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Crystal Palace have had a pretty unremarkable season so far and while there have been some spectacular high points – see the 3-2 win over Manchester City and Andros Townsend’s thunderbolt volley – the Selhurst Park faithful can feel disappointed that they have been unable to break their season-after-season relegation battle, considering the quality they have in all areas of the pitch.

Roy Hodgson is sometimes guilty of choosing the wrong approach or making peculiar tactical decisions but he and his players deserve credit for the extraordinary turnaround during the 17/18 season, in which a number of players stepped up to the plate and proved their value.

This season, though, there have been few remarkable performers and arguably more who have declined. Who, then, are Palace’s most improved and far removed players?

Most improved: Jeffrey Schlupp

While Aaron Wan-Bissaka has certainly been the Eagles’ most impressive and consistent player this season, the 21-year-old has been that good since his debut in February last year, while Jeffrey Schlupp has come on leaps and bounds since last campaign.

The Ghanaian is taking the label of ‘utility man’ to a whole other level – deployed at left-back, left-midfield and, more importantly, central-midfield, the former Leicester man has been the surprise package of Palace’s season.

Tucked into a three, the 26-year-old has brought rare pace and a quality finishing touch to the Palace midfield, scoring five goals – a tally that brings him level with Wilfried Zaha.

Far removed: Patrick van Aanholt

Previously keeping Schlupp out of the lineup, van Aanholt was hugely impressive last season and struck up a dangerous partnership with Zaha on the left-flank, although this campaign he has looked less confident on the ball and his defensive shortcomings are being exposed far more often.

In the 17/18 season, the nine-cap Dutchman was a scoring threat for the Eagles, striking five times in 28 league appearances – however, he has netted just once in 26 appearances in 18/19.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

When he isn’t contributing going forward, the reasoning behind starting the 28-year-old is far less convincing considering his often poor positioning on the back foot can be a liability. He can undoubtedly bounce back from this disappointing six months, although he needs to get his act together sooner rather than later.

As per L’Equipe, via Sport Witness, Tottenham Hotspur, and by extension managing director Fabio Paratici, have been gifted a transfer boost involving Paris-Saint Germain striker Mauro Icardi.

The Lowdown: Spurs offered chance…

Last week, news had emerged concerning the Argentina international and both Spurs and manager Antonio Conte had been presented with a chance to sign Icardi in January.

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According to Foot Mercato, the player’s representatives have been working on trying to find him a new club with his chances at PSG limited, with Icardi’s agents offering him out to Tottenham among others.

This comes as Spurs search for a striking alternative to Harry Kane up front, with the most linked forward so far coming in the form of Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic.

The Latest: Paratici boost emerges…

As Spurs’ transfer chief Paratici sets his sights on January, he may well have been gifted a boost if he wishes to bring Icardi to north London after the offer from representatives.

L’Equipe (via SW) explain that PSG, while wishing to make back their €50 million (£42.6m) transfer costs for the striker, may well accept less for his services.

As such, they state that it would be a ‘surprise’ if the Ligue 1 giants don’t now accept a more reasonable offer.

The Verdict: Take advantage…

The 28-year-old would undoubtedly strengthen Conte’s forward line so this bit of news comes as a real potential transfer boost.

Icardi’s 121 goals and 31 assists in 219 Serie A appearance before his move to France is a real indicator of the player’s quality in front of goal and there is little doubting he could challenge Kane for a place going forward.

The £157,000-per-week star has even been lavished with praise by legendary Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini, who called him ‘world class’ and extremely tough to play against.

For a potential discounted price as PSG seek to offload, how can Paratici say no?

In other news: Conte wants player gone in January with final decision made, Spurs chiefs already told to sell…find out more here.

West Ham United were dealt a frustrating setback in their quest to qualify for the Champions League this season after they were held by relegation-battling Burnley at Turf Moor.

And it was yet another game in which Michail Antonio struggled in the final third.

The Clarets, who have won just once all season, largely matched the fourth-placed Irons and were resolute enough to not hand them many chances. That said, the 31-year-old put in another lacklustre display and that would’ve undoubtedly contributed to their futile attempts up top.

Across the 90 minutes he had on the pitch, Antonio failed to register a single shot on target, with both his efforts going wide. Even central defenders Issa Diop and James Tarkowski managed to hit the target.

His lack of influence for the visiting east Londoners was reflected by the fact that he recorded the fewest touches of any Hammers starter (34). One less than even goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski (35), as well as managing only ten accurate passes all game, too.

Elsewhere, the Jamaican international struggled to combat the physical threat on offer from the home side, losing possession a whopping 16 times, almost once every other touch of the ball, whilst he also won just 46% of his 15 battles, both on the ground and in the air, only further highlighting the way in which he was dominated by Sean Dyche’s towering backline.

‘Another Hammer who had a quiet game with the striker’s poor touch on a couple of occasions costing him the chance of a sight of goal,’ was how football.london reporter Tom Clark described Antonio’s performance after the match.

Indeed, that was the case and it has been that way for several games now. The former Nottingham Forest ace has scored just once in ten games and has now failed to surpass a 6.9 WhoScored rating in five of his last six matches.

His form has to be a major cause for concern to manager David Moyes and the club. He will certainly feel badly let down by his star man once again because if Antonio isn’t firing, West Ham often aren’t either.

The £70k-per-week forward must do better in the coming weeks, especially as he’s the only option in the role. He must do better.

AND in other news, Rob Newman can seal West Ham’s biggest signing since Payet in “complete” £24.3m-rated gem…

Celtic have made a move to bring Riley McGree to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Anthony Joseph, with the Sky Sports journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that Celtic have made an offer of an initial £2.5m for the Charlotte FC midfielder, with various add-on fees currently being finalised between the two clubs.

Joseph goes on to state that both Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough are also interested in a move for the 23-year-old, who has spent the last 14 months on loan at fellow Championship side Birmingham City.

However, Ange Postecoglou’s side are now believed to have reached an advanced stage in their discussions regarding the Australia international’s transfer this month.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “Celtic have made a move for Charlotte FC midfielder Riley McGree. Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough also expressed their interest. But talks with Celtic are understood to have reached an advanced stage on a deal worth an initial £2.5m, with various add-ons being finalised.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering how impressive McGree had been for Birmingham this season – before being recalled by Charlotte FC in December – the news that Celtic appear to be closing in on the signing of the central midfielder this month is sure to have left the Parkhead faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 13 Championship appearances in the current campaign, the £540k-rated man scored two goals, registered two assists and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.4 key passes and taking 1.8 shots per game.

The £5.7k-per-week midfielder also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making 1.3 interceptions, 1.2 tackles, 22 passes and winning 4.8 duels per fixture.

These returns saw the 23-year-old earn a rather remarkable average SofaScore match rating of 7.02, ranking him as Lee Bowyer’s sixth-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, it is clear for all to see that McGree would make an exceptional addition to Postecoglou’s current options in the middle of the park at Celtic, which is why the news that the Bhoys appear to be closing in on a £2.5m deal for the Australian is sure to have left everyone involved with the club extremely excited.

In other news: Ange could be set for grave Celtic error on “rock-solid” 21 y/o as Jan bids confirmed

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Marseille forward Bamba Dieng…

What’s the talk?

According to the Express, PIF are interested in a deal to sign the attacker for the Magpies and could land him on loan with an obligation to make it permanent in the summer.

The report claims that the Ligue 1 outfit are prepared to sell him for a fee in the region of £10-15m, with Newcastle, Brighton and West Ham are considering a swoop.

Howe’s own Drogba

Eddie Howe could find his own Didier Drogba by securing a deal to bring Dieng to St. James’ Park before the end of the month.

El-Hadji Diouf previously compared the forward to the Premier League and Chelsea icon whilst hailing his potential, saying:

“I knew him from the Senegal national youth teams. He’s a forward, a Didier Drogba [kind of player]. All he knows how to do is score goals. I watched him when he was with Diambars [Dieng’s former club in Senegal] and he wasn’t far off being one of the best strikers in the Senegalese league [Dieng was top scorer in the 2019/20 season, his first as a professional].

“He’s a young player who has a future. The Senegal national team has perhaps also found its own great striker. All I can say to him is that he should keep his head on his shoulders, and carry on working hard. Out of three chances, he’ll score two. He’s a striker who finishes when he’s in the box.”

Drogba scored 104 goals and provided 55 assists in 254 matches for Chelsea in the Premier League throughout his career, which shows how highly Diouf rates the young Marseille man. He is not performing to those levels yet but he could have the potential to get there and this is why he could be an excellent signing for Newcastle.

Dieng may not be the player they need to come in and save them from relegation this season, but he could be someone Howe is able to work with over time to develop him into being the next iconic centre-forward of the Premier League era if he is able to fulfil his potential.

At the age of 21, he has the world at his feet and the Magpies could bed him in slowly, allowing him to learn from the likes of Callum Wilson and Chris Wood whilst picking up Premier League experience along the way.

Jorge Sampaoli previously lauded him as an “explosive” talent and he has burst onto the scene in Ligue 1 this season, with four goals in 14 games (seven starts). He has also scored one goal in two games for Senegal at the African Cup of Nations, showing that he is starting to find his form at senior level for club and country.

This suggests that he could have the potential to score goals on a regular basis at the top level, but he is yet to show that he can do it over the course of an entire season let alone four or five. Therefore, he could be a great signing for the future and Howe could mould him into his own version of Drogba in the coming years.

AND in other news, “Hearing that NUFC have..”: Pete Graves drops big transfer twist, it’ll infuriate Howe…

Recent studies have shown that football is by far the most popular sport in the world, with 331.4 million fans worldwide. However, this popularity is not evenly distributed across all teams and leagues. The best-known clubs are undoubtedly those from Europe’s top leagues – La Liga (Spain), Premier League (England) and Ligue 1 (France) for example- which attract millions of viewers every week to their TV channels around the globe.

Why Has Football Become Such A Popular Sport?

There are many reasons, but one of the main reasons is that football is a very accessible sport. It doesn’t require any expensive equipment or clothing and can be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities. Additionally, football is a very social sport and can be played anywhere with enough space. This is why football is the most popular sport in the world.

Football is also supported by a lot of sponsorships and companies from many industries. From sneakers to betting companies, they are all looking to sponsor the next big footballing superstar. Betting companies, in particular, have adopted this sport to a different level, implementing the very latest technology to gain new customers. One example is the emergence of sports crypto betting which uses cryptocurrency as a mode of payment. Crypto betting offers more secure and reliable transactions compared to the traditional method of payment. It helps fans to bet on their favourite team without having to risk their information being exposed online. This “latest technology” will surely be the next revolutionary steps on how people enjoy entertainment, including providing a safe way for sports fans to bet on their favourite team.

Let’s look at some of the biggest football teams in the world right now in terms of the fanbase, achievement, money value, and recent performance.

Manchester United

Manchester United F.C. is one of England’s most successful clubs with 13 Premier League Titles and 20 FA Cups to its name. It has won 19 League titles in total, the most of any club in English football. It is also one of only six teams to have won the UEFA Champions League twice. The club’s fanbase has grown all over the globe and its commercial success enables it to buy new players almost every season…

Liverpool

Another English powerhouse is Liverpool F.C., which has won 18 league titles, 5 European Cups and 3 UEFA Cups. The club also boasts the record for the most FA Cup wins (7) and the most League Cup wins (8). Liverpool, much like Manchester United, enjoy a fanbase around the world.

FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona, one of the biggest clubs in the world, is a professional football club based in Catalonia, Spain. The club was founded in 1899 by Joan Gamper and has since then become a symbol of Catalan culture and Catalanism. They are the most successful team in Spain, with 24 La Liga titles and 29 Copa Del Rey wins. They are also the only Spanish club to have won the UEFA Champions League, which they did four times. 

Manchester City

Manchester City F.C., also known as the Sky Blues has won 3 League titles, 5 FA Cups, and one Football League Cup in its history. The club started back in 1894 but didn’t rise to prominence until the late 1970s when it enjoyed a period of success under manager Joe Mercer and chairman Francis Lee.  They have since moved to a totally new level with the backing of Sheikh Mansour who became the majority owner in August 2008.

Arsenal

Arsenal F.C., one of the biggest football clubs in  Europe is based in Holloway, London. The club started playing under its current name in  1913 but didn’t rise to prominence until after they moved to Highbury Stadium in North London and were managed by Herbert Chapman. During this time, Arsenal won 13 league titles and 10 FA Cups in total. Arsenal’s fanbase is mainly in the United Kingdom.

Juventus

In Italy, Juventus F.C. is one of the biggest clubs around. It has been home to some of the greatest players in Italian football history and its 28 Serie A trophies place it second only to AC Milan (33). The club’s fanbase is mainly in Italy with many millions of fans scattered worldwide.

AC Milan

AC Milan, another one of the biggest clubs in Europe, has won 18 Serie A titles (the most out of any other Italian teams), 7 Coppa Italia titles, 5 European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles, and 2 Intercontinental Cups. The club was founded back in 1899 by Alfred Edwards and Herbert Kilpin. AC Milan’s fanbase is mainly in Italy, but there are millions of fans worldwide.

FC Porto

In Portugal, FC Porto is one of the biggest clubs around. It won a total of 20 league titles and 18 domestic cups, which makes it one of the most successful Portuguese football clubs of all time. 

PSG

In France, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Olympique de Marseille (OM) are two of the biggest clubs around. PSG is among the most successful clubs in French football with 31 titles, while OM has won 9 league titles, 10 Coupes de France, 1 Coupe de la Ligue, and one European Cup Winners’ Cup. 

Bayern München

In Germany, FC Bayern München is currently one of the biggest clubs around. It has won a total of 25 Bundesliga titles, 18 DFB-Pokals, 5 League Cups, 5 UEFA Champions Leagues, and 1 European Cup Winners’ Cup. 

Real Madrid

Real Madrid , based in Madrid, Spain, is also one of the biggest clubs around. It has won a total of 33 La Liga titles, 18 Copas del Rey, 10 UEFA Champions Leagues, 2 UEFA Cups, 3 Inter-Cities Fairs Cups, and 1 European Cup Winners’ Cup. 

These are some of the biggest football teams in the world right now. There are some others of course which are also equally as a powerhouse as those on the list.

This is why football has become the most popular sport in the world even though it is not one of the oldest sports. Football is accessible, socially engaging and technologically advanced. Most importantly, everyone across all age brackets can enjoy it regardless of their ability or financial background.

Photo by Thomas Serer on Unsplash

Ashley Young will replace Emiliano Buendia in Aston Villa’s starting line-up for their Premier League clash with Crystal Palace, The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has predicted.

The lowdown

Villa travel to south London on Saturday looking to make it back-to-back wins at the start of Steven Gerrard’s reign. Young came off the bench to set up an 84-minute Ollie Watkins goal which broke the deadlock in the 2-0 win over Brighton last weekend.

The 36-year-old, who joined from Inter Milan on a free transfer in the summer, has only made one league start since August.

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans wrote earlier this week that Gerrard had been so impressed by Young in training that he strongly considered starting him in the number 10 position against the Seagulls. The new manager said that the £50,000-per-week veteran had been ‘absolutely outstanding since we walked through the door’.

The latest

Off the back of his ‘strong cameo’ against Brighton, Preece reckons that Gerrard will select Young in the line-up. That would mean making the ‘ruthless call’ to drop Buendia to the substitutes’ bench when he’s ‘desperately trying to spark into some kind of form’.

Elsewhere, Preece thinks that Aston Villa will be unchanged. Douglas Luiz is back fit again, but ‘it’d be hard to see’ Marvelous Nakamba, John McGinn or Jacob Ramsey making way.

The verdict

Would it be harsh to drop Buendia? The statistics suggest that he didn’t make a particularly glowing first impression on Gerrard.

He managed only one shot (which was blocked) against Brighton and he didn’t produce any key passes. He won only two of his six ground duels and all of his crosses were inaccurate (via SofaScore).

As ex-Villan Gabriel Agbonlahor has said, perhaps it’s best for the ‘struggling’ Argentine to sit this one out and be given the incentive to ‘win his place back’.

In other news, many Villa fans react to this piece of pre-Palace news.

Leeds United continue to be interested in Brenden Aaronson ahead of January 31st…

What’s the word?

That’s according to the Daily Mail, who claim that the Yorkshire giants are preparing another bid for the RB Salzburg midfielder after having a £15m bid knocked back by the Austrian champions.

The 21-year-old has only been at the club for a year but his impressive performances have caught the eye of many across Europe, though it is the Premier League that he dreams of playing in one day.

Aaronson’s running stats are amongst the highest around the continent, so it’s no wonder Marcelo Bielsa is hugely keen on securing him.

Shades of Gallagher

Leeds have long been looking for a central midfielder capable of driving the team forward in the final third, especially as it has now been four years since they signed someone in the role, that being Adam Forshaw from Middlesbrough in January 2018.

The Whites failed with their attempts to sign promising Chelsea starlet Conor Gallagher during the summer after his impressive loan stint at West Brom, with the England U21 dynamo opting for top-flight rivals Crystal Palace instead.

However, there are shades of the 21-year-old Eagles loanee in the 15-cap American sensation.

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“Typically an attacking midfielder, Aaronson is best described as a half-winger, capable of playing out wide or centrally in the third line of Salzburg’s 4-2-2-2 formation. During games, Aaronson is expected to cover ground in central spaces, as well as supporting attacks via the channels,” claimed journalist Joe Donnohue to LeedsLive recently.

Indeed, the bustling Salzburg gem ranks amongst the top 1% of midfielders in Europe for pressures, having averaged 27.84 pressures per 90 and he also forces the opposition into losing the ball 8.55 times per 90, with those figures coming in the Champions League, via FBRef.

This is right up Bielsa’s street as he loves a player who can press high up the pitch, just as Gallagher has proven to do during his time at the Hawthorns and Selhurst Park.

Nicknamed the ‘Medford Messi’, Aaronson has been dubbed “highly talented” by talent scout Jacek Kulig and “silky” by ex-USMNT international DeMarcus Beasley.

His returns of ten goals and 12 assists from only 51 appearances in Austria make him a very exciting young talent indeed. As such, Victor Orta and co must push ahead with plans to sign him as soon as possible.

Bielsa could finally be getting his Gallagher-like midfield presence.

AND in other news, Journalist drops huge Leeds United transfer claim ahead of deadline day…

As per 90min, a concerning contract update has come to light regarding Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah. 

The lowdown: The wait goes on

Despite all parties seemingly being at the table for some time, speculation continues to rumble on as to whether or not the 29-year-old will sign a new deal to remain at the club, having arrived from AS Roma in 2017.

Now into the final 18 months of a deal on Merseyside, Salah has already been linked with a sensational move to Barcelona in recent weeks, and the off-field discourse has seemingly impacted his on-field output as the usually lethal winger has failed to score from open play since netting against Norwich City in mid-February.

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However, perhaps unsurprisingly given his extraordinary goal return over the last five years, the club remain desperate to tie down the Egyptian King to a fresh contract.

The latest: Salah and Liverpool ‘some way apart’

According to 90min’s sources, Salah and Liverpool have been in discussions for ‘more than a year’ without a tangible breakthrough.

The report claims that the Reds’ owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) are ‘willing’ to make the 82-cap Egypt star the highest-paid player at Anfield, but there is a ‘reluctance’ to pitch him amongst the best earners in the Premier League.

Furthermore, it is stated that the parties are still ‘some way apart’ in their negotiations as Salah attempts to earn a pay rise on a current £200,000-per-week salary (Spotrac).

The verdict: Just get it done

Of all the important decisions facing the club over the upcoming months and years, securing the services of the £90m-valued superstar is perhaps the most important alongside Jurgen Klopp’s own future beyond 2024.

Prior to recent struggles, the man hailed as ‘extraordinary’ by Ian Wright following a lightning-quick start to the 2021/22 campaign had been one of the leading lights in world football and remains pivotal to Liverpool’s trophy success this term and beyond.

Despite suffering a recent dip, so far this season Salah has scored 28 times and provided another 10 assists in 38 appearances – levels of output which make the potential completion of a new deal a salient moment in the Reds’ future at the very top table.

In other news, three Liverpool players in particular stood out against Benfica. Read more here.

Aston Villa have seen many players join the club since the arrival of current owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris.

However, the Villans were not shy when it came to dipping into the transfer market before the duo took control of the Midlands club back in 2018.

Although, as tends to happen with a lot of clubs, not all transfers end up being successful. One prime example of this at Villa is with their 2016 move for striker Ross McCormack.

Signed from Fulham in the 2016 summer transfer window in a deal worth a reported fee of £12m, the Scotsman ended up having multiple loan spells away from Villa Park at Nottingham Forest, Melbourne City, Central Coast Mariners and Motherwell before being released as a free agent in the 2019 summer transfer window.

The attacker only managed to score three goals in just 24 appearances across all competitions, meaning that he ended up costing Villa an alarming £4m-per-goal, which isn’t exactly the sort of return they’d have been hoping for given the money they paid out for him.

Even current Villa outcast Wesley managed to score more goals (5) than the Scotland international during his debut season with the Villa Park outfit.

With 20 Championship appearances under his belt in the 2016/17 season, the striker could only rack up nine shots on target and ended up getting more yellow cards (4) than goals, making him a liability across the pitch.

His performances that season ultimately earned the former Fulham attacker an uninspiring overall rating of 6.59, making him one of the lowest-rated outfield players to start more than one league game in that campaign according to WhoScored.

In addition to being a waste of space during matches, McCormack’s conduct away from the pitch was also cause for concern.

Back in January 2017, then-Villa boss Steve Bruce spoke publicly about the striker’s “failure to turn up for training,” further highlighting the nightmare the club had with the player, who Bruce said “will not play unless his attitude towards training and missing training improves.”

This wasn’t the first time the player’s behaviour had been called into question, as former Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino claimed he sold the striker to Fulham after McCormack was “aggressive” towards him.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that signing the 35-year-old was a major waste of money for Villa and probably should never have been bought by the club in the first place.

In other news: Lange set for disaster on “old fashioned” £100k-p/w AVFC gem, supporters would rage