fans of the Manchester side took to Twitter to voice their thoughts.

Some United fans were quick to praise Woodward for his work, with one supporter suggesting that the whole financial element was his “territory” and that there is nobody better.

He may come under fire from United fans for his perceived failures in the transfer market, but Woodward has certainly contributed to the club’s financial strength in recent years.

And with how events are unfolding across the world, it looks like the Manchester side could be one of the teams best placed to navigate the whole thing.

Key information about King Power Stadium

The King Power Stadium was built in 2002 and is now the home of Leicester City football club. The ground is located in Leicester in England and is actually rather close to the Foxes’ old stadium, Filbert Street ground.

Its current capacity stands at 32,273 and has a pitch the size of 105m x 68m. The surface of the field is covered with Desso GrassMaster’s hybrid turf – with no running track surrounding it – and has undersoil heating installed.

The highest ever attendance that was recorded at King Power Stadium was set on 1 April 2006 when 32,488 fans watched Leicester Tigers’ clash against Bath Rugby in the Heineken Cup.

A history of King Power Stadium

The King Power Stadium is still a relatively new ground and it’s been hosting Leicester City ever since it was erected back in 2002. Prior to that, the club had been playing their football at Filbert Street since 1891 and the first ideas of potentially making a switch to a new stadium were conceived following the Taylor Report in the early 1990s.

Still, with Filbert Street getting gradually revamped over the years, they decided to invest into their current facilities rather than starting from scratch somewhere else. But, as the club became more successful with the attendance soaring, it became painfully obvious that Filbert Street can’t exactly match their ambitions any longer.

In early 1998, new plans were announced for a potential 40,000 all-seater stadium that was supposed to be located in Bede Island South and hopefully finished in time for the 2000/01 campaign. However, the idea was abandoned on 5 January 2000. But they were adamant on making some changes and it was either reviving the idea of a new stadium or further improvements to the old one. Either way, something had to give.

With that in mind, on 2 November 2000 they finally settled for the former option, outlining plans for a 32,000-seat stadium at nearby Freeman’s Wharf, and setting their sight for the 2003/04 season while at the same time hoping it could get finished for the start of the 2002/03 campaign instead. Work began in the summer of 2001, and by 10 October that same year, they got some wonderful news – the new stadium would be ready for the 2002/03 season.

But even though that was a joyous occasion, the stadium did cost them around £37m and with Leicester just getting relegated from the Premier League, the club’s debt was reported to be around £30m.

The stadium was officially opened by club icon Gary Lineker on 23 July 2002 as the former striker cut the red ribbon. Shortly after, on 2 August, Leicester played Athletic Club in a friendly clash with the game ending in a 1-1 draw in front of approximately 24,000 people. The first official competitive match took place just six days after that with the hosts beating Watford 2–0 in front of a near-capacity crowd of 31,022.

The record attendance for a football clash at the stadium is 32,242, which was set during Leicester City’s first home game of the 2015/16 season against Sunderland, while the overall record attendance of 32,488 was actually recorded for a rugby union match between Leicester Tigers and Bath in 2006.

On 1 March 2013, the club’s Thai owners King Power bought the stadium through their company K Power Holdings Co, Ltd. In April 2018, the initial planning for the expansion and development of the ground was announced.

Tickets to watch Leicester City at King Power Stadium

All tickets to watch Leicester City’s games at King Power Stadium can be found on the club’s official website. There are two categories for every age group and for every stand with category A being the more expensive one.

The most expensive adult ticket costs £50 but the club also offers season tickets as well as memberships that can get you a discount.

Related links

https://www.lcfc.com/ – Official website of Leicester City

https://tickets.lcfc.com/ – Leicester City Ticket Office

Borussia Dortmund starlet Jadon Sancho has been on Manchester United’s radar for what feels like eternity.

The England international has been linked with a big-money move to Old Trafford for a number of months now, amid suggestions that he could finally be set for a return to English football after a few years in Germany.

The likes of Chelsea and Liverpool are also reported to be monitoring the situation, but recent reports have claimed that United are the ones in pole position.

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However, a fresh update from The Daily Express has claimed that the current situation surrounding the world at the moment makes it “far-fetched” that United could spend £120m on Sancho.

As such, it’s suggested the Manchester side could could active their buy-back clauses on Memphis Depay or Wilfried Zaha.

Whilst the reasons behind such a stance is understandable, this could turn into a monumental mistake from Ed Woodward. Make no mistake about it, if United have second thoughts about signing Sancho, then the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool will no doubt be prepared to blow them out of the water and beat them to the punch.

If Sancho really is the priority signing for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this summer, then there really shouldn’t be any settling for second-best, whatever the circumstances.

Getting the Dortmund starlet in would mean United have a winger for the next decade or so in their first-team – both Depay and Zaha on the other hand would come with a question mark due to them initially failing to make the grade at Old Trafford.

Sancho’s arrival would be a statement of intent that Solskjaer’s team are battling for the biggest and best signings in world football. Going for cheaper alternatives would completely undermine that and set United back years. Re-signing a flop would make them a laughing stock, and another sign that they are not amongst the elite.

Meanwhile, Man Utd would make a statement of intent with move for this Serie A ace.

According to Foot Mercato, Newcastle are interested in making a move for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly this summer.

What’s the word?

The Magpies could be set for a massive summer of financial investment if their proposed takeover goes through. And naturally, the Tyneside club are already being linked with some big-money moves for a whole host of players – including Koulibaly.

French publication Foot Mercato claim that Newcastle have “officially entered into contact” with the Senegal international, and that Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is “now open to a departure” for the centre-back.

The report further adds that Koulibaly is likely to cost at least €80m (£70m), but that with him having an “attraction for England”, it is an opportunity the “Magpies would like to seize”.

Defensive rock

Make no mistake about it, Koulibaly’s arrival would take Newcastle’s defence up a couple of levels.

The 6 foot 2 powerhouse can shore up a back-line that has conceded 41 goals in just 29 Premier League games this season – only seven teams have let in more.

In Serie A this year, the 28-year-old has averaged a mightily impressive 2.6 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game – no Newcastle player has a better tackling average than him. And he has earned some rave reviews for his performances too.

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Current Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti, who managed the defender in his time at Napoli, paid him the highest possible compliment when he said: “Koulibaly belongs in the category of Maldini, Thuram, Thiago Silva, and Sergio Ramos.”

For a manager like Ancelotti, who has seen it and done it all at club level, to say Koulibaly belongs in that bracket of high-calibre players, just goes to show what an incredible signing Newcastle would be making if they could pull it off.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Fear.

That might be the one thing that is holding back one Birmingham City player from flourishing at St Andrew’s.

Speaking during a Q&A for Birmingham Live, journalist Brian Dick was asked about whether or not Jude Bellingham was being played ‘too much’ considering the fact that he’s only 16:

“He’s played at a level way beyond that of other, older, more experienced players over the last few years. I think it is unfair to ask him to play the whole season though.”

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That comment about Bellingham is an interesting one. If people like Dick aren’t expecting him to start every game this season, and with Clotet saying in the past that he needs to be careful how he manages his workload given his young age, there needs to be some competition for his place.

However, at the moment it doesn’t look like there is any, purely because Clotet doesn’t want to.

There is someone who should be getting much more of a look in, though, but for some reason, there seems to be a hesitancy to use him. That player is a certain Josh McEachran.

The former Chelsea and Brentford midfielder was on trial at St Andrew’s for the best part of a month before they eventually signed him to a two-year deal back at the end of September.

We’ve spoken previously on FFC about the fact McEachran has a lot to offer the club in terms of his style of play, both in attack and in defence. Despite that, the £1.35m-rated midfielder just hasn’t been able to make the breakthrough into the first team, making just one substitute appearance against Blackburn Rovers.

Is it simply because Clotet is scared of dropping Bellingham? He’s spoken before about how delicate a situation it would be, saying that “I know the fans might give me a bit of stick if I don’t start him every game.”

It sounds as if Clotet is trying to keep fans on his side by playing ‘one of their own’ rather than someone like McEachran who could offer up more to this Birmingham side with his Championship experience.

Therefore, it might take a catastrophic error, or even worse a spell on the injury table to Bellingham before he can finally get his chance.

With results being described as ‘inconsistent’ at best, Clotet needs to start doing what is best for the team, rather than what’s best for the fans.

Nicolás Gaitán could potentially be heading for the Premier League, with a number of potential suitors interesting in signing the 31-year-old, including Aston Villa, according to reports from the Guardian.

What’s the word?

Gaitan, who is currently with MLS outfit Chicago Fire, is set to leave the club when his contract expires at the end of December.

The likes of West Ham and Sheffield United are also, as reported by the Guardian, interested in signing the Argentinian, and a battle of Premier League sides could ensue in chasing the services of the forward ahead of the January window, with Villa likely to be attracted by the prospect of Gaitan’s availability on a free transfer.

Is Gaitan what Dean Smith’s side need?

The forward has impressed during his time in the USA, scoring four goals and registering 11 assists in 27 league appearances, but Villa owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris will have to ensure they don’t jeopardise their long-term vision for the club with acquisitions that align to short-term gains.

At the age of 31, Gaitan would be joining Smith’s squad towards the latter stages of his career, and given the club’s youthful transfers policy in the summer window – with 10 of Villa’s 12 summer signings aged 24 and under – this would represent an alteration in the newly-promoted side’s philosophy in the market.

The only player Villa signed this summer above the age of 30 was Tom Heaton (33), and if Gaitan was to arrive in B6, he would have to make a considerable impact in order to earn a starting berth.

If a short-term contract was to be tabled – perhaps till the end of the season – this could work in Villa’s favour. But Gaitan’s age and the reduction in competitiveness he will have been experiencing over the last two years – in both the MLS and the Chinese Super League – could make this a transfer worthy of caution for Smith and the club’s owners ahead of the January transfer window.

A number of Sunderland supporters have been responding to a post on the Black Cats’ Twitter feed, reflecting on Fabio Borini’s late winning goal against Newcastle United in 2013.

The Stadium of Light natives had opened the scoring in the fifth-minute of the Premier League encounter through Steven Fletcher, only to be pegged back early into the second-half when Mathieu Debuchy tapped home Hatem Ben Arfa’s shot unmarked at the back post.

Sunderland had dominated for large proportions of the clash, but a decline in intensity following the break saw Newcastle take advantage and punish Gus Poyet’s side (BBC).

Yohan Cabaye nearly put the visiting Magpies ahead as well, although the Black Cats would rally late on, and regain the lead when Borini blasted a long-range effort beyond Tim Krul.

The win was Sunderland’s first of the campaign and would see them rise above Crystal Palace at the bottom of the Premier League standings, bringing a sense of optimism to Wearside.

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But six years on, Sunderland find themselves eighth in League One, and the Black Cats’ post reflecting on the Tyne-Wear Derby from 2013 has seen some fans vent their frustrations having been beaten by Shrewsbury Town on Saturday.

Sunderland have now won just two of their last seven games in the third-tier, while their latest loss leaves last season’s Play-Off Finalists eight points behind League One leaders Ipswich Town and three points down on sixth-placed Coventry City.

Others though, have simply shared their thoughts on the experience, ranging from falling down about six rows of seats to “falling in love” with Borini himself.

Here are some of the messages shared in response to Sunderland’s post…