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Mohamed Elyounoussi’s impressive form at Celtic could give Southampton Ralph Hasenhuttl a big decision to make over his future next season.

The Norwegian joined Neil Lennon’s side on loan for the second successive season earlier in the summer and he has enjoyed a superb start to the 2020/21 campaign with the Scottish side.

In 18 appearances in all competitions so far this season, the 26-year-old has contributed an impressive 10 goals and four assists, including a hat-trick in the Bhoys’ most recent fixture against Motherwell (per Transfermarkt).

His performances in the Scottish Premiership have seen him average a solid 6.92 rating, whilst his superb displays in the Europa League have earned him a 7.52 average across his three appearances (per WhoScored).

Southampton signed the winger from FC Basel in 2018 for a fee of £16.2 million but he has never really been able to establish himself as a first-team regular at the South Coast club.

In 19 appearances for the Saints, Elyounoussi was unable to contribute a single goal or assist, so you can perhaps understand why he was sent on loan to Celtic to improve his confidence.

The Norway international has done just that, showing his quality with the Celtic Park outfit, having contributed 17 goals and 10 assists in just 38 appearances for the club (per Transfermarkt).

Therefore, we feel that he deserves another chance to show what he can do under Hasenhuttl at Southampton when he returns from his loan spell at Celtic.

The winger was heavily criticised by Celtic legend Chris Sutton after he was caught using his phone after being taken off in their recent defeat against Sparta Prague, but he bounced back with an excellent hat-trick at Fir Park, which Sutton labelled as “brilliant” on Twitter (per talkSPORT).

The 26-year-old has clearly shown his quality in his time with Celtic, and whilst playing for Southampton in the Premier League would be a step up for Elyounoussi, his impressive form shows that he deserves another shot at playing in the top-flight.

West Ham legend Mark Noble is entering the twilight years of his Irons career and whilst he’s still got plenty more to give, it would be wise to find his long-term replacement sooner rather than later…

What’s the word?

According to 90min, the Hammers are one of a host of Premier League teams taking a keen interest in signing Schalke 04 midfielder Weston McKennie this summer.

It’s claimed that the Bundesliga outfit need to raise funds through sales and the USA international hasn’t hid his desire to one day play in the English top-flight.

The report goes onto suggest that a bidding war could ensue with the likes of Southampton, Everton, Aston Villa and Newcastle United all keen.

He could cost in excess of £20m.

Perfect Noble successor

At 33, Noble doesn’t have too many years left at the London Stadium so a move for 19-cap 21-year-old begins to make the world of sense, even more so when you look at his playing style.

McKennie has been compared to Barcelona powerhouse Arturo Vidal due to the way he ‘breaks down opposition attacks and wins back possession’ and is able to play anywhere in the middle, whether that be a defensive No. 6 or a more advanced no.8 or 10.

Bundesliga.com once described the American as a “true midfield warrior,” which has been echoed by his current boss David Wagner, who said: “He’s an outstanding talent. In the No.6 or No.8 position he has the mentality, a real working mentality that you need. And he’s brave on the ball as well.”

Noble has played an array of midfield roles for the Hammers over his long 16-year career, including surprise appearances in the hole towards the end of the season, which makes McKennie even more viable.

Per WhoScored, the young enforcer averaged 1.6 interceptions, 1.4 tackles, 1.1 shots and 1 dribble per appearance in the Bundesliga last season.

He may not quite be the finished article just yet, but a season or two learning from Noble could help David Moyes make the transition when that day finally does arrive.

AND in other news, West Ham should forget Shane Duffy and sign “unplayable” PL colossus…

First game of the season, first win of the Premier League season too for Crystal Palace.Roy Hodgson’s side kick-started the new campaign in perfect fashion with a 1-0 victory over Southampton on Saturday afternoon, with talisman Wilfried Zaha proving once again that he is the Eagles’ match-winner.But whilst the Ivory Coast international will take home plenty of the plaudits, there was one player who left Palace fans delirious with his performance: Eberechi Eze.

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The summer signing from QPR only took to the pitch for the closing stages of the game, but his cameo was filled with moments of brilliance, including one piece of skill against Kyle Walker-Peters.

Despite having just 15 touches of the ball, Eze provided two successful crosses, and completed two of his four attempted dribbles – both of stats ranking him in the top two amongst the entire team.

And after seeing his display, Palace fans took to Twitter to rave about their new boy.

A couple of supporters described Eze’s cameo as “silky”, and there’s no doubting Walker Peters will have been glad he didn’t have to face him for the entire 90 minutes after dropping him to the floor.

One Palace fan in particular revealed his excitement at potentially seeing him and Zaha “linking up all year”.

As cameos go, that is as exciting as they get.

Eze looked a class above after coming on, and he could be crucial for Palace especially if Zaha stays beyond the end of the transfer window.

Too often last season the Ivorian got marked out of the game by teams double-teaming and even triple-teaming him, but with someone like Eze in the team, a lot of the creative burden will be shared.

Saturday was a very promising debut for the starlet.

Harry Kane has announced through a gender reveal video on Instagram (via

/CC3VuGtBxcW/?utm_source=ig_embed”>@harrykane) that he and his wife Katie are expecting a baby boy.

The Spurs icon shared footage from their reveal party where he aptly fires a ball from the penalty spot towards a piñata in the net, which rains blue smoke.

The proud parents will wait to welcome their son and third child into the world, who will become a brother to Ivy and Vivienne.

Loads of Tottenham fans have flooded to wish Kane and his wife all the best. A few fans are evening tipping ‘Harry Kane Jr’ to be a future Spurs star, as per the comments on the striker’s Instagram post.

The 26-year-old is rounding off his seventh senior season with his boyhood club and is set to finish as Spurs’ top scorer. Despite suffering a thigh injury which saw him sidelined for 14 games, Kane has still tallied an impressive 23 goals across all competitions this season, with 17 coming in the Premier League (via Transfermarkt).

The England and Spurs captain will look ahead to next season and hope his side can finish in a stronger position. With just one league game left, Jose Mourinho’s men have no chance to fight for a top four spot but are on course to compete in the Europa League.

What do you think of Kane’s family news, Spurs fans? Join the conversation in the comments below!

Manchester United are in danger of missing out on Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho this summer. 

Man United missed Dortmund’s deadline to sort out a deal by August 10 and the 11-cap England international has rejoined his Bundesliga teammates for their pre-season training camp in Switzerland.

The Red Devils haven’t give up hope of signing Sancho just yet, but Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has dealt Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a bitter blow.

He recently told reporters “we plan on having Jadon Sancho in our team this season, the decision is final. I think that answers all our questions.”

Now, The Manchester Evening News claims United could turn their attention to Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz instead.

Chelsea have emerged as top contenders to sign the 7-cap German international but United could still hijack the Blues’ bid for him in the summer.

Frank Lampard’s side are reportedly leading the race to sign the £90m-rated attacking midfielder, although it looks like the Red Devils are ready to challenge their Premier League rivals.

However, Solskjaer has insisted that Sancho is his top target, having chased the right winger for some time already.

While Havertz would be a cheaper alternative to the 20-year-old, he will not come cheaply either.

As far as Chelsea are concerned, Leverkusen’s top scorer remains their primary focus before the start of the 2020/21 Premier League season.

Ed Woodward is known for many things but acting quickly is not one of them. The executive vice-chairman missed out on signing Cesc Fabregas and ended up paying over the odds for United flop Marouane Fellaini instead.

Dortmund are notorious for driving a hard bargain and are unwilling to sell Sancho for anything less than £108m in the summer. They famously sold Ousmane Dembele to Barcelona for £135m after rejecting a bid from Barca at the beginning of August 2017.

Both clubs are locked in negotiations but appear to be at loggerheads, while fans will have to wait and see how this poker game will play out, as the game is almost certainly afoot. The bottom line is if United want to sign Sancho then Woodward will have to break the bank.

United fans, will Woodward sign Sancho this summer? Let us know down below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Adam Forshaw’s injury has been a talking point amongst the Leeds fanbase for months at this point, and unfortunately, some supporters’ concern has now evolved into frustration.

The Elland Road fanbase had a worried reaction to the midfielder once again being ruled out of Leeds’ game this weekend, and there were certain calls for the midfielder to depart the club once the January transfer window opens.

It may seem a little drastic to call for a player who recently received huge praise from the manager to leave the club, but when you think about it, it may be the right thing to do.

Leeds haven’t missed Forshaw in his absence, they were 11 points clear of third-place before the visit of Cardiff and were enjoying a seven-game winning streak.

Some of the fan reaction was rather damning, however.

These calls are more than understandable, especially when you consider the wages Forshaw is on at Elland Road. One of those fans touches on resources and that’s one of the main arguments in favour of the midfielder leaving.

According to Capology, the former Middlesbrough man is Leeds’ fourth-highest earner on £20k a week, and shifting him off the wage bill would allow United a little more wriggle room in terms of FFP.

If they can effectively redistribute the funds they’d receive and save by selling Forshaw, then they may be in a stronger position after January.

Given the fact that Leeds have seemingly not missed Forshaw whatsoever in his absence, keeping him at the club on £20k a week may be a bit pointless, especially when that money could be used elsewhere.

The Whites currently sit in the automatic promotion places with players like Tyler Roberts and Mateusz Klich chipping in with goals in recent weeks. They’ve both helped soften the blow of losing a player who had been ever-present until he sustained an injury.

In other news, Marcelo Bielsa’s recent comments seem to contradict one thing he keeps doing at Leeds.

Jurgen Klopp has announced Xherdan Shaqiri will be ruled out of Sunday’s clash against Everton.

In a report from the Guardian (relayed via @LFCTransferRoom), the manager has revealed the Switzerland international will not be available for selection due to injury.

Shaqiri has reportedly been training in small doses, but not as much as the rest of the team. He is the only player ruled out of the Merseyside derby.

Many fans are speculating over what this means for the winger’s future with the Reds. He has been limited to just six Premier League appearances this season, and ten across all competitions. Shaqiri’s last match in the league was a brief one-minute cameo against Spurs in January (via Transfermarkt).

The 28-year-old signed for Liverpool in 2018 but it looks likely that he will be moved on soon due to the fact Klopp is not utilising him in the team. Lots of Kopites are in agreement, with one tweeting ‘He’s gone in the summer’.

What do you think about the news on Shaqiri, Liverpool fans? Join the discussion in the comments below…

In an impressive team performance on Saturday afternoon, Newcastle fans stunned Premier League champions Manchester City with a hard-fought 2-2 draw at St James’ Park.

The Magpies arrived on the back of a dismal 2-0 defeat to Steve Bruce’s former side Aston Villa, and taking on a team like City who had already netted 37 times in the league, was no doubt a daunting prospect.

But the Tyneside club effectively stopped Pep Guardiola’s free-scoring men with a resolute defensive performance, with the home side blocking a total of seven shots.

And one man who was at the heart of the back-line, was Federico Fernandez. As per Sofascore, the Argentine made a mammoth ten clearances, four interceptions and two tackles, and was key to the Magpies earning a precious point.

After seeing the 30-year-old’s performance, Newcastle fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the centre-back.

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Many supporters of the Tyneside club insisted that he was the man of the match for his display, lauding him for being as “solid as a rock” and a “warrior”.

Check out some of the reaction of Newcastle fans below:

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Leeds won yet again when Hull visited Elland Road on Tuesday, and though they had to be patient, Marcelo Bielsa was happy with the end result and the contribution of Helder Costa.

The 25-year-old has taken a while to settle in Yorkshire but he has now been given a run of starts to prove himself, and his manager believes he is improving with each passing game.

Costa got a vital assist against Reading and followed that up with a goal against Middlesbrough, and his pace in attack has proved useful in matches since, particularly on the counter-attack.

A true test for any Leeds fan: Can you match these iconic images with the right results?

Bielsa stated that he helped to unbalance Hull and the dynamic he brings to the side is different to his teammates, which is why he has been praised by some supporters.

Former Leeds player Noel Whelan said that his display was worthy of winning the Man of the Match, and with four dribbles and three key passes made it is fair to say that he played a big role in the win.

However, it can be argued that he has still fallen short of his form at Wolves and therefore has performed below expectations, which is a worry considering the Whites have a £15m deal in place to sign him permanently.

He started off slowly, claiming one assist in his first 18 league games, and though there are now positive signs, fans should probably be asking for him to deliver more. Some supporters certainly aren’t afraid to criticise as they see fit.

Elsewhere, Danny Mills gave a surprising answer when asked to name Leeds’ most disappointing player.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Granit Xhaka was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy on Tuesday, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang taking over the role, as reported by BBC Sport.

Granted, there aren’t that many Arsenal players who jump out as a natural skipper – which is probably why Xhaka was named in the first place – but the Gabon international’s appointment was a bit of a surprise.

FFC recently wrote about the dwindling influence of the captain in Premier League football, and the decision to appoint Aubameyang has served to further illustrate that point.

One thing that can be suggested about the way this role has evolved over time is that there are now various moulds of captain.

Within Arsenal, Sokratis may fit the brutish enforcer image, Hector Bellerin is the active speaker, having opened up on various social issues, while Matteo Guendouzi is the embodiment of someone who puts their all in for the team.

Aubameyang fits very clearly into one category: the talismanic figure. This type of captain often leads by example, simply by being the best, giving their teammates a level to work towards.

It is fair to say that the 30-year-old has been the Gunners’ top performer this campaign, as he has scored 8 Premier League goals in 11 games, which equates to half of the team’s overall total.

There may be more to Aubameyang than meets the eye. Perhaps, behind the beaming smile and amusing celebrations hides a motivator and man of powerful words who can grab his team by the scruff of the neck and drag them through a game, or speak success into existence.

However, it seems more likely that his credentials for the position are that he is a likeable character, one who commands the respect of the dressing room, isn’t disliked by the fans and is extremely talented.

Long gone are the days of Arsenal skippers in the ilk of Patrick Vieira and Tony Adams and, while Aubameyang is undoubtedly a strong candidate for the role, it will be intriguing to see how Arsenal’s new skipper fares.