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According to Calciomercato, Crystal Palace are ‘following’ Wolfsburg striker Wout Weghorst.

The three-cap Netherlands international has enjoyed an impressive campaign so far, scoring eight goals in all competitions including five goals in 10 Bundesliga games – Weghorst averages a league goal every two games, and with two assists to his name as well, is involved in a goal every 1.43 games in the Bundesliga in 2019/20.

Weghorst, 27, has scored 117 goals in 284 career appearances, while also being likened to Edin Dzeko by the Bundesliga’s official website – due to his ‘hulky’ 6 foot 6 frame and decent ability with his feet.

Roy Hodgson’s side could do with a prolific goalscorer, as the south Londoners have netted just ten goals in 11 Premier League games so far this season.

Their top scorer is Jordan Ayew with four goals, although behind him, the next highest-scoring Palace players are Luka Milivojevic and Patrick van Aanholt with two goals apiece – both of Milivojevic’s strikes have been penalties, however.

So, would Weghorst be a good signing for the Eagles?

Billy Meyers

“This is a tough one. As good as Weghorst’s track record has been this season, as well as throughout his career as a whole, I just don’t think the Dutchman is what Palace need right now. Club chairman Steve Parish and Sporting Director Dougie Freedman are keen to bring players in who are in their early 20s, as they plan to build for the future, so signing a 27-year-old would be fairly contradictory to their vision – only four players in the Eagles’ squad are under the age of 28. It’s nothing personal against Weghorst, who seems like he certainly knows where the goal is, although he isn’t what the south Londoners need right now in all honesty.”

Charles Jones

“Any player who has contributed to 11 goals in 16 appearances has to be worth scouting. Of course, there is much more to being a striker these days than just putting the ball in the net, but if someone can score at a fantastic rate while also contributing to the rest of the play then they’re definitely worth looking at.

“Whether or not Palace should sign him is a different matter all together. Wolfsburg presumably won’t want to let him go cheaply after his good start to this season, and a striker standing at 197cm isn’t suited to them and the way they play at the moment, especially when you consider that the more diminutive Ayew is doing a fantastic job so far this season.“Are Palace right to be looking at him? Definitely. But does he have everything they’re looking for in a striker? I’m not so sure.”Danny Lewis“This move makes a lot of sense for Palace. While Ayew has led the line well this campaign, it is difficult to tell whether his form will continue, especially as he only scored one league goal last season. Even if he does keep going, Weghorst offers a brilliant alternative having done well in front of goal. “There is also the possibility for the pair to form a partnership up top for periods, as the Dutchman has used his 1.97m frame to win 3.1 aerial duels per game. He has the potential to be everything Christian Benteke was meant to be for Palace.”Vijievan Jeevathayalan“A towering beast standing at 6 foot 6, Weghorst is a man with a proven track record in front of goal. As per Transfermarkt, he has scored 114 times in 269 games in the centre-forward role in his career, and it is easy to see why Crystal Palace are keeping an eye on him – Hodgson’s side have mustered just ten goals in their opening 11 Premier League games and are desperate for some attacking firepower. “Whilst the Dutchman may not be the most recognisable name, he does come with a ringing endorsement. Former Wolfsburg marksman Grafite, drew a huge comparison between Weghorst and ex-Manchester City star Edin Dzeko, hailing both his technique and power. If Palace firm up their interest in the 27-year-old, they could be getting a centre-forward with bags of goals in his locker.”

A number of Leicester City fans have taken to social media to lavish praise on Jonny Evans.

The 31-year-old has not missed a single minute of Leicester’s 2019/20 Premier League campaign to date, playing the full 90 minutes in each of their 12 matches.

In all, the Northern Ireland international has featured on 43 occasions for the Foxes since arriving at the club from West Bromwich Albion in 2018.

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According to WhoScored, Evans has a pass success rate of 87% in the Premier League this term, whilst he has played a key role in helping Leicester concede just eight times, which is the best defensive record in the top flight ahead of Sheffield United.

And when considering that the Foxes paid just £3.5m for his services, Evans has to go down as one of the biggest bargains in recent memory.

A number of Leicester fans have taken to social media to lavish praise on the former Manchester United defender, a selection of which can be seen below:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Although former Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce’s time in B6 ended in somewhat acrimonious circumstances – with a cabbage being thrown at the 58-year-old prior to his sacking – the current Newcastle boss has been reflecting on his time with the West Midlands outfit.

What did he say?

Speaking ahead of the clash between his current and former employers, Bruce (via Birmingham Live) said:

“I feel I should have got longer. The team that got up is the team we practically put together. New owners came in, it’s a different ball game now. Without them Villa would be in a real dark place.”

Did Bruce deserve more time at Villa?

Having spent just under two years with at the club whilst managing over 90 league games, Bruce’s achievement in taking Villa to the play-off final – despite defeat to Fulham – was an impressive feat.

Villa lost to a better side at Wembley in 2018 – with Slaviša Jokanović’s men displaying considerably more consistency over the course of the season to clinch five more points – but the decline that proceeded meant that Bruce’s sacking was more than justified from the club’s hierarchy. At the time, Villa were 13th and had managed to win only three of 11 Championship games. 

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And while he claims the promotion team was the one he forged, Villa’s rise to the top six was built upon a vastly improved defence which hinged on the January arrivals of Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause on loan – both being so fundamental to promotion that they were signed permanently during the summer.

Villa finished the season with a run of five clean sheets in the final twelve games, while Smith also oversaw a run of ten consecutive victories; Bruce’s longest winning run that season was a mere two games.

Loads of Rangers fans have been responding to a question posed by The Daily Record, as they asked who is Scottish football’s best player over the last 25 years.

While players like Rangers icon Paul Gascoigne may feel hard done by to be left out, it seems the choice has been whittled down to two, with fans deciding between Henrik Larsson and Ibrox legend Brian Laudrup.

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Of course, the reactions online have adhered pretty strictly to club allegiances, with Light Blues fans all opting for their former hero while their arch-rivas argue for their Swedish star.

Laudrup spent four years in Glasgow, winning three league titles, one of each domestic cup and racking up a fantastic 33 league goals, per Soccerbase. He also had immense international success, winning the European Championship in 1992 and cruising into the team of the tournament.

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One supporter clearly felt it was no contest between Laudrup and Larsson as he stated it is like comparing Lionel Messi to Troy Deeney, while another simply said the mercurial Dane was “a true world class player”. You can check out some of the best reactions down below…

Several Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been discussing their former player Adel Taarabt after footage from his time at the club emerged on Twitter.

The Spurs Web posted a short clip of the Moroccan international showing him doing some brilliant skill, putting his foot on the ball before nutmegging an opposition player. The level of skill is highlighted by the reaction of his teammate Anthony Gardner, who turned away with his head in his hands, perhaps disbelieving what he had seen.

Despite having talent, Taarabt never made it at the north London club and in total he managed to make just 15 appearances overall whilst at White Hart Lane (Transfermarkt).

He did enjoy a good time at QPR where he scored 34 goals and provided 42 assists in 164 appearances, but his talent failed to shine through in spells with the likes of AC Milan, Genoa and Fulham. However, he is currently performing well for Benfica where he has played 40 games so far (Transfermarkt).

The 30-year-old has been labelled as a ‘maverick’ and his attitude has been questioned plenty of times during his career. After seeing the clip of Taarabt, many Tottenham fans were left reminiscing about him with quite a few saying that he wasted his talent and never fulfilled his potential, with one describing him as a ‘playground legend’.

Here is what some had to say…

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When looking at Everton’s mighty turnaround this season, it’s hard to focus on anyone else but Dominic Calvert-Lewin – the Toffee’s top scorer and also in the top ten highest scorers in the Premier League in 19/20.

But what about the others who have helped Carlo Ancelotti’s men claw their way out of the relegation zone?

Mason Holgate

It seems Ancelotti certainly is pleased with Holgate’s contribution this season after offering him a new five-year contract, however he has slipped under the radar a little with everyone else.

The 22-year-old averages 1.7 tackles and 3.3 clearances per game which is higher than Joe Gomez’s 0.9 tackles and 2.4 clearances.  Holgate also averages more tackles per 90 minutes than teammates Michael Keane (1.1) and Yerry Mina (1.5) as well as being dribbled past less times (0.4) than Lucas Digne (1).

It’s difficult to notice a solid defensive performance when more often than not it’s spoiled by the goalkeeper behind. However, Holgate has been a rock in Everton’s defence and operates very well under Ancelotti.

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Leighton Baines

Another defender with a lot to be appreciated for. Mr Everton himself might not have featured as much as the other defenders this season but he has had a positive impact whenever he has.

The Blues have lost just one game with Baines in the squad, a 3-2 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates in February. In his last five games, the 35-year-old made an impressive ten clearances and eight tackles, making up for the likes of Mina who on one occasion didn’t complete a single tackle, block or interception.

With a fairly young squad, Baines brings the seniority and experience that money can never buy.

He might not have featured much for Everton this campaign, but when he has he’s been beneficial to the team and deserves plaudits for how he holds a squad under transition together.

So with the current climate taking a hold on football, Arsenal are undoubtedly going to be one of the Premier League teams affected the most this summer.

There have already been suggestions that talisman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could be let go for a cut-price fee in order to bring some money in, and so a transfer window of big spending and marquee signings is going to be incredibly unlikely.

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With that being said however, Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo claim that the Gunners are very much interested in signing Velez starlet Thiago Almada, and that it is expected he will be signed by a European club before August 31.

After hearing about their links to the 19-year-old, Arsenal fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on their latest transfer target.

A couple of Arsenal fans drew comparisons with stars both past and present from the Gunners, including Alexis Sanchez and Nicolas Pepe.

At just 19, Almada would be the kind of signing that could really pay off for the north London side in the years to come.

He may not be the big-name that may excite Arsenal fans or help sell out season tickets, but he could be moulded into a bona-fide star by Mikel Arteta and co in north London.

It remains to be seen where he ends up this summer however.

Newcastle United’s takeover appears to be on the verge of completion, at long last – if former Sunday Mirror chief writer Paul Smith is to be believed.Earlier this afternoon, he tweeted that the deal was “very close” to being signed off by the Premier League following a forensic investigation into Saudi piracy allegations.Smith further states that no evidence had been found to support such a claim and thus Mike Ashley’s £300m sale of the northeast outfit cannot be blocked.

In a following tweet, the Mirror scribe goes on to explain why the process has taken a little longer than expected, believing it is to ensure that the top-flight big wigs have done a thorough enough job in investigating the consortium.

It means after a very long month or so, the group – 80% from Saudi Arabia’s public investment fund, 10% from Amanda Staveley and 10% from the Reuben brothers – will be able to begin a new era at St James’ Park in the very near future.

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The BBC put a price tag of £300m on the deal last month.

AND in other news,ÂNewcastle fans fume over “significant” takeover obstacle…

If there was ever a duo of recent years to sum up Everton Football Club, it would have to be Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman.

The official Everton Twitter account has posted a snap of the full-back duo during a training session at Finch Farm. Plenty of Blues have flocked to show their appreciation of the pair.

Between them, Baines and Coleman have contributed 24 years of service to the Merseyside outfit and have a combined goal tally of 72 (via Transfermarkt).

Coleman is currently contracted until 2022 but Baines could be leaving the club as a free agent this summer unless new terms are met. Everton have offered the 35-year-old a new one-year deal but a decision has yet to be made from the player himself.

One Blues supporter has tweeted saying: “It’s almost unforgivable that these two players won’t win a trophy”. As Everton have struggled over the last few years and have qualified for Europe just once in the last five seasons, it seems likely the pair will leave the club without any silverware.

Read through more replies from Everton fans here:

How would you describe Baines and Coleman over the years, Blues fans? Let us know in the comments below!

Many Crystal Palace fans are reacting to the news that one of their academy stars could be on his way out, as Jadan Raymond is in advanced talks with Championship side Leeds United.

There was past news surrounding the youth player, with recent reports from O Jogo suggesting that Portuguese side Vitória Guimarães have agreed a a three-year contract with the central midfielder.

However the latest news from The Athletic is that Raymond is in advanced talks with Leeds United after rejecting a professional contract at Selhurst Park.

Palace have had many great players come from their academy, like Premier League winner Victor Moses and Nathaniel Clyne, as well as current club hero Wilfried Zaha.

Many fans of the South London side are not happy with the news, as even though the player is only 16, they feel like they are losing a possible future star. His contract expires on June 30th at the club, and discussions have been ongoing, but The Athletic have reported that he informed Palace of his intensions to leave in January.

Here is what fans said following the news:

Palace fans, what are your thoughts on this? Comment below!