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According to reports, Leeds are still interested in Reading’s Michael Olise ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Reports back in January suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side were very much interested in bringing the 19-year-old to the Premier League, and now Football Insider have delivered a major update on the situation.

The report claims that the Whites are still closely monitoring Olise, but are facing strong competition from a number of Premier League clubs, including the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool.

Game-changer for Bielsa

With five goals and ten assists, Olise has been an absolute revelation in the Championship for Reading this season, and it’s no surprise that so many of the Premier League’s biggest clubs are keen on seeing him play at a higher level.

His teammate at Reading, Sam Baldock, said early last year: “Michael is a real talent, he’ll get on the ball in any situation. He’s fearless, if you ask him today I’ll guarantee that he had no nerves. He’s a lively character and one who I’ve noticed a real change in the last couple of months.”

Hailed as “super talented” by Reading boss Veljko Paunović, the 19-year-old has already earned rave reviews for his ability, with his former manager at the Royals, Jose Gomes, adding: “Michael is really special. He can see, even before receiving the ball, more options than regular players. His technical ability and speed, decision capacity is really, really good.”

His tally of ten assists is significantly higher than anything that any of Leeds’ players have produced this season, and given his ability to play as a number ten or even out wide, could be a real game-changer for Bielsa.

Not only would he offer support for the likes of Raphinha and Jack Harrison, but he could really give Rodrigo a run for his money for that attacking midfield role.

As those who know him well have attested to, Olise has got that ability to take players on and create a moment of magic. And that’s exactly the kind of match-winning quality Bielsa would surely love to have in his side.

Meanwhile, Bielsa should unleash this Leeds starlet next season…

Manchester United’s Premier League season has hit a few bumps in the road in recent weeks, with three draws in their last four games putting an end to any realistic hopes of winning the title.

United have lacked a cutting edge in front of goal to kill those teams off and while the imminent return of Edinson Cavani does give them a focal point in attack, where does that leave Anthony Martial, the man currently earning a massive £250k-per-week?

The Frenchman had a fine 2019/20 season after scoring 23 times in 48 appearances across all competitions and he played a key role in United’s late surge into third place.

But frustratingly, the Red Devils’ number nine has failed to build on that momentum this season and has scored just seven times in 32 games to date, with ex legendary skipper Roy Keane believing he has a lack of “love for the game.”

Martial’s average SofaScore match rating has decreased from 7.11 in 2019/20 to 6.82 this season, highlighting that the forward’s standards have declined.

His modest score of 6.8 in the recent 3-1 win over Newcastle United fell some way short of the numbers from Bruno Fernandes (8.2), Daniel James (7.2) and Marcus Rashford (7.8), despite him being deployed in the main centre-forward role from where he had so much success last season.

He seems to have lost his way in a United shirt, and despite netting a brace in the 9-0 mauling of Southampton, that was the only time Martial had scored for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side in his last nine Premier League appearances.

What needs to happen?

Martial’s underwhelming displays leave little room for encouragement that the Frenchman can turn around his season.

While the arrival of Alex Telles has seemingly pushed Luke Shaw to up his game in a red shirt, the acquisition of Cavani seems to have had the opposite effect on Martial.

A heat map on SofaScore shows Martial more often veering towards the left in a bid to take more of the ball, whereas this same indicator of movement shows that Cavani is more inclined to stay in the penalty area and give the team that much-needed focal point.

Apart from last season, Martial has never really scored on a consistent basis for United since his arrival from Monaco in 2015. His best campaign from a goalscoring perspective before last season came in 2015/16, when he found the net 17 times in 49 appearances across all competitions. Since then, his goalscoring totals in the following three seasons were eight, 11 and 12.

For someone whose best position is supposedly centre-forward, those numbers are not what Manchester United need to take themselves to the next level and to challenge for the game’s best prizes.

It may now be time for Solskjaer to put the Frenchman on the bench and use this as an opportunity to give Cavani the nod and afford Mason Greenwood further chances to impress and learn.

And in other news, Kylian Mbappe has interest in an Old Trafford move

With the advent of online gambling, it is needless to say that a lot of people simply avoid venturing into gambling since it could quickly turn quite addictive. However, thanks to new technologies surfacing every day, punters have the option to stop getting into problematic gambling with schemes such as Gamstop, Gamstop, Gamban, etc.

The operating body of Gamstop is a non-profit organisation, namely, The National Online Self-exclusion Scheme LTD. If you want to avoid getting addicted to online gaming then Gamstop helps you. But this service could not limit your accounts on non GamStop betting sites that aren’t on self-exclusion. It is a free self-exclusion service that allows punters to self-exclude themselves from casino sites and services which are registered with the UKGC.

The self-exclusion feature of Gamstop can be used with a registration process where the individual has to provide his/her basic details like:

Full name Date of birth Phone number Email address and Residential address

As mentioned, the registration process is quite simple and Gamstop also offers the time of period for which an individual wants to be in the self-exclusion agreement. They are:

Six months One year and Five years

After all the information is provided, a verification process is carried out with a third-party verification service provider, namely, TransUnion. After the verification, the reviewing option is given before finalising the registration.

Football Betting Apps Support Responsible Gambling and the Gamstop App

Here we will look into some football betting applications which support the inclusion of Gamstop in their agreement.

Betfair

Betfair is an online gambling platform through which an individual is able to bet on football matches. It is available in both Google PlayStore and in the IOS platform with a rating of 4.7 out of 5. It has multiple options of betting and has very wide options of gambling through football leagues and virtual tournaments.

The most important feature that Betfair has is that it uses Gamstop as one of its software to include the self-exclusion feature which is mandatory under the United Kingdom Gambling Commission. Betfair follows the protocols of responsible gambling and offers punters a chance to self-exclude themselves through schemes such as Gamstop. Alternatively, punters who have enrolled in the Gamstop service will not be able to access the Betfair site.

Bet365

Bet365 is a sports-based betting application with a solid 4.7 rating out of 5 which proves that it is widely popular among the gambling community. This application consists of several sports with in-play and pre-match features like soccer, football, horse racing, ice hockey, Lotto, and so on. Nonetheless, Bet365 promotes responsible gambling through the inclusion of Gamstop.

The application also makes sure that it provides a lot of features like self-exclusion, deposit limits, reality checks, and so on with which an individual can exercise a sense of self-control while investing real money into the games.

Paddy Power

Originally, Paddy Power originated in Dublin in the year of 1988. At first, it used to do business with a group of betting shops that are licensed in Ireland and in the UK along with managing Ireland’s telephone’s betting channel. Gradually, on the internet, Paddy Power became one of the most promising betting platforms as trusted betting sources said which offer sports betting, slots, poker, and so on. In 2016, Paddy Power collaborated with Betfair and created another platform named Flutter entertainment which is defined as a global platform where betting, gaming, and entertainment are provided.

Paddy Power being a UKGC registered platform ensures that the protocols of responsible gambling are followed strictly. Like every other application which has collaborated with Gamstop, Paddy Power offers the self-exclusion service and also other tools like self-assessment, take a break, budget calculator, and so on. Paddy Power gives the option of self-exclusion for a minimum of six months and once registered, the individual won’t be able to reverse the action.

Conclusion

In each and every football betting application, we saw how they ensure responsible gambling. Responsible gaming can be defined as a trait where an individual has fun in gambling without any financial pitfalls while investing more money than they could possibly afford. Needless to say, gambling can be addictive and people have lost fortunes for gambling addiction. Applications such as Gamstop, Gamban, Gamcare, etc are the key highlights when it comes to fighting gambling addictions. In other words, rule the gambling but do not let the gambling rule you.

Glagsow Rangers have been handed a major boost over their pursuit of Aberdeen winger Scott Wright in the January transfer window, reports say.

What’s the word?

According to The Glasgow Times, Rangers have edged closer to sealing a pre-contract deal for Aberdeen’s Wright which would see the 23-year-old move to Ibrox in the summer.

It’s claimed Gerrard has confirmed that he is close to securing the former Scotland U21 international, with the only downside being that they may have to wait until the end of the season for him to move to Glasgow as a free agent.

Reports in recent times revealed Rangers are looking to strike a deal for Wright as they look to take advantage of the Bosman ruling in a move for the Pittodrie star, with Reds boss Derek McInnes resigned to the loss of the left winger.

Perfect Brandon Barker replacement

If Rangers are to bring in a new era of Scottish football, they will need to strengthen their squad to stand any chance of ending Celtic’s recent dominance once and for all.

The Light Blues top the goal-scoring charts having found the back of the net 60 times in 24 outings. No other team has scored more goals this season than Gerrard’s Gers.

But if there’s one criticism that can be directed at his team at the halfway stage of the campaign, it’s the lack of goals out wide barring the ever-reliable Ryan Kent.

Kent continues to be linked with a move to Leeds United whilst Brandon Barker and Jordan Jones have been deemed surplus to requirements. Despite his best efforts, even Kai Kennedy has been unable to earn a recall, which leaves Barker and Jones as the only natural backup for Kent available to Gerrard right now.

Wright would almost instantly be a significant upgrade to his wide options as he has proven that he is able to score goals and provide assists consistently at a decent level at Pittodrie.

Just this season, the winger has bagged two goals and two assists in 14 Premiership appearances. That’s just one goal shy of both Barker and Jones combined, as per Transfermarkt.

This also means that Wright has created more chances than Gerrard’s first-choice striker Alfredo Morelos, as per WhoScored.

The fact that Rangers are already looking for a winger will be a huge boost for Gerrard and the Gers but leaves Barker and Jones in a perilous position as their future at the club is no longer assured.

Former Rangers manager Alex McLeish could not hide his admiration for Wright in a recent interview with Ibrox News, adding: “And Scott Wright is a great capture and within the club’s coffers, I would have thought.

“But it’s also a sign that they will give young players an opportunity, and that’s great for Rangers fans who, when the government relaxes the rules, will flock back and see these players developing and becoming great players for the club.

“There are a lot of demands on you when you’re playing for Rangers and the players will know that.

“The right players will thrive on that pressure and Scott Wright looks like a very tidy player indeed.”

It appears, therefore, that Wright, who is currently valued at a mere £540k via Transfermarkt, could be quite a coup if Wilson and co. can secure a deal before the transfer market closes in ten days time.

AND in other news, Rangers have ‘no interest’ in Preston North End defender Ben Davies…

Celtic are set to be busier than we first envisaged on transfer deadline day. Olivier Ntcham has been linked with the exit door while there is the possibility of numerous new arrivals too.

What’s the word?

Celtic are seemingly in the market to sign defenders on deadline day. The club are on the verge of welcoming Everton right-back Jonjoe Kenny to Parkhead.

They are also reportedly interested in taking Tottenham defender Japhet Tanganga on loan but there was the possibility of another defender signing for the Hoops earlier in the window.

According to The Daily Record, Celtic were interested in landing United States international DeAndre Yedlin from Newcastle.

The right-back is now set to sign for Galatasaray in Turkey so there is zero chance of him arriving in Glasgow.

Perfect Frimpong heir

It’s a shame that the Bhoys didn’t pursue this one further. After all, he had the potential to be Celtic’s dream Jeremie Frimpong successor.

The Dutchman left for Bayer Leverkusen last weekend and thus, the Hoops require a full-back as his replacement.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-celtic-transfer-news” title=”Read this week’s Celtic transfer news!”]

But why would Yedlin have been perfect? Well, just like Frimpong, he is rampant going forward and possesses a truly incredible amount of pace.

During the 2018/19 campaign, he was clocked as the fifth-fastest player in the Premier League. Similarly to Frimpong, he can also play on the right of midfield and at right-wing back. Thus, the 62-cap international would have been an immediate like-for-like replacement.

To set him apart from the former Celtic man, Yedlin is more competent defensively too. He has made 1.9 matches per game during his career. Frimpong, on the other hand, has managed 1.1 tackles per match during his two years at Celtic.

They may have even landed an upgrade here, but it was not to be.

AND in other news, Forget Duffy: Celtic must swoop for £25k-p/w gem “with pace” who “sees things quickly”…

According to Eurosport’s Dean Jones, West Bromwich Albion are reportedly eyeing up a move for out-of-favour Manchester United outcast Phil Jones.

What’s the word?

Jones has yet to feature for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side so far this season, having been deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford.

And it appears a reunion could be on the cards, with West Brom boss Sam Allardyce keen to reunite with his former defender in the January transfer window.

However, they will face stiff competition to secure his services, as 90min claim Newcastle United are also looking to land the former England international on loan.

It’s time to go

The 28-year-old made his first-team debut for Blackburn under former Rovers boss Allardyce during the 1-0 win away at Nottingham Forest in the League Cup all the way back in 2009.

‘Big Sam’ even went so far as to say that Jones would be given the England captain’s armband one day but it’s fair to say that it hasn’t panned out the way everyone hoped it would have done.

It’s been quite a dramatic fall from grace for the centre-back who was once tipped to become the greatest player in the club’s history by none other than Sir Alex Ferguson himself.

The fringe player has failed to cement a place in Solskjaer’s squad, let alone the starting line-up, as he has struggled with injuries, lack of fitness and poor form over the past few years alone.

His injury struggles have done very little to disguise his defensive errors as he has developed a somewhat unsavoury reputation for making a series of high-profile mistakes.

Under Solskjaer, it seems there is no place for Jones, who earns around £75,000-per-week at Old Trafford, as Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof seem to be his preferred pairing, with Eric Bailly and Axel Tuanzebe jostling for position in the pecking order.

Valued at £5m via Transfermarkt, United simply must bite the bullet and cash in on Jones, who is currently under contract until 2023 with the option for a further year, as Solskjaer clearly has no confidence in his ability any more.

AND in other news, Woodward must sanction Man Utd swoop for youngster likened to Paul Pogba…

West Brom haven’t had a good track-record of signing exciting strikers, and that trend could continue if reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports reporter Kavel Solhekol on the Transfer Show (as relayed by Football Daily), the Baggies have been offered the chance to sign Angers SCO forward Stephane Bahoken with an option-to-buy.

“We know West Brom do not have much to spend [this window], so maybe that would fit the bill,” claimed Solhekol.

Sam Allardyce has already bolstered his struggling Albion squad with the additions of Robert Snodgrass and Andy Lonergan, but the need for extra firepower has been ramped up since the departure of Charlie Austin to QPR on loan and the lengthy injury sustained to Karlan Grant.

Another Stephane flop

As we’ve mentioned, West Brom’s history with the attacking department has been atrocious – the fact that both of last summer’s signings, Austin and Kenneth Zohore, are out on loan speaks volumes, but if that’s not enough, then you may remember Brown Ideye – or Stephane Sessegnon.

In 2016, the Midlands outfit broke their transfer record with the £5.5m signing of Sessegnon from Sunderland. That turned out to be a disaster as he only scored eight goals in 92 appearances – he is arguably one of the worst we’ve ever seen at the Hawthorns.

Before his spell at the Black Cats, the Benin international had never featured in England, and with Bahoken, we’re getting a similar situation as he’s only had one loan spell in Scotland – both played the bulk of their careers in France.

Valued at £6.3m by Transfermarkt, the 28-year-old has managed to bag five times in Ligue 1 this term and hasn’t found the net in six successive appearances.

The self-proclaimed “animal” had a pretty dismal spell in the SPFL for St Mirren, leading to manager Danny Lennon urging fans to back him amid claims he “didn’t handle” the situation well at the club.

He failed to score in five appearances, so why would he be suited to a desperate relegation scrap in the Premier League?

Regardless of the Baggies’ finances, Big Sam would stumble into yet another transfer mistake if he were to sanction a move for Bahoken and that, given their history, would be an absolutely unforgivable blunder to make.

AND in other news, 1 goal every 80 mins: THIS is what West Brom could have with one fell £12.5m swoop…

Carlo Ancelotti is set for regret in Everton’s chase of the ideal partner for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with SSC Napoli’s Arkadiusz Milik reportedly seduced by a move to AS Roma.

What’s the word?

According to Corriere dello Sport, Roma have continued to court Milik since the closure of the summer market, having failed to strike an agreement with Napoli that would have allowed the outcast Poland striker to leave the San Paolo Stadium.

The Giallorossi had come to a total understanding with Milik, who travelled to the Italian capital for his obligatory medical checks, before seeing a route out of Napoli slammed shut despite Roma offering €25million (£22.3m) for the 2021-free agent.

Contact has remained ongoing between the striker and Stadio Olimpico natives, who have a €5m-a-year (£86,115-p/w) deal ready for Milik to sign through to 2025, but Roma intend to renegotiate terms with Napoli given the 26-year-old’s expiring contract.

Roma are willing to hold out and sign Milik in the summer for free, however doing so risks the forward’s place in Poland’s squad for next summer’s postponed Euro 2020 tournament after coach Jerzy Brzeczek urged a winter deal.

Milik, described as a “great striker” by Italian journalist Bruno Longhi in 2019, is yet to kick a ball under Gennaro Gattuso this season, with the Italian icon standing firm to his word that he believed the striker’s time in Naples was over at the end of the prolonged 2019/20 campaign.

“When a player believes his time at a club is over and he wants a change of scenery, you have to listen to him,” he told Sky Sport Italia, via quotes by Goal. “You can’t try to keep someone against their will, or it’s difficult to get them to listen or have the right mentality.”

Everton were linked with interest in Milik this summer but, like Roma, failed to get a deal across the line. And much like the Giallorossi, have remained attentive to the 56-cap forward’s situation with reports by The Sun claiming Ancelotti is eying a £10m January bid.

Tottenham Hotspur and AC Milan are also noted to be interested in the attacker, who Ancelotti allegedly considers a top-class back-up to the in-form Calvert-Lewin after allowing Moise Kean to join Paris Saint-Germain on loan and being left underwhelmed by Cenk Tosun.

Ideal DCL partner?

With Ancelotti said to see Milik as the ideal back-up for Calvert-Lewin, Everton Director of Football Marcel Brands must negotiate a rocky path to acquire the Poland striker or risk leaving the Italian tactician regretting the Blues’ failure.

Ancelotti knows Milik well from his time in Naples, with it noted the former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich coach has not forgotten the 26-year-old’s 28 goals in 56 games, including a hat-trick against Genk in the Champions League during his final match in charge.

In raiding his former club again, after the successful capture of Allan this summer, Ancelotti would also be reuniting with a player he lauded while in charge of Napoli, having claimed the striker is a more complete forward than Mauro Icardi amid links with the Argentine.

“Icardi is a great striker like Milik. The Pole, however, is more complete, even if the Argentine scores more in the box,” Ancelotti told Luna TV, via quotes by Calciomercato. “Talking about Icardi diminishes the value of Milik.”

Though Milik would arrive at Goodison Park very rusty having played no domestic football this season, leading to a lacklustre display for Poland as they lost 2-0 to Italy on Sunday.

Milik failed to register any efforts on goal or key balls following his introduction in the 74th-minute, per SofaScore, having also managed just one shot versus Bosnia & Herzegovina last month.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands can solve a “concerning” situation with a decisive call on Everton’s £54k-p/w enforcer.

Oliver Skipp has no reason to fear for his Tottenham Hotspur career after former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood suggested Jose Mourinho does not rate the young midfielder.

What’s he said?

While speaking on the Kelly and Wrighty Show, Sherwood has claimed Mourinho told Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy that Skipp – along with Kyle Walker-Peters and Troy Parrott – is not good enough for the north London side immediately upon joining the club last year.

His initial assessment of the 20-year-old is believed to be the reason behind Skipp’s season-long loan deal with Norwich City, for whom he has started all 13 Championship fixtures thus far this season as the Canaries sit top of the table on 27 points.

Sherwood seems to feel Skipp will need a next-level campaign in the second-tier if he is to seal a future for himself at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Mourinho successfully strived to sign Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer.

“Jose Mourinho has gone in there [and said] Troy Parrott’s not good enough, Walker-Peters is not good enough, Oliver Skipp, not only not good enough, he gets rid of them. He gets them away from the football club,” claimed Sherwood.

“So, all of a sudden, now he has got a shadow of the squad and what he says to Daniel Levy, which is the biggest art in any management, is to get the owner to spend money.

“When he first went in there, Jose Mourinho, they asked him ‘do you need any players?’ He said ‘no, I am happy with the squad’. What a wonderful squad, from the outside. He goes in there, after the inks dry, and he goes to Daniel Levy ‘these are not good enough, we need this one, that one and go get me them’. And Daniel has backed him.”

Should Skipp fear for his future?

Sherwood’s claims should prove very worrisome for Skipp as Hojbjerg has thrived from the off since his £15million summer arrival, while Harry Winks lit up the stage at home to Ludogorets on Thursday night to show what he can offer when given a chance.

But Skipp is in the perfect setting to prove Sherwood wrong, as Daniel Farke is offering the Tottenham product every opportunity to not only develop his talents in a senior squad but play every game as Norwich strive to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.

Those opportunities are allowing Skipp to demonstrate how he can offer a defensive force in Mourinho’s midfield, with the 20-year-old so far averaging 6.1 duels won and 2.2 tackles per Championship game while completing 88% of his passes, per SofaScore.

Despite Sherwood’s suggestion, Mourinho has also stated his belief in Skipp’s potential, noting after he penned a new four-year contract in July that he considered the U21 international to be a captain in the making.

“I’m really happy,” Mourinho said, via quotes by the Evening Standard. “Everybody in the club is, his teammates are, I am and Skippy is or not he wouldn’t sign the contract. I think he’s genuinely Tottenham’s future.

“In his mind he wants to go on loan, [for] six months, the whole season. He feels that he needs that, I also feel that would be good for his evolution, so maybe that is the direction we go. I think he can be more than a player; he can be a future captain here. Hugo, Harry.”

So, while Sherwood’s claim must spark fear in Skipp over his long-term future in north London, Mourinho’s words and his performances for Norwich should more than rubbish those of the former Tottenham manager.

AND in other news, a Spurs gem who isn’t “shy” has a mountain to climb if he’s to win Jose Mourinho over.

According to a French news outlet, Liverpool are set to make an offer for Schalke 04 defender Ozan Kabak.

Kabak on Klopp’s radar

The 20-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Anfield in recent weeks, with Sport Media Set claiming that the Turkey international will be a long-term replacement for Virgil van Dijk.

The Dutchman is currently out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury following a robust tackle from Everton’s Jordan Pickford during the Reds’ 2-2 draw in the Merseyside derby last weekend.

Kabak has been a regular for the Bundesliga outfit since his move from Stuttgart after picking up the 2018/19 Bundesliga Rookie of the Season award (via Schalke’s official website), scoring three times and providing one assist from 30 outings (TransferMarkt).

However, after he was caught spitting at Werder Bremen’s Lugwig Augustinsson last month, he was found guilty of unsporting behaviour and suspended for four matches (via AA), which could be a concern to some of the Kop faithful.

Nevertheless, Liverpool are pressing on and RMC Sport (cited by Chris Williams) reported that the Reds will table a substantial offer for Kabak and would like a deal to be sealed before the January transfer window opens, with Schalke looking for between €30m and €40m (£27.28m and £36.37m).

Possible bad egg

Kabak seems a massively talented defender and the Bundesliga are unlikely to hand out individual accolades frivolously. That being said, his discipline and temperament must come into question after his recent actions, despite maintaining his innocence after the DFB’s ruling.

With Van Dijk expected to be out for a significant amount of time, though, Liverpool must move quickly to find the defensive cover they need to sufficiently challenge and defend their Premier League crown.

With Dayot Upamecano from RB Leipzig also believed to be an Anfield target, Klopp and sporting director Michael Edwards have a huge decision on their hands which could make or break the Reds’ season.

In other news, European rising star ‘dreams’ of playing for Liverpool.