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Fulham midfielder Andre Zambo Anguissa is attracting interest ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by CalcioMercato, who claim that the 25-year-old is a target of Serie A side Napoli in the summer transfer market.

The Cameroon international still has two years remaining on his current contract at Craven Cottage, meaning the west London side are in a strong negotiating position should an offer from Gli Azzurri materialise.

Khan must sell

Having joined Fulham from Olympique Marseille in what was a £30m move back in the summer of 2018, with Scott Parker himself claiming that he has “had a difficult time” at Fulham, we feel it would be fair to say that Anguissa has not quite lived up to his price tag for the Cottagers just yet.

In his debut season for the club, the defensive midfielder failed to score a single goal or provide an assist, however, he did make an average of 1.5 interceptions, 2.2 tackles and won 5.9 duels per game over his 22 Premier League appearances.

These metrics saw the £22.5m-rated man earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.65, ranking him as Fulham’s joint 11th-worst performer in the top flight that season.

After Fulham’s relegation to the Championship, the 25-year-old spent the 2019/20 season on loan at LaLiga side Villarreal, before returning to west London after the club’s immediate promotion back to the Premier League.

Anguissa’s performances improved this time around, as he registered three assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 2.2 tackles and winning 7.3 duels per game over his 36 top-flight fixtures.

These returns saw the midfielder earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.91, enough to rank him as Parker’s 10th-best performer in the Premier League last season.

However, following Fulham’s second relegation in three years, now would very much appear the perfect time for Tony Khan to be ruthless and cash in on the £67k-per-week man, as not only could the money saved on his extremely costly weekly wage be used to invest in other areas of the Fulham squad this summer, so too could whatever transfer fee the Cottagers receive.

As such, with Napoli believed to be interested in the 25-year-old this summer, it would appear highly advisable for the club’s sporting director to sanction Anguissa’s departure while the interest is there.

In other news: Bye-bye Johansen: Fulham want “highly-rated” £1.5k-p/w beast who’d leave fans buzzing

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has revealed he is unaware how many players he will be able to sign this summer, given the funds available to him.

The Lowdown: Saints face difficult summer

It has already been confirmed that the Saints will lose Ryan Bertrand at the end of this campaign (southamptonfc.com), while speculation continues to link Danny Ings with a move away from St. Mary’s Stadium (Sky Sports).

On top of that, Hasenhuttl has previously suggested the south-coast outfit could be unable to sign players for more than £10m this summer.

The Latest: Hasenhuttl makes new admission

Now, speaking prior to the Saints’ match with Fulham, Hasenhuttl revealed he is unaware of how many players he will be able to bring in. He said (via Hampshire Live):

“I am not so sure how many players we can bring in with the money we have, but this is an issue we share with a lot of teams.

“It is not so easy [to judge] after the pandemic.

“We will see how many players will sell and how much money will be around, but it will be an interesting transfer window.”

The Verdict: Many needed

After what has been a mixed season for the Saints – they were top of the Premier League at one point and also reached an FA Cup semi-final before dropping to the bottom half of the table and disappointing in a 1-0 defeat to Leicester at Wembley – Hasenhuttl needs to backed in the transfer market.

Given the pandemic, it will be difficult for Southampton, amongst others, to make new signings this term, but they do need fresh impetus. Matt Crocker and co. must be clever, therefore, as they will need to work with a limited budget to give Hasenhuttl the best possible squad.

In other news, Southampton are interested in this striker.

Manchester City have been linked with Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara recently and the Frenchman could be the ideal long-term heir to Fernandinho in Pep Guardiola’s side.

According to Blue Moon, Manchester City and Juventus are interested in the 21-year-old ahead of the summer transfer window.

The £33.3m-rated youngster is a product of Marseille’s youth academy and has already made 122 appearances for the senior side in his career, contributing three goals and five assists.

Kamara was a mainstay at the Stade Vélodrome this season, making 35 appearances in Ligue 1 and averaging an impressive 6.94 rating for his performances from WhoScored.

He started both of Marseille’s defeats against Manchester City this season in the Champions League, which will have allowed Guardiola to get a good look at him, and if the reports claiming the Citizens are interested in him are true, then it seems clear that he liked what he saw.

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If he were to make the switch to the Etihad this summer, then he could prove to be the man to replace Fernandinho for the Citizens, as the Brazilian is still yet to officially sign a new contract with the club, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season.

Although it has been widely reported that the 36-year-old will agree to a one-year extension, it seems likely that next season will be his last in a Manchester City shirt, and therefore, Guardiola will need someone such as Kamara to compete with Rodri in the defensive-midfield role.

Kamara could be ideal as, like Fernandinho, he is more than capable of dropping back into a centre-back role, having played there regularly for Marseille in his career thus far.

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The Frenchman scores impressively when it comes to tackles per game (2.5) and pass success rate (86.7%), compared to Fernandinho’s 1.5 tackles and 87.2% pass success rate in the Premier League, which suggests that he could definitely succeed the former Shakhtar Donetsk man at the Etihad this summer, so Txiki Begiristain should definitely consider bringing him in.

And, in other news… Man City massively missed out on £36m-rated PL beast, Pep dubbed him “one of the best”

In an exclusive interview with Transfer Tavern, Paul Stewart, who made 63 appearances for Manchester City, admits he would not be surprised to see his former club sign Erling Haaland this summer if Pep Guardiola wants him.

Haaland’s agent, Mino Raiola, and father, Alf-Inge Haaland, flew to Spain last month to discuss a potential move to Barcelona and Real Madrid but Man City still remain confident they will sign the Borussia Dortmund striker.

Check out the latest Erling Haaland transfer news on the dedicated GMS Erling Haaland Transfer hub

There have been reports suggesting that Raiola wants to make Haaland the first £1 million a week footballer, which could instantly put off a handful of clubs who couldn’t afford that kind of deal.

Speaking on how he wouldn’t be surprised to see City sign Haaland this summer and how they could afford to pay his high wage demands, Stewart told The Transfer Tavern exclusively:

“If he wants £1 million a week then City might pay that but I don’t know what the financial fair play regulations would be on that deal. If Pep wants him he’ll get him.

“There will be a lot of teams after Haaland, and clubs pay that sort of money now because they just pay the market prices so if he’s asking for that much money it wouldn’t surprise me if he gets it somewhere.” 

The latest twist has arrived in the last 48 hours as Dortmund’s CEO, Hans-Joachim Watzke, confirmed that Haaland will not be leaving the club this summer, much like the stance they took with Jadon Sancho last year.

Since he joined Dortmund, Haaland has scored an impressive 53 goals in 56 games across all competitions which has made him one of the most sought-after strikers in the world.

A number of Liverpool fans have been remembering the incredible 4-0 win over Barcelona two years ago, in what is surely Anfield’s greatest night.

The Reds’ world-famous stadium has hosted some special games throughout history, from the Saint-Etienne match in 1977 to the Champions League victory over Chelsea in 2005.

The 90 minutes that took place against Barca on May 7th, 2019 surely tops the pile, however, on an evening that will never be forgotten.

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Trailing 3-0 from the Champions League semi-final first leg, Jurgen Klopp’s men produced a stunning comeback, doing it without injured pair Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

The eventual 4-0 victory seemed scarcely believable before kickoff and it sent Liverpool through to the final, with the Reds beating Tottenham 2-0 in Madrid.

Due to it being the anniversary of the Barca game, footage has understandably been shared left, right and centre, with The Anfield Wrap posting a video on Twitter.

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Liverpool fans laud footage of Barca win

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on an incredible night on Merseyside.

“Spine-tingling. What a night. Insane”

Credit: @andcouldheplay

“Doesn’t get much better than this, what a night”

Credit: @AdamGola8

“Goosebumps every time I see this, truly magnificent”

Credit: @paulmcmasterLFC

“The greatest”

Credit: @SiPugs

“Goosebumps”

Credit: @RedRic20

“Reasons why we love football! Y. N. W. A”

Credit: @vickyfirmino

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to a key update regarding Ibrahima Konate. Read more here. 

Lots of Arsenal fans have been slamming the performance of Nicolas Pepe in their 3-0 home loss to Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday night.

Two goals from Diogo Jota either side of a Mo Salah strike were more than enough in the end to give Jurgen Klopp’s team all three points at the Emirates Stadium and thus aid their late Champions League qualification push.

Pepe was left very isolated on the right wing, having recorded fewer touches in the game (35) than his own goalkeeper Bernd Leno (37), as he also lost out on six of his duels and failed to record a single key pass or accurate cross, earning him a measly 6.3 overall rating on Sofascore.

Arsenal fans on Pepe display

These Gooners slammed the 25-year-old’s performance on Twitter, with one Arsenal supporter even going as far as to claim that the former Lille star is a ‘fraud’:

“Get rid of Auba, Laca, Pepe, Bellerin all been poor. Laca and Auba had spells of playing well but way too inconsistent for what we need. Also we need to bring in another 1st choice keeper as Leno is garbage mind made up with him now #afc”

Credit: @harleigh_e

“How many more chances does the guy need to come out of his shell? It’s been 2 years now, but I still don’t know what he brings to the team in spite of all the “Pepe will come good” tweets after one or two decent performances. Time’s up, man. #ARSLIV #AFC”

Credit: @SSaiyanWitcher

“In some matches Auba and Pepe are a waste of space #AFC #ARS #Arsenal”

Credit: @EdgeFarmer

“Pepe is dirt and no one will ever convince me otherwise #AFC”

Credit: @GavinHarries1

“#AFC As long as we keep relying on the likes of Auba, Pepe and Willian for goals, we’ll remain an average, mediocre club. They have absolutely nothing to offer. @Arsenal”

Credit: @9jahoncho

“Pepe is still a fraud of a footballer. Sell him and play Smith-Rowe or Nelson. #AFC”

Credit: @D0C_RAY

In other news, find out whose display was also slammed against Liverpool.

According to recent reports, Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a summer move for Nick Pope should Hugo Lloris leave at the end of the season.

The report by the Daily Mail claimed that, with the Spurs captain being heavily linked to join Mauricio Pochettino at Paris Saint-Germain this summer, Jose Mourinho’s first choice to replace Lloris would be Burnley shot-stopper Pope.

Wolfsburg goalkeeper Koen Casteels is also mentioned as a potential target, but a move for the 28-year-old would only be likely to materialise if Spurs were priced out of a move for Pope, for whom Burnley are thought to be demanding a fee of around £30m.

Transfer Tavern Take

Despite Burnley’s lowly league position, Pope has impressed over his 29 appearances for Sean Dyche’s side so far this season, with the 28-year-old helping his side to keep nine clean sheets and making a total of 107 saves, culminating in an average SofaScore match rating of 7.08 – ranking him as the Clartes’ third-best performer in the top flight.

In fact, comparing this rating to that of Lloris’ average of 6.91 would appear to indicate that, despite the Frenchman plays for a ‘big six’ club, Pope has actually been outperforming the 34-year-old this season.

Indeed, following a 1-1 draw with Liverpool last season, Jurgen Klopp heaped a considerable amount of praise on the England international for his string of fine stops at Anfield, describing Pope as “sensational”.

As such, should PSG make good on their apparent intention to sign the £100,000-per-week Lloris this summer, and should Spurs go on to replace him with Pope, the Frenchman’s departure could actually be something of a blessing in disguise for Mourinho’s team.

In other news: ‘It may be’ – Spurs target drops huge hint on transfer; Mourinho fascinated by ‘remarkable’ star – find out more here!

Aston Villa should target a move for Ademola Lookman in this summer’s transfer window amid Lee Hendrie’s claim.

What’s the story?

The England U21 international is currently on loan at fellow Premier League side Fulham, where he has produced some impressive displays for a side battling to avoid relegation back to the Championship this season – he’s managed four goals and four assists in 27 top-flight games.

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Fulham would have to pay around £15m to make his move from RB Leipzig a permanent one, and ex-Villa man Hendrie has urged his former side to throw their hat into the ring.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Hendrie said: “Lookman stands out for me. He’d be one that I would… I know bigger clubs would be looking at him, but he’d be the sort of calibre of player that I’d be looking at trying to get at the club because he’s creative and got that attacking threat.”

Better than Trezeguet

With his eight total goal contributions in the Premier League this season, the 23-year-old Lookman has already shown him to be comfortably better than Trezeguet when it comes to his end product – the Egyptian has yet to find the back of the net this campaign, and has only managed one assist in the top-flight.

The versatile Fulham winger also betters Trezeguet in all the key in-game metrics, averaging far more shots, key passes and dribbles per game than the Egyptian, really showcasing how much of a massive influence he has been for Scott Parker’s side this season.

Lookman of course burst onto the scene with Charlton before making a high-profile switch to Everton, and England international Michael Keane has raved about the former Toffees gem previously.

He said: “He has got everything. He is the most skilful player at the club along with Bernard. He can go both ways and he can score goals and he is young so he is only going to get better. If he can get consistency every time and keep learning, he will be a great player.”

Given Hendrie’s wish for Villa to target a move for Lookman, Dean Smith should be going to the club’s hierarchy and putting the winger’s name forward.

Meanwhile, this Villa man had a shocker vs Spurs…

The search for a new manager at Celtic seemingly has a new face in the frame every single day. If only the Bhoys hierarchy could actually find the right man.

Roy Keane emerged as the frontrunner last week but Thierry Henry and Lucien Favre have now both stated their availability.

What’s the word?

Fresh claims from reliable transfer guru Alan Nixon state that there is now a serious contender in the mix to take over at Celtic.

Taking to Twitter this week, The Sun journalist revealed the following information when asked if Eddie Howe to Celtic was a viable option: “He’s a candidate. A serious candidate.”

The former Bournemouth boss has been in the hunt for several months now with rumours first surfacing all the way back in November.

At that point, it was thought Howe had a chance of becoming Neil Lennon’s successor but his name had gone under the radar in the last few weeks.

However, with Keane now less likely to become the new manager at Parkhead, it appears the hierarchy are turning their attentions to Howe once more.

Great news for supporters

If fans could choose between Keane and Howe, there would surely only be one option; the latter.

The news that the Manchester United legend could take charge of Celtic went down like a led balloon with fans according to Hoops podcaster Paul John Dykes and it was recently theorised the news was leaked in order to seek supporter opinion.

Dermot Desmond now has his answer; the masses don’t want him.

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Therefore, the news that Howe is now a major candidate to take over should be great news. After all, the Englishman has a number of known qualities that could revive the Bhoys.

Howe has achieved plenty in his managerial career to date, taking Bournemouth from League Two to the Premier League in two separate spells as boss.

He is also known as a meticulous thinker on the training ground, someone who takes charge of sessions and demands the very best from his players.

One of Howe’s ex-players, Simon Francis, once noted: “He is meticulous. He does not leave any stone unturned. And he instils that work ethic into the players. Because you know that he is buying into it. Not turning up late, not strolling out onto the training pitch late, he is always the first. You can never question anything he does.”

This is the polar opposite of Lennon, a manager who was rather shockingly still doing elements of Brendan Rodgers’ training.

He’d not only be an upgrade on the Northern Irishman, but he’d also be a much better option than Keane.

AND in other news, Celtic have already sold their Scott Brown heir, Rodgers thought he had “good ability”…

Sunderland are building momentum at just the right time. Their 2-0 win over Portsmouth on Tuesday night took them to within five points of top spot in League One.

It’s hard not to get ahead of ourselves at the moment but it feels as though this could finally be the campaign where the Mackems get promoted.

They have won seven of their last eight games and now even have a Papa John’s Trophy final to look forward to. This has been nothing short of an exceptional turnaround from where they were under Phil Parkinson.

Lee Johnson has turned his team into a force to be reckoned with and not even a plethora of injuries can halt their progress. Grant Leadbitter’s dislocated shoulder has meant that Carl Winchester has now started three games in a row in the middle of the park.

The midfielder was a rather understated signing from Forest Green in January but he’s now beginning to prove his worth to the Black Cats. Against Pompey in front of the television cameras on Tuesday, he was nothing short of phenomenal.

It’s taken a while to see the best of Winchester in red and white but he has now well and truly come to the party.

Speaking at full-time, Johnson said: “Carl is going to be that kind of slow burner in terms of appreciation, but over 100 touches, 1,000 touches, you will see the quality he has got, the calmness and the composure.”

He added: “This is a big club and Winch hasn’t played at a club this size. The more we can encourage and support him, I think we will start to see more really good performances like tonight.”

Moving clubs in January is always tough and Winchester found life difficult initially. He started among the subs for a number of weeks before finally getting his chance.

He has taken it in his stride and has formed an eye-catching partnership with Josh Scowen. The duo were both incredibly influential in midweek, winning a combined 12 defensive duels.

Though, it was Winchester who arguably stood out more. The midfielder completed 100% of his take-ons and was assured with his passing, demonstrating enormous composure.

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He completed 82% of his passes and was particularly strong in the tackle. No one won more than his four ground duels throughout the entire match, a statistic that tells you just how good he was at Fratton Park.

This feels like a landmark moment for Winchester. He dominated one of the strongest sides in the division and did so with relative ease.

Johnson will surely be buzzing with his performance. After all, the Sunderland boss has rated him highly ever since they were together at Oldham in 2014.

They seem well suited to each other and it wouldn’t be a surprise if we see even greater displays from the Northern Irishman between now and the end of the season.

AND in other news, Move over Sanderson: “Outstanding” SAFC gem who won 9 aerial duels merits more praise…