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Manchester United are believed to be interested in making a move for Fulham sensation, Joao Palhinha this summer, with manager Erik ten Hag seemingly keen to bolster his midfield ranks ahead of next season.

What's the latest on Palhinha to Man United?

According to The Sun, the Red Devils are said to be 'monitoring' the 27-year-old ahead of the upcoming window, with it looking as if the Carabao Cup winners will 'make their move' once the market re-opens.

The report suggests that the former Sporting CP ace – who only arrived at Craven Cottage on a £17m deal last summer – could fetch as much as £60m if he was to depart in the near future, with Marco Silva's side having already identified a potential replacement for the Portugal international in the form of Porto's Mateus Uribe.

It would appear that Palhinha has been something of a long-term target for those at the Theatre of Dreams, with reports early last year having suggested that United were keeping tabs on the 20-cap menace.

Would Palhinha be a good fit for Man United?

While the addition of the 6 foot 3 titan would arguably not be the playmaking, Frenkie de Jong-esque signing that Ten Hag may be craving, it would certainly add some further steel to a midfield department that has only recently been strengthened by the £70m addition of Casemiro from Real Madrid last summer.

To have the potential to partner the latter man alongside Palhinha on occasion is truly mouthwatering indeed, with the Old Trafford outfit set to have a simply menacing and destructive duo on their hands in front of the back four.

In the case of the Cottagers' rock, the £50k-per-week monster has arguably been "one of the signings of the season", according to Sky Sports reporter Jamie Weir, having been a real standout presence at the heart of the midfield in west London throughout the current campaign.

Hailed as being as "strong as an ox" by Weir, the towering brute currently ranks first in the division for tackles made (105) as a marker of his ball-winning prowess, memorably making nine tackles and winning 12 duels in total when taking on Ten Hag's men in the Premier League back in November.

That class was again evident when the two sides met again in the FA Cup prior to the international break, with Palhinha winning nine of his 13 total duels, while also showcasing his quality in possession after completing three of his four attempted dribbles.

To have such an all-rounder alongside Casemiro would certainly offer the top-four hopefuls real solidity, with the Brazil international – who has been hailed as the "cement" in the side by Ten Hag – also a ferocious presence in the centre of the park after averaging 3.1 tackles per game this season in the league, a record only slightly lower than that of Palhinha (four tackles per game).

That partnership would also potentially allow the current United man to offer more in a creative sense having thus far created five big chances and averaged 0.9 key passes per game, with Palhinha – who has created zero big chances and averages just 0.2 key passes per game – providing more of a defensive shield.

Whether or not the deal does come to pass, it would certainly be of intrigue to see Ten Hag put together a midfield pairing that few teams in the league would relish coming up against.

Leeds United are thought to be eyeing a summer move for AZ Alkmaar forward Vangelis Pavlidis, according to Jeunes Footeux.

What’s the latest news on Leeds and Pavlidis?

The Whites appear to be putting plans in place for the summer transfer window despite not knowing what division they will be in, with Javi Gracia looking to guide Leeds to Premier League safety over the coming months.

Victor Orta has confirmed that the club are interested in bringing Barcelona youngster Ilias Akhomach to Elland Road, while a move for loanee Weston McKennie will likely become permanent in a £30m deal should the club avoid the drop.

It looks as if a new striker is also of interest, with Patrick Bamford enduring a frustrating campaign through injury. The 29-year-old has scored just twice in 19 top-flight appearances this season, whereas club-record signing Georginio Rutter is yet to get off the mark.

Rodrigo has been the club’s main source of goals with 13 in all competitions, although the Spaniard will soon be entering the final 12 months of his current contract.

Jeunes Footeux provided an update regarding Pavlidis in the last 48 hours, name-checking Leeds with an interest. They claimed that the Whites and a rival are closely following the performances of the forward, citing a €25m (£22m) fee which they say is within the reach of officials at both clubs.

Would Pavlidis be a good signing for Leeds?

You’d expect that Leeds will need to remain in the Premier League to stand any chance of signing Pavlidis this summer, but he could be the type of forward the club require.

Sponsored by Nike, Pavlidis has scored 10 or more league goals in each of his last four seasons and appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €12m Transfermarkt valuation.

Hailed as a "difference maker" in the media following his goal involvements during the current campaign, he would also provide an option as a left-winger or as an attacking midfielder, although he is primarily a centre forward who has 29 senior caps for Greece.

You could argue that the Whites took a gamble by breaking their transfer record to sign Rutter earlier this year, a 20-year-old who has scored just 12 senior goals, so bringing in a proven goalscorer like Pavlidis could be a wise move and one that may prove to be cheaper than the deal that brought Rutter to Yorkshire.

The most popular sport in the world is football, and it’s easy to see why. Football is fast-paced, exciting and entertaining. There are plenty of leagues around the world which means there are always matches being played somewhere at any given time – and that means there are plenty of opportunities to bet on football too. If you’re looking for ways to make money as a punter then these tips will help you find success. Some online casinos offer amazing offers so don’t miss out on those.

Football is the most popular sport in the world, and it is not hard to understand why

Football is the most popular sport in the world, and it is not hard to understand why. Football is a global game that appeals to a wide range of people and attracts huge crowds every week. The World Cup is one of the biggest events in the sporting calendar, with billions tuning in from around the globe to watch their countries battle for glory.

Football betting can be hugely lucrative if you know where to look for value bets and how best to maximize your chances of winning money by betting on football matches correctly.

Football is a global game that appeals to a wide range of people and attracts huge crowds every week

Football is a global game that appeals to a wide range of people and attracts huge crowds every week. The popularity of football has grown considerably over the years, as it has become an important part of our lives. Football has become so popular that there are now hundreds of thousands of players around the world who enjoy playing it on their weekends or evenings.

Football is one of those sports where you can spend time with friends or family members, making sure that everyone gets involved in some way or another. You can also play with other teams from around your area which gives people more opportunities to socialize with others outside their usual circle at home or the workplace. Many online casino sites offer chat options or ways to help out a friend by sending him a tip (so that he or she can start wagering).

The World Cup and the Super Bowl Great Gambling Potential

The World Cup is one of the biggest events in the sporting calendar, and it regularly attracts many more viewers than even the Super Bowl does. This is because more people are interested in football than any other sport and they have been since before television was invented. In fact, when you think about it, football has been around for centuries longer than any other popular sport on Earth!

The World Cup is held every four years (except during wartime), and takes place in different countries around the world – this means that sometimes it’s held close to where you live so you can go see all those famous players live at your local stadium or arena. It usually takes place between June and July each year; however, there have been times when they’ve had to change this date due to bad weather conditions like snowstorms etcetera…

Gambling on football is big business for both online and offline bookmakers, with thousands of people placing bets every single day on their favourite teams, players and competitions from across the globe.

It’s not just serious punters who enjoy placing a wager on their team though; many football fans enjoy gambling purely for fun or perhaps as an opportunity to win some extra cash. Whatever your reason for betting on football may be, there are plenty of options available online so don’t hesitate!

Gambling on football is a great way to make money. There are many different ways to gamble on football, each with its own set of rules and regulations, similar to what each online casino has – but all can be fun, entertaining and profitable if you follow these simple tips:

Gambling on the Premier League can be made more profitable by using good odds from trustworthy bookmakers such as Ladbrokes or bet365. When gambling on specific matches or markets it is important that you understand exactly what you’re betting on before placing any bets because some markets may not be available at certain times during the season (for example when teams are playing in European competitions) and there may be restrictions placed upon your gambling account by certain bookmakers (such as only being able to bet £5 per person per week). Gambling on quality markets, having good odds and knowing when to pull out at the right time

Identifying Value in Markets on most online casinos.

The first step in being profitable as a football punter is identifying value in your market. This means finding something that other people aren’t seeing or don’t think about. If there is something obvious then everyone will take advantage of it and the odds will get shorter (and therefore harder for you). For example, let’s say there’s an old striker who has been injured all season but he just came back from injury last week against Spurs – he scored 2 goals and created another chance which could have been converted into another goal if not for some poor finishing by his teammates! You could find some reasons why this player might be able to score against Watford today like “he’s fit again”, “he played really well last week” etc…but these things aren’t nearly enough evidence compared with what else could happen during 90 minutes’ worth of football action!

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article has helped you understand some of the basics of gambling on football at the best online casinos. If you want to get started with your own bets, then check out our handy guide above on how to bet online and start making some money! Don’t forget that this could take huge risks so gamble responsibly!

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Everton could reportedly make a €44m (£38.7m) bid to try and sign Udinese duo Beto and Rodrigo Becao.

The Lowdown: January interest

Everton reportedly had a late offer for Beto rejected in the January transfer window, with Udinese feeling that they could sell in July instead.

They were also linked with a late move for Becao, under the condition that Michael Keane would leave, but the Englishman ended up staying put at Goodison Park.

The Latest: Summer swoop?

As per local outlet Udinese Blog, the Merseyside club could make a £38.7m offer to sign both players this summer, which could take shape ‘in the coming weeks’.

Sean Dyche has ‘suggested’ Beto’s name in particular, and is preparing to return for him in the next window after receiving a ‘no’ from Udinese in January.

The Verdict: Reinforcements needed

Of course, there are no guarantees that the Toffees will stay up this season, but if they do, reinforcements will be needed in order to make sure that they are not in the same situation next term.

They have struggled for goals all season, being the joint-lowest scorers in the Premier League with 17, and Beto would certainly help in that regard, having achieved double figures for goals in each of his last three league campaigns, and seven so far in the Serie A with Udinese this term (Transfermarkt).

Becao would improve the team defensively, with the centre-back ranking in the 97th percentile for touches, 96th for tackles and 89th for non-penalty goals of all his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, among other metrics that makes him a complete defender (FBRef).

Nonetheless, both players have the potential to break into the starting line-up under Dyche, and so this is a double deal that the Blues should be seriously considering.

YouTuber Spencer Owen has given his verdict on Joao Cancelo following his loan move from Manchester City to Bayern Munich.

The Lowdown: Cancelo joins Bayern

Cancelo left Pep Guardiola’s side on deadline day and joined the Bundesliga outfit on loan, with the deal containing an option to buy which would cost £61.5m.

The Portuguese full-back didn’t feature in the Premier League club’s last two matches against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur.

Along with his fellow teammates Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva, Cancelo was named in last season’s PFA Team of the Season, but it seems as though friction behind the scenes has led to the defender parting ways.

The Latest: Owen gives Cancelo verdict

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Saturday Social, Owen claimed something could be wrong with the player as he had recently struggled for minutes with City and Portugal.

He stated: “I understand why it’s happened, Pep’s got a zero-tolerance policy once players’ heads have turned or they get a little bit negative in the changing room, which he has been.

“I think the only thing that interests me about Cancelo – we all know how good he is and how good has been for them – is he wasn’t starting Portugal in the World Cup after a few games, either.

“So something’s not right, there; he’s dropped off form, not just at City. But I think he’ll smash it in the Bundesliga and be a great player there.”

The Verdict: Bayern bargain

We believe that Cancelo’s time at City could well be reaching its conclusion with Bayern having the option to buy him at the end of the season.

It’s not the first time that Guardiola has fallen out with a quality player in his career as a manager. The Spaniard fell out with former City midfielder Yaya Toure – a player who has been hailed as one of the Premier League’s finest.

Cancelo’s teammate Phil Foden labelled him as ‘one of the best’ full-backs in the world, so in our view, paying just over £60m for a player of his quality is a pretty decent fee from a Bayern perspective.

A move to Germany is potentially a great one for the player as he’s already won a number of trophies in Manchester. Bayern are an absolute force in the Bundesliga, so we wouldn’t be surprised if he would pick up some more winners’ medals.

Essentially, he could be swapping winners for winners in our view, based on Bayern Munich’s accolades.

Aston Villa have been urged to make a surprise transfer bid for Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney, who has found himself on the periphery of the Premier League table-toppers’ season this year.

According to CBS Sports reporter James Benge (via talkSPORT) the Gunner hierarchy are considering offloading the 25-year-old Tierney amid recent reports that the outfit are looking to home in on prodigious Real Valladolid talent Ivan Fresneda.

And now, speaking to Caught Offside, Stan Collymore has remarked that Unai Emery’s Villa could offer the perfect platform to rekindle his best form after indeed falling out of favour following the £32m summer signing of Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City.

Collymore said: “If it is true that the Gunners want to offload him, I really hope Aston Villa go in for him.

“It would make sense as well because I don’t think Lucas Digne is going to be there much longer and although the Frenchman has done alright since he joined, Tierney is definitely an upgrade.”

Bye-bye Digne

While the Villans have recently completed the signing of left-back Alex Moreno from Real Betis for £13.2m, the introduction of a further talented option would only fortify the club’s resolve to a new level, with Emery surely devising an ambitious plot to clinch his fifth piece of European silverware with his new Premier League outfit.

While the Claret & Blue currently wield Lucas Digne within the ranks, the Frenchman might not forge a lengthy future in the Midlands with Emery now at the wheel.

Digne has missed several matches due to injury this term and could face an uncertain future following the arrival of Moreno and the recent Aston Villa links to Tierney, alluding to Emery’s desire to further bolster the position.

Signed from Scottish giants Celtic in 2019 for £25m, Tierney initially slotted right into Mikel Arteta’s system and has made 111 appearances for the North London club to date, although his progress has been consistently blighted by recurring knee problems.

Over the course of the high-flying Gunners’ current campaign, Tierney has made 24 appearances across all competitions, although he has only made four starts in the English top-flight despite first-choice option Zinchenko’s injury several months ago that ruled him out of contention for a total of seven matches in the league alone.

And with a regular starting berth unlikely to materialise over the coming seasons at the resurgent Emirates Stadium, Tierney might be prudent to put faith in the Spaniard Emery’s vision and forge ahead with a transfer, likely competing with Moreno for regular minutes with a club showing all of the early promise of an outfit on the up.

As per FBref, the 35-cap Scotsman ranks among the top 6% of positional peers for progressive passes and the top 16% for total passes attempted, which highlights the impact he could make on the efficacy of Villa’s transitional play, indeed a major component of Emery’s counter-pressing system, placing the onus on structural discipline and swift progression when the opportunity arises.

Tierney can indeed offer a valuable additional dimension from this regard, with his “unique” skill set, as once remarked by former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, leaving Villan technical director Johan Lange to reap the rewards of landing another tool to provide the spark for success.

Aston Villa are creeping towards a stature that head coach Unai Emery will be satisfied with following his arrival in October, and could complete the jigsaw with a successful January bid for Olympique Marseille’s Matteo Guendouzi…

What’s the latest?

According to a report from 90min earlier this month, the Villans had registered an interest in the former Arsenal star, but the Midlands outfit would be expected to part with a sum in the region of €50m (£44m) to secure his signature.

More recently, according to journalist Dan Bardell, Villa are expected to make an official transfer bid for the player, with Guendouzi deemed to be the perfect star to shape the club’s fortunes and dictate from the centre as Villa seek a top-half Premier League finish.

Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “From my understanding, it sounds like Marseille have a suspicion that a bid is coming.

“So hopefully over the next few days – because I know Villa fans are keen for this one – there’ll be that concrete offer from Villa, because he’s a player that’s worked with Emery before. You get the sense now that Emery’s very much in charge of everything at Villa now, he has the final say on everything, he’s in control, and Guendouzi’s someone who would fit in very nicely into that hybrid wide/central midfielder role.”

Huge Nakamba upgrade

While Emery has found much success on the transfer front this month, clinching deals for Alex Moreno and Jhon Duran and reportedly looking to complete the signing of Gerard Deulofeu, the addition of a central midfielder of first-rate quality would go a long way towards continuing the fantastic form that has seen Aston Villa clinch victory across five of the seven league matches with the Spaniard at the wheel.

And with Guendouzi indeed flourishing out in France, the dynamism and intensity that he would instil from the centre of the Villa Park midfield would go a long way toward riding a vein of form that could be maintained, among the prominent outfits of the English top-flight.

Emery once hailed the seven-cap France international as “unique”, and it is this distinctive set of skills that will serve him well in the pursuit of prominence.

This season in Ligue 1, the 23-year-old has averaged 1.2 tackles and 0.9 intersections per outing, also completing 0.8 key passes per match in a bid to serve from multiple areas of expertise, consequently chalking up an average rating of 6.93, as per Sofascore.

As per FBref, Guendouzi ranks among the top 20% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for rate of assists, the top 12% for progressive passes received and the top 13% for touches in the attacking penalty area, which would provide a layer of creativity on top of his defence and deep-lying presence.

With this in mind, it appears a no-brainer that Villa technical director Johan Lange ensures a massive upgrade on Marvelous Nakamba is completed, with the 29-year-old yet to make an appearance for the Claret & Blue this season despite sitting on the bench on multiple occasions.

And with the Zimbabwean midfielder failing to record an average rating of over 6.63 across any completion while in Villa colours, his departure would continue the upswing that Emery is looking to surge the club into riding.

Indeed, compared to the French midfielder in question, Nakamba ranked in the worst 10% of players in just the Premier League last term for assists, the worst 11% for progressive passes and the very worst percentage for touches.

Bearing this in mind, the “warrior” that is Guendouzi – as dubbed by Robert Pires – is undoubtedly the better fit to ensure that the recent purple patch does not fade away, and Villa’s newfound confidence and swagger can be maintained over the coming campaigns, perhaps returning the club to a position in-and-around European contention.

Celtic have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their Viaplay Cup semi-final against Kilmarnock this afternoon.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference (via BBC Sport), Ange Postecoglou revealed that, having missed the Hoops’ last three fixtures with an unspecified injury, Sead Haksabanovic has now returned to training ahead of the semi-final on Saturday afternoon, with the 23-year-old appearing to be available for the Hampden Park showdown.

The Celtic manager went on to reveal that Anthony Ralston, James McCarthy and Stephen Welsh have also returned to training ahead of the match, but after picking up a knock in the 2-2 draw against Rangers at the start of the month, Greg Taylor is once again ruled out against Killie.

Huge boost for Celtic

Considering just how impressive Haksabanovic had started to look for Celtic prior to the World Cup break, the news that the winger finally appears to be available for selection once again is undoubtedly a huge boost for Postecoglou and his side.

Indeed, over his 11 games in the Premiership so far this season – only five of which have come as starts – the £1.75m summer signing has highly impressed going forwards, scoring three goals, registering one assist and creating four big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.2 shots, making 1.4 key passes and completing 0.4 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the £5m-rated forward average a simply sensational Sofascore match rating of 7.17, ranking him not only as Postecoglou’s sixth-best performer in the league but also as the 11th-best player in the entire Premiership.

Furthermore, after a haul of three goals – including a brace in a 4-2 win over Dundee United and the winner in a 2-1 victory over Ross County – in November, the Montenegro international was named the Premiership Player of the Month – demonstrating just how effective the 23-year-old can be when fully fit and firing for the Bhoys.

As such, Haksabanovic’s return ahead of today’s semi-final is most certainly fantastic news for Postecoglou, as the forward’s availability undoubtedly provides the Celtic coach with another hugely impressive attacking option as the Hoops aim to reach the final of the Viaplay Cup.

Chelsea unearthed a diamond this summer, but failed to get their hands on their gem when the transfer of Dynamo Moscow’s Arsen Zakharyan to Stamford Bridge collapsed due to external forces.

Indeed, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the consequent sporting sanctions imposed on the country and Russian athletes, the acquisition slipped into the puddle after agreeing upon a £12.6m fee.

Since then, the Evening Standard recently revealed that the Blues have maintained their concrete interest that arrived in the summer.

Speaking to Sport24, the player said: “I immediately discovered that I wanted to go. “I do not dismiss the option of returning [to Dynamo] on loan but at least I would try myself [at Chelsea], then I’ll be back. Maybe it would be possible to start playing there right away.

“I hope that the negotiations will continue in the winter and they will lead somewhere.”

Lampard 2.0

The blistering form that struck Zakharyan into prominence like a lightning bolt truly took shape last year, when the ace struck nine goals and nine assists from 34 appearances in Russia, earning plaudits for his destructive nature despite his tender age.

This season, the 19-year-old has plundered three goals and six assists from 22 appearances, and the offensive-minded midfielder is beginning to display the promising signs of a world-class budding talent.

With that in mind, one can only imagine the creative energy he might nurture and develop at Chelsea, perhaps emulating the iconic success of another forward-thinking midfielder named Frank Lampard.

Lampard, who went on to have a managerial stint with the Blues after his tremendous playing career, scored 211 goals and assisted 145 more across 648 appearances for the west London giants, basking in a prosperous footballing journey that left him with a wealth of major honours including three Premier League trophies, the Champions League and four FA Cup triumphs.

If Zakharyan can harness his “exciting potential” – as lauded by Bence Bocsak – then he could go on to forge a very successful career indeed with the Blues, flourishing under the tutelage of Graham Potter, who knows a trick or two about man management.

As per Sofascore, the maestro has recorded an average rating of 7.33 in the Russian Premier Liga this term, taking 1.3 shots per game and displaying his creative flair with 2.7 key passes.

Creative and possessing a dangerous eye for goal, Zakharyan certainly shows plenty of shades of Lampard, arriving late in the penalty area from his central berth to beat the goalkeeper on an all too regular basis.

Quite simply, he would be a fine addition to a Chelsea team at the beginning of a new dawn, an offensive centrepiece from the middle of the park to craft a career that could ascend him to the very top, with Chelsea reaping the rewards.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has ‘great interest’ in signing Real Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqi in January.

The Lowdown: Muriqi impressing for Mallorca

The 28-year-old joined Mallorca from Lazio during the summer transfer window, having initially enjoyed a spell on loan at the La Liga side last season.

Muriqi has hit the ground running at his current club, scoring eight goals in just 12 league starts in 2022/23 to date, as well as netting five times in six outings for Kosovo in the UEFA Nations League.

While the towering 6ft4in attacker has only recently joined Mallorca, another switch could potentially be on the cards.

The Latest: Emery keen on signing

According to a report from Spain [via Sport Witness], Villa and Sevilla are the ‘most insistent’ clubs when it comes to potential interest in Muriqi and Emery sees the Kosovan as a ‘great option’ to add to his attack.

It is stated that the player is currently happy at Mallorca, however, which could prove to be a possible stumbling block.

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The Verdict: Upgrade on current options?

Muriqi could be an inspired signing if Villa managed to get a deal over the line, enhancing an area of the pitch that has arguably looked weak at times this season.

Danny Ings leads the Villans’ Premier League scoring charts with just five goals to date, while Ollie Watkins has really struggled for form, bagging just twice.

If Villa come in with a sizeable offer for Muriqi, who has scored 119 goals during his career for club and country, it will be interesting to see if Mallorca consider a sale – his record this season suggests he could be a great addition to Emery’s side, bringing aerial prowess and proven end product in a top European league.