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Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Carlton Palmer has delivered his verdict on Leeds’ interest in Julian Draxler.

The Germany international was linked with a move to Elland Road in the summer but a switch failed to materialise.

However, there has now been an update on the attacking midfielder’s future. Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness) reportedly recently that Draxler could become a free agent this summer.

As a result, Leeds are pondering a move for the German who initially cost PSG £30m in 2017. They will reportedly face interest from Hertha Berlin for his services so it won’t be an easy pursuit.

Speaking about the report, Palmer exclusively told FFC that he’d be brilliant for Leeds, citing his style of play as a key reason.

When questioned whether he’d be a good acquisition, the pundit said: “The way he plays, yeah. You know what, the way Bielsa plays, there is nobody that is going to fit into his system if you haven’t got high tempo and can get around the football pitch.

“That’s the way he plays, so for sure, he’d fit into Bielsa’s team and I’m sure that Leeds will do a bit of business in the January transfer window just to get some reinforcements in of quality because now they’ve established a foothold in the Premier League.”

Draxler would be a stand out signing if he does indeed move to Elland Road in January or the summer.

He is capped 56 times by his country and is a World Cup winner so has plenty of pedigree. His opportunities this term have been limited to just ten games but the 27-year-old has contributed to three goals in the process – certainly not a bad record.

Although Draxler sometimes struggles for consistency, he would be a considerable coup for Leeds, a team who broke their transfer record on a further attacking midfielder in Rodrigo last summer.

With his contract expiring in a matter of months, Victor Orta could conclude a bargain deal here.

AND in other news, Kebe 2.0: Radz will be raging if Orta brings “wonderful” £10.8m-rated ace to Leeds…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast correspondent Tom Ward, former footballer and current pundit Carlton Palmer has been discussing the latest injury blow at Liverpool.

The Reds have endured an injury-hit season thus far, with first-choice centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez both currently sidelined, whilst the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson, Joel Matip and Fabinho have all missed a lot of games.

Despite this, Jurgen Klopp’s side are still challenging at the top of the table, and have the chance to go top if they can beat current leaders Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Wednesday night.

Unfortunately, the Merseyside club will be without Diogo Jota, after the Portuguese forward picked up an injury in the recent 1-1 draw against FC Midtjylland. Klopp confirmed on Sunday that the summer addition will be out for 6-8 weeks, which is undoubtedly a blow when you consider how impressive he has been since joining in the summer, with nine Liverpool goals to his name already.

Here’s what Palmer had to say about the latest injury setback when speaking exclusively to Football FanCast…

“It’s a massive blow. I mean, they’ve got six or seven key players out with long-term injuries and that’s a problem. You know you’re going to pick up injuries and you know players are going to be out for a certain amount of time but they’ve got key players out with long-term injuries which is a massive problem.

“They’ve spent heavily on Jota, they’ve spent £45 million on him, so that is a blow in itself for them.”

Palmer certainly seems to think that the injury to Jota is a big blow for Klopp’s side, especially when you consider the number of first-team players currently out injured.

Fortunately for the Reds, they still have a world-class attacking trio in Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, so they will definitely still be able to cause Jose Mourinho’s side problems on Wednesday, despite Jota being missing.

It has been suggested that the former Wolves man could be out until February, so considering the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri, Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino have struggled to perform at times this season, perhaps we will see the Merseyside club bring in a replacement for Jota during the upcoming January transfer window.

And, in other news… LFC handed huge transfer blow in pursuit of 20 y/o “gem” likened to Kai Havertz…

Recent reports revealed that Glasgow Rangers striker Chris McKee has signed a contract extension that will keep him at Ibrox until 2022. Now Rangers must focus on tying down the irreplaceable James Tavernier.

What was the story?

The club captain has been in electric form this season, having scored 14 goals and supplied 10 assists across all competitions, with nine of those goals in the Scottish Premiership so far.

Ever since Steven Gerrard first took charge of the 54-time Scottish champions, the 29-year-old has struck 34 times in 126 games in total.

Naturally, his performances haven’t gone unnoticed, with West Ham and Newcastle United among his admirers south of the border.

Despite Gerrard’s insistence the skipper wasn’t for sale in the summer, former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday believes it is only a matter of time until they face a bidding war in the not too distant future.

Speaking on Open Goal, as quoted by The Herald, Halliday said: “Take away his penalties, he has still scored six goals. How can a team not be watching that? Everyone has their price, I think he would wait until the summer.

“But if a team sits down and offers double, triple your money – some people are going to get their head turned.”

Keep Tavernier at all costs by any means necessary

Halliday’s stark warning will come as no surprise to many, least of all Ross Wilson, who was the key figure behind Southampton’s recruitment strategy before he joined the Gers.

However, this doesn’t mean that his statement should be simply ignored, either.

Reports in recent months claimed that West Ham were considering a bid for the ex-Wigan star in the summer, and there’s no doubt that the right-back may be tempted by such a move, should the Hammers return for their long-term target before too long. After all, every footballer has a price.

So if Wilson can convince him that he would be best served by staying at the Govan stadium, and that Gerrard is the man to get the best out of him like he has done so far, then that would be a real statement of intent.

Gerrard has developed an attacking, possession-based brand of football that relies heavily on the backs bombing up and down the wings and providing width and Tavernier has shown he is a player who can do precisely just that.

The free-scoring full-back is the undisputed first-choice starter, and it would be a bitter blow if the Light Blues can’t convince him to sign a new contract, especially when you consider the fact that his current deal will run out in just over a year’s time.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must act quickly to fend off Premier League interest in Borna Barisic…

After securing a place in the Champions League knockout stages in midweek with a win against Olympiakos, Manchester City return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon, as they face Burnley at the Etihad.

A goal from Phil Foden proved to be the difference in Greece but with Kevin De Bruyne set to return to the starting eleven after not travelling in midweek, the English midfielder may miss out against Sean Dyche’s side.

The Clarets secured their first win of the Premier League season last time out with a 1-0 triumph against Crystal Palace so will be buoyed ahead of their trip to Manchester, and they certainly won’t make it easy for the Citizens.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Guardiola to line up his side against Burnley, with the Spaniard making four changes…

Ederson unsurprisingly keeps his place in goal, whilst Kyle Walker will also more than likely return to the starting 11 after he also didn’t travel in midweek.

Despite an impressive display from John Stones, Aymeric Laporte will probably return at centre-back to continue his recent strong partnership with Ruben Dias.

Although it was a decent returning game from Benjamin Mendy after his latest injury, Joao Cancelo will probably switch back to left-back for the game against Burnley.

There’s one change in midfield as De Bruyne replaces Foden, as although the 20-year-old was extremely impressive against Olympiakos, the game against Burnley will be much more of a physical battle in midfield, so he may be the one axed in place of De Bruyne.

However, he could still make an impact from the bench, as he did earlier in the season against West Ham, which led to Joe Cole praising him following the game, with the pundit saying:

“You can see he’s got a hunger to score and it was an outstanding goal.

“He looked like the best player when he came on the pitch. You look at the amount of money spent on some of the players out there and that’s a young Englishman.

“He’s an outstanding talent and after today Pep (Guardiola) will look at him with a different light because he changed the game.” (per Daily Mail)

Meanwhile, Ferran Torres should return to the starting line-up on the right-hand side, in place of the out-of-form Bernardo Silva, whilst Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus will more than likely complete the attack, although they will want to put their missed chances in midweek behind them.

Guardiola’s side are in desperate need of three points, as they currently sit 14th in the Premier League table, so nothing but maximum points from this game will be acceptable if they have title aspirations for this season.

And, in other news… Manchester City must complete signing of £63m-rated “complete” striker loved by Messi

David Moyes risks exposing West Ham United with a £5million January swoop for Leeds United and Torino target Frederik Alves, after Danish football expert Davor Milito stated how the Silkeborg IF defender could be caught out.

What’s the word?

While speaking with Torino Granata, Milito has likened Alves to former Manchester United and England defender Chris Smalling for the way the 21-year-old has fashioned his style of defending.

Alves has become a firm topic of discussion in recent weeks after Silkeborg confirmed to the Copenhagen Stock Exchange that he will be leaving JYSK Park in January, after receiving an offer that met the individual conditions requested.

West Ham were claimed to have been close to finalising a deal for Alves to move to east London in the New Year by BT, who noted the centre-half was pictured at the Stratford Hotel with his agent Christian Bysted ahead of a potential move.

But Leeds and Russian side Rostov are also keen on the young talent, per the Daily Mail, while reports by Calciomercato mention Torino as a potential rival suitor for the defender who can play at full-back as well.

And Milito believes the rising interest in Alves could see the Denmark U21 international’s value continue to rise, noting: “Young people in Denmark, if talented, are never very cheap, but I think that between €4m and €6million (£3.5m and £5.3m) can be closed, counting that this season is a fundamental element for the team.”

Alves’ 6 ft 2 frame, wise brain and penchant for carrying possession out from the back also saw Milito liken him to Smalling, adding: “He knows how to use the body, not very fast but intelligent in the position, skilled in sliding, quite polite right foot and a lover of game changes.

“He likes to carry the ball but not to Lucio, good at pressing and decisive in the marking, so it could be very suitable for Italian football. Of course, with the short lines he could get into trouble. He should work even more on his defensive positioning, which is already his strong point.”

Risk of exposure

Milito claiming that defensive positioning is already one of Alves’ strengths but also an area where the 21-year-old needs to improve should raise alarm bells at the London Stadium, as Moyes giving the Denmark U21 international a baptism of fire in the Premier League could easily expose flaws in the Hammers defence.

Alves also liking to carry the ball out from the back but to, seemingly, not good effect will also be worrisome in east London, as the young centre-half could become an easy target for opposing teams to try and exploit until the youngster proves he is no weak spot.

West Ham have shown a willingness to hold a high line in the Premier League this season, too, with the SofaScore heatmaps of Angelo Ogbonna, Fabian Balbuena and Aaron Cresswell each showing a strong amount of their respective average 45.6, 50.7 and 69.6 touches coming far beyond Lukasz Fabianski’s area.

Moyes would likely need to see a lot of progress from Alves in the Irons’ Under 23s before feeling fit to field the Danish prospect in the first-team, or to loan West Ham’s potential January signing out to a side competing at a higher level than the Nordic Bet LIGA – Denmark’s second-tier.

AND in other news, David Moyes is “worried” by a West Ham blow that a Manuel Pellegrini favourite can capitalise on.

David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady’s slack efforts in the summer transfer market ensured West Ham United failed in their chase of new Tottenham Hotspur signing Joe Rodon.

What’s the word?

Spurs confirmed their capture of Rodon on Friday, having agreed to pay Swansea City a rumoured £15million to make the 22-year-old Jose Mourinho’s seventh signing of the summer.

Rodon, who joins the north London for an initial £11m with £4m in future add-ons and has signed a five-year contract, made 54 appearances for Swansea since emerging from their academy in 2018.

Jacks boss Steve Cooper had called on the centre-half to start all four of their Championship fixtures this term, in which the Liberty Stadium outfit kept three clean sheets to open the campaign unbeaten and two points behind early leaders Bristol City and Reading.

West Ham had considered approaching Swansea over the potential of signing Rodon this summer, with The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg proposing in late September that the Wales international was being assessed along with Arsenal’s Calum Chambers and AS Monaco full-back Djibril Sidibe.

But a deal for Rodon was deemed too expensive, opening a clear path for Spurs to push on and finalise their £15m deal for a defender who started each of Wales’ October internationals for his fifth, sixth and seventh caps.

GSB’s slack efforts prove costly

While West Ham are said to have walked away from any deal to sign Rodon after deeming the £15m fee needed to be too expensive, the slack efforts of Gold, Sullivan and Brady to offload those deemed surplus to requirements must be held partly responsible for the 22-year-old joining Spurs.

From the end of the prolonged 2019/20 season, the Irons were touting the likes of Felipe Anderson on the transfer market in the hopes their departures would raise needed funds that could go towards improving David Moyes’ squad. But the Brazilian remained in east London right until the international market closed when he joined FC Porto on loan.

The departure of academy graduate Grady Diangana was also said to have been sanctioned so that the £18m raised could be put toward signing a new defender, and yet Rodon was deemed too expensive and it was not until the final week of the domestic window that Watford’s Craig Dawson was signed on loan.

Had GSB managed to offload more of the deadwood soon enough, then West Ham may have been able to persist with negotiations for Rodon and not see the 22-year-old join London rivals Tottenham in what he has since described as a dream move.

“It’s a massive honour,” Rodon said of his transfer, via quotes by the Daily Mail. “This is a massive club, and I can’t wait to get started.

“Coming from my boyhood club to this position is only something I could have dreamed of. It’s been a great week and to finish it off in this way is a dream come true.”

AND in other news, West Ham potentially saved £16m in being snubbed by a summer target.

West Ham United could move quickly on from Grady Diangana with a dip into the transfer market and one name has been linked with a move to the London Stadium this week…

What’s the word?

According to A Bola (via Sport Witness), the Hammers are one of three Premier League clubs chasing Sporting Lisbon winger Jovane Cabral this summer.

It’s claimed that West Ham have been following the 22-year-old since last season, although the Portuguese outfit are yet to receive any concrete offers for their attacking star.

They are believed to want around €20m (£18m) for his services with Tottenham Hotspur and newly-promoted Fulham also in the race.

Diangana alternative

On Wednesday, news broke that the Irons hierarchy had accepted a bid of £18m from West Brom for their loan sensation Diangana, meaning the Hammers are going to lose out on one of their own exciting talents.

However, Cabral wouldn’t be a bad replacement whatsoever.

Per WhoScored, the Portuguese wizard provided six goals and two assists in just 19 appearances, averaging 2.9 shots, 2.1 dribbles and 1.2 key passes per game.

It means Cabral manages more attempts at goal than any other Hammers player, including Michail Antonio and Seb Haller so clearly he’d be a nice threat to have in east London.

He has been likened to one-time Irons target Gelson Martins and dubbed as a “wing sensation” by PortuGOAL whilst Manchester United’s January addition Bruno Fernandes has been a bit of a mentor for him even since swapping Portugual for Old Trafford.

“I didn’t teach him anything. What he did in the game is down to his quality, his ability. In my opinion, he did not have a great game because I know Jovane’s quality and I think he can give more,” said Fernandes to Canal 11 (via InsideFutbol).

David Moyes couldn’t do much wrong if he manages to clinch Cabral as a direct successor to the departing Diangana.

AND in other news, Hammers plotting shock transfer for the ‘German Messi’…

Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold has suggested Brentford striker Ollie Watkins “ticks a few boxes” for Tottenham,

What did he say?

Having missed out on promotion to the Premier League after their play-off final defeat to Fulham, Brentford attackers Watkins and Said Benrahma have already been linked with big-money moves away.

Now, Gold has insisted that more so than Benrahma, Spurs could find an “exciting” player in Watkins, although did admit that the north Londoners could find some obstacles in bringing him to the club this summer.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

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He said: “This makes more sense than the Benrahma links, with the 24-year-old Englishman having struck 26 goals in the Championship this season for Brentford.

“With his homegrown status he ticks a few boxes and could prove to be an exciting back-up or partner for Kane. As with Eze though, it would be all about that game time and other Premier League clubs would be able to offer more. Brentford reportedly value him and Benrahma at more than £25million each which would put off Spurs.”

Bigger priority than Benrahma

Whilst Benrahma arguably stole the show in the Championship, Watkins should be the bigger priority for Daniel Levy and co this summer.

Their glaring lack of depth up front saw Jose Mourinho have to scramble around his first-team squad to find players who could step up in Harry Kane’s absence from injury earlier this year.

Rather than going after another trademark winger in Benrahma, Spurs could bring in someone who could share the goal-scoring burden with Kane – Watkins scored an impressive 26 goals in the Championship last season.

When you look around some of the Premier League’s top sides, most if not all, have two or three potential genuine options to play in the number nine role. Barring Kane, Spurs don’t have another recognised first-team striker. Watkins could change all that.

According to Express, Arsenal have started the talks with Kia Joorabchian, Philippe Coutinho’s agent, in hopes of potentially sealing that deal in the upcoming summer transfer window. The Barcelona man is now once again on the market after spending a season on loan at Bayern Munich.

Of course, he will first aim to finish the Champions League campaign with the Bavarian giants and will then start thinking about a potential transfer away from the Catalans.

However, there are other teams also willing to sink their teeth into this deal and the Gunners just might face stern competition from the Premier League as the likes of Tottenham Hotspur were also previously linked, albeit to the major dissatisfaction of their fans.

Express also explain that Arsenal are not exactly sitting on heaps of money and Barcelona currently value their flopped playmaker at around £73m, which would, as it seems, be out of reach for the London team. But, in that case, Arsenal could potentially offer some of their own players in an attempt to lower the asking price.

Matteo Guendouzi, for instance, is a name that often pops out in those conversations. Mundo Deportivo, however, claim the Catalans are not interested in anything like that, preferring a loan with a big fee if a permanent transfer can’t be negotiated.

One positive for Arsenal would be the fact Joorabchian mentioned Coutinho is open to a return to the Premier League, as per Express’ report, and this could indeed throw a lifeline to the Gunners.

Verdict

Even though he’s had a couple of rough spells ever since his big-money transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona, Coutinho is still quite an impactful player on his day. Landing him could seriously boost Mikel Arteta’s squad.

However, as is the case with most big-name players on today’s market, the Brazilian would come with a hefty price tag above his head. But the report mentions the Catalans would be open for a loan deal as well and maybe this is an avenue the Gunners could potentially explore.

Arteta has slowly but surely been improving the team and maybe they already have what it takes to attract Coutinho back to the Premier League.

Whilst it may not turn out to be the big summer of spending Jose Mourinho may have been hoping for at Tottenham, the Portuguese boss will no doubt be keen to further stamp his authority on the first-team squad in north London.

And according to the latest reports, Real Madrid winger Lucas Vazquez is firmly within Spurs’ sights ahead of a potential summer move. As per The Daily Mirror (via The Daily Express), the Lilywhites have been offered the chance to sign the 28-year-old for a relatively affordable price, said to be around £16m plus add-ons.

Can you name every one of Spurs’ top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…

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The report further claims that with Vazquez’s deal at the Santiago Bernabeu coming to an end following the conclusion of next season, Los Blancos have made it clear that he is available for an exit this summer.

After hearing about their links to the Spaniard, Spurs fans took to Twitter to share their reactions to the news.

Some Spurs fans couldn’t quite believe that the club are targeting another right-sided winger, with one supporter in particular suggesting that it would be a “waste of money” and that they “might as well get Fraser”.

At 28, Vazquez is arguably in the prime years of his career, and whilst he hasn’t had too many opportunities this season (he has played just 18 times across all competitions), he comes with bags of top-level experience.

With the market this summer likely to be unlike any other, finding shrewd bargains is going to be the real defining test. And at potentially just £16m for a player who has won multiple Champions League trophies with Real Madrid, and still has at least a few more years in the tank, could be right up Spurs’ alley.

So whilst a few fans are annoyed at the prospect of another winger joining, Vazquez has got the credentials to slot straight into the Spurs squad and offer them more squad depth in those attacking positions.