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Leeds United have emerged as contenders for the signing of West Brom star Matheus Pereira in the summer.

What’s the story?

The Baggies saw their relegation from the Premier League confirmed at the weekend after suffering defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates.

And now, The Daily Express claim that Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds are interested in signing the Portuguese winger this summer, although they are set to face significant competition from the likes of RB Leipzig and Leicester.

The report adds that with West Brom’s Championship status now confirmed, Pereira’s exit from the Hawthorns is now likely, with the Foxes currently at the head of the queue to sign him.

Bye-bye Costa

Dubbed as a “genius” who “who has a technical ability that I have never seen before” by former Nurnberg coach Nate Weiss, Pereira has emerged as one of West Brom’s standout performers since his arrival at The Hawthorns.

Weiss added: “How am I going to tell a player like that how he is supposed to shoot, how he is supposed to pass or how he is supposed to use his body? The things he is doing are so natural. How do you train that? How would you train Lionel Messi?”

That natural ability has been on display all season for the Baggies, with the £17m-rated star scoring ten goals and providing another five assists in the Premier League alone – including a sparking display at Chelsea when he scored two and made two in a thrilling 5-2 win.

With Helder Costa’s future at Elland Road very much uncertain at the moment amid claims that he could be one of the players Leeds look to sell this summer in order to raise some much-needed transfer funds, Pereira could be the perfect replacement for him.

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His performances at Premier League level show that the Baggies’ wing wizard is more than capable of shining in the top-flight, and it’s no surprise Bielsa is eyeing up a move for him.

Pereira’s arrival could then well be the move that sees Costa wave goodbye to Elland Road as well.

Meanwhile, this Leeds United transfer target would be a major upgrade for Marcelo Bielsa…

Wolves boss Nuno Santo has already made it abundantly clear that the Old Gold need to prepare and plan better ahead of the transfer window.
The Molineux outfit have been rocked by a significant number of injury blows this season and they’ve been stretched right to the limit as a result.

What’s the word?

Wolves have decisions to make over their loan players in the summer but they will also have to focus their efforts on players outside of Molineux.
One man they’re reportedly considering ahead of the market opening is Mbaye Diagne.
The 29-year-old is currently on loan at West Brom but is due to head back to parent club Galatasaray after the Baggies were relegated from the Premier League.
Football Insider report that Wolves are in a chase with newly-promoted Watford to land the forward but previous reports state Brighton and Crystal Palace would also like to sign him.

Don’t bother, Nuno

Wolves need to strengthen their attacking reinforcements this summer. Raul Jimenez has been missing since November while he recovers from a fractured skull and his replacements haven’t done a very stable job.
Fabio Silva has begun to find form but he still only has four goals to his name in Wolves colours. As for Willian Jose, he has found the net just once since his temporary move from Real Sociedad in the winter.
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On paper, Jose looked like the ideal replacement for Jimenez. They are of a similar stature and were very alike in terms of their play styles.
Jose was supposed to be a forward who could bring others into play but he’s failed in that department and hasn’t been able to provide much threat in terms of goals either.
Diagne has scored 14 goals in all competitions this term and when he initially arrived in England, was described by journalist Berk Gol as a “great finisher” who is “very dangerous in the box.”
Unfortunately, he’s been rather wasteful and only has three strikes to his name since joining the Baggies. That dangerous nature has clearly eluded him at the Hawthorns.
He also wouldn’t suit what Wolves need. Speaking to Express & Star, Gol added: “He isn’t what you’d call an all-round centre-forward. His passing isn’t the best when it comes to linking play. You need to get the ball into him inside the box. But when you do, he scores goals.”
Fellow reporter, Burhan Can Terzi commented: “Diagne is a static forward who is efficient within the box.”
The trouble here is that Nuno requires someone who can link the play and run the channels; something Jimenez has done to devastating effect during his time in the Midlands.
Wolves would be better off finding an alternative target. Diagne isn’t potent enough in English football yet and he doesn’t suit their style.

AND in other news, Wolves dealt huge blow after big Molineux news emerges, Nuno surely fuming…

Former Manchester United man Keith Gillespie has been impressed by the form of Mason Greenwood this season, telling Football FanCast that his improvement has been “incredible”.

The young striker was again among the goals last weekend, scoring twice as United beat Burnley 3-1 at Old Trafford.

The goals mean that he has scored five Premier League goals this season, adding up to nine in all competitions.

The 19-year-old remains remarkably young, and he has primarily played on the right wing under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, instead of through the middle.

He has been in fine fettle in recent weeks, scoring four goals in three games, as he was also on the scoresheet against Brighton & Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur.

Gillespie, a former winger himself, believes that Greenwood is a nightmare for defenders to deal with, and thinks that he is growing into a superb young player.

He told FFC in an exclusive interview prior to the Burnley game: “You can see with Greenwood, he can go either way when he cuts in from that right, you saw it the other day, he scores with his right foot, he is left-footed.

“It’s a great option to have because defenders just don’t know which way to send him.

“They know that he can shoot with both feet, he’s still very young and I think the improvement he’s made since a year, 18 months ago, has been incredible. It’s fantastic.”

Derby County have been dealt a double injury blow as Wayne Rooney confirmed that both Andre Wisdom and Beni Baningime are set to miss the Rams’ crucial upcoming Championship fixture.

What’s the latest?

According to the Derby manager, Wisdom is yet to recover from a groin injury he picked up in the 3-0 loss at Preston North End, while Baningime is sidelined due to a hamstring injury, meaning that both players are likely to miss the clash with Swansea City on Saturday.

As cited by Derbyshire Live, Rooney said: “I don’t think there will be any players back. There are no new injuries from the game on Saturday, so the squad will be the same.”

As such, Derby will also be without Lee Gregory, Teden Mengi, Jack Stretton, Curtis Davies and Krystian Bielik, in addition to the two aforementioned players.

Big blow for Derby

So far this season, Wisdom has been a regular part of the Derby defence, with the 27-year-old featuring in 38 Championship fixtures for the Rams. In those games, he has helped his side to keep 10 clean sheets, as well as making an average of one interception, 0.7 tackles and 3.2 clearances per game, culminating in an average SofaScore match rating of 6.76.

Meanwhile, Baningime – who is on loan from Everton – has featured in just two league games since his arrival back in February, with the 22-year-old making an average of 0.5 key passes and taking 0.5 shots per game, earning an average SofaScore match rating of 6.85.

As such, the absence of both players is likely to come as unwelcome news to Rooney, whose side must leave the Liberty Stadium with all three points on Saturday in order to give themselves the best chance of securing their Championship survival.

With a potentially seismic clash against relegation rivals Sheffield Wednesday coming up on the final day of the season, the 35-year-old will undoubtedly be praying for the duo to make a speedy return to action, especially if Derby’s fate is still unresolved going into that clash at Pride Park next week.

In other news: Rooney must sanction Derby County swoop for “faultless” £4k-p/w ace this summer – opinion

Many Manchester United fans have been left to fume at the plans for Celtic and Rangers to move to the Premier League to form a new British Super League.

As per The Sun, this proposal comes after the collapse of the European Super League (ESL), with the so-called ‘big six’ still convinced that the English top flight needs to be reformed.

Unlike the ESL, the plans would likely be backed by FIFA, UEFA and the UK Government, but several members of the Old Trafford faithful seemingly do not want this league to be formed either.

One would have to question the lack of sporting merit again that both Scottish clubs would just ease their way into the division at the potential expense of two clubs in the EFL Championship.

The play-off aspect of it would also be controversial as it undermines who actually wins the PL, given that the top four teams would all enter one at the end of the season.

Manchester United fans on British Super League plans

These Red Devils fumed upon reading the plans on Twitter, with one MUFC supporter even going as far as to claim that they were ‘ridiculous’:

“Just leave our football, honestly it’s ridiculous #GlazersOut”

Credit: @DDan1927

“It’s rubbish! It would take away the point in finishing first because it would be a play off that results in the winner!”

Credit: @maxcoatsworth

“Are we being pranked or something?”

Credit: @yszvm

“What a terrible idea”

Credit: @SBadhya

“Bad idea… if you want to merge the Scottish league in they must all start at the bottom of the English pyramid”

Credit: @jake24877

“This is a joke right??”

Credit: @GSelectorth

In other news, find out what news on a potential takeover has left United fans buzzing here!

Former Newcastle United star Keith Gillespie believes fans will be braced for the possibility of the club’s star players leaving this summer if they do suffer relegation, telling Football FanCast it is “virtually impossible” to keep them in that situation.

The Magpies were in trouble just a few weeks ago, but after taking seven points from a possible nine they are now in a more comfortable situation.

Still, Steve Bruce’s side face difficult run-in on paper that sees them Liverpool, Arsenal, Leicester City and Manchester City, which means there is no room for complacency. They end their season with games versus rock-bottom Sheffield United and, perhaps pivotally, Fulham.

Dropping through the trap door might encourage a firesale of assets this summer, with owner Mike Ashley looking to balance the books.

And Gillespie believes that supporters will expect that if the club do go down, with the big clubs swooping in to snaffle away a few bargains.

Newcastle were last relegated in the 2015/16 season and they subsequently saw Georginio Wijnaldum move to Liverpool, Moussa Sissoko to Tottenham Hotspur, and Andros Townsend to Crystal Palace, while Remy Cabella, Daryl Janmaat, Papiss Cisse, and Cheick Tiote also departed.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Gillespie, who played for the club between 1995 and 1998, said: “I think fans are realistic that when a club does go down they’ve got to think, ‘well we’re going to lose our best players because all the clubs are going to want them.’

“When clubs do go down, it’s so difficult to hang on to your best players, it’s virtually impossible to hang on to them.

“You’ve got bids coming in, you’ve got to think about the money you’re losing from not being in the Premier League.

“They want to balance the books and if big offers come in for your players, you have to look at it and inevitably it does happen where the players do leave. As I say, fans are realistic, your best players are not going to be there if you’re not in the top division, that’s quite obvious.”

Southampton may find themselves scrambling to find an heir to Danny Ings this summer, should the 28-year-old complete a move to Premier League champions-elect Manchester City, but Ralph Hasenhuttl may already have a ready-made replacement in Mohamed Elyounoussi.

The Norwegian international is currently in his second successive season on loan with Celtic in the Scottish Premiership and it has been suggested recently that he will be given an opportunity to impress by Hasenhuttl ahead of next season.

The Austrian reportedly told the winger last month that he could still work his way into Southampton’s plans for next season with some impressive performances in Scotland and he produced a stunning display at the weekend, contributing two goals and an assist in Celtic’s 6-0 win against Livingston. That saw him earn a superb 9.81/10 rating from WhoScored.

The 26-year-old has now managed 22 goals and 14 assists for the Hoops in just 61 appearances, including 15 in all competitions this season, so he could return to Southampton in confident form ahead of next season.

Elyounoussi signed for the Saints from FC Basel in the summer of 2018 but struggled to have much of an impact, with no goals or assists in his 19 appearances for the South Coast club so far.

However, if Ings does join Man City, or any other side in the Champions League next season who might be interested in the England international, then Hasenhuttl could turn to Elyounoussi as his successor.

We have seen Nathan Redmond, Theo Walcott and Nathan Tella all perform well on occasion when playing as a striker this season and perhaps the Norwegian could be rejuvenated playing in a different role for Southampton after boosting his confidence with regular goals and assists in Scotland.

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Earlier in the season, BBC journalist Tom English was full of praise for Elyounoussi, saying:

“He has an awful lot to offer and that performance will fill Neil Lennon with an awful lot of heart because if he’s back to his best, Elyounoussi is a very, very dangerous player.”

He has featured as a centre-forward in the past and could provide a more clinical option than the likes of Redmond and Walcott, who have both struggled for goals in the Premier League this season.

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Certainly, Elyounoussi deserves another chance to show what he can do at Southampton, and if the talismanic Ings does leave, perhaps we could see him step up as his replacement.

And, in other news… Imagine him and JWP: Semmens should seal Saints swoop for “amazing” £19.8m-rated gem 

Celtic have made contact with former Borussia Dortmund boss Lucien Favre.

That’s according to a report from Football Insider, with a Hoops source informing them the club has put the feelers out to the 63-year-old over possibly taking on the vacant post.

This comes after Eddie Howe’s representative revealed that the former Bournemouth boss isn’t planning to return to management until the summer.

Favre has been out of work since December and is considered a genuine contender to replace Neil Lennon.

The Swiss coach, who has had four managerial positions in the last 10 years, prefers a 4-2-3-1 formation – the same system as Lennon.

Transfer Tavern take

When it comes to both Favre and Howe, we think there is a standout contender for the Hoops.

Howe has had previous experience of leading a successful rebuild, with the Englishman taking Bournemouth from League Two to the Premier League in the space of six seasons.

He’s also 20 years Favre’s junior, so in the long run, could be the smarter option.

Finally, when it comes to the pair’s wage packets, Howe is the cheaper option. Favre picked up €7.5 million at Dortmund, whereas Howe collected £3 million a year on the south coast.

In other news: Transfer update emerges on £14k-p/w Celtic ace who has sights set on Hoops exit; not Edouard, find out who it is here. 

Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has weighed in on the Trezeguet-El Ghazi debate in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, suggesting that the Dutch winger should be getting the nod at present.

It was Trezeguet who started in the recent 2-0 defeat to Tottenham, and the 26-year-old has since come in for criticism for putting in a subpar performance.

Ex-Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor was highly critical of his display and overall attacking contribution this season, stating Anwar El Ghazi should be in the team ahead of him, a sentiment shared by former team-mate Hendrie.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about the two attackers, Hendrie said:

“I agree with Gabby about that. El Ghazi’s more of a direct player and he’s got a bit more versatility than Trezeguet. He can go down the line or he can cut inside and he’s scored goals this season, so I totally agree.

“I feel that because they’re not scoring goals, you need something of that dimension to try and bring into the side. If I had to choose one, El Ghazi would be my first choice.”

This season, El Ghazi has managed to score six goals in the Premier League, a tally only top scorer Ollie Watkins can beat. Meanwhile, Trezeguet has failed to register at all, so it is not hard to see why some feel that El Ghazi should be getting the nod over the Egypt international.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee, who made 280 Premier League appearances, claims that the West Ham board now have faith in David Moyes after his signings have propelled the Hammers into Champions League contention.

In the last 12 months, signings such as Tomas Soucek, Craig Dawson, Jesse Lingard and Jarrod Bowen have taken West Ham to the next level after fighting off relegation last season.

With numerous big-name signings falling to work out such as Sebastien Haller, Jack Wilshere and Felipe Anderson, Moyes went for under the radar signings which would provide competition for places and be hard working.

Speaking on how some of Moyes’ signings have done since they joined the club and what the board now think of their manager, after letting him go in 2018, Lee told FFC:

“Jesse Lingard has been a great signing by David Moyes as well as Jarrod Bowen who came from the Championship, and seeing what he’s done has been great. I still think he doesn’t get enough credit for what he’s done really.

“Bowen arrived from Hull and has continued to score goals. I think he’s done really well and David Moyes has proved he signs good players.

“I think the West Ham board have probably got a little bit of confidence in David Moyes now. They’ve allowed him to get the players he wants to sign for the club.”

West Ham let Moyes go at the end of the 2017/18 season despite him guiding the club to safety from a tough position in the table when he took over from Slaven Bilic.

After just 64 games in charge Manuel Pelligrini was sacked by West Ham, and the board decided to go against their previous judgement and hand Moyes another contract at the London Stadium.