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Liverpool have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit of Paris Saint Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe ironically by the French club’s interest in current Reds’ star Mo Salah.

According to Telefoot, the reigning Ligue 1 champions have opened talks with the Egyptian forward in the event that Mbappe elects to leave the Parc des Princes.

The Frenchman is out of contract next summer and could leave on a free transfer, with the Reds thought to be interested in swooping for his services.

The simple fact that the Parisiens are looking for a replacement already could suggest that he has decided on his departure as early as this summer, giving the Reds a huge boost in his pursuit.

Mbappe would certainly be an exhilarating signing for the Merseysiders having plundered an eye-watering 123 goals in 163 appearances for the French giants since arriving from AS Monaco.

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Despite that, it would also be leaving current Reds’ boss Jurgen Klopp with a huge dilemma over whether to let the £200k per week Salah leave for PSG.

The 28-year-old has been nothing short of sensational in his time at Anfield after arriving from AS Roma. He has scored 122 goals, ironically one fewer than Mbappe, in 195 appearances as the Reds have scooped the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.

Should he depart then, he would certainly be a big miss. However, should Liverpool elect to sell to Paris Saint Germain, this would give them a huge boost in the pursuit of Mbappe, with a potential swap deal maybe in the offing.

So, whilst interest in star forward Salah will initially worry the Reds, it could potentially morph into a benefit in the club’s long-term transfer aspirations of signing Mbappe.

AND in more news, take a look at why swooping for a Barcelona star this summer would be a mistake by FSG…

Everton will never rue the day that Oumar Niasse departed Goodison Park for the final time, as the striker seals his long-awaited return to the game with a move to Huddersfield Town.

The Championship side announced the capture of Niasse on Friday, with the forward moving to the John Smith’s Stadium on a deal running until the end of the current season.

Huddersfield sit 18th in the second tier during the March international break and hold a seven-point margin to the relegation places after winning just two of their last 15 league games.

Everton released Niasse at the end of his contract last June, marking the stop point to a tepid four-year tenure at Goodison Park for the former Lokomotiv Moscow striker, who was signed by Roberto Martinez for £13.5m.

Niasse spent 273 days as a free agent, having rejected offers to return to the game following his release in favour of continuing in England to remain close to his family.

“A big part of our recruitment process focuses on the character of the players we’re bringing in and we’ve spoken with Oumar and his representatives over a fair period of time,” Huddersfield Town’s Head of Football Operations Leigh Bromby said.

“We’ve had very positive conversations throughout and it’s clear he will be a good fit within our group. He’s had plenty of offers since leaving Everton, but he was keen to stay in England and, ideally, in the north so he is close to his family.

“His pedigree speaks for itself, having played in top divisions, in European competitions and commanded huge transfer fees. However, his character is just as impressive. He’s a very positive guy and is determined to show everyone what he is capable of.”

Niasse will now continue working with the Huddersfield first team to rebuild his fitness, having begun training with the Terriers before signing a short-term deal.

Niasse will hope that his return to the game will present opportunities to earn a longer-term contract at the John Smith’s Stadium and show Everton why they were wrong to release him at the end of his contract last summer.

However, it is extremely unlikely that the Toffees will ever be expected to rue the day that the 30-year-old left Goodison Park for the final time, having proven to be an expensive flop in the years which followed Martinez sanctioning his arrival.

It took until the end of April 2016 for Niasse to earn his first start in royal blue following five substitute appearances from a possible 10 games across all competitions, and the arrival of Ronald Koeman that summer triggered the derailment of his Merseyside career.

Koeman told Niasse after one 45-minute appearance in pre-season that he was not wanted at the club and instructed the striker to train with the under-23s, before sending the former Senegal international out on loan the following January.

The move to Hull City helped Niasse earn a second chance under Koeman the following season, only for the appointment of Sam Allardyce to see his chances be reduced once again and the subsequent hiring of Marco Silva put an exit in sight.

Niasse would only make seven appearances across all competitions in 18 months under Silva and just one of those in the starting line-up, before playing a mere 18 minutes under Carlo Ancelotti in the final months of his £55,000-per-week contract.

Four managers passing on Niasse after Martinez was fired just went to show the struggles the striker had at adapting to the demands of the Premier League and English football, and why he left Everton with just nine goals in 42 games – of which he only started 13 – to his name.

The 30-year-old is now at a club in Huddersfield where the head coach is seemingly prepared to back him, with Carlos Corberan lauding the “dynamic” forward as he brings a hard-working mentality, a will to press the opponent and the ability to attack spaces to the Championship.

Those traits were all too rarely on show at Goodison Park, making his release a must last summer and why Everton will never be expected to rue the day that he walked away.

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

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West Ham will reject a loan bid from FC Schalke for striker Lucas Perez before the transfer deadline, Football FanCast can confirm.

The Irons have thus far adopted a stance that they will not loan out any first-team players in this transfer window.

A BBC report claimed on Wednesday that the German club had lodged a loan offer for Perez, who has struggled for minutes thus far this season in east London.

However, the Irons would prefer to receive a transfer fee for Perez and value him at around £4million.

Perez has played 10 times in the Premier League, per Transfermarkt, but has yet to complete 90 minutes under Manuel Pellegrini in the top flight.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Nevertheless, Football FanCast understands the club intends to retain Perez as cover for Marko Arnautovic, who recently signed a new contract at the London Stadium, and Javier Hernandez.

Andy Carroll is injury-prone and as we exclusively revealed earlier this month, would likely be allowed to leave if a deadline day bid is tabled. However that appears unlikely, given his patchy fitness record and poor form when he has played.

Football FanCast also understand that Reece Oxford has been told that he can leave on loan, having failed to play a single minute for the first-team thus far this season.

It remains to be seen if an offer will be forthcoming that suits his needs, however.

Chris Hughton’s Nottingham Forest side must do all they can to ensure that James Garner remains at the club beyond this season.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Forest midfielder Ryan Yates, who, in a recent interview with the Nottingham Post, heaped a considerable amount of praise on the Manchester United loanee, as well as urging his club to bring the defensive midfielder back to the City Ground this summer.

He said: “He’s a quality player. Teams are going to want him, of course, they are if you’re performing well at his age. He’s a Manchester United player, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if other teams want him.

“It’s completely down to him – what’s best for his development. He’ll eventually want to play consistently in the Premier League one day. Of course, we’d love to keep him. We want quality players in every position, especially if we’re fighting at the right end of the table next year – if he came back, that would only benefit us.”

Marinakis must act

While Forest fans have endured a season that they would probably rather forget, one bright spark of the club’s campaign has been the performances of Garner.

Since arriving on loan from Manchester United back in January, the 20-year-old has highly impressed over his 19 Championship appearances for Hughton’s side, with the midfielder scoring three goals, in addition to making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 1.9 tackles and one key pass per game, culminating in an average WhoScored match rating of 6.93 – ranking him as the club’s best performer in the second tier.

As such, it is no wonder why Yates appears desperate for the club to bring the £3.6 million-rated youngster back to the City Ground this summer, as he has proven in a relatively short space of time that he can be a huge part of Forest’s potential push for a play-off spot next season.

And, with the likes of Nemanja Matic, Donny van de Beek, Fred and Scott McTominay currently ahead of Garner in the ranks at United, it would seem a likely scenario that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could indeed look to loan the England U20 international out once again next season.

So, it would be highly advisable for Evangelos Marinakis to listen to the advice of Yates, and to do everything he can to secure another season of Garner playing his football for Forest, rather than another Championship club snapping up his services up in the summer transfer window.

In other news: Journalist drops update on “outstanding” £3.6m-rated ace, Forest fans will be gutted – opinion

Plenty of Arsenal fans have been reacting to an injury update on Kieran Tierney on social media.

Mikel Arteta revealed earlier this month that the left-back, who suffered knee ligament damage against Liverpool, would probably miss the rest of the season.

However, in a recent injury update on the club’s official website, it appears as if Tierney could be back sooner than expected.

The Gunners provided an update on a number of sidelined players ahead of Friday’s clash with Everton on Wednesday.

On Tierney, the club said he is making ‘positive progress and is hoping to be back in training within two to three weeks’.

Tierney, who suffered a knee injury earlier in the campaign, has made 33 appearances in all competitions this season, showing he is a crucial part of the manager’s plans.

Arsenal fans react

@ltarsenal shared Tierney’s positive progress and training return timeframe on Twitter on Wednesday evening.

This is what these Gunners had to say in reply, with one describing the update as ‘huge news’, perhaps casting an eye towards a potential Europa League final, which would take place on May 26.

“Huge news #KroenkeOut”

Credit: @_SakaSZN_

“No way”

Credit: @goonerjames

“love to see it”

Credit: @leeah3x

“The miracle worker Mazziotti at work!”

Credit: @sunnysathvik

“At least some positive news”

Credit: @Sam27542817

“Things we love to see #KroenkeOut”

Credit: @DennisAFC

In other news: Many Arsenal fans buzz at news of Stan Kroenke protests, find out more here. 

According to journalist Duncan Wright on Twitter, sharing his report in The Sun, the lack of an option-to-buy in the Jesse Lingard loan deal risks being a ‘big problem for West Ham’, coming as he reported that the permanent price tag could skyrocket to £40m. 

Journalist drops worrying Lingard claim

Writing for The Sun, Wright explains that no option-to-buy could come back to haunt West Ham as they seek to secure Lingard on a permanent deal this summer.

His parent club Manchester United were apparently willing to offload him for around £20m when an agreement was reached for the loan deal. However, the Englishman’s performances since then have made Old Trafford chiefs consider almost doubling his price tag, which comes as a ‘big problem for West Ham’ as this worrying claim emerges.

Transfer Tavern take

Having scored five goals and assisted two others already for the Hammers (per WhoScored), it’s little wonder why Moyes wants to secure Lingard as a West Ham player, but the Red Devils’ fresh stance poses real problems.

It is said that a new striker and permanent deal for the 28-year-old are Moyes’ top transfer priorities for the summer of 2021, but if this claim comes to fruition, the Irons may be dealt a big blow in the hopes for the latter.

GSB and the club will be hoping that his price tag does not increase to £40m, as Wright has claimed it could.

In other news: West Ham fans flocked to a Moyes team update, find out more here.

Frank Lampard has emerged as a managerial candidate for West Brom this summer, as the Baggies look to replace the departed Sam Allardyce.

The Lowdown: Search for a new manager

After a disappointing season that saw West Brom relegated back to the Championship, the search is on for a new manager at the Hawthorns.

Allardyce has moved on after failing to keep the Baggies in the Premier League and a host of names have been linked with replacing him, including Barnsley boss Valerian Ismael.

The Latest: Lampard linked with job

The latest name to emerge is Lampard, with the Express & Star reporting that West Brom are keen on acquiring the Chelsea legend’s signature.

The 42-year-old is on the lookout for a new job and open to Championship offers after being sacked by the Blues earlier in the year, and has been hailed as ‘amazing’ by their current manager Thomas Tuchel.

The Verdict: A risky choice?

Lampard remains a relatively unknown quantity in management, making West Brom snapping him up a risk, but he is an exciting young option.

The former England midfielder did an impressive job with Derby in the Championship, guiding them to the playoff final in 2019 and playing good football along the way – the Rams escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth this season with Wayne Rooney at the helm.

Another Premier League job may arguably be too soon for Lampard, but taking charge of a promotion-chasing team could be ideal, and he could also boast good links to Chelsea in terms of attracting loan signings – Blues star Mason Mount scored nine times under Lampard at Pride Park back in the 2018/19 campaign.

In other news, another manager has been linked with the vacant West Brom job. Find out who it is here.

Michael O’Neill’s Stoke City side are interested in bringing Taiwo Awoniyi to the Bet365 Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Goal, who claim that Liverpool have held talks with Stoke, along with West Bromwich Albion and Fulham, regarding a potential summer transfer of the 23-year-old.

Goal also report that the Reds have previously rejected a £5m offer from Anderlecht for the centre-forward, with Jurgen Klopp’s side believed to value the Nigeria U23 international at around £8m.

O’Neill would love him

Having joined Liverpool back in 2015, Awoniyi has spent the last six years on a series of European loans away from Merseyside due to the striker failing to achieve a UK work permit.

The latest of these temporary deals saw the £4.05m-rated man spend the season with Union Berlin, where the youngster has impressed for Urs Fischer’s side.

Over his 20 Bundesliga appearances thus far, Awoniyi has scored five goals, registered two assists and created one big chance for his teammates, with his returns helping Union to be in with a real shout of qualifying for the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League via a seventh-place league finish – despite a hamstring injury suffered back in February ruling the youngster out for a number of weeks of the club’s campaign.

However, with Goal now reporting that the 23-year-old has now gained a permit that would allow him to play his football in the UK, it is claimed that Liverpool would be open to allowing the forward to leave the club on a permeant basis.

This has opened the door for Stoke, and, if John Coates and Peter Coates can go on to land the signing of Awoniyi – whom Mergim Vojvoda claimed is an “excellent player with great qualities” – this summer, it would easily be seen as something of a coup for the Potters, as well as a signing that O’Neill would love.

With experience from the top flight of German football, as well as the benefit of having trained under a wide range of European coaches for a number of years, it would appear as if Awoniyi has the potential to truly flourish in the Championship, with his potential addition to the Stoke side bringing with it the real chance of a push up the second tier table next season.

Rangers have been linked with a move for Peterborough United striker Jonson Clarke-Harris recently, and if he were to make the move to Ibrox this summer, he could prove to be the perfect replacement for Alfredo Morelos in Steven Gerrard’s side.

According to Football Insider, Rangers scouts were in attendance at Peterborough’s game against Accrington Stanley at the weekend to watch Clarke-Harris and the 26-year-old certainly put on a show for those watching, as he hit a hat-trick in a 7-0 demolition of John Coleman’s side.

The frontman has enjoyed a superb season with the Posh since joining from fellow League One outfit Bristol Rovers in the summer, scoring 25 goals in 37 league appearances for Darren Ferguson’s side.

His performances in League One have seen him average a superb 7.29 average rating from WhoScored, which includes as many as eight man of the match awards.

His manager was full of praise for him earlier in the season, saying:

“Jonson’s goals have been valuable, but he’s more than just a goalscorer. He is a leader, a winner and a real focal point for this team.

“He was our number one target when Ivan Toney left and we had to work hard on his fitness when he first got here, but he’s been an outstanding signing and a real pleasure to work with. He’s been brilliant so far.”

The Englishman was brought in by Peterborough in the summer as their replacement for the impressive Ivan Toney, who hit 24 goals in 32 league appearances last season before it was ended early and has subsequently hit 28 goals in the Championship this season for promotion-chasing Brentford.

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If Clarke-Harris could have a similar rise after leaving Peterborough with Rangers, then he would surely prove to be an excellent signing for Gerrard’s side and he could end up being the man to replace Morelos, should the Colombian depart Ibrox this summer.

The 24-year-old was extremely close to joining Lille last summer and, after another impressive campaign with the Light Blues, it seems likely that there will be plenty of clubs looking to bring him in ahead of next season, with Morelos himself admitting that he wants to play in the English Premier League.

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Therefore, if the Colombian’s time with Rangers does come to an end this summer, then Gerrard and sporting director Ross Wilson will undoubtedly be looking for a replacement; and given his excellent goalscoring record in recent seasons, Clarke-Harris looks like he would be a more than adequate replacement for ‘El Bufalo’.

In other news… Bye-bye Edmundson: Rangers signing £1.08m-rated beast surely the end for 23 y/o

Tottenham Hotspur continue to scout Mikkel Damsgaard, according to reports…

What’s the word?

FC Inter News claim Spurs are among the teams monitoring the progress of the 20-year-old gem ahead of the summer transfer window, though they face competition from Inter Milan and Premier League rivals Leicester City.

It’s thought that the Denmark international is available for just €18m (£15.5m) after an impressive season at Sampdoria under the Foxes’ former title-winning coach Claudio Ranieri.

Back in February, Spurs were said to be ‘crazy’ about Damsgaard, as per La Repubblica (via Sport Witness), so he certainly seems a player that Jose Mourinho is keen on securing.

Bye-bye Lamela?

This interest, however, would surely spell the end for Erik Lamela in north London as further reports have linked him with a return to Italy this week.

According to Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the Argentine’s representatives have held talks with AC Milan and have also had ‘intense contact’ with Napoli.

This adds to claims from Sami Mokbel at the Daily Mail, who lists Lamela as one of several stars the club is looking to cash in on this summer in order to raise funds for a squad overhaul.

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Damsgaard is a very talented emerging prospect, and one that has been tipped for a “big future” by Rainieri. “I can say that in my view Damsgaard is a child prodigy,” he said in another interview.

He’s even caught the eye of former Spurs playmaker Christian Eriksen, who made sure to speak to him after Sampdoria’s Serie A clash with Inter earlier in the season.

“We talked together after the match. He praised me for the situation around my assist,” explained Damsgaaard to TV2. “He is a really nice person and really sweet to talk to. It was just nice that he wanted to talk to me after the match.”

The young dynamo has very appealing attributes to a manager like Mourinho as his work rate is seemingly second to none.

Damsgaard has featured on both flanks and through the middle this season, playing no fewer than five different roles for the tenth-placed Italian outfit, in which he’s contributed two goals and four assists, via Transfermarkt.

He is one of Sampdoria’s most productive tacklers, averaging 5.1 attempts per 90 minutes at a success rate of 51% and is also their best in terms of ability on the ball, managing three successful dribbles per 90, via WhoScored.

TV2’s football expert Martin Mikkelsen noted this in commentary back in January, he said:  “He’s magical – what speed!” before adding: “He is dynamic and can go both ways. He is creative but also so mature in his decisions.”

In the past, Lamela has been lambasted by some supporters for being lazy, so they should certainly take well to Damsgaard should Spurs make that swoop this summer.

For just £15.5m, that would be an absolute bargain on Levy’s part. He must sanction this move.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Rodon: Levy must seal move for “magnificent” 6 foot 4 colossus…