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BBC Radio 5 Live’s Alan Hutton has suggested that Lucas Moura could push for a move away from Tottenham Hotspur in pursuit of more regular game-time.

The Lowdown: Lack of minutes for Moura

Last month, Football Insider revealed that Spurs have no plans to offload the Brazilian in the summer, despite the instant impact made by January arrival Dejan Kulusevski.

Whilst the 29-year-old has made 27 appearances in the Premier League this season, in recent weeks the majority of these have come off the bench. In the last seven games for which he has been available, the winger has been used as a substitute on six occasions and was left on the bench in the other.

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The Latest: Hutton’s claim on Moura

Hutton, who regularly features as a pundit for BBC Radio 5 Live and previously played for Tottenham, believes that Moura will not be content with a squad role in Antonio Conte’s squad.

Speaking with Football Insider, the Scot claimed: “Look, I don’t think anybody’s happy playing second fiddle. Kulusevski’s come in and he’s done really well. So sometimes you just need to hold your hands up and say: ‘At this moment in time, he’s playing better.’

“It’s now down to Lucas Moura to go and prove his worth. To go and show that he’s still capable of playing at a high level consistently.

“What (age) is he, just turning 30? I always believe that at that age, you want to be playing. Obviously, it’s going to come down to him and how he feels but he’ll want to be playing football.

“Nobody wants to be second fiddle. That’s just how footballers are wired. Everybody wants to play so it’s going to come down to him and how he feels. I’m pretty sure he won’t want to sit on the bench week in, week out.”

The Verdict: Would be a disappointing exit

Given Moura’s heroics in Tottenham’s 2018/19 Champions League semi-final against Ajax, lots of Spurs fans would surely be sad to see the Brazilian go.

As a squad option, he would be of huge value to Conte. He would allow the likes of Kulusevski and Heung-min Son to be rotated, providing fresh legs in the final minutes.

Indeed, the 29-year-old would still have plenty to offer to Spurs. He has been involved in 13 goals this season, scoring six, while only three team-mates have taken more shots per game and he has the best dribbling record of anyone in N17, completing two per match.

Therefore, Conte’s decision to drop the winger to the bench could prove to be the catalyst in the 29-year-old’s Lilywhites exit.

In other news: Spurs are now the favourites to sign this England international

Leeds United correspondent Beren Cross labelled Leo Hjelde’s return to action as a ‘disaster’ following a big mistake for the under-23s.

The Lowdown: Hjelde back on the bench

Hjelde had been missing since February after suffering a knee injury in a 3-0 defeat to Everton. The 18-year-old required surgery on the issue, with Jesse Marsch unsure at the time if the youngster would definitely make a return before the end of the season.

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However, the versatile defender has made brilliant progress and returned to the bench under Marsch in the 3-0 win over Watford on Saturday.

The Latest: Cross’ post on Hjelde

Cross reported on the Leeds under-23s’ clash with West Ham on Monday, with Hjelde getting the nod from the off. January signing Mateo Joseph marked his first Whites start with a goal, but West Ham were level shortly after, with Cross describing it as a ‘disaster’ by Hjelde.

The defender made a big mistake playing out from the back which was punished and made way for Kris Moore at half-time, with Leeds eventually falling to a 5-1 defeat.

The Verdict: Minutes needed

Hjelde is clearly rated highly by Whites officials following his move from Celtic in the summer. Marcelo Bielsa handed him a senior debut back in January and Marsch was quick to have him back on the bench at the first possible opportunity.

His return to action for the under-23s didn’t go to plan, but he’ll need more minutes to build up his fitness and match sharpness over the coming weeks, with a view to breaking through to the first team more prominently in Marsch’s first full season in charge.

In other news: Phil Hay has his say on ‘horrible’ Leeds ace who Marsch and Orta now want to offload.

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Crystal Palace visit Leicester City this weekend and will be hoping they can make it a fourth consecutive win over the Foxes, although they will have to do it without Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Martin Kelly, who have been ruled out through injury.

The former has been the Eagles’ outstanding performer on the right hand side of defence and has garnered interest from a number of top clubs, including Premier League champions Manchester City.

Meanwhile, the latter has stepped in capably when required and has earned himself a new deal which will keep him at Selhurst Park until 2021.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Wan-Bissaka’s absence, in particular, will please Claude Puel and Leicester – the right-back has become one of the best in the league in his position and even outshone talisman Wilfried Zaha this season.

The Eagles have proved they can best the Foxes without their key men, though – the Ivory Coast international was suspended for the last meeting and the SE25 outfit still came out on top, keeping a third consecutive clean sheet against the 2015/16 champions.

Here’s how the Palace fans reacted on Twitter, with many surprised that 21-year-old Wan-Bissaka could even get injured – indeed, he has looked “immortal” since his breakthrough to the starting XI…

Liverpool star forward Mohamed Salah has no plans to move to La Liga and wants to stay in the Premier League, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

What’s the talk?

The Egyptian forward has been in a contract stalemate with the Reds for the past few months, and with his contract up next year there has been a lot of speculation about where he could move to.

It has been reported in the past that Salah favours a move to Spain, in particular Barcelona, but an update yesterday from Romano seemed to shut down that prospect.

He also suggests that the player has no plans to leave the Premier League, if that’s the case then he may eventually sign a new deal at Liverpool or could he move to one of their rivals?

In full, Romano said: “The situation hasn’t changed. Mo Salah doesn’t consider La Liga move a priority – he’s not planning to leave the Premier League.”

Salah likely to stay

Surely the 29-year old wouldn’t move to another English club, he’s had so much success at Liverpool and a move to a rival would tarnish his reputation with the fans greatly.

According to reports, the Premier League’s leading goal scorer rejected a £400k per-week contract offer in the hope of being paid something closer to half a million a week.

However, he is said to have compromised and talks are still ongoing between the club and the players’ representatives.

The marksman is one of the best strikers around and ranks in the top 1% for expected goals and assists amongst all players in Europe’s top five leagues.

He is also on track to pick up his third Premier League golden boot this season and is a key part in Liverpool’s push for the title.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has urged the hierarchy at Anfield to sort the situation out saying he “doesn’t think they’ll be forgiven” if he leaves.

Whilst the Reds could get upwards of £90m for the player, they would struggle to find a replacement as good as him.

Despite this, Salah is approaching 30-years old and some believe that now is the time to cash in and reinvest the money across the whole squad.

We’d be surprised if Salah left in the summer, but he’s not going to be around forever and Liverpool need to plan for when he’s eventually does go.

For now, however, the news that he could well stay at Anfield is a major boost for Jurgen Klopp and co.

IN other news: Liverpool eye record-breaking bid for £77m “special talent”, just imagine him & Jota – opinion…

Ruben Neves deciding to leave Wolves this summer would be a ‘massive, massive loss’ for the club, according to Midlands-based journalist Josh Holland.

The Lowdown: Endless Neves links

The Portuguese maestro has been continually linked with a move away from Molineux in recent times, with the likes of Barcelona and Arsenal tipped to snap him up.

Neves is undoubtedly one of the most highly-valued players at Wolves currently, with his quality in midfield playing a huge role in Bruno Lage’s side pushing for a European finish this season.

The 24-year-old has shown quality on the ball, scoring four goals and registering two assists in the Premier League, but also tenacity off it, averaging 2.3 tackles per game.

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The Latest: Journalist bemoans possible exit

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Holland said it would be an enormous setback for Wolves after hearing of Arsenal’s interest:

“Yes, 100 per cent. I think as the season’s gone on, Ruben Neves’ importance to Wolves has just got bigger and bigger and you realise how much they miss him in games like against Newcastle.

“If Neves does go, with Arsenal now interested, I think that would be a massive, massive loss for Wolves.”

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The Verdict: Plan for life without him

The longer the links go on, the more likely it feels that Neves will leave, with the midfielder giving few indications that he will stay on beyond this season.

The Portugal international may feel he now belongs in a Champions League team, which is understandable given his performances this season, and it does feel like he has reached a natural conclusion at Molineux.

That’s not to say that any Wolves wouldn’t be desperate for him to stay on, though – if that did happen, it would feel more significant than any signing made this summer.

In other news, a journalist has discussed a potential shock Wolves exit. Read more here.

Celtic recorded an eleventh straight victory over Motherwell to extend their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.

Ange Postecoglou’s side were in rampant form as they found the net four times to make it 19 games unbeaten, putting the pressure on their arch-rivals.

Liel Abada and Daizen Maeda scored either side of a Tom Rogic brace on what was his return to the starting XI and he announced his comeback in stunning fashion as he nonchalantly rifled home an effort from long range.

The Australian midfielder stayed on for the whole game and recorded the highest rating of any Bhoys player (8.7), as per SofaScore.

However, in a quickfire first half it was the presence of Israeli winger that caused all sorts of trouble for the home side.

“Celtic are creating so many opportunities through Abada – and that’s a huge problem from Motherwell. Total composure from the Hatate with the pass,” claimed former Hoops goalkeeper Pat Bonner to BBC Sportsround after the 20-year-old’s opener.

He may have lasted only 45 minutes but Postecoglou obviously wants him rested before their trip to Aberdeen in midweek and that goes to show just how important he is for this side.

From 36 touches, Abada laid on three key passes which resulted in the two goals after he had banged in the first effort. He also made 82% of his 17 passing attempts, via SofaScore.

It’s awfully telling that Celtic’s free-scoring nature quietened down when he was withdrawn at the break.

The Scottish Daily Express ranked Abada amongst the Hoops’ highest-performers, grading him a joint-best 10/10.

‘Looked lively again from the beginning and took up dangerous positions in the box, eventually making a darting run to knock in the opener from a Hatate pass. Influential in the third goal too teeing up Rogic perfectly,’ they wrote.

On that evidence, the £4.05m-rated dynamo absolutely ran the show in the short time he was on the pitch and the Australian head coach will be hoping that he can repeat such exploits on Wednesday evening.

AND in other news, Nicholson continuing Ange’s revolution as Celtic make bid for “graceful” 111 G/A beast…

Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster is now ‘in a strong position’ to earn himself a new contract with the club after a run of impressive performances, according to journalist Tom Barclay.

The Lowdown: Forster’s contract at Southampton

The England international is set to be out of contract this summer upon the expiry of his latest extension, which he signed in 2017.

Somewhat surprisingly, the 34-year-old is Southampton’s second-highest earner, currently taking home a staggering £70,000 per week. This significantly trumps some of the club’s star players, including the likes of James Ward-Prowse, who earns a reported £45,000 per week.

As a result, the vast figures involved in his current contract have raised question marks over whether the former Celtic stopper will be offered a fresh deal by Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side when it comes to the end of the season.

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The Latest: Barclay’s claim on Forster

Barclay believes that Forster’s recent performances and fine form has been able to convince Hasenhuttl that the veteran goalkeeper deserves to remain with the club next season.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, the reporter claimed: “I think he’s put himself in a really good position. It’s quite a turnaround given the situation he was in earlier this season. He was very much expected to leave given he is on big wages.

“He has definitely put himself in a strong position. I don’t think talks have begun yet on that front, so it’s not a done deal so to speak, but it could be quite likely that he will be given a new contract now.”

The Verdict: Deserves to stay

Following the long-term injury sustained by Alex McCarthy in December, Forster has subsequently played every Premier League game for which he has been available.

During this time, he has strung together a number of fantastic performances which even saw him receive a call-up to the England national team. Indeed, Hasenhuttl singled the goalkeeper out recently after his acrobatic saves earnt Southampton three points against a Champions League-chasing Arsenal side.

Therefore, having made a resurgence back in the first XI, Forster deserves to keep his place in this Saints team next season and will have earned any new deal potentially awarded to him.

In other news: Christian Falk reveals Southampton interest in one Bundesliga star

Celtic have seen many players come through their youth academy and go on to become important first-team figures for the Hoops such as Calum McGregor, James Forrest and Anthony Ralston among others.

However, it seems as though the Parkhead club could be in danger of letting one future star slip through their hands in the coming months.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist and transfer insider Pete O’Rourke had this to say about the possibility of Hoops youngster Ben Doak leaving the club in the near future after being linked with a move to Premier League club Liverpool in recent weeks.

He said: “To see him possibly leave for a move down to Liverpool would come as a blow because I think Celtic did have high hopes for him in the future that he could become a regular in the first team.

“That’s why they were offering some minutes this season as well.”

Not good news for the Hoops

As O’Rourke mentioned, the teenager has played in two SPFL games for Ange Postecoglou’s side in this campaign, the first of which came back in January where he played 22 minutes against Dundee United which was then followed by a brief three-minute cameo in the Hoops’ 3-0 win over Rangers.

According to Bhoys Analytics on Twitter, Doak is a name that “Celtic fans should get familiar with” before naming him a “generational talent”, highlighting the buzz and excitement around the teenager.

Taking all of this into account, it seems as though the Parkhead club are very much in danger of seeing their young prospect follow in the footsteps of previous Celtic players to make the move to the Premier League. For instance, the likes of Victor Wanyama, Virgil van Dijk, Stuart Armstrong, Fraser Forster, Kieran Tierney, Kristoffer Ajer and Odsonne Edouard have all departed.

Although Ange Postecolgou’s side are doing pretty well in the SPFL at the moment sitting at the top of the league table with 76 points on the board from 31 games played, losing Doak will definitely be a blow for them in the long term.

Should the youngster end up moving and making a name for himself on the big stage at Liverpool, it would not only dishearten a lot of Hoops supporters but would surely leave them gutted at the same time.

In other news: Daily Record drop big 11-word Celtic claim, unforgivable error could be inbound

Crystal Palace have seen several players make the move to Selhurst Park on loan over the past few years to add an extra dynamic to the team and do their bit before returning to their parent clubs.

Some of these have come from fellow Premier League clubs such as Chelsea, who loaned out Conor Gallagher to the Eagles during the previous summer transfer window and also Ruben Loftus-Cheek back in 2017.

One other player that the Eagles signed on loan from another Premier League side in recent years is defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah, who joined the south London club on a temporary basis from Manchester United in the summer of 2017 alongside Loftus-Cheek.

During his time at Palace, the defender made 21 appearances in the Premier League but didn’t exactly set the place alight in terms of his performances. WhoScored gave him an underwhelming overall season rating of 6.57/10, making him one of the lowest-rated players that started more than one league game in that campaign for the Eagles.

Things didn’t go too well for the Dutchman after leaving Selhurst Park either, as he was then moved out of Old Trafford on another loan deal, this time with Fulham in their 2018/19 relegation season. The defender once again failed to show what he’s capable of by making just 12 league appearances, ending the campaign as one of the Cottagers’ lowest-rated players.

In the January 2021 transfer window, the Manchester club finally cut ties with the full-back by selling him to Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth a reported £1.8m.

Perhaps unsurprisingly to a lot of Palace and Fulham fans, their former loan dud – who is currently valued at £3.6m by Transfermarkt – hasn’t exactly hit the ground running in Germany. He has made just six substitute appearances for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, which is unfortunate given how ex-Man United defender Clayton Blackmore once dubbed him a player who “can’t be overlooked”.

Taking into account his uninspiring loan spell at Selhurst Park, followed by his disappointing period with Fulham, eventual exit from United and lukewarm start to life in Germany, it’s safe to say that Steve Parish and the Eagles had a lucky escape over their decision to not secure the Dutch defender on a permanent deal.

In other news: Palace hit the jackpot with £130k-p/w “game-changer” whose value has soared 5,233%

Liverpool will assess the condition of their Brazilian No.9 Roberto Firmino ahead of Sunday’s Merseyside derby.

What’s the latest?

In Friday’s press conference (via Liverpoolfc.com) Jurgen Klopp issued news on the injury status of his squad heading into the game against Frank Lampard’s relegation battlers, Everton.

The news is positive on the whole, as Klopp was asked by the media whether there were any further fitness issues within the squad, to which he replied: “Not that I know yet. No other problems.”

However, Roberto Firmino will face a late fitness test after missing the 4-0 victory over Manchester United on Tuesday night with a foot injury.

In regards to the Brazilian’s injury, Klopp said: “And Bobby, getting better and better. It’s just uncomfortable, painful. [Friday] is his first day on the pitch, so there are still two days to go, so maybe [he could feature].”

Whether the 30-year-old will feature against the Toffees appears to be entirely up to him, with Klopp saying: “If Bobby gives the thumbs-up then he will be involved. And not, then we wait another few days, but then I think after that it should be possible.”

Touch-and-go

This season has seen Firmino make the six seasons in the Premier League.

With just 28% of games for Klopp having also returned the least amount of goal contributions out of his last six campaigns – with the Brazilian netting five and assisting three.

However, the £34.2m-rated striker has been hampered with injuries this season, something which has coincided with the emergence of Diogo Jota – the Portugal international who is having the season of his life, scoring 15 goals over 29 appearances in the league.

Firmino’s link-up play could certainly have been used to good effect against a side who have struggled to keep possession this season – with Everton expected to deploy a low-block – which would have been music to the ears of the pass-master, who has conjured up some sensational numbers for his pin-point passing.

Bobby could still feature for the Reds on Sunday, though he will face a late fitness test that will declare his inclusion or exclusion in the squad – something that is sure to have Klopp sweating, as the loss of the Brazilian would undoubtedly be a huge blow for the Reds.

AND in other news: Klopp could unearth Liverpool’s next Konate by unleashing “incredible” £450k-rated gem