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It’s often easy to forget that clubs like Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal all have quality players plying their trade away from English football on temporary loan deals.

However, there are a handful of players from the elite Premier League sides who have been enjoying their football in the past seven days in Serie A, the Bundesliga and the Champions League.

Let’s take a look at who’s been impressing…

Ethan Ampadu shines against Tottenham

Ethan Ampadu has largely been a spectator so far this campaign with RB Leipzig in Germany. On loan from Chelsea, he has featured in just seven games in all competitions, and his inclusion in Julian Nagelsmann’s starting XI against Tottenham in the Champions League last Wednesday was his first start for Die Rotenbullen.

You wouldn’t have guessed it, though, based on the quality of his display. Against Spurs, he managed three clearances, four interceptions and one tackle, whilst he also landed 94% of the passes he attempted. Before the match, the absence of Dayot Upamecano may have been a worry for the Bundesliga side, but the Wales international took advantage of his opportunity.

As we approach the business end of the season, Ampadu has less and less chance of making a distinct impression for Leipzig. Frank Lampard and the Chelsea hierarchy will no doubt be disappointed that he has not played on a more regular basis, but they will be hoping that this display convinces Nagelsmann to give him more playing time between now and the end of the season.

Angelino on the scoresheet

After re-signing for the Citizens last summer for just £5.3m, the former PSV man made only 12 appearances in all competitions, of which just four came in the Premier League. Even after just six months, he was already out of the door during the January transfer window, following Ampadu to Leipzig on loan.

Last week was a successful one for the 23-year-old. He started against Spurs in north London, helping his side keep a clean sheet in the process, whilst he also grabbed his first goal for his new temporary club away at Schalke in the Bundesliga – it was beautifully struck as well.

He put in a solid display, completing all four of his attempted dribbles whilst prevailing in seven out of his eight duels as well.

Why he was shipped out so quickly from the Etihad Stadium makes little sense, but Angelino will surely be hoping to convince Pep Guardiola that he has a future in Manchester.

If he can keep up his great start to life in Germany, he may just force his way in to his compatriot’s plans yet.

Mkhitaryan nets for Roma

Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s time at Arsenal was unspectacular, with him managing nine goals and 13 assists in 59 appearances for the Gunners. When he left on loan to join Serie A side AS Roma, there appeared to be few calls pleading for him to stay at the Emirates Stadium.

His spell in Italy, though, he has been a moderately successful one, with him managing five goals and two assists in 18 matches.

He grabbed one of each in the Giallorossi’s 4-0 win against Lecce at the weekend. It was a promising display from the Armenia international, who also managed two key passes during the 90 minutes.

With a contract until 2021, there is still time for the former Borussia Dortmund man to make some kind of impact in north London. First, though, he will need to continue to impress at the Stadium Olimpico – performances like this one will go some way to helping him do just that.

It’s no secret that one of Leeds’ biggest problems this season has been scoring goals.

Patrick Bamford has only 12 strikes to his name all term and they have the second-worst conversion rate of anyone in the Championship.

The January addition of Jean-Kevin Augustin has failed to inspire much either with the Frenchman managing just 49 minutes of senior team action since signing on loan.

However, one man proved he could possibly be the answer to their prayers on Saturday afternoon when Tyler Roberts found the back of the net twice in quick succession.

The football Leeds played at the weekend was free-flowing and captivating. They dominated Hull on the counter-attack in the second half as they added three unanswered goals to the one they’d scored before half time.

Roberts was a breath of fresh air as he played a vital hand in Leeds winning 4-0, but in the process he proved why Victor Orta has no business landing Cyle Larin for £5m in the summer.

The Canadian forward has been linked with a switch to Elland Road via Turkish media and after scoring nine and assisting 11 this term for Zulte Waregem it’s clear to see why.

He offers more than just goals to a team but with Roberts in such good form playing up front, adding a further forward to their armoury fails to make much sense.

This was just the 15th time the Welshman has lead the line for the Whites, via Transfermarkt, and he proved why he needs to play there more often.

Calling all EFL experts: Can you get full marks on this stadiums quiz?

His first finish was clinical as he latched on to a nice ball inside the area but his second was even better. Mateusz Klich’s teasing ball over the Hull defence was irresistible as the 21-year-old headed home.

Considering Leeds can sign Jean-Kevin Augustin permanently in the summer, Orta would be foolish to pursue Larin when they’d potentially have three options in the striking role.

Signed by Thomas Christiansen in January 2018, Roberts has had his fair share of injuries – missing 19 outings this campaign. However, after these two goals, the Leeds hierarchy needs to place their faith in him, rather than making a rather pointless investment elsewhere.

In other Leeds news, check out the photo that fans have been waiting 205 days to FINALLY see…

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with the signing of Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg by The Mirror (March 6, page 62), via The Spurs Web.

It is said that they will be stepping up their efforts to sign the Danish midfielder, having been unsuccessful with previous advances.

However, they will be facing competition from Leicester City in their pursuit of the 24-year-old’s signature.

Spurs may have conviction in their desire to bring Hojbjerg to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but fans are split on whether they want him, as suggested by the response to Ricky Sacks’ tweet.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

There are some who would “happily take him”, while others have added that he is “totally the type of player we need” and that he would “complement players like Ndombele and Lo Celso”.

This comes in a season in which he has started 27 Premier League games, coming off the bench once, averaging 2.4 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 1.7 clearances, while also making 1 key pass and 1.3 dribbles per game.

However, there are various Spurs fans who have been left severely underwhelmed by this transfer link, as a player from Southampton is not the most glamorous of signings to make.

One fan has said “this club stinks” after seeing the connection, while another has claimed that they would rather see Wilmar Barrios join.

A true test for any Spurs fan: Can you match these iconic images with the right results?

If the Denmark international does sign for Spurs, he may have some work to do in order to get some of the fans on his side.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans react to links with a rival team’s key man.

Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend has given his thoughts on whether the Premier League season should be completed, while speaking to talkSPORT.

What did he say?

The 28-year-old has insisted that no matter how long it takes, the current campaign must be completed, due to factors that directly impact players and stuff, as well as supporters and broadcasters.

When asked about the topic by Darren Bent, he said: “For me, I think you have to keep waiting. Play it week by week to see how this virus progresses. I think, for me, the season has to finish one way or another. I know UEFA have said 31st June, to be honest, whether that happens or not I’m not sure but I think one way or another this season has to finish.

“I think there’s too much riding on it, sponsorships, tv money, contracts, bonuses, fans have paid for season tickets, subscriptions to Sky and BT and that sort of stuff, so one way or another the season has to finish whether it’s June, May or September, October, November.

“Being selfish, we’re actually having a half-decent season for once and we would like the season to finish. We’re a couple of points off the European places and touch wood we’re safe from relegation. So, of course, from a selfish point of view, we’d like to finish the season and see how well we can finish it, and how high up the table we can finish it.”

Watch Crystal Palace Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Hard to disagree

The former Tottenham Hotspur man makes some very solid points in his argument, especially when looking at the financial commitment that fans have already made to watching Premier League football this term – whether that be on television or in person.

In addition, the likes of Roy Hodgson and his players deserve the chance to see whether they can hit heights above what they are used to, with Sheffield United being another side who would feel robbed if this campaign was to be written off.

Did he really play for us?! No Palace fan has managed to name all of these obscure Eagles signings….

So much emotion and effort has gone into the current campaign, so to deem all of that pointless while everyone just moves on to start up another season feels pretty wrong.

Townsend is completely correct in his view, and everything possible should be done in order to ensure that the season is completed.

Meanwhile, FFC writers have given their verdicts on one Palace man’s missing trait.

Tottenham Hotspur fans have been debating the possibility of signing RB Leipzig frontman Patrik Schick after revealing his desire to play in the Premier League in a recent interview.

His comments to iSport.cz have been relayed by Goal, where he said: “When I left the Czech Republic, my dream was to play in Italy and I achieved that. Now, I feel very attracted to England, to be honest.”

The 24-year-old is now plying his trade for Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig and featured in both legs of Spurs’ Champions League defeat to them earlier this month.

Here’s what fans have been saying about him…

Many would love to see the Czech international make the switch to north London, claiming he’d be a much better signing than someone over the age of 30 and that he’s “top notch”.

For one supporter, the memory of him playing before his own eyes was all too much to bear, claiming the forward walked over them at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium just a few weeks ago.

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Spurs discussion going on in the Vital Tottenham Forum! Click here to get involved!

Schick has been in fine mettle this campaign for the German side, he has found the net seven times and has also provided three assists in only 19 appearances, per Transfermarkt.

That’s not a bad record for someone playing second fiddle to their talisman, Timo Werner.

It has led to some fans comparing him to Spurs’ own frontman, Harry Kane, who needs ample backup himself having missed the majority of 2020 through injury.

One member of the Spurs faithful was even of the belief that Schick had better movement than Kane, but wasn’t a better goalscorer before suggesting that Werner would be the ideal fit for the north Londoners.

And amongst all the praise for the 24-year-old, there was a further fan totally against the idea of clinching him.

Money talks: How much did Levy pay for each of these Spurs stars?

AND in other news, Spurs fans react to Jose Mourinho footage…

Loads of Tottenham Hotspur fans have been reacting on Twitter after Ricky Sacks relayed an interview with reported transfer target Kalvin Phillips in FourFourTwo magazine, via The Sun, where he said he wants to spend his career at Leeds United.

Phillips said: “I want to spend my career at Leeds and see the club doing well in the Premier League.

Stuck in isolation? Our mega footy quiz will cure any boredom…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

“I’m just enjoying every minute right now.”

Football Insider reported last month that Spurs would join the race to sign the 24-year-old this summer if the Yorkshire outfit fail to win promotion to the Premier League, prior to the season coming to a standstill because of what is happening in the United Kingdom right now.

However, it appears as though the midfielder is ready to stay at Elland Road whatever happens, although Marcelo Bielsa’s men are in a good position at the top of the standings if and when the campaign resumes.

Phillips has certainly impressed from a defensive point of view for Leeds this term, winning 2.8 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game according to WhoScored, as well as averaging an impressive 1.9 key passes per outing in the Championship in 2019/20.

Meanwhile, Spurs have struggled defensively conceding 40 goals in 29 Premier League games, and it just hasn’t worked with the likes of Eric Dier, Harry Winks and Tanguy Ndombele playing in the defensive midfield position.

Tottenham supporters have been quick to have their say on the Englishman’s comments, and while one said they “would have loved him at Spurs” and another was “gutted”, others suggested that they don’t believe this to be the end of the story.

Here is a selection of the Twitter reaction…

In other Tottenham news, Alasdair Gold has named two forwards Spurs could target if they lose Harry Kane, including one familiar 13-goal ace…

Snack Media are calling on all football supporters to join the #FlyTheFlag campaign at 3pm today.

The footballing world has been rocked by COVID-19 with virtually all games across the world suspended until further notice, but the #FlyTheFlag campaign gives the football and wider sports community the chance to re-engage and reunite in support of a fantastic cause.

As well as showing our thanks to health workers across the country and solidarity amongst the sports community, the campaign aims to raise money for Age UK and the NHS charities, which you can donate to by clicking on the links provided.

The task at hand for footy fans is pretty simple. Simply represent your football club by throwing on your favourite shirt and any other accessories, and share a video or photo of yourself on social media at 3pm this afternoon – the traditional kickoff time in English football – using the hashtag #FlyTheFlag.

While awareness is great and a key objective of the campaign, of course the bottom line is how much money can be raised. Any donations from 1p to £100 (or more if you can afford it) are of course more than welcome and will go to causes that need the most help during this incredibly difficult time.

So, football fans, are you up to the challenge? We hope to see you in your best Lilywhites clobber at 3pm today!

For more information on the #FlyTheFlag campaign, click here.

Liverpool surely have a big decision to make on Marko Grujic this summer – either sell him or give him a chance in the first-team squad.

The Serbia international signed for £5.1m from Red Star Belgrade in 2016, but he has made just 14 appearances for the Reds since then. He has spent most of his time out on loan, with a spell at Cardiff preceding two years at Hertha Berlin – he is now halfway through his second campaign with the Bundesliga outfit.

He has done rather well with the German club – former manager Pal Dardai said he was the best midfielder he had seen in 20 years at the club. The eight goals in 45 matches he has managed from the middle of the park is not too shabby either.

On Monday, it was his 24th birthday, which led to the club’s official Twitter account sending him their best wishes. The tweet actually got the club’s fans talking, and it seems many want to see him return to Anfield next year. One even suggested that manager Jurgen Klopp had ‘failed him’ so far.

They have taken to the social media platform to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments below.

Do you want to see Grujic back at Anfield next season? Let us know below!

For Wolves, this season has been a very promising one as they currently sit sixth in the Premier League table, three points from a potential place in the Champions League. For their latest target however, it’s been rather the opposite.

According to reports from Turkey (via Daily Mail), the Midlands side could be bringing Liverpool’s rejected goalkeeper to Molineux in the summer on loan.

The Turkish outlet Fanatik has reported that the Reds have been in talks with Wolves over a potential move for the German, who would join the ranks as back-up to Rui Patricio. However, a move in any capacity for Karius would be like trying to fit a round peg in a square hole. The 26-year-old certainly has Premier League experience on his side, but no success to show for it and of course, his costly errors in Europe cannot be easily forgotten.

Football FanCast has taken a look at the reasons why Karius may not be the right match for Wolverhampton.

Errors and Old Habits

The German shot-stopper arrived at Anfield with a lot of promise to become a cult hero and help plug Liverpool’s leaky defence. After a shaky start to his debut season – keeping just three clean sheets and making two costly errors – Klopp remained sold on Karius’ ability between the sticks.

However, into his second term with the Merseyside outfit, the new No.1 single-handedly knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League final. His blunders gifted Real Madrid two goals, which was the final nail in the coffin for the majority of fans.

After his calamitous performance in Kyiv, a beIN Sports panel analysed his mistakes, with one pundit claiming Karius would ‘never recover’ from those woeful 90 minutes.

This prediction has proved accurate so far. A two-year spell with Besiktas hasn’t had the desired effect to bring some positive form back to Karius. Following a match against Konyaspor in 2019, Besiktas manager Senol Gunes hit out at his goalkeeper for his error and stated his performances had ‘gone stagnant’.

Additionally, according to WhoScored, the German’s weaknesses have been identified as long passing and saving long shots, something which most goalkeepers should be able to comfortably do.

Joining a side that could potentially be playing in four competitions next season will see Karius with a lot of game time. But professionals and fans alike know he has some very fateful errors in him, and he would be a ticking time bomb at Wolves.

Lack of Confidence

The arrival of a record new signing brought in to replace you is not a welcome thought by any player. But it must particularly sting when you’ve just played out the worst game of your career and now the team are phasing you out.

According to the Telegraph, following the arrival of Alisson in 2018, Karius was said to be ‘bitterly disappointed’ in Jurgen Klopp for bringing in his replacement. Reportedly, Liverpool’s new arrival made the former first-choice ‘keeper question his future with the Reds. Not long after, Karius was shipped out to Turkey on loan with Besiktas.

During his spell in the Super Lig, the 26-year-old has endured some truly testing times. Not only did he struggle to adapt at first, but reports claimed he was owed a backlog of wages from the club. The Turkish side had withheld four months of payment from Karius last year and now a new complaint has been raised by the goalkeeper who has not been paid since the season was suspended last month (via the Guardian).

Arriving at a new club with an exciting project unfolding would be too much for Karius to take on at this moment in his career. His first return to the Premier League since the 2018 Champions League final will be a very unnerving situation for him. Shouldering that whilst trying to be at his best for a new team will only knock his confidence even more.

Plus, with the pressure of helping Wolves achieve all they can next season, the likelihood of more errors will be even higher. Karius will not want a repeat of his past nightmares, and to decrease the chances of that happening, the German must consider looking for a less-demanding club.

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West Ham are reportedly open to offers for Arthur Masuaku this summer, as reported by the print version of the Daily Mirror (12/2/19, page 56), via HITC.

What’s the word, then?

The DR Congo international has made 14 Premier League starts for the Hammers this season out of a possible 26, which suggests that boss Manuel Pellegrini doesn’t really trust him to play regularly.

In fairness to the Chilean, he is more than justified in leaving the former Olympiacos man out if that is the case. Masuaku is a huge liability from a defensive aspect, and whilst he does offer some sort of threat going forward thanks to his dribbling skills and decent crossing ability, his work at the back is too poor to see him included consistently.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Having said that, in his time on the pitch so far this season, the 25-year-old has still only delivered just the single assist, which proves that his offensive ability isn’t even that good enough to offset his defensive flaws and warrant a place in the team.

West Ham need a new starter in that area

Masuaku’s rival for the left-back position in Aaron Cresswell isn’t exempt from criticism either.

The England international has made fewer league starts that Masuaku with just 12 to his name, and where he does provide a more solid option defensively, he is lacking in terms of going forward – the Hammers are in need of someone who can do both jobs effectively.

Currently, the left-back position is looking like a real problem area for the east Londoners, and Pellegrini could do with a new face in the summer to ensure that Cresswell and Masuaku’s respective weaknesses don’t cost the Irons any more points.

Pellegrini is already attempting something of a transition from the declining Pablo Zabaleta to the younger Ryan Fredericks over in the right-back position, and he needs to undertake a similar overhaul at left-back to shore up his defence.