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According to Corriere dello Sport, AS Roma are very close to keeping Manchester United ace Chris Smalling in the summer, via @utdreport.   

The Italian newspaper claims Roma are only ‘one step away’ from signing Smalling on loan, which could become a permanent deal next year.

It seems likely Smalling will leave Old Trafford on loan again for another season and the Italians will be obliged to sign him permanently in 2021.

Although the defender’s first spell in Italy was brought to an abrupt halt as a result of the pandemic, he has still managed to play 20 games in Serie A this season (Transfermarkt).

Roma boss Paulo Foncesca has been impressed by the England international’s work ethic, as he has averaged 2 interceptions per game, completed 4.5 clearances on average, scored 2 goals, and created 1 assist so far (WhoScored).

In comparison, Phil Jones has struggled for form this season and the defender is now in a vulnerable position. It is worth pointing out Smalling has earned a higher WhoScored rating than his teammate at the time of writing.

After arriving at the Theatre of Dreams from Fulham for £7.2m in 2010, the 30-year-old has made over 300 appearances for the Red Devils, winning the Premier League twice, the Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup. He is currently valued at £14.4m via Transfermarkt.

United initially priced the centre-back at €25m, which equates to £22m, but it appears Ed Woodward has lowered the asking price to somewhere in the region of €12m-€15m.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted he is a fan of the veteran in the past, but Smalling wants to be playing regular football in order to improve his chances of being named in Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2020 squad, and this is something the club legend cannot guarantee.

Indeed, Solskjaer has frequently used the pairing of captain Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof at the back this season, and it is hard to imagine the Englishman would be given a place in the starting lineup if he returned to Old Trafford.

Naturally, many United fans reacted to the transfer news on social media, with one supporter urging the board to “cash in ASAP,” and another adding “take Jones instead.”

Have a read through the rest of the mixed reactions so far…

United fans, should the board sell Chris Smalling permanently in the summer? Let us know down below!

Speaking to Football Insider, former Rangers defender Alan Hutton has tipped Lewis Ferguson to flourish under Steven Gerrard should he make the move to Ibrox.

What did he say?

According to reports in recent days, the Aberdeen midfielder has been touted as one of Rangers’ most prominent transfer targets this summer, although the Dons are keen to keep him.

Now, Hutton has claimed that Ferguson, who was released by Rangers back in 2013, has the kind of “winners mentality” that could really be nurtured by Gerrard at Ibrox.

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He said: “I’m sure he’s got that winning mentality into him because that was a main, key part of growing up through the Rangers ranks, you had to be a winner. It didn’t quite work out the first time but well played to him. He’s worked hard at Hamilton, he’s moved on to Aberdeen and he’s still only 20 so he’s proved a lot of people wrong. Here’s Rangers coming back in for him so I’m sure he’s got that mentality within him.

“He’s got a driving force to try and prove people wrong and he’s had an excellent season. I think it’s an area where Gerrard will look at and want to strengthen and I presume he’s a player that would want to go and learn off one of the best midfielders to play the game.”

Next step

After rebuilding his career at Aberdeen, Ferguson has certainly shown he’s got the talent to become a real success at Rangers this time around.

This season, the 20-year-old has been in inspired form for the Dons, racking up three goals and an impressive nine assists in 38 games across all competitions. His previous ties to the Gers means that he will know what its all about to play for the club, and that kind of relationship and bond is something Gerrard will surely love.

He may not have made it the first time, but Ferguson’s performances this season shows he is ready to play for the Rangers first-team now.

This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.

Back in 1999, John Barnes and Kenny Dalglish were building their defence for Scottish side Celtic, and picked up defender Rafael Scheidt for £6.48 million from Brazilian side Gremio, per Transfermarkt. This is currently the eighth most expensive signing the club has ever made, and emphasises the expectations the player had when he joined.

There have been some poor signings at the club, but Scheidt ranks up there as one of the worst, and will be a player that fans are quick to forget.

The Brazilian was signed in July, yet only managed to make his debut in March the following year due to injuries, via Football Insider. This wasn’t the start of a great career at the club, as during his spell in Scotland he only went on to make two appearances, per Transfermarkt.

Whilst he was contracted to Celtic, he was shipped back out on loan to the Brazilian league, with Corinthians taking him for two years until 2002. During this time, it was revealed by the player that Martin O’Neill had some pretty scathing things to say about him, suggesting that the Northern Irishman had said: “I like footballers who are not like you. I like footballers who play well.”

It was clear for all associated with the club that he was not wanted anywhere near the first team after his loan spell ended. In fact, he was no longer eligible for a UK work permit by this point and they wanted him off their books so bad that they paid up the remainder of the contract so he could move to Atletico Mineiro. This would have costed the club a fair chunk of money.

The defender will be remembered by many of the Hoops faithful as one of the worst signings in the club’s history, and a huge waste of over £6 million.

Do you remember the club signing Scheidt? Comment below!

Despite leaving the club towards the end of last year, Mauricio Pochettino’s name continues to be intrinsically linked with Tottenham.

The Argentine was replaced by Jose Mourinho after a stuttering start to the season saw them drop to 14th in the Premier League at the time of his sacking.

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Now, amidst the current financial struggles that sides are facing due to the current climate, The Telegraph have claimed Spurs have opened negotiations with their former boss over a reduction in payments – the report claims that Pochettino is “still getting paid his £8.5m salary during his break from management”.

After hearing about the report, Spurs fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.

A couple of Spurs fans simply urged the club to bring Pochettino back.

Judging by the reaction of most of these Spurs fans, it’s safe to say Pochettino still holds a special place in their hearts.

The Argentine was at the club for five years, and whilst he may not have won any trophies to show for it, he certainly established Spurs as a core part of the ‘big six’ in the top-flight.

Whether Pochettino will be willing to do his old side a favour with the severance package remains to be seen however.

Meanwhile, Alasdair Gold names the Spurs starlet akin to Marcus Edwards.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Paul Robinson has told Football Insider that Joe Gomez is “struggling” to deal with being a bit-part player at Anfield this season.

What did he say?

Gomez was included in the starting line-up for Liverpool against Napoli on Wednesday night, but he looked far from his best against the Italian side, managing a SofaScore rating of just 6.7.

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Former England goalkeeper Robinson has been speaking about the 22-year-old, and he believes he is finding it difficult on Merseyside considering the lack of playing time he is receiving. He said: “I think it’s due to him not playing. I think it’s because he played so much last year, I don’t think he’s coped well with being out of the team, I don’t think he’s coped well with bit-parts.

“Joe Gomez has found it hard to get back in the team and because he’s such a young lad, it’s the first time he’s probably had this in his career, I think he’s struggling with being a bit-part player.

“When he was playing last season, he was consistent, playing week in, week out. This year when he’s come in, he’s having to play right-back at times, centre-half, then he’s on the bench again for two or three games. I don’t think it’s suited him.”

A move could benefit him

Indeed, Gomez has had a difficult time of it so far this campaign.

The incident with Raheem Sterling on international duty, which led to him being booed at Wembley despite him doing nothing wrong, is unlikely to have helped him, but the lack of action he has seen with his club should be the bigger blow.

This campaign, he has started just eight matches in all competitions.

Check out footballers’ biggest fashion disasters in the video below…

He has been linked with a move to Arsenal in the past few months, and with the transfer window just around the corner, a move away from Anfield could benefit him.

As Robinson said, the constant switching between centre-back and right-back is not giving him much chance of developing into the defender he could be. At 22 years of age, it is about time he became a specialist in one position rather than being used as something of a utility man.

Not only that, but his prospects of playing an important role for the Three Lions at Euro 2020 rely on him playing on a regular basis. During the UEFA Nations League run, in which England finished third, Gomez played a part in four of the six matches, but he played just 20 minutes during qualifying for next year’s continental tournament.

Given there is uncertainty at the heart of the back-line – four centre-backs were used during the qualification process – a spot in the starting XI could be up for grabs. Gomez, though, has no chance if he continues to spend so much time on the bench.

Whether Liverpool would be willing to sell him is up for debate, especially considering that Joel Matip is currently out injured, but a move away from Anfield could be the best thing for the £31.5m-rated former Charlton man’s career – as per Transfermarkt.

In January, we will see what the future holds for him.

Meanwhile, John Aldridge expects one Liverpool man to embark on an impressive run.

Leicester City are trying to secure the services of Habib Diallo but according to TeamTalk’s exclusive report, both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have now joined the race and will compete with the Foxes for the signature of the coveted forward.

Diallo has already bagged eight goals in 13 appearances in Ligue 1 and would definitely be a big scoop for any of the three big Premier League teams. But just in case Leicester City were to come out short in this transfer bout with their divisional heavyweights, here are three alternatives from across Europe they should consider that would still do more than just a decent job for them.

Moise Kean – Everton

Kean is a familiar name that already has some slight experience in the Premier League.

Even though his transfer to Everton didn’t really go according to plan, the young forward is very much a capable player who could offer some much-needed goal-scoring to this Leicester City side in order to push it one step further.

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Of course, his recent outings with the Toffees wouldn’t really suggest as much but what way to prove his brilliant 2018/19 season with Juventus, during which he scored eight goals in 21 games, was not a fluke than to repeat it at a different club in the Premier League, one that is looking like the real deal under Brendan Rodgers once again?

It took £23.5m to get him to Everton but seeing how he’s been mostly a “flop” during his stay in England, that value could very well go down, which would be ideal for Leicester.

Alfredo Morelos – Rangers FC

Morelos has previously been linked with Leicester City as well so this is nothing particularly new but it is definitely a signing that would make sense for Rodgers’ team.

The 23-year-old forward is as lethal as they come, having bagged 22 goals in 26 games across all competitions in the 2019/20 season, and coming from the Premiership, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say he wouldn’t cost as much as some other big-name European strikers.

The Foxes’ budget should allow it and the quality of the player is not in question. He could definitely represent a worthy alternative to Diallo.

Eldor Shomurodov – Rostov FC

How’s that for a pick you’ve (probably) never heard of?

Shomurodov is a 24-year-old Uzbekistan striker who simply exploded onto the scene over in the Russian Premier League. Of course, plying his trade for Rostov FC, he is not that known to the outside world but that also comes with certain benefits.

If we presume that Leicester would not be willing to fork out extreme sums of money but would still want quality, Shomurodov is actually their guy.

With ten goals in 18 games so far in 2019/20, the 24-year-old forward is lethal enough to shake the Premier League and the Foxes could get an unconventional solution for their attacking line.

Leeds United made it a sixth game unbeaten as they defeated Luton Town 2-1 on Saturday afternoon.

Marcelo Bielsa needed a 90th-minute own goal from Matty Pearson to ensure all three points returned to west Yorkshire.

The Whites overtook Preston North End to move into second place, two points behind league leaders West Bromwich Albion, who also won 2-1 at the weekend.

Patrick Bamford opened the scoring with his sixth goal of the season before James Collins headed home an Izzy Brown cross just a few minutes later to tie things up.

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The 26-year-old then got the final touch before the Luton defender put the ball into his own net.

Despite the victory, some members of the travelling support weren’t thrilled, with centre-back Gaetano Berardi coming in for quite a bit of flak.

His lack of pace in defence was the main issue pointed out as one fan claimed that the club would not gain promotion this season if the 31-year-old is playing regularly.

Another member of the Elland Road faithful believes that Berardi’s legs have gone while one more supporter said the defender looked like he was playing in treacle.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

Charlton failed to put an end to their miserable record against south London rivals Millwall on Saturday, succumbing to a 2-1 defeat at The Den – the Addicks will have to wait even longer to put an end to their 23-year winless streak against the Lions.

Gary Rowett’s side took an early lead in the sixth minute after Shaun Hutchinson headed home, before Matt Smith scored a stoppage-time winner to leave Charlton heading back to The Valley with their tails tucked between their legs.

It was a disappointing performance from most players in red – however, one man was more culpable than others.

Before the match, we outlined how Naby Sarr should be dropped by Lee Bowyer for the south London derby, not because of his woeful 45-minute display against Preston, but because of his lack of aerial ability.

We detailed how – before the Millwall clash – Sarr had only won 1.8 aerial duels per game on average in the Championship, an inferior amount to his fellow centre-backs Jason Pearce and Tom Lockyer.

It was also mentioned how Millwall striker Matt Smith – a 6 foot 5 powerhouse – wins a huge amount of aerial battles, and could therefore dominate Sarr.

As we speak now, that preconception rang true at The Den.

Despite contributing the assist for Jonathan Leko’s goal, the 26-year-old defender was at fault for both Millwall goals after, believe it or not, being beaten in the air.

He allowed Hutchinson to get ahead of him for the first strike, before allowing the previously identified Smith to swat him aside once again to score a 91st-minute winner.

The Senegalese centre-back also committed two fouls and failed to make a single block, on a day where his ineptitude in the air cost his side dearly.

There is no reason for him to be so poor in the air given his 6 foot 5 frame, and Sarr’s awful showing proved why he should have been dropped by Bowyer for the clash.

Heung-min Son looked physically devastated on Sunday after his challenge caused Andre Gomes to horrifically fracture and dislocate his ankle, and now the Tottenham winger is being handed psychological support.

The Daily Mail report that the South Korean international will be offered support from the club in an attempt to help Son recover from the events at Goodison Park that saw the attacker receive a red card for his tackle on Gomes (per BBC Sport).

Whilst the extent of Gomes injury is yet unknown, it is likely that the tackle has ended the Portuguese international’s season already following a permanent move to Everton this summer (per Everton’s official Twitter account).

Whilst some fans were happy to see Son offered the support as well as remain optimistic his red card will be overturned, some Tottenham supporters on social media were puzzled as to why the 27-year-old needed help.

Here’s what some Spurs fans had to say on Twitter about the reports of Son receiving psychological support…

Tottenham fans, when do you think Son will be back on the pitch following this traumatic experience? Let us know!

Tuesday night provided a game to forget for Sunderland in the EFL Trophy as they slumped to a 2-1 defeat to Leicester City’s U21 side.

The Black Cats have had an okay at best season so far in Sky Bet League One with them hoping to be challenging for the top two in all honesty.

They’ve not really threatened to do so right now, though, and Jack Ross has lost his job because of that, with Phil Parkinson coming in to replace him.

Parkinson has seen a run of indifferent-at-best results so far, though, and Black Cats fans are evidently concerned that a bit of a shake-up is needed with the squad to get them back in the Championship.

Indeed, last night the manager cut a very frustrated figure as he reflected on the loss, clearly furious at the way his team allowed the young Foxes side to create so many chances.

This certainly got a reaction from the Black Cats’ fan base on Twitter, then, so let’s take a look at some of the best of what has been said: