The Chippy: Sancho and Havertz shine, Cantona turns 54

Happy birthday to The King

Eric Cantona: a perfect, unimpeachable man. Anyone checked out his new show on Netflix yet?

Transfer targets Jadon Sancho and Kai Havertz shine

Bundesliga was back again last Saturday, and two players linked with Manchester United moves have once again shown what all the hype is about. Young Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Kai Havertz once again bagged a brace for his side, helping to silence critics over his performances earlier in the season.

Havertz is young, and his game shows it at times, but he’s got the potential to grow well beyond Bundesliga. His calmness on the ball and creativity make him one of the most sought after young playmakers in the game, and that is exactly what was on display today.

Also in action, although off the bench, was Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, who contributed his 30th goal involvement of the season to help clinch three points for the Black and Yellow against Wolfsburg. Sancho has been linked with move to Manchester United seemingly since he made his debut for Dortmund, and he will likely demand a big fee regardless of what a COVID-19 transfer market looks like.

It is interesting however that he has started both of Dortmund’s recent games on the bench. Perhaps Lucien Favre is planning ahead for life without the Englishman. He certainly looked sharp when he came on, and played an important role in sealing the win.

Kante prepared to miss remainder of season

N’Golo Kante has not returned to Chelsea training, and has been given permission to train at home. Amid fears over the coronavirus pandemic, Kante is prepared to miss the rest of the season if necessary. Kante is not the only player to express reservations over restarting the Premier League season, but he is the most high profile. It’s almost a given that many other players share his reservations, and it’s a reminder that while the idea of football seasons resuming play around Europe starts to normalize, people are still dying, and players are understandably worried about being asked to risk the health and safety of them and their loved ones.

Solskjaer fires a shot

A general statement on his squad-building philosophy? Or a pointed barb at Romelu Lukaku a recently/soon-to-be departed player?