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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Lionel Messi recently received his sixth Golden Boot award after he had scored more goals than any other player in Europe last season. Following the ceremony, the little Argentine did an interview with Marca and discussed his career, his rivals and some of his teammates as well.

What did he say?

At this point, Messi winning all kinds of awards is no longer big news.

After all, the now 32-year-old superstar has practically won everything there is to win in club football, both on an individual level and as a collective with Barcelona.

But one thing that has changed with Messi over the years is his willingness to communicate with the media. Of course, a big part of that is due to the fact that Messi is now Barcelona’s captain following the departure of Andres Iniesta.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

And in his big interview with Marca, the Argentine has singled out one of his teammates and showered him with lots of praise in the process.

Of course, he was talking about the newcomer to the club, Frenkie de Jong.

Here’s what he said in full:

“It has been easy for him to adapt to the team because he came from a similar philosophy at Ajax. He grew up with the same idea and the same way of playing, although there he did not have much to play as an anterior [slightly further ahead in midfield than the holding midfielder]. As a pivot [or holding midfielder] he feels more comfortable, but he has adapted well. He likes to have the ball, play short passes, play passes between the lines, and he has a very fast and strong stride. He is a very complete footballer.”

The future of Barcelona’s midfield

De Jong very much looks like the prototype Blaugrana midfielder, as Messi has already pointed out.

But one other thing that the Argentine mentions that might slip under the radar is actually the 22-year-old’s adaptation process.

Messi has acknowledged that De Jong is actually being utilised differently by Ernesto Valverde and that his role has somewhat changed since his days at Ajax.

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

Interestingly enough, Valverde’s idea of what kind of a midfielder the Dutchman is supposed to be and where on the pitch is he going to play has been widely discussed already and seems to be a point of interest in the footballing world.

As a result, many of the fans were in panic mode about the whole situation early on as they were worried Valverde would ruin the midfielder with these changes.

Still, even if De Jong is going through a transitional period, it’s not really showing that much in his performances.

In fact, he’s already shown he can drop masterful displays even when played out of his comfort zone.

So far, he’s been one of the top performers at Barcelona, ranking fourth according to Whoscored’s rating system for the ongoing season.

But Messi’s approval is definitely something that will not only help him adapt to his new environment but should also help him develop even further.

At the end of the day, the players that establish the best relationship with Blaugrana’s king have the best chance of succeeding at the club.

If he continues performing as he has done, De Jong’s future looks incredibly bright.

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

Nottingham Forest edged into the Championship playoffs last weekend with a victory over Barnsley at the City Ground.

The 1-0 win was courtesy of a rare Ben Watson strike as the 34-year-old met Matty Cash’s cut-back pass to net his first for the club and first in three years.

It was Forest’s only shot on target all afternoon as goalkeeper Brice Samba kept the league strugglers at bay, keeping them inside the relegation zone.

Watch Nottingham Forest Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Reds boss Sabri Lamouchi yet again made a couple of changes to his side, who have now gone seven unbeaten, as Joe Lolley and Tiago Silva returned to the starting XI despite Forest beating league leaders Swansea a week earlier.

That meant that Yuri Ribeiro kept his place at left-back over Jack Robinson.

On the Chalkboard

Lamouchi may have stumbled across their best defence after his men picked up a second successive clean sheet and fifth in all competitions.

Joe Worrall and Michael Dawson have become a solid foundation at the back, playing in all eight Championship ties while Matty Cash has seen his role at right-back increased due to the injury to summer signing Carl Jenkinson.

On the other side of the defence, another off-season addition has particularly caught the eye – Ribeiro in the last two matches has kept Reds regular Robinson out of the side.

The 26-year-old made 40 appearances last season, but the Portuguese ace has come in and looked every bit like a perfect option at left-back.

He is averaging a rating higher than anyone else in the squad at 7.33 and has won more aerial duels than Robinson with an average of 3 per game.

While the 22-year-old has also recorded more interceptions (1.5) and clearances (3.5) per outing too.

His most significant contribution, however, has been in the attacking phase of the game where he is averaging 2.5 key passes per game.

This is some way above anyone else in the squad – thus suggesting his impact along the left is quite substantial.

Robinson may face a battle to get back into the side based on Ribeiro’s two league appearances.

Football managers often don’t give much of an insight into their mindset or psychology.

Usually, they’re very coy when things aren’t going to plan, and there is often a lot to be inferred rather than things being explicitly said.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Julien Laurens attempted to dissect Mauricio Pochettino’s mindset after his nightmare few weeks at Tottenham Hotspur, and he made a very good point about where the Argentine’s head is at right now.

Laurens referred to the comments that the Spurs manager made after losing the Champions League final last season.

The Argentine said that he may have left the London club had he been victorious against Liverpool in Madrid, and Laurens believes that he may have already had one foot out of the door.

It’s a great point. The fact that Pochettino has openly admitted that he could have left if he’d have won the Champions League may hint that his commitment to the club isn’t quite at the same level it was a few years back.

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It is being reported that Arsenal are monitoring AS Roma man Cengiz Under. Whilst he has promise, there’s one aspect lacking in his game that the Gunners need.

What’s the story?

The Turkey international was said to be an Everton transfer target during the summer, and there was even a report claiming the Giallorossi rejected a €28m (£24.6m) bid for the 22-year-old. Since then, he has signed a new contract with the club that will take him through until 2023.

However, that has not stopped Arsenal being interested in the forward. According to Turkish-Football, the north London outfit are monitoring Under along with Tottenham and Bayern Munich.

“They have the bigger mentality” – Spurs fans come to blows after the North London Derby in the video below…

Not enough goals

Roma’s number 17 has plenty of potential, and has been tipped for a big future. Whether it be at the Stadio Olimpico or with another side, he has the ability to make his mark on world football.

Worryingly, though, he lacks goals. Looking at the stats from his five full seasons in professional football, he has never bagged more than seven in a league campaign. Last term, he netted just three from 26 matches in Serie A.

Under is predominantly a right-winger, although he can also play on the left. The Gunners have already brought in a wide man for the right in Nicolas Pepe this summer, and he is a far more accomplished goalscorer with 22 in the French top flight last season alone. The former Istanbul Basaksehir ace would be competing directly with the Ivory Coast international for a place, and it would be a tough battle to dislodge him.

Having signed a new contract, his potential price has no doubt sky-rocketed too. He is currently worth £31.5m according to Transfermarkt but with Premier League clubs often being charged premium sums, one would expect that the Emirates club to part with a fair bit more for his services.

As such, there is little sense in making a move for the youngster at this stage. If he starts contributing more goals then that could change, but only time will tell.

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

Sunderland fans have been debating their full-back positions for quite some time, so could Bali Mumba be Jack Ross’ secret weapon on the right side of defence?

What’s the word?

The Black Cats have started the campaign in “decent” form, in the words of Grant Leadbitter, but they certainly have weaknesses.

One such weakness is the right side of defence, where summer arrival Conor McLaughlin has not impressed the fans, while Luke O’Nien, a midfielder, has never looked entirely comfortable being shoehorned into the position.

And now, Ross has revealed that while he still has total faith in 17 year-old Mumba, he will not rush him into first-team action, and doesn’t actually know his best position yet: “I think last season, circumstances dictated that he was very much thrown in at the deep end.

“He went straight from school, so he actually missed out on being involved with a lot of the players around his own age and even judging himself against them. So, we made a conscious decision to let him enjoy that, but he trained with me last week.”

The gaffer continued to say that there is a “trust” in young players like Mumba and that he is not entirely sure where he will play in the senior squad.

Perfect fit

Mumba’s breakthrough last year was remarkable, playing eight times for the first-team in central midfield at just 16 years of age.

Fans were stunned that such a young player was showing out for the senior side, but he eventually disappeared into the background as the campaign went on.

Now though, he has played the first four games of the Premier League 2 season at right-back, before featuring in that same position for England’s Under-19 side during this international break.

The young Three Lions beat Greece 3-1 last week as Mumba was one of just six players to stay on the pitch for the full 90 minutes, playing the entire match at right-back.

His fantastic speed and technical ability, something he showed off during those appearances in midfield, will hold him in good stead as a full-back, and the lack of size and strength that concerned some fans last term will not be such an issue in this new role – it is easier for a lighter player to face a fast, agile winger than to battle for possession in a midfield packed with destroyers and box-to-box players.

Ross seems be waiting for the right moment to throw the teenager back into the mix, and after his admission that he is not sure about his best position, could it be at right-back? It may just be the perfect fit.

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According to a recent report from The Daily Record, Lewis Morgan looks like opting for a January move to Sunderland. The 22-year-old currently plays his football at Scottish giants Celtic and has done so since leaving St Mirren back in January 2018, although struggles for regular game time under Bhoys manager Brendan Rodgers has plunged his future at Parkhead into doubt.

And a recent report from The Daily Record suggests that the attacker, who has attracted interest from Jack Ross’ Sunderland and indeed Aberdeen, is set to choose the former over the latter this month in his bid for the regular first team football he simply isn’t going to get at Celtic Park.

And with Ross having worked with the highly-rated £675,000-rated sensation (as per Transfermarkt) at St Mirren, a reunion with the 42-year-old at Sunderland would go some way to enhancing the Black Cats’ League One promotion hopes.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, former St Mirren boss Ross swapped Scotland for the North East during the summer to take charge of a faltering Sunderland side who had just lost their Championship status – this all after only one season in the second tier.

As such, the 42-year-old was faced with a tricky task in arresting the slide and providing much-needed stability at the Stadium of the Light, and he has done that admirably given his team are currently sat fifth in the League One table, just four points adrift of the automatic promotion places.

And while his side have only suffered defeat on two occasions in the league this time round, their tally of 11 draws has very much hindered their progress in pursuit of the top two – in fact, four of their last five league matches have ended in draws.

As such, Ross may seek that star quality needed to turn those recurrent draws into more victories in the second half of the season, as doing so would see them climb the division and knock on the door of the promotion places – Morgan’s arrival might do just that.

The 22-year-old may well have struggled to break into Rodgers’ first team at Celtic this season, appearing just nine times in the Scottish Premiership for the seven-times defending champions, yet one mustn’t overlook his great form at St Mirren, under the guidance of Ross no less, to suggest that he has what it takes to seriously improve Sunderland’s attack.

The Scotland international, capped twice by his country last year, scored 18 goals and laid on 11 assists in just 42 appearances for the Scottish Championship side last term to help Ross’ men win promotion to the top-flight – only two players netted more than him (14) in the league.

And in bagging ten times and laying on six assists the campaign before for the Saints, it’s clear that Ross knew exactly how to get the very best out of the attacker – prior to his arrival, Morgan hadn’t shown even close to the level he produced under the 42-year-old.

Yet the Scotsman came on leaps and bounds under Ross to suggest that a reunion at Sunderland this season could be what Morgan needs to rediscover his best form – and from a Sunderland point of view, his arrival would give Ross another option in attack.

Significantly, such was the 22-year-old’s level under Ross in the past, reuniting with the Black Cats boss at the Stadium of Light would go some way to seriously enhancing Sunderland’s promotion hopes in the second half of the season.

Sunderland fans… what do you think? Let us know!

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Some Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to moan about Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s inclusion in the senior England squad, as the right-back receives his first call-up.

Gareth Southgate has opted to include the 21-year-old defender – who completed a £50m move to Manchester United this summer – in his squad for the first time after he impressed in his first few games for the Red Devils.

However, what seems to be irking the Palace fans on Twitter is the fact that Wan-Bissaka has been called up at the first possible opportunity since moving to Old Trafford, having not received one whilst performing at an extremely high level in south London.

‘Big club bias’ is clearly on the minds of the Eagles supporters below, and they have a fair shout.

The Palace academy graduate recorded the most clearances, most take-ons, most tackles and most interceptions out of any full-back in the Premier League last term, but was overlooked for the senior squad with Southgate saying that he preferred to keep Wan-Bissaka with the Under-21 side.

Let’s take a look at what the Palace fans on Twitter have been saying…

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Leeds United have had a bid knocked back for Brenden Aaronson this week, according to reports.

The Athletic claim that RB Salzburg have rejected the Whites’ offer of £15m for the 21-year-old midfielder and also believe they are intent on signing him before deadline day on January 31st.

Historically, the Austria Bundesliga champions have rarely hesitated to cash in on their biggest and brightest stars but they remain in the Champions League and Aaronson’s influence to the side makes him invaluable right now.

Therefore, the Yorkshire giants may need to turn their attention elsewhere and it’s another name that they have been linked with that could prove the be the perfect solution.

Forget Aaronson

Just last week, Foot Mercato editor-in-chief Sebastien Denis claimed Leeds were one of several teams looking at a potential move for RC Lens midfielder Seko Fofana

And what a signing he would be.

Soon after these links, the Ivory Coast powerhouse captained his side to a last-gasp victory over Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1, where he bagged the winner in one of his typical box-to-box runs.

It was his eighth goal of the campaign.

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One of these strikes came during a 1-1 draw with financial giants Paris Saint-Germain, where he bullied Mauricio Pochettino’s engine room, leading to journalist Zach Lowry describing him as a “phenom”.

Fofana is currently Lens’ second highest-rated player (7.09), per WhoScored figures, whilst he’s averaged a squad-high 2.8 shots, 2.2 dribbles, 1.3 key passes, 0.8 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per game.

That only goes to show how well-rounded he is – not only is he getting forward and contributing in the final third with cutting-edge passes and an incredible ability to carry the ball but he is also putting in the dirty work in his own half, as evident above.

It’s no wonder his manager Franck Haise dubbed him “the most complete player.”

“On the pitch, he is able to stay organized to adjust the team’s balance. At the same time, he has a great ability to create and to be decisive on the last pass. He is also capable of scoring a few goals in a season,” he said (via Newcastle World).

Having begun his professional career at Manchester City, there have been interesting comparisons made to his former youth coach Patrick Vieira, who was an absolute box-to-box machine in his day at Arsenal, as well as Yaya Toure.

He’d only need to be half of either to be an instant hit at Elland Road. All of his attributes point towards him being an exciting fit for Bielsa and his high-intensity system.

Just imagine the £16.2m-rated dynamo sitting in front of an anchorman like Kalvin Phillips. He could really get forward to help Leeds in the final third, knowing that he has an international quality defensive midfielder behind him.

That’s a mouthwatering partnership that could bring the Yorkshiremen so much success.

As such, Victor Orta and co must turn their attentions to Fofana before deadline day in a little over a week’s time.

AND in other news, Leeds could welcome back key injured duo earlier than expected…

With the end of the 2022 January transfer window on the horizon, it seems as though a clue has been dropped on a player that has previously been linked with a move to Wolves that could lead Bruno Lage to making a late transfer move.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Pete O’Rourke had this to say on the possibility of Wolves making a move to sign Barcelona youngster Riqui Puig, who has been mentioned with a move to Molineux in the past.

He said: “Riqui Puig is a talented young player at Barcelona and I’m sure Wolves would love to have him at Molineux if he is available.”

After working his way through Barcelona’s youth ranks, in the same way that legendary football figures such as Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta among many others have done, Puig has gone on to make a total of 51 appearances for the first team across all competitions, scoring one goal and providing three assists from central midfield.

Lage would be buzzing

Considering the young midfielder’s immense potential and Wolves’ lack of depth in a central area, Lage would surely be delighted if the club could land a deal for Puig this month.

Having only started two of the 12 appearances he’s made for Xavi’s side across all competitions so far this season, it suggests that the £13m-rated talent is not a particularly crucial player for Barca and could be better off moving elsewhere if he’d be guaranteed regular playing time to help his development.

Therefore, Wolves could be the perfect place to go and earn more minutes if a deal can be struck.

Given the fact that they have previous experience of negotiating with Barcelona in a loan deal for Francisco Trincao in the previous summer window and with Nelson Semedo, they could use those players to sell Wolves as an attractive place for young players to come and play football.

Those prior Barca connections should also make negotiations easier, meaning the Midlands outfit should test the waters for a potential deal for Puig either before the current January window closes or in the summer if his situation in Spain isn’t likely to change in terms of his first-team chances.

Labelled as a “spectacular” player by Gennaro Gattuso, Puig could learn a lot at Molineux under Lage’s tutelage as well as having the likes of Ruben Neves and the experienced Joao Moutinho to seek guidance from in their midfield roles as well as get to grips with playing in the Premier League.

The question now would be whether or not the Spanish giants would be happy to let Puig leave this month or in the summer when he enters the final year of his current contract at the club.

If they do sanction a swoop, the manager at Wolves would surely be delighted. After all, he is clearly a player who could become a very able deputy to Neves and Moutinho.

In other news: “I’m sure..” – Journalist drops exciting Wolves transfer claim, fans surely buzzing – opinion

A number of Wolves supporters have expressed their delight at seeing a photo of left-back Jonny continuing his injury recovery in training.

The 27-year-old has been absent since April, having picked up a knee injury which ruled him out of action for several months.

Jonny has been working hard to make a return to the fold as soon as possible, hopefully playing a key part in Wolves’ push for a European finish this season. He had been a near-constant presence in the first team under then-manager Nuno Espirito Santo prior to his lengthy lay-off during 2021.

On Friday, the club’s official Twitter channel posted a photo of the Spaniard doing more training work, perhaps suggesting that he is edging closer to what will be a hugely popular comeback, judging by the replies from a plethora of supporters.

It could be that Jonny is available within the next few weeks, although it is important that he isn’t rushed back after such a serious injury.

Wolves fans react to encouraging Jonny photo

These Wolves fans reacted to the image on Twitter, showing their happiness at seeing Jonny making good progress on the training pitch.

“Keep forgetting Jonny will be back soon, I love that man. Viva Espana hijo”

Credit: @neve_bradley

“Sincerely hope Jonny can make a return to something close to the player he was in 19/20. He showed during his brief return last year that he’s capable of it. On his day, he’s our best defender and does plenty going forward too. The reception to his return will be huge.”

Credit: @WolfInDerby

“Now this is a sight I’m happy to see”

Credit: @JackPLoftus

“Happy Jonny new year!! Woohoo!!!”

Credit: @blurtonwolf

“Gerrim in”

Credit: @SeanWSnoddy

“Can’t wait to have him and Neto back”

Credit: @PhilBethell

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has delivered a transfer blow with Wolves. Read more here.