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Crystal Palace are reportedly interested in making Sheffield Wednesday defender Osaze Urhoghide one of their summer additions.

According to The Sheffield Star, the Eagles admire the 20-year-old alongside the likes of Leeds United and Watford – and Urhoghide would be a perfect summer signing for Steve Parish in the summer.

Despite having only broken through at Hillsborough midway through the current campaign, the youngster is earning plenty of plaudits for his performances.

The defender has made 12 appearances so far throughout the season, ten of those being starts. In that time, Sheffield Wednesday have only claimed two clean sheets and lost seven matches in all, but Urhoghide has nonetheless been labelled “immense” by Owls manager Darren Moore.

He will certainly be aiming to continue that excellent form for the remainder of the campaign and into 2021/22 for whoever are his next employers.

Capable of playing in a number of positions including centre-back, right-back and left-back, he would seem to be the perfect addition for Palace.

The Eagles currently have a handful of defenders set to leave the club come the end of the campaign. Centre-backs Gary Cahill, Scott Dann and Mamadou Sakho are all out of contract, whilst right-backs Martin Kelly, Nathaniel Clyne and Joel Ward are also seeing their deals ticking down.

Elsewhere, left-backs Jeffrey Schlupp, Patrick van Aanholt and Tyrick Mitchell could also all potentially leave come the end of the season.

This means that they will certainly need recruits for all three of the positions, with Urhoghide’s versatility potentially coming in hugely useful.

Meanwhile, his age could present another convincing argument in his arrival at Selhurst Park. At the current time, Palace have on average the oldest squad in the Premier League, so younger arrivals would be welcome as the Eagles set their sights on 2021/22.

Available on a free transfer once his own contract runs out in three months’ time, there really is not a negative to Palace potentially signing Urhoghide.

AND in more news, take a look at another young defender would also be a brilliant signing for the Eagles…

If you could have predicted one fixture in the Premier League today to end in a 0-0 draw, it was always going to be West Bromwich Albion’s clash with Newcastle.

Both teams have been poor this season and consequently, this match was a relegation six-pointer. West Brom are currently in the relegation zone and a win today would have restored the gap to themselves and the Magpies.

Yet, in rather torrid fashion, they played out a goalless draw, a result that did neither side any favours on Sunday afternoon.

Sam Allardyce’s men kept their fourth successive clean sheet but were laboured in front of goal as they lacked the cutting edge necessary to see off Newcastle.

The man who typified their poor display this afternoon was Mbaye Diagne. Sporting eye-catching blue hair, that was about the most exciting thing on offer from him.

Diagne arrived in January on a loan deal and after scoring in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United, looked a solid acquisition. Though, as his performances of late are showing, he may not be up to scratch in the Premier League.

A number of players were dismal on Sunday, no less than Ainsley Maitland-Niles. His decision making was left wanting on a number of occasions in the middle of the park, but he was at least keen to drive his team forward, performing five dribbles.

The same cannot be said for Diagne. He didn’t offer much of a presence up top and made just 12 passes in the entire match. Though, most concerning of all was the Senegalese’s finishing ability.

Conor Townsend was rampant down the left-hand side but despite creating numerous chances for Albion’s striker, he didn’t tuck them away. Diagne’s movement was good but when the ball actually landed at his feet, he left Martin Dubravka with no reason to be fearful.

The winter signing fired a total of three attempts off target, costing Allardyce dearly in a game that meant so much to his team.

To make matters worse, he lost possession of the ball on 15 occasions. When you consider that he only touched it 33 times, it makes for pretty glum reading. Diagne was so poor that his tally of touches was actually fewer than goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

If West Brom want to stay in the division, they’ll need to find someone capable of scoring goals regularly sooner rather than later. Diagne doesn’t feel like the answer to their prayers.

AND in other news, “Might come back and haunt them” – Exclusive: Pundit raises doubts over “unfair” West Brom call…

Many fans of Crystal Palace have been reacting to a post on Twitter which relayed a report discussing the presence of an AC Milan scout at Selhurst Park last weekend.

According to the report by Sempre Milan, a source has revealed that the Rossoneri sent a scout to watch the Eagles’ 1-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, with all three of Wilfried Zaha, Patrick van Aanholt and Luka Milivojevic mentioned as potential subjects of the scout’s gaze.

Indeed, The Sun reported back in December that Milan were “chasing” Zaha in the January transfer window, as the Serie A side reportedly believe that the 28-year-old would be a “great addition” to their squad, while Van Aanholt’s contract at Palace expires at the end of the season.

After Palace Xtra relayed the report on Twitter, many fans of the Eagles flocked to have their say on the matter, with plenty – rather surprisingly – appearing delighted at the prospect of Zaha joining Milan this summer, feeling he would have earned such a move given his vast contribution at Selhurst Park.

So, what exactly did these Crystal Palace fans have to say in reaction to the report?

“Would be a great move for him. Deserves it. So happy if he didn’t go to another English club.”

@collind6

“Zaha to Milanoooo.”

@CPFC_GH

“OMG WZ11 at Milan.”

@CiaranCPFC

“Zaha to Milan OMG I beg.”

@PalaceMattt

“Milan is the perfect move. If he’s going to go I’d love it to be there.”

@Sumo08112

“Milan have good money to stump up. We’d never have to play against him. He’d finally (maybe) win his trophies. Good move all around”

@cpfc_WH

“If Wilf leaves I’d love to see him at Milan.”

@SigmondCPFC

“If Zaha joins Milan I will do literally anything to watch him play at the San Siro in person.”

@JoshuaCPFC

In other news: A Palace star has been linked with a move elsewhere in the Premier League, find out more here!

Many Arsenal fans have been left slamming the first half display of Eddie Nketiah during their FA Cup tie away at Southampton.

While Gabriel looked very shaky to say the least in the opening minutes of the game, with a quite unfortunate own goal to top it off, it was the first half performance of the 21-year-old that flattered to deceive several members of the Emirates Stadium faithful.

He was left pretty anonymous for large periods of the first half, with fans perhaps wondering whether Alexandre Lacazette would need to be brought on off of the bench to be a bigger threat for Mikel Arteta’s team going forward, given that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been left out of the squad altogether for personal reasons.

Arsenal fan reaction to Nketiah display

These Gooners slammed his first half performance on Twitter, with one AFC fan even going as far as to describe him as ‘useless’ while another claimed that the English striker ‘needs to do more’:

“Watching Eddie Nketiah play football should be a crime”

Credit: @zohino3

“Nketiah is useless”

Credit: @victorcoimbra

“Nketiah gets knocked off balance very easily at this level. Quite often he’s first to the ball but he can’t retain.”

Credit: @galway89

“I’m actually done with Nketiah, he’s actually not good”

Credit: @Forbesy15

“20 mins in and I just remembered Nketiah is on the pitch. He needs to do more to get involved and link up the play.”

Credit: @SDGoonerCap

“Nketiah never drops back and gets involved. Disappearing act once again”

Credit: @gunnerbeeks

In other news, find out which Premier League star has been linked with a move to Arsenal here!

David Moyes should urge West Ham United to trigger their clause to sign Craig Dawson permanently, regardless of the Watford defender meeting the number of games needed to make the deal obligatory.

What’s the word?

According to Claret & Hugh, the Irons hierarchy are 99 per cent certain that Dawson will remain at the London Stadium beyond the end of his season-long loan.

Dawson moved to east London following the Hornets’ relegation to the Championship, after West Ham’s efforts to land Burnley centre-back James Tarkowski and a number of other targets fell through.

The Hammers’ agreement with Watford has always been said to feature a £2m option to purchase the 30-year-old at the end of the season, though is now thought to also feature an obligation based on a set number of appearances.

Both West Ham and Watford are understood to be keeping the exact number close to their chests, but claims coming out of the London Stadium suggest that a deal will go through either way.

Fellow Irons insider ExWHUemployee has also shared that West Ham’s deal for Dawson features an obligation to buy dependent on games played, and that the claret and blue outfit believe Dawson will remain under Moyes’ wing next term.

Dawson had to wait until December to make his West Ham debut when fielded away to Southampton, but is yet to miss a beat in the Premier League since with 10 starts and 900 minutes of top-flight action to his name this season.

The Rochdale-born enforcer also opened two of the Hammers’ three FA Cup ties, scoring the winning goal away to Stockport County in the third round for his first of three West Ham goals across all competitions to date.

Should West Ham retain Dawson?

While the exact number of appearances needed for West Ham’s option to purchase Dawson to become obligatory remains to be seen, what is no longer in doubt is the defender’s importance to Moyes and the Irons’ push for a European qualifying berth.

He certainly had to bide his time on the bench and even out in the cold, having not featured in a matchday squad until Premier League game-week 12, but Dawson is firmly one of the first names on the teamsheet now.

A £2m fee will also prove a bargain for a player who is offering as much as Dawson with the Watford loanee a vocal presence at the back every week, which proved a welcome boost for Issa Diop when the Frenchman deputised for the injured Angelo Ogbonna against Sheffield United earlier this month.

Dawson guided Diop through the game while Liverpool’s alleged January target earned only his second top-flight start since September, and it allowed the pair to form a formidable wall that stayed mostly intact during Sunday’s London derby win over Tottenham Hotspur as well.

Moyes always considered Dawson to be a “fantastic” and experienced defender, who was also singled out for praise by Arsenal icon Martin Keown recently.

“I think Dawson is a great bit of business. Tarkowski was meant to be coming in for £35m and Moyes has said: ‘No, I don’t pay that sort of money’. He came in as fourth-choice and now he’s key,” Keown told talkSPORT.

It will surely take a startling turn of events for West Ham to now pass up on the chance to sign Dawson permanently, especially at such a low fee, even if their option only ever stays an option to buy.

AND in other news, West Ham may rival a top-six Premier League side for a 16-y/o whizkid this summer…

Manchester City secured their place in a fourth successive Carabao Cup final after beating rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening.

Pep Guardiola’s side will face Tottenham Hotspur in the final in April after second-half goals from John Stones and Fernandinho proved enough to defeat Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

Whilst those two may steal the headlines for their performances, it was perhaps Ruben Dias who impressed most for the Citizens.

As per SofaScore, the Portuguese international picked up an 8.1 rating for his display, with only Stones rated higher of any player on the pitch.

The 23-year-old has formed a superb partnership with Stones in City’s defence since his summer arrival from Benfica and has quickly established himself as a key part of Guardiola’s side.

During the game at Old Trafford, Dias would enjoy 107 touches of the ball, impressively completing 85 of the 92 passes he attempted in the 90 minutes.

Perhaps most impressively, the young centre-back would win all five of the duels he was involved in during the game, whilst also making six clearances, two interceptions and two tackles in what was an all-round dominant display.

He would also lose possession on just seven occasions, whilst five of his 10 attempted long balls would find a Manchester City shirt.

Despite the dangerous United attackers on display, Dias was not dribbled past once during the game and he also blocked two shots, helping Zack Steffen to an impressive clean sheet.

Manchester Evening News rated the former Benfica man an 8/10 for his performance, although they rated the goalscorers higher with both Stones and Fernandinho receiving a 9/10 rating for their displays.

He and Stones are certainly blossoming into a superb centre-back partnership and Guardiola will surely be confident for every game he can start the duo in going forward, although it would not be a surprise to see the youngster rested for City’s next game, which sees them take on Birmingham City in the FA Cup on Sunday.

And, in other news… Exclusive: Carlton Palmer tips Manchester City to sign £18m-rated MUFC target

Aston Villa remain interested in signing Galatasaray defender Christian Luyindama.

What’s the story?

Reports over the summer transfer window suggested that the DR Congo international was a player Dean Smith’s side were looking at, but a deal failed to materialise before the end of the deadline.

Now, Turkish publication Sampiy (via Sport Witness) claim that both Villa and fellow Premier League side Everton are closely interested in signing him, with the centre-back having just been put up for transfer for a fee of around €10m (£9m).

The report adds that Galatasaray are just waiting for an official offer to come in so that they can let him go and reinvest the money in their own side.

Lange’s second chance

Having missed out on his signing in the summer, Johan Lange has got the perfect chance to ensure Villa don’t miss out again by landing Luyindama this time around.

The 6 foot 3 titan has got plenty of experience of playing real top-level football over the years with Galatasaray, competing in both the Champions League and Europa League with the Turkish giants.

No categories

And with reports in recent weeks claiming that Bjorn Engels could be set for a return back to his native Belgium after really falling out of favour under Smith this season – he’s made no appearances for Villa whatsoever – a move for Luyindama would offset the loss of the 26-year-old.

If Lange is intent on strengthening Villa’s defence and ensuring Smith has got enough options at centre-back particularly after Engels’ potential departure, then Luyindama’s affordable price and experience makes him a shrewd signing.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa played an absolute blinder by selling this flop…

After ten matches, Tottenham Hotspur sit top of the Premier League table and whilst it is still early days, no one could have predicted the immense form Jose Mourinho’s side find themselves in.

And for the first time in what seems like an eternity, Spurs will go into the north London derby this weekend super-confident of picking up a victory.

They have more than shown that they can mix it with the elite this term, thrashing Manchester United 6-1, defeating Pep Guardiola’s City 2-0 and drawing 0-0 to a scary-looking Chelsea attack.

Although, despite the positivity around picking up a point at Stamford Bridge, there was a worrying sign of what could come in the near future.

Spurs were without arguably their best defender, Toby Alderweireld, after the Belgian suffered a muscle injury last week. It did not stop them from keeping a fourth clean sheet in five matches, but it may have exposed their biggest weakness.

After the match, Mourinho lambasted the 31-year-old’s usually defensive partner, Eric Dier. He told reporters, via Football.London: “Dier made more mistakes than him [Rodon], especially in ball possession.”

This certainly appears to be the case too as the England colossus lost possession 12 times, made just four of 12 long-balls (33%) and failed to record a single tackle, interception or block, as per SofaScore.

It is no surprise that Spurs’ defensive record improved the second that Aldweireld was utilised more. It took until the end of October for Mourinho’s men to claim their first clean sheet, in what was only the Belgian’s third start of the season.

Without Alderweireld alongside him, the €30m-rated (£27m) Dier has struggled, failing to record above a 6.9 rating when paired with Davinson Sanchez or Joe Rodon, via WhoScored.

Ex-Spurs legend Gary Mabbutt has called upon the 26-year-old to become “the general” in the absence of his teammate, though the signs aren’t really positive in the chances of that happening.

Another former Lilywhites man, Jermaine Jenas, waxed lyrical about Dier following the City triumph, calling him “sensational.”

In reality, this blow to Alderweireld could be a double sucker-punch as Dier is yet to truly standout with the long-serving giant next to him. Perhaps the £85k-per-week star has been masked by the man next to him, and that should have Mourinho worried tenfold.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Gary Mabbutt makes bold Spurs Premier League claim…

Carlo Ancelotti must unleash Mason Holgate against Chelsea on Saturday after Michael Ball suggested Everton are “afraid” of the Stamford Bridge natives’ offensive strength.

The Toffees welcome Frank Lampard’s title-chasing Blues to Goodison Park this weekend looking to end a torrid run of fixtures that features only one win in their last seven Premier League games.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are pushing Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool for the top spot in the division with just two points separating the three sides after the opening 11 games, with Lampard’s men unbeaten since matchday two.

Ball believes Lampard has got Chelsea playing in a way that can cause Everton a world of pain on Saturday night, as the south west London outfit’s pace in attack and midfield runners are two traits Ancelotti is yet to find a way to beat.

“With Chelsea, they’ve got pace and midfielders with runners. I think they’re the two things we’re afraid of,” former Toffees academy graduate noted in his column for the Liverpool Echo.

“Chelsea’s new signings have come in and hit form now, so we’ll probably be a bit more cautious and not leave space in behind. Michael Keane and Yerry Mina aren’t the quickest.

“A back four, generally, should suit us more – but I understand why we switched to a three. Ben Godfrey came here and obviously didn’t want to sit on the bench, he’s forced his way into the starting line-up, and he needs game time to try and build his partnerships up.”

But with an ankle injury forcing Lucas Digne to undergo surgery and face a potential three months out of action, plus Fabian Delph limping off with a hamstring injury at Burnley on Saturday, Godfrey is now expected to move to left-back when Everton host Chelsea.

Ancelotti doing so could see Everton move back to a four-man defence like Ball believes is best, having favoured that at Turf Moor following Delph’s exit. Yet the Italian tactician should rather unleash Holgate to inject pace into the line alongside Keane and Mina.

Holgate has appeared to lose some of Ancelotti’s backing, despite the former Chelsea head coach lauding the “fighter” as a “complete defender” capable of becoming one of the best in his position earlier in the year, as the 24-year-old has only featured twice since recovering from a pre-season toe injury.

He was also benched for the trips to Fulham and Burnley after featuring against Manchester United and Leeds, as Ancelotti continued to step back and forth on who his favoured centre-half options are.

However Holgate is Everton’s only centre-half option capable of adding pace in front of Jordan Pickford’s goal if Godfrey is moved to left-back, otherwise Ancelotti risks seeing Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Mason Mount and co. run Keane and Mina ragged at the weekend.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands can land Everton’s new Idrissa Gueye in a £22.8m leader the Toffees’ are monitoring.

Leeds United’s striker problems seem to be solved with Patrick Bamford finally finding his shooting boots after two years of being one of the country’s most wasteful strikers.

Indeed, Bamford underperformed his xG by over 18 goals last term, but this season he has been banging them in on a regular basis.

However, that may not be the end of Marcelo Bielsa’s striker selection headache as Ryan Edmondson is looking set to stake his claim while out on loan at Aberdeen.

Leeds fans should be familiar with how good Edmondson is, he netted 20 goals for the U23s outfit during the 2018/19 season despite being 17 years old for the majority of that campaign.

He was spoken very highly of from a young age, with current Leeds U23s manager giving him a rave review back when he was playing for the U18s.

“I’m pleased for Ryan. He scored his first goals for the club two weeks ago and it had been a bit of a burden off his shoulders after scoring two against Birmingham,” Mark Jackson said.

“His work rate is fantastic and you can see what it means to him when he scores a goal, we’re obviously delighted for him, although he has cost me another match ball.”

The 19-year-old has two goals and two assists in just 244 minutes of action in the SPFL this term, and if he keeps that up he will be an intriguing option for Bielsa to consider next season.

It’s easy to write off the Scottish Premiership as being a poor league where scoring goals doesn’t really mean that much, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that one of Leeds’ best strikers ever came from north of the border.

Indeed, United took a punt on a Celtic striker by the name of Mark Viduka back in 2000, and they didn’t live to regret it.

The Australian would hit double figures in each of the four Premier League seasons he spent at Elland Road, hitting a high of 20 in the 2002/03 campaign.

Edmondson may be the next Leeds hero to follow that same path by ripping it up in Scotland before coming to Elland Road and continuing that fine form.

The teenager is very much in the same mould as Viduka as well with LeedsLive describing him as tall, strong and powerful, three words that are synonymous with Viduka’s style of play.