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Fulham were extremely close to securing a deal to bring Matt Grimes to Craven Cottage on Tuesday.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Swansea Independent, who claim that Swansea City were looking for a fee of around £4m in order to sanction the sale of the central midfielder, comprised of a £3m down payment with the remainder paid in add-ons.

The report went on to state that Fulham’s highest offer for the 26-year-old totalled £3m including add-ons, with the Welsh side rejecting this proposal and standing firm on their valuation of the former England U21 international.

Big mistake

While Fulham did manage to replace the outgoing Andre-Frank Anguissa with Nathaniel Chalobah in the final few hours of the summer transfer window, considering the sheer amount of talent Grimes appears to possess, in addition to the fact the Cottagers were a matter of a few hundred thousand pounds away from securing a deal for the midfielder, the argument that Marco Silva could well have made a big mistake in not landing the Swansea City captain is a rather easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 45 Championship appearances for the Swans last season, the £6.3m-rated man bagged two goals, registered three assists and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of one shot and making 0.8 key passes per game.

The player Steve Cooper dubbed an “excellent” midfielder also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.5 interceptions, 2.1 tackles, 1.3 clearances and winning 5.3 duels per league fixture.

These returns saw the £10k-per-week 26-year-old earn a highly impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.04, ranking him as his club’s fifth-best player in the second tier – playing a key role in Swansea’s run to the play-off final.

As such, when taking into account these impressive displays, coupled with the fact that Silva could have landed the midfielder for a great deal less than his current Transfermarkt valuation, the 44-year-old Fulham boss could very easily come to regret not sanctioning a swoop for the Swansea City star on Tuesday.

In other news: Fulham confirm last-minute deadline day double swoop, Silva will be buzzing

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.

Former All Leeds TV pundit Joe Wainman has severe doubts over the future of Ian Poveda at Leeds United.

Poveda moved to Leeds in 2020, joining the club from Manchester City, after having a varied youth career.

Now 21, Poveda has played in the academies at Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona, Brentford and City, from whom he joined Leeds.

Since his arrival, the winger, who can play on both the right and left flanks, as well as up front, and has made a total of 20 appearances for the club at first-team level.

Fourteen of those came in the Premier League last season, but he did not score a goal nor did he register an assist.

And Wainman has some severe doubts over his ability to actually force his way into Marcelo Bielsa’s first-team on a regular basis, as he does not have enough end product.

He said: “In terms of Poveda, he’s come on, he’s shown flashes. There’s not really any end product for me. He is highly rated, he has played at some great clubs but I think the jury’s still out for me, we’ll have to wait and see.”

Poveda was not involved on Saturday as Leeds were thumped 5-1 by Manchester United.

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 Telegraph have dropped a bid update on Newcastle’s pursuit of Joe Willock… 

What’s the talk?

According to The Telegraph, Newcastle are willing to meet Arsenal’s £22m valuation of Joe Willock this month to land him on a permanent basis following his loan spell at the club last term.

The report claims that the two sides are both prepared to green-light the deal and it is now down to the player to decide whether or not he wants to make the move back up to the North East.

Cloud nine

Newcastle fans will be on cloud nine after reading this news as the club are showing ambition in the transfer market this month.

You could forgive supporters for being frustrated with the window thus far as Mike Ashley has failed to make a senior addition to the squad, but this big update shows that they are now ready to make a sizeable splash for a key player.

Willock was only on Tyneside for half of the 2020/21 campaign, yet only Callum Wilson scored more Premier League goals than him. His eight league strikes came in just 11 starts and Joelinton’s tally of four was the next-highest in the squad.

This shows how important he was to Newcastle, as he was able to make an instant impact after his arrival from Arsenal. Magpies boss Steve Bruce hailed him as a terrific athlete after his debut and highlighted how he is a modern-day midfielder in terms of his style of play. 

He said: “It was a classic midfield player’s goal from the ability to arrive in the box, and that’s what he’s brought us. He can go box-to-box, he’s a terrific athlete, the kid, a typical modern-day midfield player who has the ability to get up and down the pitch quickly and has that added ability to score a goal.”

The Toon Army will, therefore, be delighted that the club are willing to pay a sizeable amount of money to bring Willock back on a permanent basis. It shows an ambition from Newcastle to improve their squad in the short and long term, given that he is only 21 and has the potential for further growth and development as a player.

Fans will be over the moon if he decides to make the switch in the coming weeks and it could now be down to Bruce to make a convincing pitch to the England under-21 international gem.

AND in other news, Newcastle facing £5m nightmare over £38k-p/w “great leader”, it will bleed Ashley dry…

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.

Marcus Rashford was delayed in joining up with the England squad late ahead of Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia.

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• Rashford has linked up with England late
• Games coming against Malta and North Macedonia
• Attacker in dismal form for Manchester United

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rashford has linked up with England late after being called up by manager Gareth Southgate. He will have been assessed upon his arrival, as the Three Lions have already secured their qualification to Euro 2024, so the next two games offer something of an opportunity for the manager to experiment.

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  WHY IS RASHFORD LATE?

  Per the , Southgate allowed the United striker time to deal with "personal matters", while Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips was granted the same allowance. Rashford scored in the 3-1 win over Italy that confirmed England's qualification in the most recent international break, but has only managed one club goal this season.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 26-year-old has won 57 caps for England and has scored 17 goals. He scored and provided an assist the last time the Three Lions played North Macedonia, when Southgate's side won 7-0 at Wembley.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD?

  He will be assessed by England's medical staff before the fixtures take place. He may be rested, with England having already secured their spot at the 2024 tournament. However, points are still required to seal a first-placed finish.

Zinedine Zidane continues to be linked with Manchester United, but Louis Saha is not convinced that the legendary Frenchman would want the job.

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• Questions being asked of Dutch coach
• Real Madrid legend still out of work
• Has avoided English jobs in the past

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  There is not a vacancy to be filled in the Old Trafford dugout at present, with Erik ten Hag still calling the shots. Questions have, however, been asked of how long the Dutchman will be sticking around for as United scratch around for consistency in Premier League and Champions League.

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  Former Real Madrid boss Zidane has been mooted as a potential United boss in the past, and figures prominently in current betting markets, but ex-Red Devils striker Saha has – speaking in association with – told GOAL when asked if the World Cup winner would be interested in a prominent English post: “Zinedine Zidane has been linked with Manchester United before but he’s a legend of the game and he’s willing to take his time. He’s had a lot of opportunities, with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and we heard his name with United before. I’ve seen reports that he might not be willing to come to the Premier League, so I'd be surprised if things have changed in that sense. Manchester United are still one of the biggest attractions but it’s a difficult place to come and have the success that we’re all looking for. That’s the biggest challenge, and whether he wants it is up to him.”

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Ten Hag is under contract until 2025 and did deliver Carabao Cup glory for United last season. Quizzed on whether he should fear the sack if collective performances do not improve, Saha added: "Being a manager of Manchester United, you have to accept the pressure of being sacked. That’s the reality of being manager of Manchester United, especially when you’re not playing well. Big managers before Erik ten Hag have come in and been sacked.

  "But last year, Ten Hag came in and changed a lot of things but now there’s some frustration which we saw with other managers. He has to be aware of that and I'm sure he is. There won’t be any surprises, even if he somehow manages to create Ten Hag mania, it always comes down to results. Even Sir Alex Ferguson was under pressure at United, and that’s a normal position that Ten Hag will just have to get used to. He has to get points in the league and the Champions League as well as getting the team back on track because at the moment, it’s not quite there."

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  United are sat eighth in the Premier League as things stand, with 15 points collected from nine games, while they finally got off the mark in Europe last time out when edging out FC Copenhagen 1-0 – with Andre Onana required to save a stoppage-time penalty in that contest.

Erik ten Hag has seen the “crazy idea” of returning to Ajax speculated on if he were to get the sack at Premier League giants Manchester United.

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• Dutch coach struggling for positive results
• Setbacks suffered at home and abroad
• Questions being asked of his future

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Dutch coach finds himself under pressure at Old Trafford after suffering potentially costly defeats in domestic and Champions League competition. The Red Devils lost their last fixture in the English top-flight to Crystal Palace, while back-to-back defeats have been suffered in Europe at the hands of Bayern Munich and Galatasaray.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ten Hag did deliver Carabao Cup glory and a top-four finish during his debut campaign in English football, but he has fallen out with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho along the way and desperately needs to deliver a reversal in fortune after being given more money to spend in the transfer market.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Former Ajax striker Kenneth Perez has suggested that Ten Hag could end up retracing his steps to Amsterdam after less than 18 months in Manchester. He has told : “Imagine if Erik ten Hag were fired, would it be very crazy for Ajax to ask him back? Manchester United is known for the fact that things can get difficult if things don’t go well. Then it’s not a crazy idea, is it?”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Ten Hag previously won three Eredivisie titles during his time at Ajax, taking in over 200 games at the helm, but he has found consistency hard to come by with United and is waiting on big-money additions such as Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund to come good in 2023-24.

As per French football expert Julien Laurens, Tottenham have joined the race to sign Houssem Aouar from Lyon this summer.

The Lowdown: Spurs lagging behind

Spurs finally confirmed their new manager with Nuno Espirito Santo taking the hot-seat, but that does not mean their transfer business has accelerated.

So far, the Lilywhites are yet to make a single signing as the season fast approaches, and Nuno may soon be running out of time to shape the squad in his image.

That could change now though, with ESPN’s Laurens dropping an update on Thursday evening.

The Latest: Spurs enter Aouar race

It is being reported that Spurs are interested in capturing Aouar from Lyon. Arsenal were also mentioned by Laurens, and they are now set to go head-to-head with Tottenham for the 23-year-old.

“Being told that Tottenham have now also entered the race for Houssem Aouar,” the journalist said on Twitter.

“Arsenal are still keen on the Lyon playmaker but Spurs are in the conversation too now.”

The Verdict: Statement

Signing Aouar would be a huge statement of intent from Daniel Levy. Valued at £37.8m (Transfermarkt), the midfielder already has 170 appearances for Lyon to his name, scoring 32 goals and providing 31 assists, and he has even been compared to Zinedine Zidane (The Sun).

Not only that, he has received high praise from both Kevin de Bruyne and Lionel Messi (football.london) – he is clearly a player with immense potential.

Of course, there is likely to be plenty of competition for his signature – he is a young player whose transfer value could rise drastically, after all, and plenty of clubs across Europe will be eager to add him to their ranks.

If Levy can beat the competition, it would show he and the club mean business.

In other news, Tottenham want to sign this Euro 2020 star.