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Newcastle United's 3-1 win over Aston Villa saw them end a frustrating month on a high, but that doesn't take away from their failure to welcome a single reinforcement for Eddie Howe, whilst also struggling to offload players so far. With under 48 hours left, the Magpies could now end January with a near identical squad to the one they started with.

Newcastle transfer news

It was always going to be a difficult month for those at St James' Park, who have been walking a fine line when it comes to Financial Fair Play. Whilst investment into the women's team, academy and charity foundation doesn't count towards the final figure, meaning that Newcastle are within the guidelines, a loss of £155m over the space of the last three seasons is hardly reason to celebrate as the Premier League begins to crack down on clubs over profit and sustainability.

Newcastle's CEO Darren Eales admitted that the Magpies may need to sell players before spending big again, saying via The Athletic: "The reality is that when you look at FFP, if you take a step back and look at PSR, there’s ways you can create that headroom. Player churn, it’s counterintuitive, but it’s the nature of the beat that it creates headroom.”

That potential need for sell has seen the likes of Callum Wilson, Kieran Trippier and Miguel Almiron all linked with moves away this month, albeit without any deals involving those stars reaching confirmation. What's more, according to Gokmen Ozcan, a deal for Jamaal Lascelles to join Besiktas has now fallen through after the Turkish club reacted negatively to PIF's asking price.

Ozcan posted on X, translated from Turkish: "The book of Jamaal Lascelles in Beşiktaş is closed. The English defender could not receive his transfer fee from Newcastle United. The Premier League team asked for 3 million Euros. Beşiktaş responded negatively."

It now looks as though the Newcastle defender is set to stay put this month, with such little time remaining in the transfer window.

Keeping "unbelievable" Lascelles will prove wise

Whilst Lascelles isn't exactly the number one name on Howe's teamsheet when everyone is fit, he has proven to be a vital squad player amid Newcastle's injury crisis this season. And given that there are just under 48 hours left in the transfer window, it's unlikely that the Magpies would be able to find a replacement with the same experience before the window slams shut.

Sandro Tonali (banned)

31/08/2024

Joelinton

11/05/2024

Nick Pope

13/04/2024

Matt Targett

02/03/2024

Elliot Anderson

28/02/2024

Joe Willock

17/02/2024

Harvey Barnes

10/02/2024

Callum Wilson

10/02/2024

Jamaal Lascelles

03/02/2024

It's clear that Howe is a fan of Lascelles too, saying via The Daily Mail back in July of last year: "He's been an unbelievable captain for us. Captaincy doesn't just exist on the pitch, it has to exist off the pitch. The two things are so intrinsically linked. A lot of our success last year wasn't just down to the team, it came down to a group of players giving everything on and off the pitch.

"There was a group off the pitch that were absolutely magnificent, and Jamaal was one of them. He will want to play but it's how you react that is the key. We move forward together."

With the wounds still fresh from the shock news of Jürgen Klopp's departure, Liverpool have endured a torrid weekend that has seen them defeated by Premier League title rivals Arsenal and now lose one of their star players to a possibly lengthy injury.

Liverpool injury updates

As if the stakes were not already high enough, a Premier League title is now the expectation for Liverpool as they look to close out the Klopp era on a high. The loss at the Emirates has slightly scuppered their title chances, ending the Reds' run of four consecutive league wins as well as giving Liverpool their first Premier League loss since September and just their second all season.

Despite the disappointment last weekend, Liverpool still sit at the top of the Premier League, with Man City just two points behind. Whilst stopping City winning their fourth consecutive title is difficult in itself, Liverpool are now staring down a growing injury list as they look to defend their position at the top of the league.

Mohammed Salah's absence due to the Africa Cup of Nations has now been prolonged by a hamstring issue, keeping him out of action for a couple of weeks. With a busy schedule of both domestic and European games coming up, the long-term injuries to Kostas Tsimikas and Joel Matip will throw further issues the way of the Liverpool coaching staff.

Whilst Klopp has been able to prepare for most of these absences, it is the unexpected loss of an important figure that will give the German a selection headache for the next few weeks.

Hungarian media outlets in Szoboszlai dispute

The 3-1 loss at The Emirates saw Liverpool's lead at the summit reduced but, it will be the news of Dominik Szoboszlai's injury that will hit hardest for most Reds' fans. The Hungarian international was initially ruled out of the trip to North London as a precaution whilst he recovered from a hamstring injury, but news from his homeland has suggested the issue is far more sinister than first thought.

Reports out of Hungary from Index suggest that the ongoing hamstring issue will keep Szoboszlai sidelined for the entirety of this month. What started out as a precautionary measure has morphed into an issue that could see Liverpool's number eight missing a crucial period in their quest for a second Premier League title.

However, another Hungarian source, Bence Bocsak, who has written for a number of reputable publications, has since disputed the news from the midfielder's homeland, sharing an update of his own on X.

Since arriving from RB Leipzig this summer, Szoboszlai has played a vital role in Liverpool's march to the top of the table, starting in all but three games and contributing three goals and two assists. A midfielder as comfortable starting attacks as he is finishing them, his presence will be sorely missed as his side look to fill the creative void left by his absence.

Total

Liverpool Rank

59

2nd

120

2nd

53

1st

46

3rd

With Szoboszlai sidelined, Klopp will be scrambling to find players to fill the hole left in their midfield. Players who can produce on the attacking end whilst still putting in the leg work in the middle of the park are difficult to come by, making the Hungarian's absence all the more painful for Liverpool.

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Leeds United are absolutely flying right now. A resounding 4-0 win over Swansea City on Tuesday night was their seventh in a row in the Championship, and they've kept four consecutive clean sheets too.

After Southampton's 25-game unbeaten streak came to an end with a 3-1 defeat at Bristol City, the Whites have now climbed into the Championship promotion places, albeit having played a game more. When previously they had looked destined for the playoffs, they now have a real chance of avoiding that jeopardy.

Leeds could soon bin £45k-p/w outcast who earns more than Ampadu

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ByKelan Sarson Feb 15, 2024

It's shaping up to be a dream start to a new era at Elland Road following the takeover by 49ers Enterprises last summer and the appointment of Daniel Farke as permanent manager.

49ers prepared to give Farke a pay rise

Now, according to Football Insider, Leeds, and by extension the 49ers, are ready to offer Farke a new contract if they achieve promotion this season, even though he still has more than three years to run on his existing deal. The 49ers have clearly been very impressed by what they've seen from the German so far.

Farke could be in line to get a "big" pay rise in West Yorkshire as part of the potential extension, which would be a significant show of faith in his ability to keep them in the Premier League.

"Aggressive" Farke has been a real hit at Leeds

While some would say that relegated sides are bound to be among the favourites to get promoted, Farke still walked into a difficult situation at Leeds. The 2022/23 season had descended into a mess, with three different managers – Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce – taking turns in the hot seat. What's more, while the Whites posted the third-highest outlay in the division during the transfer window, they also lost 16 players, including Tyler Adams, Rodrigo, Robin Koch, Max Wober, Luis Sinisterra, Marc Roca, Rasmus Kristensen and Brenden Aaronson. In the end, they virtually broke even with a net spend of just £2m.

Rank

Club

Figure

1

Stoke City

£13m

2

Hull City

£6.4m

3

Millwall

£5.6m

4

Ipswich Town

£4m

5

Preston North End

£3.3m

6

Huddersfield Town

£2.6m

7

Leeds United

£2m

8

Plymouth Argyle

£1.8m

9

Cardiff City

£1.7m

10

Sunderland

£1.5m

Farke, though, has gone from strength to strength as the Leeds boss, winning two of the last three Manager of the Month awards. He's done so while implementing a desirable and exciting style of play too, with Leeds inside the top three for possession (57.3%), expected goals per 90 (1.79), expected goals against per 90 (0.8) and tackles in the attacking third (90). It is, in the words of journalist Josh Bunting, an "aggressive" approach that's "full of energy".

The 47-year-old is something of a promotion specialist after taking Norwich up to the top flight on two occasions, but his record in the Premier League may be a slight cause for concern. In his first season (19/20), the Canaries posted the sixth-lowest points tally in the league's history (21), and in his second (21/22), he only lasted until November before he was sacked, with just five points on the board from 11 games. Clearly, there's confidence that he's learned from his previous mistakes and can succeed at the third time of asking, providing things go well over the coming months.

Sunderland's season in the Championship has been nothing short of up-and-down so far, with many of the highs experienced by the Black Cats often then met with a new low.

Michael Beale's tenure, in truth, has been extremely topsy-turvy ever since he left Scotland behind for a return to EFL management – his Sunderland side now winless in their last two, after previously going on an unbeaten stretch of three matches under his guidance in the dug-out.

It's not just down to the divisive figure of Beale in the managerial hot-seat as to why Sunderland have underperformed at points however, with a number of exciting talents at the Stadium of Light failing to dazzle supporters with sub-par performances becoming commonplace.

That's very much the case with this 21-year-old attacking midfielder, who has struggled to make the breakthrough into the first-team fold after being boldly compared to Zinedine Zidane before signing on the dotted line for the faltering Wearside outfit.

Adil Aouchiche's first impressions

It's fair to say that former Paris St. Germain youth product Adil Aouchiche has been hyped up throughout his career to date before making his move to Sunderland.

Likened to Zidane when first making waves at youth level for France by the Athletic's Jack Lang, Aouchiche was being mooted as potentially being the next big thing – the silky 5 foot 11 midfielder bagging a ridiculous 16 goals from 25 international appearances for the U17s.

It is easy to see why Lang described him as being Zidane-esque back in 2019 when you consider that exceptional return in front of goal for his country at youth level.

Going on to cut his teeth whilst in the Saint-Étienne senior set-up away from setting the world alight at youth level – the dynamic 21-year-old amassing ten assists from 77 first-team appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit – Sunderland were giddy with anticipation as to what Aouchiche could achieve making the move to the Championship.

Unfortunately, the move hasn't quite gone to plan for the ex-PSG wonderkid with his numbers for the Black Cats this season even putting him below Abdoullah Ba who is also notably underperforming at the Stadium of Light.

Adil Aouchiche's numbers this season

Aouchiche hasn't ever really been able to kick into gear for the stuttering second tier promotion hopefuls this campaign, showing brief flashes of his quality before fading back into the background on Wearside.

From 18 Championship appearances this season, Aouchiche has managed to pick up just one goal and an assist, with his last strike coming all the way back in October last year against Birmingham City.

Since then, the 5 foot 11 creator has struggled to hold down a cemented spot in the senior side with Beale only giving the Frenchman one start since coming in as Black Cats boss.

Ba, who has produced three goals and four assists in the league, has even managed to turn around his stuttering career at Sunderland whilst Aouchiche remains on the fringes, helping himself to a goal and two assists against Stoke City in late January whilst the former PSG starlet wasn't even present on the substitutes' bench.

The Black Cats number 22 did have a chance to turn around his underwhelming time in a Sunderland shirt to date against Ipswich Town recently, but awkwardly fluffed his lines on the big occasion.

He would end up dragging an effort wide that could have given Sunderland the lead at 2-1 before Ipswich ended up snatching the three points, cursing his luck in a dismal cameo at Portman Road.

Beale and Co won't throw the £7k per week midfielder to the scrap heap just yet, but there is a long, long, way to go before he can be compared or likened to the legendary Zidane again.

He will need to improve his numbers in front of goal, drastically, to get compared to Ba, let alone the former Real Madrid star, before the end of his career at Sunderland.

Over the years, Liverpool's academy has produced some of the Premier League's best talents, with players such as Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and, more recently, Trent Alexander-Arnold all emerging from the youth ranks.
Additionally, they have also managed to harness the talents of other clubs' players who didn't quite cut it in their teams or who the Reds saw potential in.
Some examples of these players are Harvey Elliott and Raheem Sterling. The pair each came from Championship teams before seeing their talents developed further with the Merseysiders.
Although the latter chose to leave the club in 2015 in order to join Manchester City for a fee worth a reported £49m, Elliott has become part of the furniture at Anfield.

The 20-year-old recently made his 100th appearance for the Reds against Luton in the Premier League. During that time, he has amassed a total of 15 goal contributions and, at times, has managed to cement himself within Jurgen Klopp's first team.
This season has been the youngster's most prolific. It seems that, as he gets older, he is becoming more mature and focused on his game and is managing to find his place within the squad.
Across the 2023/24 campaign, he has managed to score two goals and provide three assists for his teammates, while it is also looking likely that he could be featuring in Liverpool's upcoming Carabao Cup final due to the recent injuries the Reds have suffered in the centre of the park.

Despite Elliott's Liverpool career thus far going swimmingly, aside from the odd injury here and there, there have been some Liverpool youngsters who weren't given the chance to flourish under Klopp's wing.
An example of one of these fringe figures is that of Taiwo Awoniyi. The current Nottingham Forest striker joined the club in 2015 at just 18 years old and endured many loan spells during his time on Merseyside, prior to exploding elsewhere…

Taiwo Ayoniyi's Liverpool career

The Nigeria international joined Liverpool for a fee in the region of £400k from Imperial Academy in his home country.
When asked about what it meant to be joining Liverpool, he said the following: "This is the biggest club in the world, and I’m privileged to be here. I’ll try to develop myself very well so that when I come back to Liverpool I’ll be able to add value to the team."
Despite just joining the club, the then-teenager was instantly loaned out to German side, FSV Frankfurt.

That swift exit came about as the youngster was having problems with regard to acquiring a work permit to play football in the UK. These problems would be set to follow him throughout his Liverpool tenure.
After joining the club, the attacker only managed to appear a total of 14 times for Frankfurt and only amassed a total of two goal contributions during that time.
Then, for his next six seasons at Liverpool, he was loaned out to various clubs across Europe, including spending two seasons at Belgian club, Royal Excel Mouscron. It was during those two seasons in Belgium that the Nigerian had his most prolific time in front of goal – netting 21 times in 47 games.
During the 2020/21 campaign, he spent his time on loan with Bundesliga side, Union Berlin, and made a total of nine goal contributions during his spell with the club.

His performance over the season ended up being enough that the striker managed to finally get a permanent move away from Liverpool after the German side bought him for a fee of £6.5m.
This move occurred just after he was finally granted a work permit to play football in the UK after spending six years of his professional career bouncing around other clubs.
Awoniyi's permanent transfer away from Liverpool was expected. However, the fact that the striker was sold for less than ageing midfielder Jordan Henderson – who departed for Al Ettifaq on a £12m deal last summer – is something the Reds may live to regret.

At the time, this was Union Berlin's club-record fee, and it seemed as if it was money well spent, as, despite not having the most prolific of campaigns the season prior, he managed to score a total of 20 goals in all competitions and assist a total of five times during the 2021/22 season.
This sudden burst of form was by far and away the most prolific of the attacker's career and, to this day, it still stands as his strongest goal-scoring season.
His performances for Union Berlin didn't, however, go unnoticed. After Forest's promotion from the Championship in the same season, the club were looking to make some additions to strengthen their side.

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This resulted in Forest making a total of 30 signings across the season, with Awoniyi being among those.

Why Jamie Carragher loves Awoniyi

Since arriving in Nottingham for a fee worth £17.5m, Awoniyi has been a constant figure within the Garibaldi squad. During his time at the City Ground so far, he has managed a total of 46 appearances and has contributed to 20 goals.
Although he hasn't yet found the form he showed in his final season at Union Berlin, he has cemented himself within the Forest system superbly, even leading to praise from Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher who has compared him to Premier League icon, Didier Drogba.

Discussing Awoniyi's strike against Southampton back in May, Carragher exclaimed: "He reminded me of Drogba as soon as I saw the goal. Absolutely brilliant. I've been in that position as a defender. The turn – and bang. Brilliant."
Drogba, of course, enjoyed a remarkable stint in English football at Chelsea – across two spells – notably scoring 164 goals and providing 88 assists in 381 games for the Blues, while also winning a plethora of major honours, including the Champions League in 2012.
Awoniyi has a way to go to emulate the Ivorian's heroics, although the 6 foot marksman has already scored more than half of the goals he bagged in England's top-flight last season, netting six times from just 14 outings.

His form thus far sparked even more talk from pundits and Carragher doubled down on the praise he lauded the former Liverpool man with last season.
"The first touch is unbelievable centre-forward play. Holding the centre-back off because don’t forget he’s got no space, he knows the goalkeeper is going to be converging on him," Carragher said.
"I’m a huge fan of his. His goals towards the end of the season kept Forest up and it could do the same again."

Liverpool's "special" £4m star is now worth 1175% more

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ByAngus Sinclair Feb 23, 2024

Time will only tell whether Liverpool will live to regret selling the promising youngster after years of chasing a work permit for him.
One thing is for sure, however, and that is the fact that we will likely be seeing the £50k-per-week hotshot in England's top flight for many years to come.

After announcing the appointment of Michael Edwards this week, FSG and Liverpool have already turned their attention towards summer arrivals, as the returning CEO of Football looks to pick up where he left off at Anfield.

Liverpool transfer news

FSG won their ongoing battle to land Edwards after back-and-forth negotiations with the 44-year-old, who seemed to reject a return in the initial stages. Having been handed the keys to Liverpool 2.0, however, the mastermind behind Jurgen Klopp's Champions League winning squad has made his return to the Merseyside club.

Edwards' first move will be to hire a new sporting director, which looks increasingly likely to be Richard Hughes, with the Bournemouth man set to depart the Cherries at the end of the season. Then, the duo must turn towards finding Klopp's successor, whether that be Xabi Alonso or another option.

All reports are pointing towards Alonso, with contact supposedly made and an offer presented to the Bayer Leverkusen manager. But in amongst all of the off-field decisions coming up in the next few months at Anfield, speculation has already started regarding reinforcements on the pitch.

According to Gazzetta Dello Sport via TeamTalk, Liverpool have made contact with Atalanta over Teun Koopmeiners, who would reportedly cost €60m (£51m) this summer. After completing a midfield overhaul last summer, it now looks as though the Reds want to add the cherry on top in the form of the Atalanta star.

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What would make the deal even more sweeter is the fact that Manchester United are also reportedly interested, meaning that Liverpool could get one over on their rivals. With Edwards at the held, those at Anfield could strike better than ever in the transfer market.

Alonso can use "elite" Koopmeiners' versatility

We've seen throughout Liverpool's recent torrid run of injuries just how important versatility can be in the middle of a Premier League title race, with Joe Gomez stepping up for Klopp's side in a variety of positions. Now, the Reds are reportedly set to turn to Koopmeiners' versatility in an attempt to land a player who can not only play as a defensive midfielder or attacking midfielder, but also as a centre-back in what would be a major boost for whoever enters the dugout next.

If it is to be Alonso who enters the Anfield hot seat, then Koopmeiners may well see himself placed in an attacking midfield role to accommodate the Spaniard's 3-4-2-1 system, which has enjoyed such great success at Leverkusen.

Glasgow Rangers face Benfica at Ibrox on Thursday evening with a place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League up for grabs.

Philippe Clement may have to make a few changes to his starting XI from the team that defeated Hibs 2-0 at Easter Road in the Scottish Cup on the weekend, as Dujon Sterling and Ross McCausland both came off with injuries.

The Belgian manager won't just be mixing things up on the wings either, with a couple of changes afoot in other areas of the side, as Cyriel Dessers has failed to impress during his previous two starts…

Cyriel Dessers’ game in numbers vs Benfica

The 29-year-old was given the nod to start against the Portuguese side last week, but he failed to have any meaningful impact during the game.

Goals

0

Big chances created

0

Dribble success

0/2

Total shots

0

Touches

17

Via Sofascore

The Nigerian striker was barely involved, taking only 17 touches, and completing eight passes during his 76 minutes on the field as Rangers had to go down other avenues in search for goals.

Indeed, he failed with both of his dribble attempts, did not take a single shot all game while winning just two of his eight contested duels, and was brought off for Kemar Roofe with just 15 minutes left.

Roofe may have had his injury issues recently, but there is no doubt Clement must give him a start this evening at Ibrox.

Kemar Roofe’s season in numbers

Roofe looked lively during his cameo last week, while he was also given some minutes against Hibs over the weekend as he is building up his fitness.

The centre-forward has missed large chunks of the season due to several injury problems and with his contract expiring at the end of the campaign, he could well be entering the final few months of his spell in Glasgow.

In his 19 appearances this term, Roofe has scored twice and added an assist. One of his goals came in the Europa League back in December as he scored the winner against Real Betis, which meant the Gers topped their group.

It is in Europe that he has impressed the most. Despite starting just once in the competition, Roofe has created a big chance, averaged 0.5 key passes per game, completed 0.5 successful dribbles per game (0.5) while also winning 3.5 total duels per match.

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These stats should give Clement the licence to finally unleash him into the starting XI and if he is ready, there is no doubt the striker could cause problems for the Benfica defence.

The £26k-per-week striker was dubbed a “Duracell bunny” by his former manager Steven Gerrard due to his incredible work rate and hunger during matches, and this is exactly what Clement needs on a big night in Europe.

A win will send the Gers through to the quarter-finals of the event for the second time in three years and not only will it boost the coffers, but also give the club some momentum heading into the final weeks of the season.

Clement has done a wonderful job since arriving, with the Benfica tie proving to be the toughest test yet.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has assembled a team that supporters would have baulked at last season – and that's without Harry Kane – due to the seemingly irrevocable path that was being taken toward the misery of midtable.

But things have changed for the better, and after slumping to an eighth-placed Premier League finish in 2022/23 and consequently missing out on this year's European competition, Spurs have used this malaise as a launchpad, now driving toward revival.

The theme of Tottenham's campaign has been improvements, growth, but also regression, like an undulating wave, and Postecoglou will strive for the level of steadiness that will see his side pushing further up the table in the seasons to come.

Tottenham drew away against West Ham United on Tuesday evening after fighting tooth and nail to overcome struggling Luton Town at home last weekend. Previously, before the international break, the Lilywhites were thumped at Fulham, only one week on from the standout showing of Postecoglou's tenure when Aston Villa were thrashed 4-0 on their own turf.

The result of this ebb and flow is that Tottenham remain in fifth place after 30 matches, though trail Unai Emery's Villa by just two points with a game in hand.

Failing to break away from their rivals, Villa were trounced 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday after Phil Foden masterminded a stunning Manchester City victory with an expert hat-trick, underpinning a first-rate campaign with another world-class performance.

He is City's homegrown virtuoso, of similar merit to his Three Lions teammate Kane, and while all teams strive to promote prospects of this calibre, Tottenham might just have their very own version currently pushing for a regular role in Postecoglou's senior squad in Jamie Donley.

Jamie Donley's season in numbers

Donley is a left-footed forward who has been on the books at Tottenham since he was just eight years old, and having been considered one of the club's most exciting young stars for many years, he has gone from strength to strength in recent seasons to chalk up four senior appearances for Postecoglou's side, including three cameos in the Premier League.

Why has the 19-year-old been entrusted with a part in the senior set-up? Well, he's been utterly scintillating at youth level, taking the seeds of the 2022/23 campaign – where he clinched nine goal contributions from six games in the U18 Premier League – to now play a starring role in Wayne Burnett's development team in the Premier League 2.

Tottenham's U21s are top of the table by two points having played two fixtures fewer than West Ham United in what is a glowing representation of the strides taken by chairman Daniel Levy in strengthening from the bottom in recent years.

This season, across the Premier League 2 and the EFL Trophy, Donley has plundered an incredible return of six goals and 14 assists from 16 matches, with correspondent Alasdair Gold hailing his "perfect" creativity.

To highlight just how impressive his skill set is, in the EFL Trophy, Donley complemented his three goals and two assists from three fixtures with an 80% pass completion rate and an average of 3.3 key passes, 2.7 tackles, 10.0 ball recoveries and 6.3 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore.

This budding skill set speaks of a complete and polished nature that only the finest players have, and given the teenage talent's natural deadliness in the final third, he may yet prove to be Postecoglou's own Foden.

Ange's very own Phil Foden

Foden has long been regarded as one of the finest talents in English football and he boasts quite the trophy cabinet aged just 23 having played a prominent part in the entirety of Pep Guardiola's dynasty in Greater Manchester.

But this season, the England international has truly come into his own, having posted 21 goals and ten assists from 41 matches in all competitions as his side chase silverware across the biggest tournaments once again.

23/24

30

28

14

7

22/23

32

22

11

5

21/22

28

24

9

5

20/21

28

17

9

5

19/20

23

9

5

2

18/19

13

3

1

0

17/18

5

0

0

1

Manchester City are not at their best this season; they are not quite performing at the level that saw the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup all bagged in a stunning treble last term.

But make no mistake, Guardiola's hardened maestros may yet prevail against hungry Arsenal and fairytale-ending-chasing Liverpool, and it's largely down to Foden's prowess.

The slick-moving, smash-shooting midfielder is emerging as his side's main man with Erling Haaland ostensibly off the pace this season – by his ridiculous standards, mind – and Kevin De Bruyne missing large portions of the campaign with injury.

Foden is undeniably "world-class", as was said by pundit Micah Richards after he dismantled Villa, and Manchester City fans will rejoice in the knowledge that he is one of their own.

Tottenham supporters know this feeling, have felt it through years of Kane's scoring success, but Donley might just be cut for a role to replicate that of Foden.

He is absurdly effective with his creativity and has demonstrated immense powers of recovery and elegance in his movements and drive.

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While he has a long way to go before cementing not just a spot in Tottenham's first-team but a place among the brightest young talents in the Premier League, Donley is making all the right moves to reach this goal and must now be provided with the platform to realise his lofty ambitions.

A potential twist has emerged regarding the future of an "outstanding" Rangers player at the end of the season, following a fresh update from abroad.

Key Rangers players could leave

Philippe Clement will understandably be eyeing up a number of signings in the summer transfer window, but on the flip-side, plenty of current Ibrox heroes have been linked with moves away from the club.

One individual who looks likely to depart in the summer is left-back Borna Barisic, with the veteran defender out of contract once the campaign ends and an extension not expected to come his way.

Meanwhile, James Tavernier, one of Rangers' most important and influential players for many years, is another who has been backed to enjoy a new challenge, with a move to Saudi Arabia mooted. He could link up with former Gers manager Steven Gerrard there, although the Scottish Premiership giants are understandably desperate to retain his services.

Elsewhere, there is no guarantee that loan pairing Abdallah Sima and Fabio Silva will sign permanent deals, with much depending on potential Champions League qualification and whether the club can afford both players. Their respective clubs, Brighton and Wolves, do seem to be open to the idea of selling them, though.

Twist over "outstanding" Rangers hero's future

According to Turkish outlet Sporx [via Rangers News], Barisic is far from certain to join Trabzonspor this summer, with a deal a long way from being a foregone conclusion.

The Turkish giants are targeting various signings all over the pitch, with Sporx's update saying they want to recruit two more centre-backs, 2-3 midfielders, as well as in winger and forward positions. However, the number of foreign players allowed in their squad will drop to 12 next season, meaning they have to be more careful about the signings they bring in.

It does still feel highly likely that Barisic's future lies beyond Rangers, even though the idea of him staying put for another year or two certainly wouldn't be a bad thing given his vast experience and quality. He has been hailed by Gerrard in the past, with the Englishman saying: "Borna was outstanding last night, he is the Croatian left-back and he is used to these high-pressure games. He is very highly respected by the staff and in the dressing room."

Given Barisic's age, though, it makes more sense to simply allow him to move on, with the focus then turning to bringing in a younger replacement, such as Fluminense left-back Jefte. He was strongly linked with a switch to the Gers during the January transfer window, and although a transfer didn't materialise, a report has claimed that a verbal agreement could be in place ahead of the summer.

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Should Barisic leave Rangers, as is still expected despite the possible Trabzonspor twist, he should be remembered as a consistent and effective servant, winning one Scottish Premiership title, a Scottish Cup and a Scottish League Cup, as well as registering a total of 54 assists in 230 appearances, prior to this weekend's clash with Hibernian.

Oliver Glasner has endured a mixed start to life as Crystal Palace's new manager.

The Austrian has picked up six points from his first seven competitive games in charge, and while there have been some impressive results along the way, such as the 3-0 win over Burnley, there have also been some disappointing defeats, notably against Bournemouth at the start of this month.

That said, the former Eintracht Frankfurt boss hasn't been able to sign any of his own players yet, and therefore, it's hard to judge his work until that changes.

Luckily for fans, one of the top names touted for a move to Selhurst Park is a defender who has been compared to Virgil Van Dijk in the past, although that might be bad news for Joachim Andersen.

Crystal Palace transfer news

According to a recent report from Football Insider, Crystal Palace are among several teams interested in signing Union Berlin's highly-rated centre-back, Danilho Doekhi.

The report has revealed that, alongside the Eagles, several clubs from the continent are interested in the 25-year-old, as are Premier League rivals Fulham, who identified the 6 foot 3 titan as a potential replacement for the soon-to-be-out-of-contract Tosin Adarabioyo.

There have been no reliable reports as to how much a deal might cost the South Londoners. Still, with the Dutchman's contract set to expire next summer, he could be available for a reasonable price, perhaps close to the CIES Football Observatory's valuation of €15m, which would be about £13m.

While signing a talented centre-back whom Glasner is familiar with from his time in the Bundesliga would likely be a great decision for Palace as a whole, it might not be so good for Andersen's playing time.

How Danilho Doekhi compares to Joachim Andersen

Now, were Steve Parish and Co to get this deal over the line in the summer, it would likely be the Dane's position in the first team that was under threat and not Marc Guéhi, given the Englishman's status in the team and perceived potential.

So, with that in mind, how do the underlying numbers of the Denmark international and Union star compare?

Well, it doesn't look good for the former Lyon man, as in most relevant metrics his potential competition has him beaten, and quite heavily in some areas.

Passing Accuracy

80.8%

78.8%

Tackles

1.44

1.42

Tackles Won

1.00

0.90

Blocks

2.00

0.94

Interceptions

1.72

1.16

Clearances

4.83

5.32

Dispossessed

0.11

0.19

Ball Recoveries

2.83

4.45

Aerial Duels Won

2.22

2.13

For example, the "fantastic" Dutchman, as former manager Thomas Letsch dubbed him, maintains a higher passing accuracy, makes more tackles, wins more tackles, makes more blocks and interceptions, is dispossessed less often, and engages in more aerial duels.

Aside from having superior underlying numbers, the Rotterdam-born wall has also won some incredibly favourable comparisons to a true great of the game, Van Dijk.

The Bundesliga website published a feature on the Union ace last summer, in which they claimed his calmness on the ball, range of passing, and physical attributes are all things he shares with the Liverpool legend.

Now, with no senior caps for the Netherlands to his name, Doekhi clearly isn't as good as the former Southampton star, but there are undeniable similarities which, under the proper management, could be maximised.

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Ultimately, if Palace can get this deal over the line, they should, even if it's bad news for Andersen.