Leeds could get their own Sancho in Madueke

Leeds United could sign their own version of England star Jadon Sancho in PSV Eindhoven sensation Noni Madueke.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks and months had suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side have already been “putting feelers out” for the winger over a summer move, before suggestions that his price tag had seen the Whites steer clear.

Football Insider have now delivered an exciting update on the situation, claiming that Leeds have reignited their interest in the England under-21 international after some third-party discussions.

The report stated: “A Leeds source has told Football Insider the club have been given encouragement that PSV will lower their demands for 19-year-old Madueke to around the £20m mark.”

Leeds’ own Sancho

With Sancho currently with the England squad at Euro 2020 and facing off against Ukraine tonight in the quarter-finals of the competition, Leeds could sign someone in Madueke who is similarly quick and exciting and with a bag of tricks in his locker.

Former England under-21 manager Aidy Boothroyd said of the 19-year-old: “He’s a powerhouse of a player, technically very good, left-footed and likes to come in off the side of the pitch, off the right and go and link.

“He’s got a goal in him, he’s very creative. He’s got a massive smile, a lovely kid. The lads have taken to him, as they would because he’s a good player, he has that respect for what he’s done at PSV.”

Meanwhile, former PSV ace Tommie van de Leegte also raved about the 19-year-old, saying (via Goal): “He’s fast and has the capability to trick his opponent. He brings creativity and is very explosive in his actions. That’s what PSV needs.”

Manchester United-bound Sancho was on fire for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga last season, notching 16 goals and 20 assists in 38 games across all competitions.

While Madueke didn’t produce such incredible numbers, he still had a huge impact in terms of finding the back of the net himself and also setting up his teammates in a selfless manner as well – he managed nine goals and eight assists in 32 games.

Both players averaged more than 1.5 dribbles per game in their respective leagues, while they were fouled equally as often (0.8 times per match) – strong evidence of the directness with which they play.

While English Leeds fans who are watching the Ukraine game may be excited at the prospect of seeing Sancho shine, they could well have their own version of the winger in Madueke at Elland Road next season if their club were to sign him.

Meanwhile, Leeds receive major update on Marcelo Bielsa’s future…

Roofe a doubt for Rangers vs Hearts

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left fuming over some early team news that has emerged ahead of their game away at Hearts at Sunday lunchtime.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match in the Scottish Premiership, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has revealed that Kemar Roofe is now a ‘doubt’.

The Jamaica international has struggled at times with injury problems throughout his career at Ibrox, and has not always been available throughout this season so far.

It is a shame, because he has come up with 10 goals in 20 games so far this term (Transfermarkt), but injuries seem to be holding him back.

Nonetheless, it seems as if a lot of Light Blues supporters are losing patience with him as he struggles to keep himself fit for a sustained period of time.

Rangers fans on team news

These Teddy Bears were left fuming as the early team news involving Roofe was shared on Twitter:

“Roofe’s injuries becoming an issue again”

Credit: @BIBRSCShawlands

“Time to sell Roofe.”

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“Convinced Roofe is made of glass.”

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“Roofe again”

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“Don’t see where Roofe fits into a 4231 and he’s very injury prone… need to start looking at alternatives”

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“Roofe, Helander and Jack all important players for us but all seem to struggle injury wise. It’s gutting.”

Credit: @Stuart1872Rfc

In other news, find out whose display against Lyon was slammed here!

Matt O’Riley: Celtic’s new Stuart Armstrong?

It wasn’t long ago that Tom Rogic’s Celtic career looked in significant doubt.

The attacking midfielder was only a bit-part player at Parkhead during various points of Neil Lennon’s tenure and was linked with a regular exit from the Hoops.

Yet, step forward Ange Postecoglou, who has revived his fellow countryman’s career in Glasgow, with the Australian playing 44 times this term and contributing to 16 goals in the process.

Rogic is now a key player again and in the words of The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin, he is becoming a “Celtic great.”

It’s hard to argue against that considering his 266 outings in the green and white but he does have competition from David Turnbull, someone who has spent plenty of time on the sidelines this term.

He will also have to look further behind him in Matt O’Riley, who has very quickly become a fan favourite at Celtic Park.

The Denmark U21 international signed from MK Dons for a bargain fee of £1.5m in January and he has been a revelation since penning terms.

The 21-year-old already has three goals and three assists in Celtic colours and that tally will surely rapidly improve.

His performance off the bench in the 7-0 drubbing of St Johnstone was one of his best performances yet, with the £405k-rated attack-minded player finding the net twice.

Capable of playing in central areas or on the flanks, the youngster is starting to show shades of a certain Stuart Armstrong, someone who stood out in a similar position before being snapped up by Southampton.

Armstrong scored 28 times and supplied another 25 for his teammates in Glasgow and the more intricate stats suggest how alike they are.

In 2021/22 so far, the Scotland international has recorded 1.7 shots per, 1.1 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per match in the Premier League.

O’Riley on the other hand has registered 1.4 shots, 2.5 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per match, although that final statistic was better at 1.3 while he was still playing in England’s third tier.

With those stats in mind, they both appear to glide past players with ease, while they’re also extremely dangerous in front of goal.

Celtic’s new recruit does appear to be more creative but it’s clear to see why this comparison is being made.

Described as “silky” and “classy” after yesterday’s win by pundit Michael Stewart, the future is a hugely exciting one for O’Riley in Glasgow.

AND in other news, Forget Jota: Ange must clinch huge Celtic signing in 54-goal gem who is “like Mbappe”…

Newcastle manager news on Howe

A source from Newcastle United has revealed that there are now talks taking place with Eddie Howe ahead of potentially making him their next manager.

The Lowdown: Second choice?

The Athletic reported just yesterday that Howe was the alternative option to Unai Emery to take charge at St. James’ Park, with the latter originally looking likely to be the next permanent manager.

However, Emery has recently released a statement claiming that he is now going to stay at Villarreal, meaning that they have to look at other candidates, as the new owners scramble to get someone in before the weekend.

Nonetheless, it looks as if Howe is now the favourite to take over from Graeme Jones.

The Latest: Howe talks

Speaking to Football Insider, a Tyneside club source has now revealed that terms are being negotiated with Howe over his potential appointment, and that Amanda Staveley is ‘confident’ that they will get their man.

The Magpies have turned ‘quickly’ to Howe, after Emery had doubts over the club’s strategy.

Should both parties reach a full agreement, then Howe should be appointed in time for their weekend clash against Brighton and Hove Albion.

The former AFC Bournemouth boss is ‘willing’ to work alongside Jones, and this is believed to be a ‘critical factor’.

The Verdict: Good fit

Howe is certainly a good fit for the Magpies for the predicament that they find themselves in at the moment.

Even though he did bring the Cherries back down to the Championship after five straight seasons in the Premier League (Transfermarkt), he at least has experience of fighting relegation battles, and his route of getting them up to the top flight in the first place should certainly not go unnoticed – the South coast outfit had a fraction of the resources as the Magpies now will.

Former Premier League boss Harry Redknapp lauded the ‘incredible’ job that he did at Bournemouth, while even the great Sir Alex Ferguson rates him as well, praising him during the summer amidst links to Celtic.

Howe certainly has his admirers, and given that he is out of work, should be far more attainable for the consortium.

In other news, find out which ‘world class’ manager is now being ‘pushed’ by Jones for NUFC here!

Liverpool plot move for Moussa Diaby

Liverpool are plotting a move for highly rated Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby, and he could be the perfect replacement for Mohamed Salah if he leaves.

What’s the story?

According to reports in Italy,  Liverpool are plotting a move for Moussa Diaby as a potential replacement for Salah should the Egyptian fail to sign a new contract.

Diaby currently players in the Bundesliga for Leverkusen and has a great record for a 22-year old, and is rated at £49.5m.

The Reds are one of several Premier League clubs interested in the player with reports saying that West Ham United also want to sign the youngster.

He could be the perfect replacement for Salah

Liverpool have still failed to reach an agreement on a new contract with their star man Mohamed Salah. Negotiations broke down last month but have since restarted, however there are no guarantees that he will decide to stay which has led to Liverpool planning for life without him.

Diaby could be the ideal replacement and with the Frenchman so young it would be a worthy investment. He may not be at the levels of Salah just yet, but Klopp is known for developing good players into world class players so there’s no reason he couldn’t do the same here.

He has made 28 appearances in the league this season and been directly involved in 21 goals. He’s also shone in Europe with his performances in the Europa League earlier this campaign described as “special”.

It’s not a surprise he’s attracting a lot of interest as he is one of the best players in the Bundesliga, ranking in the top 3% for expected non-penalty goals.

When it comes to goals and assists combined for his club this season nobody beats him, he’s been key to the clubs battle for a Champions League place.

It’s hard to directly compare him with Salah given the age and experience difference, it’s more his potential that raises eyebrows. If you compare their stats when they were both 22, they’re remarkably similar.

Their goals per shots on target were the same at 0.46, with Diaby’s number of assists per 90 minutes being more than Salah’s at the time.

If he continues on the same trajectory then he could turn into one of the world’s best. Even if Salah decides to stay put an Anfield, this is a transfer race Liverpool need to be winning.

IN other news: Liverpool in talks over Karim Adeyemi…

Newcastle want Everton manager Benitez

Lots of Everton fans have been left reacting to some news involving Rafa Benitez.

As per Football Insider, the soon-to-be new owners at the St. James’ Park faithful are now plotting a move to bring the Spaniard back to the North East once the proposed takeover by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium goes through.

He was given a three-year deal by the Merseyside club this summer after replacing Carlo Ancelotti, who went on to manage Real Madrid.

Of course, even though the new owners may have the financial muscle, it does seem very unrealistic that Benitez would leave the Toffees after such a short spell in charge, especially given the fact that they are currently sitting in a healthy fifth spot in the table in the Premier League at the moment.

Everton fans on Benitez news

These Blues rubbished the news as it was shared on Twitter, with one EFC supporter even going as far as to claim that it was ‘laughable’:

“Hahahahahaha! Not happening”

Credit: @D_Hart11

“In addition to the fact he’s at a much bigger club, they will still be under the same PL restrictions as we are and Usmanov will be pumping millions into EFC when he can anyway. File under not happening”

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“Honestly, this is getting boring now. A club with little or no history suddenly hits the big time with a mega bucks and all of a sudden, they’re going to poach our manager. Some of the names I’ve seen linked today by deluded ‘journalists’ are laughable. Money ruining the game.”

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“Not going to happen.”

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“The ‘mega transfer kitty’ talk is being insanely overstated. The Elite pulled up the ladder several years ago. They barely tolerate Man City. FFP is king these days, to stop another City/Chelsea happening instantly as in the past, as Everton’s situation has shown.”

Credit: @UpperGwladysBlu

“The takeover will put Newcastle in the race for 5th to 10th. FFP will limit their ability to buy top players, who in all likelihood won’t move to Newcastle in any case….the top 4 ship has sailed…it’s funny watching them talk about it though…..”

Credit: @saus1878

In other news, find out what club news has Evertonians buzzing here!

West Ham fans erupt over Lingard claim

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have erupted over a fresh update on transfer target Jesse Lingard’s situation at Manchester United.

The Red Devils ace, who enjoyed a stellar second half of 2020/2021 on loan at West Ham, has been targeted by the Hammers over a permanent deal for quite some time according to reports.

Club insider Claret & Hugh said all the way back in March that Lingard was a main priority target for manager David Moyes alongside the signing of a new centre-half and striker.

BBC Sport reporter Simon Stone believes that the England international is still a target for West Ham but Lingard himself would prefer to see out the final year of his deal at Old Trafford.

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Now, bringing a fresh update, Manchester Evening News correspondent Samuel Luckhurst has claimed that United are now open to selling the 28-year-old before August 31 after all.

This is despite manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer expecting Lingard in his plans for the start of 2021/2022, with the Premier League giants seemingly pulling a U-turn on their stance.

Flocking to this update, it’s safe to say many Irons supporters have erupted on social media – find all of their best reactions, in response to West Ham Fan Zone and West Ham News & Views, down below.

West Ham fans erupt over Lingard update…

“Get him back. Was amazing at us. would be great with full season.”

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“Stop putting me through this I beg”

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“come home x”

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“Bring him home”

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“Come on West Ham do something”

Credit: @WESTHAM_AWAY

“GET HIM IN”

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“get him back”

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“Don’t give me false hopes please”

Credit: @BasmatiBusquets

In other news: West Ham now weighing swoop to sign ‘world class’ striker, club prepared to sell…find out more here.

Rangers fans love Scott Arfield photo

A number of Rangers supporters have flocked to an official club tweet to hail Scott Arfield following his goal in the 3-1 victory over Livingston.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst made a winning start to life in the Premiership since taking over as manager, adding to Thursday’s triumph against Sparta Prague in the Europa League.

The champions eased to a win at Livingston on Sunday, ensuring that they remain four points clear of the Celtic in the title race.

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It was Arfield who opened the scoring for the Gers, giving his side an early lead, with Joe Aribo and Fashion Sakala also finding the net.

After the game, Rangers’ official Twitter channel posted a photo of Arfield producing his trademark salute celebration after scoring, with the image going down a treat among many of the Ibrox fan base.

Rangers fans love Arfield photo

These Gers fans took to Twitter to show their appreciation for the “majestic” Canada international as the photo of his celebration was shared.

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @WATP72RFC

“Only word for this guy is majestic”

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“Saluting his way to another title”

Credit: @GKilpatrick1116

“This is the content we want to see Mr Rangers”

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“Top player”

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“Handsome”

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In other news, some Rangers fans were unhappy with one player after Livingston’s goal. Find out who it is here.

Newcastle eyeing up deal for Camara

An update has emerged on Olympiacos midfielder Aguibou Camara, regarding Newcastle United’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, the Magpies are eyeing up a potential January deal for the ex-Lille man, who is valued at £20m by the Greek giants.

The report claims that Premier League sides Leicester and Liverpool have also made contact with his agent following his impressive form this season.

ASM 2.0

Eddie Howe could land Allan Saint-Maximin 2.0 with a deal for Camara in January as he could be a new wildcard option to utilise in midfield.

The 20-year-old attacking midfielder has four goals and one assist in eight league matches for Olympiacos this season. He has also averaged a superb SofaScore rating of 7.25 and made 3.8 tackles per game in the Europa League, showing that he has the quality to shine on the European stage.

French manager Christian Larièpe once claimed that he has a ‘form of recklessness’ to his game. He said:

“I had seen him in Guinea, he was the best hope in the country and we called him for our detection in Morocco in 2019. But it was Luis (Campos) who validated it, it is him. who set this whole process in place.

“Camara was fast, was technical, and besides he had a very interesting personality. He was very alert, very open with a certain form of recklessness. There was also a lot of clubs on him.”

These comments suggest that he could be a wildcard on and off the pitch, which means that he has the potential to provide the club with a spark – much like Saint-Maximin. The French attacker was once called a “wildcard” by Liverpool legend Graeme Souness, who also admitted that the forward gets fans “excited”.

Saint-Maximin has nine goals and 11 assists in the Premier League since his move to the club in 2019, showing that he has the ability to be a match-winner with his telling contributions in the final third.

Camara could come in and have a similar impact with his vibrant personality and ruthless streak, with his form for Olympiacos suggesting that he could also have the quality to make the step over to the Premier League.

It is now down to Howe and PIF to ensure that they can get a deal over the line for the Guinea international in the next transfer window, as they could land their next Saint-Maximin…

AND in other news, PIF ready to pay £67m to complete stunning NUFC deal that’ll surely have fans buzzing…

Aston Villa confirm deal for WBA’s Tim Iroegbunam

Aston Villa’s move for West Brom starlet Tim Iroegbunam has now been completed, and it’s exciting news for the club’s fans.

What’s the story?

According to recent reports from Football Insider, Dean Smith’s side had “agreed to pay a six-figure compensation fee to their rivals for Iroegbunam’s development costs”.

And now, writing on Twitter, The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece said: “Tim Iroegbunam – West Brom’s academy player of the year – has completed his move to Aston Villa. Mark Harrison said of the 18-year-old: ‘Tim is an athletic midfielder who is technically very good. Tim has a lot of potential.’ #AVFC”

Exciting news for fans

With Finn Azaz having just come through the door, and Louie Barry making the long way around from the Hawthorns via Barcelona, Iroegbunam becomes yet another former Baggies player to sign for Villa.

It’s a real statement of the kind of impressive work Villa are doing at academy level in helping to set up their future, and bring through the next Jack Grealish’s of the world.

A profile piece done by The Birmingham Mail said of Iroegbunam: “The 18-year-old, described as “combative and all-action” by Albion coaches, will look to link up with former teammate Louie Barry at Villa with the pair remaining close friends off the pitch. BirminghamLive has been told that Iroegbunam has turned down a new and improved contract at The Hawthorns in favour of moving to Villa Park.”

Villa fans have already seen first-hand the kind of promise and potential their academy side has, having watched them bravely fight against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the FA Cup third round earlier this calendar year.

That day saw Barry hit the headlines after finding the back of the net against the Reds, and the likes of Azaz and Iroegbunam will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of the teenage striker by making their own mark on the senior team at Villa Park.

Iroegbunam’s arrival is yet more exciting news for the club’s fans, who will no doubt be buzzing with the teenager’s arrival.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has made a major Aston Villa transfer claim…

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