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It somewhat goes without saying that Wilfried Zaha is Crystal Palace’s talisman.

The Ivorian winger, who made his return to the Eagles starting line-up in the slender 1-0 win against West Bromwich Albion last time out, has constantly been a source of inspiration for the London club.

However, in an exclusive interview with Football Fan Cast, Steve Howey has suggested that chairman Steve Parish could be tempted to “cash in” on the winger this summer.

If that is indeed the case, they would be making a huge mistake.

In his time with Palace, Zaha has made a total of 384 appearances for the Eagles, scoring 66 goals and providing 72 assists.

Since Zaha returned to Selhurst Park from Manchester United, only Christian Benteke is the next most prolific player in the current squad with just 28 goals and 11 assists.

When looking at the winger this season, he has been even better. So far, he has scored nine goals and provided two assists in the Premier League.

His goals alone have been worth approximately nine points to Roy Hodgson’s men throughout the campaign. Without him, the Eagles could be stuck on 28 points and firmly in the picture for relegation to the Championship.

It’s no surprise then that without him, the Eagles struggle. Their record without the £45m-rated forward is truly abysmal.

Since the start of the 2015/16 season, Palace have played 28 matches without Zaha. They have won just five.

Averaged over a 38-game season, this would give the club only seven victories, a haul that would surely see them destined for the drop in any campaign.

With Palace boss Roy Hodgson saying that Zaha is “hard to stop” when he is on top form, it seems inconceivable that Palace would even consider selling their one spark of inspiration for any price but if they do, they’ll need to get a massive fee for him, but even then, they might find it tough to replace their talismatic forward.

AND in more news, have a closer look at Luka Milivojevic’s excellent performance in Palace’s 1-0 win against West Bromwich Albion…

After Brendan Rodgers swapped Celtic Park for the King Power Stadium, there were bound to be a number of current Hoops linked with a move to Leicester.

Amongst those apparent names interesting the Foxes have been Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer, whilst Callum McGregor has reportedly been on the club’s wishlist for some time.

Those rumours have reappeared again with The Sun suggesting that Leicester are eyeing a summer swoop for the £5.85m-rated midfielder.

The Foxes really should seal a long-awaited reunion between Rodgers and his former player.

Ever since he graduated from the youth set-up at Paradise, the 27-year-old beast has been one of the key names on the Celtic team sheet.

The 29-cap Scotland international has made 320 appearances for the club in that time, scoring 53 goals and notching 63 assists.

It was under Rodgers when he arguably played his best football though. Appearing 149 times under the Northern Irishman, he contributed to a goal every 2.8 games.

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For comparison, current Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans contributes to a goal, whether that be scoring or assisting, every 2.9 matches at the King Power Stadium.

It is clear then that the former Celtic boss is aware of the quality that his former midfielder possesses, even hailing him as “tactically brilliant” in his time North of the border.

Whilst the quality of the Scottish Premiership is some way off that of the Premier League, if McGregor can get anywhere near those numbers again under Rodgers, he would be a fantastic arrival.

Just imagine him alongside Tielemens and Ndidi.

That would certainly give the Foxes’ midfield a different dimension as they potentially head into a UEFA Champions League campaign next season, a competition in which McGregor has played on eight occasions, as well as a further 28 in qualifying.

Still with three years on his contract at Celtic Park, it might well be tough for Leicester to prise the midfielder away but if they can convince him to make the same swap that Rodgers did then he would be a fantastic addition.

AND in more news, why a new deal for Kelechi Iheanacho came too soon…

Everton are expected to sanction the sale of Jonjoe Kenny this summer, according to a report from the Daily Mail.

The report claimed that Carlo Ancelotti is unconvinced by the young right-back, who has spent the second half of the season on loan at Celtic

Burnley apparently ‘retain an interest’ in Kenny, who is valued at £6.3m by Transfermarkt.

Reflecting on Kenny’s Everton career

Kenny has made almost 50 appearances for Everton after coming through their academy, 35 of which have come in the Premier League.

When the defender made his breakthrough in 2018, Jamie Carragher hailed him as ‘your typical Scouse full-back – very aggressive, takes no prisoners, but he also has quality going forward’. The Sky Sports pundit added the ‘traditions of Everton are that they always have those types of players’.

Kenny’s tackling average of 2.1 per game in that season would appear to back up Carragher’s compliment about his controlled aggression.

Aarons is the right-back Everton really want

The Daily Mail claimed that the Blues want competition for an eventual right-back successor to current captain Seamus Coleman.

However, rather placing their faith in Kenny, they have their eyes on Norwich City’s Max Aarons, who could cost £30m. England international Kieran Trippier is also named as an alternative.

Transfer Tavern verdict

The fact that the Daily Mail’s report makes no mention of interest from Celtic in a permanent transfer speaks volumes for Kenny’s future.

The 24-year-old has failed to kick on in the manner that Everton would have hoped, with some of his performances in Scotland drawing the ire of the Parkhead faithful.

He could still go on to forge a good career for himself in the lower reaches of the Premier League, but the Toffees are right to look elsewhere for their heir to Coleman, with his current backup seemingly having no future under Ancelotti.

In other news, Alan Myers delivered this update on Everton’s pursuit of Max Aarons. 

Barcelona have a long-standing deal in place with Nike, but talks have been held with Puma regarding a lucrative kit manufacturing agreement.

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• Blaugrana have worked with Nike for over 20 years
• Have a deal in place through to 2026
• Looking to renegotiate or walk away entirely

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Liga giants are currently tied to terms with Nike that are supposed to run through until the summer of 2026, with there the option for a further two-year extension beyond that point. The Blaugrana have been working with the American sportswear giants for over 20 years.

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  Barca are, however, said to be unhappy with their present deal and are looking to renegotiate. It has been suggested that a contract with Nike could be terminated – with Puma emerging as frontrunners to take over in Catalunya.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  A deal worth €200 million (£171m/$217m) per year was said to be close with the German brand, but discussions there have slowed down. That is because, according to , Barca are being accused of playing rival manufacturers off against each another.

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  Puma believe that Barcelona are using them as a pawn in a game that is intended to get a better offer from Nike. They were ready to take things forward, if all legal loopholes could be closed off with Nike, but suspicions have now been raised.

Everton have landed a potential double injury boost ahead of Saturday’s clash with Burnley after Seamus Coleman and Yerry Mina returned to training.

That’s according to the Liverpool Echo, who note that the Toffees defenders both took part in Wednesday’s sessions as Carlo Ancelotti prepares his side for the Clarets’ visit to Goodison Park.

Ancelotti has been without Mina for Everton’s last four Premier League games after sustaining a calf injury in February’s home to defeat to Manchester City, while Coleman has missed the last three with a minor knock.

Mina was forced off 18 minutes into the 3-1 loss to Pep Guardiola’s title-elect Citizens and replaced by Coleman, who has not been included in a matchday squad since Everton’s historic 2-0 win at Anfield over Liverpool in the Merseyside derby.

But Everton could welcome back both Mina and Coleman for Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Sean Dyche’s relegation-threatened Burnley, with a view to either featuring in next weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final showdown with Manchester City.

The Sky Blues were held to only two shots on target from five attempts during Mina’s time on the field last month, with the Colombian blocking one of three strikes, and would go on to test Jordan Pickford with five of their further 11 efforts, per WhoScored.

Coleman additionally won possession with each of his four tackles against Manchester City, eclipsing his average 1.7 from 1.9 attempts per game in the top-flight this term, and would later be praised for shutting down Andrew Robertson in the Merseyside derby.

“I loved the way Seamus Coleman sacrificed his game to just take Andy Robertson,” ex-Liverpool full-back Jim Beglin told Football Pass.

“I think Andy Robertson got one cross in which led to a header, and that was it during the game. It’s not easy to subdue somebody like him because he is just non-stop.”

Ancelotti potentially having both Mina and Coleman available for selection in Saturday’s clash with Burnley should leave Alex Iwobi nervous over his place in the Everton starting line-up.

The £23m-rated Nigeria international opened the action at Stamford Bridge as the Blues lost 2-0 to Chelsea on Monday night, but often cut an anonymous presence before being hauled off before the hour mark with his impact on proceedings rarely substantial.

It was Iwobi’s 14th start in 24 Premier League appearances this season but he would return the second-worst SofaScore match rating of any player who featured for either side at 6.2 out of 10, having misplaced his only cross of the game and failing to take a single shot.

Iwobi further lost four of his mere five ground duels and failed to emerge successful in two of three attempted dribbles, below the 24-year-old’s average 3.1 ground duels won (53%) and 65% dribble success rate per game in the top-flight this term.

Ancelotti could now look to replace the winger at home to Burnley with either Coleman or with Mina with Mason Holgate moving to right-back, having set Everton up in a 3-4-1-2 at Chelsea with Iwobi occupying a de facto wing-back role on the right of the Italian’s midfield line.

Moving Holgate out wide, over a recall for Coleman, could see Mina join Michael Keane or Ben Godfrey in the centre of either a two or three-man centre-back grouping.

AND in other news, Everton face a £33.5m asking price to sign a sought-after 24-year-old talent…

Jordan Henderson has followed in the footsteps of Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Luis Suarez by taking the captain’s armband at Ajax.

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• England international in the Netherlands
• Returned to Europe from Saudi Arabia
• Vast experience being put to good use

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former Tottenham forward Steven Bergwijn is skipper in Amsterdam, but he has joined vice-captain Steven Berghuis on the sidelines. With two on-field leaders ruled out through injury, another was required to step forward in a home date with NEC.

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  Responsibility has been passed on Henderson, who only joined the Dutch giants on January 18. The England international returned to Europe at the start of 2024 as he brought a short-lived spell in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq to a close.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  An outing against NEC was just Henderson’s fourth for new employers, with the 33-year-old unable to savour a winning feeling through his first three appearances. His vast experience will be put to good use over the coming weeks and months, as Ajax seek to rediscover a collective spark.

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  Henderson has captained his country in the past, while the armband was inherited from Steven Gerrard during his time at Liverpool. Across 12 memorable years at Anfield, the hard-working midfielder won eight trophies – including the Premier League and Champions League as skipper.

Rangers’ signing of Joe Aribo from Charlton Athletic in 2019 looks to have been a masterstroke by the Ibrox outfit, with the Nigerian international’s market value having gone through the roof in his two years working under Steven Gerrard.

The midfielder joined on a free transfer from the Addicks in July 2019 and has been a regular with the Light Blues in the two years since, making 84 appearances for Gerrard’s side, in which he has contributed 16 goals and 12 assists.

Rangers did superbly well to sign Aribo for nothing when they did, as he had just played a huge part in Charlton’s promotion to the Championship through the League One playoffs, weighing in with 10 goals and five assists across the season.

At the time of his signing, Gerrard confirmed that there were plenty of clubs in the Premier League and Championship, as well as some across Europe, who were interested in signing the young midfielder, which emphasises just how well Rangers did to bring him to Ibrox.

This season in particular has seen Aribo impress for the Gers, as he has contributed six goals and four assists in 26 Premiership appearances so far in 2020/21, resulting in a superb 7.40/10 average rating from WhoScored.

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This rates him as the joint-second best performer for Gerrard’s side in the league so far this term, which emphasises just how important he has been to Rangers’ title success.

It is no surprise, therefore, that his market value on Transfermarkt has significantly increased as a result of his performances this season, as he is now rated at £3.15m, which is the highest value of his career.

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Considering that Aribo was valued at just £450,000 when he joined the club, it is excellent to see how his impressive performances on the pitch are being recognised by a significant increase in market value, and it would not be a surprise if we see the 24-year-old’s value continue to rise in the future.

Last season, Gerrard labelled the Nigerian international “outstanding” after an impressive performance against Braga, and it seems clear that the midfielder has now established himself as a key player under the former Liverpool captain.

In other news… Gerrard suffers potentially huge Rangers transfer blow with “outstanding talent”

Antoine Griezmann has become Atletico Madrid’s all-time leading goalscorer, with Memphis Depay gifting him a diamond-encrusted NBA-esque ring.

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• Passed Aragones on all-time chart
• Special present from Dutch team-mate
• More to come from French forward

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The France international, who savoured World Cup glory with his country in 2018, passed Rojiblancos legend Luis Aragones back in January when recording his 174th goal for the Liga giants. He now has a special reminder of that achievement, courtesy of a club colleague at Wanda Metropolitano. The ring in question is covered in diamonds and sports a prominent No.7 – Griezmann’s favoured squad number. It is presented in a special case that includes a small screen playing a video of highlights from Griezmann’s two spells as an Atletico Madrid player.

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  Dutch forward Depay, who also briefly played alongside Griezmann at Barcelona, has gone out of his way to present a close friend with a lasting memento. As Griezmann is a big fan of American sports, including basketball and NFL, he has been given his own ring that resembles those given out to Super Bowl and NBA Finals winners.

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  WHAT GRIEZMANN & DEPAY SAID

  Depay said to Griezmann, when handing over his special gift on Valentine’s Day: “You deserve it. I know how much it means to you. This club, the fans, the city. Plus, I know how much you love the NBA!” Griezmann responded by saying: “I’m going to cry!”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has just been handed a huge boost at Manchester United, as Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Edinson Cavani will sign a new deal at Old Trafford that will keep him at the club for the 2021/22 campaign.

The Uruguayan forward joined United on a free transfer in October on a one-year deal, although some superb recent displays have clearly proved enough to convince Solskjaer that he is deserving of another year at Old Trafford.

After rumours in recent weeks, Romano has today confirmed on Twitter that the negotiations are complete and Cavani will be a Manchester United player next season, which is undoubtedly a huge boost for Solskjaer.

The 34-year-old’s recent form has been nothing short of sensational, as he has contributed eight goals and two assists in just seven appearances, demonstrating that he still possesses his deadly instincts in front of goal.

In total, the former PSG man has managed 15 goals and four assists in his first season with the Red Devils, which is even more impressive when you consider that he had to build up match fitness in his first few months with the club.

He also brings a wealth of experience with him into the United dressing room and even if he doesn’t maintain this form next season, he will surely still be a great mentor to younger forwards such as Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood.

Although the Premier League title looks out of reach, United have sealed a top-four finish and a spot in the Europa League final during Cavani’s first season at the club and given that he has averaged a superb 7.93 rating for his performances in the Europa League this season, he has clearly been a huge part of United reaching the final in Gdansk.

Therefore, he definitely warranted a new deal at Old Trafford and Solskjaer will surely be buzzing that he has committed to staying, as earlier in the season, it had seemed likely that he would leave at the end of the current campaign, but his and United’s recent strong form was clearly a factor in convincing him to extend his stay.

And, in other news… United dealt huge injury blow to Solskjaer favourite

A number of Everton fans were livid with the performance of Mason Holgate during their 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United in the Premier League on Sunday night.

The Toffees had been in with a chance of qualifying for European competition next term prior to this match and, although it is still mathematically possible for them to do so (Sky Sports), they are now rank outsiders. Daniel Jebbison scored his first-ever goal for the Blades (Transfermarkt), who are already relegated to the Championship, to give his side the three points.

The performance of Holgate will have been particularly disappointing for Carlo Ancelotti. He was partly at fault for the goal and, having won just two duels, he was taken off at half-time for Gylfi Sigurdsson as Everton tried to salvage something from the match. Performances such as this from some usually reliable players have cost the Goodison Park outfit throughout the season.

These fans were far from happy with what they saw from the £16.2m-valued Holgate (Transfermarkt), and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts on his “atrocious” performance.

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

“So drop the shockingly useless Holgate?”

Credit: @lesterverton80

“Holgate is atrocious mate”

Credit: @fergolos

“Holgate is a liability and wouldn’t be in our best side, and our midfield has been out for majority of the season, I get what you’re saying about best side, but it’s hardly fully fit and firing on all cylinders is it. It’s a lot easier for Sheff Utd playing with no pressure.”

Credit: @efctoffee77

“Get rid of Holgate”

Credit: @OfficialDaraKev

“It’s worrying that this new team under Carlo can’t even beat Sheffield and can’t even get Europe. Mason Holgate obviously doesn’t care after that mistake yesterday not even a sorry to the players just strolled back in the end. Not the attitude I want at my club”

Credit: @JayWilloEfc

“Holgate’s back pass last night……again…..never learns”

Credit: @Byrdsman75

In other news, Everton are monitoring this 12-goal Premier League striker.