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Crystal Palace attacker Eberechi Eze was in contention to be called up to Gareth Southgate’s standby list for the European Championship over the summer, according to Michael Bridge.

The Lowdown: Impressive debut season

Eze caught the eye of many Premier League clubs after scoring 14 goals and setting up another eight for QPR in the 2019/20 season and Palace won the fight to sign him as they paid just under £20m for him last summer.

The 23-year-old was involved in 10 goals in 34 appearances in his debut Premier League season, but it was curtained in the worst possible manner as he injured his Achilles in training with only two games remaining at the end of the campaign.

He hasn’t featured yet this season under Patrick Vieira, but he will be hoping to continue his impressive start to life in the Premier League when he fully recovers from that setback.

The Latest: England call-up was in the pipeline

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Bridge has made an astonishing claim about Eze and Southgate’s squad prior to Euro 2020 this summer, saying that the £18m-rated maestro was on the fringes of getting the call-up for the Three Lions for the tournament.

The Sky Sports journalist said: “Eze, I was told was potentially going to be on the England standby list for the Euros, the way he was playing.”

The Verdict: Still on the cards

Eze’s performances last season were often the shining light in a dreary campaign for Palace. His transition from the Championship to the Premier League seemed to be easy and his four goals and six assists were influential in Roy Hodgson keeping them up in his final year in charge.

With Wilfried Zaha and now Michael Olise in Vieira’s squad, Palace seem to be on the up with their attacking, high-pressing football and it could suit Eze perfectly. If he can come back and rediscover the goal contribution returns he produced prior to his injury, then a call-up to Southgate’s squad won’t be too far away.

With the 2022 World Cup still more than a year away, Eze has time to recover, get back into the Eagles’ XI and do all he can to be potentially called up to represent his nation on the biggest stage. It would be just reward after so cruelly being deprived of partaking in England’s Euro 2020 adventure.

In other news, a rumour linking this Premier League midfielder to Palace has one pundit puzzled. Find out more here.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in West Ham forward Jarrod Bowen…

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Dean Jones has tipped the Toon to make a move for the English winger, although he believes that they will not be the only club interested in snapping him up from the London Stadium.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I can definitely see them trying to (sign Bowen). I think Jarrod Bowen is going to be a player that comes onto a few radars over the summer.”

The Hammers reportedly value the attacker in the region of £75m, amid interest from Liverpool, but it remains to be seen how much money PIF are willing to splash on him.

St. James’ Park would be rocking

Eddie Howe can get St. James’ Park rocking by securing a deal to sign the winger as he would be a major addition to the squad and be a signal of intent to the rest of the division.

He has been dubbed as an “unbelievable” player by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and journalist Joe Prince-Wright hailed him as “inspiring” earlier this month – citing his rise from non-league football. 

Unbelievable is what he would be for the Toon as he has proven himself in the Premier League and Europa League for the Hammers. In Europe, he has three goals and one assist in four starts – scoring in a crucial quarter-final clash with Lyon earlier this week to send David Moyes’ side through to the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, domestically this season, he has produced nine goals and eight assists in 29 matches whilst averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.07.

For context, no Newcastle player has more than six goals or three assists and Kieran Trippier – who has played four games – is the only player with a higher average rating. This means that Bowen would be an immediate upgrade on what Howe currently has to work with in the final third, both in terms of finding the back of the net and creating chances to score.

Therefore, St. James’ Park would be rocking with the arrival of Bowen as he would come in as the star of the attack heading into the 2022/23 campaign. He can be the player to spearhead their forward line to help them push up the Premier League table and compete in the top half instead of battling against relegation.

However, it is now down to PIF and Howe to splash the cash and then convince the Englishman to make the switch…

AND in other news,  “Howe would..”: Craig Hope issues major NUFC claim that’ll leave supporters buzzing…

Celtic have made contact with Jeando Fuchs regarding a deal to bring the 24-year-old to Parkhead.

What’s the talk?

In a recent interview with French media outlet Foot Mercato, the Dundee United midfielder revealed that he is considering his options before making a concrete decision on his future at Tannadice, with the Cameroon international’s contract at the Premiership side set to expire at the end of the season.

Fuchs went on to claim that a number of clubs have already made contact with him regarding a potential switch next summer, including the likes of Celtic, Rangers, VfB Stuttgart, a plethora of EFL clubs and an unnamed Premier League side.

Regarding the interest in his services, the midfielder said: “I am at the end of my contract in May. I’m waiting to see something concrete and see if I have a choice to make at that time. I am not in a hurry.

“There has been contact with Blackpool, Peterborough and Wigan. Stuttgart have taken information since the summer. There has been contact from Celtic and Rangers as well, but nothing more. A Premier League club as well. England would be good.”

Disaster

While there are undeniable traits in Fuchs’ game that would suggest the defensively-minded midfielder is a very decent player in the middle of the park, whether or not the 24-year-old is up to the standard required to be a starter for Celtic is another matter altogether.

Indeed, over his 15 Premiership appearances so far this season, the £720k-rated man has made an average of two interceptions – the joint-highest in the league – 2.3 tackles – the joint eighth-most in the division – and won an impressive 5.8 duels per game.

However, the £3.1k-per-week midfielder’s passing – something that is an incredibly important factor in the way Ange Postecoglou likes his side to play – leaves a lot to be desired, with Fuchs completing a mere 20.9 passes – with a success rate of just 71% – per fixture.

It is more than likely this shortcoming that has contributed to the former Deportivo Alaves player averaging a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.74, ranking him as Thomas Courts’ 13th-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football.

As such, considering the options that Celtic currently have in his position, such as Ismaila Soro, Nir Bitton, Liam Shaw and James McCarthy, it would very much appear as if signing the man who the Dundee United boss dubbed a “top player” would be something of a disaster for Postecoglou, as the Cameroonian would not seem to be much of an upgrade – if any – on the current crop at Parkhead.

In other news: Ange can save millions with “Roy of the Rovers” who’s got a “big future at Celtic”

Fabrizio Romano has delivered an encouraging update on Harry Kane’s situation at Tottenham Hotspur…

What’s the word?

The renowned Italian transfer expert dropped a fresh behind-the-scenes claim about the 28-year-old on a recent episode of his ‘Here We Go’ podcast this week.

“I want to say that Harry Kane, now with Antonio Conte, is super happy, he’s super happy,” he revealed.

“A lot of rumours, but I don’t see him leaving in January – let’s see what happens in the summer. But the relationship with Conte is very good, they feel each other as important for the future of the project.

“So Harry Kane knows that if Tottenham will be back for Champions League football, Antonio Conte is the man to do it. And Harry Kane knows that now with this manager, this is the plan for Tottenham: to win and to be back in Champions League football.

“And Antonio Conte loves Harry Kane, as he always says in public and he told him in private many times, ‘you will be my striker’. So this is the message from Conte and he wants Kane to stay for the future.”

His form must return

The England international was at the centre of one of the summer transfer window’s biggest sagas as a move to Premier League champions Manchester City looked to be on the cards following Euro 2020.

However, the switch failed to materialise and Kane has just not looked the same since.

He has found the net just twice in the Premier League this season, with six of his nine goals across other competitions coming against lowly opposition in the Europa Conference League.

Perhaps surprisingly, Kane has been linked with an exit once again heading into next month as reports in Spain suggest that Real Madrid are keen, whilst Pep Guardiola retains interest from the summer.

But that has been refuted by Romano in his claims above and that should delight the Spurs boss heading into a crucial second half of the season.

The Italian head coach must get his leading striker firing on all cylinders once again and it is hugely encouraging to learn that the Englishman is actually “super happy” at the club, so surely the form will follow if his mind is in the right place now.

Spurs have a genuine shot at making the top four this season as the north London outfit occupy seventh place, just five points adrift of the benchmark with three games in hand.

Elsewhere, Conte’s side have advanced into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, so there’s once again a real chance at ending their barren run without silverware.

The 52-year-old needs Kane, so this latest behind-the-scenes development should leave him, and the Lilywhites faithful, absolutely buzzing.

AND in other news, Forget Bergwijn: £36m-rated Spurs “monster” with 76 touches ran the show vs West Ham…

Taking to Twitter, a number of West Ham fans have slammed the rumours suggesting that Andy Carroll could return to the club, following the news that he was pictured at the Hammers’ Rush Green training ground.

Shared by WestHamFans.org (via Claret & Hugh), images of former Hammers player Carroll at West Ham’s training ground have recently emerged, sparking rumours that he could be making a shock return to the club.

The 6 foot 3 striker made 142 appearances for the Hammers, scoring 34 goals during his tenure at the East London side.

In November last year, the 32-year-old joined Reading on a short-term contract. However, this contract has now expired, and the former Newcastle man is without a club. As a result, it remains to be seen what lies in the player’s imminent footballing future.

These West Ham fans react to the Carroll news

Club insider ExWHUemployee downplayed the rumours of Carroll’s return on Twitter, claiming that he has ‘been told the deal isn’t on’, further stating that he was ‘not sure why this Carroll rumour has so much legs’.

However, this still doesn’t explain why the player was pictured at the club’s training ground.

Consequently, fans flocked to the comments to share their disbelief, many slamming the club for entertaining such a prospect.

Here’s what some of them had to say:

“It’s baffling he is playing in the championship for a reason IMO even if we were in the bottom 4 it’s the wrong move and there are better options out there.”

Credit: @AshBarton70

“Don’t need to sign him ( we do need a striker). That’s a step backwards for us . Leave him in our history & move on .”

Credit: @SkeltonTony

“We’re desperate. That’s why hahahahaha”

Credit: @breggertelli

“Think it’s more about just how low our expectations still are!”

Credit: @richards_shaun

“Would be my last day as a West Ham fan”

Credit: @altgram

“Why on earth would they even consider it, are our fans deluded or something???”

Credit: @BKhammer1

[ad_pod ]Notts County confirmed the signing of Michael Doyle from Coventry City on Transfer Deadline Day.

The 37-year-old midfielder arrives at Meadow Lane with the Magpies mired at the foot of the League Two table. Neal Ardley will be hoping that the veteran’s experience and leadership can help his side claw their way to survival before the end of the campaign.Â

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

Doyle certainly brings plenty of experience to the table, having spent much of his career at Championship level. He also brings quality though, and he’ll provide an extra level of calmness and tenacity to the middle of the park for Notts County.

Doyle is something of a Coventry legend, and the leadership he showed at the Ricoh Arena is something that’s been missing at Meadow Park. Ardley will be looking to Doyle to rally his side and restore some confidence in the dressing room, as it’ll be needed if Notts County are to succeed in escaping the drop out of the Football League.

After Doyle’s signing was made official, plenty of County fans took to Twitter to celebrate…

Leeds United could sign themselves a huge Dan James upgrade in Villareal flier Arnaut Danjuma.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent months had suggested that the winger had caught the eye of several Premier League clubs, including the Whites, but it was Villareal who eventually won the race for his signature.

However, it’s since been claimed in recent weeks that Marcelo Bielsa’s side have had scouts watching the Dutchman this season, including monitoring him during his side’s Champions League clash against Manchester United.

Speaking to This is Futbol about the fresh links to Danjuma, former Leeds man Carlton Palmer said: “He’s an exciting player. He’s got flair, he’s got pace and he scores goals. He scored 17 goals in the Championship and I think he’s got six in all competitions so far. But I just don’t see where Leeds would have the money to bring him in.

“He certainly fits the model that Bielsa is looking for, you know, in the way he plays, that he’s 24 years of age, so everything works.”

Upgrade on Dan James

The former Cherries speedster netted 17 goals and provided another eight assists in all competitions last season, and it was no surprise that his performances earned rave reviews.

Speaking on The Official EFL Podcast, former Cherries boss Jonathan Woodgate said: “He’s an exceptional player, in a really good place at the minute, Arnie. He’s another one who I’ve always done a lot of work on him at his previous clubs, so I knew all about him coming into this role, I knew what type of player he was.

“He made an unbelievable run for one of the goals, I showed him that, but then I showed him what he did winning the ball back, when he had to sprint 50 yards and get the ball back. That’s what makes a really good player, for me, getting that work rate in because we know, with the ball his feet, he’s a top player. Can he do the rest going the other way? And he’s starting to show that now, so yeah, he’s doing well.”

When you compare his end product in particular with James, then it really is night and day.

Danjuma’s haul of 17 goals last season is actually already more than what the United man has managed in his entire professional career – just 15 strikes in 119 games.

And, as per Whoscored, the Villareal ace already averages significantly more shots, key passes and dribbles per game this season than James, while he’s bagged four goals in seven La Liga appearances compared to none for the Leeds star.

With James set to turn 24 next month – the exact same as Danjuma right now – it’s the latter who appears to be the right man for the job at Leeds, and actually giving Bielsa some genuine quality from out wide.

The £22.5m-rated star could form an exciting wing duo with Raphinha at Elland Road and appears to be far better than what Leeds signed in the summer with James.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has delivered his take on Rodrigo…

Sky Sports man Rob Dorsett has now revealed the latest on the future of Frank Lampard at Everton.

The Lowdown: Under pressure

After the 3-2 loss away at Burnley in the Premier League on Wednesday night, Lampard is now a man seriously under pressure at Goodison Park.

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That was his perilously above the relegation zone.

Nonetheless, the board now have a big decision to make over whether to stick with Lampard or bring in someone new to get them out of trouble.

The Latest: Lampard update

Taking to Twitter, Dorsett has now dropped an update on Lampard’s future in Merseyside, revealing that the board are not looking to change manager at this moment in time:

“Real concern in Efc board, I’m told, but feeling is changing manager won’t solve problems right now.

“That’s not to say Lampard safe for rest of season.

“Relegation could be massive for Everton, with few players in squad on contracts that auto-reduce if in Championship.”

The Verdict: Keep the faith

The Toffees simply need to keep the faith with Lampard for now as they cannot afford to chop and change again and have so much uncertainty around going into the last few matches of the season.

While Lampard has lost eight times, and they sit just above the drop zone, they have not sunk into the bottom three yet, and so staying up is still in their hands.

However, the former Chelsea and Derby County boss will need a reaction at home to Manchester United at Saturday lunchtime, or things could really start to get ugly.

In other news, find out what ‘massive’ Blues claim this injury expert has now dropped here!

 An update has emerged on Rangers’ search to bring in a new centre-back to Ibrox in January…

What’s the talk?

According to Dutch outlet de Gelderlander, the Gers are keeping tabs on Vitesse Arnhem defender Danilho Doekhi as they consider a swoop this month.

The report claims that Napoli and Dinamo Zagreb are also in for his signature, with the enforcer potentially available now as his contract with the Eredivisie club expires at the end of the season.

Bye-bye Goldson

Giovanni van Bronckhorst could find his dream replacement for Connor Goldson by sealing a deal for Doekhi in the January window.

The 29-year-old’s contract is up in the summer and he could be set to leave Ibrox on a free transfer, leaving behind a big hole to fill at centre-back. The ex-Brighton defender has been crucial to the club’s recent success, starting 52 matches in the Premiership since the beginning of last season, but he has been linked with an exit from the Light Blues in recent weeks.

In Doekhi, Rangers could sign a player to come in and take his place. The 23-year-old has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.01 for Vitesse this term, making 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game an winning 65% of his individual duels.

His manager Thomas Letsch hailed the defender’s talents earlier this year, saying: “Danilho is extremely important. He is one of the best center-backs of the Eredivisie.

“Of course there is more talk about Oussama Tannane, Riechedly Bazoer and the attacking players. But it is very important for the team that you are stable and prevent goals. Everyone is responsible for that, but Doekhi, Jacob Rasmussen and also Tomas Hajek do a super job.

“He already played fantastic last year and this season he has performed at the highest level in every game. Danilho makes almost no mistakes and is an absolute team player, a very calm player. flat developed. He coaches other players very well. He is calmer than other players and perhaps that makes him less noticeable, but he is the reserve captain for a reason.”

At the age of 23, Doekhi also has plenty of room left to develop. This means that Van Bronckhorst can coach him into being perfect for his system at Ibrox and potentially improve his value, making him an asset on the pitch straight away and financially further down the line for the club.

Therefore, he could be a dream replacement for Goldson, as he is currently impressing in the Dutch top flight and has the potential to improve further. It is now down to Ross Wilson and the ex-Feyenoord boss to convince him to make the switch to Scotland and become the 46-year-old’s first signing since taking the managerial reins at Ibrox.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst heading for first Rangers disaster as big £5m update drops, it’ll infuriate the fans…

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have been left buzzing over an ExWHUemployee update involving forward and target Jesse Lingard.

The Manchester United ace, who was heavily courted by West Ham in the summer, opted to remain at Old Trafford in a bid to fight for his place under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

However, as Lingard’s minutes fail to rack up, murmurs have started to emerge again regarding his future and there is a consensus that West Ham could make another move in January.

According to reliable club insider ExWHUemployee, the Irons could reignite their interest mid-season and make a move for Lingard during the winter window.

It is even thought that he would be interested in joining West Ham and Lingard’s own brother has made it clear he enjoyed his time at the club and misses it there.

Flocking to this update on the 28-year-old, it’s safe to say lots of supporters are excited at the prospect of re-signing Lingard and it’s little wonder given his phenomenal loan spell at the London Stadium last year.

If David Moyes is to maintain West Ham’s fantastic 2021/2022 season run, signing the England international in January could be a big move if they can get it done.

West Ham fans erupt over Lingard update…

“crying”

Credit: @petersweterr

“We’re going for the title”

Credit: @Callumfitzer_

“The band could be getting back together!! Woohoo!!”

Credit: @mattdcrane82

“love that”

Credit: @td_ldn

“Yes please”

Credit: @Lord_Irons

“It would be a great signing!!”

Credit: @PJ_10_Cricket

“I would take him tomorrow!”

Credit: @WestHamSteven

“Let’s hope it happens”

Credit: @The_Scotty

In other news: ‘Don’t gas me’, ‘Announce the title’…ExWHUemployee’s ‘exciting’ news has many West Ham fans talking, find out more here.