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Leeds United are reportedly eyeing up a loan move for Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley in January, with a transfer ‘under consideration’.

The Lowdown: Barkley not playing for Chelsea

The 28-year-old has been a peripheral figure for the Blues so far this season, starting just one Premier League match in total.

Barkley finds himself well down the midfield pecking order, and with the 2022 World Cup looming, he may be looking for minutes elsewhere.

With Leeds potentially looking at midfield reinforcements in January, the former Everton man looks like a genuine target.

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The Latest: Leeds keen on loan move

According to The Daily Mail, Leeds are keen on acquiring Barkley’s signature on a temporary deal, seeing him as a strong contender to come in.

The £15.3m-rated Englishman has registered 11 goals and assists apiece in 94 appearances for Chelsea.

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The Verdict: Strong mid-season addition

Barkley may not have made the grade at Chelsea but he could be an excellent signing for Leeds, given the technical quality he possesses.

He was once hailed as a potentially ‘world-class’ player by Roberto Martinez and has scored six goals in 33 caps for England, so he could add an extra dimension to Leeds’ midfield.

A loan move also feels less risky than a permanent deal because if he fails to excel at Elland Road he will simply return to Chelsea in the summer.

In other news, a journalist has made a Leeds transfer claim regarding one player. Read more here.

Crystal Palace are interested in signing Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah this summer.

And, as to be expected, a number of Palace fans have been giving their thoughts to the links on social media.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Palace, Watford and West Ham are all keen on the 22-year-old.

Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen are also pushing to sign the forward, who has actually been offered new terms at the Emirates in recent days.

A deal between the Gunners and Nketiah is yet to be agreed, and it appears as if Palace are keeping tabs on the Englishman’s situation ahead of a potential swoop.

Nketiah, who has just 12 months remaining on his current contract, has scored 13 goals in 65 Arsenal appearances.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared the links to Nketiah on Twitter on Monday evening. However, these Palace fans weren’t exactly thrilled over a possible move for the forward, with one describing him as ‘awful’.

“again please no”Credit: @notconnorlmaov2″no thanks”Credit: @luiscpfc”doesn’t even start let alone best player”Credit: @CPFCknighty”unless it’s under 15 mil no”Credit: @CPFC_Ollie_”Loan with option is all I’d take”Credit: @bradhcpfc”He’s awful”Credit: @HAZZAMATTAZZ1

In other news: ‘This is massive’, ‘Great appointment’ – Many CPFC fans erupt as ‘fantastic’ news comes to light, find out more here. 

Former Leicester midfielder Keith Gillespie has exclusively told Football FanCast that Kelechi Iheanacho’s recent form is partly down to the selflessness of Jamie Vardy.

The former England striker is struggling for goals himself, scoring just once since Christmas, with his 12 goals leaving him on course for his worst Premier League return for four seasons.

But whilst Vardy isn’t finding the net, Iheanacho is having little difficultly, and extended his outstanding recent run to eight goals in as many league matches, and five in three by netting a late brace at West Ham last weekend.

The Nigerian’s two goals at the London Stadium counted for little following Leicester’s 3-2 defeat, and whilst the former Manchester City man is playing the football of his career right now, Gillespie thinks that Vardy deserves credit.

He told Football FanCast:

“I know Jamie Vardy isn’t scoring goals at the minute, but the willingness that Vardy has, the non-stop running, he never gives defenders a minute’s peace.

“He isn’t scoring at the minute, but he’s part of the reason at times why Iheanacho is scoring. He can take defenders away and give Iheanacho that space.”

Meanwhile, Vardy himself is on an eight-game goal drought since netting against Liverpool more than two months ago, but Gillespie isn’t concerned.

He added:

“You always worry for strikers when they go through barren spells, but I don’t think you can be too worried about Vardy because you can see in other parts of his game how important he is to Leicester.”

Rangers legend Ally McCoist expected Giovanni van Bronckhorst to give Cedric Itten a chance against Motherwell on Saturday. 

The lowdown

Rangers exercised their recall option to bring Itten back from his loan at Bundesliga outfit Greuther Furth in January.

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He made consecutive starts against Livingston and Ross County at the end of January, but then missed out on nine straight matchday squads, with his only game time coming in the Scottish League Cup against Annan Athletic.

Ahead of the Gers’ trip to Fir Park, though, striker Kemar Roofe joined long-term absentee Alfredo Morelos on the injury list.

That seemed to present an opportunity for Itten, but Van Bronckhorst instead opted to field Fashion Sakala up front.

Itten did feature for the first time since the winter, but only for the final four minutes as a substitute.

The latest

Rangers’ all-time leading goalscorer McCoist, speaking live in commentary for Sky Sports, says it may be a damning reflection that Itten didn’t start even with the injuries Rangers had.

“Interesting, I heard the boys talking before the game,” he said, via Ibrox News.

“Obviously no Roofe, no Morelos, however would it not have been an opportunity for Cedric Itten? Or is he so far down the pecking order [that he didn’t get a chance]?”

The verdict

It’s clear now that Van Bronckhorst simply doesn’t rate Itten all that highly.

It was pretty telling that the Dutchman didn’t even include him in his squad for the Europa League knockout stages.

Itten was called ‘magnificent’ by former boss Steven Gerrard but regrettably, his record for Rangers – just seven goals in 48 appearances – doesn’t live up to that billing.

It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see Rangers look to shift the £2.7million-rated, £14,000-per-week frontman from their wage bill come the summer.

In other news, one Rangers player was rated just 4/10. 

Swansea City’s hopes of securing an automatic promotion spot in the Championship this season took a huge blow on Tuesday night as they were thrashed 3-0 by Bournemouth.

A spectacular goal from Philip Billing opened the scoring before an unfortunate own goal from Joel Latibeaudiere doubled the hosts’ lead just before half time. 

Arnaut Danjuma then sealed a comfortable win for the Cherries by smashing a shot past Freddie Woodman to make it 3-0 late on, with Steve Cooper’s side rarely threatening.

To make matters worse, Watford were comfortable winners at Rotherham, meaning the Swans are now three points behind the Hornets, although they do still have a game in hand on them.

One man who particularly disappointed with his performance at the Cherry Red Records Stadium was right wing-back, Connor Roberts.

The Welsh international has been one of Swansea’s best performers so far this season but he was well below-par on Tuesday night, which will surely frustrate Cooper given the importance of the match.

As per SofaScore, the 25-year-old would pick up a poor 6.3 rating for his performance, with only Ryan Bennett (6.2) Latibeaudiere (6.1), Woodman (6.0) and Jamal Lowe (6.0) rated lower.

Danjuma, who was playing on the left-wing, caused Roberts plenty of problems throughout the game, as he played five key passes and got a goal and an assist, resulting in an impressive 8.6 rating.

The Swansea right-back has been excellent going forward this season, with four goals and five assists to his name in the Championship but he struggled to produce any real quality in good positions as only one of his five crosses was accurate, whilst only one of his five long balls would find a Swansea shirt.

He was also very wasteful with the ball, as only 39/52 of his passes found a teammate, resulting in a less than impressive 75% pass accuracy and he also lost possession a remarkable 26 times during his time on the pitch – more than any other player.

Roberts also struggled from a defensive perspective, as he made no tackles and just one interception in the 90 minutes, whilst he would win just two of the five duels he was involved in during the game, suggesting that Danjuma well and truly had the better of him.

Therefore, considering Cooper has relied upon Roberts to be a consistent performer in his side so far this season, it is very disappointing that he was so poor in such an important game for the Swans.

Many Everton fans have been left to fume as a transfer update emerged on Marcelo.

As per the Daily Mirror, the Goodison Park faithful, as well as Leeds United, lead the chase to sign the Real Madrid man in the summer window.

The Brazil international is not in the plans of new boss Carlo Ancelotti, and given that his current deal at the Bernabeu runs out in June 2022, Los Blancos will likely be looking to move him on this summer.

Marcelo would prefer a move to either England or Italy, and an asking price has been quoted at £5m.

There is no doubt that the left-back has had a decorative footballing career both at Madrid and at international level, but he is 33 years of age now, and the Merseyside club already have Lucas Digne, Niels Nkounkou and Thierry Small who play in his position.

Thus, it would be a strange move for them to try and recruit Marcelo, who is certainly past his best.

Everton fans on Marcelo transfer update

These Toffees fumed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one Blues supporter even going as far as to claim that it was ‘silly’:

“Start of the madness”

Credit: @benjwinstanley

“Rubbish”

Credit: @AndyVale27

“Most pointless signing ever!! Digne, Godfrey can cover there, Nkounkou and Small, no thanks even though in his prime he was superb”

Credit: @efcbigdunc

“Makes no sense”

Credit: @Official_ESCA

“Obviously, as a left-back is what we’re crying out for. Silly season is truly upon us”

Credit: @sickleclown

“Ridiculous”

Credit: @alandean1878

In other news, find out which Euro 2020 ace EFC are in pole position to sign here!

Pep Guardiola looks set to receive a huge boost at Manchester City in the coming weeks, with it reported that Fernandinho has agreed to a new contract at the Etihad.

According to Jack Gaughan of the Daily Mail, the veteran midfielder has agreed to a new one-year contract with Guardiola’s side, which will see him play his ninth season with the Citizens in the 2021/22 campaign.

The 36-year-old was perhaps expected to play a bit-part role last season as Rodri emerges as his long-term successor, but he showed his worth in the final few months of the season and won back a starting role with his impressive performances in the Champions League, particularly in the 4-1 aggregate win against PSG.

In total, the Brazilian would make 21 appearances in the Premier League last season, for which he earned a solid 6.89 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which suggests that he still has what it takes to perform at the highest level.

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As club captain, the former Shakhtar Donetsk man will also be hugely influential in the dressing room and in training, so it makes a lot of sense to hand him a new one-year deal, as City prepare to defend their Premier League title next season and aim to go one step further in the Champions League after they fell short in the final against Chelsea.

Since joining the club in 2013, the midfielder has gone on to make 350 appearances for the Citizens, in which he has contributed 24 goals and 30 assists, so it would not be a surprise to see him recognised as a City legend when he does eventually depart.

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There was an understandable concern when the “incredible” Fernandinho wasn’t included on City’s retained list for next season due to his contract being set to expire, but it seems as if City fans will be able to see him for another season at least when they hopefully return to the Etihad in full force in August.

It seems the Brazilian powerhouse is set to put pen to paper at the Etihad Campus in due course and this will surely delight the fans when you consider how important he has been to City’s success in his time at the club.

And, in other news… Txiki should seal Man City swoop for “intelligent” beast after dazzling Euro display

Leeds could send a huge message to Marcelo Bielsa about their future ambitions by signing Udinese star Rodrigo De Paul this summer.

What’s the story?

Reports last summer suggested that Leeds were very much interested in bringing the Argentina international to Elland Road, and The Athletic’s Phil Hay meanwhile recently indicated that the midfielder wants to come too.

Now, according to TuttoAtalanta, Atalanta have joined the race to sign De Paul this summer, and that Udinese are open to selling him.

The report adds however that Leeds’ interest remains strong after going after him last year, while there are several clubs from both La Liga and the Premier League who are also keeping a close eye on the situation.

Sending Bielsa a message

Speaking last summer, former goalkeeper Paul Robinson raved about the prospect of De Paul’s arrival, saying: “Rodrigo De Paul can play across all of the midfield positions but he’s capable of unlocking doors like Hernandez. He’s a clever player, he can see a pass going forward and it just shows you the level the club are at that they’re going for players like this.

“They’re not afraid to be paying £20m-£30m for these sorts of players. It shows that Leeds are back in the big time and I have no doubt that footballers like De Paul will come to Leeds because of Bielsa.”

And that last sentiment about being “back in the big time” is what should have Andrea Radrizzani all over a deal for De Paul.

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Tying up a big-money deal for the Argentine would send a hugely important message to Bielsa that Leeds mean business and that they are not in the Premier League to just make up the numbers.

A signing of the £34.2m-rated De Paul’s calibre, and at his cost, would go a long way to convincing the Leeds boss that the club are intent on taking a big step forward.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano delivers a major Leeds United transfer update…

A number of Celtic fans slammed Ryan Christie on social media for his performance against Hibernian on Saturday afternoon.

Interim boss John Kennedy made two changes from the side which hammered St Johnstone 4-0 on Wednesday, with Christie keeping his place in the team.

It could be the 37-year-old’s final game in temporary charge of the Hoops, with reports claiming that former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe is in line to become Neil Lennon’s permanent successor at Parkhead.

The Hoops ended their campaign with a 0-0 stalemate at Easter Road in what was Scott Brown’s final appearance as a Celtic player, but many fans couldn’t help but talk about Christie’s performance for the final time of this troubled season.

Christie, who has been linked with a move away from the Hoops, was making his 46th appearance in all competitions this term and started alongside David Turnbull and Mohamed Elyounoussi in behind Odsonne Edouard.

The attacking midfielder was replaced just after the hour mark, coming off for James Forrest. He failed to complete a key pass and lost possession nine times, as per Sofascore, while he rarely threatened Hibs goalkeeper Ofir Marciano.

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Celtic fans react to Christie’s display

Here is what these Celtic supporters had to say about Christie, with one going as far as calling him a ‘donkey’.

“I’m watching this Celtic game in the hope that it’ll be Christie’s last. Was a big fan of his prior to last summer but he’s worn out my goodwill completely this year.”

Credit: @AnDeoraiRua

“Ryan Christie. What’s the point”

Credit: @DavidPa55539859

“I’d take £5 and a bag of footballs for Ryan Christie just now.”

Credit: @Plac1dCasual

“Hopefully this is the last time I see Ryan Christie in a Celtic top”

Credit: @Jamie_D94

“100% can’t stand Ryan Christie”

Credit: @FR14LLL

“Canny wait to see the back of Ryan Christie and Jonjoe Kenny, absolute donkeys”

Credit: @frankjnrjnr

In other news: Celtic looking at two big-money transfers; presented targets to Howe, find out more here. 

Many Wolves fans have been left lauding a transfer update involving Duje Caleta-Car.

As per RMC Sport, the Midlands club have now reportedly made an offer to try and sign the Marseille central defender worth €15m (£12.8m).

However, West Ham United are also following him, and could turn up with a bid of their own.

The Croatia international was a key player for his team in Ligue 1 in the 2020/21 term, winning no fewer than 3.7 of his duels per match, while he also averaged 3.9 clearances and 1.3 interceptions per game, keeping five clean sheets in the process (Sofascore).

He would certainly give Bruno Lage another handy option in his squad, but it is not known whether their bid will be accepted with the deadline looming.

Wolves fans on Caleta-Car transfer update

These members of the Molineux faithful lauded the transfer update as it was shared on Twitter, with one WWFC supporter even going as far as to claim that Caleta-Car would be a ‘huge signing’:

“Scenes if we get him and Botman”

Credit: @liambagnall9

“We really are going all out now aren’t we”

Credit: @DaneWWFC

“Yesssssss”

Credit: @Millenwwfc

“Supposedly we’ve been linked with Botman and this lad, either would be a huge signing in an area we need it most”

Credit: @Brokeboi2000

“Obviously would prefer Botman but this would be a great signing too!”

Credit: @FPL_BakedBeans

“Botman is clear but I’d take him as well”

Credit: @Lamela2b

In other news, find out what transfer update has Wanderers buzzing here!