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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

It seems that the transfer saga between Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur is yet to be resolved.

The two teams were reportedly talking about Christian Eriksen’s potential departure to the Spanish capital in the summer and, according to a recent report from AS, Los Blancos are set to go for the Danish midfielder once again in January.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Now that Eriksen’s contract is on its last legs – it expires next summer – Zinedine Zidane and his troops could get a discount and believe they can snatch their man away from Spurs for only €30m (£27m). Whether Daniel Levy would be willing to sanction such a deal remains to be seen, but with time running out on Eriksen’s contract it appears that it’s Madrid and not Spurs who hold the cards here.

By all accounts, and especially in the modern market, that is definitely a bargain. Not to mention that the same sources suggest Tottenham wanted €80m (£72m) just a few months ago. Real’s patience appears to have paid off.

But looking at Los Blancos’ squad and their current needs, it’s difficult to see where exactly Eriksen would fit in.

After all, Real have a total of seven players who can play in the attacking-midfielder’s role, and those seven are fighting for three spots in the middle of the park.

It seems Zidane wants a Galactico midfielder who can lead the lines but Eriksen does not really have the required profile.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

When it comes to attacking players, Real not only have an abundance of them but they are all mostly young and extremely talented. The likes of James Rodriguez, Isco, Marco Asensio and Brahim Diaz can all do a pretty good job in that position and are already at the club.

For that reason, going for Eriksen when you need a true box-to-box midfielder is not really a good idea, regardless of the cheap price you could get him for.

However, it must be acknowledged that Eriksen is an impactful talent. This season he has averaged 1.8 shots and had 1.6 key passes per game in the domestic league, though that is a notable dip from the 2.4 shots and 2.1 key passes he completed per game last season.

Club president Florentino Perez should definitely reconsider his choice and go for a player who can offer him something the team is missing.

The Danish midfielder, for all his brilliance, is a type of player Real Madrid already have in abundance and have no actual need of anymore.

[ad_pod ]Tottenham are struggling to do anything positive nowadays, and you’ve got to start asking yourself, where and how did it all go so wrong?It was only last season when we saw Mauricio Pochettino’s plucky Spurs side, depleted from two baron transfer windows, defy all odds as they valiantly took on the petrodollar powerhouse that is Manchester City and the youthful vigour of Ajax, a side who had already beaten European powerhouses Real Madrid and Juventus.Now they’re struggling to find the answer against four-tier side Colchester United, whose final competitive match last season didn’t come against Liverpool at the Bernabeu in the Champions League final but Lincoln City at Sincil Bank.Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Carabao Cup might not be the most glamorous competition on offer but at least it handed Pochettino a chance to end the club’s 12-year spell without silverware, and his personal woes as their leader since 2014.

For Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst, the result was further evidence that the Argentinian might now be out of his depth…

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Oh dear, Dean Henderson. The 22-year-old played a key role in Sheffield United’s return to the top-flight, conceding just 41 goals last season in the Championship – the joint-lowest of any side.

There were suggestions earlier this summer that the goalkeeper would return to his parent club Manchester United and compete with David de Gea for the number one spot, but he ended up moving back to Bramall Lane on another season-long loan.

On Saturday afternoon, the England U21 international came up against Liverpool, who had been firing on all cylinders this season with six wins from six in the Premier League.

However, Henderson and his Blades teammates held firm for the majority of the clash and looked on course for an impressive draw and clean sheet. Until, a massive moment to forget.

Georginio Wijnaldum’s effort from outside the box squirmed away from Henderson’s grasp and rolled agonisingly over the line, with the goal proving to be the difference at the end of the match.

After seeing his massive gaffe, Red Devils fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on their loanee.

Many supporters of the Manchester side insisted the club and its players are somehow finding new ways of letting the fans down.

Some fans insisted the howler proved exactly why Henderson isn’t good enough to be in the United set-up right now, with one supporter in particular calling for him to be sold.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

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Lots of West Ham fans have taken to Twitter to discuss the news that the club has reportedly accepted a bid for Javier Hernandez, with time ticking away before the transfer window closes for the rest of Europe on September 2nd.

The Mexico international was believed to have handed in a transfer request in a bid to force a move away from the London Stadium before the deadline, and he looks to have moved closer to getting his wish after the Hammers accepted a bid – said to be from La Liga side Sevilla.

The 31-year-old has made two league appearances so far this term, scoring one goal, but was not even named on the bench in the 2-0 win over Norwich last time out, which suggests that something may soon be happening in regards to his future.

Hernandez’s departure would leave the east Londoners with only Sebastien Haller and Albian Ajeti up top.

Find out which Premier League stadium has been ranked the worst in the video below…

Let’s see how the West Ham fans on Twitter reacted to the news…

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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…

Talking to the Inside Elland Road Podcast, Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Joe Urquhart has given his verdict on Patrick Bamford and Eddie Nketiah, suggesting the former might be sweating.

What’s he said?

Bamford and Nketiah had two very different international breaks.

At the beginning the 25-year-old discussed the possibility of himself playing for the Republic of Ireland at some point, despite being born in England. Meanwhile, the Arsenal loan man scored on his debut for England U21s.

Bamford has had nearly two weeks away from the action, something that might’ve proved timely after his injury-stricken 2018/19 campaign.

The divisie striker has started all of Leeds’ Championship outings this term, gaining praise and criticism. However, considering Nketiah’s form, he’ll likely be breathing down Bamford’s neck.

Appearing on the Inside Elland Road Podcast, Urquhart said the following about the two forwards:

“Patrick Bamford must be sweating a little bit. I think given the misses we saw against Swansea – I didn’t think he played particularly too badly but strikers are judged on goals and their ability to find the back of the net. There were a couple of chances against Swansea. Nketiah missed one big one as well when he came off the bench.

“He’s pretty much everything you’re wanting from someone who’s coming on loan. He’s ticking every box. It’s great for Leeds in this scenario because Bamford has to start scoring otherwise he’ll be dropped and they’ve got someone there who’s hungry to prove themselves at this level.”

Positive situation for Leeds

Landing someone like Nketiah on loan this summer was particularly good business, particularly because after Kemar Roofe’s departure, Bamford was the only senior striker at the club.

Despite that, the 20-year-old has had to bide his time since he’s been at Elland Road.

Nketiah has found the net three times in just two starts across all competitions, scoring a late winner against Brentford in the league.

It only feels like a matter of time before he gets his opportunity but whether that’s alongside Bamford or on his own remains to be seen.

Bielsa has teased the idea of them playing together but it’s ideal that they have someone like Nketiah to fall back on if and when Bamford is out of form.

The youngster is a born poacher and the way he’s scored all three of his goals from close range sums that up.

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The Mirror reported on Sunday that Tottenham Hotspur are in the market for a new signing before the January transfer window slams shut on Thursday night, but it is more likely to be a younger player such as Leeds United’s Jack Clarke rather than a big name or a more experienced pro.

The Mirror report that Spurs remain keen on signing the 18-year-old winger who has enjoyed an impressive breakthrough season for the Yorkshire outfit, who remain on course to secure promotion back to the Premier League following their 2-1 win away against Rotherham United on Saturday.

Despite only making three starts in the Championship thus far for Marcelo Bielsa’s men, the attacker is being chased by a whole host of top flight clubs, as per The Mirror, and the north London outfit are hoping to get a deal done as they see him as a player for the future.

Unsurprisingly, the report adds that Marcelo Bielsa’s men have no intention of losing their teen sensation by the deadline, meaning Tottenham would not only likely have to offer a huge fee for Clarke, but also agree to loan him back to Elland Road for the remainder of the campaign.

The 18-year-old may have only played 579 minutes of league football for Leeds during the current campaign, but he has already shown that he has the quality and potential to have a huge future in the English game.

Spurs don’t have a great deal of pace and depth in wide areas right now aside from the likes of Lucas Moura and Son Heung-Min, and even though they still have Georges-Kevin Nkoudou on their books and making appearances right now, he certainly didn’t look up to the task during the 2-0 defeat against Crystal Palace in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Clarke is averaging one shot, 0.9 key passes and 1.4 dribbles per game, as per WhoScored, right now for the automatic promotion hopefuls, and he is a winger that is making a difference when he is on the pitch or when he comes off of the substitutes’ bench.

Pochettino has obviously helped talents who impressed in the lower leagues previously in Dele Alli and Harry Kane become top-class Premier League players and even ones well-renowned across world football, and if the Argentine intends to stay with Spurs for the foreseeable future then he can certainly do the same working with Clarke.

Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin may be out for the season but it’s given him a chance to show off his new accessory. Check out the video below to see for yourself…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

West Brom appear to be enjoying life under new boss Slaven Bilic after the heartbreak of being defeated in the Championship playoffs back in May.

The Baggies are unbeaten in the league, sitting in fourth place, just four points off current league leaders Swansea.

It could also be said that they haven’t even got out of first gear yet considering that summer arrival Charlie Austin, a predator in this league having netted 68 goals in 134 games, is still not fully fit.

They are still without Ahmed Hegazi, who was an integral part of their defence last season as he made 40 appearances.

Technical director Luke Dowling, who had a key say in Bilic’s appointment, has come out and said: “We also know that realistically a promotion chance is there. If it doesn’t happen this year, it will happen next year.”

That coincidentally is the time frame in which Bilic is contracted at the Hawthorns, so maybe it is a subtle hint at praising the Croatian’s exploits to date and his future plans.

On the Chalkboard

It is not as if the club performed poorly last season, they did indeed make the playoffs, but the atmosphere and feel around the west Midlands club is very much different – more positive is maybe the correct choice of words to use.

This has been highlighted by Matt Phillips signing a new three-year contract extension, citing his manager as the primary reason for doing so.

The 28-year-old labelled Bilic a ‘top manager,’ who has helped rejuvenate the club and that is the reason why West Brom have to be considered major contenders this season.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

His words, therefore, are already proving that Dowling’s decision was vindicated as he revealed his happiness at being at the Hawthorns.

Phillips is already just shy of half his total goal tally from last season having bagged two in six appearances and that’s all whilst competing with a trio of wingers who were signed on deadline day.

Fans have been praying West Ham don’t recall Grady Diangana this week whilst Matheus Pereira offered something new in midfield at the weekend.

Everyone seems to be happy and thriving under the Croat, so the appointment of the former West Ham manager already appears to be bearing fruit.

That has to continue, and if Dowling is correct, Bilic’s Baggies will be Premier League-bound by 2021.

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Following on from their impressive 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Premier League last Monday, Wolves are in FA Cup action this afternoon with a clash against Championship side Sheffield United at Molineux. 

With Wolves having the likes of Jonny Otto, Pedro Neto, Yerson Mosquera and Hwang Hee-chan out injured and Romain Saiss away on international duty getting ready to take part in the Africa Cup of Nations, Bruno Lage will have to make do without several members of his senior squad.

On the other hand, with Wolves recently recalling Dion Sanderson and Ryan Giles from their respective loan deals in the Championship and securing a deal for Japanese midfielder Hayao Kawabe, these players could feature prominently today.

Taking all this into account, here’s how we feel Wolves could line up for their FA Cup clash against the Blades. We anticipate as many as seven changes from the side which started in the win at Old Trafford.

In goal, even though Jose Sa has kept eight clean sheets in his 19 Premier League appearances this season, we think Lage will take him out of the team on this occasion and give John Ruddy the chance to play.

In a back three, we can see the familiar duo of Conor Coady and Max Kilman starting, but with the recently-recalled Sanderson coming in for the absent Saiss to see if he can impress the manager and convince him that he deserves to be in the squad on a regular basis.

For the wing-back positions, on the right we think Lage will drop Nelson Semedo and give Ki-Jana Hoever a runout, with Rayan Ait-Nouri coming back in on the left after being on the bench against the Red Devils.

In the two central midfield positions, it’s entirely possible that Lage gives Monday’s match-winning hero Joao Moutinho a rest to save him for their next league outing against Southampton, with Leander Dendoncker coming in to take his place next to Ruben Neves.

With the front three, we can see Lage bringing in Adama Traore and Fabio Silva for Francisco Trincao and Raul Jimenez, who is currently earning £100k-per-week according to Salary Sport but is without a goal in his last six games, in order to freshen up the attack next to Daniel Podence.

In other news: Journalist drops 19-word Wolves update which will surely have a lot of fans fuming

A number of Liverpool supporters have reacted to David Ornstein’s claim that Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino may not sign new Reds deals.

The attacking pair have become legendary modern-day figures at Anfield, winning both the Champions League and Premier League during their time at the club.

Along with Mohamed Salah, fellow superstars Mane and Firmino have forged one of the greatest attacking units in Liverpool’s history, wreaking havoc with their brilliance.

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While plenty of focus is currently on Salah’s Reds future, it is easy to forget that his teammates’ current deals also expire in the summer of 2023, with time now running out on their contracts.

Speaking on Sky Sports News [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], Ornstein said there was no guarantee that Mane and Firmino would extend their respective stays at the club:

“I’m not sure Firmino is going to be renewed, I’m not sure Mane is going to be renewed.”

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Liverpool fans fume at Mane and Firmino claim

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to react negatively to the news.

“The day Firmino leaves I’ll cut all ties”

Credit: @mxskiii

“What a well run club, having to replace two midfielders and 2 attackers (maybe 3) in one season”

Credit: @Virgilxnte_

“Oh my”

Credit: @Trxvis2002

“Embarrassing! @LFC gotta do better”

Credit: @SILondonO

“The FSG model is working well”

Credit: @thiagothursday

“This is worrying cos we know we are sell to buy, if they don’t renew they go for free? Who we going to get then?”

Credit: @CousinCAH

In other news, some Liverpool fans have called for the Reds to sign an England international. Find out who it is here.

According to reports by The Athletic’s David Ornstein, reported West Ham target Jesse Lingard has decided that he will not be leaving Manchester United in January.

However, ExWHUemployee has responded to this news, claiming that the mooted transfer is not dead in the water just yet.

The Lowdown: Lingard decides to remain at Man United

Ornstein wrote that Lingard has chosen to remain at Manchester United and intends to battle his way into interim manager Ralf Ragnick’s plans, therefore likely ruling out a move in the upcoming January transfer window.

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This follows The Mirror’s report (via The Independent) which claimed that West Ham are looking to bring in the 29-year-old on a permanent deal in the January transfer window. Lingard has played just 87 minutes of Premier League football this season, having come on as a substitute in each of his eight top-flight appearances.

The attacking midfielder is set to enter the last six months of his contract after talks over a new deal at Old Trafford failed to progress during the summer. However, Lingard looks set to remain at his boyhood club in January, with a move elsewhere proving to be more likely in the summer.

The Latest: ExWHUemployee makes Lingard claim

Despite Ornstein’s announcement, ExWHUemployee claimed on his ‘The West Ham Way’ podcast that both West Ham and Newcastle will still attempt to persuade Lingard to accept a move in the January transfer window.

Taking to Twitter, he said: “It’s a possible option that he was considering. I still think there will be attempts to persuade him otherwise (by us and Newcastle) and hopefully we will succeed but I don’t think he is desperate to go now as options in the summer will be better for him.”

The Verdict: January move unlikely but possible in the summer

It comes as no surprise that the Hammers will continue in their pursuit of the attacking midfielder. The England international enjoyed a fantastic spell on loan at West Ham for the second half of the 2020/21 season, where he scored nine goals and produced five assists in 16 appearances for the club.

Lingard received huge praise after reviving his footballing career, with former Manchester United and Hammers defender Rio Ferdinand describing his stint in London as ‘amazing’.

Despite the Irons’ determination to bring him to the club in January and with Newcastle ramping up their interest, it seems more likely that the 29-year-old will run down his current contract before leaving Manchester in the summer. Where he goes then is the big question.

In other news: ‘I miss this Antonio’ – Lots of West Ham fans react to ‘unreal’ footage shared by the club