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Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Graham Roberts has praised Rangers captain James Tavernier for proving his critics wrong to help the Ibrox side win the title.

The right-back came under scrutiny last March following some inconsistent performances, but has been outstanding this season, and is on course to win the club’s Golden Boot to add to his league winning medal.

Tavernier has scored 17 times in all competitions, whilst adding 15 assists, and has even found the net more than striker Alfredo Morelos despite not scoring since the victory at Dundee United back in December – 14 matches ago.

More than half of Tavernier’s goals this season have been from the penalty spot, but Roberts, who won both the Scottish Premiership title and Scottish League Cup during his two seasons at Ibrox, has praised the Gers skipper for bouncing back from his previous struggles.

“He’s been brilliant, led from the front,” Roberts told Football FanCast.

“He’s been absolutely fantastic. I think he was getting a bit of stick last year, giving away silly goals, and I think he worked really hard in pre-season.

“And being with Steven Gerrard he has done an absolutely amazing job, it’s no more than what they deserve this year.”

Rangers host Celtic in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup this weekend.

Former Everton striker Marcus Bent has exclusively told Football FanCast that Declan Rice could leave West Ham this summer, should the Hammers get an offer they can’t refuse.

Rice has been one of the standout midfielders in the Premier League, with his impressive form catching the attention of some of Europe’s top clubs.

The 22-year-old is currently out injured following a knee problem sustained whilst away with England, with the Hammers’ victory at Wolves ending his two-year run of consecutive minutes played in the league.

Strong recent reports believe that Manchester United are leading the race to sign the Hammers midfielder, and are going to use on-loan West Ham attacker Jesse Lingard to improve their attempts of bringing Rice to Old Trafford.

David Moyes recently said that it would take the ‘Bank of England’ to lure Rice away from the London Stadium this summer, but Bent told Football FanCast that if West Ham were to receive a huge offer for the England man, it could help them improve their squad significantly.

He said: “Chelsea and Manchester United, they’re big sides. It depends on the price, if they get a big fee for him, it could be a lot of money for West Ham to go out and buy two or three players.

“He’s definitely one they won’t want to lose, but it depends on the price.”

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that attacker Roberto Firmino is in contention to face Arsenal this evening after missing three matches prior to the international break with a knock – prompting many Reds supporters to go wild for this news.

Firmino arguably hasn’t displayed the same brilliant form at times over 2020/2021 as supporters have seen him produce in the past, with talkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara recently suggesting he should become a bit-part player for the Reds.

However, as Klopp’s side aim to finish a disappointing title defence as strongly as possible, with Liverpool still in contention for a Europa League spot, Firmino’s possible presence could come as a boost in the form of another option.

As the Reds boss confirms he is indeed in contention to face Arsenal, many Liverpool fans buzzed over this news – with one supporter wowed whilst calling the update ‘another boost’.

These fans, ahead of the clash tonight, will be hoping the Brazilian can add to his six goals and seven assists in all competitions if he is in fact selected by Klopp.

Find all of their reactions to this injury update down below.

Liverpool fans go wild for Firmino update

“Wow congratulations Liverpool family another boost”

Credit: @AuwalRAbdullah1

“YESSSSS”

Credit: @ayyaz_97

“SIUUUU”

Credit: @JAMESFF9

“Can’t wait to see you my man”

Credit: @EmamuAly

“Yessss Bobby”

Credit: @M_borlarjoko

“Finally football can be enjoyable again.”

Credit: @Romevoice

“glad to see him back”

Credit: @oetjoktheo12

“Can’t wait to see him teasing Arsenal like he usually do”

Credit: @nzemaxima

“Arsenal sweating rn”

Credit: @eric_kish

In other news: Liverpool fans also reacted as James Pearce relayed news, find out more here.

David Moyes should urge West Ham United to sign Aaron Ramsey this summer after Steve Howey claimed that a move to the London Stadium “would suit” the Juventus midfielder.

Former Newcastle ace Howey has been speaking exclusively with Football Transfer Tavern amid widespread rumours linking the Welshman with a return to the Premier League.

Ramsey only moved to the Serie A at the end of his Arsenal contract in 2019, but has struggled to establish himself at the Allianz Stadium, where he earns £400,000 per week.

West Ham is one potential destination for the midfield maestro, with reports in Italy suggesting that the Irons could make a move as Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici weighs up avenues to clear space in Andrea Pirlo’s squad.

Crystal Palace are also monitoring Ramsey’s situation, while Everton have allegedly been offered the Wales international for €15m (£13m). The 30-year-old has been suggested as Georginio Wijnaldum’s replacement at Liverpool as well.

Newcastle even tried to sign Ramsey last summer, only for the Cardiff City product to reject a move to St James’ Park, and Howey doubts that he would take up the Toon’s offer this year if a return to the capital with West Ham is possible.

“I think it would suit him, it’s London. I can’t see him coming up north, if I’m being brutally honest. I think that could be a good one,” Howey said.

“Jesse Lingard, would he want to go back to Manchester United? He’s gone to West Ham and absolutely turned it around, because he was disappearing and disappearing fast [at Old Trafford].”

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It remains to be seen how highly Juventus value Ramsey come the summer and which clubs are willing to offer the Welshman a return to the Premier League, but Moyes should ensure that West Ham are near the front of the queue.

Ramsey’s time in Turin may have been blighted by injuries which have left the Old Lady considering moving the midfielder on at the end of the season, but he was a creative maestro in the Premier League.

Over 11 seasons at the Emirates Stadium and 262 top-flight appearances for Arsenal, Ramsey was involved in 91 goals (40 scored, 51 assisted) and never ended a campaign with less than five goal involvements between 2011 and 2019.

Only Lingard (six goals, four assists) and Tomas Soucek (nine goals) have been involved in more than five from central midfield positions for West Ham this season, with each of Pablo Fornals’ involvements (three goals, three assists) coming from wide roles.

However, doubt resides over Lingard’s future at the London Stadium as the Hammers could not agree a purchase clause with Manchester United when signing the England international on loan, and recent reports suggest that the Red Devils would now demand £30m.

Moyes also has a lack of depth behind Soucek and Declan Rice in the holding role – which the latter’s lateral knee ligament injury has made clear – with Mark Noble the only natural senior cover.

West Ham could plug two gaps with one stone by signing Ramsey this summer, and add a high-calibre option to Moyes’ squad who Gunners icon Ray Parlour has lauded as “a brilliant player” and expects will “probably finish his career in England”.

AND in other news, West Ham land major boost in race to sign “complete” £11m-rated target for free…

Cedric Kipre has suggested West Bromwich Albion dawdled when signing him last summer.

Kipre discusses Baggies move

The £1.08m-valued defender made the move to The Hawthorns in September from Wigan Athletic, but he made just three appearances in all competitions during the first half of the season (Transfermarkt) before moving on loan to RSC Charleroi in Belgium.

Talking to Walfoot.be, Kipre suggested he was left waiting by Luke Dowling and co. He explained:

“It was quite intense. I didn’t know what West Brom wanted and I had to make up my mind at the last minute.”

Worrying

This does not make good reading for Dowling. He is far from a popular figure at the club, with some even calling for former player Paul Scharner to replace him as Technical Director.

During the transfer window, the Baggies left a fair amount of their business until the last day, signing Okay Yokuslu and Ainsley Maitland-Niles during the final 24 hours. Considering they knew they needed a number of players early on in January, it is surprising they took so long to get deals over the line. These latest comments from Kipre suggest that it is something of a problem at West Brom, which is no doubt worrying.

In other news, some West Brom fans slammed this man against Newcastle United.

Southampton’s decision to sign Jan Bednarek for just £5 million from Lech Poznan in 2017 is looking to be more and more like a masterstroke by the Saints, with former sporting director Ross Wilson deserving a lot of credit for his role in the negotiations.

Southampton brought in the centre-back for the minimal fee in the summer of 2017, as he became Mauricio Pellegrino’s first signing at the South Coast club.

He would end up outlasting the Argentine manager and he has become a key part of Southampton’s first-team under Ralph Hasenhuttl in recent seasons.

The Polish international has now made 108 appearances for the Saints, in which he has contributed three goals and four assists.

Bednarek was a big part of Southampton’s impressive form earlier in the season, forming a solid partnership with Jannik Vestergaard in central defence and he has been one of the first names on the team sheet under the Austrian’s management.

Having established himself as a quality defender at both domestic and international level, it is no surprise that Bednarek’s market value has significantly increased during his time at Southampton.

At the time of his signing, the centre-back was valued at just £4.5 million, whereas the 24-year-old is now valued at £22.5 million, which shows why his acquisition was excellent business by the South Coast club.

Bednarek is still relatively young for a centre-back, so it would not be a surprise to see his value continue to rise over the next few seasons and whilst it might be tricky for the Saints to keep hold of him if he attracts interest from a top club, it looks like they’re almost guaranteed to make a serious profit on him should he leave.

Therefore, you could definitely say that it was something of a masterclass by Wilson to bring in Bednarek for just £5 million back in 2017, considering his excellent performances in his first four years with the Saints.

To sign a player, see him have great success then either sell him for a big profit or keep him for years to come is exaclty what clubs like Saints want to do in the market. There’s no doubting that getting Bednarek was a masterstroke.

And, in other news… Southampton can sign their next Mane with £8.5m swoop for 18-goal beast

MatériaMais Notícias

Preservado do trabalho no campo desta quarta-feira, Bruno Silva voltou a treinar com os demais companheiros de Botafogo, nesta quinta. Ele participou normalmente da atividade comandada pelo técnico Ricardo Gomes e confirmou a previsão de que o incômodo na panturrilha esquerda não era nada de grave.

Assim, o meio-campista fica à disposição do técnico Ricardo Gomes para o duelo deste domingo, contra o Vasco. A única ausência será Luis Ricardo. O lateral-direito sofreu uma lesão na coxa direita e não tem data para retornar.

Diego treinou já nesta quarta-feira entre os titulares. Octavio e Marcinho correm por fora na disputa.

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According to a report by the Daily Mail, prospective new Derby County owner Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed al Nehayan looked into the purchase of West Ham United and Bournemouth last year – with Derbyshire Live sharing this claim whilst stating it casts ‘further doubt’, prompting Rams to have their say on the development. 

The Bin Zayed Group’s proposed takeover of Derby seems to be in increasing doubt, and this update by Sportsmail claims that there has been a worrying lack of communication from the United Arab Emirates.

The EFL ratified Derby’s purchase in November, but this fresh report that the Rams’ potential future owners failed to complete bids for further clubs could heighten further takeover concerns.

Flocking to this Mail claim, with Derbyshire Live sharing that it could cast further doubt, these Derby fans had interesting responses – with one fan even stating ‘we can only hope it’s true’ due to the Bin Zayed Group’s perceived unreliability.

Another supporter says it’s ‘silly’ just how many clubs they have enquired for whilst failing to complete any actual takeover, find all of their verdicts down below.

Derby fans react to takeover claim

“They shouldn’t be allowed to muck another club around. Next time they mess a club about they should be refused. It’s silly to think how many clubs they have done this to.”

Credit: @MattySim3

“Must be costing a fortune in legal bills, Newcastle reports say 500k it cost the club. So the potential new owners must be racking up the same sort of bill. This for the second time. Obviously his investors have pulled the money again.”

Credit: @WelshRams

“Apart from the obvious in that Mel wants out . Why would we want any part of this crew they sound and look so sketchy. And this is where Mel doesn’t sound or look like he’s living up to his statement of selling the club into good hands.”

Credit: @MarkSpendlove

“We can only hope it’s true. Let’s move on from these TimeWasters.”

Credit: @ramsfan0285

“Clearly timewasters, but don’t understand what Bin Zayed Group get from this”

Credit: @Ash05898320

“There’s never been any doubt about this – it’s not, and never was, happening”

Credit: @kensdavies

In other news: Derby fans raged at this news, find out more here.

When Pablo Hernandez finally departs Leeds, he will leave behind him one of the biggest legacies that has been left at Elland Road in the last decade.

The Spaniard may now be in the twilight of his career and struggling to have a big impact on the pitch, but he is still a magician, a player capable of unlocking even the sternest of defences.

When he signed for the club permanently in January 2017, he became part of a new age for Leeds, one led by Andrea Radrizzani.

Since then, the duo have helped to lead a remarkable charge towards Premier League football. Radrizzani’s investment has been game-changing behind the scenes but on the field, Hernandez has been remarkable.

He has won the club’s Player of the Year award three years in a row and was even named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year for 2018/19. He is a stalwart of Elland Road and during his time in Yorkshire, has contributed 36 goals and 41 assists.

It’s a splendid record and it would take quite something for a fellow Leeds player to replicate those numbers. Who the Whites look to replace him with in the coming years will be interesting to see.

They have a number of young players coming through in attacking areas, from Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood to Jack Jenkins. However, the player we want to focus on is Charlie Allen, someone we believe is already showing shades of Hernandez.

The 17-year-old penned permanent terms over the summer and after playing four times for Linfield’s senior side, he has made steady strides in the Leeds academy.

Like Hernandez, he possesses the ability to play in attacking midfield and also on the right-hand side. He has scored once this term but has provided two assists for his teammates, showing glimpses of vibrant creativity.

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Allen is incredibly mature for his age and after becoming Linfield’s youngest ever player at 15 years and five months, he has already been on the scene for a while. Though, he has more than just creativity in his locker.

The teenager was named on The Guardian’s Next Gen list for 2020, where they wrote the following: “[Allen is] two-footed, blessed with adhesive close control, impressive vision, passing range and finishing ability.”

That sounds remarkably similar to Hernandez, someone who glides across the turf and passes opponents with ease.

Importantly, he’s not been told to simplify his game either. Irish FA Elite Performance Director Jim Magilton said, when Allen signed: “He has always had that wonderful ability to go past people which is a dying art. We didn’t want to coach that out of him and it was an insistence of mine to give him the confidence to keep playing that way.”

Having already played multiple times at senior level albeit not at Leeds, he is likely to be further ahead in his development than a fair few players in the Leeds academy.

However, before he earns his chance in the Leeds first team, he will need to prove himself at U23 level. He has made just the two Premier League 2 appearances this term so that will be an area he looks to improve upon in the future.

If he can do that, Marcelo Bielsa may well have a ready-made Hernandez heir right in front of him. After all, the Northern Irishman has very similar qualities.

AND in other news, 3 new signings, Bielsa favourite axed: How Leeds’ XI could look after deadline day…

Southampton were one of several Premier League sides linked with Stade Reims centre-back Axel Disasi during the summer transfer window but the French defender ended up joining Ligue 1 side AS Monaco instead.

Saints would sign Mohamed Salisu from Real Valladolid, in a deal worth £10.9 million, and when you consider that the Ghanaian is yet to make an appearance for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side this season, it could be argued that the South Coast club should have pushed harder for their other target.

Disasi was available for just a fraction more than that, with Monaco eventually agreeing an £11.7 million deal with Reims for the centre-back and he has established himself as a regular in Niko Kovac’s side so far this season, having made 10 appearances in Ligue 1, in which he has contributed two goals and averaged a solid 6.74 rating (per WhoScored).

The 22-year-old attracted interest after helping Reims to an impressive sixth-placed finish in the 2019/20 season, with the Frenchman no doubt an important part of the Reims defence that had conceded just 21 goals in 28 games before the season was curtailed (per Birmingham Mail).

Hasenhuttl’s side have enjoyed a fairly solid start to the season, especially from a defensive perspective, with Alex McCarthy boasting four clean sheets from the opening 10 games.

However, last weekend’s collapse in the 3-2 defeat against Manchester United emphasises the Saints’ defensive vulnerabilities, suggesting that they could have done with a centre-back such as Disasi in their side.

The Frenchman was heavily praised by former coach Jean-Luc Vasseur in an interview with Get Football News France, where he said:

“I realised quickly that he had great potential. I have rarely seen such serenity in such a young player. In addition to his athleticism, his great quality is his intelligence. He quickly understands.”

Therefore, when you consider the lack of appearances Salisu has made for the Saints thus far, compared to the impact Disasi seems to be having at Monaco, it could definitely be argued that the club made an error in not signing him last summer.

And, in other news… Southampton ace badly let Hasenhuttl down with his performance vs Manchester United