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According to The Mirror, West Ham United want to sign centre-forward Aleksandar Mitrovic from Fulham in this summer’s transfer window.

Mitrovic has netted 10 Premier League goals for the Cottagers this season.

Scott Parker’s side are heading back to the Championship, though, and it is thought that the 24-year-old will leave Craven Cottage to remain in the top flight.

The West Ham fans have been on social media reacting to the transfer speculation in their numbers.

And whilst some want the striker to arrive at the London Stadium in this summer’s transfer window, others are not so keen on the idea.

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Newcastle United clearly felt that Mitrovic was not consistent enough for the Premier League, but he has performed very well in a struggling Fulham side during the 2018-19 campaign.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the West Ham fans – who have also discussed a move for midfielder Victor Camarasa – can be seen below:

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Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that Eric Dier is unlikely to start against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

The midfielder has missed the club’s last four Premier League outings and played a single minute in the 1-0 win over Newcastle United in February.

What’s the word?

Dier has struggled with injury throughout the 2018-19 season and has missed games with both appendicitis and tonsilitis.

Spurs have won just one of the last four games the England midfielder has missed, against Leicester City, and have lost to Burnley and Chelsea and drawn with Arsenal in the north London derby.

He could make the bench, however, with Pochettino confirming that he will be assessed before Tuesday’s second leg, with Spurs holding a 3-0 lead.

Harry Winks, too, could feature after missing the north London derby with a hip injury.

“We need to assess both,” Pochettino said, per Football.London.

“They are here because we still need one day more to assess if they can. Dier has been out for a while and maybe on the bench. Winks we need to see tomorrow.”

Pochettino has also confirmed that Dele Alli is nearing a return after suffering a thigh muscle strain against Fulham in January.

“Dele is close, we will see if it is possible for Saturday to be involved with the team against Southampton,” he added, per Football.London.

A timely boost

Spurs have missed genuine physicality in midfield, with performances against Chelsea and Arsenal lacking the bite needed in the centre of the pitch.

Dier coming back, particularly against Dortmund, would be a massive boost, especially with Victor Wanyama looking out of his depth against the Gunners.

Alli, too, could be back for the quarter-finals if Spurs progress and his unique skillset has not been effectively replaced since his injury.

Dier, Winks and Alli all returning to action could come at just the right time with the club looking to pull off a shock European triumph.

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Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored his sixth Premier League goal of the season in Everton’s 3-2 loss to Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon.

It has been a difficult season for the Toffees, but Calvert-Lewin has been in pretty good form, contributing eight goals and two assists in 31 matches in all competitions.

The 21-year-old appears to be Everton’s leading centre-forward at the moment and put in a strong performance against Liverpool earlier this month before netting at St James’ Park.

It would be fair to say that the Merseyside club’s fans are frustrated with a number of the players at the moment.

However, Calvert-Lewin appears to be in the good books of the supporters.

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Indeed, when the attacker took to social media on Monday to provide his views in the aftermath of the Newcastle defeat, he was met by a series of positive responses.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Leeds rescued a point in dramatic fashion at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday afternoon, but the performance was once again unbefitting of Marcelo Bielsa’s genius.

Leeds started the season in incredible form; riding a wave of positivity as they lost just once in their first 12 Championship matches under Bielsa.

The results have dropped off since Christmas though, as the Whites have now picked up just seven points from their last seven league games, losing four times.

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This is not a result of Bielsa’s tactics getting found out, but rather a complete lack of sense from the club not adding to the squad in January.

With injuries spreading around Thorp Arch like a plague, the boss is quite literally running out of first team players to choose from, and his side’s bad form is a direct result of the club’s failure to strengthen the squad in the transfer market.

On the chalkboard

The game at the Riverside on Saturday followed the exact same pattern as the defeats to Stoke City and Norwich, with Leeds dominated the ball but creating very few clear-cut chances.

In the 1-1 draw against Tony Pulis’ side, the Whites had 69 per cent of the ball, 17 shots to Boro’s nine and a whopping nine corners to just two, per Whoscored.

Despite this, Bielsa’s side never really looked overly threatening, as they lack the sufficient quality to break down a deep defence.

Players like Samuel Saiz and Pablo Hernandez, who can unlock an organised defence in an instant, are a rarity outside of the top tiers of European football, and selling one of them without signing a replacement was absolutely criminal.

Put simply, Bielsa’s style is struggling due to a lack of tehcinally gifted players in the side, and if the boss fails to secure automatic promotion then the blame should be placed entirely on those above him.

After scoring a dream winner against Manchester United earlier in the season, Matty Longstaff was no doubt the player on everybody’s lips.

Newcastle’s hometown hero had blown the roof off the place at St James’ Park, and pundits like Graeme Souness and Gary Neville waxed lyrical about him after the match. Jamie Redknapp in particular lauded him as being “tenacious”, and hailed his midfield partnership with brother Sean.

At that point, a big-money move was easily in sight, but following a pretty average few months since then, teams should perhaps think again about making a move. But according to TEAMtalk, Everton are amongst a bunch of teams who have expressed an interest in signing him amid suggestions he is contemplating leaving the Magpies this summer.

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Whilst Longstaff enjoyed a memorable occasion against United, that wonder goal still remains his one true highlight this season. It’s a situation that is arguably eerily similar to the one being endured by Tom Davies, who is still perhaps best known for his solo run and strike against Manchester City a few seasons ago.

The duo are also fairly similar in respects to their styles of player, with neither goal-scoring or ball-winning midfielders. Longstaff has managed just three strikes this season, whilst Davies has fared worse with just two to his name. Both also average less than 1.2 tackles per game, whilst they also win less than 50% of their total duels too.

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These aren’t players at the top of their games, and their influence on matches has been rather non-existent. How much of the interest in Longstaff is still based on his exploits against United a few months ago? The Toffees would do well to do some more work in terms of scouting before splashing the cash on a potential unknown.

Marcel Brands is at risk of recruiting yet another Davies in signing Longstaff, and that would go down as a complete waste of money at Goodison Park.

Meanwhile, Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti is missing a trick with this ace.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Danny Murphy has delivered fresh criticism on Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka, labelling him a “liability”.

What did he say?

Murphy was openly critical of the Switzerland international during the Gunners’ FA Cup third round clash against Leeds United on Monday night, calling him “lazy” for his tracking back, and rebuking his propensity for making fouls.

And now, Murphy has doubled down on his verdict on the midfielder, claiming that he simply doesn’t learn his lessons when he takes to the pitch.

He said: “I’ve been on at Xhaka for quite a while, I’ve dug him out a few times. I’m paid to comment on what I see. If you play in midfield, you can’t expect to keep making the same mistakes and not be criticised. I can’t doubt his passion and his work ethic. Like all of the Arsenal players, he was very good second-half.

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“But when you run around headless and you don’t think about what you’re doing, you’re going to keep getting booked and you’re going to be a liability for your team. He was lucky to stay on the pitch and he doesn’t learn his lessons.”

Myth

One man’s mindless tackle, is another man’s tactical foul. And whilst Xhaka appears to be getting a bad rep from Murphy for erring on the wrong side of it, his disciplinary record this season in the Premier League suggests he hasn’t overstepped the mark considerably. The Swiss ace has picked up just four bookings in the 15 games that he has played, meaning that he avoided the threshold of five that would have seen him pick up a one-game ban.

And under Mikel Arteta in recent weeks, Xhaka has shown signs of major progression, unlike what Murphy seems to believe. As per Whoscored in the the three games where data has been collected since Arteta’s announcement, the midfielder’s overall match rating has consistently gone up from 6.89 to 7.17 to 7.42 in the home victory over Manchester United. And despite making seven fouls in those three games, he did not pick up a single booking.

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Perhaps the Swiss man is simply becoming smarter in the way he is committing fouls, stopping counter-attacks and thinking of the team first. Murphy would do well to just take a step back and avoid running with misconceptions.

Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta has revived this Arsenal ace who struggled under Unai Emery.

Newcastle United supporters have been starved of hope and expectation for longer than most would care to remember but a conclusion to the nightmarish Mike Ashley chapter appears to be looming on the imminent horizon.

A report from Sky Sports this morning has revealed that as many as four separate consortiums have tabled bids surpassing £300 million to complete a takeover at Newcastle.

It’s the type of report which has only existed in a fantasy world for the Magpies faithful in recent years, but it now appears that there is sufficient interest to suggest it’s a case of when and not if Ashley will sign on the dotted line and give the fans their club back.

With less than a month until the January window reopens for business, supporters may well be hoping that a deal will be concluded in time to utilise their newfound financial investment this season, but BBC journalist, Richard Conway, has suggested that the consortium headed by Peter Kenyon could face complications ahead of the January window.

‘Kenyon’s group are short on time if the purchase is to be made prior to the start of the January transfer window.

‘Premier League checks and processes when clubs change hands take around 14 days to complete.

‘The Christmas break and Richard Scudamore’s departure as executive chairman of the league later this month could also be complicating factors regarding that timeframe.

‘Those regulatory checks can only take place after extensive due diligence of the club’s financial position, and any final negotiations and legal work has concluded between the two sides.

‘That makes a December purchase date optimistic – even if a deal was to be agreed in the coming days.’

Well, if Scudamore hadn’t caused enough controversy already over his ludicrous parting gift then his reputation will certainly culminate amongst the Newcastle supporters if his departure significantly delays the completion of a takeover.

Evidently, Scudamore’s departure aside, there remain a handful of complications which are all threatening to delay the completion of a stunning takeover, and that will leave Newcastle supporters feeling impatient and anxious in the coming weeks.

Naturally, the fans would love the new owners to announce themselves to the Premier League with a January splurge and a lucrative new deal for Benitez, but they may have to wait until the 2019 summer transfer window to see either of those dreams turn into reality.

Either way it’s an exciting time for Newcastle fans and the Premier League; could the sleeping giant finally be set to wake up from an extended snooze?

Newcastle fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp should consider making a future move for Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves.

What’s the word?

At first thought, it may seem strange for the Reds to target a midfielder given the amount of bodies they have already.

However, Klopp’s style of play means that there is a fluidity across the park, which can pave the way for a number of options.

Ruben Neves was one of the stars of Wolves’s Championship-winning season, and he would certainly be a good asset at Liverpool.

The midfielder was not lured away in the summer, but if he has an impressive Premier League campaign, then plenty of suitors are sure to come calling.

Why should Liverpool be interested?

At this stage, all the Merseyside outfit should be doing is keeping tabs on the 21-year-old.

The Portugal international, who is valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, is versatile in that he can play centrally as well as deep in midfield.

Neves is gifted with technical ability and despite his young age, he possesses a confidence on the ball that is sure to impress Klopp.

Liverpool would appreciate the range of passing that the midfielder has, and he is also an asset in free-kick taking.

The only negative is that Neves may not be satisfied playing a bit-part role, and given the amount of talent that the Reds currently possess in midfield, he may have to bide his time.

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Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce has admitted that the club “fear the worst” for Jonathan Kodjia after he suffered an injury setback.

The 28-year-old has been out of action since October 29 when he hurt the same ankle that broke towards the end of last season.

Despite not being fit enough to return to competitive action, the forward did join up with the Ivory Coast squad during the international break.

While there, Kodjia aggravated the ankle problem and is now seeking a specialist in France to aid his recovery.

The news comes as a big blow to the Villans, who are hoping to get back on track after losing 2-1 to Sheffield Wednesday in their previous Championship outing.

The fans have also been left deflated by the news, and some have criticised the club for allowing Kodjia to go on international duty.

Villa will face Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on Saturday.

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According to reports in the Daily Mail, Everton have joined West Bromwich Albion and Leicester City in the race to sign Watford striker Troy Deeney this summer, but they might have to pay £35m to get him.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Toffees manager Ronald Koeman is looking to sign a new striker with Arouna Kone already announced as leaving the club and Enner Valencia returning to West Ham United following the end of his loan spell, while doubts still remain over the future of Romelu Lukaku as the Belgian is still yet to sign the long-term contract he has been offered.

One of the players that is interesting the Dutchman is Deeney, but he could cost £35m as the Hornets look to make sure they get £25m outright, with Walsall due a sell-on percentage of the fee.

Would he be a good signing for Everton?

If Koeman is looking for a back-up player for Lukaku then there is no doubt that the Watford skipper would be a good addition, for the right price.

He is now an experienced Premier League player, a leader and always puts in 100%.

As well as providing good hold up play and linking up well with his teammates, he has also scored an impressive 23 top flight goals over the past two seasons.

If the Toffees is looking for a direct Lukaku replacement however, then the Merseyside outfit can do much better.

Would he choose them over West Brom and Leicester?

With the offer of Europa League football on the table, you would think so.

But if Lukaku stays then Deeney will realise that he won’t be a starter at Goodison Park, and that could persuade him to move elsewhere.

According to The Sun, West Bom are ready to offer the 28-year-old £100,000-a-week wages as well which could be an offer that is too good to turn down.

What’s the verdict, then?

Well, if Deeney is going to cost £35m plus £100,000-a-week wages, then Everton would be better off letting him go elsewhere and bringing in a better value for money option from the Premier League or abroad.