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Marcel Brands should seal a summer swoop for Everton to sign VfB Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic and hand Carlo Ancelotti a second Dominic Calvert-Lewin type player.

What’s the word?

According to Tutto Juve, Serie A powerhouse Juventus are exploring a deal to sign Stuttgart striker Kalajdzic at the end of the season, but face vivid European competition.

The 23-year-old forward is thought to be on the radars of Everton, Newcastle United and RB Leipzig, after his Bundesliga side slapped an ‘affordable’ €20m (£17m) asking price on him.

Kalajdzic is noted by the Italian publication to be seen as the next Erling Haaland after scoring 13 goals in 24 German top-flight games this season, and he could well make a similar leap as the Borussia Dortmund sensation he is compared to.

Haaland trails only Bayern Munich’s 32-goal monster Robert Lewandowski in the Bundesliga Golden Boot race with 19 in 20 games, while Kalajdzic ranks sixth having contributed 28% of Stuttgart’s 47 efforts to date.

Reports by the Daily Mail also presented West Ham United as a potential destination for the £7,500-per-week attacker earlier this month, as David Moyes draws up a shortlist of options to target at the London Stadium.

Those claims also mentioned RB Leipzig’s interest but added that of Serie A side AS Roma, which have been supported by German publication Kicker, who note that Stuttgart’s Sporting Director Sven Mislintat has confirmed that player sales are likely this summer.

But the Mercedes-Benz Arena natives’ asking price has been questioned with the Daily Mail citing a valuation of around £15m, while Kicker claim a fee of between €20-25m (£17-21.5m) will be needed to strike a deal.

Should Everton sign Kalajdzic?

Everton appear to be drawing up their own shortlist of attacking weapons that Ancelotti and Brands can target at the end of the season, as the Goodison Park natives have recently been linked with FC Barcelona’s Martin Braithwaite too.

The Toffees may be putting precautions in place with speculation surrounding the long-term futures of Joshua King and Moise Kean on Merseyside, while Cenk Tosun will only have a year remaining on his £60,000-per-week contract come June.

Tosun is unlikely to be offered new terms given his struggles in the Premier League with 11 goals in 58 games since a £27m move from Besiktas in 2018, while King is yet to find the back of the net since his Deadline Day arrival last month.

Brands instead moving to sign Kalajdzic could see the Everton chief land Ancelotti a second Calvert-Lewin type, one who is able to match the Toffees’ top-scorer on the pitch, rather than force the Blues to play to a different tune.

Ancelotti often relies on Calvert-Lewin to offer a focal point in attack that Everton can target and play off, with the 24-year-old contesting 8.8 aerial duels a game in the Premier League – close to double the next-most of Lucas Digne (4.7) and Yerry Mina (4.6), per WhoScored.

Kalajdzic, who has been dubbed an “Ibrahimovic-machine” in comparison to Zlatan Ibrahimovic for his 6 ft 5 stature, can match that presence, having contested 5.2 aerial duels per game in the Bundesliga this term, along with taking 2.1 shots to Calvert-Lewin’s 2.5.

While the fee needed may still be unknown at this point, Brands should surely be working on a deal for Kalajdzic to join Everton.

AND in other news, Everton have their eyes on a £105k-p/w striker with three goals in 34 games for his current side…

Many Liverpool fans flocked to claims that manager Jurgen Klopp is keen to see Georginio Wijnaldum stay at Anfield.

The 30-year-old has been heavily linked with a move away from Merseyside for some time, with Barcelona one of the sides that are hugely interested in his services.

But the Daily Mail revealed that Klopp wants the Dutchman to remain at Liverpool and would like to see him sign a new contract.

Wijnaldum’s current deal expires at the end of the season and he can already speak to other clubs on pre-contractual negotiations – and can even come to an agreement before the transfer window opens.

Despite this, supporters have lost patience with the Holland international and want him to leave the club, as one fan described it as an “absolute travesty” that Klopp is hoping to keep the midfielder.

Only time will tell what Wijnaldum’s future holds, but these fans have made their feelings pretty clear…

No love lost with Wijnaldum and these fans

“Please no”

Credit: @freestriv

“I don’t. Let him go”

Credit: @yuta_adi

“back pass merchant”

Credit: @gfhdjdjssjj

“An absolute travesty”

Credit: @Rele_Lethale

“He’s your Man but let him go.”

Credit: @iconicGer_

“Gini exit presents perfect opportunity to upgrade the quality of our midfield!”

Credit: @svosve_26

In other news, James Pearce stunned by ‘poor’ Jurgen Klopp decision during Chelsea defeat.

Jacob Murphy has seemingly emerged as a target for Rangers once again ahead of the summer transfer window as it’s been claimed that Steven Gerrard’s side remain keen on bringing the 26-year-old to Ibrox next season.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a report from Football Insider.

The Gers were keen on Murphy during the January transfer window but will not be available on a free transfer any longer, as it has emerged that he’s actually under contract at St James’ Park until 2022.

It’s thought the Magpies have a £3m asking price, whilst the SPFL giants will have to battle the likes of Southampton and Watford for his signature.

Kickstart title defence

The current campaign may not be done and dusted just yet, especially as the Light Blues still have that unbeaten record to keep intact, but it is a very shrewd decision to start planning ahead for next season.

Bringing in new faces will be crucial towards defending their title and if the Glasgow outfit are to remain dominant at the top, then they cannot rest on their laurels.

It’ll be all change down the road, with a mass exodus due after nine straight years of control, so there isn’t a better time for Rangers to bolster Gerrard’s squad.

And signing a new winger is a pretty good place to start.

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Aside from Ryan Kent, the 40-year-old’s only other out-and-out wide man is January arrival Scott Wright. We’ve seen Joe Aribo fill in there on occasion, and Ianis Hagi, too but both are more suited centrally.

Currently, Jordan Jones is one of two wingers playing his football away from Ibrox and it is he who is in most doubt amid interest in Murphy. If he’s not fancied aged 26, then there’s very little hope of him returning to start games next season.

The forgotten Ibrox ace is also keen to return to the Stadium of Light, according to Football Insider, so it certainly seems like his Gers career is over.

Playing on the right for League One promotion hopefuls Sunderland, he has only managed to deliver one goal and one assist, whereas Murphy has thrived in England’s top-flight.

The £3.15m-rated dynamo has been one of Steve Bruce’s most consistent performers, even despite being asked to play wing-back at times, a decision that culminated in him scoring against Burnley last weekend in a performance where he arguably stole the show.

“He’s played a big part in the season. He’s had, for him, a really good season where he knows now that he belongs in the Premier League,” explained Bruce. ” I’d love to see him at the club. It’s what we want: young, hungry, determined to do well – he ticks all of those boxes.”

Interestingly, his versatility to play in defence is intriguing and with the Gers in Europe again next term, he could provide crucial cover for James Tavernier.

The Times’ chief football writer Henry Winter waxed lyrical about his ability to deliver at right wing-back earlier this month. He said: “Jacob Murphy outstanding for NUFC at right wing-back, ran himself into the ground, defending/attacking, got cramp, eventually subbed. His resilience echoed all over.”

Wilson must sanction a £3m swoop for Murphy this summer, he’d be the perfect signing to kickstart their ambitions to mount a solid title defence.

AND in other news, Wilson must seal bargain swoop for 12-goal gem who had £36m star on toast…

According to The Sun, Manchester United are keeping tabs on both Kingsley Coman and Jadon Sancho as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seeks to bolster his wide options.

What’s the word?

Solskjaer’s side already secured the signing of Amad Diallo from Serie A side Atalanta in the January transfer window but now it seems that they want more.

United are currently second-placed in the Premier League, with the Red Devils putting three past Newcastle to move 10 points behind Manchester City.

However, Solskjaer is still keen to add further reinforcements to his squad this summer as he targets a first Premier League title for the club since Sir Alex Ferguson last won one in 2013 and he has identified Coman and Sancho as two of his top targets.

Coman or Sancho?

But the likelihood is it’ll be either-or for Ed Woodward. So, who should be the top target for the Red Devils and why?

In Coman, who is nearly four years older than Sancho, United would land a player with bags of experience at the top level of the game.

Sancho, however, could be the difference-maker to add a spark in their attack which has often been accused of looking rather one-dimensional due to their over-reliance on Bruno Fernandes.

Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, given Fernandes’ excellent goal return for the Red Devils, but if United opt for Sancho and stick him on the right wing, he’ll likely score goals. Lots of goals.

The England international has scored 44 goals and recorded 59 assists across 128 appearances in all competitions. By comparison, Coman has provided fewer goals and assists in over 180 appearances for Bayern Munich.

It’s been an open secret Solskjaer has harboured a long-standing interest in the 20-year-old monster, with the club trying to persuade the highly-rated right winger to move to Old Trafford on more than one occasion, but ultimately to no avail. Reports in recent times have revealed that he could only cost the club £50m in a cut-price deal.

If we compare the attacking duo this term, it’s close but no cigar. Sancho is still edging Coman in almost every area. Coman is averaging just 1.7 key passes per game whereas Sancho has made 2.3 key passes.

Perhaps crucially, the latter also surpasses the 24-year-old in terms of dribbles per match in the Bundesliga (3.2). For context, that’s more than other United player in the Premier League this season thus far, which suggests that he’d offer a greater attacking threat.

It may seem like we’re in danger of repeating ourselves but it’s growing increasingly evident that Woodward must sanction a swoop for Sancho in the summer after he scored against Schalke at the weekend.

AND in other news, Man Utd’s Victor Lindelof let Ole Gunnar Solskjaer down on Sunday…

Wrexham have been handed a timely injury boost, with Phil Parkinson saying that George Evans and James Jones are expected to “play again this season”.

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• Evans & Jones have picked up knocks
• Set to undergo further scans
• Will rejoin top-three push at some stage

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Evans picked up a glute problem in the Red Dragons’ 2-1 win over Sutton United, while Jones limped out of a 1-0 victory against Notts County with a hamstring complaint. Both issues are more serious than first thought, with spells on the treatment table needing to be taken in.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  No timescale is being put on the recovery of either midfielder, despite the lack of numbers that Parkinson now boasts in his engine room. They will not be rushed back into action, but the hope is that neither has been seen for the last time in 2023-24.

• WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  Parkinson has said when delivering a fitness update on Evans and Jones ahead of Wrexham’s midweek trip to Forest Green Rovers: "I expect them to play again this season but they are facing longer term injuries than we first thought. We will get them both rescanned and we will know clearer when we have got those second scans."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Wrexham have 13 games left to take in this season, meaning that the clock is ticking for all of those currently stuck on the sidelines. Parkinson intends to make the most of those still at his disposal, with the plan being to line up another automatic promotion party for co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

Rangers will be looking to continue their journey in the Europa League when they take on Slavia Prague at Ibrox on Thursday, with Steven Gerrard’s side in a strong position after coming away with a 1-1 draw in the away leg last week.

One way in which Rangers could get the edge over their Czech opponents is by unleashing Kemar Roofe at Ibrox, with the former Leeds United man having made his return from injury in the reverse fixture.

The Jamaican forward has impressed since signing from Anderlecht in the summer, having contributed 12 goals and two assists in 26 appearances for Gerrard’s side.

In the Premiership, he has averaged an impressive 7.13 rating for his performances, which sees him rated as the eighth-best performer in the league for Rangers so far this season, so it is certainly a big boost for Gerrard that he is now back from injury.

After he made his return against Slavia last week, the former Liverpool man said:

“It’s great to have Kemar back and a cameo will do him the world of good.”

Hopefully, the return to action, plus another week of training, will give Roofe the fitness he needs to make a big impact in the game at Ibrox on Thursday, as he could be the difference-maker.

We have already seen Roofe score twice in the Europa League this season, once against Benfica and once in the 2-0 win against Standard Liege with an unforgettable goal from the halfway line.

Gerrard was clearly wowed by that strike, as he said after the game:

“I think it was a moment of genius. I’ve been lucky enough to watch it five or six times since the end of the game and it’s the actual build-up and preparation before the strike.”
Although Roofe will do well to recreate a similar goal to that in training, let alone in a competitive game, it emphasised what he is capable of and the quality that he possesses and a moment of magic like that could well be the difference between Rangers progressing or exiting the Europa League on Thursday night.

Therefore, Gerrard should give the £5.4 million-rated forward a chance to impress from the start and hope that he can have another moment of genius on Thursday night.
And, in other news… Gerrard should unleash teen wonderkid who is “worth his weight in gold” next season

An RB Leipzig fan tragically passed away during the club's Bundesliga clash against Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday.

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• Supporter passed away in stands during Bundesliga clash
• A Monchengladbach fan also died a day before game
• Leipzig beat Monchengladbach 2-0

• TRAGEDY IN GERMANY

  Tragedy struck during a Bundesliga game between RB Leipzig and Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday at Red Bull Arena as a home fan, unfortunately, passed away in the stands while the match was taking place. After a sudden medical emergency attempts were made to resuscitate the fan but sadly were unsuccessful.

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• RB LEIPZIG ISSUE STATEMENT

  RB Leipzig issued a statement on the club's official website: "A heartbreaking night.

  "There was a medical emergency in the home area today before the game between RB Leipzig and Borussia Mönchengladbach and the person unfortunately died in the stadium. 

  "On the same day, a member of the Borussia Mönchengladbach fan scene died in a traffic accident on the way to Leipzig.

  "We are deeply saddened and all our thoughts are with the fans' families and relatives, to whom we express our deep condolences and sympathy.

  "Rest in peace."

• MONCHENGLADBACH OFFER CONDOLENCES

  Monchengladbach also sent out a message that read: "Our deepest consolences go to the families and friends of both fans who passed away today."

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• SAD NIGHT FOR BOTH CLUBS

  On a sad night for both clubs, Red Bulls went on to win 2-0 thanks to goals from Xavi Simons and Lois Openda. The result leaves the team one point off Dortmund in fourth, while Gladbach are down in 14th place.

Leeds United could land an exciting summer signing in West Brom’s Matheus Pereira amid Jon Newsome’s transfer verdict.

What’s the story?

The Daily Express claimed that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are one of the teams interested in signing the Baggies ace his summer, and that they are set to face significant competition from the likes of RB Leipzig and Leicester.

And now, Newsome has suggested that he could see the £17m-rated Pereira fit in well at Elland Road, and dropping into that number ten role just behind Patrick Bamford up front.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “I think one of the roles, I wouldn’t say they struggle with, but that 10, in behind Patrick Bamford, that No.10 role.

“Tyler Roberts has played it for predominantly most of the season and, although he’s had a decent season, he’s still not got off the mark in terms of scoring goals. I can see him (Pereira) dropping in there. That is an area that I think the club will be looking at.”

Exciting signing for Bielsa

Hailed as a “genius” who “who has a technical ability that I have never seen before” by former Nurnberg coach Nate Weiss, the 25-year-old Pereira has been one of West Brom’s standout performers this season in the Premier League despite the Baggies’ relegation.

He’s scored 11 goals and provided a further six assists in the league alone, and has done his best in recent weeks to almost single-handedly drag West Brom away from the drop – his last eight games in the competition have seen him score six times and set up another three.

Another former Leeds man in Noel Whelan has backed Leeds to make a swoop for the winger, saying: “It is a mouth-watering prospect. We missed out on certain players last season, and this is a player that excites everybody. I would definitely take him all day long.

“He’s a fantastic player, he’s great on the ball, he can turn people inside out. Pereira’s another option we can use right across that front three and maybe in a number 10 role as well. He’s the right age and he’s the sort of player we should be looking at. Imagine, if you put him alongside Raphinha, Rodrigo, Harrison etc, that’s pretty formidable.”

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It’s exactly why Victor Orta could help complete a “mouth-watering” attack for Bielsa’s Leeds by signing the 25-year-old. He could well be the final jigsaw piece to finish off the Whites manager’s dream attack as Whelan says.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing a move for this Bundesliga sensation…

Leicester City are set to open talks with Youri Tielemans over a new contract at the King Power Stadium, and Brendan Rodgers will surely be delighted at the prospect of the midfielder extending his stay.

The 24-year-old hit a stunning strike over the weekend to seal a historic FA Cup final win for the Foxes against Chelsea, and the Midlands outfit are set to reward the Belgium international with improved terms.

According to the Daily Mail, Leicester are planning on significantly increasing Tielemans’ wages, making him one of the club’s top-earning players alongside Jamie Vardy and Kasper Schmeichel.

The former Monaco man has been crucial to the Foxes’ success this season, starting 35 of Leicester’s 36 Premier League games, scoring six goals and providing four assists in the process. His exploits have helped the 2015/16 champions to break into the top four once again, and a place in the 2021/22 edition of the Champions League is well within their grasp.

As the Foxes continue to assert themselves at the top end of the table and disturb the established ‘Big Six,’ keeping hold of their best assets will be critical to their continued progression.

Tielemans’ impressive 7.09 WhoScored rating illustrates his importance to Leicester and his quality was further highlighted by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola after an impressive display against the Cityzens earlier in the campaign.

“Tielemans is a top, top-class player. I remember when I arrived, my first season, and Vincent Kompany started speaking about him when he was in the national team for Belgium, how good he was in that period. Vincent, as always, he was right,” recalled the Spaniard.

Building on their incredible FA Cup triumph will now be the main focus of Rodgers and everyone at Leicester, and the importance of Tielemans in those plans cannot be downplayed.

His 1.3 key passes, 82.6 touches and 2.1 tackles per game (SofaScore) this season showcase how the Anderlecht academy graduate is at the centre of everything his team does, and if Tielemans puts pen to paper on this proposed new contract, then it could be the start of an exciting new chapter for Leicester.

In other news…Forget Tielemans: “Colossal” Leicester gem who won 78% of his duels was Rodgers’ FA Cup star – opinion

Pedro Neto’s injury at Wolves may well prove crucial for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, it has put a significant dampener on a campaign where injuries have been rife all season long for the Old Gold.

Secondly, it could rule him out of the start of next term and finally, it may stop him from moving elsewhere during the summer.

As Neto was taken from the field after just half an hour of their clash with Fulham, the club’s worst fears were confirmed soon after. The 21-year-old had broken his knee cap and was now set to miss the next six months of action.

It’s a huge blow but it would be even more devastating if they lost him permanently. Before the Portuguese suffered that injury, he’d been linked with a mega £50m move to Manchester United.

However, if and when he moves will now be dependant on the timescale of his injury. If Neto returns quicker than usual then we could well see him at Old Trafford next season.

Should that happen, Wolves will need to find a replacement.

Nuno Santo and co could do much worse than target Peterborough’s Siriki Dembele, somebody touted with a switch earlier this season. The attacker is out of contract in a few months time and as a result, won’t cost Wolves a single penny if they try to sign him.

We’ve already compared Dembele to former Wolves man Bakary Sako because of his exploits in League One but you sense the former’s potential and ceiling are far greater.

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Capable of playing through the middle or on the flanks, he’d make a wonderful replacement for Neto. He is bright, energetic and can score and create in equal measure.

This season Dembele has scored 12 goals and registered a further dozen assists. It has been an outstanding campaign for the 24-year-old who has fired his team back to the Championship.

He is an artist on the ball and in much the same way Neto does, the Peterborough forward beats players for fun.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast a few weeks ago, Posh director of football Barry Fry told readers to “watch this space” in a relation to a bid and ongoing contract negotiations.

That was after handing the player a phenomenal review; “Siriki can get the ball in his own half and with dazzling dribbling ability, he can beat four or five players and score a wonder goal or cross it for somebody else to score,” he began.

Fry added: “He’s very, very exciting. He’s got the best stats outside the [English] Premier League, I think.”

Looking towards a player who has been plying their trade in League One this season might not be the smartest of ideas on paper but if one thing is clear, it’s that Dembele is a weapon.

Signing him on a free transfer is low risk and would be particularly shrewd for a player of his qualities.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Neto: Wolves can forge perfect duo by signing “phenomenal” 30-goal bully…