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Manchester United could make a ‘huge’ profit if Crystal Palace sell Wilfried Zaha this summer, according to reports. 

The 17-cap Ivory Coast international has told Palace that he wants to leave Selhurst Park following the conclusion of the campaign.

According to The Sun, Man United could earn a £17.5m windfall on their former winger in the transfer window. United chiefs Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ed Woodward may receive a boost to their transfer kitty which might help them sign Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund in the process.

Eagles manager Roy Hodgson is ready to let him leave if the right offer arrives but his representatives are worried that Palace could scupper their plans as they are demanding at least £70m in the summer.

Zaha was angry after Palace chairman Steve Parish slapped an astonishing £100m price tag on his head to ward off any potential suitors last year.

Of course, everything hinges on whether or not the Eagles will be able to sell the 27-year-old in the summer, but United could increase their sizeable transfer kitty for practically no effort at all.

The Ivorian’s time at Old Trafford will forever be remembered as an unfortunate blemish on his career, although he may end up doing his old club a massive favour.

Zaha was the final signing made by Sir Alex Ferguson before he retired as Man United manager, originally moving to the Theatre of Dreams from Selhurst Park for £15m in January 2013. However, he was promptly loaned back to his boyhood club, helping Palace gain promotion to the Premier League.

He struggled for consistency under David Moyes, Ferguson’s successor, before being loaned out to Cardiff City in 2014, and finally returned to Palace on a permanent deal in 2015.

United shrewdly attached a sell-on clause in the contract which could benefit the club’s pursuit of Sancho several years later. The Red Devils seem to be at a standstill with Dortmund with both clubs roughly £20m apart on their respective valuations.

Woodward will likely use the extra cash generated by Zaha’s potential sale to get closer to the German giants’ valuation as a little goes a long way.

United fans, do you think Woodward will sign Sancho this summer? Let us know down below!

The agent of Allan Saint-Maximin has given a rather worrying update on the future of the Newcastle United ace, as he has claimed that his client would like to play in the UEFA Champions League, according to Calcio Napoli 24.

As per the outlet, Kurtys Saint-Maximin, who is his brother as well as his agent, told the publication that he does not know where the future of the 23-year old lies but admitted that he would like to play in Europe’s elite competition.

Indeed, this could be worrying for members of the Toon faithful, as they are very unlikely to be able to offer him that for the next season at least given their current position in the Premier League table, and if the proposed takeover of the Tyneside club falls through, then Champions League football may well be a long way away.

In addition, other clubs who have qualified for the competition for the next campaign may well come in for Saint-Maximin given just how well he has performed so far in this term, and the possibility of playing in the Champions League may arguably be too much to turn down. Paris Saint Germain have already been reported as a potential destination, as have Arsenal (Le10Sport).

The Frenchman has arguably been very impressive so far in the top flight, scoring three goals and four assists in 22 games, while also creating eight big chances and averaging 4.6 successful dribbles and 1.3 key passes per match (via Sofascore).

The winger is surely going to attract some interest from big teams in the upcoming summer transfer window, and it will be up to the Magpies as to whether they can keep hold of him.

Geordies, will ASM stay beyond this season? Comment below!

In a Q&A session for The Chronicle, Mark Douglas has delivered a worrying update on Newcastle midfielder Matty Longstaff.

What did he say?

The Magpies starlet is approaching the end of his contract at St James’ Park, and recent reports have suggested that Serie A side Udinese have offered him a far more lucrative deal than the one initially offered by the Tyneside club.

Now, after being asked on what the latest is on Longstaff’s situation, Douglas admitted that the 20-year-old’s future now appears to hinge on whether the club’s proposed takeover goes through or not.

Think you’re a big Magpies fan? Can you name these former players by looking at their careers? Go on, give it a go…

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He said: “Nothing new after the latest reports this week. I’m not sure he will play again until it’s resolved – and I think only a takeover can really see this one properly resolved.”

Catch-22

Douglas’ update suggests that Newcastle are in a bit of catch-22 situation with Longstaff at the moment.

The Magpies are reportedly keen on tying him down to a fresh new deal and stave off any potential suitors, but with it now seemingly being dependent on the takeover going through, Newcastle are having to wait for one of the two dominoes to fall.

If the Saudi consortium’s takeover bid collapses over these coming days and weeks, then Newcastle could be hit with the double blow of having to stick with Mike Ashley and losing one of their talented, homegrown starlets.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly set to join the Premier League race for Danny Loader with the Reading striker, who has attracted interest from Manchester United and Norwich City in the past, set to become a free agent in the upcoming summer transfer window, according to Sky Sports.

As per the report, Loader’s contract is set to expire with the Championship club next month and Wolves could be ready to pounce. The Royals were keen to extent the forward’s deal past this summer but are unable to offer a new one due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Wolves had agreed terms with Loader last summer but the Berkshire club pulled the plug on the move on transfer deadline day, as per the Express & Star.

Indeed, Loader won the Under-17 World Cup with England in 2017 alongside Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho and now looks set for a move to the top flight this summer, Sky Sports understands.

Just to be part of that world-conquering team exemplifies his promise and he could provide an astute alternative to Raul Jimenez to ease the scoring burden on the prolific talisman. The Mexican international has scored 22 goals and made 10 assists in 44 appearances in all competitions so far this season for his Molineux outfit (via Transfermarkt).

The 29-year old is certainly a man from whom Loader could learn and it would provide opportunities for Nuno Espirito Santo to rest Jimenez if the manager feels it is needed.

Available on a free transfer, signing the 19-year-old who has showcased his talent for his country on the global stage should be a relatively low-risk move for Wolves.

Wolves fans, do you think Loader would be an ideal alternative to Jimenez at Molineux? Comment below with your views!

After the signing of Bruno Fernandes from Sporting CP in the January transfer window, Manchester United embarked on a stellar run of form before football was postponed.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side remained unbeaten across all competitions after the arrival of the Portugal international, and things are beginning to look up for the Red Devils as the Premier League returns later this month.

But whilst their attentions will be firmly on whether they can book a place in next season’s Champions League, the likes of Ed Woodward and co will also be keeping one eye on potential summer signings.

Can you name every one of United’s top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…

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And with reports in recent days suggesting that United are monitoring both Jack Grealish and Kai Havertz ahead of a move, the Manchester side will have to make a big decision on who they should prioritise.

But whilst Havertz has enjoyed a stunning few games since the return of the Bundesliga – he has bagged five goals in four games – Grealish is the one who Woodward should firmly be fixed on signing for United this summer.

The Aston Villa captain has been in inspired form throughout the campaign, and is trying to drag his boyhood side away from relegation back to the Championship this season.

In just 26 Premier League games, he has managed seven goals and six assists, including scoring a wonder strike at Old Trafford to claim a 2-2 draw back in December.

His form has even led to former Villa man Gabriel Agbonlahor insisting that Grealish would “walk” into the United side, whilst United’s own icon Gary Neville similarly waxed lyrical about him after a particularly impressive performance against Newcastle. He said: “Grealish is a talisman and tonight was a good night for him. They love him. I’m really impressed with him, he wanted the ball all the time. He looked like he ran the game tonight.”

And with the 24-year-old already Premier League-proven, there would be no real concern as to whether he could hit the ground running at Old Trafford, unlike Havertz. Whilst the German is about four years younger, moving from a different country and league poses its own challenges, regardless of ability.

Grealish would be more of a guarantee than the Leverkusen starlet, and what with him already being Villa captain, seems to have the mentality to lead and thrive at a demanding environment like United.

Rangers must be wondering when the saga that has engulfed Scottish football will end.

By now, the story is likely to be clear for you, but just in case it isn’t, it all started with Dundee. With the season suspended due to the current pandemic that has wreaked havoc across the planet, the SPFL put forward a resolution proposal in an attempt to decide what should happen with the rest of the campaign. The Dark Blues’ vote, though, was originally not registered and, when it was finally counted, it had changed.

This has led to accusations of corruption from Rangers, and an almighty chaos north of the border. An Emergency General Meeting has been set up for May 12th, and now the SPFL has released an open letter to all clubs in the top four divisions. In the letter, it insinuates that an independent investigation, which Rangers have requested, would be a waste of time.

As you can imagine, the Ibrox outfit’s supporters are raging at this latest update – one fan even called the organisation “a stain on Scotland”. They have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think!

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…

Although former Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce’s time in B6 ended in somewhat acrimonious circumstances – with a cabbage being thrown at the 58-year-old prior to his sacking – the current Newcastle boss has been reflecting on his time with the West Midlands outfit.

What did he say?

Speaking ahead of the clash between his current and former employers, Bruce (via Birmingham Live) said:

“I feel I should have got longer. The team that got up is the team we practically put together. New owners came in, it’s a different ball game now. Without them Villa would be in a real dark place.”

Did Bruce deserve more time at Villa?

Having spent just under two years with at the club whilst managing over 90 league games, Bruce’s achievement in taking Villa to the play-off final – despite defeat to Fulham – was an impressive feat.

Villa lost to a better side at Wembley in 2018 – with Slaviša Jokanović’s men displaying considerably more consistency over the course of the season to clinch five more points – but the decline that proceeded meant that Bruce’s sacking was more than justified from the club’s hierarchy. At the time, Villa were 13th and had managed to win only three of 11 Championship games. 

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And while he claims the promotion team was the one he forged, Villa’s rise to the top six was built upon a vastly improved defence which hinged on the January arrivals of Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause on loan – both being so fundamental to promotion that they were signed permanently during the summer.

Villa finished the season with a run of five clean sheets in the final twelve games, while Smith also oversaw a run of ten consecutive victories; Bruce’s longest winning run that season was a mere two games.

Some call him a genius of a businessman, others have more colourful language to describe the Tottenham chairman, Daniel Levy.

Love him, or hate him, no one can deny that a man once described by Lord Sugar as the hardest businessmen he has worked with knows how to strike out a deal. I mean, anyone that managed to get £18m for Kevin Wimmer deserves our respect, right?

What frustrates the Tottenham faithful more than anything is that why he is more than capable of driving a hard bargain when it comes to selling players, buying players becomes equally painstaking, much to the annoyance of the previous managers and head coaches that have worked under him.

For every genius signing like Raphael Van der Vaart there have been far too many Ricardo Rocha’s to arrive in N17 for the liking of the supporters.

So how well do you Spurs fans know Levy’s transfer track record?

Good luck…

Dani Ceballos was loaned out to Arsenal in the summer of 2019.

And initially, it looked like he could actually find his place among the ranks at the Emirates as the 23-year-old midfielder mustered some good performances at the beginning of the campaign.

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But even though Unai Emery’s men are currently struggling to compete in the Premier League – seeing how they are currently in sixth – it seems that Ceballos doesn’t really want to return to Real Madrid at the end of his spell.

According to a report from AS (via the Sun), the young Spaniard doesn’t really see eye to eye with the current manager of Los Blancos, Zinedine Zidane, and that is stated as the main reason he doesn’t want to return to his parent club.

Of course, upon seeing this update, many Real Madrid fans proclaimed that they don’t want and don’t need Ceballos anyway and they would be happier if he actually stayed put.

You can see some of their reactions and replies down in the collection of tweets below:

Celtic fans have taken to Twitter to discuss the prospect of signing loan star Mohamed Elyounoussi on a permanent basis, following the forward’s latest goal for the club.

The Bhoys secured the Norway international on a season-long loan deal back in the summer, and he has made an excellent start to life at Celtic Park with a huge amount of goal involvements.

Elyounoussi, 25, has scored seven goals and recorded five assists in just ten appearances for the Scottish giants since arriving from Southampton, with his most recent outing for Celtic seeing him score two and assist two in a 5-2 win over Hibernian in the Scottish League Cup.

One would assume that the former FC Basel forward won’t come cheap, as the Saints shelled out £16m for him back in 2018 – Elyounoussi has, however, made such a good start to his Celtic career that a permanent deal would seem extremely tempting.

Let’s take a look at what the Celtic fans on Twitter think about signing the Norwegian permanently…