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A number of Everton fans have explained their reasons for wanting Romelu Lukaku back at the club ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.

Lukaku’s future at Manchester United continues to be called into question having only scored 15 times for the Red Devils last term.

Everton have not actually been credited with an interest in the Belgium international.

However, a number of their supporters have been on social media commenting on a possible swoop for the 26-year-old in this summer’s transfer window.

One particular Twitter account could not understand why a number of the club’s fans had voted yes in a poll on whether the centre-forward should be re-signed.

The former Anderlecht youngster did not enjoy the best of seasons last term.

However, he managed 87 goals in 166 appearances for Everton between 2013 and 2017, which is very impressive indeed.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Merseyside club’s fans can be seen below:

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

Real Madrid have placed a €50m (£44.6m) asking price on midfielder Dani Ceballos amid interest from Tottenham Hotspur, per AS.

What’s the word?

Ceballos is currently playing for Spain at the Under-21 European Championships in Italy and AS report that his situation at Real is “complex”.

Indeed, they claim that boss Zinedine Zidane would be open to selling the midfielder this summer, though Florentino Perez, the president, rates him highly.

As such, a €50m (£44.6m) asking price has been placed on the 22-year-old, with negotiations not set to start until such a bid is made.

Spurs are touted as the “best placed club” to sign him, with manager Mauricio Pochettino making him a priority addition this summer.

AS even report that they have already discussed a move with the player.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Who does Pochettino prioritise?

This one feels a little bit bizarre.

Ceballos is hardly a heavyweight midfield star with European pedigree, despite the club he plays for.

He was included in the starting XI in La Liga just 13 times in 2018/19 and is deemed as expendable by his manager.

That Spurs would potentially make him one of their top targets makes little sense when one considers the fact that they have also been heavily linked with Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele.

Ndombele is a full France international and has made 96 appearances for the Ligue 1 club; it makes more sense for the Argentine to prioritise a move for him instead of Ceballos.

At €50m, too, the price seems just a bit too rich for Spurs as they look to reinforce their squad for the first time since January 2018.

They would be better off making Ndombele their “priority”.

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The arrival of Matteo Guendouzi at Arsenal last summer came out of nowhere. The Frenchman signed from Ligue 2 side Lorient and all signs pointed to him spending his time with the Gunners’ academy or on the fringes of the first-team.

Instead, the 20-year-old enjoyed a fine pre-season and had done enough to convince Unai Emery that he was worthy of being in his plans right from the off.

After an impressive debut campaign for the north London side, Guendouzi has continued his form at the U21 European Championships and despite France’s exit to Spain on Thursday night, Gunners fans were left suitably impressed by their young talent’s performance.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Many Arsenal supporters took to Twitter to shower him with praise and remarked that he had been “absolutely outstanding” for the entire tournament and it was up to Emery and the coaching staff to make sure he continued to develop.

Indeed, after a particularly fine display in the opening stages of the clash against Spain, Gunners fans claimed that Guendouzi was “bossing” the game from central midfield and highlighted his “elite mentality”.

Check out some of the excited reaction of Arsenal fans on Guendouzi’s performance below:

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

West Ham United have been offered the chance to sign controversial former Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli, per The Daily Telegraph.

What’s the word?

The Hammers are currently short on strikers.

Marko Arnautovic left the club to move to Shanghai SIPG on Monday, while Lucas Perez and Andy Carroll departed earlier in the summer.

A move for Maxi Gomez appears to be on the verge of collapse amid reports that he is set to snub a move to the Hammers in favour of joining Valencia.

And the Telegraph claims that Balotelli, whose contract has expired at Marseille, has been offered to the Irons.

Manuel Pellegrini, however, is yet to show any interest in a player who has previously made headlines for causing a fire in his own house by setting off fireworks in the bathroom and asked to be substituted after discovering an allergy to grass.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The worst move possible

How better to replace the poisonous influence of Marko Arnautovic than by bringing in the shy and retiring Balotelli?

This is absolutely the worst kind of deal that West Ham could be forced into and it should be avoided at all costs.

The Italy international has not been able to live up to the performances he gave at City, when it appeared he could become a star, and Marseille were in no hurry to keep him around.

The latest reports even claim that he paid a restaurant owner to drive a moped into the sea and that he is under investigation by police.

He would create headlines if he came to east London, that is for sure, but for all the wrong reasons.

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Walsall captain George Dobson is reportedly on Sunderland’s radar this summer, and fans are very excited about the potential move.

The Sunderland Echo claim the Black Cats want to sign Dobson this summer, and Roker Report have also added to the reports, reaffirming that the interest is genuine.

Dylan McGeouch could leave the Stadium of Light, and with Lee Cattermole retiring that leaves a void to be filled by the Walsall skipper.

It seems the Black Cats are being made to work hard for the 21 year-old though, as Saddlers boss Darrell Clarke claimed this week that they have rejected offers for two players, one of those being Dobson.

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Despite still being very young, the defensive midfielder, who can also play in defence or further forward in midfield, has racked up 91 first-team appearances, scoring twice and assisting nine times.

He is energetic with an excellent work rate, loves a tackle and reads the game well, though there may be some concerns over his lack of pace and strength.

Fans are very fond of the move though, and you can see some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have reacted with shock and disappointment to the news that Danny Rose has not been included in the club’s squad for their pre-season tour of Singapore and Shanghai.

The Premier League club will play Juventus and Manchester United in Asia as part of the International Champions Cup.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side confirmed their travelling squad on Wednesday and the 27-cap England international was not included.

Spurs have included a number of youngsters in their pool; goalkeeper Jonathan De Bie, defender Brooklyn Lyons-Foster, midfielders Jamie Bowden and Harvey White and striker Troy Parrott are all teenagers.

They are joined by the likes of senior stars Harry Kane, Hugo Lloris and Son Heung-Min as Spurs ramp up their preparations for the 2019/20 season.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Nevertheless, fans are surprised and disappointed that Rose could well be nearing an exit from the club – reports suggest that he will be allowed to complete a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in this transfer window if an acceptable bid is received.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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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…

Speaking to Sky Sports News, former Liverpool star Jason McAteer has drawn comparisons between teenage ace Rhian Brewster and Reds legends Ian Rush and Robbie Fowler.

What did he say?

After recovering from a lengthy lay-off from injury, Brewster has hit the ground running in pre-season and fired in three goals in Liverpool’s opening two games.

Having seen the 19-year-old’s displays, McAteer believes the upcoming campaign could be a real breakthrough season for the striker and admitted that his style of play is reminiscent of two former Anfield heroes.

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

He said: “His progression is coming along nicely, it’s a great learning curve for him. He’s had that injury but he now looks like he’s fully fit and come back from it.

“You can see bits of Rushy [Ian Rush] in him, the way he runs, the way he closes people down. Also, bits of Robbie Fowler in his finishing. If he turns out half as good as those two, I’m sure we’ve got a real player on our hands!”

A huge benchmark

Talk about trying to cool expectations. McAteer’s glowing praise of Brewster is certainly indicative of the kind of high regard Liverpool hold the young forward in, and it is no surprise to see.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Having won the Golden Boot at the FIFA U17 World Cup, Brewster was included in Liverpool’s Champions League final squad and it appears Klopp has big plans for the 19-year-old.

Speaking earlier this month, the German said: “Rhian is a really big talent. We’re really looking forward to seeing him in training. It will be an important role for us, we’ve planned an important role for him.”

Following Daniel Sturridge’s departure, there is certainly room for Brewster to potentially make his mark next season and he could well overtake Divock Origi in the pecking order if he continues to impress during pre-season. Whilst McAteer’s comparisons are certainly lofty, the hype surrounding the striker is very much real.

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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…

At the start of last week Slaven Bilic appeared frustrated when demanding that West Brom needed to get going in the transfer market.

Therefore, it’s likely he will have been delighted that by Saturday, he had two new permanent arrivals at the Hawthorns.

Towards the end of the week he added Kenneth Zohore to his ranks after agreeing an £8m deal for the former Cardiff man.

He may have only scored one Premier League goal last term but his 21 Championship strikes in the two years prior tells you what he can do at a lower level.

Yet, on Saturday, they confirmed the arrival of Semi Ajayi. A man who standing at 6 foot 4, is a colossus.

He is a giant amongst men and that was summed up in the rather brilliant season he had for Rotherham.

The Millers struggled as a team, being relegated from the second tier, but Ajayi was still pivotal and his displays were enough for one of the top teams in the division to invest in his services.

Having moved from central defence to defensive midfield over the term, he played like a man possessed as he netted seven times whilst also making two tackles per match.

However, it was ability in the air that stood out over anything.

Across 46 Championship outings, he won 4.3 aerial duels per game, a success rate that puts him above any Albion player still currently in the squad.

His prowess in those types of situations was matched by the departed Craig Dawson whilst only Ahmed Hegazi, 4.1 aerial duels per game, and Kyle Bartley, four aerial duels per match, came close.

Watch fans explain why the Football League is better than the Premier League in the video below…

Playing in two positions, he was phenomenal, winning 14 headers in one game on one occasion against QPR and winning a further 13 against Bolton. That first number came when playing as a holding midfielder too.

In terms of West Brom’s midfield, they were incredibly lightweight in this department last season as Gareth Barry won the most aerial duels. That stood at a measly 1.4 per match.

Therefore, the Nigerian’s arrival in the Midlands should be seen as a huge positive.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s One to Watch series, which focuses on those players we think are particularly worth keeping an eagle-eye on as the 2019/20 season unfolds.

Jamie Shackleton will be hoping for more first-team opportunities in the forthcoming season after his promising 2018/19 campaign at Leeds United.

What’s the story so far?

The Leeds youngster earned his first Championship start in a tricky away trip against Swansea in August 2018, as injuries forced the midfielder to slot in at right-back as Luke Ayling shifted into the centre of the defence.

Shackleton was unfazed by the challenge and impressed at full-back, providing an assist for Kemar Roofe with an intelligent cutback in what was a thrilling match at the Liberty Stadium, with both sides eventually sharing the points.

This was to be the first of many appearances for the Englishman, who went on to register 19 league appearances.

And despite the fact only three of those appearances were made from the outset, his performances illuminated a level of potential that suggests regular starts could be looming on the horizon.

What’s 2019/20 got in store for Shackleton?

The Championship is a gruelling 46-game campaign and one that demands a squad beaming with the stamina and determination to overcome the challenge.

Shackleton’s debut campaign yielded some good appearance figures, but after a year working with Bielsa he should be pushing for a regular place in the Argentine’s starting XI.

As the schedule gets busier, Shackleton’s versatility can allow him to cover in both defensive and midfield areas to cover for injured or jaded players, while it would not be wild to suggest he could consistently start on merit alone.

With Pontus Jansson departing for Brentford and Aapo Halme moving to Barnsley, there’s a sparsity of options in central defence for Bielsa to choose from, with Ben White, Gaetano Berardi and Liam Cooper the three recognised options.

Ayling could well move into central defence to fill a potential gap as could Kalvin Phillips. Tweaking the position of either of those two players to address a defensive shortage could pave a clear path in the starting XI for Shackleton, and Leeds’ refusal to address an apparent problem area hints the club trust the 19-year-old to slot into the team in either of his favoured positions.

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What constitutes a good season for Shackleton?

Shackleton is a talented product of the academy and, given the progress he’s already made, he should be aiming for regular involvement this season.

He should be looking to become a comfortably rotated player, as someone who can slot in where necessary, perform to a solid standard and earn the trust of both the Elland Road faithful and his manager.

Huge strides have already been made in that regard but changes in expectation have shifted the dynamic ahead of the new season as Shackleton leaves the luxury of relative anonymity behind in the 2018/19 season.

Will he thrive, crumble or stagnate under a fresh set of circumstances? This is a player for both Leeds and neutral fans to monitor throughout the campaign.

Shackleton should target…

Appearances: 25

Starts: 15

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

Leicester City’s match against Wolves was just one of two opening weekend 0-0’s in the top-flight as the Premier League got underway for the 2019/20 season.

The Foxes dominated large spells of the game recording 70.1% possession but faltered in the final third having failed to create any major chances of note.

In fact, Brendan Rodgers’ men recorded the most passes of any other Premier League team with 665 – over one hundred more than Manchester City who are well-known for their quick tempo passing style.

Their impotence in front of goal was reflected vastly on the other end of the scale having managed just one shot on target during the entire game – the lowest of any other Premier League side.

This summer, Rodgers added Ayoze Perez from Newcastle United for £30m to what was already an impressive cohort of attacking talent.

Jamie Vardy, James Maddison, Youri Tielemans and now Perez – that should get you a lot of goals.

On the Chalkboard

The way Leicester set-up against Wolves wasn’t ideal.

There was too much space and time given to a side which operates with three centre-backs and two wing-backs at either side.

The back three anchored by Ruben Neves had all the time in the world to get behind the ball and settle down whilst the presence of Jonny and Matt Doherty meant that the Foxes’ own full-backs were wary of displaying their attacking intent.

As a result, they were often playing on the back foot and hoping that one of the aforementioned quartet of forward-thinking stars could spring something out of nothing – which isn’t a fantastic game plan going forward.

As good as Maddison is, he is no winger but rather a perfect candidate to play in the number ten role with a winger one side and Perez the other – the two can interchange like they did against Wolves but with more purpose.

The 22-year-old is simply wasted out wide – he averaged more key passes per game last season than any other Leicester player at 2.8, the next best was way behind averaging 2 per game with Christian Fuchs. His pass success rate was also better than any other Foxes midfielder that played over 25 matches in the Premier League (83.8%).

Could it be “game over” for Kelechi Iheanacho at Leicester? Find out in the video below…

Maddison recorded seven assists, more than anyone else in the squad, which only goes to some length in showing just how good he really is in this team but his impressive visionary skillset must be utilised centrally going forward.

Rodgers has a couple of exciting young options he could call upon to add vital width to the team.

Harvey Barnes impressed during a loan spell at West Brom with nine goals and six assists whilst Demari Gray can’t be written off after one sub-par season – he’s only 23 and could thrive under Rodgers if given the chance.

Add width, Maddison will flourish, and goals will come.

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