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Manchester City fans are livid after it was revealed the Citizens are set to enter contract talks with winger Raheem Sterling.

Since signing for City from Liverpool in 2015, Sterling has been a fantastic servant for the Premier League champions. In 290 matches for the club, he has managed 114 goals and 86 assists (Transfermarkt), helping them win the title on three occasions. His performances have also seen him grow into one of England’s most important players.

However, this term has not been his best – the 10 Premier League strikes he has managed is the lowest in any of his last four seasons, and he has come in for criticism from the club’s supporters. Still, City remain eager to offer the £90m-valued 26-year-old (Transfermarkt) a new contract – news which has not gone down well with the fans.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Sterling news below

“Hope he doesn’t sign”

Credit: @iD7Mi1

“Please just sell him”

Credit: @kormzee_

“I wish that we sell him!!”

Credit: @IsaacDurn15

“No plz”

Credit: @Kevin57197624

“Bin the fraud Ferran is better”

Credit: @Ferrxn21

“It’s time to sell him whilst he’s still quite young and is a big name”

Credit: @SkinFadeGazza

In other news, Man City fans want to sign this superstar.

One of the main transfer targets for Leicester City in the last summer window was reportedly Barcelona’s Francisco Trincao.

Despite having never played for the Blaugrana at that point, Brendan Rodgers was apparently hugely interested, with The Guardian indicating that the East-Midlanders had offered a two-year loan deal, including a clause to make the switch permanent for £45m.

Their overtures were eventually knocked-back though, the club instead bringing in Cengiz Under from AS Roma.

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However, a move could potentially be back on with Barca now apparently more willing to sell Trincao according to Sport.

That new-found availability will certainly be a huge boost should Leicester still retain an interest in the wideman.

In signing the young Portuguese, the Foxes would be sealing one of the most exciting youngsters in Europe having notched nine goals and 13 assists in all competitions during his final season with Braga.

Whilst the £22.5m-rated winger has not displayed that kind of form at the Camp Nou having only managed to get on the scoresheet on three occasions this season, he still has his fans.

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Former Barca midfielder and fellow Portuguese international Deco labelled the 21-year-old as “quality” upon his arrival in Catalonia, while it was his performances at SC Braga last season that really stood out and earned him his high-profile move to the Spanish giants – he scored an impressive nine times and provided a whopping 13 assists in 40 games.

Leicester will certainly be needing a player of such calibre heading into the 2021/22 season considering their depleted wide options.

Demarai Gray was sold to Bayer Leverkusen in January, whilst it is looking extremely likely that Under will be allowed to return to Roma following the expiry of his loan deal.

This leaves just Marc Albrighton and Harvey Barnes as natural wingers at the club. Heading into a potential UEFA Champions League campaign, that is simply not enough.

Hearing news of Trincao’s possible availability though will be a huge boost as Leicester attempt to strengthen their squad. Rodgers could well land a perfect replacement for Gray in the starlet.

AND in more news, read more about the young starlet that could save Brendan Rodgers millions…

Swansea City take on Championship strugglers Wycombe Wanderers at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday afternoon and Steve Cooper’s side will know that they need to pick up three points if they want to keep their automatic promotion hopes alive.

The Swans are currently seven points behind second-placed Watford with just five games of the season remaining, although an easier run-in could see Cooper’s side take it to the final day when they face the Hornets away from home.

Three points is a must against Wycombe on Saturday, with Gareth Ainsworth’s side closing in on an immediate return to League One this season as they are currently rock bottom of the league and 10 points from safety.

They will know that they need three points to keep their meagre survival hopes alive, so it should hopefully be an open, attacking game at the Liberty Stadium this afternoon.

Here’s how Football FanCast feels Cooper will set up his side on Saturday, with three changes from the team which beat Sheffield Wednesday last time out…

Two clean sheets in a row means Freddie Woodman continues in goal, and he should be confident of another shutout against the league’s lowest scorers.

There are two changes in defence as Cooper should go attacking for this one, so the “brilliant” Connor Roberts and Jake Bidwell return at right-back and left-back respectively, as both have contributed far more goals and assists than Kyle Naughton and Ryan Manning this season.

Jay Fulton, Conor Hourihane and Matt Grimes all impressed in the wins against Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday, so they keep their place for this one.

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Finally, there is just one change in attack as Morgan Whittaker comes in for Wayne Routledge on the right-hand side after the experienced winger struggled to get involved at Sheffield Wednesday – failing to record a shot and posting the fewest touches of anyone in Cooper’s starting XI (WhoScored) – whilst this game represents a great opportunity for Whittaker to grab his first league goal for the Swans.

In other news… Most tackles on the pitch: Fulton was man of the match against Sheffield Wednesday for more than one reason

Steve Bruce must urge Newcastle United to re-sign Jetro Willems at the end of the season after the Eintracht Frankfurt defender was backed for a return to Tyneside.

What’s the word?

While speaking with the Transfer Tavern, Daniel Pinder, the editor-in-chief at Get German Football News, claimed Willems has his heart set on returning to the Premier League with the Magpies.

Willems joined the Toon on loan for the 2019/20 campaign in a deal that carried an €11m (£9.5m) clause to buy the Dutchman, but plans were derailed after he sustained a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament rupture in January.

The left-back had been keen to secure a permanent stay in the North East before the devastating blow, but was denied the chance and moved back to Germany where he is yet to feature since returning to fitness.

Newcastle had explored a potential return for the 27-year-old during the winter market when contact was made with his agent, but opted against pursuing a deal as “Jetro hasn’t played enough” as Bruce would later confirm.

Yet a possible summer switch was not scrubbed from the cards as Willems will be out of contract in June and is refusing to sign a new contract at Deutsche Bank Park, and Pinder believes a deal is entirely possible.

“I think Newcastle is where he wants to be, and I’ve seen him like tweets from Newcastle fans on social media about a return,” he told TT. “He hasn’t really played for Eintracht Frankfurt this season as he’s down the pecking order behind the likes of [Filip] Kostic and Erik Durm.

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“Obviously, his contract is up in the summer as well, so yeah, I think Newcastle will be the club for him.”

Should Newcastle re-sign Frankfurt’s Willems?

There are no guarantees of Newcastle re-signing the same player they saw during Willems’ time at St. James’ Park on loan if the Toon were to explore a summer swoop, but getting a full pre-season under his belt could see the left-back alleviate Bruce’s winter concerns.

Bruce was full of praise for Willems during the Dutchman’s five months in the North East that saw him score twice and offer three assists in 20 games across all competitions, noting via quotes by The Northern Echo:

“He was playing week in, week out and had done very well [before the injury], and his goals against [Manchester] City and Liverpool were there for everybody to see.”

The Shields Gazette’s Liam Kennedy also claimed on NUFC Matters: “He’s a player that really impressed a lot of people at the football club – not only with his performances, but his attitude.”

Bruce should now urge Newcastle to rely on those positive positions in the off-season with the Toon on the search for a new left-back at a time when funds are expected to be almost non-existent – surely making a free move for Willems all the more appealing to Mike Ashley.

The £2.5m-rated beast returned to fitness this January and has been named on the bench for 10 Bundesliga fixtures by Adi Hutter to date, and would likely have been given a chance to feature if it were not for Eintracht Frankfurt’s immense run of form.

After claiming 27 of a possible 51 points while Willems was in the treatment room, Die Adler have since taken 29 of a possible 39 – only runaway leaders Bayern Munich (32/39) have taken more since January 21.

It remains to be seen if he can get back onto the pitch before the season draws to a close next month, but that should not stop Bruce from making Willems a Newcastle player again if the chance arises.

AND in other news, an “absolutely awesome” Newcastle colossus is wanted in a £6m summer switch…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Wolves icon Steve Bull believes that Eddie Howe would take the Celtic if offered, and would certainly have no issue making the move across the border.

Celtic have been searching for a new manager since Neil Lennon left his role earlier this year after a rather poor season for the Bhoys, as they missed out on the chance to win 10 league titles in a row.

Celtic were dumped out of the Europa League in the group stages and have had to watch on as Steven Gerrard’s Rangers have stormed to their 55th league title as well as reaching the Round of 16 in the Europa League.

Speaking on why Eddie Howe, who is reportedly in advanced talks over the role, would want the Celtic job and how he’s one of the only people for the job, Bull told FFC:

“He’d love that and would take it all day long. They’re very patriotic up there and I think he could show a good style of play at Celtic.

“Celtic have got something to prove next year and I think he’s probably one of the managers that could go up there and prove it. So, I think he would do well.”

There have been a number of people linked with the vacant job, but Alan Nixon has confirmed Howe is a serious candidate to get the job.

Former Celtic midfielder Roy Keane has also been linked with the job, with his last managerial role being manager of Ipswich Town in 2011.

واصل فريق الكرة بالأهلي سلسلة التعادلات خلال مباريات بطولة كأس الرابطة خلال اللقاء الذي جمعه أمام المقاولون العرب مساء اليوم.

ويتواجد الأهلي في المجموعة الثانية من البطولة بجانب فرق الإسماعيلي والمقاولون العرب وسموحة والجونة والبنك الأهلي.

طالع | ترتيب مجموعة الأهلي في كأس الرابطة بعد التعادل مع المقاولون وانتهاء مباريات اليوم

وتعادل الأهلي أمام فريق الجونة سلبيًا، بينما انتهت مواجهتي الإسماعيلي والمقاولون العرب بنتيجة 1-1 خلال المباريات الثلاثة الماضية من البطولة المحلية.

وسيخوض فريق الكرة بالأهلي مواجهة صعبة أمام سموحة في الجولة الرابعة ضمن منافسات المجموعة الثانية من كأس رابطة الأندية.

طالع أيضًا.. كاف يعلن تأجيل مباراة الأهلي والمريخ السوداني في دوري أبطال إفريقيا ويحدد موعدها الجديد موعد مباراة الأهلي القادمة في كأس الرابطة

ويلاقي الأهلي منافسه سموحة، يوم الخميس المقبل 27 يناير الجاري، وتنطلق في تمام الساعة 5 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 6 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية.

Newcastle striker Dwight Gayle has committed his future to the club by signing a new contract, The Athletic revealed on Monday.

The Magpies had been facing the possibility of Gayle leaving on a free transfer on the expiry of his current deal in June. Relegation rivals Fulham were said to have held a long-term interest in the striker, while a report in March claimed that Turkish side Galatasaray were also keen.

However, the 30-year-old has put that speculation to bed, accepting reduced terms to extend his stay on Tyneside. He had previously been earning a reported £40,000 per week.

Gayle’s limited involvement at Newcastle

The £4.5m-rated striker has only scored one Premier League goal this season in 11 appearances, but it should be noted that just two of those were starts and he was also missing for the 10 matches of the campaign with a ligament injury.

Gayle was selected – as a winger – for the trip to Chelsea last month and the draw at home to Aston Villa following injuries to Allan Saint-Maximin, Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson, but he was back to a watching brief for the woeful 3-0 defeat against Brighton last time out.

Transfer Tavern verdict

It may be something of a surprise that Newcastle have endeavoured to keep a 30-year-old who  Steve Bruce has rarely deployed in his starting XI despite him praising the ex-Crystal Palace marksman as a “natural goalscorer”.

Perhaps there is a slight element of planning for a possible relegation,as Gayle has been a devastating Championship hitman in the past. In the 2016/17 campaign, he bagged 23 goals for the Toon in the second tier, a feat he repeated with West Bromwich Albion a couple of seasons later (via Transfermarkt).

He may not be enjoying a stellar few months of late, but at least Newcastle have kept hold of one proven marksman for the foreseeable future.

In other news, Newcastle are reportedly preparing a bargain deal for this defender.

A number of Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting to an announcement from the club confirming they have met with fans and key influencers ahead of the Old Firm clash this weekend.

The Gers face their local rivals this coming weekend in the Old Firm derby. The match itself does not have much riding on it – the Ibrox outfit have already been confirmed as champions while Celtic are set to finish in a very distant second place. However, after thousands of Gers fans took to the streets to celebrate the title triumph, breaking lockdown regulations in the process and attracting the ire of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, there are worries that such scenes could be repeated.

The Gers appear to be doing all they can to avoid such a situation. On Tuesday, they confirmed that they had met with key supporters groups and influencers to urge them to stay at home around the clash at Parkhead.

The statement was shared on the club’s official Twitter account, and these fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the Rangers fans had to say about the statement below

“Getting sick of hearing this, we weren’t going down regardless”

Credit: @KyleMc_

“I don’t genuinely think there was a real desire for our support to attend on Sunday but we are right to do everything we can to show we are united on this front.”

Credit: @TheLoudenTavern

“Fortunately it looks like most fans are in agreement: no-one was planning on heading there anyway. That said, I’ll be so very annoyed and frustrated if we see any #RangersFC fans at Parkhead this Sunday.”

Credit: @AliHunter1

“Pretty sad that the club need to tweet such things to prove to the SNP they are doing their bit publicly.”

Credit: @rangersbadge

“Sturgeon is milking this eh, almost as if it’s a nice distraction from her party’s lies and deception that happen on a daily basis…”

Credit: @King1Scott

“I would like to say to our fans and supporters worldwide that We Are The people and it I key that we celebrate the team and it’s accomplishments from the safety of our own homes. The players, management and staff all know the fans are with them in spirit, and rightly so.”

Credit: @MacGerrard_

In other news, many Rangers fans slam this Union Bears statement.

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, West Brom have now entered pole position on deadline day to sign Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles on loan in this transfer window.

What’s the story?

With the England international struggling to get consistent starts under Mikel Arteta this season in the Premier League – he’s started just once in the Gunners’ last seven top-flight games – it’s no surprise that recent reports have indicated he is generating a lot of interest from sides keen on signing him on loan.

It was suggested early on deadline day that Southampton were leading the race to take Maitland-Niles, but Ornstein has delivered a fresh twist in this developing saga.

The journalist claims that West Brom have reignited talks to sign him, and that a deal should get done, with Arsenal reluctant to send him to a rival and Maitland-Niles himself not wanting Southampton.

Edu must intervene

Whilst the allure of consistent first-team football makes this a pretty good move on the face of it for both Maitland-Niles and Arsenal, for the Gunners in particular, it’s a very dangerous move.

The north London side have already been burned before when it’s come to sending young talent to the wrong clubs on loan, with Serge Gnabry of course the most high-profile example when he played just three times under Tony Pulis at the Hawthorns.

Whilst Maitland-Niles may play more regularly than the German did in his time with the Baggies, the styles of football are so distinctly different between Arsenal and West Brom that it just doesn’t make sense from the north London side’s point of view.

Is letting the 23-year-old go to a club who rank bottom for possession (40.8%), bottom for shots per game (7.9), 19th for dribbles per match (6.5), and fifth-highest for long balls per game (63) the wisest decision? Maitland-Niles wouldn’t be playing his football in the kind of environment that Arsenal have developed over the years, and it could set his progress back considerably, as it did for Gnabry.

The Baggies’ style of play isn’t what’s best for the £16.2m-rated ace’s development. Edu should intervene and either keep him at the Emirates and let him fight for his place, or find another suitor for him. Letting him join West Brom would be a grave mistake on the technical director’s part.

Meanwhile, this Arsenal transfer target showed he could be Thomas Partey’s perfect midfield partner…

Carlo Ancelotti must block Manchester United from signing Jarrad Branthwaite after the Red Devils became the latest Premier League club to begin monitoring the Everton prospect.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Red Devils scouts are tracking Branthwaite’s progress following an impressive start to life on loan with Championship side Blackburn Rovers.

The left-sided centre-back moved to Ewood Park in the recent winter transfer market and made his seventh outing under Tony Mowbray during Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, having yet missed a second of available game time at the second-tier outfit.

Ancelotti sanctioned a half-season loan spell for the £15,000-per-week 18-year-old as he recognised the need for him to play regular senior football, having only awarded Branthwaite one of his five appearances for Everton during the 2020/21 campaign.

Branthwaite joined the Toffees from Carlisle United in a £1m move in January 2020, and is noted as having earned the attention of Liverpool and Manchester City, as well as United, given his stylish and impressive performances for the Blues and Blackburn.

Everton are happy with Branthwaite’s progress and see him making the step up to a regular first-team role at Goodison Park in the future, where question marks are said to lie on Yerry Mina’s future with Ancelotti’s best centre-back partnership still unclear.

But the Merseyside outfit are wary of the increasing number of sides eying Branthwaite, while Manchester United consider their future options as well as a first-team ready centre-half for the upcoming summer window.

Should Everton sell Branthwaite?

The heightening interest in Branthwaite from the Premier League’s established top-six sides just goes to show the level he has been performing at with Blackburn, despite Rovers now being without a single point from their last four Championship games.

Mowbray oversaw a 1-1 draw against Stoke City in Branthwaite’s first match for the Ewood Park natives, after which he described the 6 ft 5 titan’s display as “remarkable” for his age. And, despite Blackburn’s form since, the Rovers boss continues to be impressed by the England U19 international, as he “does what it says on the tin” most weeks.

Branthwaite’s displays have also returned the highest average number of successful tackles per game by a Championship centre-back who has played at least five times this term with 2.7, per WhoScored – the next-best being AFC Bournemouth duo Diego Rico (2.2) and £12m man Chris Mepham (2).

Everton’s teenage talent further ranks ninth among all second-tier centre-halves for interceptions with 2.3 a game (Rico is first with 3.3), which would see him rank first at Goodison Park (Michael Keane and Mason Holgate are first with 1.4) and second for successful tackles – only behind Holgate (3), and with more than Mina (1) and Keane (0.8) combined.

If Branthwaite continues to impress on a similar trajectory between now and the end of the season, he will be more than ready to play a role in Ancelotti’s plans next term – especially should Mina depart – or secure a Premier League loan to gain further top-flight experience.

What Everton cannot do is sanction a permanent deal for the defender to join a Manchester United, City or Liverpool, as the Blues would only live to regret letting a future star leave so early in his career.

AND in other news, a £23.5m-rated Everton ace proved his doubters wrong in Saturday’s Merseyside Derby win over Liverpool…