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Speaking exclusively to Transfer Tavern, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer has defended Tottenham forward Gareth Bale after his recent comments about leaving the club at the end of the season.

The 31-year-old joined the north London outfit on a loan deal from Real Madrid in the last summer transfer window, and he has since confirmed that he plans to return to the Santiago Bernabeu once the 2020/21 campaign ends.

These comments, particularly the ones made about getting his fitness back up at White Hart Lane ahead of the Euros, have not gone down well, with Bale’s former Spurs team-mate Jamie O’Hara not impressed with what he has heard.

Discussing the matter on talkSPORT, O’Hara went as far as to say Bale was being disrespectful. Palmer, however, disagrees and has come out to defend the Wales international in an exclusive interview with TT:

“He was always going on loan. He was leaving Real Madrid because he wanted games, as simple as it is. I think what he said has been taken out of context because he’s only gone on loan to Spurs for one season, so what he said is he will be returning back to Real Madrid, which is where his parent club is. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”

On the same subject, the ex-England international also added:

“On the basis of what’s happened [this season], I think even Tottenham really wouldn’t be interested in doing a permanent deal on the salary he’s on for another year.”

After this season, Bale will only have one year left on his Real Madrid contract, so the forward’s long-term future does not appear to be at the Bernabeu as things stand.

Many Everton fans have flocked to a transfer update from Fabrizio Romano on Moise Kean.As per a tweet from the Italian football journalist and transfer guru, Paris Saint Germain are currently ‘working’ to sign him on a permanent deal from the Goodison Park faithful in the summer window after his loan deal expiresKean himself is also unsure over where his near future lies, speaking after his side knocked holders Bayern Munich out of the Champions League.The former Juventus ace has been enjoying a very good season at PSG, with no fewer than 16 goals scored in 33 games in total over all competitions so far (Transfermarkt).However, he has been far less productive for the Merseyside club, netting a mere four times in 37 matches across two consecutive terms (Transfermarkt).Whether the striker could replicate his form in Paris for the Toffees is unknown, but it has certainly caused a debate over whether they should keep him after his loan expires. Everton fans on Romano’s Kean transfer update

These Blues were split on Twitter over whether they should keep or sell the 21-year-old after reading Romano’s transfer update:

“Farewell Moise, thanks for getting us money for you”Credit: @ElyodMada

“Not the Everton news I wanted Fab ngl”

Credit: @adamsg1878

“Hope we cash in on him and get a quality winger. He’s surplus to requirements at Everton.”

Credit: @MainManMina

“Keep him if we sell make sure it’s a high amount and not get ripped off”

Credit: @stepheneverton

“Vamos Marcel, £50m minimum.”

Credit: @exiledtoffee

“Disrespectful”

Credit: @evertonclip

In other news, find out what injury update has been lauded by EFC supporters here!

A number of Aston Villa supporters have been heaping praise on teenage midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka following his impressive FA Youth Cup display on Tuesday evening.

The 17-year-old, who signed a professional deal at Villa Park back in October, scored three times in the club’s 6-1 win over Newcastle United.

Chukwuemeka netted his second and third goals in the space of three minutes in the second half to ensure Villa would advance to the semi-finals, where they will face local rivals West Brom.

The Englishman, capable of playing as a defensive, central or attacking midfielder, was the star of the show at St James’ Park, and his performance caught the eyes of hundreds of Villa supporters on social media.

Villa fans react

The club kept fans up to date during the quarter-final on their official Twitter page.

As to be expected, the news of Chukwuemeka’s hat-trick had a number of supporters talking, with one labelling the youngster’s potential as ‘insane’.

“I’ve seen enough play him on Saturday”

Credit: @catrinedwards18

“Silly”

Credit: @AVFCharvey04

“This lad is gonna be insane”

Credit: @TomLiversage

“Send Barkley back to Chelsea and start this man, baller”

Credit: @PearsallHarry

“It’s a joke. Please get him in the team”

Credit: @_Whittall

“Omg man this guy is unstoppable.”

Credit: @LukeKing_

In other news: Aston Villa outcast a shock target for European giants, find out more here. 

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who scored 306 goals for Wolves, believes Nelson Semedo will become as good as Matt Doherty was at Molineux, especially once he gets this season out the way.

Both full-backs have struggled for consistency this season with Semedo not offering the same goal threat and assist potential as Doherty did for a number of years for Wolves, and the Republic of Ireland international has struggled for regular minutes at Tottenham Hotspur only starting 13 Premier League games.

In 302 games for Wolves, Doherty managed to get 28 goals and 41 assists as a wing-back, and he quickly became one of the most clinical defenders in the opposition box but has not settled into a full-back role under Jose Mourinho.

Speaking on Doherty leaving Molineux and his hopes for Semedo’s future, Bull told FFC exclusively:

“I’m not really surprised at his lack of matches because I think he’s been injured a few times, but he is a very good player and if you need an outlet player then he’ll push up on the right-hand side like a winger rather than a full back.

“It used to be as soon as Coady got the ball he would be looking for that 40-yard pass out wide to Doherty and he’d knock it into his path and all of sudden he’d be in a shooting position.

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

“So, you know we were sad to see him go but Semedo has come in and I think if he can get this season out the way with, then I think he’ll be on the same level as what Doherty was.”

In 26 Premier League appearances, Semedo, who reportedly earns £77,000-a-week, has registered just one assist which could be down to the fact Raul Jimenez has been injured since November, but Wolves fans will be hoping for more next season.

The Portuguese international was seen as a good and equally player to replace Doherty when he joined Spurs, but the £37 million signing hasn’t proved his worth yet.

Dean Windass spoke exclusively to Football FanCast about Manchester City signing a new striker this summer but believes Romelu Lukaku is not on their radar, amid reports in The Athletic that he could be a summer target.

The Belgian has been a revelation at Inter Milan after departing Manchester United having not been fully appreciated by fans or a lot of pundits.

Lukaku has been in red hot form in Milan finding the net 41 times and teeing up his teammates eight times in 59 games establishing himself as one of the world’s deadliest strikers, with 29 goals in 36 games this term.

Pep Guardiola has had to manage his side without Sergio Aguero for the majority of the last 12 months as well as Gabriel Jesus for chunks of this season, but that hasn’t slowed his side down.

Which raises the question, do City need a new striker, especially one like Lukaku who is a completely different striker to both Aguero and Jesus?

City seem to be well rounded and built team at the moment so adding a different type of striker may disturb that balance, or may turn them into an unstoppable force.

However, Dean Windass told Football FanCast he can’t see Lukaku at the Etihad anytime soon.

He said: “No, he won’t be on Pep’s list. If he buys Lukaku it’ll be a swap buy as I think Jesus will leave.

“I’m not sure on the situation with Aguero but I think he’ll leave.

“They say he’s a great player (Jesus) and I’m not saying he isn’t a great player, because he is. He’s just not in the same bracket as Aguero.

“If Lukaku is on the lips of Pep he’ll be a squad player.”

It may be a difficult sell to the Belgian to come and be a squad player and likely get rotated quite frequently while he’s at Inter Milan tearing up Serie A and has everyone sitting up and taking notice of his form.

City may be tempted to go in for Lukaku if he performs at this summer’s European Championships where Belgium will be one of the favourites with Man City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne pulling the strings.

Tottenham could potentially sign Jose Mourinho’s new Sergio Ramos by bringing in Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Spurs are after the Serbia international, and are keen on bringing him to the Premier League.

An update was delivered on their pursuit of the 6 foot 4 powerhouse by Italian publication CalcioMercato, who claim that Mourinho’s side, along with fellow Premier League giants Liverpool, have reached out to Milenkovic’s agents over a potential move.

The report adds that Manchester United also remain in the equation for his signature, and that Fiorentina also hold out hope they can tie him down to a new deal.

Mourinho’s new Ramos?

Throughout his illustrious managerial career, Mourinho has worked with some of the world’s best, not least Sergio Ramos in his time at Real Madrid.

The Spain international was one of the cornerstones of Madrid’s success in the early 2010s under Mourinho’s leadership, playing 137 times for him – the second-most he’s played for any manager, only behind current Los Blancos boss Zinedine Zidane.

Ramos was his leader on and off the pitch, and enjoyed some of his peak years under Mourinho’s management – he was named in FIFA’s World XI for three years in a row during the pair’s time at the Bernabeu.

Speaking back in 2012, the current Spurs boss remarked: “When Sergio is at his best, he gives me all that a defender has to give: security in defence, quality bringing the ball out, strength and set pieces, leadership. When he is in shape, he is one of the best.”

And in Milenkovic, Daniel Levy could unearth something incredibly similar. The Serbian is an absolute powerhouse in the centre of defence, averaging 1.5 tackles and 1.3 interceptions in Serie A this season – both stats in the top five among Fiorentina’s entire squad.

The £25.2m-rated titan has already earned rave reviews for his abilities and potential, being described as someone who is “fearless” and is a “beast”. Milenkovic has shown he could also develop into the leader Ramos is right now, having captained Fiorentina on a couple of occasions already this season, despite only being 23.

When Mourinho joined Madrid as manager in May 2010, Ramos was only 24 and was still trying to make his mark on world football. Milenkovic is in that similar age profile, and under the Spurs boss’ guidance, could develop into a superstar just like the Spaniard did.

Meanwhile, Spurs played a blinder by selling this man for £17m…

Mark Douglas has dropped a claim explaining what this week’s developments on beIN mean for the potential takeover of Newcastle United by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group.

As per a report from the Associated Press earlier this week, the Serie A is set to lose a lot of money due to the ongoing disputes between beIN and the KSA, as they gained a lot of revenue from the Qatari broadcaster.

Given that beIN is still banned in Saudi Arabia with the tensions still firmly high, added to the strong relationship that the Serie A has with the KSA, the Qatari broadcaster have ostracised the Italian top flight, even telling other countries not to bid for their TV rights.

Douglas has made a connection between this report and the potential takeover of the St. James’ Park faithful, given the previous issues that the Premier League have held with the KSA about streaming live fixtures from the division illegally, with beIN currently their sole provider in the Gulf region.

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, the football journalist has claimed that any issues with beIN ‘may well become a priority’ for the KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) if the pending arbitration case is a success for the Magpies.

Newcastle need beIN on their side

As Douglas suggests, assuming that PIF will come back to the table, the North East club will need to try and get beIN on their side in order to have the best chance of a takeover being completed by the Saudi consortium.

The unblocking of the Qatari broadcaster in the Kingdom may well go a long way in doing this, but that is not a formality given that there are clearly still tensions between the two Gulf countries.

In other news, find out which Toon-linked manager has been claimed could replace Steve Bruce at NUFC here!

Said Benrahma was David Moyes’ unsung hero as Jesse Lingard scored a brace on his West Ham United debut to help his new side beat Aston Villa 3-1 on Wednesday night.

Lingard joined the Irons on loan until the end of the season late in the winter market, having failed to play a second of Premier League football for Manchestr United this term.

Moyes wasted no time in introducing the 24-cap England international into his starting line-up, with the decision returning the Hammers’ second and third goals against Dean Smith’s Villans after Tomas Soucek opened the scoring with his eighth strike of the league campaign.

After a scoreless first half, Soucek broke the deadlock in the 51st minute when the Czech Republic international drilled the ball into the far corner of Emiliano Martinez’s net following a piece of superb link-up play between Michail Antonio and Benrahma.

Lingard soon hit Moyes’ men’s second of the night to make the visitors’ pressure count after they’d been dominating play for long periods of the game, and he later restored West Ham’s two-goal lead after Ollie Watkins pulled one back for his ninth goal of the top-flight campaign.

But, despite Lingard rightly getting plenty of attention after netting a debut double, Benrahma also shone brightly at Villa Park having played a pivotal role in the Irons’ attacking moves throughout the night, to leave Birmingham with a third assist of the league season as his wait for a maiden goal continues.

Benrahma registered his assist with a precision first-time pass threaded through the Villans backline for Soucek to score, while his decoy run allowed Antonio to find Lingard open on the edge of the Aston Villa penalty area to score his first of the night five minutes later.

Benrahma’s threaded pass left Aston Villa’s backline helpless, with Tyrone Mings only able to watch the ball roll through to Soucek to score. The £23,000-per-week maestro could have ended the night with further assists in his pocket, too, after recording three key passes – only Jack Grealish (4) created more goalscoring opportunities on Wednesday night, per WhoScored.

Not only was Benrahma creative with the ball at his feet, but Moyes further saw the £20m winger prove safe in possession with a 93% pass accuracy rating thanks to completing 28 of his 30 passes. No player who stared for either side completed a higher percentage of their passes than the 25-year-old.

The Algerian additionally came close to finally ending his Premier League goal drought and would have done just that had his volley gone a few inches lower.

Moyes would surely have loved what he saw from Benrahma at Villa Park as he linked up well with Lingard, who slotted in seamlessly to West Ham’s starting line-up, as the London Stadium natives closed to within two points of Liverpool after Jurgen Klopp’s side fell to defeat at home to Brighton.

AND in other news, West Ham eye future swoop for prolific £30m striker with “absolutely superb” movement…

When certain players make the jump from Championship football to the Premier League they suddenly become a liability.

There are some prime examples throughout the years, players who seemingly make a better career for themselves in the second tier.

You only need to look at Anthony Knockaert and Matej Vydra. The former has contributed to 72 goals in the Championship compared to just 12 in the Premier League. Vydra, meanwhile, has 87 goal involvements in the second tier. His record in the top-flight is just 12 as well.

This is similar for Helder Costa, a dynamic winger capable of ingenious moments. Those are all too infrequent, however.

The Portuguese is one of a number of players who haven’t managed to elevate their qualities on the big stage and is strikingly similar to Knockaert.

In the Championship for Wolves, he is a ball of energy and has provided 39 goal contributions at that level. In the Premier League, though, he’s scored twice and contributed four assists.

Costa is a man who has had a troublesome few years and it begs the question, why did Leeds spend £15m on him?

Considering his second-tier record, landing him on loan last season was certainly not a bad idea. However, he never really reached the dizzy heights he did in the Midlands, netting only five times in all competitions at Elland Road.

It was form that saw him mercilessly slated. Former Whites man Noel Whelan said: “Costa has much more to give. He has been a bystander at times. He needs to be far more involved and much more effective in his defensive play.”

The trouble is, Costa hasn’t given much more to this Leeds side.

His start to the 2020/21 campaign was actually fairly impressive. He assisted a goal against Liverpool on the opening weekend and then bagged twice versus Fulham just a week later. Since then, though, he has provided the one assist.

Clearly, Costa is being found out again. The 26-year-old hasn’t played since the defeat against West Ham and rumours are starting to circulate over his future. Kevin Phillips commented this week: “It is a big statement that he has not featured in the last two games. It suggests to me that come January, if there is an offer, Bielsa may look at it.”

Of course, it would be a drastic measure to sell so soon, but there are certainly reasons to agree with Phillips here.

The fact of the matter is that Leeds’ investment in Costa has been nothing short of a financial disaster. Once the season comes to an end, he will have cost Andrea Radrizzani in the region of £18m if you consider his yearly salary of £1.69m.

That means that if you divide the number of Leeds goals he has – six – by his overall value, he has set them back £3m per goal.

It’s evident why they could do with offloading Costa. He is bleeding the club dry.

AND in other news, Bielsa must UNLEASH “terrifying” Leeds prodigy who is “reminiscent of Gareth Bale”…

Tottenham Hotspur could continue a worrying January trend amid reports linking them with a move for a Premier League outcast…

What’s the word?

According to ESPN journalist Rob Dawson, Spurs are among the teams that have registered an interest in signing Manchester United ace Jesse Lingard this month.

The 28-year-old has dropped down the pecking order at Old Trafford this season but Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is yet to make a decision over his immediate future, despite his contract expiring in 18 months time.

It’s claimed that Lingard is desperate for regular game time having only featured three times so far this campaign.

Lewis Holtby Mk. II

Daniel Levy’s record in the winter transfer window is hardly encouraging, to say the least. Prime examples ranging from the likes of Danny Murphy, Louis Saha and Ryan Nelsen of yesteryear to more recently, Gedson Fernandes.

And a move for Lingard would certainly fall into this bracket as he’s just not needed whatsoever.

In some ways, there are comparisons to be had to the £1.5m signing of Lewis Holtby in 2012/13. Despite Andre Villas-Boas having a wealth of attacking midfield options at his disposal, Levy still sanctioned a move for the German maestro.

In reality, he was never going to start matches over Christian Eriksen, Aaron Lennon, Nacer Chadli, Paulinho or Gylfi Sigurdsson. Indeed, in his first full season in N17, Holtby was restricted to only eight top-flight starts before being loaned out to Fulham.

Each of the aforementioned quintet all started at least 14 matches that year.

Lingard is quite versatile and is able to play both on the wing and in the middle, but these are two areas that Mourinho has a wealth of riches, particularly on the right flank where there are three players (Lucas Moura, Steven Bergwijn & Gareth Bale) vying for one starting place alone.

He’s unlikely to usurp either of Tanguy Ndombele, who bagged his third goal of the season on Sunday, or a fit Giovani Lo Celso, so it really would be a pointless move this January, thus adding to a long list of previous winter failings.

The 28-year-old only started nine times last campaign and managed a mediocre 0.9 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per game, via WhoScored, which would rank him behind Heung-min Son and Harry Kane for chances created, and behind eight other Spurs players in terms of being a threat from wide areas.

We know that Mourinho is a massive fan of Lingard from their time together at United. He once dubbed him “magic” whilst the 24-time England international enjoyed his best returns under the ‘Special One’ by providing 20 goals and 11 assists under his stewardship, more than any other Red Devils boss.

But despite all that, it would be a waste of money to swoop for the £90k-per-week misfit, he’d only go onto become another Holtby rather than the next Teddy Sheringham.

Levy must avoid this deal at all costs.

AND in other news, Forget Lingard: Mourinho should turn to teen prodigy with a “HUGE future”…