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Liverpool are reportedly battling with Chelsea to sign Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho, ahead of a potential summer move.

The Reds are expected to make additions in the next transfer window following a hugely disappointing season at Anfield.

While a new centre-back could be the most pressing area to address after an injury-blighted campaign in that regard, bringing in another attacker also makes sense given their struggles in the final third in 2020/21, especially those of Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.

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Liverpool linked with Sancho move once again

Sancho has been linked with Liverpool numerous times in the past and it is a rumour which doesn’t appear to be going away any time soon.

According to Bild [via Sport Witness], the Reds and Chelsea are set to lock horns over the signing of the 21-year-old, who is described in the the report as a ‘superstar of the decade’.

Dortmund are believed to be willing to sell Sancho this summer, possibly at a discounted price after the financial impact the pandemic has had in the past 12 months.

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Transfer Tavern take

Sancho hasn’t had his most productive season, only scoring six times in the Bundesliga and not being a guaranteed a place in England’s Euro 2020 squad, but he is a player of immense quality.

At 21, he has already achieved so much – clocking 46 goals and 62 assists in 133 games for Dortmund – but he has years ahead of him to mature further and become one of the world’s most devastating wide players.

Liverpool have to find long-term replacements for Mohamed Salah and Mane eventually – if Diogo Jota is one, Sancho could well be the other, given his pace, trickery, work ethic and end product.

In other news, Liverpool have reportedly reignited their interest in one player – find out who it is here.

Aston Villa loanee Anwar El Ghazi faces a difficult point in his career, with Everton unlikely to sign the Dutch winger.

El Ghazi has failed to make an impression at Goodison Park, with this loan spell proving to be a stumbling block in his development.

What’s the latest?

The 26-year-old looks set to return to Aston Villa when his loan spell ends at the end of the season, the trouble is, they do not want him either and will look to seal a permanent exit for the two-time-capped Netherlands international.

The latest update surrounding El Ghazi’s future comes from a recruitment source courtesy of Football Insider and states that “Everton have no plans to sign El Ghazi permanently and will let him go when his loan expires.”

It also states that upon his return to his parent club, “Villa will look to cash in” on the forward during the summer and believe it will be easier to agree on a transfer to seal his departure – with Steven Gerrard admitting he does not see the Ajax youth product as part of his plans for next season.

Gerrard will most likely use the money made from the attacker’s transfer exit on a squad overhaul as he looks to bridge the gap towards making Aston Villa a consistent top-six Premier League club.

El Ghazi’s Transfer Nightmare

El Ghazi’s fall from grace has been rapid.

After all, the £9m-rated winger was once described as “unstoppable” by former Villa player Alan Hutton:

“I’ve played with him and I’ve played against him. In training he can be unstoppable,” he said.

“In games, I’m watching him thinking, do that, take them on, go forward. You’re urging him to do it because you know he can do it.”

In terms of confidence, El Ghazi is surely a world away from last season in which he found himself as a key player under Dean Smith.

His ten goals in 28 Premier League games ranked him as Aston Villa’s second-highest scorer last season, with his minutes per goal metric of 161 minutes making him the most consistent goalscorer in the whole squad.

It was brave of Gerrard to axe Villa’s second-highest scorer, though he did, with El Ghazi now stuck on the Everton bench with no sign of minutes coming his way anytime soon.

With just 11 minutes of game-time at Everton this year, he is clearly not rated by Lampard and will seek a permanent move away from parent-club Aston Villa in order to revive his career.

If he can’t even get in a relegation-threatened team then it’s best for all parties that he packs his bags and leaves Merseyside for good.

In other news – Forget relegation: Lampard now heading for huge Everton disaster over £72k-p/w star

Pundit Alan Hutton thinks Albian Ajeti’s Celtic career could now be over, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Hamstring injury

Ajeti was given a rare start by Ange Postecoglou in the Hoops’ Europa League dead rubber against Real Betis last week.

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However, the 24-year-old lasted just 28 minutes before needing to be replaced with a hamstring issue.

He’s now joined a long list of players sidelined at Parkhead, with Celtic thought to be willing to cut their losses on the Swiss striker in the January transfer window.

The Latest: Hutton’s claim

Hutton, who regularly features on BBC Radio 5 Live, was talking to Football Insider regarding Ajeti’s future.

Asked if he thinks Ajeti will get another chance under Postecoglou, he said:

“I’m not so sure. “I think if we look at it, on the whole, he’s had enough opportunities to shine.

“When he was given the armband in pre-season you maybe thought he was going to get more game time. But the likes of Furuhashi have come in and done really well, and that’s just put him well down the pecking order.

“When he does get an opportunity he’s picked up these sorts of injuries, and they’ve kept him out.

“The one problem for Celtic is: are they going to get any of the money they spent on him back? That’s the one thing that could be a stumbling block if they look to move him on.

“I think he’s running out of time.”

The Verdict: Time up

Ajeti may well have played his final game in a Celtic shirt, with Postecoglou labelling his injury as ‘significant’.

The Hoops also appear to have a possible replacement lined up, with Daizen Maeda linked with a move to Scotland. The club are confident of sealing a January move, so it could be curtains for Ajeti as a result.

His Parkhead career has failed to get going after joining in a deal worth £4.5m from West Ham and has found the back of the net on just nine occasions in 48 appearances, so a permanent move away may make sense for all involved.

In other news: Ange now wants 49-cap colossus at the peak of his powers to end January business. 

Manchester City fans want to sign Dusan Vlahovic after it was revealed the Fiorentina striker’s contract talks with the Serie A club have collapsed.

The Citizens have so far had a relatively good start to the campaign – they are just two points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea after a momentous win over the Blues last weekend (Sky Sports).

However, results such as the 0-0 draw with Southampton indicate the Citizens are struggling to convert chances without a reliable centre-forward after failing to capture Harry Kane during the summer.

They were also linked with Vlahovic during the transfer window, but he ended up staying in Italy. As per Fabrizio Romano, the Serbia international’s contract talks have now fallen apart.

His current contract is set to run out in 2023, meaning Fiorentina could be open to selling him the next year rather than lose him for free the following term.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Vlahovic news

“January and we’ll win the Champions League.”

Credit: @jofer_ms

“Get him in!!”

Credit: @MCFCYoungboy

“January”

Credit: @shaunyb3000

“Get him in jan”

Credit: @_KawaiiKayky

“Yes. Sign him.”

Credit: @WayneJa01355301

“Sign him in January!”

Credit: @King_Kevin100

In other news, Man City fans have been reacting to this transfer news.

Whoever replaces Neil Lennon as Celtic’s new manager will have a seismic job on their hands.

Given how terribly this campaign has gone, they will need to rip things up and almost start again. Certainly, with Peter Lawwell also departing in the summer, lots of change will be needed in order to take Celtic back to the top.

A plethora of renowned coaches from within the football world have been linked with the vacancy. Whether it’s Frank Lampard or Roberto Martinez, some eye-catching names are regularly being branded about.

Though, one manager who hasn’t been in the discussion too much is Stoke boss Michael O’Neill. On paper, this might not look like an attractive proposition for Hoops supporters but they’d be foolish to ignore him.

Trevor Sinclair recently spoke about his chances of moving to Glasgow and how a man with his CV could be game-changing in Glasgow. He told talkSPORT (24/02 – 10:30am): “I would look at Michael O’Neill. He’s done a fantastic job with the Northern Ireland national team, he’s done a superb job with Stoke City,” he began.

Sinclair concluded: “(O’Neill) is a David Moyes kind of manager. He knows the game inside out, how to run clubs from top to bottom. You need a manager like that to come in and give the club a shake – and I think that’s what is needed.”

Indeed, despite O’Neill’s win rate of just 39% with Stoke, he has revived them, replicating a similar sort of job that he did with the Northern Irish national side.

When he walked into that job, they were in a desperate place. Northern Ireland were very quickly slipping towards their lowest FIFA ranking and in September 2012, were placed 129th. O’Neill, however, used supreme professionalism and tactical acumen to breathe fresh life into not only the team but also the country as a whole.

Just four years later, they were competing at the European Championships in France. They weren’t just there to make up the numbers either. O’Neill had guided his team from being one of the worst in Europe based on FIFA rankings to reaching the last 16 at the Euros.

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Wales knocked them out, but despite that, O’Neill had brought a country and its fan base together with his pragmatic approach.

In the words of BBC reporter Richard Petrie; “O’Neill’s philosophy of the sum of the parts being more effective than individual star performers built a sense of togetherness and collective team spirit which served a squad with a paucity of Premier League players at its disposal well.”

Petrie continued: “Tactically, his style was pragmatic – always a bespoke game plan in place depending on the opposition – difficult to break down, with pressing and exploiting opportunities to score from set-pieces or on the counter-attack in mind. It was a formation that his squad grew comfortable and familiar with and yielded positive results.”

For a side like Celtic, so in need of being revived, this could be ideal. You only need to look at what he’s done for Stoke too.

The Potters were sitting rock bottom of the English Championship when the 51-year-old took over in September 2019. He subsequently guided them to a finish of 15th last term. This season, meanwhile, they are now sitting in 11th position with an outside chance of reaching the playoffs.

He has engineered successful revivals in two successive jobs now. With that in mind, O’Neill seems like the ideal man for a crisis. Celtic could benefit ten-fold from his arrival at Parkhead.

AND in other news, Forget Harper: Kennedy should unleash 18 y/o gem never-seen in the Celtic first-team…

Newcastle United legend Rob Lee has told Football FanCast exclusively,that Geordies just want to be entertained by the team and will forgive and forget not winning anything.

Lee played under Kevin Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson who were managers during Newcastle’s golden era but didn’t win any major trophies. However, fans still only have fond memories of both managers and would not trade those memories for anything.

Under Keegan, Newcastle were known as the entertainers; however, now they are an unattractive team to watch and have been for a number of years with their gameplan being not to lose.

The Magpies have become a relegation candidate regularly under Mike Ashley, something Lee still can’t believe considering how the teams played during his successful spell on Tyneside.

Steve Bruce’s side sit second bottom of the possession table this season, only West Bromwich Albion have enjoyed less time with the ball. However, Lee knows the manager is not the problem.

The former Newcastle midfield told Football FanCast how things have changed under managers and specifically, the owner; he said:

“Since I’ve known them they’ve always wanted to play good football. You know, we lost the title in 1996 and we should have won it but they saw some unbelievable football. People still remember that football.

“For the Keegan years, and Bobby Robson, they didn’t win anything but they saw great football and you know, they were happy.

“You’re right we can’t compete with Brighton. Keep going back to when I played, but nobody came to St James’s Park and played us off the park, no one. I don’t think I can remember an unentertaining game at St James’ Park and that’s what they want.

“It’s more a game of chess at this point instead of actually getting players in who can express themselves.

“It can’t be any worse than it is now. The football is not great. We’re losing every week anyway. As I said, I don’t blame Steve Bruce for that. I’ve always blamed the owner.”

Pundits often label Newcastle as wanting too much and questioning what do they expect under the owner and manager, but Lee explains it is very simple to understand.

Fans pay their money to go and watch Newcastle, they just want to be entertained and not bored for the entire match.

Leeds United believe they can secure a move for Josko Gvardiol this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones…

What’s the word?

Football Insider recently reported on the Whites’ interest in the RB Leipzig centre-back, claiming that they had scouted him for the past two years and it’s believed that director of football Victor Orta has kept a close eye on his progress.

Now valued at around £27m, the Yorkshire giants could well make their move this time around, especially with his former manager – Jesse Marsch – now in the dugout at Elland Road.

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And according to the Eurosport journalist, the club very much believe they can compete for his signature. He revealed to GIVEMESPORT:

“I thought at first it was a bit too ambitious, but the more I speak to people, the more I start to realise that Leeds are starting to believe that this is where they should be shopping.

“These are the sorts of players that they believe they can get. So, I’m certainly not going to rule it out.”

Marsch madness

Considering the 20-year-old is estimated to be worth around €120m (£100m) by CIES Football Observatory, landing him for a fifth of the price would certainly be quite the steal.

And the Leipzig colossus would be an absolute coup, too.

It’s no secret that Leeds have struggled defensively this campaign, ranking as the second-leakiest backline in the Premier League, so signing a talent so young and promising would go a long way in fixing that issue in the long run.

As per FBRef, Gvardiol ranks amongst the top 1% for dribbles completed, top 2% for interceptions made and top 4% for progressive passes compared to his positional peers across Europe over the last 365 days.

Meanwhile, as Leipzig’s second-highest performer in the Bundesliga, he’s not only showing he’s tough defensively and adept as a ball-playing option but also one that is remarkably consistent.

Once described as being “built like a tank,” the 6 foot 1 titan has been tipped to become “as good as Virgil” van Dijk one day by Germania Sport assistant editor Izak Ante Sucic when speaking to the BBC.

Given the Whites’ defensive struggles, it is no wonder the recruitment team are targeting an arrival in that role this summer and if they truly believe that they can contend for Gvardiol’s signature, then it would be a no-brainer to sign him.

The 20-year-old, also described as being a “top talent” by scout Jacek Kulig, could be a revolutionary signing for Marsch’s backline and surely something of a dream, having already signed him once before.

AND in other news, Orta scouting mission: Leeds eyeing 6 ft 3 titan who “fits the bill”, Marsch would love him…

Many Manchester United fans have been talking about Donny van de Beek’s situation as a claim about the midfielder has emerged from the Netherlands.

De Telegraaf columnist Valentijn Driessen has recently written about Van de Beek in an article for the newspaper (via Sport Witness). He urged the Man Utd midfielder to ‘pack his bags straightaway’ if the Dutchman doesn’t start for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men in the upcoming League Cup semi-final against Manchester City.

The article also said that if Solskjaer continues to not use Van de Beek, then the midfielder’s spot in the Dutch national team for the rearranged Euro 2020 could become uncertain. It also talked about how other former Ajax stars are struggling in other teams in Europe.

Van de Beek joined United from the Amsterdam-based giants in the summer of 2020 for a fee of £35 million, plus £5m in add-ons. Since arriving, the 23-year-old has made 19 appearances in all competitions for United, scoring once in the Premier League. He also has one assist in the League Cup (as per Transfermarkt).

His last start for United came back in early December in the club’s 3-1 win over David Moyes’ West Ham. He last played the full 90 minutes in the club’s 3-2 comeback win over Southampton in November.

The claim about the midfielder from the Dutch newspaper was tweeted out by Mirror Football and it caught the attention of many Man Utd fans, who began talking about Van de Beek, and they were not too happy with the story.

What did Man Utd fans make of these claims about Van de Beek?

“The way Fred and Mctominay are playing .. can you blame Ole? VDB time’s will come longer term as a replacement for Pogba. He’s a part of the future.”

Credit: @athar0908

“Hope he doesn’t listen to them. Great player needs more game time.”

Credit: @MICHAELondoner

“Classic using Utd for clicks. Don’t fancy talking about the Pool loss then? Dead journalism.”

Credit: @KyleGodfrey1997″Utter nonsense.”Credit: @LawrenceRajesh”Sick of this poor Donny van de Beek carry on. Since joining he’s contributed 1 goal and 1 assist in 19 appearances for the club. Every other midfielder has contributed more than him. He’s been given chances to prove himself and hasn’t delivered so get over it.”Credit: @andrewglennn”Lol. He ain’t going nowhere. Once Pogba leaves, the team is his.”Credit: @Robert4KGeorgeIn other news, some Man Utd fans have been talking about a defender’s move away from the club – read more here.

Liverpool appear to be edging closer to signing Ibrahima Konate at the end of the season, with two details holding the key to the move happening.

The Reds are expected to bring in a new centre-back in the summer following a host of problems in that position throughout 2020/21 with long-term injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.

Konate has emerged as the most likely player to come in, having caught the eye for RB Leipzig, making 13 Bundesliga appearances so far this season.

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Konate’s move to Liverpool edges closer

According to Anfield Central, Liverpool have ‘all but completed a deal’ to bring the 21-year-old to Anfield as Jurgen Klopp looks to make a key addition to his defence.

The report identified two major aspects in the deal which need to addressed, however, with the Reds needing to pay Konate’s release clause, as well as a medical having to be passed.

Once those compulsory requirements have been met, the Frenchman is set to become a Liverpool player.

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Transfer Tavern take

Konate looks set to be an exciting signing by the Reds, with the youngster already shining for a top European side at a very young age, making 94 appearances for Leipzig and being hailed by former Bundeslgia coach Ralf Rangnick as good enough to “play for Real Madrid or Barcelona one day”.

His injury record does mean that there may be a hint of nerves surrounding his medical, but you’d hope that Liverpool’s scouts have done enough research to believe that his fitness issues won’t be a problem moving forward.

Klopp desperately needs a centre-back he can rely on week in, week out alongside Van Dijk, with Gomez and Matip unreliable in that respect, particularly the latter.

In other news, Liverpool have discovered how much they will have to pay for a Reds-linked attacker this summer. Find out who it is here.

Aston Villa appear to have leapfrogged Burnley in the race to sign West Brom defender Harry Williams.

The Lowdown: Williams’ Burnley trial

The Baggies reportedly told Williams he is free to find a new club, with the 18-year-old recently heading to Lancashire for a Clarets trial.

Burnley were thought to be impressed with Williams following his youth-team displays and were set to give the youngster a number of weeks to impress.

However, no deal has been reached for the centre-back as of yet, and it now seems as if Villa have moved into pole position.

The Latest: Villa source shares update

Football Insider ran a story on Williams on Saturday morning, claiming he has headed to Villa after being given permission from West Brom.

A Villa source revealed that Williams has been at the club and is expected to spend a week with the Villans ahead of a potential move.

The latest report claims Burnley are still in the race, but with the central defender now at Villa, it seems as if Dean Smith’s side now hold the upper hand.

The Verdict: Latest addition to Villa’s exciting youth set up?

Should Williams pen terms at Villa Park, he could well become the latest addition to the club’s exciting youth side.

Villa are actually in the FA Youth Cup semi-final against West Brom, however, you’d expect Williams to link up with the club’s Under-23 side, should he move across the Midlands.

He already has eight Premier League 2 appearances under his belt at the age of 18, and that could well increase over the next 12 months if Villa secure his services.

In other news: Villa set to launch £15m bid for creative ace, find out more here.