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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…

A lot has been said about Riqui Puig already – the 20-year-old pearl of La Masia is definitely one of the Barcelona youngsters the Blaugrana have high hopes for.

But his situation has been causing an internal debate in recent times – he seems to be too good for the Segunda Division B, the third level of football in Spain, and yet, there’s no room for him in the senior team.

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And seeing how he’s been a victim of some harsh treatment by the opposition at Barcelona B, one thing became crystal clear – he shouldn’t stay there any longer as the risk became too big.

But if the recent reports coming from Sport are true, Puig refuses to leave the club any time soon and is determined to make it at the Catalan capital.

While that sort of attitude is certainly praiseworthy and admirable, it could be the thing that comes back to bite him in the end.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

Staying loyal to Barcelona is definitely a good sign for the club but his stubbornness to leave on loan in order to get some valuable experience and minutes, and more importantly, get away from the difficult circumstances of the Segunda Division B, might hamper his short term development.

And yes, it might be far too early to actually talk about such drastic measures but it’s unlikely he continues his development by staying put at Barcelona B.

According to Sport, that is exactly his idea – staying and becoming good enough for Ernesto Valverde to include him in the senior squad.

But can that actually happen if he doesn’t make that necessary step up?

At the moment, it seems that Puig is choosing the absolute worst option presented to him and for his and the club’s sake, let’s hope it doesn’t backfire.

Amidst all the doom and gloom currently surrounding Manchester United, the one thing the Red Devils desperately need is a silver lining.

Someone who can be the small ray of hope for the Old Trafford faithful as they look to shake off their current miseries. And even in a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle on Sunday afternoon, Axel Tuanzebe proved he could be just that.

Less than a week after some Red Devils fans slammed him for his mistake in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal, the young defender delivered a performance that got the supporters well back on side.

As per Sofascore, the 21-year-old completed 89% of his passes, made two tackles, two interceptions and one tackle too. The fact he also played at both centre-back and then at right-back simply added to the impressive nature of his display.

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After seeing the 6 foot 1 man impress, United fans flooded to Twitter to share their thoughts about the matter.

Many Red Devils supporters insisted he is a “shining light” in these testing times for the club, and admitted he is perhaps the only positive to take away from the game.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

Jurgen Klopp was not pleased with his side’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United on Sunday.Understandably, the German took issue with the legitimacy of Marcus Rashford’s opening goal, which was allowed to stand irrespective of a dubious challenge on Divock Origi in the build-up.Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Klopp is yet to beat United at Old Trafford in his five-year tenure as Liverpool boss, and another botched attempt saw his dreams of breaking Manchester City’s record of 18 consecutive Premier League wins shattered.

Needless to say, Martin Atkinson won’t be a popular figure around Anfield the next time he passes into Merseyside after he upheld his original decision on the Origi incident.

Speaking after the game, Klopp made his feelings on VAR abundantly clear…

The events on Sunday have opened up a whole new line of enquiry over the competency of so-called ‘video assistant referee.’

Ex-Premier League official Mark Halsey has since branded it an ‘absolute disgrace’ and the likes of Alan Shearer and Phil Neville insisting that system is being used incorrectly, with referees failing to check pitch-side monitors to assist with their decision-making so far this term.

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As a player, Xavi Hernandez was one of the best midfielders to grace the game.

Across his career, the 39-year-old made over 800 appearances for Barcelona and Al Sadd and won a whole host of trophies, including the Champions League on four separate occasions.

For Spain, it could be argued his record was even more impressive. He earned 133 caps for La Roja and won the World Cup once, as well as the European Championships twice.

He retired earlier this year and made his first foray into management with Al Sadd. It seems that he would be open to managing Arsenal in the future, though.

He told Sky Sports in an interview on Monday: “Obviously if I had to choose, I would choose a big team, [Manchester] City or United, Chelsea, Arsenal or Tottenham. Also, [Jurgen] Klopp and [Mauricio] Pochettino and Unai Emery, many people who have gone there are doing an extraordinary job.”

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It would certainly be interesting to see the former conductor of the Barcelona midfield step into the dugout at the Emirates Stadium.

The club’s supporters are amongst the most vocal, as we all know, and they have been taking to Twitter to share their thoughts. You can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

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… 

Mateusz Klich’s Leeds career already feels like it’s come full circle.

Sent out on loan by Thomas Christiansen after a disappointing start to life at Elland Road, it was a slip against Cardiff that at first proved damning.

He lost possession and Kenneth Zohore would eventually go onto score.

By the time January had come around, he was at FC Twente and it looked as though his career at the club was done before it had even had a chance to get underway.

Yet, step forward Marcelo Bielsa. The Argentine revived his career in west Yorkshire as the creative freedom he was granted saw him become one of the most threatening players in the Championship.

In 2018/19, he scored ten times and also laid on nine assists, falling just short of Pablo Hernandez’s tally of 24 goal involvements.

Linked with Burnley in the summer, it was hardly a surprise to see the Premier League swooping around his services. After all, a stellar season in England’s second-tier usually attracts interest.

But in more recent times, there has been talk of a potential new contract. It would be a fine reward for his form last term and he does deserve it.

This season, however, he’s been a shadow of the player that lit up the division just a matter of months ago. His confidence looks short and if anything, he’s starting to become a one-season wonder.

Klich has only scored twice in all competitions this season and the 29-year-old turned in one of his worst performances of the season to date against Millwall.

It drew criticism from supporters as his form has started to become a real worry. Without the injured Hernandez the creative burden has fallen on the shoulders of the £2.25m-rated Polish midfielder but he’s failing to deliver.

The Pole didn’t register a single key pass at the Den, a damning statistic considering he’s averaged 2.4 of them per game in 2019/20.

He’s become a victim of Leeds’ poor finishing, though, and he hasn’t picked up an assist since the second week of the term.

Klich’s influence has been dwindling and his lack of involvement in goals is fine evidence of that. There is significantly less threat to his play and a penalty miss against Derby a few weeks ago appears to have had a negative impact.

It seems as if when the team plays well he does – completing three key passes against West Brom.

Yet, versus Charlton and Derby, there was just one key pass in both matches. The fact Leeds picked up just one point from that says a lot.

He must get better.

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Sheffield United take on fellow Championship title-chasers West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns on Saturday in what could be a season defining clash for both clubs.

With so much on the line for the Blades, Chris Wilder has to get his tactics and team selection right, but given the good form of so many in his squad he has some tough calls to make.

On the chalkboard

In Billy Sharp, David McGoldrick and January loan signing Gary Madine, Wilder has three in-form forwards to pick from. 26-year-old loanee Scott Hogan bolsters these options further. There’s an argument for each of these strikers to get the nod in the starting XI.

Who do you want to see promoted this year? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have picked their 3 favoured teams in the video below…

The partnership between 33-year-old club captain and top goalscorer Sharp and 31-year-old McGoldrick has been prolific all season. However, last time out, Hogan and Madine worked extremely well together. What’s more, the two loanees are something of an unknown quantity together, so could take the Baggies by surprise. 

Whoever Wilder goes with, the Blades stand a good chance of putting goals past Darren Moore’s inconsistent defence. That being said, it’s still a headache for the United manager, but not one that he’d be better off without.

A blessing

In title chases, the side with the best quality squad depth is often the one that prevails. When it comes to their attacking contingent, the Bramall Lane club absolutely have that strength in depth.

Whilst it may mean plenty of difficult selection problems for Wilder to solve between now and the end of the campaign, his plethora of high-class attacking options is a blessing. Having that kind of firepower at his disposal could be what fuels Sheffield United into the Premier League.

With the first international break of 2019/20 now out of the way, clubs have the perfect opportunity to reflect on how well – or badly – they’ve started the new campaign. For Real Madrid there have been positives and negatives, as we’ll delve into, so here are two things Zinedine Zidane can learn from the former European champions’ start to the season.

Karim Benzema is key

The summer and August was very much a really trying time for Zidane and his troops. Real Madrid played two games in La Liga last month with mixed results and, on top of that, they got thrashed in the pre-season during the summer so the Frenchman didn’t really have the best of times. But not all was gloomy and poor, and there’s actually one good thing he can definitely learn from the games Real Madrid have played so far: Benzema is the key.

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After losing Cristiano Ronaldo, it was obvious that the Galacticos would have some trouble replacing him, even if they had multiple stars in their team. But if these early signs are any indication, it seems that Benzema is very much ready to assume that role of the key man for his club in the Portuguese’s absence.

So far, Benzema has not only scored twice and assisted one goal but he has also been an excellent all-round performer. He’s averaged 3.7 shots and 1.3 key passes per game while also maintaining an incredible 92.9% passing accuracy.

Zidane just might have found a player to centre his squad around for the upcoming campaign and the Frenchman looks ready to accept that responsibility.

The outcasts should play

The summer was dominated with talk of Gareth Bale and his ongoing squabbles with Zidane. At one point, it was all but confirmed that the Welshman would be departing and trying to find his fortune somewhere else. But in the end, not only did Bale end up staying at Real Madrid but he also started racking up goals and good performances.

First, he bagged an assist on the opening day of Los Blancos’ new 2019/20 La Liga season and then he went on to net two goals in their latest bout with Villarreal that ended in a 2-2 draw. Of course, Bale also got himself sent off in that game but his overall contribution was still very much felt on the end result.

One other player who was shining just before he got injured was James Rodriguez, Real Madrid’s returning loanee who spent some time in Germany playing for Bayern Munich. He contributed with a satisfying performance that was rewarded by a standing ovation at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the Colombian seemingly still a fan favourite.

This should prove to Zidane that there is still place for the “outcasts” in the team and they should be a big part of his plan for the future.

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Leeds United are considering a late move for Takumi Minamino…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Independent journalist Carl Markham, who claimed the Yorkshire outfit were interested in signing the Liverpool outcast before the January transfer window deadline on Monday evening.

“Takumi Minamino attracting interest from Leeds and Monaco but @LFC have rebuffed early approaches as they have no inclination to sell. Would take seriously really good offer to change their minds,” he tweeted.

The 36-cap Japan international is well behind the likes of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota in the pecking order at Anfield, and could yet drop even further amid reported interest in FC Porto star Luis Diaz.

It remains to be seen exactly what a ‘really good offer’ is, with the 27-year-old currently valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt.

Aaronson alternative

Primarily a left-winger by trade, Minamino is capable of operating on both flanks and through the middle, where he can thrive the best when operating as a ‘half-winger’.

Just like fellow Whites target Brenden Aaronson, who doesn’t appear likely to be coming to Elland Road any time soon, at least in this current window.

Leeds’ two bids of £15m and £20m have been rejected but there is hope that a deal can be struck for the summer instead as RB Salzburg do not want to offload him before a crucial Champions League tie with Bayern Munich.

Instead, it appears as if Victor Orta and co are lining up a last-minute alternative in a player that also once played for the Austria champions.

Minamino’s growth has always been stunted in Merseyside due to the sheer volume of quality starting ahead of him but he’s still proven his worth in abundance whenever given the opportunity.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-lufc-transfer-rumours-gossip-bielsa-orta-radrizzani-elland-road-updates” title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

For instance, this season he has provided six goals and one assist across 18 appearances, with those primarily coming in cup competitions as he’s yet to register a start in the Premier League, even despite Salah and Mane being at AFCON.

The Japanese attacker also impressed during a loan spell at Southampton last season.

“He’s a very special player for me – not because of his physical strength but more of his way of playing football,” claimed manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.

“He is very quick in his mind, has good decision-making, knows about our pressing style and hopefully a lot of running. He knows when you come to me you have to run a lot, but that’s not a problem for him”

Right there is why he’s an absolute dream for Marcelo Bielsa. There isn’t a side that presses the opposition as intensely as Leeds, so his presence to do that from the front would be hugely beneficial to the Argentine, who must be desperate for additions.

Also dubbed a “machine” by Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, Minamino could be an ideal alternative to Aaronson as we head into the final few days of the window.

Bielsa badly needs an option in the role and the Liverpool ace could well provide him with exactly what he needs for the remainder of the current campaign.

AND in other news, Leeds United eyeing late January bargain in £10m “phenomenon”…

A huge development has emerged regarding Rangers and the Ibrox giants’ participation in a tournament in November…

What’s the latest?

According to Rangers Review, the Sydney Super Cup is increasingly unlikely to go ahead as planned in Australia later this year.

Gio van Bronckhorst’s side are currently set to face off against their arch-rivals in an Old Firm clash in the tournament as part of a friendly competition, but it now appears as though that may not be the case for much longer as this report casts doubt over the state of play.

Big lift

This update will surely provide a big lift to the mood of the Rangers faithful this week, as some supporters have been protesting against their team’s involvement in the tournament.

There was chaos at Dundee last weekend as protests went on throughout the match in the away end. Many Gers fans made their feelings towards the competition clear as they engaged in chants and covered the goal in toilet paper at the start of both halves. They also chucked tennis balls onto the pitch as the referee was forced to delay the match three times throughout the afternoon.

Plenty of fans are seemingly unhappy with the idea of facing Celtic in the format of a friendly, believing that the Old Firm should never be classed as such, and that is one of the reasons behind their protestations. However, it is impossible to know every single reason why fans may be opposed to it without asking each one of them, but another reason may be the timing.

The tournament is currently on course to go ahead in November, which is around the same time as the 2022 World Cup and midway through the 2022/23 campaign. It would mean long flights and a greater possibility for players to pick up injuries before the end of the World Cup and the resumption of the Premiership, which could negatively impact the club’s chances of winning major silverware if they end up becoming fatigued or incurring knocks to key players.

Therefore, those supporters will now be buzzing to learn that the tournament is unlikely to go ahead. They will now be hoping that the reports are accurate and that an official confirmation is on the way to put their minds at ease, knowing that their club will not be partaking in the tournament which has been the subject of vehement opposition from much of the Rangers fan base.

AND in other news, Forget Morelos: “Beautiful” gem who’s “unplayable” could fire Rangers to the title…

An update has emerged on Newcastle United, regarding their pursuit of Burnley striker Chris Wood…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie has revealed that the Clarets did not expect the Magpies to stump up the cash to activate his release clause.

He initially Tweeted: “Also hearing as per @JPercyTelegraph that Chris Wood is travelling to the North East tonight for a medical. Newcastle have met his Burnley release clause, which is thought to be in the region of £20m.”

The reporter then added: “Burnley were aware of Chris Wood’s release clause but didn’t think Newcastle would trigger it. They thought it was too high. Clarets angry that Wood would leave to a relegation rival. His Burnley contract was up next year.”

Delight

This update from Downie will surely leave Newcastle fans feeling delighted as it perfectly illustrates the muscle they now have in the transfer market. Long gone are the days of refusing to pay loan fees and missing out on signings because of it.

PIF are making serious moves and putting their money where their mouth is, as shown by Burnley’s surprise at this deal for the striker. That is why fans will be over the moon as it shows that their club is making strides off the pitch in order to change their fortunes around on it.

The supporters will also be buzzing as it means that Wood is poised to arrive to bolster the squad. He is a proven Premier League goalscorer and could provide a lift to the squad on the pitch in the second half of the campaign.

He has previously been compared to Magpies legend Alan Shearer, with former Leeds man Ben Parker saying of a goal he scored for the Whites:

“It was a fantastic header. He’s kind of like Sheareresque and I don’t think there are many strikers in the division, especially in the Championship, even going to the Premier League, who would have scored with that header.”

Wood has scored 10+ goals in each of the past four seasons leading up to the 2021/22 campaign. This shows that he knows how to find the back of the net at this level and could be a key asset for Howe in the coming months as they attempt to work their way out of the relegation zone, which is why fans will be buzzing with the deal overall.

AND in other news, “Still trying”: Keith Downie issues five-word NUFC claim that’ll leave fans buzzing…