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According to a report in The Daily Record, Leeds United are one of five English clubs who have been scouting Motherwell winger Jake Hastie following some impressive displays, and suggests that the Yorkshire outfit are already on the lookout for their next Jack Clarke.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Daily Record report that scouts from the Yorkshire outfit, Norwich City, West Bromwich Albion, Swansea City and Sunderland all watched the 19-year-old in action in his side’s 2-1 win against St Mirren on Wednesday, and witnessed him score a brilliant goal.

The Daily Record says Motherwell are facing a big battle to keep hold of the exciting attacker this summer with the raft of interest in the player, whom they say could be available for a cut-price development fee at the end of the season.

The report adds that the teenager and the club are some distance apart in terms of agreeing a new contract, and his future at Fir Park Stadium hangs in the balance even though he has only made five first-team appearances for them this term, scoring an eye-catching four goals.

Leeds looking for their next Jack Clarke?

Quite possibly.

It was no secret that the Whites youngster was attracting interest from a number of top flight clubs including Tottenham Hotpsur during the January transfer window, as per The Mirror, and while they will be confident of keeping them if they win promotion, it could be more of a battle if they fail to.

Even if the Yorkshire outfit do keep Clarke at Elland Road they will still want to look for another young player that can make a similar impact to the one that the 18-year-old has already made for them in the future, and Hastie would certainly be that.

The two youngsters have the quality and potential to be on either wing for years to come if Leeds decide to make their move this summer.

The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…

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Joel Matip is rapidly changing perceptions at Liverpool following a fine run of form.

The Cameroon international was once written off as a donkey, a player who could hardly balance on his on two feet, a defensive liability Jurgen Klopp ought to get rid of.

An injury to Joe Gomez, however, appears to have changed perceptions on Merseyside. The once ritually lambasted defender has stepped into the 21-year-old’s position and shone in his absence.

His latest showing against Manchester United provided yet another example of how much he has improved this season, and it’s about time that he was placed in a bracket alongside Andrew Robertson as one of the biggest Liverpool bargains in recent memory.

Granted, Matip’s task was made easier by Marcus Rashford’s lack of mobility and his afternoon would have looked altogether different had the England international been fully fit.

However, Matip was defensively solid in a multitude of different situations: he was dominant in aerial battles, winning four during the match, and he supplemented his ability to read the game with a willingness to step forward into United’s half by completing two dribbles.

All of Liverpool’s defenders are forced to accept the reality that they will live in Virgil Van Dijk’s shadow for as long as he remains at the club.

But, despite being signed for a fraction of the price, Andrew Robertson is not far behind Van Dijk and, considering Matip was signed on a free transfer, it’s fair to say he was a bargain on par with the Scotland international.

That’s an opinion which would not have been entertained at the beginning of the season, but a string of solid performances culminating at Old Trafford suggest that he should be held in the same bracket as Robertson in terms of value for money signings.

Manchester City moved back to the top of the Premier League with devastating win over Chelsea this afternoon.

City were simply too hot to handle for the Blues and had the game won inside 20 minutes, with four quick fire goals putting the tie to bed before Mauro Sarri’s men had even got going.

Chelsea put some pressure on for a bit in the opening half, but it was inevitable the Citizens were going to get more, and they duly obliged with two more in the second period.

The performance was something we have not seen from City for quite a while now, and showed us here in the Tavern exactly why they are going to be Premier League champions come the end of May.

The way they dismantled a team who, despite being in a bit of bad form themselves, had come into the game off the back of a 5-0 win over Huddersfield, and confidence should have been high.

City yet again though struck early, and it is this early goal which is seemingly killing teams off before they have even had chance to hit their stride.

Pep Guardiola will be loving the early strikes, and the delight on his face knowing teams will then have to come and attack his team is clear to see.

WIth Sergio Aguero in the form of his life, a returning Kevin De Bruyne kicking into gear, and the likes of Bernardo and Raheem Sterling in impressive form, the sky really is the limit for this City side.

Liverpool remain the team to knock from their perch, but with City in this form, it’s looking more and more likely a second consecutive title is heading to the Etihad.

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While Crystal Palace’s 3-1 victory over Burnley at the weekend was far from surprising considering that the Eagles have now found the net in nine consecutive away games and they have the talent to create plenty of problems for any team in the league, taking all three points away from Turf Moor is no easy feat.

Having not lost since 19th January against Liverpool, the Eagles’ wings were clipped by Manchester United in midweek but, in bouncing back from that loss, a much-changed Palace side showed brilliant character.

Hodgson sprung plenty of surprises in his lineup – the strike-force was split up by the benching of Andros Townsend, while Vicente Guaita, James McArthur and Martin Kelly also missed out, with Wayne Hennessey, Cheikhou Kouyate, Max Meyer and Scott Dann getting rare starts.

The deputies performed capably in the absences of a number of first XI faces, despite plenty of panic prior to kick-off from Palace fans who felt that they boss had made some curious decisions. All of the changes paid off, though, with Dann and Hennessey, in particular, dealing well with the physical threat posed by Burnley.

This wasn’t the first time that Hodgson’s decisions have been called into question and it also wasn’t the first time that the former England boss had answered those questions brilliantly.

Many of the Selhurst Park faithful have been bemused week after week by the omission of Meyer from the starting XI as Hodgson has regularly opted to deploy Jeffrey Schlupp – a left-back by trade – in central midfield instead of the German, who was once tipped to become a star of European football.

Ghanaian Schlupp has proved that the faith placed in him by Hodgson has been justified – the former Leicester man’s performances in February, in which he chalked up one goal and two assists, earning him the player of the month accolade in the process.

Now, the 26-year-old is proving to be a key player for the Eagles, who have lacked a driving force from midfield since the departure of Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the summer. Meyer, meanwhile, had an opportunity in his preferred central role against the Clarets and couldn’t deliver.

This kind of flexibility regarding utilisation of players is something that, in his long career, has never been associated with Hodgson, but that could be about to change.

The former Fulham boss seems to have found a formula that works, with the January addition of Michy Batshuayi meaning the Eagles’ front three finally has a spearhead with a quality finish – something they had previously lacked for a couple of seasons.

There was already plenty of creation in the Croydon outfit with Wilfried Zaha and Townsend conjuring opportunities galore week-in, week-out, but now they are certain to get the assists they deserve.

The dynamic duo were excellent last season playing as unorthodox strikers – another clever Hodgson move, when it would have been easy to stick with target man Christian Benteke up front.

Many surely scoffed when Hodgson was appointed at the SE25 helm considering the mockery made of his tactics in England’s 2016 Euros nightmare.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

One of the best goal-scorers in the world, Harry Kane, was put on corner duty – a decision that is baffling to this day – but we have yet to see big Benteke whip one in from the flag and the tactical risks Hodgson has taken have, more often than not, paid off.

The 71-year-old might be the oldest manager in Premier League history but, since his appointment at Selhurst Park, he has rescued them from the dire position Frank de Boer left them in; successfully converted two wingers into strikers on a temporary basis in the absence of a recognised centre-forward; and transformed a lacklustre signing into exactly what the team needed and more.

Will there be any more new tricks from the old dog who most had written off long ago?

كشف محمد عبد السلام رئيس مجلس إدارة نادي مصر للمقاصة، آخر التطورات بشأن إمكانية رحيل محمد إبراهيم لاعب الفريق، إلي الأهلي أو بيراميدز، ومصير المدير الفني الجديد.

وقال عبد السلام خلال تصريحات لقناة النهار: “لم يتحدث الأهلي معنا بشكل رسمي، والكلام عن طريق وكلاء لاعبين فقط”.

وتابع: “بيراميدز لم يرسل عرضًا رسميًا لضم محمد إبراهيم، ولم أطلب منه الرحيل محمد، ولم أتحدث معه في أي شىء، ولا أريد تشتيت ذهن اللاعب في الوقت الحالي، لأنه في معظم المباريات نجد الجهاز الفني للمنتخب يتابع محمد إبراهيم، ويهمنا أن يعود للمنتخب لأنه إضافة جيدة”.

وأكمل: “وارد أن يكون قد تواصل بيراميدز مع محمد إبراهيم منذ فترة، وفنحن نتدرب في الدفاع الجوي وبيراميدز يتدرب على نفس الملعب، ووارد أن يكون هناك حديث مع اللاعب”.

وأكمل: “تلقيت عروض لـ محمد إبراهيم من السعودية والإمارات، وحدث معي اتصالات تليفونية بشكل شخصي، وطلبت منهم أن يرسلوا عروض رسمية للمقاصة”.

وعن المدرب الجديد، أوضح: “اليوناني تاكيس جونياس المدير الفني السابق لوادي دجلة غير معروض علينا ولم يأت عرضًا بشأنه، شاهدنا مبارياته مع دجلة من قبل، وطريقة لعبه قريبة من إيهاب جلال”.

وكان إيهاب جلال قد قرر الرحيل عن مصر للمقاصة، بسبب تأخر مستحقاته خلال الفترة الماضية.

يذكر أن مصدر قد كشف لـ “بطولات” في وقت سابق، أن الأهلي أنهى اتفاقه مع محمد إبراهيم بعقد لمدة 5 سنوات مقابل 8 ملايين جنيه في الموسم، بزيادة 500 ألف جنيه في كل موسم.

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Crystal Palace star Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been identified as a summer transfer target by Manchester United, who have reportedly drawn up a shortlist including the full-back, Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly and Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic according to talkSPORT.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Eagles’ academy graduate has not put a foot wrong since breaking into the first team at the start of 2018, going on to make the right-back berth his own ahead of former first choice Joel Ward.

As a result, a number of clubs have taken a shine to the England Under-21 international, including the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and now the Red Devils.

The 21-year-old is arguably the best defender in Europe right now, even earning the nickname of ‘The Spider’ as a result of his uncanny ability to use his long legs to wrap around the opponent and win the ball back.

Palace must tie him down to a new contract

Wan-Bissaka currently has three years left on the contract that he signed in April of last year, but given his rise in the game since then, it is imperative that Palace lock him into a monster new deal.

The aforementioned clubs who have taken an interest in him are giants of the game, and all possess the financial power to turn the youngster’s head.

Additionally, Wan-Bissaka is allegedly earning just £15,000-a-week right now, which is well below what he deserves – to compare, second-choice right-back Ward earns £35,000-a-week.

One would assume that Wan-Bissaka’s agent will be pressing the club to offer his client a much improved contract, and could easily point to the fact that a number of heavyweights in the game could easily offer him a significant rise on his current salary.

The south London-based side have a real gem on their hands and arguably one of Europe’s best young players right now, so they must tie him down as soon as possible to avoid losing him in the summer.

حث نجم آرسنال بيير إيميريك أوباميانج، لاعب ليون حسام عوار، على خطوة الانتقال إلى النادي الإنجليزي، في موسم الانتقالات الصيفي الحالي.

ويسعى آرسنال للحصول على خدمات اللاعب الجزائري هذا الصيف، حيث قدم عرضين بشأنه ولكن تم رفضهما.

وعندما سُئل عما إذا كان يتمنى تعاقد آرسنال مع عوار، أجاب أوباميانج في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “مترو” الإنجليزية: “نعم بكل تأكيد، أنا أتمنى ذلك، هو سيضيف لنا الجودة، دعونا نرى ما سيحدث”.

وأضاف الجابوني: “عوار لاعب جيد للغاية، أتمنى أن نكون محظوظين بامتلاك مثل تلك النوعية من اللاعبين في نادينا”.

وواصل: “أنا واثق من أنه يستطيع أن يجلب لنا الكثير، أتمنى أن ينتقل إلينا حتى لو كان منتميًا لـ ليون، لا يمكنني إخفاء ذلك”.

A storm lies ahead for Arsenal on Thursday night.

Coming off an inspired win over Manchester United in the weekend, they need to replicate something similar to defeat a dangerous Rennes side, who dented their Europa League ambitions with a crushing loss in France.

However, to tame the French side, a Frenchman is coming to Arsenal’s rescue. Alexandre Lacazette is available for the Gunners after having his ban overturned thanks to a successful appeal, meaning Unai Emery will have his strongest unit available.

In need of a big win, Lacazette could be their make-or-break factor at the Emirates.

The French striker’s coming into the game in hot form after playing a big part in breaking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s perfect record at Manchester United. Lacazette tormented Victor Lindelof and co with his movement, while getting a few swipes at goal. Furthermore, he even assisted Granit Xhaka’s surprising opener and earned the penalty which sealed the deal.

Countryman Thierry Henry once inspired Arsenal comeback against Inter Milan back in 2003, scoring twice and setting up another to briefly stop an embarrassing Champions League exit. While Lacazette clearly has a lot to do in order to be considered on a similar sort of level than the legendary ‘Titi’, that type of performance would be huge.

As Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang slowly finds back his lethal touch, Lacazette is Arsenal’s prized asset in the final third. He’s only made four Europa League appearances this season, one which included a dreadful sending off against BATE Borisov. However, he’s scored one and assisted another in the other three and will look to redeem himself in front of his adoring fans.

Indeed, the Gunners can take heart from the fact that the Champions League has seen many scintillating turnarounds in recent weeks, so things are possible in the Europa League.

Gunners, do you think Lacazette can make the difference to complete the comeback? Join the discussion by commenting below.

Newcastle fans will be hoping Miguel Almiron can steer the club away from the Premier League relegation zone.

The Paraguay international became the Magpies’ club-record signing after completing a £20m move from Atlanta United in the MLS. Almiron was the stand out performer in the United States and now has the chance to prove himself one the world’s biggest stage. Rafael Benitez will hope the playmaker can have an instant impact at St. James Park.

Indeed, Benitez’s long-term future on Tyneside remains unclear due to disagreements with owner Mike Ashley (revealing comments as per Sky Sports). However, keeping the club in the division would greatly increase the club’s chances of keeping the Spaniard at the helm. If so, he simply must be backed financially during the summer transfer window.

One man Benitez could look to sign is Liverpool wonderkid – Harry Wilson. Valued at just £2.7m by Transfermarkt, the 21-year-old joined Derby County on loan in the summer to link up with Frank Lampard despite an impressive pre-season campaign. The Wales international has proven to be a wonderful signing, scoring 12 goals and registering four assists for the Rams in all competitions so far this season.

Jurgen Klopp will be pleased to see the youngster excelling during his temporary spell away from the club but his future at Anfield. Whilst his form has been terrific, Wilson is unlikely to usurp Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane or Roberto Firmino from the starting line-up. Now approaching his 22nd birthday, first-team football is vital for his development and Liverpool might look to cash in on their academy prospect.

Wilson has a sweet left foot, an eye for goal and excellent dribbling skills that would take Newcastle’s attack to a whole new level if he did decide to depart Merseyside.

Newcastle fans, thoughts?

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Loads of Everton fans have been giving their verdict on a promising transfer rumour, as reports claim the Toffees want to sign Kurt Zouma on a permanent basis.

According to The Liverpool Echo, Everton will test Chelsea’s resolve with a permanent move for Zouma this summer.

The French international joined the Toffees on loan last summer, and has probably been the club’s most reliable centre back this season, although that isn’t really saying much.

The 24 year-old is winning an average of 3.3 aerial duels per game, as well as making 1.4 interceptions, 3.7 clearances and completing 84 per cent of his passes.

According to the report, Marco Silva wanted to sign the towering defender permanently last summer, but Chelsea were not willing to sell. The gaffer still has Zouma on his wish-list though.

Zouma is in contract with Chelsea until 2023 so he will not come cheap, but judging from the Twitter reactions below fans will hope the club pulls the trigger anyway…