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Crystal Palace are reportedly leading the race to sign Fenerbahce midfielder Ozan Tufan but will have to step up their efforts to sign him in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

Tufan is believed to be keen on a move to the Premier League, according to reports, with the Eagles eager to add to their midfield ranks with one of the most sought after players in Europe.

According to Sporx, as per Sport Witness, the 25-year-old midfield dynamo is ‘very close’ to a switch to Selhurst Park. However, it’s understood Palace are still some way from reaching an agreement to sign Tufan from Fenerbahce amid interest from a whole host of clubs across Europe.

Although Palace have made an offer in the region of €10m for his services, it’s claimed there is a fundamental gap between both parties that has yet to be resolved.

Ideal heir to James McCarthy?

The Eagles are keen to bolster their midfield options and Roy Hodgson could view Tufan as a sure-fire replacement for James McCarthy, who has been heavily linked with the Selhurst Park exit.

Tufan has established himself as one of the top talents in his home country after moving to Fenerbahce from his hometown club of Bursapor in 2015. He has since been linked with a move to Palace, although they face stiff competition from Premier League strugglers West Bromwich Albion to secure his services.

While Jairo Riedewald has been a total revelation this season, Hodgson has struggled to settle for his preferred pairing in the midfield. Club captain Luka Milivojevic, James McArthur and McCarthy are the trio battling to bag a spot, but there are still questions hanging over all of them.

The £9m-rated 55-cap Turkey international has previously drawn comparisons to former Manchester City star Yaya Toure and would arguably be a significant upgrade on most, if not all, of the midfield options that are currently available to Hodgson.

Tufan has played 15 games in the Turkish Super Lig this season, bagging four goals and five assists, whilst he is currently averaging 1.6 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game, via WhoScored.

Not only would he be able to provide cover and competition for the likes of Riedewald, Milivojevic and McArthur, he’d also offer an alternative threat in attack, as he has also taken 1.6 shots on average per game to McCarthy’s 0.2 shots in the Premier League.

A transfer for Tufan would make sense for Palace given the relatively low fee as there is an urgent need for a player in that position with one eye on the future.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops fresh update on Wilfried Zaha’s future at Crystal Palace…

Fabian Schar was Steve Bruce’s true hero against Manchester City on Boxing Day as the Newcastle United defender earned his first start in seven weeks.

Bruce recalled Schar to the Magpies’ line-up for their trip to the Etihad Stadium as he sought to favour a five-man defence, having lost top-scorer Callum Wilson in the build-up to kick-off after the summer arrival sustained a knock.

The decision to name an additional defender failed to prevent United from tasting a third defeat in their last four fixtures across all competitions, yet Schar produced plenty of positives against Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blues.

Bruce had been without Schar for the Magpies’ previous three Premier League fixtures, although the reason behind his absence was never formally confirmed, with Newcastle choosing not to reveal the identities of any employees who contracted coronavirus.

Jamaal Lascelles and Allan Saint-Maximin were later revealed to have tested positive, though no official declaration was made over the causes of Schar and Javier Manquillo’s recent unavailability.

Bruce may have now hinted toward Schar testing positive, though, after discussing the Switzerland centre-half’s return to action after the Manchester City game.

“Fabian Schar has trained once in five weeks but wanted to play, the attitude of them all was there to see,” Bruce said, via quotes by the Chronicle. “We have got a large chunk of players missing. I don’t want to make excuses, but we are struggling for numbers.”

Schar had not started a top-flight game since Newcastle lost 2-0 at Southampton in early November, before playing the second half of the following 2-0 defeat to Chelsea at St. James’ Park.

His limited practice in the following weeks can forgive Schar for some of his misdemeanours against Manchester City, yet the 29-year-old – who a senior official of one of his former employers told The Athletic that he “drove me nuts” – still left Bruce with plenty to praise on a night where goalkeeper Karl Darlow was being lauded for an “excellent” display.

Schar registered more than twice as many interceptions as any other player for either side at the Etihad on Boxing Day, with the £40,000-per-week defender snatching possession five times, along with making four clearances, per SofaScore.

He additionally blocked a shot as one of just three Newcastle men to stand in the way of Guardiola’s Citizens, won his only aerial duel of the night and was the sole Toon centre-half to complete a long ball.

Federico Fernandez misplaced each of his four attempted long passes while Ciaran Clark chose not to attempt any passes at range, while Schar found teammates with six of his 12 long balls as he recorded a greater number of accurate passes (21) than each of his defensive partners.

Bruce now only stands to benefit from Schar regaining more fitness in the coming days before Newcastle host champions Liverpool on Wednesday night.

AND in other news, an £18m-rated Newcastle ace badly betrayed Steve Bruce with a horror show performance at Man City.

Glasgow Rangers target Niklas Dorsch stood out for Gent despite their 2-1 loss against Slovan Liberec on Thursday in the Europa League.

Dorsch shines

The Gers were linked with a move for the former Bayern Munich man this summer before he joined Gent from German outfit Heidenheim for €3.5m (£3.2m).

Gent have struggled so far in Europe this term, failing to pick up a single point in five matches in the competition, but Dorsch at least impressed this midweek.

He completed both of his attempted dribbles and managed three tackles, whilst he also provided the assist for Roman Yaremchuk’s strike. His display was well rounded, providing two key passes, drawing two fouls and adding an interception to those all-important three tackles (Whoscored).

It was the type of performance that may tempt Steven Gerrard to refresh his interest in the midfield in the future.

Gers missed out

It is thanks to this kind of showing that there was a battle for Dorsch’s signature during the summer. Heidenheim were on the verge of earning promotion to the Bundesliga, only to be beaten in the relegation play-off on away goals by Werder Bremen, and Dorsch played in 34 out of a possible 36 matches during that run. His form last term led to Heidenheim CEO Holger Sanwald calling him “special”.

In the end, Gerrard did manage to bring in Bongani Zungu on loan from Amiens. However, Dorsch has a strong pedigree and was a star player for his team last term. With three goals in 13 matches in the Belgian top flight this time around, he also appears to be settling well. He may be the one that got away from the 54-time Scottish champions, or potentially a target again in the future as players like Scott Arfield move past their prime.

In other news, this shock Champions League result could have a big impact on Rangers.

Leicester City will have their eyes on a third-place spot in the Premier League table this evening as they prepare to host Brighton at the King Power Stadium.

Chelsea’s surprise 1-0 loss to Everton last night will have hugely frustrated Frank Lampard in his title endeavours, but the Foxes could capitalise on this and move third.

Leicester’s last fixture saw them bank a 2-0 victory over AEK Athens to finish top of their group in the Europa League.

Prior to that, they put their bodies on the line to snatch all three points from Sheffield United in what looked certain to be a game ending in a draw.

With morale high and their recent wins in mind, Football FanCast has predicted how Brendan Rodgers will set up to face the Seagulls tonight.

After his recent performances in the Europa League, Cengiz Under may have earned himself a start in the Premier League.

Whilst it would come at the expense of James Maddison’s spot in the lineup, the winger and Harvey Barnes are a very dangerous duo when they take to the pitch together.

Both of them teaming up with Jamie Vardy could cause a huge headache for Brighton in three changes by Rodgers.

With Wilfred Ndidi back to fitness, he should be one of the first names on Rodgers’ team-sheet. The £75,000 per week defensive midfielder has been sorely missed and will help to keep any surprise Brighton attacks at bay.

An outlandish prediction which could come to fruition is that Luke Thomas could be rewarded with a start after his strong European form.

Whilst this would mean James Justin drops to the bench, it would be a huge chance for the 19-year-old, who is desperate to become a regular under Rodgers.

A win tonight will be huge for the Foxes, who will knock Chelsea off their third-place spot and put pressure on Liverpool and Spurs, who will face each other today.

In other news, Luke Thomas did Rodgers proud in match vs Athens…

Conor McLaughlin stole the show as Sunderland were held to a one-all draw at Doncaster Rovers, having produced a Man of the Match-worthy display from centre-half on Saturday.

Black Cats boss Phil Parkinson had been without McLaughlin for the Stadium of Light natives’ 2-1 defeat to MK Dons last week through international duty, with the 29-year-old away with Northern Ireland for their UEFA Nations League Play-Off Final tie with Slovakia.

McLaughlin did not feature in the Group B clash that saw Slovakia score a winner deep into extra time at Windsor Park, but returned to the North East after playing the full 90 minutes in defeat to Austria and an 11-minute run-out at home to Romania to earn his 41st-cap.

Parkinson will have been delighted with the performance McLaughlin was able to produce on his return to League One action, offering a key presence on the right of Sunderland’s three-man defensive line and venturing forward to produce a number of dangerous crosses.

It was a display Sunderland fans will have come to expect from Jack Ross’ £6,400-per-week signing, who has now racked up 29 appearances in red and white since signing on the dotted line in 2019.

Ross was over the moon to welcome McLaughlin to the Stadium of Light from Millwall in a deal he felt would bring competition for places in a key position.

“I am delighted to be able to bring Conor to the club,” Ross said, via quotes by the Chronicle. “He brings quality and experience to a position that was of high priority for us to have options in. I look forward to working with him over the course of the season.”

Ross’ capture once again proved his worth to Sunderland against Doncaster as McLaughlin pulled the strings from centre-back with a game-high 92 touches and 64 accurate passes, per WhoScored.

No player for either side could match or better McLaughlin’s seven per cent share of the possession, while only Doncaster ace Benjamin Whiteman could match the 29-year-old’s 73 attempted passes.

McLaughlin further completed his only attempted dribble of the game, was only dribbled past once, won four of five aerial duels, completed one of two tackles and made three clearances.

He would only commit one foul before the full-time whistle rang around The Keepmoat Stadium, too, while winning three of his five ground duels, being fouled once and connecting with one of four attempted crosses, per SofaScore.

McLaughlin’s performance more than deserved a fifth League One clean sheet of the season to match, but would be left without another shut out on his record thanks to Fejiri Okenabirhie’s 93rd-minute equaliser to leave Sunderland eighth in the table.

AND in other news, Phil Parkinson risks the wrath of a £2k-p/w monster amid his recent Sunderland claim.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former West Brom midfielder Carlton Palmer has given his verdict over the recent sale of Ahmed Hegazi.

The 29-year-old veteran helped the Baggies to their first clean sheet of the season but just days later, he was sold to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ittihad, who Slaven Bilic was in charge of prior to taking the helm at the Hawthorns.

After the following match, a 1-1 draw to Brighton, the Albion boss explained to reporters that it was against his wishes, he said: “It definitely wasn’t my decision. It wasn’t a football decision to be fair. I am very disappointed. We are a team that needs all our good players.”

Without Hegazi, the Midlands outfit have kept just one clean sheet, which came in their recent 1-0 victory over Sheffield United last weekend whilst they lost three of their next four games after the Egyptian’s departure.

Only one team in the Premier League has conceded more goals than West Brom so far this season, so the decision to sell Hegazi does look like a silly piece of business.

And Palmer believes there are issues arising as a result of the circumstances that Bilic is currently working under.

He told FFC:

“It seems to be that a Bilic is working under difficult circumstances. You know, a player was sold without his knowledge and without him in agreement, which is never a good thing for a head coach to have to deal with.

“I mean, if that happened before, before a game, literally, you know that the player was in the starting lineup and then he found out the player had been sold, so there are certainly issues there.”

Elsewhere, there have been reports throwing Bilic’s future into doubt amid claims that tensions between the Croatian and the board have increased over their recruitment strategy since the summer transfer window.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein believes the 52-year-old’s tenure at the Hawthorns is “on a constant knife-edge.”

West Brom now have Crystal Palace in a crucial tie this Sunday, a defeat here could see the Baggies remain at least seven points adrift of 15th place.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Carlton Palmer issues West Brom takeover claim…

It’s not often that a team comes away with a win from Celtic Park, let alone leaving without facing a single shot on target. But Glasgow Rangers crushed Celtic in a comfortable 2-0 win at Parkhead in the first Old Firm derby of the 2020/21 Scottish Premiership season.

Steven Gerrard’s side won at Celtic Park for the second time in a row, a feat they hadn’t achieved since 1995. Connor Goldson bagged a brace to secure the vital three points, whilst he also contributed to another clean sheet as the Bhoys barely offered anything in attack.

Now Ross Wilson must convince the centre-back to sign a new contract as he has entered the final two years of his current deal, which is set to expire in the summer of 2022.

According to Football Insider, the Gers are prepared to give Goldson a bumper new deal to warn away any potential suitors. The 27-year-old was a wanted man in the summer transfer window as he attracted attention from a number of Premier League clubs including Everton, Leeds United, West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United. Although the Gers are now four points clear of their arch-rivals at the top of the Scottish Premiership, Gerrard will want to leave no stone unturned if they are to regain the title for the first time since the 2010/11 season.

The Englishman has been in fine form this season but sources close to the situation confirmed it was always a part of the Ibrox outfit’s plan to give him a new deal regardless of his outstanding start to the season.

It’s perhaps hardly surprising that several English sides have already come calling given his performances over the course of his career so far. Gerrard has heaped praise on his countryman for his consistency in the past.

Former Shrewsbury Town manager Micky Mellon once said he had no hesitation whatsoever in giving him the captain’s armband, saying “we felt we could get a wee bit more out of him with that extra responsibility”, whilst the defender was recently described as an “outstanding” player by James Tavernier after his heroics against Celtic.

Goldson has made 11 appearances in the Scottish top flight, scoring two goals, averaging 2.8 clearances and 1.2 tackles as well as 1.2 shots per game, via WhoScored. This shows that he is a solid option at the back who is also a useful asset in attack.

If the Gers are to regain their title, we’re certain that the £3.6m-rated ace will find himself on the scoresheet once more. Get him tied down, Gers, by any means necessary.

AND in other news, Steven Gerrard should start Glasgow Rangers ace Ianis Hagi in the Europa League…

Manchester City host 2019/20 Premier League champions Liverpool at home on Sunday afternoon, with Pep Guardiola’s side no doubt desperate to pick up three points to get their title aspirations back on track.

The Spanish manager made plenty of changes in midweek for City’s 3-0 win against Olympiakos, no doubt in preparation for the game against the Reds. Gabriel Jesus returned from his recent injury problems in that Champions League win and scored off the bench, which we feel warrants him a start against Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The Citizens will definitely be without Sergio Aguero on Sunday after the Argentinian forward picked up another injury in the recent 1-1 draw with West Ham, so if the £54m-rated Jesus is deemed fit enough to start then he seems the logical option for Guardiola up front.

Here’s how Football Fan Cast thinks Guardiola will line his side up on Sunday afternoon…

Guardiola would perhaps be unwise to make too many changes to his defence, with his side having now kept three consecutive clean sheets in all competitions, so a partnership of Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte seems like a sensible option for the Citizens if they are to keep Liverpool’s attack quiet.

We feel that, due to the obvious threat of Mohamed Salah on Liverpool’s right-wing, Guardiola might be better served by selecting Nathan Ake at left-back, as he has played there 44 times in his club career and, as a natural centre-back, it could be argued that he is more reliable defensively than Joao Cancelo.

Raheem Sterling will be keen to impress against his old side and having averaged a strong 7.11 rating for his performances in the Premier League thus far, he is surely one of the first names on the teamsheet for Guardiola at the moment.

Whilst Ferran Torres might consider himself unlucky to not get the start, his performances in the Premier League are yet to match his efforts in the Champions League, where he has three goals already (per WhoScored).

Bernardo Silva should also get the nod to start on the right-wing, but Guardiola obviously has the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden and Torres available to come off the bench against the Reds if required.

It will be interesting to see how City line up for this important fixture on Sunday afternoon.

Many Glasgow Rangers may well be rooting for their players whilst they are on international duty, and a lot of the fan base showed their appreciation for Steven Davis following the milestone he has achieved with his country.

He was selected for Northern Ireland’s Nations League playoff against Bosnia last night, making him a record breaker as it made him the most-capped player of all time for his country. It was a memorable night not just for him but also his team-mates as they won on penalties to advance to a Euro 2020 play-off final against Slovakia. [via Sky Sports]

The club tweeted their congratulations for the player and many fans followed suit, with one saying that he is ‘Another Rangers player that’s underrated!’

The admiration that supporters of the ‘Gers have for their players was shown by their replies are they raved over him making history. It is easy to see why they love the 35-year-old as he has made 271 appearances throughout his career for the Light Blues, per Transfermarkt. He has scored 22 goals, provided 66 assists and won three league titles with the club.

How ‘Gers fans reacted to Steven Davis making history:

‘Gers fans, what are your thoughts on Davis’ record? Comment below with your views!

Loads of Everton fans have been left fuming as The Guardian have reported that Historic England have objected to the plans of the Merseyside club to build their new stadium at Bramley Moore dock.

According to the outlet, the Toffees submitted an amended planning application for the proposed 52,888-capacity ground on Liverpool’s waterfront following feedback from Liverpool city council.

That has prompted fierce condemnation from the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, which claims that the city’s world heritage status will do more harm than good for Liverpool should it be used against the scheme of the Blues.

EFC intend to restore several heritage features at Bramley Moore, including a Grade II listed hydraulic tower and tramlines, and the contentious dock walls would be preserved under the new ground.

These members of the Goodison Park faithful fumed upon reading the objections on Twitter, as they perhaps feel that the prospect of creating new jobs and investment into the economy will do more good than harm:

Evertonians, do you think the new stadium will go ahead? Comment below!