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Crystal Palace are in advanced talks with Cheikhou Kouyate over a new Selhurst Park deal, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Kouyate under Vieira

Kouyate has been a regular during Patrick Vieira’s first season in charge of Palace, making 26 appearances in all competitions.

The 32-year-old has turned out as a centre-back, defensive midfielder and centre-midfielder, scoring his only goal of the campaign against Stoke City in the FA Cup.

The Senegal international is one of a number of Eagles players out of contract at the end of June, but it looks as if he is set to stay at the club beyond the summer.

The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider shared a story regarding Kouyate after being informed by a recruitment source.

They claim that Palace are in advanced talks with the player over a new deal, with Kouyate ready to put pen to paper on fresh terms.

The Verdict: Good news

Kouyate looks set to be Dougie Freedman’s first piece of summer business and has played his part in Vieira’s impressive first season in charge, so it makes sense to keep him around as Palace look to build on the platform that has been set.

His versatility will continue to be handy, especially with the likes of James Tomkins and Jaroslaw Jach potentially departing over the coming months.

That could leave Vieira with just three senior centre-backs, one of which being injury-prone Nathan Ferguson, so knowing Kouyate will stay and can fill in at the back when required is welcome news.

In other news: Patrick Vieira now wants to sign 25 y/o at top of his game after worrying reveal on Palace star. 

Ibrahima Konate will be left out of Liverpool’s starting lineup to face Manchester City this weekend, according to reliable journalist James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Konate impresses despite error

The Frenchman started alongside Virgil van Dijk at Benfica in midweek, as the Reds won 3-1 in their Champions League quarter-final first leg clash.

Konate may have made an error for Darwin Nunez’s goal, air-kicking an attempted clearance, but he produced a superb overall performance in Portugal, drawing praise from Alisson for his display.

The 22-year-old made two tackles and one interception on the night, as well as the small matter of opening the scoring with a well-taken header – his first-ever goal for Liverpool.

The Latest: Pearce makes key claim

Despite this, Pearce believes Joel Matip will come in for Konate for Sunday’s huge trip to City, taking to Twitter to provide his thoughts:

“Some big decisions for Klopp v City. Matip back in for Konate pretty clear.”

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The Verdict: Correct decision

While Konate undoubtedly impressed against Benfica, bringing Matip back in for him is still the right call, should Jurgen Klopp do that.

He possesses more experience in such big games and he has been the superior player this season, performing magnificently next to Van Dijk and averaging 3.9 aerial duel wins per game in the league.

It would be a big shock if Konate was now picked, given his rawness, and his pace isn’t needed as much against a City side who are more intricate than fast.

In other news, Pearce has also made an exciting Liverpool transfer claim. Read more here.

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Aston Villa are desperate to sign Newcastle United’s Isaac Hayden before the transfer deadline, according to the Birmingham Mail.

The club are reportedly hoping to sign three players before the end of the transfer window and have made Hayden their top priority.

What’s the word?

Hayden is keen to leave Newcastle this month, according to the Birmingham Mail.

They quote him as saying, at the weekend: “The clubs that are interested in me are waiting, and the clubs that I want to go to are waiting.

“It’s just a case of whether Newcastle say: ‘Yeah, you can go’. If they say that, I can go. That’s where it is really.”

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

Villa are keen to bring in a number of players, as per the Birmingham Mail, before Thursday’s deadline, but Hayden is their top target and contact has been made between the two parties.

Newcastle have so far refused to sell the defensive-minded midfielder but he could be allowed to leave if the Magpies are able to sign a replacement; they are closing in on signing Andreas Samaris, according to Sky Sports.

West Bromwich Albion are also said to be interested, but the Birmingham Mail claim that the Villans are at the front of the queue to secure his signature.

Shore up leaky defence

Villa have struggled to keep clean sheets this season.

They are currently four points adrift of sixth-placed Derby County in the play-offs.

However, they have conceded 46 goals thus far this season, with only Rotherham (48) and rock-bottom Ipswich Town (50) letting in more.

Hayden, though, would go a long way to remedying the issue.

He is a defensive-minded midfielder and he has the ability to get stuck in without picking up too many cards.

Bringing him in is a logical move and will help Villa fix one of their biggest problems: conceding goals.

Frank Lampard will ‘get at least the start of next season’ to impress if he manages to keep Everton in the Premier League, journalist Pete O’Rourke told Give Me Sport. 

The lowdown

Lampard took charge of Everton on the last day of January with The Toffees 16th in the table and four points above the drop zone.

Fast forward just over two months, and their situation hasn’t improved. In fact, they’re now one place and one point closer to the bottom three.

Lampard has overseen two victories and six defeats in his first eight matches in charge.

And according to insider Dean Jones, Everton possess a unilateral option to terminate the contract and part ways with Lampard at the end of the campaign.

The latest

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke said he expects Lampard to remain in the Goodison Park dugout into 2022/23 if they avoid relegation.

“I think if he manages to keep them up, I’m sure he’ll get at least the start of next season to see what impact it can have at Goodison Park,” he said.

The verdict

If Everton do go down, both parties will surely decide it’s best to move on. Indeed, Lampard was managing Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League as recently as the winter of 2020 and may not be particularly interested in taking on the Championship, while the club will feel let down by his lack of impact.

If they survive, though, he may feel that he can take Everton up the table with better luck on the injury front.

Yes, the performances have been poor, but the squad are dealing with a whopping ten absentees at this crucial stage of the campaign, though two of those are self-inflicted (suspensions for Allan and Michael Keane).

And Lampard might also be of the opinion that this simply isn’t his squad, and only when he gets a full transfer window can he truly implement his vision.

The early signs on that front aren’t particularly promising, however. Lampard reportedly sanctioned the January signing of Dele Alli from Tottenham Hotspur, but he’s yet to start a single game.

In other news, two of Everton’s January signings could leave in the summer.

Manchester United are predicted to make huge changes this summer, including the appointment of a new manager and now Fabrizio Romano has made a huge claim on the transfer plans at Old Trafford.

What’s the word?

According to popular transfer insider and journalist Romano, Manchester United are already making plans to sign their next striker, with Richarlison and Darwin Nunez named as two players the club are interested in.

The Italian took to his YouTube channel to make the claim:

“Erik ten Hag knows how important it is to decide who is the perfect striker for Manchester United as soon as possible.

“For example, Darwin Nunez, and Richarlison are already players they have discussed internally.

“The perfect striker will be discussed with ten Hag before jumping into negotiations. Man United will 100% sign a new striker regardless of what happens with Ronaldo.”

Supporters will be excited

Following the shocking 4-0 defeat at Anfield on Tuesday evening, supporters will surely be excited that the wheels are in motion to start making changes and improving the squad with Richarlison and Nunez named as potential candidates.

Richarlison is currently embroiled in a relegation battle at Everton, however, at just 24 years old could be a great signing for Man United to improve the quality in the front three.

The Brazilian striker usually plays on the left wing to accommodate his partnership with Dominic Calvert-Lewin who plays in the centre-forward role at Goodison Park but has proven he can also be effective in his team-mate’s role too following his absence this season through injury.

The Toffees attacker has scored 49 goals in 145 appearances for his current club, but with the right service and guidance could have the potential to become a much more consistent goal threat and would be a good prospect for replacing Marcus Rashford if he was to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season, as per reports.

Nunez is a hugely hot prospect for many Premier League clubs with Liverpool and Arsenal also speculated to be interested in securing his signature this summer following a fantastic season so far from the Benfica striker.

The 22-year-old has scored an impressive 33 goals in 38 appearances for his Portuguese club and has caught the eye of several clubs following his Champions League performances scoring six goals in the competition against Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Ajax.

With that being said, if ten Hag does join the club he will have a challenge on his hands to identify the right players to make an instant impact on the struggling Man United side to ensure next season they have the opportunity to compete for trophies, and signing a new strike force is clearly a promising priority.

AND in other news: Ten Hag must brutally axe “terrible” MUFC flop who made just 11 passes v LFC

A number of Liverpool supporters have reacted negatively to a claim that Roberto Firmino hasn’t decided if he will stay put at Anfield or not.

The Brazilian has been a wonderful servant for the Reds, joining from Hoffenheim in 2015 and becoming one of the poster boys of the Jurgen Klopp era.

Firmino has made 311 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 94 goals and registering 73 assists, proving to be the perfect foil for Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

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At 30, the striker is not getting any younger, however, and his current Reds deal expires in the summer of 2023, with little sign of a new contract being agreed.

According to journalist Florian Plettenberg on Twitter, Firmino will be the man to decide over whether or not he stays at Anfield, with talks taking place in the coming months.

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Liverpool fans react to Firmino claim

It suggests that a Liverpool exit isn’t out of the question and these fans reacted negatively to that possibility on Twitter.

“Never want to see Bobby leave, whatever his role in the squad becomes I hope he retires here”

Credit: @JoshuaKekana

“It will be a sad, sad day when Bobby moves on. He might not be quite what he was but the integral part he’s played can’t be overstated and his personality and selflessness has been invaluable to the culture and success of the side. One of my favourite ever #LFC players”

Credit: @reid1892

“I want Bobby to stay at Liverpool”

Credit: @JuniArga2

“Really hope we keep Bobby. Legend such a great player”

Credit: @MartinT_LFC75

“He’s a legend whatever decision he takes”

Credit: @supermanelfc

“HE CANNOT GO ANYWHERE”

Credit: @dantewillz

In other news, some Liverpool fans are excited after a transfer claim emerged. Read more here.

Aston Villa have become one of the more active clubs when it comes to being busy in the transfer market over the past few years.

The previous January window saw the Midlands club bring in five new players on permanent or loan deals as well as moving some other players out in the other direction.

However, one player that the Villans were not able to secure over the winter was Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma.

After being mentioned with a potential £50m move away from the south coast club, Bissouma remained at Brighton and continues to play for Graham Potter’s side.

Once the window had closed, Steven Gerrard revealed that Villa had a bid of £25m rejected for the Mali international.

Since arriving at Brighton back in the 2018 summer transfer window from Lille in a deal worth a reported fee of £15m, the midfielder has become a pivotal figure for the Seagulls.

With 120 appearances under his belt for the club across all competitions, the 25-year-old has chipped in with five goals and two assists.

To highlight how important he is for his side, no other Brighton midfielder has been able to match the combined total of tackles and interceptions (115) he’s been able to rack up in this Premier League.

Labelled as an “exceptional” player in the past by Gary Lineker, Bissouma also showed during Brighton’s recent 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur just what he’s capable of on the pitch.

During the 90 minutes, the former Lille ace made four interceptions, three tackles, won seven of the nine duels he was involved in and completed all three dribbles he attempted.

This shows just how talented he is on and off the ball against an Antonio Conte team that, not long before, had put four goals past Gerrard’s side at Villa Park.

This also led to Potter describing his player as being at “Champions League level” in terms of his performances on the pitch.

Moving forward, it would be sensible for the Villans and Johan Lange to not only reignite their interest in Bissouma but to not consider giving Brighton the money that they would want for him.

In other news: “Gerrard wants..“: Journo drops teasing transfer claim, AVFC supporters surely buzzing

Noel Whelan has given his reaction to some Everton injury news that has now emerged involving Yerry Mina.

The Lowdown: Stepping up recovery

As per medical expert Ben Dinnery, Mina will now step up his recovery from injury at Finch Farm this week, after last featuring for the Goodison Park faithful in early February.

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They are next due to play West Ham United away from home in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, and while Mina is unlikely to be ready by then, he will be desperate to return to the squad for the remaining games of the season, with Dinnery’s website tracking the middle of April as a likely return date.

The Latest: Whelan reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan, who has worked as a pundit for BBC Radio Leeds, has since reacted to the news, claiming that it is ‘huge’ for the Merseyside club:

“It’s huge.

“Yerry Mina has been a bit like Marmite in recent years, you either love him or you hate him.

“But what he does give you is that real defensive presence and Everton need that. We know he carries a real threat from set pieces as well.

“He’s so experienced and he’s been at the club for a very long time. When you’re down at the bottom of the table, you need options.

“With the poor form of Michael Keane, Frank Lampard has had nowhere to turn to in order to replace him. He will have that option again when Mina comes back.

“He’s a player who is going to be very important in the run-in. He’s inconsistent, but on his day he can really dominate a game.”

The Verdict: Lampard needs him

The Toffees have been shipping far too many goals of late, with no fewer than 11 conceded in total in their last four matches over all competitions, and so Frank Lampard needs Mina back in order to steady the backline.

Standing at a mammoth six-foot-five-inches tall, the Colombia international is certainly an imposing central defender, emphasised by him winning 2.6 of his aerial duels per game on average in the top flight, only bettered by Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Michael Keane for the Blues.

Four of their seven wins in the division have come when he is playing, suggesting that they are a better team with him in it, and so Lampard will no doubt want him back available as soon as possible.

In other news, find out which EFC player is now in talks over a new deal here!

As per French sources, who spoke to Get French Football News, there has been a big exit update out of Tottenham Hotspur with an agreement in principle now reached for the transfer of Tanguy Ndombele.

The Lowdown: Spurs in exit talks…

Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici is looking to offload certain members of Antonio Conte’s squad in what could be a major final week overhaul in north London, with some players very close to leaving.

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It is believed that winger Jack Clarke is on the verge of a transfer to Sunderland on loan and he is not the only player who may well depart N17 before deadline day.

The likes of Dele All, Matt Doherty and Ndombele have repeatedly been linked with a move away before January 31 as the Lilywhites enter crunch talks with Paris-Saint Germain over the latter star.

Tottenham’s club record signing has been training alone at Hotspur Way amid all the speculation surrounding his future with GFFN now sharing what could be a crucial development.

The Latest: Tottenham reach agreement in principle…

As per their information, the Lilywhites have reached an agreement in principle to offload the 25-year-old to PSG on loan with the option to make his stay permanent.

It is believed that Maurico Pochettino’s side will cover all of his wages and Ndombele has personally ‘green lit’ a switch to Ligue 1.

However, one obstacle remains in Spurs chairman Daniel Levy as they wait on his ‘final sign-off’ – with the Lilywhites chief apparently ‘still trying’ for an outright permanent deal.

The Verdict: Get it done…

As Tottenham approach the eleventh hour of this window, we believe Levy should settle for temporarily ridding Ndombele’s £200,000-per-week salary off the club’s books and then try for an indefinite exit in the summer.

Depending on the player’s performances under Pochettino, PSG could well opt to trigger the option to secure Tottenham’s club record signing on a permanent basis anyway.

As they attempt multiple new incomings before this window closes, the time to haggle is decreasing and sealing an Ndombele exit for squad room is simply a must.

In other news: Reliable reporter: Tottenham now preparing bid to sign ‘match-winner’ once valued at £100m, find out more here. 

Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw will miss Monday’s meeting with Crystal Palace and the five games that will follow due to a fresh knee problem.

The Lowdown: Forshaw’s season

Forshaw, who missed a whopping 71 games with a hip problem, made a long-awaited return to action last August against Crewe Alexandra.

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The Englishman has gone on to make 26 appearances in all competitions, 22 of which have come in the Premier League.

He missed his first game under new manager Jesse Marsch against Watford earlier this month, and he won’t be featuring again as the Whites look to avoid relegation.

The Latest: Six-week absence

Football Insider were the first to break the news regarding Forshaw after being informed by a source on Friday morning.

They described it as a ‘devastating blow’, with the 30-year-old in a leg brace after suffering a knock in training.

Jesse Marsch confirmed the injury at his pre-match press conference, revealing the midfielder has a fractured knee cap and will be sidelined for six weeks.

The Verdict: Never ending…

Marsch has already suffered three big injury blows since taking over from Marcelo Bielsa in Tyler Roberts, Junior Firpo and Patrick Bamford, so this update on Forshaw is another problem he’ll have to deal with.

The good news is that Kalvin Phillips will make his first start since December, while Mateusz Klich and Robin Koch look set to battle it out for a place next to the England international at Selhurst Park.

Another midfield setback would leave Marsch extremely short of options, but fingers crossed that won’t happen with the battle to avoid the drop getting tense.

In other news: Leeds on alert as Tottenham now willing to sell ‘flawless’ gem who Orta wants at Elland Road.