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Tottenham Hotspur could benefit from Marcus Edwards’ heroics in Portugal, according to Alasdair Gold via football.london.

Edwards has lit up the Portuguese Liga NOS this season with Vitoria Guimaraes and is clearly showing signs he is heading towards his full potential. The football correspondent noted that Spurs could capitalise on the former player sooner rather than later, as it would make sense financially to sign him back in the summer, given the economic uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

Gold wrote: “There was never any doubt over his talent at Tottenham, only his ability to apply it to its full potential within a team. Tottenham were well aware that if Edwards found his rhythm at Vitoria then they could benefit far more from a more advanced player than the one who left the club last summer.”

He added: “That is why when they allowed the youngster to leave for Portugal they inserted a 50 per cent sell-on fee into the deal.”

After arriving at Vitoria Guimaraes from the Lilywhites on a free transfer, the 21-year-old has dazzled the crowds at the Estadio D. Afonso Henriques Stadium, scoring four goals, creating four assists, taking 1.5 shots per game, averaging 1.2 key passes and completing 2.9 dribbles per game on average in the top flight so far (WhoScored).

Understandably, the youngster’s performances have caught the attention of a number of potential suitors, including teams back at home and abroad. The board’s shrewd move may enable the North London club to reap the rewards in the future.

Naturally, many Spurs fans reacted to Gold’s update on social media, with one fan dubbing Edwards as “talented” and another asking “is there a buy back clause?”

Have a read through some of their reactions down below…

Tottenham fans, do you feel the board should bring Marcus Edwards back to London? Join the discussion in the comments section!

Celtic’s official Twitter account has wished one of their players a Happy Birthday, much to the amusement of some fans, who were left questioning who he even was.

Ismaila Soro turned 22 on Thursday yet no one appears to know who the young midfielder even is.

He only joined the Glasgow giants back in January from Israeli Premier League outfit Bnei Yehuda, signing a four-and-a-half-year deal but is yet to feature for Neil Lennon’s first-team squad in any competitive fixture.

In fact, he’s only been named on the bench once and that was for their Scottish Cup tie with Clyde in February when Celtic ran out 3-0 victors.

Only real Celtic fans will get 100% on the Ultimate Hoops quiz. Test your knowledge below…

Prior to his move to Celtic Park, Soro had made 24 appearances this term playing in a defensive midfield role per Transfermarkt’s recorded matches, including a run of matches in Europa League qualifying where his former side were knocked out by Malmo.

Here’s how supporters have been reacting to the club’s post…

AND in other news, Celtic fans debate Tom Rogic future…

According to Todofichajes, Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has identified Atletico Madrid star Stefan Savic as his top transfer target in the summer. 

Mourinho has made it clear he wants to add to his defensive options before the start of next season, as it appears Jan Vertonghen and Juan Foyth could be heading out the door.

Indeed, Vertonghen is reportedly ready to leave the Lilywhites for free as his contract is set to expire in a matter of weeks.

The Spanish outlet claims the Spurs head coach believes Savic would be a suitable replacement and is keen to sign him when the transfer market opens.

After arriving at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium from Fiorentina for £22.5m in 2015, the 29-year-old has emerged as one of Europe’s highest-rated defenders, due to a transformation under Diego Simeone.

The Montenegro international, who has been capped 50 times by his country, famously won the Premier League with rivals Manchester City back in 2012.

Savic has made 14 appearances in La Liga for Simeone’s side this season, making 1.1 tackles per game, averaging 1.4 interceptions, and completing a staggering 4.2 clearances on average.

In contrast, Vertonghen has played in 19 games in the Premier League, providing 2.1 tackles on average, registering 1.6 interceptions, and attempting 2.9 clearances per game.

Evidently, the Madrid stalwart is an upgrade on the wantaway veteran, as he has been rewarded a higher WhoScored rating of 6.82 for his performances throughout the season.

However, the Montenegrin is currently valued at £22.95m via Transfermarkt, and it is unclear if Daniel Levy will be willing to break the bank for the centre-back. Indeed, Mourinho is well aware he will have to cope with a severely restricted budget in the transfer market, due to the economic uncertainty surrounding the pandemic.

Tottenham fans, should the board sign Stefan Savic in the summer? Let us know down below!

After enjoying a stellar season in front of goal, it’s been no surprise to hear Celtic star Odsonne Edouard linked with an exit this summer.

The Frenchman bagged an impressive 27 goals in just 45 games, as well as providing a further 19 assists too – as complete a season as you will ever see from a front-line striker.

Reports in recent weeks and months have claimed that Premier League side Arsenal are interested in luring him south of the border this summer as a potential replacement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Can you name every one of the Celtic’s top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…

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If Peter Lawwell and co have got their wits about them, then they will be keeping an eye out for players to come in and take Edouard’s place if needed.

And a free transfer for Charlton ace Lyle Taylor may be the kind of shrewd signing that guarantees Celtic’s striking options ahead of next season, with Sky Sports journalist Jim White revealing the Hoops’ interest in the 30-year-old.

Whilst Taylor has hit the headlines recently for his refusal to play for the Addicks again in order to give him the best chance of securing a move away, it doesn’t take away from the fact that he has enjoyed a fine season with Lee Bowyer’s side.

He has struck 11 times in 22 games in the Championship, and a couple of times this season, Bowyer has taken publicly to hail the centre-forward’s abilities and work ethic. Speaking after a 3-1 victory over Luton back in February, the Charlton boss hailed Taylor’s work-rate as “outstanding” and that it was a “full performance” from a striker.

And a couple of months before that when the striker was out injured, he said: “It is his all-round performances that we’ve missed. It’s not just his goals, but it’s also his work ethic, the way he holds the ball up lets us get up the pitch. He is good defensively from set-pieces as well.”

Not only would Taylor bring in a source of goals, but he would offer hard work and defensive discipline too. If Edouard does end up leaving this summer, then bringing in the Charlton striker on a free transfer seems like it could have all the hallmarks of being a Lawwell masterstroke.

This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.

Glasgow Rangers will be looking to close the gap to Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership next season.

The Gers finished the recently ended campaign in second place behind the Bhoys, 13 points adrift, meaning that Steven Gerrard has now gone a second term without managing to win any trophies – he surely cannot afford to go a third.

Jamie Murphy was not part of his plans in the past season, and it looks as though he will not be called upon for the upcoming campaign either. Following the end of his loan spell at Burton Albion, it has been reported that the 30-year-old expects to leave Ibrox permanently this summer. His departure would likely bring a premature end to a disappointing spell in Glasgow.

Before Murphy moved to the Gers, he had spells with Brighton and Sheffield United in England, but it was at Motherwell where he first made his name. He made 212 appearances for the Scottish outfit, scoring 49 goals and providing 18 assists along the way. With the Seagulls, whom the 54-time Scottish champions paid £1.08m for Murphy’s services in 2018 after a six-month loan spell, he amassed 10 goals in 83 matches – the Gers will have been hoping he could make a good impression for them.

Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. He managed five goals and 10 assists in 17 matches during the 2017/18 campaign, which convinced the Gers to sign him permanently, but he made just eight appearances the following term after before suffering a cruciate ligament injury. Since returning from that terrible spell on the sidelines, he has featured just twice more and, although he scored seven times in 10 appearances in League One this season, it looks as though it will not be enough to earn him a place in the squad moving forward.

As such, it looks as though his time at Ibrox will end up costing the club £37,000 per appearance, while he missed 52 games through injury. It is a sad way to bring an end to an initially promising spell.

Let us know what you think below!

Liverpool return to Anfield once again this weekend to face Burnley, as Jurgen Klopp hunts down Manchester City’s record for the most Premier League points in a season.

The Reds are on course to total 104 points should they win their remaining four games.

Burnley arrive on Merseyside buoyed by their last away day outing, which saw Sean Dyche’s side pick up a fortuitous 1-0 victory against West Ham United on Wednesday night.

The Clarets have an outside chance of claiming one of the Europa League spots, so they really have nothing to lose against the newly crowned Premier League champions.

Form

Klopp’s charges have found their imperious form once again since the restart of the Premier League. Mohamed Salah is desperate to get his hands on the Golden Boot this season as he hunts down Jamier Vardy and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for the prestigious award.

Burnley, on the other hand, have become the kings of 1-0 victories, with three of the last four games ending in that scoreline, ensuring Sean Dyche’s team take a giant leap away from the relegation places and a step forward toward challenging for European qualification.

Team news

Jordan Henderson picked up an unfortunate injury earlier this week and is likely to join Joel Matip in being sidelined for the remainder of the season.

The Clarets have no new injuries to report following their recent match at London Stadium, with Matthew Lowton, Jack Cork, Ben Mee and Ashley Barnes still out injured for Dyche’s men.

How to watch

Liverpool v Burnley kicks off at 15:00 UTC at Anfield and will be broadcast live on BT Sport, while fans can also live stream football online.

Manchester United have been handed a major boost in the race to sign Jadon Sancho this summer as Borussia Dortmund are already planning for his departure. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made it clear that Sancho is the signing he needs to rebuild the Red Devils midfield.

In the same week Man United entered ‘advanced’ talks with Dortmund, The Telegraph revealed the Germans are stepping up contingency plans in preparation for his exit in the summer.

The Bundesliga challengers have now turned their attentions elsewhere as they try to sign a new right winger before the start of next season.

United have not met Dortmund’s asking price of £100m so there is still some work to be done.

However, Michael Zorc, the German club’s sporting director, is putting plans in place for Sancho to depart as he expects negotiations to continue throughout the summer.

Man United have been trying to sign Sancho for three years now, but it seems they are now one step closer to bringing him back to England.

Sancho, 20, is the club’s top scorer this season, as he has scored 20 goals in all competitions so far.

The England international famously left Manchester City to join Dortmund in 2017 after refusing to sign a new deal at the Etihad.

According to The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, the Yellow and Blacks have earmarked Werder Bremen’s Milot Rashica as the player they feel can replace Sancho in the summer.

Admittedly, there is still a long way to go, but the fact Dortmund are already lining up a replacement should give Ed Woodward the boost he needs to get a deal done.

Whether or not United will improve their £80m valuation remains to be seen, as Woodward has warned the club’s summer spending may be limited in these uncertain times.

Failing to sign Sancho in the summer would be a huge blow for Solskjaer, as he has made it his mission to bring him to Old Trafford at all costs.

United fans, do you think Woodward will sign Sancho this summer? Let us know down below!

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti has a mighty task on his hands if he’s to rebuild the Merseyside underdogs this summer but if fresh reports are to be believed, he could be heading down an all too familiar path.

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports, the Toffees are one of several teams chasing Sassuolo winger Jeremie Boga after the 61-year-old tried to sign him whilst in charge of fellow Serie A outfit Napoli.

They still remain keen on landing the 23-year-old under Gennaro Gattuso whilst Borussia Dortmund see the former Chelsea starlet as a potential replacement for Jadon Sancho and likewise over at Bayer Leverkusen, who could lose Kai Havertz to Frank Lampard’s Blues soon.

Everton’s struggles from out wide are no secret with summer signing Alex Iwobi failing to provide much more than a solitary goal all season, so a swoop for a player like Boga does make sense on the face of it.

However, as talented as he seems, this reeks of another disasterclass from director of football Marcel Brands…

Brands disaster?

If you go back to the start of the season, the Merseysiders made some encouraging moves, namely Iwobi as mentioned above but also in Jean-Philippe Gbamin, Fabian Delph, Moise Kean and Djibril Sidibe. Have any of those truly stood out? No, probably not.

Boga is adept at playing anywhere across the front three and has brought returns of 11 goals and two assists in Serie A this campaign, via WhoScored, as well as averaging 3.9 dribbles, 1.7 shots and 1 key pass per appearance.

Former Chelsea youth coach Michael Beale hailed the Ivory Coast international as the best talent to come through the system, claiming he could “beat teams on his own”.

Although, we’ve been here before haven’t we with Eupen sensation Henry Onyekuru. He joined for £7m in 2017 and played a grand total of zero matches despite being signed on the back of a whopping 24 goals and nine assists for the Belgian outfit.

As per Sportmediaset, Sassuolo are asking for at least €20m (£18m) and whilst this is nearly half the amount of Iwobi, it still presents some doubt in Brands’ ability to spot a winger.

Players like Onyekuru and his fellow Nigerian show that maybe the Dutchman’s weakest attribute is out wide and thus, you’d have to have doubts over Boga despite the evident talent.

AND in other news, Free transfer swoop for UCL-winning “animal” would be shades of Distin…

There have recently been reports linking Arsenal centre-back Rob Holding with a move to newly-promoted Leeds United and there is now an update on Mikel Arteta’s plans for the defender.

According to Sky Sports, the Englishman, who has three years left on his contract, is wanted at the Emirates Stadium by Arteta, so he is therefore expected to stay in north London beyond the current transfer window.

The 24 year-old has been at the Gunners since they signed him from Bolton for £2.7m in 2016, per Transfermarkt. but injury struggles have meant that he has not played as consistently as he would have wanted, as he missed 37 games in a row due to a cruciate ligament rupture in December 2018.

He played 18 times in all competitions last season, with just eight of those coming in the Premier League, per Transfermarkt.

Despite his impressive 4.5 clearances per game, Holding has struggled in other departments as he has averaged less than one tackle and interception per game, via WhoScored.

He is still only young and so has potential to grow as a player, but if Arsenal want to progress and get back to challening for Champions League football, players like Holding may need to be moved on so that they can strengthen their defensive options, having shipped 48 league goals last season.

Maybe he is due to stay because Arteta sees him as someone who can play if others are unavailable – if so, then it is a good choice to keep him until they can look to add greater quality at the back.

Gunners fans, would you like to see Holding being kept at the club or is it time to move him on? Comment below with your views!

Even though it seemed like Manchester United were ready to throw in the towel and admit defeat, it appears the Jadon Sancho saga has received a fresh twist in the story.

According to the newest report from Daily Mail, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is set to finalise the fees and the wages with the player before submitting an official offer to Borussia Dortmund for their coveted young star.

Of course, the German outfit is likely to still demand a fee in the region of £108m so it remains to be seen how successful the Red Devils will be in their attempt. But be that as it may, they will still try their luck.

Sancho remains their priority target for the ongoing summer transfer window and securing his signing following a couple of brilliant deals would be the cherry on top of an excellent run in the market.

Still, as far as Dortmund are concerned, Man United are still far away from actually sealing the transfer and bringing the Englishman to the Premier League.

But all of this could change once the official offer is tabled. As of right now, however, we still don’t know how big the fee might be but it’s definitely below the price tag expected by the Germans.

Only time will tell whether there is indeed a chance to somehow turn their heads and convince them to sell.

Verdict

Even though an official bid will finally get the ball rolling, it does still feel like we’re quite far away from actually seeing the end of this saga. If Man United don’t make a substantial offer, it’s highly likely that Borussia will just turn it down.

And then, we’re back to the very beginning. But where there is smoke, there is usually fire so we’ll have to wait and see what happens.