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Arsenal could sign their perfect successor to Alexandre Lacazette in Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard.

What’s the story?

Reports over the course of the summer transfer window suggested that the Gunners were interested in signing the French striker who has been in prolific form once again this season – he’s bagged 12 goals in 24 games in all competitions.

Now, The Daily Record claim that both Arsenal and Premier League rivals Tottenham have both had the 23-year-old on their long-term watch lists, with Edouard now in the 18 months of his contract at Celtic.

Lacazette’s perfect successor

Described as being “talismanic” by his boss at Celtic, Neil Lennon, Edouard offers a similar style of play to what Lacazette currently brings to the table.

Both aren’t just your typical number nines who do their best work inside the box, instead being comfortable linking up the play with the players behind them, and having the creativity to pick passes too – you only have to look at Lacazette’s superb vision and weight of pass to Bukayo Saka in the Gunners’ 3-1 win against Southampton at the weekend to see that.

Lacazette has averaged one key pass per game in the Premier League this season, while Edouard has managed 1.3 in the Scottish Premiership. The French duo also possess a similar hunger to work for the team, with Arsenal’s man winning four total duels per match, and Celtic’s hotshot coming out on top in 3.8.

If Edu is looking for someone to come in and replace Lacazette, then he could find the perfect successor to the former Lyon man in the £13.5m-rated Edouard.

Meanwhile, Arsenal could sign another Kieran Tierney in this starlet…

Sunderland fans were far from happy with comments from Max Power after their side’s 2-1 defeat to Shrewsbury on Tuesday.

The Black Cats actually took the lead through Aiden O’Brien, but that was as good as it got for the north-east side. Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Harry Chapman netted in the second-half to earn the Shrews all three points – the result sees Sunderland remain outside the play-off spots.

After the match, captain Power was interviewed by the club’s media team. He mentioned that many teams see Sunderland as a big scalp, insinuating that they are more motivated when playing the Wearside outfit than other teams.

Power has come in for criticism in the past (Football League World), and this was another opportunity for the fans to let their feelings on the £540,000-valued midfielder (Transfermarkt) be known. The video was shared on the club’s official Twitter account, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Power below

“Yey another season in League One.”

Credit: @PAJUK19

“No words, too long been a Black Cat, seen the highs and lows”

Credit: @DeBradley2

“Even if it it’s true, and there may be something to it, Sunderland AFC know and expect this and should be able to deal with it. To trot this line out time after time, now for the third season in a row, is admitting that this squad is incapable of dealing with it.”

Credit: @VinnytheMackem

“Captain Clueless”

Credit: @1879SAFC

“Still not taking ownership I see. Still playing the opposition raise their game against Sunderland card. We’re a big scalp etc.. Rubbish. We’re a mid table L1 side now and have been for 3 seasons, accept it and take ownership of your own performance. Mindset all wrong.”

Credit: @SAFC_73

“He is just the meaning of disappointing, one of them players who just hoofs the ball forward never adds anything to the team”

Credit: @RCawley01

In other news, Sunderland fans slammed this man against Shrewsbury.

Aiden McGeady’s Sunderland spell has been a crazy affair.

After initially signing for the club, he was on a weekly salary of around £31k-per-week. It’s hard to suggest he merited that as the club fell into League One.

Though, now on £19k-per-week, he’s more than earning his money at the Stadium of Light. Before Lee Johnson walked into the club, McGeady hadn’t played all season.

An incident where he was pictured alongside Chris Maguire at McDonald’s after a defeat in December 2019 saw him alienated from the side and transfer listed.

He signed for Charlton on loan but then returned to the north-east, again alienated by Phil Parkinson. Though, Johnson clearly recognised he still had something to give and it hasn’t taken the Irishman long to rekindle his fire.

The winger has been phenomenal in recent months, becoming the club’s chief creator. He assisted all four of Charlie Wyke’s goals in the 4-1 win over Doncaster and has ten assists in just 14 outings this term.

He has been running riot down the left-hand side but his contract expires in just a matter of months. If you told McGeady, and indeed the club’s supporters, that he’d stay beyond the summer at the beginning of the season, they’d have laughed.

Though, the reality is that he’s now one of Sunderland’s most important players again. The veteran hinted last week that he wanted to stay in the north-east and according to Kevin Phillips, he more than deserves a new deal.

He told Football Insider: “Why would you not offer him a contract? Whether they go up or not.”

Phillips continued: “It is hard to find players of McGeady’s calibre. He can create goals. It is just a question of whether he has the hunger and desire to do it week in, week out and McGeady has shown recently that he has that. He has been outstanding.”

Kyril-Louis Dreyfus finalised his takeover of the club in the last few days and he will have a whole list of priorities to address. Though, he can start his tenure at Sunderland with a bang by tying down McGeady.

No player has more assists than the 34-year-old in League One this term, and despite his age, he is still as valuable as ever.

McGeady may have lost a yard of pace but creatively, he is still magic. Dreyfus simply has to ensure that his future lies at Sunderland, not elsewhere.

AND in other news, Forget Power: SAFC star who won 6 aerial duels was Johnson’s true hero on Tuesday…

Ralph Hasenhuttl has been handed a huge boost at Southampton with the news that Kyle Walker-Peters is expected to return to training shortly.

The right-back has established himself as a key player with the South Coast club since joining on a permanent deal from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, having impressed the Austrian with his performances on loan in the second half of the last campaign.

In 19 appearances in the Premier League this season, the 23-year-old has averaged a superb 7/10 rating for his performances, which is the third-highest of any Saints player in the top-flight.

Southampton held one of the better defensive records earlier in the season, having picked up eight clean sheets in the top-flight, but their last clean sheet in the Premier League came in the 1-0 win against Liverpool in January.

Walker-Peters’ influence on the Saints defence is clear to see, as he appeared in both FA Cup wins against Arsenal and Wolves, where Hasenhuttl’s side also kept clean sheets.

However, the £13.5 million-rated defender was absent for the majority of top-flight fixtures in January and February, only appearing in the defeats against Leicester City and Wolves.

Considering Southampton have picked up just one point in the last eight games in the Premier League, of which the right-back appeared in just two, it can definitely be argued that they are significantly worse off without him.

Therefore, to have him back in training ahead of a potential six-pointer against Sheffield United next weekend is big news for Hasenhuttl, as if he can stay fit and help Southampton rediscover the form they showed for much of 2020, then surely it won’t be long until any relegation fears are put to bed.

And, in other news… Hasenhuttl can end 24-year Southampton hoodoo with key tactical switch vs Everton

Former Sheffield United Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that he thinks Ivan Toney would be a great signing for West Ham.

Toney has taken the Championship by storm this season, and is just five goals short of matching Glenn Murray’s record of 30 goals in a single campaign set back in 2012-2013.

The 24-year-old only signed from Peterborough United last summer, but is already six clear of former Newcastle United teammate Adam Armstrong in the race for the Golden Boot after notching an impressive 25 times in 33 appearances.

And following the January departure of record-signing Sebastien Haller to Ajax, the Hammers don’t have a recognised senior frontman in their squad – with the versatile Michail Antonio currently playing as their number nine.

Antonio has done an excellent job for West Ham this season, netting seven Premier League goals, including the equaliser at Manchester City last Saturday and opener against Tottenham, but has a history of injuries, and has already missed 10 games this term.

With the East Londoners also facing the possibility of being in Europe next season, adding a striker to their squad would appear a priority for David Moyes.

Eurosport reported last month that Toney is on West Ham’s radar, with Football Insider reporting that the could cost more than £30m, and Windass believes that the London Stadium would be a good destination for Brentford man.

He exclusively told Football FanCast:

“Ivan Toney has taken the baton from Ollie Watkins at Brentford. When you play in the Premier League, you do play with better players, you do get more chances. Ivan Toney would be a great fit for West Ham, would be a great buy. I don’t think that Brentford will keep him.”

Speaking to Football Insider, Noel Whelan claimed that Gareth Bale’s future at Tottenham Hotspur rests in the hands of Jose Mourinho.

According to the former Leeds United forward, Mourinho will have the final say as to whether Spurs make a summer move to re-sign Bale, and that Daniel Levy – who personally pushed for the 31-year-old’s signing last summer, while the Tottenham manager was ‘largely peripheral’ in the deal – would give his full backing to the Portuguese should he indeed wish to keep the £18m-rated Welshman in north London for a further season.

Asked by Football Insider whether he believes Spurs will make a move to sign Bale once again this summer, Whelan said: “Yeah, you’d think so. I’m sure Jose will have the last say. He won’t come down to peer pressure from fans or anybody else. Jose knows what he wants and the chairman will back that, I’m sure.

“As I say, there are no friends in football. There’s no love just because you’ve been at a club before. Jose will choose what he feels best is best for Tottenham Hotspur. Gareth Bale’s got until the end of the season to prove he’s worthy of a contract.”

Transfer Tavern Take

Having got off to a rather slow start following his return to Spurs, suffering a number of injury setbacks and scoring just one goal over his first seven Premier League appearances this season, Bale has burst into life in recent weeks, bagging four goals and providing two assists over his last four league fixtures. He also scored in both legs of the Europa League round of 32 win over Wolfsberger AC.

However, considering that Bale is paid roughly £240,000 per week by Spurs, more than what both Harry Kane and Son Heung-min – who have scored 16 and 13 Premier League goals respectively this season – receive from the club, it could be argued that the Welshman still has a lot more to do over what remains of the season to prove his worth to Tottenham in the long run.

In other news: Tottenham are also monitoring this attacker, find out more here.

Former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips has exclusively told Football FanCast that the lack of supporters should benefit Lee Johnson’s team in Sunday’s Papa John’s Trophy final on Sunday.

The Black Cats face League Two high-flyers Tranmere Rovers at Wembley, just under two years since they were beaten by Portsmouth on penalties in front of a competition-record crowd of 85,000 following a dramatic 2-2 draw in normal time.

However, the game will be played behind closed doors to keep in line with Government guidelines, and whilst Phillips has urged Sunderland’s players to treat it as just another match, he believes that the lack of pressure from the Stadium of Light faithful should help Johnson’s in-form outfit.

He exclusively told Football FanCast:

“Yes, it’s a cup final, but it’s another match. They should treat it like it’s another league match. They were great against Portsmouth the other night, they’re full of confidence, but it’s just another football match, go and win the football match.

“Forget about the occasion, I think it’ll be made easier that there isn’t going to be 80,000-odd there like there was against Portsmouth two years ago, there’s no pressure from the supporters.

“They should treat it like a normal match. If they win, of course, brilliant, they get a trophy, and then they can kick on for the last 12 games of the season.”

Despite Sunderland going great guns in their race for League One promotion, Phillips is wary of Tranmere’s threat. He added:

“Let’s not forget they’re coming up against a bang in-form Tranmere side. Keith Hill has done a great job, so it’ll be a tough match.”

Kevin Phillips will be a studio guest for Quest’s highlights of the Papa John’s Trophy Final on Sunday. Stream on discovery+

A number of Liverpool fans have been reacting to the shock news that Trent Alexander-Arnold has been dropped by England manager Gareth Southgate.

The 22-year-old has emerged as one of the Reds’ most exciting young players in years, becoming a key part of the Jurgen Klopp revolution at Anfield.

Having spent many years in Liverpool’s academy, Alexander-Arnold gradually emerged with Klopp at the helm and is now widely considered one of Europe’s best right-backs.

He is the youngest player in history to start back-to-back Champions League finals, further highlighting the incredible strides he has made.

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Alexander-Arnold has also become a fixture for England in recent years, winning 12 caps along the way and also scoring once for good measure.

Southgate has axed him from his Three Lions squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers, however, with Kyle Walker and Kieran Tripper preferred at right-back.

The England boss claims Alexander-Arnold’s form has not been up to scratch this season, but his omission certainly feels harsh – the likes of Trippier, Walker and even Eric Dier haven’t exactly been setting the world alight.

From a Liverpool perspective, it is no bad thing, allowing the boyhood Reds supporter to recharge his batteries, but it will undoubtedly be a personal blow.

Liverpool fans react to Trent’s omission

These Liverpool supporters have been providing their thoughts on the matter on Twitter.

“Walker and Trippier haven’t been better than Trent this season. Ridiculous decision from Southgate, he’s out of his depth.”

Credit: @Declancarr96

“Good news for Liverpool but England is the only footballing nation in the world who wouldn’t recognise Trent as England’s first choice right back. If he was Spanish, Italian, French etc…”

Credit: @Irvine_1980

“Gutted for him but delighted at the same time. Just shows how out his depth Southgate really is”

Credit: @Macros0611

“Great news for us, but Southgate really is clueless. Dropping Trent despite his form being good recently but recalling Lingard for a few decent games after 2 years of rubbish and retaining Dier who is bang average”

Credit: @kat_lfc13

“My impression is that Trent is unorthodox good and lesser coaches like Southgate don’t know how to fit him in. Comfortably England’s best RB, but you won’t hear any Liverpool fan whine about his exclusion”

Credit: @NotoriousJOS

“Tells you all you need to know about Southgate. A hopeless manager at club level. A bog standard player. No Alf Ramsey”

Credit: @gedstamper

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been calling for the Reds to sign one specific player this summer. Read about him here.

Crystal Palace could potentially be edging close to making their first transfer ahead of the 2021/22 season, with Juventus centre-back Radu Dragusin reportedly on their wish list.

According to The Sun, the Eagles are planning to swoop for the defender come the end of the season on a free transfer with his contract in Turin continuing to tick down.

The Romanian would be the perfect addition for the club as they conduct a squad overhaul.

Put simply, the Eagles need a centre-back heading into next season. Mamadou Sakho, Gary Cahill and Scott Dann are all out of contract come the end of the campaign.

Should they all leave, only Cheikhou Kouyate and James Tomkins would remain of the club’s centre-back options, something that would surely be unsustainable considering the brutal nature of the Premier League.

It makes sense then that Steve Parish would have to dip his hands into the transfer market.

Whilst Dragusin’s £720k rating does not provoke confidence in his ability to compensate for the losses of the aforementioned trio, he does look a promising young player.

The fact that he is just 19 and made four appearances for the Old Lady this season is a commendable feat considering the competition at the Juventus Stadium from the likes of Matthijs de Ligt, Giorgio Chiellini, Merih Demiral and Leonardo Bonucci.

His age also lends a huge reason as to why he would be a perfect addition for the Eagles.

The London outfit currently boast the oldest squad on average in the entire Premier League. With as many as 14 players the wrong side of 30, younger recruits for the future are surely going to be hugely welcome at Selhurst Park.

Dragusin, who stands at 6 foot 3, seems the perfect man to fill a few glaring holes in Palace’s squad, and for a bargain price.

Steve Parish and the hierarchy at Crystal Palace need to do everything they can to bring the centre-back to the Premier League.

AND in more news, take a look back at another transfer masterclass from the Eagles…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who made 561 appearances for Wolves, believes Conor Coady would be the best option for England if they were to play with three centre backs.

Gareth Southgate made a number of big cuts to his latest England squad which saw Trent Alexander-Arnold, Michael Keane and Patrick Bamford all omitted from the final squad before the Euros this summer.

Keane, whose agent hit out at the decision to leave him out, had been included in a number of Southgate’s previous squads when he perhaps not playing as good as he has been this season for Everton, which has seen him achieve a 6.90 WhoScored rating, compared to Coady’s 6.51.

Speaking on how Coady is so good in a three at the back formation why he thinks the Wolves captain has been selected, Bull told FFC:

“You get in the England squad because of merit and what you’ve done for your club and Conor Coady has been a stalwart for Wolves.

“If England play with three at the back, then Coady’s the most sensible one to put there, however if we play with four at the back then he might get found out.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/exclusive-andreas-sondergaard-wolves-premier-league” title=”Exclusive! Andreas Sondergaard talks all things Wolves”]

“Why don’t we take both Keane and Coady then it gives you the option to play four or three at the back.”

Coady has been a late bloomer on the international scene, having only made three appearances for the Three Lions, however, he did get his first-ever England goal before his first Premier League goals for Wolves.

Despite being called up to the squad for the last squad and getting a goal against Montenegro, Keane will know he has a fight on his hands to earn a seat on the plane this summer.