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Former Manchester United man Keith Gillespie has exclusively told Transfer Tavern that he’s surprised to see Southampton striker Danny Ings linked with Manchester City.

The Premier League leaders are in the market to replace Sergio Aguero, having announced that the Argentine will be leaving the club at the end of the season.

He has been a remarkably reliable goalscorer for the club, scoring 257 goals in 384 games for the club.

Indeed, Aguero has scored 20 goals across a Premier League season no fewer than six times, and has scored more than 15 goals on eight occasions. He has had 10 seasons in the Premier League.

Sky Sports reported that Ings was a target for City as they explore their options when it comes to recruiting a forward.

The 28-year-old, by comparison, has scored 51 goals in 133 Premier League games across his career and has only broken the 20 mark once, last season.

And Gillespie believes the link is bizarre, especially when his injury record is also taken into account; Ings has had four hamstring injuries since his move to Southampton, and ruptured his cruciate ligaments at Liverpool.

Speaking to TT, he said: “It’s a strange one that.

“I really like Danny Ings as a player, but you look at the injury record that he’s had over the years, at Liverpool and Southampton, plenty of injuries.

“Is he on the same level as Aguero? I don’t think so. But Aguero’s exceptional. Danny Ings is a really good Premier League player.”

City have also been linked with a potential swoop for Borussia Dortmund superstar Erling Haaland, who has scored 21 Bundesliga goals in 21 games this season, and Gillespie thinks that makes more sense, again claiming that he would be shocked if Ings did end up at the Etihad Stadium.

He added: “I’d be very surprised if that happens, because you’re talking about Man City, you’re talking about them going for Haaland, somebody like that, somebody that is young.

“Danny Ings we know has had his injury problems so I would be surprised if that happened. I have heard it mentioned and I’m sure it’s raised a few eyebrows with a lot of people.”

Carlo Ancelotti must unleash James Rodriguez against Crystal Palace on Monday night to have a potentially game-changing option in Everton’s plans.

The Toffees manager confirmed on Friday that the Colombian is fit and available for selection after missing their last five games in all competitions with a calf injury.

The Goodison Park natives won twice and lost three times without Rodriguez, scoring just three goals in the 29-year-old’s absence.

Rodriguez registered his eighth assist of the season during his last appearance to help break the deadlock as Everton sealed a historic win over Liverpool at Anfield – only Gylfi Sigurdsson (9) has more to his name in royal blue this term.

Ancelotti now hopes to see the Colombian – who talkSPORT scout David Connelly claims has “undoubted quality” – rediscover his optimal form after returning to full training over the international break.

“James is in good condition and he trained well during the break,” the Everton manager said. “It is important for us to have him back at his best. At the start of the season, he did really well. He helped the team to score goals.

“He is motivated, and his physicality is good in this moment. He is going to put more quality, of course, in our attacking play.

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“I am quite confident because I see him in training working well, in good condition and with a good attitude.”

Ancelotti must strive to unleash Rodriguez at the first available opportunity in order to hit the ground running coming out of the international break, with the chance there for Everton to gain ground in the race for Champions League football.

Chelsea spurned a glorious opening to keep the pressure on Everton when beaten 5-2 by relegation-threatened West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, to see that the Toffees remained just five points behind the Londoners but now with two games in hand.

However, Crystal Palace will not be expected to roll over and hand the Toffees all three points, as Goodison Park has proven to be a welcome ground for visiting teams with only Newcastle (16), Brighton (13), West Brom (11), Sheffield United (10) and Fulham (10) claiming fewer points at home than Everton (17) have in the Premier League this term.

Everton have only won once in their last seven top-flight fixtures at Goodison Park, losing five and drawing one, including a 2-1 defeat to Burnley, a 2-0 loss to Fulham and a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle.

Crystal Palace will pose a similar danger to the relegation-threatened sides to have won at Everton recently, with the Eagles averaging just 42.1% of the possession when on the road in top-flight fixtures this term – the fourth-lowest in the division, while Newcastle (39.7%) are 20th and Burnley (42.3%) are 15th, per WhoScored.

Roy Hodgson’s side also rank eighth for tackles per away game with 15.9, more than Newcastle (14.8), Fulham (14) and Burnley (12.9), who registered 14, 10 and six in their respective wins at Goodison Park this year.

Burnley rarely had to commit players to win possession back either, as Everton looked lost of ideas in the second half against the Clarets without a natural playmaker, as they proceeded to register just one shot on target from eight attempts despite boasting 64.1% of the ball.

Ancelotti will duly need a player with the game-changing talent of Rodriguez – who averages the most key passes (1.7) per Premier League game by a Blues player this season – pulling the strings for Everton to cut through Palace.

AND in other news, Everton face a £17m price tag to land a 26-y/o leader once considered to be “one of the strongest”…

Amid suggestions Liverpool star James Milner may be interested in a move to Leeds United, there could well be a real opportunity for Marcelo Bielsa to unearth another Stuart Dallas.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Dean Windass made the claim that the ex-Whites midfielder may consider a return back home, saying: “Being a local lad, would he go back to Leeds? Yes. To end his career.

“But does he want to go back as a squad player, because that’s what he’d be. Bielsa would he go, ‘come in, but you’re not going to play week in week out, but I need you in the changing room’. He might want to go back home to Yorkshire and enjoy his life, but he might want to go and play for another two seasons.”

Milner’s versatility makes him a manager’s dream (he’s played in 11 different roles over the course of his career), and very much akin to what Leeds already have in Dallas at Elland Road.

The Northern Irishman has been a real Swiss army knife for the Whites, playing in a number of positions and filling in wherever and whenever needed – this season alone has already seen him play in six different positions for Bielsa’s side, including in both full-back positions and central midfield.

Milner is built from the same cloth as the 29-year-old, and would offer Leeds that extra security of being able to just slot in if any injuries start playing havoc with the squad.

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Described as someone who “won’t stop running at you” by former Leeds man Dominic Matteo, the 35-year-old veteran can clearly still do a job in the Premier League considering that Jurgen Klopp has played him 22 times in the Premier League alone.

The £140k-a-week earning dynamo would be the kind of shrewd move that could actually save Victor Orta and co millions in the transfer market given he can play in a number of different roles, and would allow Leeds to focus their spending on one or two key areas rather than having to splash out on multiple new signings.

Given his versatility, and the fact he just puts in the work week-in and week-out, everything about Milner just screams at him being the perfect player for Bielsa.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has dropped a major Leeds update…

Keith Gillespie has exclusively told Football FanCast that he expects West Ham United loanee Jesse Lingard to leave Manchester United at the end of the season, with the Irons keen to sign him permanently.

Lingard’s Old Trafford contract doesn’t expire until next summer, but he hasn’t featured in the Premier League for the Red Devils since July having fallen out of favour under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and has flourished since moving to West Ham in January.

Having scored eight times and added four assists in just nine league appearances for the Hammers, Lingard was recalled to the England squad – featuring in all three of the recent World Cup qualifiers – and is in the form of his life.

Lingard’s only three outings for Manchester United this term came in the domestic cup competitions, and whilst reports have suggested he could make a sensational return to Old Trafford next term, Gillespie believes that it’s the end of the road for his United career.

He told Football FanCast:

“I’d probably say that he will leave the club. He had plenty of time there to do something and got plenty of opportunities, and he didn’t deliver.

“It’s fantastic how well he’s done at West Ham. He’s really gone in and helped the club, scored goals, assisted and looks like someone who really enjoys playing football again. It can’t be fun when you’re not even making the squads, which is what was happening at Manchester United.

“I think come the end of the season West Ham will be doing everything to secure him on a deal.”

Whilst West Ham might not necessarily be Lingard’s next club, it’s hard to imagine a situation where he becomes part of Solsjkaer’s plans once again, meaning an Old Trafford exit is more than likely.

Rangers’ unbeaten run continued on Wednesday night, although Steven Gerrard’s side will have been disappointed to not take all three points back to Ibrox, as they were denied a win.

Scott Wright grabbed his first goal in Rangers colours to make it 1-0 and the Light Blues wasted a few chances to kill the game off, before Callum Davidson’s St Johnstone side earned themselves a draw with the late equaliser.

Gerrard rang the changes following the 2-0 win in the Old Firm derby last weekend and will undoubtedly be disappointed that some of the players who were given a rare opportunity to impress failed to do so at McDiarmid Park.

One man who struggled to perform on Wednesday night was Swiss striker Cedric Itten.

As per SofaScore, the Swiss striker, who joined from FC St Gallen in a deal believed to be worth around £3m last summer, would earn a shocking 6.3/10 rating for his performance, which was the worst of any Rangers player to feature in the game.

During his 90 minutes on the pitch, the 24-year-old would have just 45 touches of the ball and would only complete 21/28 of his passes, which is even fewer than the 26 completed by goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin.

Itten also failed to register a shot on target, key pass or cross during his time on the pitch, which emphasises just how little he was involved in an attacking sense.

Gerrard was perhaps hoping that the striker would be able to hold the ball up for Rangers so they could bring their wingers into play more, but he struggled to function as a target man, winning just one of his seven aerial duels, and just three of his 10 ground duels, resulting in a less than impressive 24% success rate.

Despite being involved so little, the striker still managed to lose possession on 18 occasions on the evening, which surely will have frustrated Gerrard.

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Therefore, it seems clear that Itten let his manager down on Wednesday evening, and it would be a surprise to see him future when the two sides meet again on Sunday in the Scottish Cup.

And, in other news… Allen masterclass: “Terrific” Rangers beast has seen his value rise by 275% since Ibrox switch

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a new blow in their potential pursuit to appoint Julian Nagelsmann…

What’s the word?

Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy sensationally sacked Jose Mourinho on Monday after just 17 months in charge of the north London outfit, leaving the club in seventh place in the Premier League and with a Carabao Cup final on the horizon.

Former midfielder and academy coach Ryan Mason will now take control alongside Chris Powell until the end of the season.

The youthful RB Leipzig head coach has quickly emerged as a front-runner and Spurs’ mooted first-choice to succeed the Special One but latest claims suggest they will have a very tough task in securing his signature.

That’s according to The Athletic’s Bundesliga expert Raphael Honigstein, who told talkSPORT:

“Leipzig have no intention of releasing Julian Naglesmann and will fight tooth and nail not to let him go. He has no release clause, the slightly bigger issue is he would very much like to go to Bayern Munich next season.

“If it’s between Tottenham and Bayern, for him, it’s not a consideration. He is from a place very near Munich, his family are from Munich and he was a Bayern fan growing up.

“Even with a potential Super League club in Spurs, I still think Bayern are in a different category of club and he wants to go to that kind of club next. Whether Leipzig will let him or not, we don’t know but that’s his plan as far as I know and I think Spurs are going to find it very difficult to change that.”

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Bad news for Levy

This will come as a huge blow to Levy and his hopes of appointing the 33-year-old gem this summer, especially as Bayern’s current boss Hansi Flick revealed his intention to leave the Bundesliga giants, thus opening the door for an easy change of scenery over in Germany.

It’s easy to see why Nagelsmann will be in high demand as he’s taken RB Leipzig to a new level, even further than the progression attained under current Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl.

They have run the defending champions as close to a title battle as possible, and have certainly put up a better fight than Borussia Dortmund, and the likes of Leverkusen, Wolfsburg and Monchengladbach, too.

The young coach has been tipped to emulate the successes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, too. “Julian is the biggest German coaching talent. He’s very mature for his age and has already come very far,” claimed ex-Leipzig sporting director Ralf Rangnick to SID (via Bulinews). “If he keeps developing like this, he can reach the level of Klopp and Guardiola.”

Such claims have been emphasised by Angelino, someone who has played for both the trophy-laden City boss as well as Nagelsmann. “In certain things they do resemble each other: in the way of preparing for games, training or knowing what they want. I would say they are 95 per cent the same in those aspects,” he told Spanish outlet AS (via beIN SPORTS).

On top of an impressive 59% win rate from his 88 matches in charge of the Bundesliga side, Spurs have tasted first-hand the damage his teams can do as they were the side to knock the north Londoners out of the Champions League last season.

If Spurs miss out on the emerging guru, then it will be truly gutting for Levy and many more at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Some of the other names linked to the vacant role, including England boss Gareth Southgate, former Wigan FA Cup winner Roberto Martinez, Swansea’s Steve Cooper and another manager sacked by Chelsea in Maurizio Sarri, are hugely uninspiring by comparison.

AND in other news, here’s how Spurs could look under Ryan Mason; Alli & Winks comeback?…

Glasgow Rangers captain James Tavernier has refused to criticise the idea of the Gers joining a British Super League in the future.

Tavernier discusses BSL

Earlier this week, the European Super League fell apart within 48 hours of its creation (The Guardian). However, the prospect of the venture saw the re-emergence of suggestions of a British Super League involving Rangers and Celtic (The Sun via football365.com).

Speaking ahead of the 55-time champions’ clash with St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup, Tavernier said (via The Scotsman):

“As long as Rangers Football Club is always going to be competitive in trophies, that’s what we want to do.

“It’s one of those things where it’s a lot higher than the players. You saw that with the European Super League, it comes from a lot higher up in the clubs. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I think it’s way above my pay grade!”

Difficult

Talks of the Old Firm duo joining the English footballing pyramid have been around for years – quite frankly, it seems to be a pipe dream. However, if it were to materialise, £7.2m-valued Tavernier (Transfermarkt) may well be disappointed, as winning trophies would become an awful lot harder.

With no disrespect to the Gers, they are currently playing in a league where they only have one real competitor for titles in Celtic. In a British Super League, the level of competition would increase significantly, and the Gers would no longer be able to overpower their opponents financially.

There are plenty of reasons why the Gers would be interested in such a project, but adding to their trophy cabinet would not be one of them.

In other news, this ace previously compared to Lionel Messi would be eager to move to Rangers.

Many Everton fans have been flocking to a transfer update on Hwang Hee-Chan as Sport1 have reported that they are particularly keen on him.

However, as per the news outlet, that is also the stance of West Ham United, and both teams were interested in signing him in the winter break.

The Goodison Park faithful could do with another striker to compete with Dominic Calvert-Lewin up top for the 2021/22 term, and Hwang would certainly offer a different option given his ability to run in behind with his pace.

However, the South Korea international has not been very prolific for RB Leipzig so far this season, scoring just two times in 21 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

The update has certainly split the fanbase of the Merseyside club in terms of whether the 25-year-old would be a good signing for them or not.

Everton fans on Hee-Chan transfer update

These Toffees supporters flocked to the transfer update after it was shared on Twitter:

“Let’s gooooooooooooo!!!”

Credit: @jaehl33

“Thought we should of looked at him in January. He’s not bad, versatile. Sell Kean for £40m plus and get him for around £15m and it’s really good business imo”

Credit: @AidyDews

“A lot of fans here looking his goals per game and just that. He’s got a well-rounded game, plenty of potential and brings more than just being a “striker””

Credit: @Lukazioo

“Please no”

Credit: @davidh_5_

“2 goals in 35 Bundesliga games. No thanks.”

Credit: @irvine75

“Isn’t he like scoreless in 15 games?”

Credit: @TheBenji1878

In other news, find out what transfer update has been lauded by Blues here!

Xisco Munoz’s Watford could miss out on signing Ivan Toney this summer, but the club must try to do all they can to get him.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who claimed that both Leicester City and Everton are preparing a bid for the Brentford hitman, adding that the Hornets may now be unable to compete with those clubs to secure a deal for the striker they attempted to sign last summer.

When asked whether he believes Toney will be playing the Premier League next season, with or without Brentford, Thomas Frank remarked that if the player was to leave, it would be an expensive move for whichever club purchased him.

Giaretta must move

Since joining Brentford in a £5.04m deal from Peterborough United last summer, Toney has proven to be a revelation for the west Londoners, with the 25-year-old scoring a remarkable 30 goals, as well as providing 10 assists, over his 44 Championship appearances for the club.

This goalscoring form is a stark contrast of anything Watford’s forwards have managed this season – other than Ismaila Sarr’s 13 Championship goals, no Hornets player has scored more than 10 in the league despite gaining automatic promotion, with Joao Pedro scoring nine, Troy Deeney seven and Andre Gray four.

As such, following Watford’s elevation to the Premier League, it would seem as if the centre-forward position is in need of improvement over the course of the summer; and Frank’s “special” £21,000-per-week Brentford striker would appear to be an excellent candidate to add greater firepower to Xisco’s attacking arsenal.

Despite reports suggesting that Watford could be priced out of a move, it would be highly advisable for Cristiano Giaretta to release the funds and spend a large chunk of the club’s Premier League promotion cash in a bid to bring the striker – who Frank recently likened to Harry Kane – to Vicarage Road this summer, as Toney’s goals could well prove the difference between survival and relegation from the top flight next season.

If he can fire home the goals to keep them up, he’ll be worth every penny.

In other news: Watford have a “huge chance” of signing £91k-p/w ace, Giaretta must reject it – opinion

Plenty of Crystal Palace fans have been reacting to a recent report regarding managerial target Frank Lampard.

According to the Evening Standard, the former Chelsea boss is keen on replacing Roy Hodgson at Selhurst Park.

Lampard is thought to be interested in the project with the Eagles and wants his next job to be in the Premier League.

Palace reportedly like Lampard’s work with younger players at Chelsea, however, he would also be backed in the transfer market this summer, should he put pen to paper on a Selhurst Park deal.

Hodgson’s contract at the club expires in around seven weeks time, and it is believed an announcement on his future will be made at the end of the current campaign.

Palace fans react

@cpfc_xtra shared the news of Lampard’s interest in the job and the club’s plans to back a new manager in the transfer market this summer on Twitter.

This is what some Palace supporters had to say in reply.

“Exciting”

Credit: @elliotcpfc

“All these links from reliable sources. It’s gonna happen”

Credit: @Sumo08112

“Of course he’s interested it’s a job he should be on his hands and knees begging for, he doesn’t deserve another chance at this level yet he should jump at any opportunity to do so”

Credit: @liamb0117

“The people that want him worry me. He needs to properly prove himself at this level, including the building of a squad”

Credit: @JoeCarey17

“I mean he would back the youth but I’m not 100%. I’d back him”

Credit: @nikolimorgan

“happy Thursday”

Credit: @cpfcharlie0

In other news: ‘Joke’, ‘I’m worried’ – Many CPFC fans react as news emerges on £120k-p/w ace, find out more here.