In Steven Gerrard’s second season in charge at Ibrox, Rangers are pushing Celtic for the Scottish Premiership title sitting joint-top of the table on 22 points, yet the latest report regarding striker Alfredo Morelos may be of concern to the Liverpool legend in his bid to usurp Neil Lennon’s side in their race for the title.
What’s the word?
Morelos, 23, has impressed since arriving in Scotland from HJK Helsinki in 2017, scoring 38 league goals in 74 appearances for the club, but The Sun have reported that Crystal Palace are preparing a £20m bid for the Colombian international’s services.
The report further details that Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman was in attendance at Hearts’ ground Tynecastle for Rangers’ recent league fixture, as the Eagles prepare to potentially lose Wilfried Zaha in the upcoming January window, as reported by Calcio Mercato.
Although Morelos has been in impressive form for Rangers, his discipline has become a well-documented issue within his game, having been sent off four times in the league during the 2018/19 season whilst also receiving 10 yellow cards.
Yet in nine league matches so far this season, the 23-year-old has only been booked once and is yet to be sent off, which could potentially indicate he is improving his discipline under the guidance of Gerrard.
Palace’s summer transfer window was particularly quiet, with the only notable incomings including Gary Cahill on a free transfer, James McCarthy from Everton for £3m and Jordan Ayew on a permanent deal from Swansea City.
In Morelos, the south London side could be acquiring a proven goalscorer capable of leading the club’s frontline – a duty that club-record signing Christian Benteke has been unable to fulfil since arriving at Selhurst Park.
Rangers are unlikely to be interested in letting Morelos go midseason, particularly given their impressive start in the league with a very real possibility of winning the Scottish Premiership, but Palace are likely to test the Scottish side’s resolve in either the upcoming transfer window or after the season has concluded this summer.
Leicester are currently enjoying a tremendous start to the season under Brendan Rodgers.
The Northern Irishman has the Foxes playing some of the most entertaining football in the division and they head into this weekend’s clash against Liverpool sitting in third place, just two points behind Manchester City.
This week Football FanCast caught up with one of their former defenders, Steve Walsh, to talk about their star men and what the future might hold.
Walsh was speaking on behalf of GentingBet as he revealed whether he thinks those that have attracted interest in the past might depart, as well as providing his thoughts on a number of other talking points.
James Maddison has been one of the stand out performers for Leicester and last season he created 100 chances for his teammates. It was a tally that eclipsed some of the best in the league and understandably he’s been linked with a move away.
One of the clubs reportedly interested in him are Manchester United but Walsh thinks that if they came calling, he wouldn’t go. He exclusively revealed to FFC: “I think he’d stay. He’s a grounded lad who understands the loyalties in the game. I think he’s one of those that will definitely stay at Leicester for a few seasons.”
He also expressed the following: “James Maddison could fit into any of the top six teams. I believe that he is thankful to Leicester that they’ve given him a chance from Norwich and he’s really set the season alight. There’s always rumours that a team is interested in James Maddison but I believe that he’s happy here and he’s showing that in games.”
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Another player to be linked with a move away during the summer was Ben Chilwell.
The young left-back caught the eye of Manchester City but Walsh echoed similar thoughts about whether he’d stay or not: “Ben is going from an academy into a first-teamer at Leicester and then into England so his progression and his pathway is determined by Leicester at the moment.
“I think he’d be silly to move. Money talks, though, we’ve seen it with Harry Maguire. I think Ben Chilwell is happy here with his football amid rumours obviously of teams coming in.”
The ex-defender did suggest he’d command a large fee, though: “They know what the players are valued at. I think that Leicester know what figures would come in and that from a financial point of view there does have to be a lot of money for Ben because he’s a young up and coming player and he’s with England.”
Leicester have a number of players who are in form at the moment, not least Ricardo Pereira who now has two goals in his last two outings. He’s carried on where he left off last term when he won the club’s Player of the Year award.
Speaking about him, Walsh explained: “He’s been outstanding, he really has. He’s a top top player and when you’ve got ability that he’s got, interest will show. I think all the players at Leicester are fairly happy. They’re happy with the style of football and the manager and they’re settled.”
Moving onto a player who’s just joined, Dennis Praet is someone who looked neat and tidy against Newcastle last Sunday as he completed over 89% of his passes. He stepped into the number ten role ahead of Maddison who was injured.
If the young midfielder is fit to face Liverpool, then a dilemma could be on Rodgers’ hands over who might play where. The Man United target has already played out on the wing this term so could play there.
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Giving his verdict on the situation, Walsh expressed: “It’s a bit of a headache for the manager at the moment with what he does. He’s [Praet] done himself a lot of good in that performance.
“There’s tough competition and we’ve got a game at Liverpool coming up so it’s all geared for that game. He’s definitely in the picture and he’ll definitely be in the manager’s thoughts without a doubt.”
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Someone else that’s caught the eye since Rodgers walked through the door is Hamza Choudhury.
The midfielder was impressive in two games against Chelsea last season but has only been a bit-part of his plans in 2019/20 after playing at the European U21 Championships.
That being said, Walsh told FFC that he’s destined for big things.
When asked if he could challenge for a spot in the England set-up, he exclaimed: “Yes, he can. Hamza has come through the academy and it’s great to see homegrown players. He’s a player with great tenacity, he reads the game well and he’s an up and coming star for Leicester.
“He’s threatening to start every game at the moment so again it’s a good option for Brendan Rodgers.”
Are Leicester just a stepping stone for their talented manager? Lee “Chappy” Chapman discusses in the video below…
The 22-year-old is one of a number of players who could play a key role in the project Leicester are building at this moment in time. Whether that includes European football or not remains to be seen but there is a real chance bearing in mind the fortunes of some of the regular top six.
Walsh was quick to pick up on just how big a chance Rodgers’ men have: “There’s an opportunity this year – with Man United, you’ve got Arsenal at the back who are a little bit suspect and Chelsea’s embargo.
“There’s a great opportunity for other teams and Leicester that could challenge for the top four, let alone the top six. Leicester would be happy with a top-six place if they could but there’s a long way to go.”
He did admit, however, that it would be a chance missed if they didn’t end up in a Europa League spot at the very least: “I believe that if they miss out, it will be an opportunity missed amid that group of teams, but you’ve got Wolves there too and West Ham. These are all teams that will be pushing week in, week out and Leicester are among those.”
Just where Leicester finish this season will be intriguing to see but they certainly have a tremendous chance of breaking into the top six. For that to happen they’ll have to keep their best players, something Walsh seems confident they’ll do.
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Andy Carroll is nearing a return to fitness as he looks set to undergo the second chapter of his life as a Newcastle United player and has been included in the Magpies’ squad for tomorrow’s huge clash at home to Brighton and Hove Albion.
The Geordie returned to his boyhood club this summer after leaving West Ham United on a free transfer on deadline day. However, the 30-year-old has been fighting his way back to fitness and only just started training with his new team.
Indeed, this will obviously be Carroll’s second stint at his hometown club and, having been vital for the side before his departure to Liverpool all those years ago, the supporters will surely be hoping he finds that goalscoring form once again.
Here are two reasons the Magpies will be boosted by his return.
Opening up a new attacking stream
Carroll endured a torrid time since leaving for Liverpool back in 2011 and perhaps it was no surprise to see him fail so miserably on Merseyside, as the Englishman wasn’t exactly a man who had the goalscoring feats to rival the recently departed Fernando Torres.
However, before his departure to the North West, Carroll proved that when wearing the black and white, he can comfortably find the back of the net, scoring 33 goals in 90 appearances for the Magpies (as per WhoScored). With his teammates only averaging 15 crosses per game (the fourth lowest in the division), perhaps the introduction of a man who has averaged winning 6.2 aerial duels per game across 192 analysed career appearances on WhoScored could open up a new attacking stream. Put simply, with him in the team, using more crosses to try and score would make sense.
Help for Joelinton
Joelinton has started well to life at Newcastle, scoring the winner in the memorable game against Spurs and registering an average of 2.3 shots per game so far (as per WhoScored).
However, with just the one goal to his name, perhaps Carroll could help him. Indeed, the pressure could be taken off the former Hoffenheim ace, who has been deployed in support of a striker 21 times over the course of his career (per Transfermarkt), while potentially keeping him in the side.
In fact, within the Sun’s profile of the player upon his arrival on Tyneside, they noted his ability to ‘vision and mobility to drop deeper and combine’, so perhaps the two could form a partnership.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
Liverpool have reportedly reignited their interest in Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook following his return from injury, according to Football Insider.
What’s the latest
The 22-year-old made his comeback from an ACL injury in the Cherries’ 3-1 victory over Everton last weekend, making his first appearance for the club since being ruled out last December.
Prior to that injury the central midfielder had been in impressive form, and saw his performances rewarded with a call-up to the England squad.
Football Insider report that the Reds were previously keeping an eye on him due to last season’s displays, but considering the reported £75m+ asking price for Nathan Ake, it may not be an easy task for Liverpool to prise him away from the south coast.
He has just under three years reamining of his contract and if he can get back to full fitness soon he could be a key player under Eddie Howe once again, having missed just two Bournemouth games last season before getting injured.
A rough diamond
Cook has already proved that he has the technical ability to perform on a consistent basis, but there is certainly room for improvement in his game.
The former Leeds player is tidy in possession without being too daring on the ball, but fits well into the Cherries’ midfield as he keeps things ticking over and retains possession for his side, as his pass accuracy of 83% in 2018/19 indicates.
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However, due to his lack of creativity and goalscoring threat – epitomised by the fact he hasn’t scored for Bournemouth in 57 matches and only achieved a key pass average of 0.2 per game last term – he is very much in the mould of Jordan Henderson or Gini Wijnaldum, who averaged 0.5 and 0.7 respectively last season.
That means he could be a suitable candidate to replace the latter, whose contract expires next summer.
In addition, Henderson could be a great role model for the midfielder. The Liverpool skipper joined the club at a similar age to what Cook is now and has matured into a great player on and off the pitch, and he could be crucial to the Cherries man becoming a long-term club servant if he did make the move to Anfield.
فاز فريق إيفرتون على مضيفه وست بروميتش ألبيون بهدف نظيف، في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين مساء اليوم الخميس على ملعب “هاوثورنس”، ضمن لقاءات الجولة التاسعة والعشرين من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
هدف المباراة الوحيد جاء في الشوط الثاني من المباراة عبر البرازيلي ريتشارليسون، بعد عرضية من ركلة ركنية نفذها سيجرسون، وارتقى لها ريتشارليسون بالرأس في الدقيقة 65.
اقرأ أيضًا.. رسميًا.. لوكاس دينييه يوقع عقدًا جديدًا مع إيفرتون
انتصار إيفرتون رفع رصيده للنقطة 46، ليصعد إلى المركز الرابع في سلم ترتيب البريميرليج، وبفارق 4 نقاط عن صاحب المركز الثالث ليستر سيتي، ونقطة عن الوصيف مانشستر يونايتد، فيما توقف رصيد وست بروميتش عند 17 نقطة بالمركز التاسع عشر وقبل الأخير. شاهد هدف فوز إيفرتون على وست بروميتش
Lots of Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to discuss Ki-Jana Hoever after his excellent performance against Lyon.
The Reds welcomed Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino back to the side after their international commitments this summer, with their return prompting an improved performance from the 3-0 defeat to Napoli as Jurgen Klopp’s side won the game 3-1.
Another player to impress on the day was 17-year-old Ki-Jana Hoever, who was appearing at right-back just hours after signing a new long-term contract with the Champions League winners.
The teenager – who was signed from Ajax last season – made his first-team debut at the age of just 16 against Wolves in the FA Cup, becoming the Merseysiders’ youngest ever appearance maker in the competition and the third youngest debutante in the club’s history.
The 5 foot 11 youngster looked confident against the Ligue 1 side, showing great enthusiasm to get up and down the flank – it was his whipped cross that led to Liverpool’s second goal, which was inadvertently finished off by Lyon centre-back Joachim Andersen.
Let’s see what the Reds supporters on Twitter were saying about the Dutchman after his performance…
حقق روما فوزًا هامًا بثلاثية نظيفة على أودينيزي بملعب أوليمبكو، ضمن الجولة 22 من الدوري الإيطالي الدرجة الأولى.
تقدم جوردان فيرتو مبكرًا في الدقيقة 5 من عمر المباراة للذئاب، قبل أن يعزز اللاعب نفسه النتيجة لـ روما في الدقيقة 25 من ركلة جزاء.
استمرت المباراة بهذه النتيجة حتى الدقيقة 90 من عمر المباراة، ليسجل الإسباني المخضرم بيدرو هدف روما الثالث.
بهذه النتيجة يصبح رصيد روما 43 نقطة مستغلًا خسارة يوفنتوس أمس، ويحتل المركز الثالث، بينما أودينيزي يتوقف رصيده عند 24 نقطة في المركز الرابع عشر. أهداف مباراة روما وأودينيزي
Sheffield United fans are hopeful that Ravel Morrison will come good at Bramall Lane after it was announced that the troublesome midfielder was training with the club.
The 24-year-old’s career has been a rollercoaster up until this point. He was once heralded as one of the most talented youngsters Alex Ferguson had ever seen, but a series of attitude problems led to his career taking a huge dip.
Morrison’s most recent club was Danish outfit Ostersunds, but no goals and no assists in six appearances led to him leaving the club after just six months.
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He’s on the hunt for his newest team, and it looks like Sheffield United could be willing to give him a chance to return to the Premier League.
Chris Wilder has been brilliant at bringing the best out of players in the past. David McGoldrick is a fantastic example of this, just 12 months after being released from Ipswich he won the Blades’ Player of the Year award.
“Finding a Lionel Messi in Sheffield… bit of a tall order!” – Watch Championship fans attempt to name their clubs’ Messi in the video below…
United fans are hopeful that Wilder can once again work his magic on Morrison and finally make him realise the potential that Ferguson once saw in him.
Here’s what the Bramall Lane faithful have been saying on Twitter…
After finishing short of the Champions League places, Manchester United’s transfer policy in recent seasons of signing big-name superstars on massive contracts has come under major scrutiny.
As such, the capture of 21-year-old Daniel James from Swansea and what looks like the imminent arrival of England U21 international Aaron Wan-Bissaka certainly seem like moves in the right direction.
Now, according to The Telegraph, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are looking to France for the latest prodigy and are considering whether to sign Lyon’s 15-year-old starlet Mathis Rayan Cherki.
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After hearing the report that United would have to fend off some serious competition for the Frenchman’s signature, many fans of the Red Devils took to Twitter to voice their opinion on the rumour.
Many supporters felt encouraged by the side’s continued plan to target youngsters who have the scope and potential to grow at Old Trafford over the years to come.
Others however were slightly more sceptical and revealed their frustrations that the club weren’t adopting a ‘win-now’ mentality and targeting established first-team stars.
Indeed, whilst some acknowledged Cherki’s considerable talent, they felt United were getting their priorities wrong this summer and questioned whether they were planning to win the league in 2040.
Check out some of the reaction of United fans below: