According to a new report by ESPN, Manchester United have enquired about the possibility of signing Barcelona’s midfielder, Ivan Rakitic.

The Red Devils were made known of his availability in the transfer market and since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is desperate for some additions to his midfield, with Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay both out injured, this could be a big scoop for him.

Look away now, United fans: The Big Quiz on Man Utd under Solskjaer…

However, it’s also important to note that ESPN emphasise the deal is not yet close as Rakitic’s desire to keep his family in Spain could present a potential stumbling block for the English outfit.

The Croatia international has enjoyed a glowing career and commanded esteemed praise in the process.

This is what a handful of footballing experts have had to say about him…

Jose Mourinho, current Tottenham Hotspur manager

Mourinho is a certified fan of Rakitic and he’s not afraid to show it. Back when he was still doing punditry for BeIN Sports, the Portuguese manager heaped praise on the midfielder.

Most notably, he called him one of the most underrated players on the planet and emphasised the work he’s doing on the pitch that goes unnoticed in the public eye.

Here’s what he said for BeIN Sports, as quoted by Bleacher Report:

“Before I leave let me tell something, because I want to say this for a long, long time. For me, Rakitic is one of the most underrated players in the world.

“He’s a fantastic player at every level. He does defensive work on the right side to compensate [for Lionel] Messi, he runs miles, in ball possession he’s fantastic, he’s simple, he’s effective.”

Xavi, former Barcelona player

Xavi is still held in the highest regard in Barcelona’s pantheon of all-time greats and his words are bound to carry weight in the footballing world.

A couple of years back when he was talking about Luka Modric and Rakitic, Croatia’s two mastermind midfielders, the Spaniard dubbed Blaugrana’s man as one of the best signings in club’s history.

Here’s what he said, as quoted by BarcaBlaugranes:

“They are two of the most complete midfielders in the world, two modern footballers, they have it all.

“Rakitić is one of the best signings Barca have made in their history. Every day he gets better, he knows how to adapt to what the team needs, and in every moment he lives a footballing maturity that is extraordinary.”

Luis Enrique, former Barcelona coach

Another great testament to Rakitic’s skill comes from a little story his former gaffer Enrique used to tell back in the day. Before he joined Barcelona, the midfielder was playing his football at Sevilla and interestingly enough, Enrique decided to sign him instead of Toni Kroos.

When explaining his choice, he went on to heap praise on the Croatian, emphasising some of his best qualities while citing the very performance that made him choose him instead of the German.

Here’s what he said when speaking to Catalunya Radio, as quoted by BarcaBlaugranes:

“Sevilla’s star marked our best player with such discipline, with such a capacity… then offensively, we all know the characteristics he has. Great runs, passing, ball control, ability to maintain the ball, ability to play the final ball, strategy… he has it all as a player.

“And on top of that, his behaviour at the personal level when you ask about him. And that’s something we always ask before we sign someone: how is he as a person? Because this is key.”

Verdict

Even though he is now 31 years old, Rakitic is still an excellent squad player who could potentially fill that void in Man United’s midfield and give Solskjaer what he needs.

However, if ESPN’s report is anything to go by, nothing is in the bag just yet.

edWest Brom got back on track at the weekend, winning their first league game in seven attempts whilst also taking control of their throne back from their nearest challengers, Leeds United.

The situation

Slaven Bilic made measures to bolster his defensive ranks in the transfer window, making a surprise swoop for Cardiff City full-back Lee Peltier, possibly under the presumption that academy grad Nathan Ferguson was leaving for Crystal Palace.

The Croatian has also opted to start fellow youth player Dara O’Shea in recent weeks, starting him at right-back during their last two Championship outings as well as in their FA Cup victory over West Ham United.

It now appears as if he has a wealth of options at his disposal defensively, which only raises question marks over who will feature – and who won’t.

Rising doubt

The player that has been dropped recently, at the expense of O’Shea’s involvement, is summer signing Darnell Furlong.

He’s played 26 times in the league this season but has only managed to feature for a total of 25 minutes in back-to-back matches as a substitute.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

As the Irishman is a centre-back by trade, it surely raises doubt over whether or not Bilic actually trusts Furlong as it makes much more sense to play the natural right-back in his position.

Even the arrival of Peltier was quite the shock, he’s another right-sided option who has played 25 times this season for the Bluebirds.

Given that there is now serious competition in his role and his recent exclusion from the starting lineup, it seems the 24-year-old’s immediate future is a little suspect as there’s been nothing to suggest he should be dropped.

Where is he from?! Can you name which obscure countries these famous players have represented?

In fact, he’s been one of Albion’s most consistent performers this campaign, averaging a rating of 6.84 as well as 1.8 clearances, 1.1 tackles and 0.8 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

This weekend’s trip to Millwall will provide further clues into whether it’s actually an issue or merely team selection.

And in other news, here’s what fans have been saying about Nathan Ferguson this week…

Jackie McNamara is reportedly in hospital after the former Celtic captain collapsed near his home in York on Saturday.

Of course, the now 46-year-old has a strong association with Celtic and made more than 250 appearances for the club during his career.

The greatest rivalry in world football: Test your Old Firm derby knowledge below…

He claimed four league titles at Celtic in that period and even won 33 Scotland caps. Apart from that, he also played for Wolves, Aberdeen, Falkirk and Partick Thistle before he went into management.

And now, following this concerning turn of events, another Celtic icon Henrik Larsson sent a message to McNamara on

/B8aN-e5H7Fh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram.

Larsson, who also played more than 200 games for Celtic during an esteemed career, sent him all his love and urged him to keep fighting.

At this moment, the former Celtic skipper will need all the support and positive thoughts that he can possibly get and Larsson is definitely doing his part with this message.

Marcelo Bielsa isn’t one to change his starting XI that much.

You could probably name Leeds’ team most weeks and get the majority of them right.

Indeed, there are eight players at the club who have played 29 or more league games this term, and six of those have appeared in every single match.

Some positions are absolutely secure, Kiko Casilla starts every encounter in goal when he’s available, Patrick Bamford is quite clearly the first-choice striker and Jack Harrison is Bielsa’s favoured left-winger.

Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

However, one spot the Argentine has struggled to decide on is at left-back.

The full-back spot has previously been described as Leeds’ problem position, and Graham Smyth echoed that sentiment once again this week when he named right-back as his position of the year.

Left-back has been a dodgy position, but the fact of the matter is that it doesn’t have to be like that.

A look at the stats shows that Stuart Dallas should really be the only man considered to start at left-back.

He’s been needed in midfield quite a lot this season due to injuries to Adam Forshaw and Pablo Hernandez, but the Spaniard is back now, as is Kalvin Phillips after his suspension.

Dallas makes more tackles than both Alioksi and Douglas, and he also blocks more shots.

He doesn’t quite make as many interceptions as the Macedonian, but Alioski’s good work when recovering the ball is far too often undone by sloppy work in possession – he is dispossessed much more often than the Northern Irishman.

Of course, the modern full-back has to get forward as well as he defends, and Dallas may be the best at that as well. The 28-year-old delivers the least number of unsuccessful crosses per game out of Bielsa’s three options.

By no means does Dallas completely blow Alioski and Douglas away, but he’s consistent in every single area, and that’s something that neither of his rivals can offer.

In other news, Leeds may forever live to regret not completing this signing in 2018.

Sheffield Wednesday are faltering at the moment.

The Owls have won just one of their previous 11 league games, and understandably there have been questions raised about the manager’s future.

Some Wednesday fans have called for Garry Monk’s head, and while you can’t really blame them, one man is right behind the boss.

What’s been said then?

Joey Pelupessy was asked whether or not he’s behind the manager.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

“Absolutely. 100 per cent,” he said (Via Sheffield Star).

“This manager and we as a group, we’ve shown what we are capable of, we showed that in his first months here, before Christmas, but let’s make it clear, it’s time to turn that around now.

“We are 100 per cent responsible, nobody else. It’s us as a group, we as players and we do it together, with the manager, with the staff, everybody. One thing is for sure we give 100 per cent, we keep working hard, I know maybe it doesn’t look good at the moment but we are working hard, there is no doubt.”

Good signs

These comments are undoubtedly an encouraging sign.

The midfielder has said that the squad are taking full responsibility on the situation and has reassured fans that the team are working hard to right their recent wrongs.

If everyone is pulling in the same direction there’s no reason why the Yorkshire club can’t get themselves out of this mess and rediscover the form that saw them sitting in third after 23 games.

The Steel City outfit have a mountain to climb if they want to get back in and around the top six with nine points separating them from a playoff place, but stranger things have happened in football. At their best, the Owls are good enough to beat any team in the division as shown by their victory over high-flying Leeds United at Elland Road last month.

In other news, one call Garry Monk has made makes no sense.

A much-changed Wolverhampton Wanderers may not have beaten Espanyol on Thursday night, but there are positives to be taken from the 3-2 loss, with the obvious one being that they have progressed to the next round of the Europa League.

Watch Wolverhampton Wanderers Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Another big one is Daniel Podence’s performance, with the 24-year-old acting as their standout performer on the night.

His showing has got plenty of Wolves fans talking about the quality that he possesses.

The Portuguese forward assisted both of their goals against the opposition from La Liga, with his second being the most impressive. He used intelligence to run behind the sleeping defence from a throw, before fizzing a ball into Matt Doherty for an easy finish.

Call yourself a Wolves expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?

Aside from that, he completed two dribbles and two key passes, while he also showed his threat with a run and shot that eventually saw the ball go over.

All of the above has caught the attention of Wolves fans, with one jokingly referring to him as a “young Hazard”.

He has been recognised as the team’s main bright spark during the game, with one fan going as far as to say he was “the only good thing to come from tonight”.

WhoScored came close to agreeing that Podence was their best player, as he was just 0.1 behind Adama Traore, who got their biggest score with 7.6.

Regardless of whether he was the best on the night, Podence has caught the eye of fans with his performance – he will be hoping the same can be said for Nuno Espirito Santo.

Meanwhile, Wolves fans want potential summer departee to stay put.

Rangers’ disappointing Scottish Cup defeat to Hearts was full of narratives. Not only was Alfredo Morelos missing but the pressure mounted on Steven Gerrard who earned criticism from the supporters.

Some called for his sacking and resignation as the manager himself admitted that he had a lot of thinking to do.

“I need to think. The plan was to have a day off tomorrow [Sunday] but I need to think hard about where we are at as a group. I need to do some real serious thinking in the next 24-48 hours,” Gerrard said.

When questioned about his future, the boss added: “I just need to think, I am feeling pain right now because I want to win here. I am desperate to win here, but looking from the side today I didn’t get the impression that the feeling among my players was the same.”

It was a clear sign of frustration from the 39-year-old who looked like a beaten man.

Rangers’ form in recent weeks has been inconsistent. One minute the Glaswegian outfit are on the up, beating Braga over two legs and then the next moment they’re down, losing 1-0 to Hearts.

But there is a common theme emerging at Ibrox. Morelos missed both of those matches.

The Colombian sat out in Portugal last Wednesday because of suspension but he wasn’t included on Saturday because of disciplinary issues. When Gerrard needed his star man the most, he was anonymous and causing trouble.

It was typical of a player who has been sent off seven times in his Rangers career. This wasn’t the first time he’s let his manager down, but arguably, this was the most telling. Arriving back late from a trip to his homeland, the sanction and message was clear from Gerrard.

For the sake of his own job, he could have done with his 29-goal striker on Saturday. With Jermain Defoe only just back from injury and Florian Kamberi cup-tied, there was a lack of a central threat.

Gerrard needed Morelos but he was nowhere to be seen. Indeed, he’s been difficult to pick out at all in 2020.

Morelos is yet to score this calendar year and subsequently, the Gers have fallen 12 points behind Celtic in the race for the title – they’ve also failed to take a win from five of their domestic outings.

Had the £13.5m-rated forward been firing in the goals on a regular basis, Rangers might still be in with a chance of stopping their Old Firm rivals in the Scottish Premiership. Had he been available against Hearts, they might have also made it through to the next round of the Scottish Cup.

Those are big ‘what ifs’ but as it happens, Rangers’ chances of securing silverware now look extremely thin this season, primarily because of Morelos’ poor form in 2020.

Life after football: Do you know what all of these former players did next?

It’s clear Rangers have had an over-reliance on the 23-year-old and with fans now on Gerrard’s back and the manager himself mulling over his future, it’s his star man that’s beginning to cost the manager the most. The irony is notable.

If Morelos continues to misfire and cause trouble, it’s likely Rangers’ struggles will also continue.

Meanwhile, check out Chris Sutton’s EIGHT-WORD response to Rangers’ Scottish Cup defeat…

So Jorge Mendes appears to still be a massive influence on events at Wolves.

The super-agent has got some very close connections already at Molineux, with players like Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho and Rui Patricio, amongst others, plying their trades for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.

And according to Spanish publication, El Desmarque, Wolves are looking to lean on Mendes once again. It’s suggested that Real Madrid star James Rodriguez has had enough of playing for the La Liga heavyweights, and that clubs like Atletico Madrid, Everton and Valencia are all interested in securing his services.

Watch Wolverhampton Wanderers Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

However, the report adds Wolves have asked Mendes to get Rodriguez to sign for them, and that they would like to “count on the quality, the overflow and the excellent technique” of the Colombia international.

The £36m-rated star has had a difficult time of it lately, but there is no questioning his natural abilities – you only have to look at his sensational performances at the 2014 World Cup when he won the Golden Boot. This season has seen him struggle to get any significant game-time whatsoever, making just 13 appearances across all competitions, and playing just 341 minutes of football in La Liga.

But if Mendes could work his magic once more and convince Rodriguez to join Wolves, then it would be yet another masterclass from the Portuguese man. His influence in deals has helped Nuno build a strong squad, and they find themselves in sixth place in the Premier League right now.

Adding a player who has a sprinkle of stardust both in terms of his quality and reputation, could be the move that establishes Wolves as a major force in domestic and European football too. It would gain some international traction, and Rodriguez could well act as the poster boy for this revolution.

Wolves could really strike gold if this happens.

Meanwhile, Wolves should seriously consider this gut-wrenching decision on star man.

With the world of football in lockdown this month, the transfer rumour mill is in full flow, and that certainly appears to be the case for Tottenham Hotspur.

Sky Sports have suggested that chief scout Steve Hitchen is a long-term admirer of Valencia defensive midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia and has continued to monitor his progress this season.

They also claim that Spurs boss Jose Mourinho would like to add a defensive midfielder to his armoury, so the 27-year-old could be high on their priorities this summer.

But is it a wise move to make? The north Londoners already splashed a club-record £55m on Tanguy Ndombele and have Moussa Sissoko nearing a return from injury – not to mention Eric Dier, Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp.

Our writers have discussed the potential deal below, here’s what has been said…

Danny Lewis

“Kondogbia joining Spurs would allow Dier to drop in at centre-back and provide a powerful presence in the midfield while Sissoko continues with his struggles. He is impressive in his defensive work, making 2.4 tackles, 2.2 interceptions and 1.3 clearances per La Liga game, while showing quality on the ball with his 82.4% pass success rate – in short, he seems like everything Ndombele should’ve been. However, Mourinho should be wary of this move, considering the Frenchman’s struggles in North London, as Kondogbia has suffered two injuries this season which has limited him to 17 league appearances and another player with physical issues is the last thing Spurs need.”

Viji Jeevathayalan

“Make no mistake about it, swooping for Kondogbia would be a masterstroke from Hitchen. Spurs desperately need someone who can someone who can turn the tide of a game just with a powerful run from midfield, and the Frenchman fits the bill to perfection. As per Whoscored, he has a career average of 1.4 dribbles per game, and that ability to quicken things up in the middle of the park could freshen things up for Jose Mourinho. The north Londoners have missed Moussa Sissoko big-time since his injury, with the club winning just three Premier League games following his absence. Bringing in Kondogbia would ensure Spurs have a more than capable replacement for Sissoko, both for now, and for the long-term too.”

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Harry Sherlock

“A move for Kondogbia is a bit of a strange one. On the one hand, they do need a replacement for Victor Wanyama and bringing a defensive midfielder would allow Eric Dier to drop into central defence.

“But he has never played at a truly elite level. He has jobbed from one club to another, going from Sevilla, to Monaco, to Inter Milan and then to Valencia. There is no guarantee that making the jump to Spurs would work. 

“He also missed 24 games last season through injury and has already missed eight this term. 

“Spurs should swerve this move, and find a defensive midfielder with a better pedigree.”

Lewis Blain

“This move has all the hallmarks of being a disaster for Spurs. Kondogbia has a sordid history with injury and at 27, isn’t going to help the club long-term. Mourinho already has a wealth of options in the central midfield department, so maybe he should start looking ahead to what he can get out of his club-record man, Ndombele, before trying to bolster the position. It’s also awfully telling that he hasn’t been able to settle at one club in recent years, going from Monaco to Inter to Valencia since 2015. Kondogbia should be a massive swerve for Levy and co.”

Whose Line Is It Anyway: Michael Owen, Garth Crooks or Mark Lawrenson?

And in other news, Predicted XI: How Spurs may look when the Premier League resumes…

Patrick Boyland has taken the time to write up about Everton star Dominic Calvert-Lewin and how the club would be lost without him.

The 23-year-old recently signed a new five-year contract with Everton and Boyland has reflected on how far Calvert-Lewin has come in his career.

In his latest feature for The Athletic, Boyland highlights the impressive career arc the young striker has experienced since his youth days with non-league side Stalybridge Celtic, including interest from Manchester City. Calvert-Lewin flourished at the non-league side, who took him on a one-month loan deal from parent club Sheffield United.

The Blades were unsure on the teenager and as a result, they eventually lost him to Everton in 2016 after David Unsworth pushed for the £1.5million move.

Calvert-Lewin has blossomed from a teenage to an untouchable starter in the highest division. Indeed, he currently boasts 13 goals in the Premier League this season, the same amount as Raul Jimenez (via BBC Sport) so the fact Everton were able to get him ahead of City looks hugely important.

The Blues were hit hard when Romelu Lukaku left the club in a £75million move to Manchester United (via BBC Sport). Many have tried to fill the Belgian’s boots, with none so much as coming close until Calvert-Lewin. The Yorkshireman is not just good in front of goal either – towering at 6 foot 1, Calvert-Lewin wins an impressive 4.9 aerial duels per match on average, which is way more than the likes of Roberto Firmino who averages 0.8 (via WhoScored).

Furthermore, he’s unleashed a total of 65 shots in the Premier League this season which not only puts him in the top 20 but ranks him higher than Son Heung-min and Sadio Mané (via Premier League).

Everton’s books are currently bare when it comes to back-up strikers with only Moise Kean a realistic option given Oumar Niasse’s lack of action to both the man in question and Richarlison. Kean has scored just one goal this season across 26 appearances (via Transfermarkt) meaning an injury to Calvert-Lewin would spell disaster. His fitness is integral in order for the Toffees to succeed, and any new signings this summer should be bought to aid the No.9.

Considering his 13-goal haul this campaign only for Everton to sit in 12th, it’s difficult to imagine where they would be without the striker. With that in mind, Carlo Ancelotti should be looking to build a squad around Calvert-Lewin as they look to push further up the league table next season.

What’s your take, Everton fans? How important do you think Dominic Calvert-Lewin is to this side?