Michael Yokhin – Page 5 – Football Scout

Malcom to Man United right now could be a mistake, but he’s a huge talent

Stevie Nicol sifts through the latest transfer rumours heading into the January transfer window in Transfer Rater.

Try to imagine Jose Mourinho’s reaction if one of his players tried to swap shirts with the opponents’ superstar at half-time. That is what Malcom, widely rumoured to be one of Manchester United’s top current targets, did when Bordeaux played at Paris Saint-Germain in September. Not only that but the 20-year-old took a selfie with Neymar after the visitors were soundly thrashed 6-2.

“I think it was a youthful mistake. We explained him that we were not going to Paris to take photos and exchange…

Shakhtar’s Fred could be the perfect understudy to Fernandinho at Man City

With Man City’s flying start this season, Steve Nicol and Gab Marcotti can only debate whether they deserve an A or A-plus.
It is perhaps logical that Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk as a backup and eventual successor to Fernandinho. After all, the Ukrainian champions bought the midfielder in order to replace the City-bound Fernandinho immediately after the star was sold for £34 million in the summer of 2013.
Now, more than four years later, it could be the right time for the 24-year-old Fred to move on to bigger challenges. Fernandinho spent eight seasons in Donetsk,…

Meet Philipp Max, the left-back who has more assists than Kevin De Bruyne

Augsburg’s Philipp Max, who leads Europe with 10 assists, will be a hot commodity during the January transfer window.
Back in April 2014, German newspaper Bild interviewed two young Schalke players under the headline: “Generation of the sons.” One was Leroy Sane, son of Souleyman Sane, one of the first black footballers in the Bundesliga; the other was Philipp Max, son of Martin Max, who — though rather anonymous outside of Germany — was a magnificent striker for Borussia Monchengladbach, Schalke and 1860 Munich, and was twice crowned the Bundesliga top scorer in 2000 and 2002.
While Sane’s rise was meteoric…

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s form could earn a move to Manchester United

Craig Burley compares Manchester United to a small club playing a giant in the FA Cup in their loss to Manchester City.
Manchester United are reportedly tracking Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, with his family already having ties to the Premier League club.
Few would be aware that his younger brother joined United more than three years ago. Vanja Milinkovic-Savic’s spell at Old Trafford never really got off the ground, though — he was loaned back to his home club, Vojvodina, immediately after completing the transfer in May 2014, then was released in November 2015 after failing to get a work permit.
Unlike his younger…

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s form could earn a move to Manchester United

Once coveted by Jose Mourinho, Mario Fernandes has made Russia home

Jose Mourinho expands on Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s road to recovery and confirms he will not feature for Man United against CSKA.
Six years ago, then-Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho made Mario Fernandes his top target ahead of the January 2012 transfer window. Mourinho personally contacted the young Brazilian, who played for Gremio, but Madrid president Florentino Perez had other ideas. He didn’t want to pay €15 million for a largely unknown player and wanted to blood a homegrown right-back who had made huge progress on the reserve team — Dani Carvajal.
By the time Mourinho managed to convince the board that the Fernandes…

Justin Kluivert hopes to follow father Patrick’s footsteps at Ajax

Eighteen-year-old Justin Kluivert scored an impressive hat trick to fuel Ajax’s 5-1 rout of Roda JC.

Patrick Kluivert had never scored a hat trick in the Eredivisie, but his son Justin accomplished the feat on Sunday at the tender age of 18.
The Ajax starlet might have succeeded against rock-bottom Roda, the weakest club in the division by a distance and who are almost certain to be relegated, but the quality of the goals was still remarkable. All were scored when Kluivert Jr. cut inside from the left flank and finished with his stronger right foot. He showed that he can go for power with a fierce…

Brian Idowu’s journey from St Petersburg to Nigeria may end at World Cup

Brian Idowu, right, scored in Nigeria’s 4-2 friendly win over Argentina on Tuesday.
“I am an African with a Russian heart,” Nigeria’s Brian Idowu said in 2011. The story of the Russia-born defender who made his debut for the Super Eagles on Tuesday against Argentina, and could play at the 2018 World Cup in the country of his birth, is unique.
Idowu acted as a translator at Nigeria’s news conference ahead of the fixture in Krasnodar earlier this week because he speaks perfect Russian. The defender then proved his worth on the pitch as well, scoring just eight minutes after…

Brian Iwodu’s journey from St Petersburg to Nigeria may end at World Cup

Brian Iwodu, right, scored in Nigeria’s 4-2 friendly win over Argentina on Tuesday.
“I am an African with a Russian heart,” Nigeria’s Brian Idowu said in 2011. The story of the Russia-born defender who made his debut for the Super Eagles on Tuesday against Argentina, and could play at the 2018 World Cup in the country of his birth, is unique.
Idowu acted as a translator at Nigeria’s news conference ahead of the fixture in Krasnodar earlier this week because he speaks perfect Russian. The defender then proved his worth on the pitch as well, scoring just eight minutes after…

Hamburg’s Jann-Fiete Arp could be Germany’s answer to Harry Kane

Jann-Fiete Arp scored a goal in his first start for Hamburg on Nov. 4.
In the summer, Chelsea were keen to sign Jann-Fiete Arp for their academy. The 17-year-old Hamburg prodigy had other ideas, however, and rejected the offer, claiming that such a move was absolutely illogical.
“It won’t make any sense to leave my team and move abroad at the moment. I hardly achieved anything and have virtually no experience in professional football,” claimed Arp, who remained at the club he had joined seven years ago. “The risk would have been too big. Money shouldn’t matter…

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