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Crystal Palace are reportedly lining up a sensational swoop for former Arsenal and current Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey.

According to journalist Nicolo Schira, the Eagles have enquired about the Welsh international, requesting information about a potential switch to Selhurst Park.

His arrival at the club would certainly be a statement of intent and one which Steve Parish might follow through on.

Owing to his huge Premier League and European experience, Ramsey would almost certainly be one of the first names on the team sheet at Selhurst Park.

The 30-year-old has made 262 appearances in the top flight of English football, scoring 40 goals and providing 51 assists.

Former Arsenal manager Unai Emery praised the midfielder in his final season at the Emirates Stadium, highlighting his “amazing” attitude and performances.

Even though Ramsey has not had the best time of things in Turin, only starting 32 matches in his year-and-a-half with the club, his statistics would still see him rank above any current Crystal Palace midfielder, including captain Luka Milivojevic.

According to WhoScored, the Welshman is averaging 1.3 shots, 1.3 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per match. This is considerably higher than the Serbian’s 0.6, 0.6 and 0.3 respectively for those metrics. Ramsey also keeps the ball far better than his opposite number, averaging an 85.8% pass completion rate to Milivojevic’s 82.5%.

It makes a lot of sense, therefore, for the Welsh ace to replace the former Olympiakos man in the heart of the Crystal Palace midfield. With James McArthur and James McCarthy also set to depart Selhurst Park come the end of their deals this summer, the arrival of Ramsey would certainly compensate for their losses and more.

Rated at just £18m and with only two years remaining on the big-money deal he signed at the Juventus Stadium, Palace might well be able to afford bringing the midfielder back to London.

It would certainly be a sensational move from Parish and the Eagles, and one which they must prioritise.

AND in more news, read why Palace must avoid signing an alternative midfielder currently plying his trade in Serie A…

After being tested in a new right-back role against Manchester City in midweek, Ryan Bertrand returned to a more natural left-back position for the Saints’ game against Brighton on Sunday afternoon.

Unfortunately for Ralph Hasenhuttl, the 31-year-old produced another poor display, as the Seagulls claimed a 2-1 victory which leaves Southampton looking over their shoulders at the relegation spaces, as their woeful run of form continued at St Mary’s.

The former Chelsea man is yet to agree to a new contract with the South Coast club and Arsenal are reportedly taking an interest in him ahead of the summer, which makes you question whether he is completely focussed on Southampton right now.

As per SofaScore, Bertrand would earn a 6.8/10 rating for his performance, which was nowhere near the worst of any Saints player, however, his attacking play against Brighton was truly awful.

The left-back would fail with his only dribble attempt, whilst only one of his six crosses during the game would find a Southampton shirt.

His passing was nowhere near its usual standard, as he would complete just 33/49 of his passes, resulting in a poor accuracy rate of 67% – significantly below the 79.5% he has averaged in the Premier League this season.

None of his four long balls were accurate and he managed to lose possession on a remarkable 28 occasions, which was the most of any Southampton player on the pitch, and only second to Pascal Gross from Brighton’s team, with the German losing the ball 32 times during the game.

Whilst his defensive game was fairly solid, as he made four tackles and three clearances, the experienced defender’s attacking output has been a cause for concern all season, as he has just one assist to his name in the top-flight, and the game against Brighton was unfortunately no different.

Bertrand has to start offering Hasenhuttl more down the left-hand side from an attacking perspective, especially with the Saints struggling to create opportunities in the absence of Danny Ings.

As one of few experienced options in a fairly young Southampton side, it was a disappointing display from Bertrand once again against Brighton, and hopefully, his form will improve before the end of the season as Hasenhuttl really has his hands tied behind his back when it comes to possibly selecting an alternative, with back-up left-back Jake Vokins having left on loan in January.

And, in other news… Forget Forster: Saints can sign serious McCarthy upgrade in £8.6m beast

Crystal Palace have been handed a significant defensive injury boost, with left-back Tyrick Mitchell ready to return to action.

The young defender has not played a single minute of Premier League action since the 2-1 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion in late February.

However, Eagles boss Roy Hodgson revealed the news of his return in a press conference, stating that Mitchell is “fully fit and available to play”.

His return will certainly be welcomed by Palace as the season enters its final stretch. Since breaking into the first team at Selhurst Park, the 21-year-old has developed a reputation as one of the most promising young defenders in the Premier League.

He has gone on to make 18 appearances for the Eagles, with his early performances being labelled as “excellent” by Hodgson.

The left-back has certainly been missed this season, too, having been absent for eight of Palace’s Premier League matches, whilst having been selected on the bench a further nine times (Transfermarkt). In matches where he has played, Hodgson’s troops have racked up a 38% win percentage in the Premier League and conceded on average 1.5 goals per game.

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Meanwhile, when Mitchell has been restricted to the sidelines, whether that be through injury or suspension, that win rate falls dramatically to 29%, with a further 1.6 goals conceded per game.

Even when comparing him to left-back rival and experienced campaigner Patrick van Aanholt, the youngster comes out on top. According to WhoScored, Mitchell produces far more tackles (3.6 to 1.6) and more clearances (2.5 to 1.6) per game in the Premier League this season than the Dutchman.

Judging by his statistics, the youngster’s return to fitness should be a big boost to Crystal Palace as the season enters the final stretch and the Eagles aim to secure a top ten finish.

AND in more news, take a look at which European giant has provided a big clue as to who the next Palace boss could be…

Manchester City have been linked with a move for Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak recently, and he could be a serious upgrade on Gabriel Jesus in Pep Guardiola’s squad if he were to join.

What’s the word?

According to the Mirror, City are keeping close tabs on the 21-year-old forward after his impressive run of form with the Spanish side, and they could make a move for him in the summer.

Whilst Borussia Dortmund have an option to re-sign him for just £25 million, it is suggested that he doesn’t want to return to Signal Iduna Park anytime soon, which could open the door for City to bring him to the Premier League.

More clinical than Gabriel Jesus?

Whilst City have been unbelievably good at times this season, winning their last 20 fixtures in all competitions, there have been times where you feel they could have been a lot more comfortable if they possessed a quality finisher up front.

Sergio Aguero made his return from injury against West Ham at the weekend but struggled to have any real impact on the game, and with his contract up in the summer, it is still up in the air as to whether he will still be a City player next season.

Despite City’s dominance in league and cup competitions this season, Jesus has just nine goals and three assists in 26 appearances and has been guilty of being wasteful in front of goal on a number of occasions.

Isak, meanwhile, has 12 goals and two assists in just 20 La Liga appearances this season and has averaged an impressive 7.22 rating for his performances in the Spanish top-flight.

The Swedish forward, who is valued at £19.8 million by Transfermarkt, also averages more shots per game than Jesus (2.5 compared to 1.7), suggesting that he is more goal-hungry than the Brazilian, which is a trait City arguably lack, as sometimes it is better for a striker to be greedy and shoot rather than looking for the pass.

The football scouting website FBref suggests that Isak has scored more goals than his expected goals rate, and is expected to score 0.51 goals per game, whereas Jesus has scored fewer goals than expected, and is expected to score 0.48 goals per game.

Therefore, you could definitely argue that Isak is much more clinical than the 24-year-old, despite being just 21-years-old, and therefore, sporting director Txiki Begiristain should definitely consider him as an option for the summer transfer window.

And, in other news… Fewer passes than Ederson: £45m-rated City ace failed to seize rare opportunity vs WHU

Leeds were, unsurprisingly, rather quiet during the January transfer window.

However, their efforts ahead of the summer are seemingly being ramped up as each week passes by.

What’s the word?

Leeds are reportedly eyeing a switch for Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare.

That’s according to Football Insider sources, who suggest that the Whites are ready to join the race for a player that turned down Newcastle after a £35m bid in January 2020.

The player is now valued at around £20.7m via Transfermarkt but it wouldn’t be a shock to see a similar bid to Newcastle’s required in order to prise him away in a few months time.

After all, Fabrizio Romano recently claimed that Leicester were also stepping up their pursuit of Soumare, someone he claims might be worth around £30.3m.

Struijk upgrade

When Kalvin Phillips doesn’t play at the base of Marcelo Bielsa’s midfield, his team tends to struggle. Of the four games that Pascal Struijk has played in that part of the pitch as his replacement, Leeds have failed to win a single one of them.

In fact, in nearly every one of those games, they’ve been utterly demoralised, losing those outings by an aggregate scoreline of 15-6.

Even if the young Dutchman scored at the Emirates when playing in that role, he clearly doesn’t offer the same sort of presence and composure that Phillips does.

With that in mind, finding someone externally that’s capable of playing in that role has to be among Victor Orta’s priorities for the summer. Fortunately, they’d find a perfect remedy in Soumare, a player hotly tipped as one of the next big things in French football.

Compared to Paul Pogba, the 21-year-old is improving by the day and his enormous range of qualities make for eye-catching reading.

Speaking about the midfield general in 2020, Lille president Gerard Lopez commented: “He’s one of the very best at his job. He’s technical, with incredible physical power and wins a great deal of possession. He’s a modern No.6 or 8. We’ll see him in the France team very soon.”

Soumare is yet to be capped by his country but a quick look at the statistics tells you it might not be long before France come knocking. Certainly, a move to the illustrious Premier League will help his cause.

If we use Soccerment’s comparison tool, we can easily compare Soumare and Phillips. Above, the Leeds target’s statistics appear in blue while Phillips’ are in green. That means the French prodigy has a greater success rate when it comes to aerial duels, tackles, passing and dribbling.

It may come as a surprise to see a defensive midfield usurping someone as busy as Phillips, but it only goes to show why he’d also be an upgrade on Struijk.

It is imperative that Leeds sign someone like this in the summer. It could be the difference between finishing in the top half and languishing in the bottom section of the table.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Raphinha: Leeds target who made 5 key passes should have Orta salivating…

Chelsea captain Mille Bright continued her rehabilitation from injury as she sat out the Lionesses first game of the year.

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• Bright continues rehab in mud and rain
• Chelsea skipper missing since November
• Misses Lionesses first fixture of 2024

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The defender has missed the Lionesses winter camp in sunny southern Spain and will be absent when her colleagues take on Austria in Andalusia on Friday evening. But Bright shared some news on social media of her working hard on her recovery in soggy Surrey.

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• WHAT MILLIE BRIGHT SAID

  "Silently grafting, fun in the sun and mud today," posted Bright on her Instagram account alongside a photo of herself at Chelsea's training complex.

  Instagram @mbrighty04

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bright has been on the sidelines since suffering the recurrence of a knee injury in November. The skipper is not the only high-profile casualty for the Blues as star forward Sam Kerr suffered a season-ending ACL injury in January. Mia Fishel was recently struck down with the affliction on international duty too.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MILLIE BRIGHT?

  An exact return date for Bright remains unknown but the 30-year-old will be hoping to be back in action for the business end of the season as Chelsea chase silverware in four different competitions with the Emma Hayes era drawing to a conclusion at Stamford Bridge.

Erling Haaland's Manchester City will play a preseason friendly in the USA against Chelsea this summer.

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• Man City & Chelsea schedule summer friendly
• Set to play on Columbus, Ohio
• Lone match, not part of USA competition

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to The Athletic, the Premier League powerhouses are set to go head-to-head in the States prior to the 2024-25 Premier League campaign. City will also be making stops in North Carolina, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Maryland and Chicago in a busy summer ahead.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  However, it's unlikely that all the superstars from the respective clubs will be traveling with the teams. The summer soccer schedule on the international stage is on the horizon, with Copa America, the Euros and the Paris Olympic Games all happening across a two-and-a-half month span. Haaland will be present, though, as Norway failed to reach qualification for this summer's European tournament.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  In the two Premier League games that the Blues and Man City have played this season, Chelsea have held the treble-winners to a draw each time. The first contest ended 4-4 on November 12, and their latest, 1-1 last weekend.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY AND CHELSEA?

  The Blues take on Liverpool on Sunday in the final of the 2024 Carabao Cup in one of their lone chances at silverware this season. City, meanwhile, take on Bournemouth on Saturday as they look to get back on track in their hunt for the Premier League title.

The midfielder's absence for the final two qualifiers raises the uncomfortable question of what the Three Lions would do without him in Germany

England have an unfortunate history of their talismen not being fit in time for a major tournament; that was the fate that befell Wayne Rooney ahead of the 2006 World Cup and David Beckham four years earlier, as well as Kevin Keegan and Bryan Robson if you go even further back.

Jude Bellingham is on course to be the Three Lions' key player as they head to Germany for Euro 2024 in the summer, but a shoulder injury ahead of their final two qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia has raised the difficult question of what Gareth Southgate would do without him at the tournament proper.

Despite his tender age this is not Bellingham's first fitness concern, with the emerging Real Madrid star undergoing regular treatment on a chronic knee problem. The 20-year-old has often played with strapping on each of his knees over his brief career to date.

In his absence, this international window offers more than just a chance to experiment for England boss Gareth Southgate, as he faces up to the reality of life without his star midfielder.

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  A more conservative approach

  Southgate has often been criticised for his conservatism in his team selection and approach, but it has generally been a recipe for success on the biggest stage as his side have reached a semi-final, final and quarter-final at consecutive major tournaments. With that in mind, it wouldn't be all that surprising to see a less attack-minded midfielder come into the team should Bellingham be unavailable – the problem will be matching his tenacity.

  Southgate has preferred a 4-2-3-1 with the Madrid star as his No.10, but he may revert to a 4-3-3 with someone like Jordan Henderson – who unexpectedly shone in a box-to-box role at the 2022 World Cup – coming in, although his move to Saudi Arabia casts doubt over his suitability against top-level nations. Conor Gallagher, meanwhile, is in fine form at club level and is demonstrating his ability in a more advanced midfield position. Both of them certainly have the intensity to compensate for Bellingham's absence.

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  Cole Palmer's chance to shine

  Palmer's meteoric rise to prominence means he is arguably best placed to cover for Bellingham in the worst-case scenario. One year Bellingham's senior, he carries himself with the same youthful swagger and looks ready-made for the highest level.

  While his counterpart has proven himself to be an elite midfield goal-scorer, Palmer is more of a creator between the lines – but that could be just as valuable with so many dangerous forwards in the team.

  One thing they do have in common is their work rate, with Palmer proving himself to be an intelligent and relentless presser and counter-presser of the ball out of possession in the early days of his time at Chelsea. He has made 31 recoveries in the Premier League alone already.

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  Five at the back

  Although it feels more likely that Southgate would try to replace Bellingham directly, a change of shape to five at the back is another option. It's a formation that took England all the way to the final of Euro 2020, but the manager has since deserted it following the ill-fated 2022 Nations League campaign.

  A 3-4-3 would provide defensive solidity and remove the need for an advanced midfielder altogether, with the Three Lions' attacking threat instead provided by the wing-backs and inverted wingers behind, presumably, Harry Kane.

  It's a system that would also enable Southgate to include two of his plethora of right-back options in the team, with Kyle Walker very capable as a right centre-back and both Kieran Trippier and Reece James exceptional wing-backs.

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  A classic No.10

  Aside from coming up short at the World Cup, England have once again been on an upward trajectory since Southgate switched to a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 shape. As such, he could be tempted to turn to an out-and-out attacking midfielder to fill Bellingham's boots, safe in the knowledge that a double pivot of Declan Rice and, perhaps, Kalvin Phillips will provide amble security behind them.

  That could provide an opening for both James Maddison and Eberechi Eze, who have been in outstanding and consistent form at club level for some time now as creative No.10s. Indeed, Maddison is underrated out of possession and has worked hard on the defensive side of his game, while Eze's ball-carrying is second to none and would provide that missing X-factor in Bellingham's absence.

Some Manchester City fans were livid with the performance of Nathan Ake during their 4-3 win over Newcastle United at St. James’ Park on Friday night.

The Citizens’ status as Premier League champions was confirmed following Manchester United’s defeat to Leicester City on Tuesday, meaning Pep Guardiola came into this game with the opportunity to give chances to his fringe players. Some of them, such as hat-trick hero Ferran Torres, took advantage of the opportunity given to them.

Ake, though, was not part of that group. He was named in the staring line-up, but looked shaky at the heart of the back four along with Eric Garcia as City conceded an unexpected three goals. The Netherlands international even gave away the penalty that allowed Joelinton to level things up at 2-2.

The City supporters were far from happy with that they saw from the £31.5m-valued former Bournemouth man (Transfermarkt), and they took to social media platform to share their thoughts.

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

“And Ake in my opinion has to leave with Mendy this summer. We don’t need him and he’s not at Dias Stones and Laporte’s level .”

Credit: @FuryV3

“No agenda, just observations. Ake is so shockingly bad that’s it’s so funny. Mendy is awfully bad and I don’t say anything cause we all know it.”

Credit: @jamalilloo

“Ake had a stinker tonight, unfortunately”

Credit: @Dakk_MCFC

“Ake sounds like he is having a ‘mare tonight”

Credit: @AndrewAndyc0463

“This Aké disasterclass man”

Credit: @JeerryMCFC

“Ake is Wilfred Bony’s defence clone. Sell sell sell”

Credit: @ChildDannyc1

In other news, Man City fans were worried by these Guardiola comments.

Adam Hlozek is amongst the forwards West Ham are taking a keen eye on ahead of the summer transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to Eurosport’s Dean Jones, the Sparta Prague gem is on their list of priorities, whilst French outlet Foot Mercato claim the Irons are confident of securing his signature despite rival interest.

It is thought that the 18-year-old wonderkid is available for around £15m to £20m but last season’s champions, Liverpool, have been mooted with interest too.

The Hammers have around £35m to spend on a new striker and Hlozek fits the bill as someone who could be great value for money.

Forget Arnautovic

Tammy Abraham and Ivan Toney are two other names that have been mooted with a switch to the London Stadium ahead of the upcoming window, whilst there has also been talk of a sensation return for Marko Arnautovic.

Bologna newspaper Il Resto del Carlino (via The Sun) claims David Moyes could look to bring the 32-year-old back to the Irons for free as Shanghai Port want him off the wage bill.

This is a move that the club should absolutely avoid as you’re not going to get much out of the Austrian considering his age, and it’s been several years since he was last competing in genuinely competitive and high-quality surroundings.

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Hlozek would offer West Ham an instant solution to their striker nightmare and one that will be around for years to come, to the point of potentially earning them a cushty profit.

The Prague sensation has had his season hampered by injury but that hasn’t stopped him from delivering 11 goals and nine assists in just 21 appearances. He’s averaging a direct goal contribution every 84 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

It’s no wonder his manager Pavel Vrba has hailed him “hugely talented” whilst Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig has previously lauded him as an “elite talent,” “a phenomenal player” and one that is “destined for greatness.”

Hlozek is widely thought to be the Czechs best talent since Tomas Rosicky, though Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal may have a thing or two to say about that.

For around £15m, GSB must forget about getting Arnautovic back and look to seal the future star this summer.

AND in other news, GSB must block West Ham swoop for 22-cap flop who “plays like he’s on roller-skates”…