Bruno Fernandes is a hero! Man Utd star rescues fainting passenger on EasyJet flight in frightening incident en route to Portugal training camp

Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes reportedly rescued a fainting passenger on a plane while travelling to Lisbon for national team duties.

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  • Bruno Fernandes turned hero on flight
  • Rescued a fainting man on board
  • Was on his way to Lisbon with Dalot
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Per , Manchester United captain was on board an EasyJet flight along with team-mate Diogo Dalot as the duo were flying to Lisbon on Monday to join up with the Portugal national team. On the flight, Fernandes suddenly noticed that a man was fainting at the back of the plane and he came to his rescue as he screamed: "Excuse me! We need help! Excuse me! We need help!"

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  • WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

    While recalling the Portuguese's heroic act, co-passenger Susanna Lawson told "Bruno went to the loo at the back of the plane during the flight. (We) suddenly heard a shout for assistance which those within hearing distance looked back, including us as we were toward the back.

    "Members of the crew rushed to the back to help. There was a spare seat at the back which Bruno helped the gentleman to sit down on. He stayed at the back with them and made sure he was OK. It might have been about 5-10 minutes and then he made his way back to his seat but again very unassuming. He wasn’t looking for any attention on himself."

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    It has been a hectic few days for the 30-year-old, who has played four matches across all competitions for the Red Devils in less than two weeks. United have experienced a revival since Erik ten Hag's departure as Ruud van Nistelrooy guided the team to three wins and a draw during his brief spell as interim coach.

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    WHAT NEXT FOR BRUNO FERNANDES?

    Fernandes will be in action for Portugal in the Nations League against Poland on Friday before facing Croatia on November 18 in their final group-stage match.

He’s a Kilman upgrade: Wolves have strong interest in £25m defender

Wolverhampton Wanderers have made a solid start to their transfer business so far this summer, signing Tommy Doyle, Pedro Lima and Rodrigo Gomes as Gary O’Neil looks to flood his side with young talent.

The Old Gold will also have to sell a player or two in order to balance the books, but it remains to be seen who will follow Max Kilman out the exit door.

Wolves manager Gary O'Neil before a Premier League game.

The defender joined West Ham United for a £40m transfer fee recently, yet the manager is eyeing up a replacement for the player…

Wolves eye move for Kilman replacement

According to Caught Offside, Wolves have what is described as 'strong interest' in Strahinja Pavlovic as they seek to land a replacement for the departed Kilman.

Serbian defender Strahinja Pavlovic

The Old Gold face some stiff competition, however, as Chelsea and Aston Villa eye a move for the Serbian centre-back, while Newcastle United and AC Milan are keen admirers too.

The asking price for the current RB Salzburg defender stands at €30m (£25m), which may prove to be a stumbling block for the Molineux outfit, despite raking in £40m from the sale of Kilman.

Pavlovic featured for Serbia at Euro 2024 and there is no doubt the defender would be an excellent signing this summer.

How Pavlovic compares to Max Kilman

The 23-year-old shone at Euro 2024, although Serbia were knocked out in the group stage. Across three matches, he won 8.7 total duels per game – a success rate of 70% – made 3.7 tackles per game and recovered four balls per game.

Top flight statistics during 2023/24

Metric

Max Kilman

Strahinja Pavlovic

Goals

2

3

Accurate passes per game

51.9

56.5

Accurate long balls per game

3.8

4.7

Total duels won per game

4.2

8.8

Possession lost per game

9.2

16.1

Tackles per game

1.2

2.5

Ball recoveries per game

4.7

7.3

Stats via Sofascore.

It was hardly surprising given how impressive he was at club level last term. Defensively, he won a staggering 8.8 total duels per game while making 2.5 tackles and recovering 7.3 balls per game.

The centre-back also demonstrated his forward-thinking abilities, as when compared to his positional peers, Pavlovic ranked in the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.73), along with ranking in the top 9% for progressive carries per 90 (1.28) in leagues similar to the Austrian Bundesliga.

Max Kilman for Wolves

In comparison, Kilman failed to rank in the to 30% for both progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90 when compared to his own positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues, showing that Pavlovic is a clear upgrade in terms of bursting forward from defence.

With regard to defensive stats, Kilman averaged 4.2 total duels won per game, made 1.2 tackles and recovered 4.7 balls per game in the Premier League last season.

Comparing both defenders, there is only one winner. Pavlovic would be an ideal signing to fill the void left behind by the Englishman, and it is something O’Neil really has to consider.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig described him as an “old school CB” during the 2022 World Cup as Serbia came up against Cameroon, Brazil and Switzerland.

£25m may prove to be a lot on the surface, but if Wolves are aiming for a top-half finish in the league next season, a player of Pavlovic’s ability is a must.

Another Nunes situation: Wolves at risk of losing £50m "warrior"

Gary O’Neil will be looking to prevent one of his star players from leaving this summer…

1

By
Ross Kilvington

Jul 13, 2024

'The referee was just a little boy' – Jose Mourinho launches furious rant against VAR and jokes he wouldn't have joined Fenerbahce if club told him 'the whole truth' in extraordinary corruption allegation

Jose Mourinho has launched a furious rant against VAR, with the outspoken Portuguese claiming that Fenerbahce’s latest ref was “just a little boy”.

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  • Fener secured dramatic win in five-goal thriller
  • Portuguese not impressed with match officials
  • Claims he would have shunned job in Turkey
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United boss Mourinho believes that his side were on the wrong end of some questionable decisions made by those watching on from afar when battling their way to a 3-2 victory over Trabzonspor that saw the home side awarded two penalties before Sofyan Amrabat grabbed a dramatic winner in the 12th minute of stoppage-time.

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    While Mourinho had cause for celebration at the final whistle, he was less than impressed with the performance of the match officials. He has suggested that those on the field were not in control of proceedings, as they acted as puppets for colleagues in the video booth, and has hinted at corruption in the Turkish game that he was not made fully aware of before agreeing to head for Istanbul.

  • WHAT MOURINHO SAID

    During an epic eight-minute rant that followed Fener’s stunning victory over Trabzonspor, Mourinho said: “Today, the man of the match was [VAR referee] Atilla Karaoglan. We didn’t see him, but he was the referee of the match. The referee was just a little boy who was there on the pitch, but the referee was Atilla Karaoglan. He went from the invisible man to the most important man of the match. I speak on behalf of all Fenerbahce fans: we don’t want him again. We don’t want him because it smells bad. We don’t want him. We don’t want him on the pitch, but on the VAR even less.

    “I know what I was told, even before I came. I didn’t believe. It’s even worse than I was told. But I prefer to be on this side. It’s more difficult. It’s more difficult because we play against good opponents like Trabzonspor is: good opponent with lots of good players and a historical coach. But we play against a system. And to play against a system is the most difficult thing. Tonight we play against a good team, against a strong atmosphere, against VAR, and against a system. So very hard. That’s why we celebrated this victory so much. It’s unbelievable to win this match against so many powerful people. We are not going to give up. We know what we have. I blame the Fenerbahce people that brought me here! They told me only half of the truth. They didn’t tell me the whole truth, because if they told me the whole truth I wouldn’t come! But with half of the truth, with my boys we fight the opponent, we fight the system.”

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    DID YOU KNOW?

    Mourinho went on to say: “He (Karaoglan) was alert to give the two penalties that the referee didn’t give, and then he was having Turkish tea when it was a clear penalty for us and he didn’t give it. So either he was sleeping, or he was drinking his tea and he didn’t see it. So let’s have a laugh, because if we take it too seriously….

    “In the end, I’m working in Turkey. It’s not my country. I care because it’s my job and I care because it’s my club. But I think you Turkish, you should care about it! You Turkish, you should speak, not me. You should denounce. You should say what is going on, year after year. You should do it, not me. Because I will be the one under attack, the one the system will criticise. The system will try to punish me, the system will try to close my mouth.”

England: Three players Southgate has to unleash in the last 16

How does one set about explaining the languid displays of England's national football team in Germany this summer?

Well, you won't find us throwing out too many superlatives. Indeed, criticism has been rife from all quarters over the first fortnight on the competition, despite topping Group C and making it through to the last 16 of Euro 2024.

Vitally, though, Gareth Southgate's men have found themselves on the right side of the draw, avoiding potentially tricky ties with Spain, Germany, France and Portugal until the final, if they even get there.

Speaking in the aftermath of that drab 0-0 draw with Slovenia, the England boss admitted that it was a strange environment. That's hardly a surprise. After all, while supporters have serenaded the former defender in recent tournaments, this time he was having beer cups thrown at him from the stands.

We don't condone that for one minute but it sums up the feeling around the country now.

Yes, there was a bit more purpose and a bit energy to their performance against Slovenia but come on, they should be beating these sides with ease.

They've got Harry Kane, they've got Phil Foden and they've got Jude Bellingham. Sadly, that have combined for just two goals in total.

So, how can this be fixed? It's going to take a bit more than just a few personnel changes, surely? Nonetheless, let's take a look at the alterations the manager could make for the clash with Slovakia on Sunday afternoon.

1

Kobbie Mainoo

Declan Rice is set to be handed his third midfield partner in just four games this weekend. The experiment of Trent Alexander-Arnold in central areas lasted just a game and a half before Conor Gallagher was handed the spot.

Sadly for the Chelsea star, he was hauled off at half-time in the final group game, replaced by Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo. The teenager, who didn't make his Three Lions debut until a few months ago immediately looked at ease in the role.

He appeared higher up the pitch, was keen to create and gave his country a lot more energy. During his second half cameo, Mainoo completed 97% of his passes and won two of his five ground duels. Impressive work given the state of England's system and fluidity right now.

Gallagher vs Mainoo (England vs Slovenia)

Stat

Gallagher

Mainoo

Minutes played

45

45

Touches

24

41

Accurate passes

17/20 (85%)

33/34 (97%)

Key passes

0

0

Crosses

0

1

Ground duels won

1/3

2/5

Tackles

0

1

Stats via Sofascore.

2

Cole Palmer

Cast your minds back to the summer of 2021 and there was a clamour when the going got tough for the effervescent Jack Grealish to come on and change the game. He wasn't a starter but had the power to influence things as a substitute. That's what feels like could happen with Cole Palmer in the back end of this tournament.

Remarkably, the Premier League's Young Player of the Season had to wait until the final quarter of the game last Tuesday for his first minutes but boy did he impress. In fact, he probably could and should have won the game for England, missing a one on one from inside the penalty area late in the game.

It was probably the best position any forward player had got into in the game but his cameo was more than just golden moment. He looked tricky and unpredictable on the right hand side, replacing Bukayo Saka, but whether he starts in that role on Sunday remains to be seen.

You could make a harsh case for taking Saka out of the team or you could play him on the left, with Palmer coming in on the right. Either way, the latter simply has to earn more minutes if Southgate wants his team to go far.

Saka vs Palmer (England vs Slovenia)

Stat

Saka

Palmer

Minutes played

71

19

Touches

43

22

Accurate passes

33/35 (94%)

12/12 (100%)

Crosses

2

2

Duels won

2/5

1/5

Times fouled

2

1

Shots

0

1

Stats via Sofascore.

3

Anthony Gordon

It's safe to say that Anthony Gordon's pre-match preparations for this game have hardly been ideal. Attempting to film himself on a bike earlier in the week, the winger came head first over the bike and landed on his chin. Battered and bruised, the Newcastle star has laughed things off and should get more minutes now in Germany. He'll be hoping once he does that he can kick a ball better than he can ride.

It was totally baffling that he was only afforded the last few minutes in Cologne on Tuesday but he showed more energy and penetration in that fleeting cameo than most England players have in the whole competition.

His first action was to run the ball out of play but it was the explosive nature that he immediately looked to get at the full-back which got many in the crowd off their seat.

Gordon was then vital to that late chance Palmer had. Driving inside he played a lovely ball through the centre of the pitch, taking several Slovenian players out of the game.

It's easy to see why there is such an appeal for the Toon winger to start. Unlike Foden, he wants to stay out wide and get at his man. Vitally, he's also a runner, someone who will get in behind. Captain Kane would certainly benefit from that.

So, it's over to you Southgate. Make changes or England will continue to struggle.

How England can solve their Harry Kane conundrum

Harry Kane has underperformed at Euro 2024 so far.

1

By
Matt Dawson

Jun 21, 2024

Mario Balotelli nearing return as free agent awaits green light from Serie A club after vowing to 'smash' Italian league

Mario Balotelli is reportedly nearing a return to Serie A as a free agent after vowing to "smash" the Italian league.

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  • Balotelli in talks with Genoa
  • Has agreed to wages with the Italian side
  • Could sign a deal until next summer
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    The 34-year-old forward has been a free agent since leaving Turkish side Adana Demirspor earlier this year. According to Nicolo Schira, Genoa are highly interested in bringing Balotelli on board, with club officials reportedly impressed by his recent fitness and determination. While the striker is optimistic, he is currently waiting for what Schira describes as the "final green light" from Genoa before he can sign a contract with the club.

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    have further reported that Balotelli has already agreed to the finer details of his contract and could earn between €250,000 and €300,000. He will sign a deal until the end of the season.

  • DID YOU KNOW?

    Earlier this month, Balotelli joined a Twitch stream hosted by former players Emiliano Viviano and Radja Nainggolan, alongside streamer Enerix. During the conversation, Enerix stirred controversy by stating that he would choose Venezia striker Joel Pohjanpalo over Balotelli. The comment hit a nerve, leading to an outspoken reaction from Balotelli, who took issue with the suggestion that his recent performances outside of Serie A were insignificant.

    “Just because I wasn’t in Serie A, what I did doesn’t count?” Balotelli fired back. He went on to make a bold promise, stating: “It’s a promise, I’ll smash Serie A when I sign [for a club], I smash this f***ing Serie A.”

    His fiery words convey a strong desire to prove himself and re-establish his name in Italian football, as he prepares to potentially don the colours of Genoa.

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    WHAT NEXT FOR BALOTELLI?

    Balotelli’s career has seen him play for some of the most iconic clubs in Europe, including Manchester City, Liverpool, Inter and AC Milan. Known for his moments of brilliance and a penchant for controversy, he also earned 14 goals over 36 appearances for the Italian national team. One of his most memorable highlights came during Euro 2012 when he played a pivotal role in leading Italy to the tournament's final by scoring a brace against Germany in the semi-final. Now, should the deal with Genoa be finalised, fans and critics alike will be eager to see if Balotelli can live up to his pledge to “smash” the league.

Celtic gifted chance to sign £10k-p/w ace as rival suitor drops out of race

Celtic have been gifted the chance to sign one of their transfer targets this summer, according to the latest reports coming out of Scotland.

Bhoys eyeing reinforcements

Brendan Rodgers and co. are keen to strengthen their ranks despite sweeping up the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup double last season. First and foremost, the Scottish giants want to bring back loanee pair Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah, with the latter in particular having impressed during the second half of the season.

However, neither deal seems advanced, despite Rodgers having made his intentions clear.

“Hopefully we can do something. He has a long-term contract at Norwich but he is definitely one I would love to bring back here. At 23 with the potential and quality he has I think he can really push on in his career”, the Celtic boss explained.

Elsewhere, they have been eyeing up a defender and a replacement for Celtic no.1 Joe Hart, who has announced his retirement. In their chase for the former, they may have been handed an advantage.

Celtic handed defensive boost

Now, there has been a positive development on the potential arrival of Flavius Daniliuc at Celtic Park. The defender, who has spent the second half of the season on loan with RB Salzburg, developed his skills at Real Madrid's academy initially as an attacking midfielder. He was singled out for his playmaking qualities before moving to the Bayern Munich youth set up on a free transfer, where he shifted back into defence.

After a spell in Ligue 1, he is now contracted to Salernitana, but is not expected to return to the Italian side following their relegation from Serie A, despite still having two years left to run on his £10,000 a week deal with the club.

Daniliuc's career to date

Club

Appearances

OGC Nice

55

Salernitana

42

RB Salzburg

12

And Celtic had been credited with an interest in the 23-year-old as a potential fresh face for Brendan Rodgers' side this summer. Now, as per Football Scotland, while no official offer has yet been made by Celtic, they have been handed a boost in any potential negotiations as rival suitors Salzburg have opted not to take up the option to buy the centre-back, which was included in his loan deal.

His time at Bayern's youth academy drew rave reviews, with Bayern Munich's academy boss Jochen Sauer revealing to the Athletic that Daniliuc remains one who will continue to develop, highlighting his natural technical ability.

Celtic looking to hit jackpot with 2,146% profit on "immense" Hoops star

The Hoops have placed a new price tag on the central midfielder’s head this summer.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 17, 2024

“He can play a very good role in central defence. He can organise and will grow in experience. He is technically very strong, relatively two-footed and doesn’t get nervous on the ball,” Sauer explained.

Should RB Salzburg's decision not to sign him permanently be confirmed, it would open up the chance for Celtic to land the defender, who could form an excellent partnership with Cameron Carter-Vickers in the heart of Brendan Rodgers' defence for next season.

'Perform well, no injuries' – Pep Guardiola suggests Man City will prioritise health over victory in Carabao Cup clash with Tottenham as injury crisis hits new levels

Pep Guardiola will be prioritising the well-being of Manchester City players during their Carabao Cup clash with Tottenham.

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  • City staring at critical injury crisis
  • Six first-team players missing
  • Guardiola hoping for no more injuries
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Heading into the clash with Tottenham, Guardiola faces the challenge of fielding a squad that has been stretched to its limits. They are plagued by an almighty number of injuries and Guardiola has made it clear that his main objective is to get through the match without sending any further players to the treatment table.

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    Six of Guardiola's key players are currently sidelined, significantly impacting his options. Among the absentees is newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, who will miss the rest of the season. Additionally, long-term absentee Kevin De Bruyne, who has been out since picking up an injury against Inter in September, remains unavailable for selection. Other crucial players missing from action include Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku, and young Oscar Bobb.

  • WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

    In his pre-match press conference, Guardiola did not shy away from admitting the tough circumstances surrounding his squad. "We have a few players," he remarked, "We are going to try and do a good game to try to go through. Always it happens. Last season we were out against Newcastle but played really well. Perform well, this is what I want, no injuries please and go to the last week before the international break in November."

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  • DID YOU KNOW?

    City’s history in the competition under Guardiola is notable; his first trophy with the club was a Carabao Cup in 2018, followed by three more consecutive wins. However, since their last Carabao Cup triumph in 2021, the trophy has eluded them.

"Very exciting" gem who Arteta likes has just told Arsenal he’s leaving

A "very exciting" young Arsenal player has now told the club that he's leaving – informing them of his decision in the last 48 hours.

Players tipped to potentially quit Arsenal this summer

Cedric Soares and Mohamed Elneny are two senior names included in the Gunners' 22-man release list for 2024, with the pair joined by a host of academy players as sporting director Edu and manager Mikel Arteta swing their axe.

Arsenal table opening bid for £34 million star after claim he wants to join

The Gunners have submitted an offer.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 22, 2024

Thomas Partey is also widely expected to depart Arsenal, having entered the final 12 months of his contract and fresh off the back of a season where he made just 14 Premier League appearances. The Ghanaian suffered from a plague of injury problems last term, and the time could now be right for Arteta to green-light his exit.

Alongside the 30-year-old, it is rumoured that Arsenal have told Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney they're free to leave, as the north Londoners look to trim their combined £270,000-per-week salary off the wage bill.

Arsenal's best-performing players per-90 in the league last season

Match rating (via WhoScored)

Bukayo Saka

7.67

Declan Rice

7.38

Martin Odegaard

7.37

Kai Havertz

7.16

Gabriel Magalhaes

6.99

Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, Aaron Ramsdale, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares all come as other players who could be sold by Arsenal, especially considering Edu will want to bolster the club's transfer kitty.

There are also matters to resolve regarding some of their academy players. Youngster Mika Biereth, who enjoyed productive loan spells at Motherwell and Sturm Graz in Austria last season, could well be on the move permanently. Indeed, Sturm Graz director Andreas Schicker confirmed they're in talks to sign Bereth this week.

“Now the European Championship finals are coming up, everyone is waiting and is in the role of observer. Patience is required in the transfer window this year,” he said. "I’m in talks with Arsenal. I’ve spoken to Mika; he’s always felt comfortable with us.”

As well as Biereth, another exciting young Arsenal player is now moving closer and closer towards the Emirates exit door.

Amario Cozier-Duberry tells Arsenal he'll be leaving

Now, as per The Standard's Simon Collings, the club look set to lose 19-year-old starlet Amario Cozier-Duberry. Cozier-Duberry has apparently told Arsenal he's going to leave, informing them of this decision within the past 48 hours. His contract expires at the end of this month, meaning he'll be free to speak to other clubs as a free agent.

Arsenal youngster Amario Cozier-Duberry

It's been described as a real blow for Arteta and co, with Jack Wilshere even likening him to Bukayo Saka.

"Amario is very exciting and Mikel [Arteta] likes him,” Wilshere told The Athletic last year (via Standard Sport). “He reminds me of Bukayo Saka, plays in the same position as him, needs to get better with his decision-making like Bukayo did, but he’s definitely exciting.

“In some moments he’s unplayable. You give him the ball and he can make things happen. You can set up a team and have a game plan, but when you’ve got individuals like that you’ve got a chance.”

West Brom must finally axe Callum Robinson

West Bromwich Albion have seen three big names leave the Championship club in recent weeks during the current transfer window.

Sam Johnstone joined Crystal Palace in the Premier League, while Romaine Sawyers moved to Cardiff City, both on free transfers. Andy Carroll also waved goodbye to The Hawthorns after his recent loan spell with the Baggies, but he is yet to find a new club.

Before the transfer window ends, West Brom could have the chance to not only get another player out the door, but actually raise some funds from his sale at the same time.

After being recently linked with a move to Preston North End, Baggies attacker Callum Robinson could give his current club the chance to pick up a suitable cash injection should they be able to sell him this summer. In fact, Preston manager Ryan Lowe recently confirmed the Lilywhites’ interest in signing the Irishman, who has called Deepdale his home in the past.

He said: “I’m not interested in Callum Robinson because of what he’s done for the football club, I’m interested in Callum Robinson because he’s a good footballer, ultimately. What he has done for the football club previously will obviously extend that for them.

“Callum Robinson, if he becomes available, who wouldn’t look at Callum Robinson? He is a fantastic player and PNE fans love him, so why wouldn’t anyone be interested in him? If he became available, of course we’d be interested in him, like everyone else would be.”

Despite scoring seven goals and providing nine assists in 43 league appearances last season, the forward went through periods where he didn’t deliver any goal contributions for Albion.

The longest period started (rather ironically) at West Brom’s 2-0 defeat to Preston in January and ended when he scored the winning goal against Fulham in the Baggies’ 1-0 victory over the Cottagers in March, a run of nine matches without a goal or assist.

This highlights his inconsistency when it comes to being a goal threat for his team and explains why it may be beneficial for the Midlands club to get rid of him. Even his performances for his country have been described as “head-scratching” by Irish football pundit Eamon Dunphy.

With Steve Bruce aiming to get West Brom back in the Premier League, having a fairly unreliable attacker like Robinson in the team could well hinder the club’s chances of securing promotion.

Therefore, if the club can sell the £18k-per-week Irishman and get a decent transfer fee for him which could be used to bring in a suitable replacement, this could be a great next step for all parties.

AND in other news: West Brom can land their next Gallagher with swoop for “outstanding” £61k-p/w maestro

Leeds: Romano drops Jovic update

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the future of reported Leeds United transfer target Luka Jovic.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that, despite Victor Orta reportedly making contact with the Real Madrid centre-forward in order to propose a move to Leeds this summer, the 24-year-old is now set to join AFC Fiorentina on a permanent deal – with the Serbia international rejecting the likes of West Ham United, Brentford and the Whites in the process.

In his tweet, Romano said: “Luka Jovic to Fiorentina, deal done. Full agreement on permanent deal, after long negotiations for a loan – Jovic will sign until June 2024 with an option for two more years. Real Madrid will have sell-on clause around 50%.”

Supporters will be gutted

Considering just how talented a player Jovic undoubtedly is, in addition to it being reported that the signing of a new centre-forward is one of Orta’s priorities in the summer transfer window, Romano’s update that the striker is now set for a move to Italy is sure to have left the Elland Road faithful gutted.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

While it is true that, following his €60m (£52.4m) move to Madrid back in the summer of 2019, things did not exactly pan out for the 24-year-old – scoring just three goals and registering five assists over 51 appearances for Los Blancos – the £14.4m-rated talent has nevertheless proven earlier in his career just how impressive an addition he would have made to Leeds’ attacking arsenal in 2022/23.

Indeed, over two separate spells with Eintracht Frankfurt, the £152k-per-week forward highly impressed, scoring 40 goals and registering ten assists over 93 appearances for the Bundesliga side – averaging a direct goal contribution every 107 minutes of football played for Die Adler.

Furthermore, the 26-cap international also caught the eye for his first professional club, Red Star Belgrade, bagging 14 goals and providing four assists over 48 fixtures for the Super Liga Srbije outfit – form that earned him a move to Portuguese giants Benfica.

As such, should Jovic have managed to refind this level of form following a potential €30m (£25m) switch to Elland Road this summer, it is undeniable that the Serbian sensation would have made an excellent to Jesse Marsch’s options up top, leading us to believe that Romano’s latest update will come as a huge blow to all involved with the Whites – not least Orta himself.

AND in other news: “It means…”: Fabrizio Romano reveals huge Leeds transfer twist, Victor Orta must act

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