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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…

Conor Masterson joined QPR this summer following his release from Liverpool, where he had been highly-rated by the likes of Steven Gerrard and Alex Inglethorpe.

Jurgen Klopp has also championed the defender in the past, and included him in first-team training and in matchday squads on occasion, which says a lot about both his attitude and ability.

Things may not have worked out for him at Liverpool, but he has shown in the past that he is an accomplished defender, and given the current lack of quality in the heart of the R’s defence there could be a place for him.

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The 20-year-old is useful with the ball at his feet, and that is crucial to the style Mark Warburton is implementing at the club, and if he can show the required defensive attributes in training it may not be too long until he gets a call.

After all, his manager has stated that there will be a pathway for young players if they’re good enough and since QPR have conceded 30 league goals already, there could be questions raised of Warburton’s refusal to hand Masterson a chance seeing as others have let him down.

Yoann Barbet is one defender who springs to mind in that regard. He has made several mistakes this season, particuarly in giving away penalties, and therefore Masterson is worth a shot, if only to test his readiness for the first-team.

He has decent experience, too. He has previously been part of a good Liverpool youth team and his performances have been recognised by the Republic of Ireland U21s, which suggests he has been in good form.

QPR have benefitted this season from the performances of their young players, particularly Eberechi Eze, and integrating Masterson into the side would fit that philosophy perfectly, and perhaps put an end to their defensive woes in the process.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to the newest reports coming from The Sun, Real Madrid are planning a swap deal with Manchester United that would see Gareth Bale go one way and Paul Pogba the other.

What’s the word, then?

It seems that Real Madrid have decided – Bale needs to go and it’s no longer a question of “if”, but rather a question of “when”.

The Sun claim that Los Blancos will try and offload the Welshman in January already but failing that, they will try again come the summer transfer window.

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Of course, Bale was close to leaving the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2019, but he ended up staying and is playing a small role in the ongoing 2019/20 campaign for Zinedine Zidane’s troops.

But the player’s relationship with the club is seemingly not really ideal and separation is inevitable.

Real, however, could use Pogba’s similar situation over at Old Trafford to finally seal the deal with a rather “simple” swap of superstars.

A soul for a soul

On the face of it, this deal really does sound like a win-win scenario for all parties involved.

After all, both clubs are currently dealing with superstars who are not really satisfied with their situations at their respective clubs.

Pogba, for all his obvious qualities, has not seen much of the pitch this season with only 540 minutes under his belt.

Of course, a lot of it has to do with his constant injury issues but in reality, the problems go deeper than that, which is an old story by this point in time as the Frenchman was adamant he wanted to leave last summer already.

And interestingly enough, Bale is very much in a similar position.

With only 597 minutes in the ongoing season – also filled with injuries and irregular game time – and a failed transfer project behind him, we could even go as far as saying their situations are nigh-on identical.

A simple swap could, in theory, solve both clubs’ and both players’ problems – the teams would replace an unhappy superstar with one willing to reignite his career while the players themselves would finally get their second chance and actually play for a club they seemingly like.

All that remains is sorting out the “details”.

Let’s see if something comes out of this situation in the New Year.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to The Daily Mail, Bayern Munich have Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson “on their radar” as a potential signing.

What’s the word?

The 22-year-old has been very impressive whilst on loan at fellow Premier League side Sheffield United, helping the Blades to concede just nine goals this season in their return to the top-flight – the second-best defensive record in the league, only behind second-placed Leicester.

Despite signing a new contract with United in the summer before heading back to Bramall Lane for another season-long loan, The Daily Mail claim Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich have Henderson “on their radar”, and that they have earmarked the Englishman as a potential long-term successor to current number one shot-stopper Manuel Neuer.

The Sancho effect

Make no mistake about it, the longer Henderson continues to impress at Sheffield United, the more likely it is other clubs will begin to circle around with intentions of permanently luring him away from Old Trafford. Bayern’s interest in the 22-year-old is particularly significant given the success of Jadon Sancho at Borussia Dortmund, who has effectively trail-blazed a path for young British talent to find regular first-team opportunities abroad – the ex-Manchester City man has already played 71 times for their first-team.

After handing Henderson a new long-term contract, the expectation may have been that he would then go on to take over from David de Gea as first-choice goalkeeper at United – particularly when the Spain international’s future at Old Trafford was up in the air.

But fast forward a few months later, and the former Atletico Madrid man has himself put pen to paper on a fresh deal, leaving Henderson with a major dilemma on his hands. Does he stick with a dream of eventually displacing De Gea, or does he follow in the footsteps of fellow Englishman Sancho, and make the move to German in search for pastures new? If anything, United must be very concerned about letting the £6.3m-rated ace slip through their hands.

Contrary to what Sheffield Wednesday’s recent form would have you believe, Garry Monk is actually quite a competent manager.

The Owls boss was appointed for a reason, and his exploits at Birmingham City will have been huge in landing him the job.

The former Swansea boss was appointed at St Andrew’s with the Blues in dire straits after the failed tenures of Harry Redknapp and Steve Cotterill left the Midlands club sitting 22nd after 35 games.

Monk came in towards the end of that season and kept them up, but it was the next campaign where he showed what he can do.

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Ok, the Blues finished 17th, but they were docked nine points, meaning that if they weren’t handed that sanction they would have finished 21 points clear of the relegation zone, which isn’t bad for a side that were 22nd when the gaffer took over.

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Birmingham still had largely the same squad that was in trouble under Cotterill, but Monk managed to get the best out of two players, and that helped push his side up the table.

The manager took it back to basics and utilised a traditional big man, little man partnership with Che Adams and Lukas Jutkiewicz, and it worked an absolute treat.

Adams scored 22 goals before earning himself a £15m move to Southampton, and Jutkiewicz was actually WhoScored’s highest-rated Championship player last season due to his performances.

Unfortunately, Monk hasn’t had the personnel to properly utilise this tactic at Hillsborough.

He has the big man, Steven Fletcher has been winning 5.8 aerial duels per game this term, but he doesn’t have a foil making those runs in behind akin to Adams’ role at Birmingham.

Monk’s number one priority this summer should be to sign a strike partner for Fletcher. If he can go back to utilising the tactic that worked so well at Birmingham he could turn Wednesday’s fortunes around.

In other news, Sheffield Wednesday need to make a call on three players’ futures.

According to an exclusive report by Italian media outlet AreaNapoli, Tottenham Hotspur are ‘strong’ on Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard.

The crux of the report is actually about the interest in Napoli centre-forward Arkadiusz Milik by Spurs’ Premier League rivals Everton, before it goes on to say that the Toffees and the north London outfit are also both interested in the Scottish Premiership star.

Indeed, it is no surprise that he is receiving admiring glances from elsewhere given he has scored 60 goals in 126 games for Celtic, and at 22 years of age looks to have a high ceiling to improve and get even better in a top European league.

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Tottenham certainly need another striker option given they only have Harry Kane and Troy Parrott available, with Jose Mourinho clearly not ready to trust in the latter given he has barely featured at all in the absence of the injured England captain since the start of January.

Here, FFC writers give their verdict on whether Edouard would be a good addition…

Ben Goodwin

“There is absolutely no question Edouard is good enough to play deputy to Kane and even displace him depending on form and fitness.

“The French starlet is an end product machine, racking up 46 goals and assists in 45 appearances this season. What is even more impressive for a striker is that 19 of those 46 are assists, so he could replace Christian Eriksen’s creativity.

“If fans are concerned about the standard of the Scottish Premier League they shouldn’t be, as he has dominated Europe this season, grabbing four goal involvements in five Champions League games and seven in eight Europa League showings.

“At 22 years of age with no injury issues to report, Edouard could genuinely be Kane’s successor.”

Lewis Blain

“The potential arrival of Odsonne Eduoard would be bad news for Parrott with the teenage sensation barely getting a look-in as it is, but ultimately, it is a move that Jose Mourinho just has to make.

“Celtic’s leading talisman would become the perfect foil for Kane, and let’s be honest, he needs some kind of support having carried the weight of Spurs on his back for quite some time. As soon as the Englishman got injured this season, their season turned sour – knocked out of all cup competitions and some seven points adrift of the top four.

“27 goals in 46 appearances this campaign is an impressive tally and despite plying his trade in Scotland, he’s managed to look just as impressive in UCL qualification as well as in the Europa League. Spurs fans can forget Parrott, Eduoard is the long-term heir to Kane’s golden throne.

“It would be an absurd decision from Levy to avoid landing him.”

James Beavis

“There is no doubt that Edouard has proven that he is a good player during his time at Celtic, but I think Tottenham need to buy a player more established and experienced if they are going to get a new striker this summer.

“Asking the 22-year-old to step in for a large Harry Kane absence – like the one that is currently ongoing following his serious hamstring injury suffered on January 1 – would be a risk, given he has only scored goals regularly in Scotland.

“Spurs would be much better off going for another older player like Fernando Llorente, who won’t moan about a lack of game time and can be relied on to step in and do a job when needed.

“Who’s to say that Edouard would be happy to sit on the substitutes’ bench for a prolonged period of time anyway? He could easily get unhappy very quickly.

“Tottenham should look elsewhere.”

In other Tottenham news, Tanguy Ndombele has responded when asked whether he prefers PSG or Barcelona, amid recent exit links…

English defender Reece Oxford is rumoured to be heading back to English football, with reports suggesting Crystal Palace are interested and a lot of their fanbase are reacting to the transfer rumour.

According to the Mirror, the former West Ham player will be available for around £2 million and a host of EFL clubs are interested in the defender as well as the Eagles.

The centre-back looked to be a player for the future at the Hammers when he made his debut in the Premier League against Arsenal at the age of 16, per Transfermarkt. Now at 21 years-old, he has already moved from the Premier League to Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach and moved again as he is now is at fellow German side Augsburg, but it has not gone as well as he would have hoped as he has only made eight appearances this season.

You could argue that signing the player could be a risk for the South London side, however for such a cheap price, it could turn out to be a risk worth taking especially considering he is still very young. With their centre-backs all over 30, per WhoScored, a youthful defender with some potential could be exactly what the club need for their future.

Here is what fans had to say about the news:

Just want me need another CDM/CB 🙃

— General Tomkins (@cpfc_sean) April 22, 2020

Palace fans, would you sign Oxford? Comment below!

The Chronicle journalist Mark Douglas has revealed some of the ideas that Newcastle’s prospective owners are keen to put in place once their takeover is confirmed.

What did he say?

The Magpies continue to play the waiting game as they wait for the Premier League to officially sign off on the takeover, but Douglas has intimated that there is already somewhat of a blueprint of what needs to be addressed in the immediate aftermath.

He said: “That includes contact between the group and executives at the city council over plans for the future, with at least two long conversations being held recently to discuss how United could be at the centre of civic life in Newcastle.

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“Possible renaming of the number nine bar – with the possibility of returning it to the original which bore Alan Shearer’s name – and the East Stand after a club legend have been among two “easy wins” mentioned but there have been other deeper discussions. Building on the club’s relationship with organisations in the city (which, to be fair to the current regime, has improved in recent years) is key to winning hearts and minds in the city.”

New era

If and when the takeover does get confirmed, it seems clear that the new owners are intent on changing the entire culture and atmosphere surrounding the club, and not just things on the pitch.

The scope for improvement is massive, and uniting a fan-base that has had to sit through years of failure under Mike Ashley holds the key to getting the Magpies into the elite in the Premier League.

Clubs from London, Manchester and Liverpool have been the most dominant during the majority of the Premier League era, but Newcastle look like they’ve got the right attitude to break that hold.

Along with Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho, Jack Grealish has been one of the most high-profile names to have been linked with a move to Manchester United throughout this season.

The Aston Villa captain has been in inspired form for the Midlands side, leading from the front as Dean Smith’s side look to stave off relegation this season – he has managed seven goals and six assists in just 26 games in the Premier League alone.

Now, The Athletic have revealed that whilst Sancho remains United’s big priority for the upcoming summer transfer window, the signing of Grealish could now depend upon whether Villa are willing to let him leave, and whether Paul Pogba stays at the club.

It is further suggested that Grealish is still a player the club are “certainly” keeping a close eye on. And after hearing about the update on their potential move for the 24-year-old attacking midfielder, United fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.

A few United fans suggested that the likes of Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira simply aren’t good enough, and that Grealish’s arrival is important even if Pogba were to stay.

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with plenty of targets so far, but nothing has materialised as of yet. 

However, things may be about to change, as Alasdair Gold has shared fresh insight into Spurs’ pursuit of Norwich City star Max Aarons, via football.london.

According to the Evening Standard, the Lilywhites will mostly have to rely on swap deals and signing free agents in the summer.

Earlier this year, Football Insider claimed Aarons is Jose Mourinho’s top target and added the club are primed for talks with Norwich when the transfer market opens.

Now, Gold believes Daniel Levy is waiting to see what happens to Norwich as he may be able to sign the youngster at a cheaper price.

Mourinho is desperate to find some competition for Serge Aurier and Spurs will resume their charm offensive when everything goes back to normal.

Taking part in a fan Q&A on football.london, Gold commented “Max Aarons, I think they’ll certainly be an element of waiting to see if Norwich will go down that will make a huge difference, you’d imagine, to transfer fees.

“It just naturally will because Norwich will need more help, as it were financially. Not quite a desperate position but they will need what money they can get.

“You do imagine that then prices will naturally have to come down.”

The England U21 international has been one of the few highlights of an otherwise dismal season for the Canaries, making 1.3 tackles per game, completing just under 1 interception, and registering 1.8 clearances on average in the Premier League (WhoScored).

Norwich were willing to let him leave Carrow Road for a fee of around £30m but their valuation is expected to plummet in light of the economic uncertainty surrounding the ongoing pandemic, and it could be reduced further if they are relegated to the Championship.

Spurs are now face stiff competition from derby rivals Arsenal in the race to sign the 20-year-old in the summer.

Mourinho is in the hunt for a new right-back, as it is fair to say the Lilywhites have struggled to fill the void left by Kieran Trippier, and Aurier’s antics off the pitch have angered the club’s hierarchy.

Although the Ivorian has earned a higher WhoScored rating than his younger counterpart for his performances so far, the Englishman has averaged more blocks per game and been fouled more times.

Given his young age, he would surely be a shrewd investment for the future, as his market value will no doubt continue to increase over time.

Tottenham fans, should the board sign Max Aarons in the summer? Let us know down below!

Arsenal are starting to slowly push up the league as they now sit in seventh place, and only six points off a Champions League spot, per BBC Sport.

They managed to thrash Norwich City 4-0 yesterday, with captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang picking up the Man of the Match award as he scored two goals and also grabbed an assist, per SofaScore.

Speaking after the game was pundit and former Arsenal defender Martin Keown, who spoke highly of the forward whilst also emphasising his desire for him to stay at the club. On BT Sport, via The Express, Keown said, “Of course. I think he has a very difficult decision to make. He clearly loves the club.

“The way that he scored all the goals, beating Henry to that, in a team that really you can’t say is anywhere near of the quality that the club once had, you have to credit him with that.

“I sincerely hope that he stays. You need that striker to give you the belief to win games of football.”

It’s hard to disagree with Keown here on the quality he has, and it is fair to compare him to Thierry Henry as Aubameyang scored his 50th Premier League goal for the club in 79 appearances last night. Arsenal pointed out on Twitter how fast he has managed this as he has reached this great feat in less appearances than the Gunners legend.

It is also fair to say he loves the club, as you could see his passion after he scored in the fixture yesterday, and without his goals, the Gunners would be a lot worse off than they are.

His 19 goals in all competitions this season is the most out of any Arsenal player this season, and is 12 more than Alexandre Lacazette, who has the second-most goals for the club, and this emphasises why Keown desperately wants the forward to stay.

Gunners fans, do you think Aubameyang will stay at the club? Comment below!