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This article forms part of our Profit Players feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how well a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how good of a deal the club managed to achieve.

Since first joining Sheffield United for a reported fee of £504,000 in 2017 (Transfermarkt), John Lundstram has had mixed fortunes at the club.

The former Everton trainee was signed by Chris Wilder as competition for John Fleck and Paul Coutts as the Blades entered their first season back in the Championship.

Initially he struggled for minutes in the 2017/18 campaign and he made just three starts in the first 17 fixtures of the season (Transfermarkt).

However, Coutts picked up a nasty injury against Burton Albion and that opened the door for Lundstram to tie down a place in Wilder’s starting 11.

He went on to start Sheffield United’s next 10 league matches in a row and did ok, providing two assists and scoring once (Transfermarkt).

But it wasn’t enough for him to remain a regular starter. Once the January transfer window rolled around the Blades signed another midfielder, Lee Evans, who replaced Lundstram in the starting line-up and the former Oxford man was then restricted to just eight of the remaining league games (Transfermarkt).

The midfielder then began the following season by starting the first two matches (Transfermarkt), but after back-to-back defeats against Swansea and Middlesbrough, he was dropped, with new signing Oliver Norwood taking his place.

For the remainder of the campaign, Lundstram was a peripheral figure at Bramall Lane and in total featured just 10 times in the Championship (Transfermarkt), watching his teammates earn automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Most thought that was it for the former England under-20 international in terms of his career at Sheffield United, but how wrong they were.

Instead, the midfielder has benefitted from a tactical tweak from Wilder, which has seen him change from having a central attacking midfielder to a flat three in the middle of the park (Transfermarkt).

As a result, Lundstram has forced his way back into the team and astonishingly has started all of their Premier League matches to date (Transfermarkt).

He has been one of the Blades’ best players so far this term, and is their joint-leading goal scorer with three (BBC Sport).

Two of those goals came in a recent victory against Burnley, a game which perfectly highlights just how good he has been this season. Indeed as well as netting twice against the Clarets he also managed to play one key pass, make three successful tackles and one clearance whilst also finishing with a passing accuracy of 86.8% – the highest of any Sheffield United player on the day (WhoScored).

Wilder has hinted that he will open up contract talks with the ex-Scunthorpe loanee soon (Sheffield Star), and it is fair to say that it has been some turnaround for him at Bramall Lane.

Should he agree a new deal with the club it will add to his value to the club, which is certainly now way more than the £504,000 they paid for him a couple of years ago.

Sheffield United fans, how good has John Lundstram been this season? And how much would you want before considering selling him in today’s market? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

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…

Wolves loanee Connor Ronan has been busy impressing away from the club and journalist Tim Spiers has now taken to Twitter to deliver his verdict on the youngster.

What’s he said?

Ronan was in action for Republic of Ireland’s U21 side over the course of the recent international break, appearing as a second-half substitute as the Irish defeated Sweden 4-1.

Currently plying his trade at Slovakian side FC DAC, the 21-year-old is in the midst of a two-year loan in a bid to get his career back on track.

It appears as though he’s more than done that, earning rave reviews from Irish supporters for his display on Tuesday evening.

He’s even been given the seal of approval by The Athletic’s Wolves correspondent Spiers. Taking to Twitter this week, he said the following:

Rampant Ronan

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Ronan’s time in the Midlands was one that was coming to a disappointing end.

Shipped out on loan to a far from reputable league, he’s begun to make tremendous strides in 2019/20.

The youngster broke through at Wolves in 2016/17, going onto appear 13 times for the senior side but as the club made moves into the Premier League, any chance of first-team football seeped away.

They brought in the likes of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho while the emergence of Morgan Gibbs-White can’t have helped his cause either.

However, Ronan’s making all the right noises at the moment, scoring in Europa League qualifying for his loan outfit while also performing admirably in midweek for his country.

He was introduced when the Republic of Ireland were trailing but he helped change the game, playing a sensational ball in behind for Tottenham prodigy Troy Parrott to find the back of the net. He then set up the final goal of the contest after breaking down the left and sliding the ball across the box.

If Ronan continues making the strides he’s put in during recent months, he might well have a fighting chance of getting back in Nuno Santo’s plans.

Given Wolves’ slim squad, he could become a useful back-up option. Only time will tell whether that actually happens.

With the emergence of both Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams in particular this season, there may be a hope that Manchester United could be on the verge of unearthing a group of academy talents similar to the famous one produced back in 1992.

The likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Phil Neville were part of that famous ‘Class of 92’, and went on to become house-hold names at Old Trafford.

One man who was perhaps less high-profile than the rest, but is now arguably as important as anybody at United, is Nicky Butt.

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Having initially been the club’s head of academy, Butt took up the newly-created position of head of first-team development last summer – a role that sees him report directly to United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and allow him to work closely with the coaching staff in order to “help smooth the transition to the first team for those youngsters considered ready to make the jump”.

The Telegraph claimed that it was a hands-on coaching and mentoring role that “United hope will strength the club’s long-standing success in blooding youth team players into the first XI”, and that he would represent the “final bridge”.

In his time as academy manager, Butt will already be very familiar with some of the youngsters other than Greenwood and Williams who could potentially make the break-through into the senior side very soon.

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The likes of Angel Gomes, Tahith Chong, Largie Ramazani and Ethan Laird, amongst others will benefit majorly from the new role Butt occupies, and will be hoping he can play a huge role in the development of their careers.

If all goes to plan, then United could very well have the ‘Class of 2020’ on their hands before long.

Meanwhile, this Man Utd ace should move on for the good of his career.

Ianis Hagi’s impressive form on loan at Rangers has reportedly attracted interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

What’s the word?

It appears that Jose Mourinho is already thinking ahead to the next transfer window.

The Portuguese boss is enduring a challenging time at Spurs, and it seems he believes Hagi can turn the tide in his favour.

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Indeed, according to a recent report from the Daily Mail, Mourinho and Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain have personally asked the 21-year-old’s agent, Giovani Becali, about how he is getting on.

And Becali goes on to laud the promising attacking midfielder in a comparison with his legendary father, Gheorghe, who was named Romanian footballer of the year on seven different occasions during an esteemed career.

“He has many other qualities and is actually more graceful than his father ever was. He runs like a gazelle compared to him! I think he is improving all the time at Rangers.”

Tottenham’s own Santi Cazorla

Hagi has shown fleeting glimpses of immense promise during his time at Ibrox.

His finest moment in the famous blue shirt arrived in a Europa League clash against Braga in February in a game that saw his reputation and popularity skyrocket in the space of just 15 exhilarating minutes.

Firstly, with the Gers 2-0 down at home to Braga and already staring European exit in the face in the first leg, he got the hosts back into the game with a fine left-footed strike which tickled the inside of the post on its way into the net.

And shortly after Joe Aribo had levelled things up at 2-2, he showcased his ambidextrous ability by scoring a right-footed free kick to give Steven Gerrard’s side a narrow 3-2 victory on the night.

The pair of strikes underlined his ability to strike the ball with equal vigour with both feet, and that is a quality he inherited by virtue of his father’s advice, per Sky Sports.

“Since I was a kid, he always told me that it’s really important to have both [feet] in football. At two or three years old I have videos at home in which I kick only with my left foot, but since then he taught me to play also with my right foot. Now I have both feet. I feel better shooting with the right, but my control of the ball is with my left.”

Players who are equally adept on both sides are a seldom seen footballing niche, but Kevin De Bruyne is a high-profile Premier League talent who currently boasts that quality.

Before him the former Arsenal star Santi Cazorla was a player capable of spraying a 50-yard diagonal, or even a free-kick, with both feet.

During his esteemed career, the Spanish magician scored 39 goals with his right-foot and 17 with his left, a return which underlines his ambidextrous ability.

Hagi, unlike Cazorla, plays on the wing or in a number ten role, but he could become the next big star in north London to earn praise and popularity for his rarely-seen quality.

Unpredictable, captivating, promising and coming from a rich footballing heritage, Mourinho could well be looking at the next both-footed star to rise to prominence in north London.

After heading out to Newcastle on a loan deal during the January transfer window, the writing seemed to be on the wall for Danny Rose and his long-term future at Tottenham.

Reports in recent weeks have claimed that Spurs have even told the Magpies that they are willing to sell the Englishman on a permanent transfer, and that Jose Mourinho had decided a long while ago that he will not be a part of his plans.

If Rose does end up departing, then that will leave Ben Davies as the club’s only other natural, first-team option at left-back. And that is exactly why a move for Sergio Reguilon makes a lot of sense.

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Accoring to Spanish publication ABC Sevilla, Spurs have made an enquiry for the Real Madrid player, who has been out on loan at fellow La Liga side Sevilla this season.

When you look at the stats that the defender has produced this season, then it’s no surprise to see the north London side being linked with a move for him.

As per Transfermarkt, he has racked up four assists in just 22 appearances in the Spanish top-flight, playing a key role in his side finding themselves third in La Liga, only behind Barcelona and Madrid.

The £18m-rated ace is the archetypal modern full-back, being a real offensive threat, but also being a very reliable defender going back towards his own goal too.

In La Liga, he has averaged an impressive 2.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game, whilst he has also managed one shot, 1.6 key passes and 1.7 dribbles per game – clear evidence of Reguilon having a nice balance towards his game.

Mourinho himself has previously confessed himself to be a fan of the left-back too. During punditry duty for the El Clasico, Mourinho said: “I say, from my perspective too, one of the players that could show that Real Madrid traditional desire to compete against Barcelona was another kid like Reguilon, who had a very good approach in both matches.”

So clearly the current Spurs boss is well aware of the Spaniard’s talents, and judging by his performances this season for Sevilla, would represent the perfect successor to Rose in north London.

According to Foot Mercato, Newcastle are interested in a potential summer swoop for Real Betis ace Nabil Fekir.

What’s the word?

Despite the footballing season being postponed, Newcastle may have something very big to shout about if things go as planned – the club’s reported takeover appears to be inching ever closer.

And with that, a summer of big-money signings could be on the cards, and they are already being linked with some high-profile names.

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French publication Foot Mercato have suggested that the Tyneside club “plan to turn” to Fekir, and is “one of the priority targets to strengthen the Magpies’ line of attack.

Shades of Ben Arfa

French, left-footed, and someone who shone in Ligue 1. Remind Newcastle fans of anyone?

Hatem Ben Arfa of course enjoyed a rollercoaster ride in his time at St James’ Park, coming up with some truly magical moments – even if his consistency deserted at times.

There were plenty of times where he dragged the Magpies to some big wins, including being the architect of some wonderful solo goals. He was a true maverick, who when unleashed, really exploded for the Tyneside club – the 2011/2012 campaign saw him net five Premier League goals and assists, as well as averaging two dribbles per game too.

And Fekir is in a similar mold of being able to produce moments of magic with his left foot too. At Real Betis this season, he has managed seven goals and three assists in La Liga, averaging 3.3 shots, 1.1 key passes and 3.3 dribbles per game too.

The £28.8m-rated Frenchman is a major offensive threat, and his ability to beat players in one on one situations with his dribbling skills means he is exactly the type of player who can add a sprinkle of stardust like Ben Arfa did.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are interested in this Serie A powerhouse.

The Chronicle journalist Ciaran Kelly has revealed how Newcastle’s players are primed to hit the ground running when the Premier League returns.

What did he say?

The top-flight could be set for its long-awaited return in June, provided it aligns with the government’s protocols. One of the main concerns for sides no doubt is how to ensure players get back to full fitness as soon as possible, and Kelly has revealed what the Magpies have done over these past few weeks.

He said: “Newcastle United players know they will be fined if they are overweight. The squad were sent away from the training ground on March 13 with their own individual training programmes to carry out in their homes after football operations at the club’s Benton base were shut down.

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“Each player was given a GPS watch, which records their heart rate and activity, and this data can be monitored remotely by club staff. Although the first few weeks of remote training were quite strenuous, it is understood the programmes have since been scaled back a little given the uncertainty surrounding when football will actually resume.”

Advantage

With the remaining Premier League games likely to be played in very quick succession, making sure players are equipped to playing 90 minutes repeatedly is a hard challenge to overcome.

And it’s exactly why Newcastle appear to have got things spot-on in making sure the entire squad understand just how important it is that they don’t slack off from trying to keep themselves in the best shape possible before normal training can resume.

The Magpies could be one of the teams to hit the ground running when the Premier League resumes.

So it looks as though Timo Werner won’t be joining Liverpool after all.

Months and months of speculation had seen the Germany international linked with a move to Anfield this summer, with reports even claiming that should the Reds meet his release clause, the RB Leipzig striker would be ready to join the club.

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But now, The Athletic journalist James Pearce has confirmed that Liverpool’s Premier League rivals Chelsea are closing in on the signing of Werner, and that he will not be teaming up with Jurgen Klopp on Merseyside.

After hearing about the update on their rumoured transfer target, Liverpool fans flooded to Twitter to voice their frustrations at the news, with some taking Pearce’s confirmation to heart.

Some Liverpool fans vented their fury at the club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, and urged them to leave the club as a result of not providing Klopp with the funds to sign Werner.

One Reds fan however took a more measured approach with those who took to criticising FSG, insisting that the club wouldn’t be where they are now if it weren’t for them.

Another Liverpool supporter added to those more positive feeling about the whole situation, by suggesting that it’s “absolutely fine” if they don’t end up signing Werner.

Unsurprisingly, many fans of the Merseyside club are angry at the prospect of missing out on Werner this summer.

The fact that the German will still be plying his trade in English football, but for a direct rival, will sting that little bit more.

It’s a move that could haunt the Reds for the seasons to come.

Brighton maintained their good restart to their Premier League campaign yesterday evening by earning a point away to third-placed Leicester.

It could have been even better for the Seagulls had Neal Maupay not fluffed his lines with an early penalty that was comfortably saved by Kasper Schmeichel. However, in a match that saw the Foxes dominate possession, a share of the spoils reflected a solid return for Graham Potter’s side as they built on their weekend win over Arsenal.

Teenager Tariq Lamptey came in at right-back for his Brighton debut and won the plaudits of his manager along with the Seagulls’ social media team, who described him on Twitter as “a clear winner” of their man of the match award.

Another Brighton player whose contribution went unnoticed but was still valuable to their overall performance was midfielder Dale Stephens, who was recalled to the starting XI after only making a brief substitute appearance in Saturday’s defeat of the Gunners (as per WhoScored).

The 31-year-old gave a diligent and industrious display at the base of midfield, winning four of his duels and making three successful tackles – the joint-most of anyone in Potter’s line-up. An interception and two clearances also highlighted the unglamorous yet important work that he got through at the King Power Stadium. [via Sofascore]

Stephens’ display wasn’t just all about his unselfish defensive work, though – he also impressed with his use of the ball. With three key passes, he had as many as the rest of his team-mates put together, while three of his five long passes were accurate and he also had the highest number of accurate passes among Brighton’s team with 27 (from 34 in total, giving him a 79.4% success rate). [via Sofascore]

The Seagulls are six points clear of the drop zone with seven matches to play, a far more comfortable position than a week ago but still not out of the woods in the relegation battle. More performances like the dogged and imaginative one given by Stephens at Leicester should see them retain their Premier League status for another year.

Brighton fans, were you impressed by Stephens’ performance against Leicester? Comment below with your views!

Liverpool may be one of the most successful teams in the world over the past two seasons, but they haven’t spent all that much as of late.Indeed, the only players the Reds have shelled out a fee for over the past 12 months have been Takumi Minamino and Sepp van der Berg, but that may change this summer.The Premier League champions have been linked with a sensational move for Napoli’s 6 ft 5 centre half Kalidou Koulibaly, as reports in Italy have stated that his asking priced has dropped from €100m to between €70-80m.The idea of the Senegal international partnering Virgil van Dijk at the back is a mouth-watering prospect, after all, Koulibaly was named Serie A’s best defender last term, and he received the third-most Ballon d’Or votes amongst any centre-backs in 2019, sitting only behind van Dijk and Mathijs de Ligt.However, despite the Napoli star possessing such pedigree, a number of fans were against the idea of signing him this summer, and you can understand why.Koulibaly may be fantastic, but he turns 30 next year, and such a hefty outlay for a side with the best defensive record in the division seems a little unnecessary.Van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip have proven to be a brilliant options at the back this season for Jurgen Klopp’s side, conceding just 26 league goals in 34 games, and due to this fact, some supporters believe that Koulibaly would be an unnecessary signing.

Other supporters weren’t happy with the fact the club are reportedly looking to spend such a hefty fee on the defender after reportedly being hesitant to make a move for Thiago who would apparently only cost them €33.5m (£30m).

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These supporters certainly have a point, the Reds’ defence is the best in the division, and it doesn’t really need bolstering, especially when Koulibaly will cost them at least double what Thiago is reportedly available for.