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Sheffield Wednesday are potentially less than nine games away from knowing their fate.

But recently-appointed Owls boss Darren Moore has an even tougher task ahead of him this summer, irrespective of which division the south Yorkshire fallen giants find themselves in.

No fewer than 12 players are out of contract at the end of the season, which is the vast majority of the current team, meaning there’s a likely rebuild ahead for the 46-year-old coach.

One of those names is Kadeem Harris – someone who has played a key role in this campaign. Letting him run down his deal is not only a dangerous game to play but is also going to make Moore’s job much harder.

Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri is on the verge of making another contract mistake here – the likes of George Hirst and Liam Shaw spring to mind, albeit they were much younger prospects with huge potential.

Harris has been a frequent presence in the starting XI under Garry Monk, Tony Pulis, Neil Thompson and now Moore, having started 27 league games – only three other players have managed more this term.

The 27-year-old winger has been a major source of creativity too, recording three assists – one fewer than Owls playmaker Barry Bannan.

Again, it is only the skipper (1.6) who is managing more key passes per game than Harris (0.8) and as their set-piece taker, it’s easy to see why he’s putting in more crosses (1.1) than the former Cardiff ace (0.7) too, as per WhoScored.

What this does suggest, however, is that Harris is an integral player on the flank and without him, the Owls would certainly suffer from a lack of service.

Pulis once claimed that he was their only danger man during a drab 0-0 draw with Stoke City, he said (via The Star): “He’s taken us down the pitch, he’s been a threat, and he was probably the one threat that Michael (O’Neill) will have been worried about during the game.”

The £1.35m-rated dynamo won’t be short of suitors either, as according to YorkshireLive, Championship rivals Middlesbrough are huge admirers, whilst the likes of Reading, Watford and Stoke are said to be interested ahead of the summer.

Boro boss Neil Warnock has had him before, and despite being the man to let him depart for Hillsborough, still waxed lyrical over his ability.

“He’s given them directness, pace and power,” said the veteran. “He’s got every attribute. I can’t praise him highly enough. We had a chat last year, around Christmas time, and he trained like a Trojan. We have been blessed with good wide players and he just couldn’t get a long run.

He must be doing something right, in what has been a diabolical season for Wednesday.

Letting the £10k-per-week wide man leave for nothing would be a disaster, and that ultimately falls at the feet of Chansiri, who appears to be making yet another catastrophic blunder here.

AND in other news, Owls must axe Luhukay dud this summer, Bannan once dubbed him “perfect”…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer has knocked back the idea of Manchester United selling Paul Pogba.

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Juventus are dreaming of bringing their former player back to Turin.

Pogba played for the Italian giants between 2012 and 2016 before returning to Manchester United and was an instrumental figure for the club.

The Frenchman made just under 180 appearances during his time there and recorded some very good numbers when it comes to goals and assists, making it no surprise that Juventus are keen on a reunion.

Palmer, though, is adamant that Manchester United will not sell their World Cup-winning midfielder.

Discussing Juventus’ reported interest in Pogba, the ex-Sheffield Wednesday player told FFC:

“United won’t sell him. While [Ole Gunnar] Solskjaer is manager of the football club, they won’t sell him, they won’t sell him. He’s a phenomenal talent and, listen, they fell off challenging for the league when Pogba picked up that thigh injury.

“You know, everybody can say whatever they want to say about Pogba. [Graeme] Souness has been a top, top manager, a top, top midfield player and everybody’s entitled to their opinion. I just think he brings something different to the table.”

Palmer finished off by saying:

“I don’t believe that there’s any way, in any shape or form, that Man United or Ole will sell Paul Pogba.”

As well as Juventus, Real Madrid are another club who have been linked with Pogba, and the 28-year-old has not hidden his desire to play for the current La Liga champions.

Some Liverpool fans have been talking up the idea of the Reds signing midfielder Florian Neuhaus, following a key update from Bundesliga journalist Christian Falk.

The Reds may appear to be well-stocked in midfield areas at the moment, but that could quickly change in the coming months.

Gini Wijnaldum looks increasingly likely to join Barcelona in the summer, following five seasons at Anfield, while speculation continues to surround Naby Keita’s future, too.

[freshpress-quiz id=“350790”]

Not only that, but Jordan Henderson, Thiago and James Milner are now all in their 30s, so fresh blood in the middle of the park could be required.

Speaking on his podcast [via Anfield Central], journalist Falk confirmed that Neuhaus is keen on a summer move to Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp potentially interested in snapping him up.

These Reds supporters took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on a move for the 24-year-old, who has scored and assisted five goals apiece in the Bundesliga this season.

Liverpool fans love Neuhaus rumours

“Hope we sign him. He’s a great player”

Credit: @Bennet24_LFC

“Make it happen, LFC”

Credit: @ValonIsmajli10

“Let’s go”

Credit: @Pharooq_Alee

“€40m for someone like Neuhaus is a bargain”

Credit: @LFCTanmay

“BRING HIM INNNNN”

Credit: @TheOrigin_96

“Get this beautiful man in ASAP”

Credit: @JeppoDJ9

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been left fuming after a rumour involving two players emerged. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has called for the support of the club’s hierarchy to help reunite the Spurs dressing room.

Following a humiliating 3-0 defeat against Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League last Thursday, Tottenham quickly returned to winning ways at the weekend, seeing off Aston Villa 2-0 on Sunday evening.

However, speaking to Sky Sports (via Evening Standard) after the victory, the 58-year-old discussed the current state of his dressing room, something which club captain Hugo Lloris had suggested was divided in a candid post-match interview following the loss in Zagreb.

Regarding the atmosphere in his dressing room, Mourinho said: “Football nowadays is not easy in relation to that. The selfishness is around, the individual interests are around, the agents are around, the connections between agents and press are around.

“And instead of developing a feeling of a team, empathy, ‘I do for you, you do for me’, ‘I win if I play 90 minutes, I win if I am in the stands’. This is something that you need time to develop in a group. I want to be proud of my players, it does not matter the result. I was not proud last Thursday or at the Emirates.

“For me, more than thinking about what position we are going to finish, whether we are going to win the [Carabao Cup] Final, is to try to develop this spirit that we need. But I cannot do it alone. I have to do it with my club. I have to do it with my players in the dressing room.”

Transfer Tavern Take

Considering just how much Mourinho has blamed the players at his disposal for Tottenham’s poor results so far this season, questioning their attitude, their self-confidence as well as simply throwing them under the bus on a number of occasions, it is not overly surprising to learn that the dressing room is divided.

Yes, the Spurs players may not be fulfilling their potential this season, but the dressing room atmosphere is very much part of the manager’s remit.

As such, if players are indeed doubting their abilities as footballers, their manager coming out and slating them to the press after every loss, as well as dubbing a number of them as selfish, is hardly going to inspire them to improve performances and should also raise questions with ENIC as to whether Mourinho is the man they should be awarding with more time at the club.

In other news: Tottenham have identified a potentially ‘perfect’ heir to Mourinho – find out more here!

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes that manager Marcelo Bielsa must be backed by Victor Orta and the club’s board to turn the Whites into a “force.”

Robinson reacts

The Argentinian tactician has done a remarkable job at Elland Road, guiding the club back to the Premier League for the first time since 2004.

On top of this, Bielsa has guided his team to 10th place in the standings, winning 11 games and scoring 43 goals from 25 games.

Leeds invested heavily into the first-team squad having signed the likes of Rodrigo, Diego Llorente, Raphinja, Helder Costa and Robin Koch – spending a total of £104.63m (via Transfermarkt) last summer.

Speaking to MOT Leeds News, Robinson believes that Bielsa has to be backed by the Leeds board once again to take the team to the next level.

“There’s a real rapport with Bielsa and Leeds United, it seems like he’s finally found somewhere where he’s really enjoying working and that he’s got a real tie to. He’s having to spend a lot of time away from his family but he’s a workaholic and it’s something that he seems to have a real passion for.

“He’s found a home at Leeds and I think the feeling’s mutual. He only ever signs 12-month contracts and that always gives him the option to leave but he’s talking about players for next season and he’s already planning a new assault on the Premier League.

“He can see what he’s got already and with new investment for the team, if he gets a decent budget then he can really turn Leeds into a force next season.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

It is great to see the ambition that Leeds are showing to get back to the glory days, but Robinson is spot on – the club cannot afford to rest on their laurels.

If they can finish inside the top 10 this season, there is no reason why they can’t aim for the European places during the 2021/22 campaign.

While this year has provided a solid foundation – 2022 could be a huge year for Leeds United.

In other news, Phil Hay goes into detail on Leeds United’s summer transfer plans.

Sunderland head into their EFL Trophy Final with Tranmere Rovers on Sunday full of confidence.

The Mackems are now fourth in the league and have won seven of their last eight outings, so this weekend should prove to be a nice little distraction.

That being said, Lee Johnson’s team have been handed some cruel injury news. The manager revealed during his Friday press conference that Bailey Wright would not be fit to take to the field at Wembley this weekend.

The boss provided an update on the fitness of Aiden O’Brien, who was taken off after an hour against Portsmouth last Tuesday, saying: “We’ll have a look at Aiden. We’ll try and leave it as long as possible.”

However, most devastating was news of Jordan Jones. Johnson added: “We’re not sure about Jordan – he’s a bit like Aiden. We’ll give him a fitness test, but he is probably less likely to be available.”

This is nothing short of a colossal injury blow. The Mackems have been able to deal without Wright with Luke O’Nien and Dion Sanderson at the back, as they have kept five clean sheets in their last six outings.

Though, Jones has just started to thrive in a Sunderland shirt. The Rangers loanee was initially given brief cameo appearances from the bench after arriving in January but he’s been nothing short of exceptional in recent games.

Jones has contributed to five goals in his last six outings, particularly impressing in his last two starts against Rochdale and Portsmouth. He supplied a delicious ball for Charlie Wyke’s goal against Dale before scoring when they travelled to Pompey in midweek.

He was a player who had the potential to be crucial in London this weekend, so missing him could be a massive blow to their ambitions.

Johnson has already been left to tear his hair out over numerous injury blows this season. This issue could just be his most disappointing one yet.

AND in other news, Dreyfus may be on the verge of repeating one of Donald’s biggest SAFC mistakes already… 

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…

Carlo Ancelotti should overlook a potential recall for James Rodriguez against Manchester United on Saturday as the midfielder could hold Everton back at Old Trafford.

Rodriguez fell to the bench following a 2-0 defeat at home to Newcastle United last weekend and played no part as the Toffees beat Leeds United 2-1 on Wednesday night.

It was the first occasion since the 29-year-old joined Everton from Real Madrid last summer that he failed to feature in a Premier League game outside of an injury, having started 13 of his 14 top-flight outings in royal blue.

Everton beat Leeds through goals from midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson and top-scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin, having dominated for large periods of the first half before digging in deep to see out the result after Raphinha pulled one back for the Whites early in the second period.

Sigurdsson was particularly effective during the first 45 minutes with his link-up play with Calvert-Lewin, Alex Iwobi and Richarlison impressive, while his drive into the box returned a gift to break the deadlock with the easiest of finishes.

Yet even after a somewhat slack showing in the second half from the Iceland international, Rodriguez watched on as Michael Keane, Joshua King and Tom Davies were introduced from the bench.

Everton ended the midweek affair with 10 shots registered from seven key passes, of which Abdoulaye Doucoure offered the most from the deep-lying box-to-box midfield role with two. Sigurdsson, Iwobi, Andre Gomes plus defenders Lucas Digne and Ben Godfrey provided the rest, per WhoScored.

Rodriguez may be considered for an immediate recall to inject an added level of creativity into the Everton starting line-up against Manchester United on Saturday, with no member of Ancelotti’s squad offering more key passes than the Colombian (28) in the Premier League this term.

Yet calling on the 29-year-old could see Ancelotti actually hold Everton back at Old Trafford, as Rodriguez endured one of his worst performances in royal blue when the two sides met back in November and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side emerged 3-1 victors at Goodison Park.

Only against Newcastle on January 30 and against West Ham United on New Year’s Day has he achieved a lower WhoScored match rating in a Premier League fixture than he did against the Red Devils, having earned a 6.31 compared to the 5.96 achieved against both the Toon and Irons.

The £31.5m-rated maestro further achieved his fourth-worst pass success rating (79.5%) and played his sixth-least passes (44) in a single game against Manchester United, while failing to attempt a single shot or key pass for one of only three occasions in each regard.

Ancelotti would not be able to guarantee Rodriguez avoiding a repeat performance this weekend, as Everton are facing a Red Devils side brimming with confidence after a 9-0 demolition of Southampton and are firing on all cylinders.

The Toffees will need to be alert defensively and have no passengers on board, and Rodriguez’s performance in the reverse fixture make for underwhelming reading. And, given that Ancelotti’s men picked up the win last time out, there is surely no reason for the Everton boss to make such a gamble in a big game.

AND in other news, a £65k-p/w Everton titan faces a fight at Everton after Carlo Ancelotti was left “really surprised” vs Leeds…

According to Calcio Mercato, Aston Villa have made an offer to Matias Vecino ahead of a potential move in the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Dean Smith recently delivered an update on the club’s potential transfer plans next week, saying: “We are looking at it in general in terms of whether there is anything we need to do. We are certainly not desperate in terms of players we need to bring in or go out. We have our finger on the pulse but I don’t envisage us doing an awful lot, to be honest.”

And now, Calcio Mercato claim that Inter midfielder Vecino appears to be in their sights, and that despite him currently recovering from injury, his days at the Serie A giants are numbered.

Lange can find a huge Nakamba upgrade

With Douglas Luiz and John McGinn holding down the fort in central midfield, the likes of Marvelous Nakamba hasn’t had much of a look-in this season.

The 26-year-old has played just four times in the Premier League, and even that has only totaled a measly 103 minutes of football. In Vecino however, Smith could find a huge upgrade on the Zimbabwe international, and someone who could legitimately stake a claim to breaking up his favoured central midfield duo.

A profile from ESPN said: “Part of Vecino’s charm is the fact that he tends to bring a little bit of everything to the table — something modern midfielders are increasingly asked to do. He can pass well, he can tackle, and is both physical and graceful: the former Empoli man has, in short, the toolkit needed to shine not just in Italy, but (hopefully) also among Europe’s elite.”

With his years of experience playing in Serie A and for a top side like Inter, who have of course been competing in European football’s elite competitions, Vecino could bring some real quality and know-how to this Villa side. Johan Lange’s capture of the Uruguay international would prove to be another major blow to Nakamba’s chances of featuring under Smith.

Dele Alli’s future at Tottenham Hotspur is rather dubious.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino will step up his efforts to sign the 24-year-old for new club Paris Saint-Germain this transfer window.

It’s claimed that the out-of-favour midfielder is Pochettino’s no.1 target whilst Alli himself is keen for regular game time, though the north Londoners are reluctant to let him depart.

Spurs still remain in all cup competitions and aren’t too far behind in the title race, so will need squad depth over what will be a hectic few months of fixtures.

Though, ahead of the transfer window, the Premier League side were linked with a potential replacement for Alli in the form of on-loan Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie.

Calciomercato believe the American powerhouse is a ‘solution’ for Jose Mourinho, but one major stumbling block remains as the Serie A outfit can pull the trigger on his loan spell from Schalke 04 for just €18.5m (£16.5m) plus bonuses, which would take the overall transaction to €25m (£22.5m) with the loan fee included.

This shouldn’t deter Spurs though, they must keep an eye on the situation going forward as yes, they could replace Alli if he were to become available, but in doing so, they may well unearth another Mousa Dembele type.

It’s well-known that Mourinho wants a dynamic box-to-box maestro this month, as revealed by the Sunday Times’ Duncan Castles. And that’s where McKennie fits like a glove.

The 22-year-old is adept at playing anywhere through the middle – Bundesliga.com once compared him to Arturo Vidal, claiming the all-rounder “can deliver the goods as a No. 6, 8, or 10.”

Whilst former Huddersfield and Schalke boss David Wagner’s glowing endorsement of the 6 foot 1 enforcer is also hugely encouraging, he 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. He can be one of the best midfielders in the Bundesliga.”

Indeed, McKennie has proven to be a rare breed of midfielder, one that can influence the game at either end of the pitch – defensively, he’s averaged 1.4 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per game, which are two key attributes tied to an anchorman heralding the backline, whilst in attack, he has averaged 0.9 shots and 0.9 key passes per game this term, via WhoScored.

It means he is getting far enough forward to create chances for his strikers as well as having a pop himself.

Across 19 appearances, McKennie has contributed towards five goals, which is a great return considering Spurs duo Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso have only hit that number between them in the Premier League when playing a very similar role.

A lack of a true no.10 in Mourinho’s formation is another reason to why Alli is pretty much void of a place right now, and having played just 74 minutes in the top-flight all season, it would be wise to move him on.

Throughout Dembele’s career, he has averaged 2.1 tackles, one interception, 1.1 key passes and 0.8 shots per game, via WhoScored, so you can see why one might draw an instant comparison between McKennie and the former Spurs man.

Given the Juventus loanee is only 22, he has plenty of time to elevate himself onto such a level, which could well be achieved at Spurs.

If Mourinho is worried about letting Alli go, then he should try and tempt McKennie into a switch to north London. Evidently, he’d be a good candidate in the exact role he’s looking for.

AND in other news, Levy can repeat Reguilon masterstroke with a swoop for “phenomenal talent”…