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Crystal Palace have a big summer ahead as numerous players are out of contract, and it looks like they are preparing for that upheaval already, with Osaze Urhoghide the latest name linked.

The latest on Osaze Urhoghide

According to Football League World, a whole host of Premier League clubs, including the Eagles, are keeping tabs on his situation as his contract is currently due to expire in the summer.

This could be a good signing for the club

The 20-year-old defender started to emerge from the Sheffield Wednesday academy at the end of last season and has featured 12 times for the Owls since making his first-team debut in January 2020 (Transfermarkt). Ten of these appearances have been in the Championship.

A young defender is just what Palace need, as all their current centre-backs who have featured this season are over the age of 30, with Cahill the oldest at the age of 35 (Transfermarkt).

Urhoghide could be a risky signing as he is only just starting to emerge into senior football at a lower level, but if they can get him on a free, then it seems like a no-brainer as they can get a real idea of if he can make it at the highest level, and if the answer is no there could still be profit in selling him back to the second tier.

In other news, these Palace fans reacted to this update!

According to reports, Leeds United are one of the sides interested in signing Real Madrid ace Lucas Vazquez this summer, and he could prove to be the ideal replacement if the linked-away Raphinha does end up leaving Elland Road.

What’s the story?

The Spain international’s contract at the Santiago Bernabeu is expiring come the end of the season, and it appears he looks set for an exit from the European giants.

According to Deportes Cuatro, Marcelo Bielsa’s side are ready to take advantage of the contract stalemate between Vazquez and Madrid, and swoop in on a potential free transfer.

The report claims that Vazquez doesn’t want to decide his next club in the summer, and is keen on making a decision in March, with the likes of Leeds, Everton, Napoli and Milan all interested in signing him.

Bargain replacement for Raphinha

While Leeds fans will undoubtedly be buzzing at seeing Raphinha continue to produce eye-catching displays week-in and week-out following his arrival last summer – his latest seeing him net a stunning free-kick against Southampton on Tuesday night – it’s inevitable that some of European football’s heavyweights are keeping a close eye on him.

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that reigning Premier League champions Liverpool have been blown away by his progress, and are assessing him as a target ahead of a potential summer move for him.

If the Brazilian does end up leaving Elland Road after just one season, clinching Vazquez on a free transfer would be a fairly shrewd move to make. Not only would owner Andrea Radrizzani not have to pay a penny in signing him in terms of a transfer fee, but he would be getting someone with tonnes of experience at the highest level with both Madrid and Spain.

Vazquez has played Champions League football year-in and year-out at the Bernabeu, and the £155k-a-week earning speedster would offer this Leeds side plenty of know-how and insight.

If the Whites do have to wave goodbye to Raphinha in the summer, then Vazquez should be considered a serious option to replace him.

With Celtic stuck in a terrible rut this season, there is surely only one solution; sacking Neil Lennon.

The Northern Irishman has stated that he won’t depart Parkhead unless he’s given the boot which judging by the hierarchy’s support for him, seems far-fetched.

A plethora of names have been linked with the hot seat with Rafa Benitez and Frank Lampard being talked up in recent weeks.

Though, one name mentioned in November was former RB Leipzig boss Ralf Rangnick. Derek Rae commented that in order for Celtic to bring him to Glasgow, he needed to be appealed by the project.

He’s already rejected Chelsea so a move to Scotland is surely within the realms of fantasy, certainly for the time being.

Though, if he does eventually replace Lennon, he could be game-changing for Christopher Jullien. The 62-year-old is one of the most meticulous coaches about and was the pioneer behind the modern-day press. His teams must win the ball back within eight seconds of losing it if they are to be successful.

It’s a style of play that has been adopted right across Europe with many of the world’s best teams – Liverpool and Bayern Munich for example – using it to their advantage.

He also has a particular favouritism towards set-pieces. Writing on the Coaches Voice, Rangnick declared that you needed all five elements of football to be the best. One of those elements was set-plays.

“Set-pieces, both in offence and defence. More than 30 per cent of goals are being scored from corners, free-kicks and penalties,” he wrote.

A third of training isn’t dedicated to their practice but with Rangnick that is different. So, why could the manager turn Jullien into a star?

Well, he has a habit of scoring goals from set-pieces. The Frenchman scored seven times last term following his £7m switch and his ability to find the net has been well noted by Lennon.

He said last term: “When we looked at Jullien, scoring goals was something we thought he could do in Scotland and Europe. He’s a threat and he has worked on it as he wants to get on the end of things.”

“He’s brave and puts his head on things in both boxes.”

Celtic have scored the joint-most goals from set-pieces this season (11) and that’s without putting a strict focus on it. Coincidentally, that’s also come in a campaign where Jullien has spent a large portion out injured.

Rangnick may have been described as a “very demanding” coach by former RB Salzburg CEO Jochen Sauer but the intricate details and clever philosophies he uses are phenomenal. The way RB Leipzig have developed, he helped change the face of the football club.

He could very much do the same at Celtic, and in turn, make Jullien even better and help him reach a new level. Rangnick is a must-have coach for majority shareholder Dermot Desmond.

AND in other news, Celtic could fix a big problem by hiring manager who left Rodgers “really impressed”…

According to L’Equipe, Arsenal are one of the clubs interested in signing Marseille left-back Jordan Amavi.

What’s the story?

With Sead Kolasinac’s long-term future at Mikel Arteta’s side up in the air given that he joined Schalke on loan in the January transfer window, the Gunners are without a natural left-back as cover for Kieran Tierney.

The Premier League side have chopped and changed between Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Cedric as the Scotland international’s back-up, so it’s no surprise that French publication L’Equipe claim that Arsenal have joined the likes of Napoli and Crystal Palace in the race to sign Amavi.

The Frenchman is out of contract at Marseille come the end of the season and would thus be able to join on a free transfer, with the report adding that the Ligue 1 side’s negotiations with Amavi over a new contract have stalled.

Arsene Wenger wanted him

Being French and a rising talent in Ligue 1, it’s no surprise that former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was reported to be interested in Amavi back in the summer of 2015 (Mercato365 via The Hard Tackle).

The Gunners eventually lost out to fellow Premier League side Aston Villa for his signing, where the left-back played for just a couple of seasons before moving on to current side Marseille.

Since then, Amavi has been a consistent performer week-in and week-out for the Ligue 1 giants, averaging a Whoscored match rating of over 7 in three out of the four seasons – in fact, this campaign has seen him average an impressive 7.17 match rating, which ranks him first in the entire Marseille squad.

Speaking back in 2017, the Frenchman himself said about his permanent move to Marseille: “I will bring my aggression and some speed. I like to battle, and my attacking play. I will do my best in the offence, but first of all in the defence. I want to win as many duels as possible and get the ball as much as possible.”

Given that he will be available on a free transfer, Amavi would represent a bargain signing for the Gunners as they look for a back-up to established first-choice Tierney.

Amidst the financial situation facing most clubs around the world, the Kroenke family will be very pleased if Arsenal can address a key issue in their squad without actually having to splash the cash.

Meanwhile, Arsenal can sign their next Ashley Cole in this Premier League starlet…

Many Crystal Palace fans are reacting to a tweet from respected journalist Fabrizio Romano in which he discusses the likelihood of Jean-Philippe Mateta signing for the club.

Following a lot of talk about the Bundesliga forward being close to signing for the Eagles, Romano all but confirmed the rumours were true. He tweeted: ‘Jean-Philippe Mateta joins Crystal Palace on loan until 2022 with obligation to buy [around €17m] as per @domfifield, confirmed. He turned down two bids from Italian clubs and will sign for #CPFC tomorrow – medicals pending. Here-we-go soon.’

The Frenchman is 23 years-old and has been in great form this season with Mainz (WhoScored). He has played 18 times in all competitions and picked up 11 goals and one assist, with seven of these goals coming in the Bundesliga. The £13.5m-valued striker also has featured for the France U21 side in the past (Transfermarkt), scoring three goals in nine appearances. Many fans are buzzing over the news, with one calling the possible transfer ‘exciting’.

It is understandable to see why the fan base are getting excited. Strikers Christian Benteke, Jordan Ayew, and Michy Batshuayi have only scored four goals between them this season (WhoScored), so some fresh blood could be exactly what the club need to strengthen the attack and help push the Eagles up the table.

Here is how Palace fans reacted to the Romano tweet:

“Exciting singing for us #CPFC”

Credit: @palacedann

“FAB IS BACKKKK”

Credit: @DrizzyCPFC

“Well that was quick”

Credit: @EBERZEE

“If this man said my twin brother wasn’t my real brother, I’d believe him. Get excited. One step away from here-we-go territory…”

Credit: @acjonesy1

“Here we gooooo”

Credit: @BaileyCPFC_

“Woah this is actually a very exciting signing for us”

Credit: @ChristianEagleO

In other news, many Crystal Palace fans slated one player who lost possession 22 times over his performance versus Manchester City.

For one Leeds player, the clash against Burnley was pretty similar to the one against Manchester United.

Although the Whites conceded six in that match and kept a clean sheet on Sunday, Illan Meslier still endured a very busy afternoon.

The French goalkeeper suffered from a barrage on his goal in the closing moments of the encounter and was under what felt like constant pressure with balls into the area.

Yet, unlike against United, he came through it with flying colours. Meslier shipped six last time out but still made eight saves. This time, he didn’t concede at all on his way to producing six stops.

The tall ‘keeper did have some particularly nervy moments, passages of play where we really saw his age shine through. The 20-year-old lacks experience but makes up for it with plenty of courage and bravery.

He was very fortunate not to have conceded to Ashley Barnes. In the first half the Frenchman leapt into Ben Mee yet somehow the foul went Leeds’ way, rather than Burnley’s. The Clarets striker had stuck the ball in the net but it was swiftly ruled out.

Fortunately, Meslier went from strength to strength from that moment onwards. He won 83.3% of the duels he contested in the air, meaning he lost just one. He also came up with some colossal moments when it really mattered, making five punches and producing four saves from efforts at goal inside the area.

Leeds’ goalkeeper was colossal and proved exactly why he’s the club’s number one. With the clock running down he stood firm and commanded his area to perfection.

This was a display that proved exactly why he’s the club’s number one. It took courage from Bielsa to select such a young player over Kiko Casilla – a former Real Madrid goalkeeper – but his inclusion in every league match this season is more than warranted.

In the words of Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Graham Smyth, Meslier “feels almost illegal” because of his meagre £5m price tag. Considering his quality, he should have cost a lot more.

It was top drawer business from Leeds.

AND in other news, Leeds gem who made just 10 passes all day will have Bielsa raging…

Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson must consider axing Denver Hume from his starting line-up after the Black Cats product offered a wasteful showing against Ipswich Town in Tuesday night’s 2-1 victory.

Parkinson opted to hand Hume his ninth start of the League One season at home to the Tractor Boys, with the 22-year-old retaining his spot on the left-flank for a fifth game in succession having only sat out October’s 2-0 win away to Swindon Town to date.

Hume has consistently had the backing of Parkinson across all competitions this term, with the Northumberland-born youngster also yet to be substituted when fielded in the third-tier, EFL Trophy or EFL Cup, despite scoring his only goal of the campaign in the Papa John’s Trophy against Carlisle and assisting efforts in league meetings with Peterborough and Portsmouth.

The natural full-back failed to strike his first league goal of the season against Ipswich after providing a wasteful display as Sunderland strived to secure back-to-back wins, while occasionally being caught out defensively to leave Tom Flanagan exposed against Alan Judge and Teddy Bishop.

Tuesday night’s clash with Ipswich at the Stadium of Light was not the first occasion where Hume has struggled to impress against the Tractor Boys, either, with former Black Cats boss Jack Ross forced to substitute the 22-year-old during the break at Portman Road last season.

“I said to him after Ipswich when he was taken off and didn’t play well that it was how you respond to it,” Ross said, via quotes by the Chronicle. “To be a professional footballer for the next 10, 15 years he’s going to have to do that.

“We knew how we wanted to play on Saturday [against Wimbledon], and we knew our full-backs would get out and I thought it was important we had that balance on that side of the pitch. We knew we’d have him high up the park and that’s where his strengths are.

“To be able to do it at 20-years-old was good, pleasing and he’ll be able to take confidence from that. I’m pleased he had a good performance because it was a difficult couple of games for him. He’s a young man still and it’s great to see him take opportunities and play well.”

Hume was unable to demonstrate his offensive strengths against Ipswich in his latest meeting with the Tractor Boys, as the Sunderland product could only win two of his 11 duels – both coming from nine attempted ground battles – and delivered just one accurate cross from five attempts, per SofaScore.

His efforts ensured the natural left-back recorded the lowest match rating by a starting member of the Sunderland XI at 6.3 out of 10, having also lost possession 17 times, committed one foul, attempted zero efforts on goal, attempted just one dribble, offered no tackles or interceptions and completed a lowly 14 passes.

One of Hume’s 18 attempted passes that did find a teammate led Sunderland to having a shot on goal, while also completing each of his three long balls and registering three clearances. But Parkinson will need to see a great deal more from the 22-year-old in training if the Black Cats boss intends to field him against Mansfield Town in Saturday’s FA Cup clash.

Benching Hume after a poor showing against Ipswich could see Parkinson benefit in a likewise manner to how Ross profited upon his return to the starting line-up against Wimbledon in 2019, though, with the 22-year-old failing to vividly impress since September’s victory over Peterborough when he assisted the sole goal of the affair.

AND in other news, a Sunderland ace Phil Parkinson labelled as “accomplished” has delivered the Black Cats a fraught reminder.

An expert on matters in the Middle East has made a big revelation regarding a possible takeover of Newcastle United by Sheikh Khaled bin Saqr Zayed al-Nayhan.

As per The Independent, his name was first mentioned in football circles when he was involved in takeover attempts at both St. James’ Park and Liverpool, and now, it looks like he is set to complete a purchase of Derby County.

When asked about the realistic expectations that Rams fans should have once Sheik Khaled completes the takeover of the EFL Championship club, Middle East expert Dr Kristian Ulrichsen of Rice University claimed:

“Let’s be brutally honest, maybe he’s found his level. He’s not been able to play in the big league, the Premier League. He might have gone down. There might be other reasons, he could have found a business partner in the Midlands.

“But having gone for Liverpool and Newcastle, and obviously not being the name that had been thought, he could have found his level.”

Newcastle takeover by Sheik Khaled unrealistic

Indeed, as Dr Ulrichsen suggests, perhaps a takeover in the North East by Sheik Khaled was unrealistic.

He failed with takeovers of both the Tyneside club and Liverpool, who are both very much established teams in the top flight.

On the other hand, Derby are lingering right at the bottom of the Championship table, and it looks as if the takeover of the Rams by Sheik Khaled will indeed go ahead.

Perhaps this kind of club is around his level as suggested, as he will now look to build them up and help them return to England’s highest division alongside the likes of the Magpies and the current EPL champions.

Is a Newcastle takeover still possible?

Indeed, if not from Sheik Khaled, a takeover at the Toon is still very much a possibility. The Saudi Sports Minister fairly recently claimed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) would still look into the opportunity of taking over at NUFC.

Nonetheless, any hope of a takeover by Sheik Khaled seems dead in the water now as he has now set his sights set on Derby instead.

In other news, find out why takeover hopes may potentially be boosted here!

West Bromwich Albion are closing in on yet another signing and it is one that Luke Dowling has worked his magic over…

What’s the word?

According to the Express & Star, the Baggies have been negotiating over a deal to sign Huddersfield Town striker Karlan Grant as Slaven Bilic appears to finally be poised to land his man.

It’s claimed Albion would only have to pay a £5m loan fee upfront with a remaining £13m to come next summer should the Baggies keep their place in the Premier League.

Money is tight at the Hawthorns with the likes of Branislav Ivanovic coming in for free and Filip Krovinovic returning on loan.

Dowling masterclass

This is simply quite incredible business by the West Brom chief as he’s landed Bilic a new striker for a fraction of the price expected.

The 23-year-old is yet to feature this season amid uncertainty over his future but last season, he was one of the Terriers’ few bright sparks – per WhoScored, Grant bagged 19 goals and provided four assists in 43 appearances, also averaging 2.6 shots, 1.2 key passes and 1.1 dribbles each game.

It very much makes him seem like the perfect solo striker in Bilic’s system, someone who can bring others into play aside from finding the net himself regularly.

His former Charlton boss Lee Bowyer reinforces such a claim, suggesting Grant “causes problems and scores goals,” which is backed up by current teammate Tommy Elphick who believes “he’s got the world at his feet” and has “got everything.”

For an initial £5m, this move has all the hallmarks of being an absolute bargain – even more so if he keeps them up, the club will be quick to pay the rest of the fee next summer that’s for sure.

Callum Robinson can’t be the man to lead the line, especially if the likes of Charlie Austin and Kenneth Zohore aren’t in the Croatian’s plans.

Say bye to the former Saints man, it’s Grant season at the Hawthorns.

AND in other news, West Brom plotting shock move for former Premier League monster…

Conor Coady had a dream game against Wales on Thursday evening after his 53rd minute strike opened up his international portfolio.

The Liverpool-born defender doubled England’s lead over their British rivals after Dominic Calvert-Lewin broke the deadlock with a diving header. Gary Lineker has praised the “admired” 27-year-old in a recent tweet, after Coady and his teammates emphatically celebrated his first goal for his country.

Wolves must tie Coady down

Since joining the club in 2015, the centre-back has risen into the spotlight as he continues to drive Wolves forward. Nuno Espirito Santo will be delighted with their recent run of form, if not disappointed to just miss out on a top six finish last season. Coady played every minute of Premier League football last term, proving to be untouchable in the heart of the club’s defence.

He helped pull off some incredible results, including a 2-0 win over then reigning champions Manchester City. Adama Traore was on song with a brace, but Coady equally grafted hard to ensure their blistering attack was kept at bay. Sergio Aguero, who finished the 2018/19 season on 21 goals, behind the triple Golden Boot winners from that season by just one (via Premier League), couldn’t get a sniff.

According to SofaScore, Aguero failed to register a single shot on target and made just nine accurate passes in 90 minutes. On the other end, Coady provided an impressive nine clearances, one tackle and completed 100% of his attempted duels.

Now he’s made a splash with his England goal, other clubs could have had their heads turned in his direction. The Fosun Group simply cannot allow their captain to be tempted by another team and must do what they can to keep him at Molineux.

In other news, Wolves make plans for the future with new Niall Ennis contract…