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Amidst rumours that Leicester City could be on the hunt for a new striker in the summer, one of their previous transfer targets could be on the move.

According to Turkish outlet Takvim, FC Porto striker Moussa Marega has caught the eye of Fenerbahce, with the club apparently considering a swoop.

Having been linked with a switch in the past, the Foxes really should reignite their previous interest in the Malian and finally bring him to the King Power Stadium.

Now aged 29, Marega has been nothing but clinical with current employers Porto.

Whilst he has not been as lethal this season having struck on just 11 occasions in all competitions, his record at the Estadio do Dragao is still supremely impressive. He has plundered 71 goals and also provided 33 assists in 184 appearances for the club since his arrival from Maritimo in January 2016 – in his professional career as a whole, he’s bagged an impressive 114 goals.

That is form that saw him labelled as “incredible” by current Porto Head Coach Sergio Conceicao.

Marega then would certainly provide the likes of Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho with high quality competition for an attacking starting berth under Brendan Rodgers.

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Whilst it is clear that the £12.6m-rated forward is a high-quality player, the Foxes would also be able to get him at a bargain price.

His current contract with Porto is set to run down at the end of the season so would be available on a free transfer.

So, with one of Rodgers’ reported transfer priorities ticked off for nothing, this would therefore leave more funds available to spend on other departments in the team.

After all, it is a move that could potentially work for both parties, with the striker himself previously suggesting that he would like to “live a new experience” potentially in the Premier League.

Whilst Leicester have not been linked with Marega this time around, Rodgers really should reignite the club’s interest in the two-time Portuguese champion and finally bring him to the East-Midlands to fulfill his striker wish.

AND in more news, find out which young defender could be Leicester’s next Caglar Soyuncu…

Southampton will be looking to put their FA Cup semi-final disappointment behind them as they return to London to face Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday evening.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side produced a shocking display in the 1-0 defeat against Leicester City which saw them fail to register a single shot on target against the Foxes.

Whilst there is still a slim chance that Southampton could be relegated this season, it seems as if the Saints will have very little to play for on Wednesday evening against Spurs, and Hasenhuttl should perhaps be starting to plan his side for next season and work on amending some of the aspects of their game that has let them down at times this campaign.

Spurs may well be rejuvenated by the sacking of Jose Mourinho earlier this week, although whether the players will be fully focussed following The Super League announcement remains to be seen.

Here’s how we think Hasenhuttl will set his Southampton side up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with three changes from the side that started in the FA Cup…

Fraser Forster keeps his place in goal despite some awful passes out from the back at Wembley, as he couldn’t do anything about Kelechi Iheanacho’s goal.

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The defenders are perhaps fortunate that there is a serious lack of depth at the South Coast club this season, which means that the Austrian is likely to stick with the same back four.

There are two changes in midfield, as Takumi Minamino comes back in for Moussa Djenepo after being cup-tied at the weekend, whilst Jack Stephens replaces Ibrahima Diallo in midfield after the Frenchman produced one of his worst displays in a Southampton shirt in the semi-final.

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Finally, Che Adams is restored to the starting lineup in place of the “quality” Nathan Redmond, who was another who seriously underperformed at Wembley, and the Scottish international partners Danny Ings in attack.

And, in other news… Ralph blew it: Hasenhuttl’s tactical blunder cost Saints at Wembley, they were woeful

Reports by Il Napoli Online over the weekend claimed Carlo Ancelotti has a strong interest in signing Alex Meret this summer, yet the SSC Napoli goalkeeper will not solve his Robin Olsen problem at Everton.

Ancelotti had expected to hold talks with AS Roma over turning Olsen’s loan permanent at the end of the season, but those plans may now be on hold.

The Daily Mail have claimed that Olsen wishes to leave Goodison Park once his temporary deal expires after a break-in at his home allegedly saw burglars threaten his family as they stole jewellery and a watch.

Olsen’s wife and children were traumatised by the ordeal and had considered returning to Sweden, before Everton found them alternative accommodation while upgraded security is installed at their Greater Manchester home.

Ancelotti had shared earlier in the month that he still believed Olsen wished to remain on Merseyside beyond his initial season-long loan despite the break-in, although that may no longer be the case.

“No, I think he’s happy to stay,” the Italian said, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo. “In this moment he has to talk with his family and manage that, but I think he is happy to stay. He wants to stay, and we want him for the next season.”

But Ancelotti may be lining up a potential replacement for the 31-year-old in Meret, who is thought to be considering his future at Napoli and may request a transfer in the summer.

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Meret has only opened 12 of the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium natives’ 27 Serie A fixtures this season, in which he’s kept four clean sheets, conceded 17 goals and proving unable to permanently dislodge David Ospina between the sticks.

It was reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, via Football-Italia, last March that Meret had rejected a new contract with Napoli as he wanted assurances he would be the club’s first choice, and remains on the same £36,000-per-week deal that runs until 2023.

But Ancelotti looking to test Meret’s commitment to Napoli and the Italian outfit’s plans for the 24-year-old will be unlikely to see the Everton boss solve the problem that Olsen leaving would cause.

Ancelotti lauds Olsen for the impact that his presence at Goodison Park has had on Jordan Pickford, believing the England international has taken his game to another level due to the competition that the Roma loanee offers.

“I think he is doing well because I rotated him,” Ancelotti said of Pickford’s performances against Liverpool, Southampton and West Bromwich Albion. “I took him out from a little bit of pressure. He is doing well now.

“Robin Olsen is injured but when he comes back, he can play some games to keep Jordan fresh and be like he is in this moment now.”

Olsen is not yet 100% fit but returned to training from an oblique abdominal muscle injury at the end of last week, and may soon continue showing why he is a better long-term rival for Pickford than Meret would be.

Over their respective performances in the Serie A and Premier League this season, Meret boasts a worse post-shot expected goals minus goals allowed of the trio at negative 1.1 to Pickford’s minus-0.8 and Olsen’s minus-0.3, per FBref. Showing that he concedes more often from shots where the goalkeeper is considered more likely to make a save.

The £18m-rated Italian also claims a worse pass completion percentage than Olsen at 44.9% to the Sweden internationals’ 49.3%, despite only 17.9% of his passes travelling 40 or more yards while Olsen launches 51.4% of his kicks and Pickford 54.1%.

So, if Olsen is to leave, Ancelotti would be better served to keep looking for the Roma loanee’s replacement than sign a downgrade in Meret.

AND in other news, Everton are monitoring a £17m ace dubbed the next Erling Haaland…

Southampton’s woeful run of form in the Premier League continued on Monday evening as they were beaten 1-0 at Goodison Park by Everton.

Richarlison’s early goal was enough to separate the two teams, with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side only threatening in the final few moments of the game, after going the vast majority of the game without a shot on target.

Although they only lost by one goal, the South Coast club produced some atrocious defending at times, especially from free-kick situations, where they would have gone 2-0 down to a Michael Keane header if not for a tight offside call.

One man who disappointed in his display was centre-back Jannik Vestergaard.

Considering the former Borussia Monchengladbach man stands at six foot six, you would expect him to dominate in the air from this dead-ball situations, but nearly every free-kick from Lucas Digne seemed to find an Everton head.

As per SofaScore, during the 90 minutes, the Danish international would win just two out of eight of his aerial duels, whilst he would win none of his three ground duels, resulting in an overall tally of 2/11 – which saw him register a shocking 18% success rate at Goodison Park.

SofaScore rated the defender a 6.6/10 for his performance, suggesting that he was one of the better performers in Hasenhuttl’s side, but in truth, he looked way off the standards he set earlier in the season.

The 28-year-old defender, who earns £60k per week at Southampton, has enjoyed an excellent Premier League campaign so far, averaging a superb 7.11 rating for his performances in the top-flight, but he was certainly nowhere near that level on Monday evening.

Vestergaard averages 3.8 aerials won per game in the Premier League, which emphasises how much he struggled against Everton’s threat in the air at Goodison Park, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin winning 10 aerial duels on the evening.

When his aerial ability is called into question, you worry what else Vestergaard can offer in this Southampton team, as his lack of pace was evident when Richarlison was afforded far too much space to run in behind the Saints defence and open the scoring.

Vestergaard also missed a late chance to equalise when he hit straight at Jordan Pickford in the area to compound a poor all-round display from the Dane.

And, in other news… Saints handed huge boost with £13.5m-rated gem who can put relegation fears to bed.

Leeds United have been without Adam Forshaw for a very lengthy period and Phil Hay has provided an injury update on the player.

The latest on Forshaw

The journalist for The Athletic was listening to Marcelo Bielsa’s pre-West Ham press conference and said: “A bit on Forshaw too, who Bielsa says is in a positive place but isn’t ready to follow Berardi into the U23s yet. Bielsa not sure when he will be.”

Forshaw is coming to the end of his Leeds career

The midfielder has played only once for the Elland Road side since August 2019 due to a mixture of injuries and him not being favoured by Bielsa.

When he was playing for the club, he received huge praised from former Leeds man Noel Whelan, who said: “Forshaw, I think, was excellent again. He gets on the ball, he shows class.”

But the 29-year-old only made seven league appearances in the 2019/20 season for the Whites, racking up a rating of 6.76 (Whoscored). The midfield position is very strong at the club currently, and one can’t see Forshaw replacing any of the starting eleven any time soon. This combined with the fact that he is still struggling to return from his latest injury suggests that the £2.88m-rated ace will struggle to get back into the Leeds side.

With his contract expiring in the summer of 2022, we might not see him feature in a Leeds shirt again if the club feel like they need to make some money on him in the upcoming transfer window.

In other news, the club have been linked to this Championship player!

Everton were right to sell Davy Klaassen to Werder Bremen for a significant loss in 2018, despite Ruud Gullit now claiming that his compatriot was wasted at Goodison Park.

Klaassen moved to Merseyside from AFC Ajax four years ago in £23.6m deal as the priority signing of then-manager Ronald Koeman amid doubts over Ross Barkley’s future, but he would only last the one season in royal blue.

The Dutchman struggled to adapt to the demands of the Premier League during a turbulent campaign for the Toffees, making just 16 appearances in all competitions before leaving for only £12m.

The season had begun with a run of just two wins in nine league games to pave the way for Koeman’s sacking, and the appointment of Sam Allardyce brought with it a style of football unsuited to Klaassen’s talents.

The physicality of the English game also proved an issue for the player named as the 2016 Dutch Footballer of the Year, and saw that he only started three of his seven Premier League outings and never scored for the Toffees before moving to Werder Bremen.

Now back at Ajax, Klaassen is again firing on the front foot and scored his fifth international goal as the Netherlands lost to Turkey in a World Cup qualifier earlier this week. Afterwards, Gullit explained how Everton had failed to get the most from the 28-year-old.

“He’s a [No.] 10. He’s a midfielder who goes all the time in the box. Ajax always played with plenty of people around the box, so it was easy for him,” the Dutch icon said, via quotes shared by the Liverpool Echo.

“There are numerous players from Ajax who went abroad then all of a sudden are in an environment which doesn’t play like that. That is the worst part of it.

“Klaassen went to Everton and found that problem. He came from Ajax, goes to Everton, who don’t play like that. All of a sudden, he’s lost, he doesn’t know what to do, where to come, because he’s not good at the ball and doesn’t do all kinds of tricks, he doesn’t have that.

“Klaassen then went to Germany, played a different role and played well. Now he’s back to Amsterdam and played the same role as he did before and he’s an outstanding player in the national team again and everyone says ‘Ooof!’.”

While Gullit suggests that Everton wasted Klaassen during his year at Goodison Park, the 58-year-old also explained why the Toffees were right to sell the midfielder, even if doing so meant owner Farhad Moshiri had to sanction a £11.6m loss.

Everton wasted a total of £15.6m with the signing and subsequent failure of Klaassen, having awarded him a £70,000-per-week contract which earned the Dutchman £4m in wages over his 58 weeks on Merseyside.

For that money, the Toffees only saw one assist, no goals and 10 starts from 16 appearances in all competitions, while being omitted from 29 matchday squads due to his inability to adapt to either the demands of Koeman and Allardyce or the demands of the English game.

It would have been unsustainable for Moshiri to continue paying Klaassen so lucratively for that return, knowing that a second season at the same level – or worse – would have meant his market value decreasing more than the near 50% it already had.

Everton simply had to bite the bullet with Klaassen when they did and accept that he may go on to rediscover his form in a system more to his suiting, as – like Gullit claims – the Premier League and the tactics used at Goodison Park were not set up for him to excel.

AND in other news, Everton dodged a £13m bullet in a “remarkable” talent as the hype falls silent…

Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing RB Leipzig centre-back Ibrahima Konate, however, he would be more likely to join in the summer when his release clause becomes active.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Christian Falk on Twitter, the French defender has a €40 million (£36 million) release clause in the summer, with Manchester United, Liverpool and Spurs all interested in the 21-year-old.

However, the French U21 international is perhaps unlikely to be the man to solve the Reds’ current defensive woes before Monday’s deadline, with Falk only suggesting he would be an option for the summer rather than imminently.

In addition, when you consider that Leipzig face Liverpool in the Champions League next month, they are unlikely to want to sell before the end of the season, particularly if it were to strengthen their upcoming opponents.

Liverpool’s next Van Dijk?

That being said, Konate could still be an excellent addition to Liverpool’s side in the summer, and could even prove to be Klopp’s next Virgil van Dijk.

Similarly to the Dutch international, the young 6 ft 4 Leipzig star’s strengths include his ability in his air, as well as his threat from set-pieces, with his six foot four frame meaning that he is always likely to be a danger from corners and free-kicks.

Unfortunately for the young defender, injuries have kept him out for much of the last two seasons, but he showed his class in the 2018/19 season for Leipzig, averaging a superb 7.19 rating across his 28 appearances in the Bundesliga.

That season saw him average 3.6 aerials won, as well as 1.6 tackles, 2.1 interceptions and 4.3 clearances per game which are superb statistics when you consider what Van Dijk managed last season.

The former Southampton man outscored Konate in terms of aerials won – averaging 5 per game – but only registered 0.6 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 4.3 clearances per game in the Premier League, per WhoScored.

Therefore, it seems clear that the two defenders are very similar in their style of play, and have averaged the same sort of numbers when both regulars in their sides, so the 21-year-old could be well worth his £36 million price tag in the summer.

It is just a shame for Klopp that he is unlikely to arrive this month, as he could’ve proved to be the ideal man to amend their issues at the back this season.

And, in other news… Edwards can finally end five-year LFC nightmare by axing £25k-p/w flop in the summer

After the kind of awful run Nottingham Forest were on before their clash against Norwich on Wednesday night, even the most optimistic of fans probably headed into the game with little to feel confident about.And so it proved. Chris Hughton’s side slipped to yet another defeat, losing 2-1 to the Canaries, and they really are in the midst of a relegation battle.But whilst they’re having some serious troubles trying to find some attacking rhythm – they’ve managed just ten league goals all season – they haven’t been much better at the other end either.

Stuck in lockdown? Our mega footy quiz will cure any boredom…

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Wednesday’s clash against Norwich was yet another reminder why the club may have made a huge mistake in not allowing Tobias Figueiredo leave the club in the summer.

Reports from The Athletic a couple of months ago suggested that the centre-back was the most likely departure from the club, and that he was “understood to be keen on the idea of a return to his native Portugal for non-football related reasons”.

Based on his performance against Norwich, and his form all season, they really should have cashed in. As per Sofascore, he won just four duels all night, made just one tackle, and had no interceptions whatsoever.

Add that to the fact he can suffer from a lapse in concentration at the back, and it’s become so obvious that Hughton desperately needs to make a decision on the defender.

According to Whoscored, he’s averaged a measly 6.63 match rating per game in the Championship, and with the January transfer window right around the corner, now might be the perfect time to get rid.

Meanwhile, Forest must surely start this rising star over the coming weeks.

Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard currently has a wealth of wide options at his disposal.

Ianis Hagi has cemented his place on the right wing opposite the ever-reliable Ryan Kent, and that’s without even mentioning the likes of Glenn Middleton, Brandon Barker and Jordan Jones, whose places in the squad are by no means secure.

And emerging reports this week have seemed to suggest that the trio face an uncertain future at Ibrox.

What’s the word?

According to The Daily Record, Charlton Athletic boss Lee Bowyer has resigned himself to losing Alfie Doughty, who has entered the final six months of his contract.

Bowyer said: “There is interest but there was interest in the summer.

“If Alfie does leave then it will have to be the right thing for the football club.

“No one player is bigger than the football club – and Alfie is no different.

“Alfie’s agent has told us he won’t sign a new deal and I’m disappointed with that.”

Doughty has been heavily linked with a switch to Ibrox but Celtic are also believed to keen on landing the left-sided midfielder who is available to sign on a pre-contract agreement.

More recently it’s claimed English Championship club Stoke City have made a bid for the 21-year-old, which is precisely why Ross Wilson must act swiftly in the January transfer window.

Davie Cooper 2.0?

With Barker bound for the Ibrox exit, Rangers could be on the verge of finally landing a significant upgrade in the form of the wantaway midfielder, who is also capable of playing as a left-back.

Doughty has made 41 appearances for the Addicks, having scored one goal and supplied two assists in League One this season so far, via Transfermarkt.

Standing at 1.83m tall he is similar in stature to legendary Rangers left-winger Davie Cooper, who was once named in Ruud Gullit’s Greatest XI, and the comparisons don’t stop there, either.

Like Cooper, the fleet-footed winger is similarly light on his feet, often leaving helpless defences trailing in his way, with The Athletic’s Nick Miller identifying his ‘relentless pace’ as one of his main strengths.

Doughty has been described as a decent dribbler and is considered to be one of the best up-and-coming prospects of his generation.

The Charlton boss was effusive in his praise for his “outstanding” young charge after he was one of the few bright sparks during the 3-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in 2019.

Cooper wrote his name into the history books after he scored against Celtic in the 1979 Dryburgh Cup Final, which is widely regarded by some Rangers fans as one of the greatest goals of all time.

Doughty could have a similar impact at Ibrox and he may be the perfect replacement to provide cover and competition for Ryan Kent on the left-wing if Wilson can steal a march on their closest rivals.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must get Kai Kennedy to sign new deal after Gerrard transfer U-turn…

Leeds United should reignite their transfer interest in Liverpool winger Harry Wilson, amid The Athletic’s claim that the Reds could look to sell him this summer.

What’s the story?

Reports back in the summer transfer window suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side were very much interested in signing the Wales international, with claims that the Whites were ready to come to the table with a bid of around £15m.

A deal however failed to materialise, with the 23-year-old eventually being sent out on loan to Championship side Cardiff City, where he has impressed – he’s notched three goals and provided an impressive seven assists in just 20 league games.

Now, The Athletic have delivered an update on his long-term future back at Anfield, with James Pearce revealing that Wilson is among a number of players “who could be sold to raise funds to reinvest into the squad”.

Replacement for Raphinha?

His manager at parent club, Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, has waxed lyrical about his technical ability before.

Speaking after the Reds let him join Bournemouth on loan, the German boss said: “His shooting is world-class. Find me five players who shoot better than him. Each free-kick is a proper, proper threat! I was never in doubt about Harry’s shooting ability, his skills in that part of the game are world-class.

“To be involved as an offensive player you have to connect with other players. He has that, it is not like he doesn’t, but to get to the next level, he needs game-time at the highest level.”

With reports in recent days claiming that the Reds are interested in one of Leeds’ own right-wingers in Raphinha, the need to sign a new wide-man could be high up the agenda for Victor Orta come this summer.

In the £60k-a-week earning Wilson, the Whites would be getting someone who has got previous experience of playing in the Premier League in his time with both Liverpool and Bournemouth, whilst his performances for a relegated Cherries side last season was quite impressive – he bagged seven goals in just 31 top-flight games.

Even if Raphinha stayed put at Elland Road or left, Wilson would still be a really shrewd signing for Leeds, especially given how underwhelming the likes of Helder Costa and Ian Poveda have been.

Costa’s scored just once all season, while Bielsa clearly doesn’t fancy him anymore, giving him just 22 minutes of Premier League football since early December. Poveda is in a similar boat to the former Wolves ace, and although he’s still only 21, seemingly hasn’t done enough to convince his manager he’s worth of more game-time, failing to complete more than 45 minutes in any top-flight game this season – and even that was back in the beginning of November.

However things turn out with Raphinha, Liverpool’s reported stance on Wilson should see Leeds reignite their interest in him this summer.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has delivered an injury update on this Leeds United star…