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Leicester City will be subjected to a severe test of their top four credentials this weekend as they face Manchester City.

The Foxes host Pep Guardiola’s table-toppers at the King Power Stadium on Saturday evening, with a victory potentially going a long way to Leicester securing a place in the Champions League.

What changes could Brendan Rodgers make from the 3-1 FA Cup success over Manchester United before the international break?

All of the Foxes’ internationals came through the recent break unscathed so there won’t be any enforced changes at the weekend, but there could be a couple made for tactical reasons.

The defence should stay the same, with goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel closely guarded by a back three of Wesley Fofana, Jonny Evans and Caglar Soyuncu.

Meanwhile, there is likely to be one change at wing-back. Rodgers has revealed that £27m-rated Portuguese defender Ricardo Pereira is fit to return, so he could replace Marc Albrighton on the right. Timothy Castagne should remain on the left.

Wilfred Ndidi and Youri Tielemans have dovetailed expertly in recent weeks so it is difficult to see that pairing disrupted for this match.

Another alteration is likely to occur slightly further forwards, where James Maddison can also return to the fray having missed the last four Premier League games. The former Norwich City man could replace Ayoze Perez in the number 10 position.

Elsewhere, the forward line should remain the same despite both Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy being in completely contrasting form.

The Nigerian was recently named Premier League Player of the Month for March after five goals in just three matches, whilst Vardy has only scored once in the league since Christmas. He will surely be hoping to get back on the goal trail following his hat-trick in the victory at the Etihad Stadium earlier this season.

AND in more news, take a look at which striker signing Leicester should prioritise in the summer…

In recent comments, John Hartson claimed that there should be no guard of honour given to Glasgow Rangers in this weekend’s Old Firm fixture.

Following Steven Gerrard’s side’s clinching of their first Scottish Premiership title in 10 years earlier this month, much debate has ensued as to whether Celtic will greet Rangers with a guard of honour prior to kick-off in the upcoming Old Firm clash.

However, in recent comments made on the radio (via Ibrox News), former Celtic striker Hartson called for perspective on the guard on honour debate, claiming that Rangers have never done such a thing for the Hoops, as well as taking a swipe at the “embarrassing” actions of the Gers side in recent seasons.

He said: “Let’s have some perspective, in the last ten years Celtic have done the quadruple-treble [and there was] no word of a guard of honour. It’s never been mentioned, so why do it now? I know Rangers have come back from the dead, come back from absolutely nowhere… it’s a brilliant achievement.

“A couple of years ago when Neil Lennon took his team to Ibrox and Celtic had already won the league, Rangers beat us and celebrated like they’d won the European Cup. I thought to myself ‘that is embarrassing, what are you celebrating?’ I hope Celtic take this on board and don’t do the same thing if they win.”

Transfer Tavern Take

While there is not a great deal of humility in Hartson’s comments, perhaps his perspective will be understood by Rangers fans, as they would no doubt share a similar opinion if the shoe were on the other foot – something that was in evidence back in 2019, when Gerrard’s side did not give Celtic a guard of honour at Ibrox.

However, the fact that Rangers head to Parkhead 20 points clear of their rivals, as well as with an unbeaten record in the league, is something that is likely to cause Hartson’s former side a great deal of embarrassment, with or without giving Gers a guard of honour.

In other news: many Rangers fans have slammed this Union Bears statement – find out more here!

As the end of the season approaches, the inevitable rumours surrounding Paul Pogba’s future at Manchester United could resurface.

The Frenchman has long been linked with a second departure from Old Trafford, and with his contract set to expire next summer, it looks more likely than ever that the Red Devils may have to cash in on the former Juventus man this year.

According to The Telegraph, “discussions” have taken place over his future but a concrete extension has not been offered by the club.

Ed Woodward must make it his priority to secure Pogba to a new deal at Old Trafford.

The Frenchman has been questioned for his consistency with the Red Devils but his talent has never been in doubt. In 193 appearances for the club, he has scored 37 goals and notched 36 assists.

Despite the criticism he has received, these statistics are very similar to the eye-catching numbers he accumulated in his time in Italy.

His season has been disrupted through injury but the midfielder keeps sending stark reminders over his pivotal role in the Red Devils setup, having scored winning goals against Burnley and Fulham in the Premier League.

He also came off the bench against AC Milan on Thursday, with his goal being enough to guide the team through to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-man-united-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=” Latest Man United transfer rumours and news!”]

Even manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been left enamoured, stating that Pogba can “do everything”. Such quotes would imply that he is the type of player United would fear to lose, especially on a free transfer.

Should the Old Trafford hierarchy not see a place in the squad for Pogba, and indeed if the Frenchman wishes to leave, they simply cannot let him run down his contract.

Rated at £54m by Transfermarkt, United would surely wish to recoup the majority of the reported £89m they spent to bring him back to Old Trafford.

That would simply not be possible should his contract expire, seeing United miss out on a huge fee for the 28-year-old.

Whether the Red Devils would prefer Pogba to stay at the club or not remains to be seen. The rumours surrounding his next employers also remain elementary but Woodward simply cannot let his contract continue to run down either way.

AND in more news, take a closer look at Pogba’s inspirational performance at the San Siro on Thursday night…

Everton could struggle to recoup much of their initial outlay on Gylfi Sigurdsson but looking at a younger replacement remains sensible, Kevin Phillips has told Football Insider.

It follows a report from the website that Everton will listen to offers for the Icelandic international this summer. The outlet claimed that the 31-year-old will be available for a ‘fraction’ of the £45m sum paid to recruit the attacking midfielder from Swansea City in 2016.

Sigurdsson’s strong 2020/21 campaign

Sigurdsson has been in decent form this season, scoring six goals and assisting a further nine in all competitions. He has well surpassed his meagre tally of six goal contributions from last season.

Carlo Ancelotti has utilised his versatility, deploying him as a deeper-lying central midfielder and even a centre-forward on occasion.

Sigurdsson has just over a year remaining on his £100,000-a-week contract and is valued by the CIES Football Observatory at somewhere between £6m and £8.5m.

Phillips issues Sigurdsson transfer verdict

Whilst such a sale would represent a huge loss for Everton, former Premier League Golden Boot winner Phillips says that now might be the ideal time to refresh the squad with a new number 10.

“They aren’t going to get anywhere near what they paid for him, that’s for sure,” he said.

“Maybe that’s a sign of Everton thinking ‘he’s a 31-year-old who’s had a good a season’ but will they get that again next season?

“His value is only going down. Maybe it’s time to cash in and bring someone in who’s younger, who they’ll get more years out of.”

Intriguingly, Phillips also suggested that Sigurdsson may dig in and look to see out his contract if Champions League football was on offer at Goodison Park next season. The Toffees are currently five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea but crucially have a game in hand.

“It’ll be interesting to see how that one plays out,” the 47-year-old said. “If Everton were to finish in the top four, would Sigurdsson really want to leave?”

Transfer Tavern verdict

Sigurdsson has demonstrated this season, after a disappointing 2019/20 campaign, that he can be a valuable member of the Everton squad.

If you’re only going to receive seven figures in a sale, then it probably makes sense to keep him around as a versatile rotation option for one more year.

Finishing in the European places would boost the Blues’ spending power regardless. They shouldn’t necessarily be in a sell-to-buy position.

In other news, could this midfielder become an Everton player in the next transfer window?

Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Yerry Mina is facing an extended spell on the sidelines with the injury sustained in Everton’s 3-1 defeat to Manchester City earlier this month.

The Colombian centre-half was taken off after just 18 minutes having picked up a calf issue, forcing Mina to sit out last weekend’s 2-0 Merseyside derby win away to rivals Liverpool.

Mina had returned to the Toffees’ starting line-up for the visit of Pep Guardiola’s Citizens to Goodison Park after sitting out his side’s previous two Premier League fixtures, marking the 26-year-old’s 22nd start of the season so far across all competitions.

Ancelotti opted to draft a five-man defence at Anfield in Mina’s absence, with Mason Holgate and Ben Godfrey partnering Michael Keane while Seamus Coleman and Lucas Digne occupied the full-back spots.

The Italian tactician has confirmed that Everton will again be without Mina at home to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton on Monday night, along with long-term absentee Jean-Philippe Gbamin due to his Achilles injury.

“Gbamin is progressing well. We don’t know exactly when he can come back to train with the team – the same with Yerry Mina, also,” Ancelotti said.

“I think Yerry will be out for at least two more weeks.”

But Everton will be able to call on both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Allan to start on Monday, after the striker and midfielder returned to the Blues’ matchday squad against Liverpool.

“Allan and Dominic are okay. They are training regularly,” the ex-Chelsea and Real Madrid head coach added.  “They are available to play, for sure, from the beginning.”

Calvert-Lewin featured for the final 30 minutes against Liverpool following two games out with a hamstring injury, while Allan took a seat on the bench as he waits for his first action since limping off against Leicester on December 16.

Mina’s absence at home to Southampton on Monday night will present Godfrey with another chance to prove that Everton are not at a disadvantage without the Colombian, following the £20m summer signing from Norwich City’s performance at Liverpool.

Godfrey earned rave reviews for his exploits at Anfield, where the £77,000-per-week ace was given only his seventh Premier League outing of the season at centre-half, following eight games at left-back and twice being fielded as the right-sided full-back.

“He’s really stepped up to the plate. We all knew he was a good player when Everton signed him and had high hopes, but he’s exceeded those expectations by the level of his performance, both in central defence and also in full-backs as well,” ex-Everton defender David Weir told Football Pass on Monday.

“He seems to get Everton. You can tell the fans, although they are not at the games, you can tell they like him. They like his work ethic. They like his hunger to play. He’s got a real intensity about the way he defends.”

Godfrey and Holgate both offered one successful tackle against Jurgen Klopp’s defending Premier League champions, but only the former Canaries talent boasted a 100% record at Anfield, per WhoScored.

Holgate also offered fewer clearances (2) than Godfrey (8) and Keane (13) – who was dribbled past in his only attempted tackle – while proving more wasteful on the ball with a 57% pass success rate from 28 attempts to his teammates’ respective 71% from 24 and 76% from 25 records.

Godfrey’s match rating of 7.1 out of 10 against Liverpool was also above his average 6.65 for the season when fielded at centre-back, the lowest among Ancelotti’s options with Holgate scoring a 7.01, Keane a 6.94 and Mina a 6.89.

Ancelotti will now hope to see Godfrey match his performance for the visit of Southampton to Goodison Park, where Everton have lost their last three Premier League fixtures and are winless in 2021.

AND in other news, Everton face European competition to sign a £35m target this summer…

Glasgow Rangers fans are far from happy with an incident from their match against Kilmarnock in the Premiership on Saturday.

The Gers edged the game 1-0 to go 21 points clear at the top of the table with just nine games left to play (BBC). Steven Gerrard will be delighted that his team were able to pick up the three points – right now, he knows the results are far more important than the performances.

It could have been a more comfortable win for the Gers as well. There was an incident in the penalty area, when right-back and captain James Tavernier was clearly taken out by a Killie player – it looked like a stonewall spot-kick, but referee Don Robertson decided not to give it.

A GIF of the incident was shared by Twitter account @_R_W_B_, and it angered the club’s supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the Rangers fans had to say about the incident below

“100% a penalty. If the ref thinks the Killie player gets the ball, he can argue it’s a corner (Still a penalty, as he’s went through the back of Tav). He gave a goal kick. Bonkers.”

Credit: @RustyBaw72

“These just get ignored. It’s ridiculous.”

Credit: @BMCRangersRants

“That’s actually hilarious “

Credit: @AATG57

“Absolute joke and Tavs goal was onside”

Credit: @thefragglerocks

“Decisions are getting worse #wontstop55”

Credit: @richardbarber73

“Stonewall penalty. Don doing what he does best today.”

Credit: @onlyoneamoruso

In other news, Rangers fans love this injury update.

This was not an evening which Filip Helander will look back on with any great deal of fondness, but Glasgow Rangers got the job done against Royal Antwerp in a seven-goal thriller in the Europa League.

Two goals from Borna Barisic sealed a memorable victory for Steven Gerrard’s side as they came from behind to beat the Belgians. Joe Aribo and Ryan Kent also scored for the Scottish Premiership leaders, with Alfredo Morelos picking up two assists as well.

However, a defensive lapse of concentration late in the first half threatened to undo all of their hard work, but Rangers refused to buckle.

And, as Antwerp grew more desperate with each passing minute, Ryan Kent took advantage of some weak defending to rifle home a shot to bring the two sides level before Borna Barisic secured a dramatic three points for Rangers in the final minute of stoppage time.

Gerrard opted to recall Filip Helander at the Bosuilstadion instead of Leon Balogun and he may have been left to regret his decision after he produced an uninspiring performance in Thursday’s 4-3 win over Antwerp.

Helander may have not been at fault for all of the goals but conceding three goals in less than 45 minutes is not the way to impress the Rangers manager as you try to work your way back into the fold.

The Swedish international was subject to some criticism for his efforts at Antwerp from former Rangers striker Peter Lovenkrands, who noted he was at fault for Martin Hongla’s goal, saying: “Helander drops really deep to cover Avenatti’s run, if he doesn’t do that he’ll shut that down. He’s far too deep, if he stays in the line it wouldn’t have been a goal there.”

Steven Davis had every right to feel harshly penalised for a foul inside the box after he clipped the back of Lior Refaelov’s heel but otherwise controlled possession of the ball and dictated play for most of the game, having taken more touches of the ball (86) than any of his teammates, as per SofaScore.

Yet for Helander, there is no escaping from what was a rather lacklustre display by all accounts. The Swede received the second-lowest rating of any Rangers player to feature in the match, having earned a 6.0 for his efforts, and it’s easy to see why.

For context, other than Allan McGregor, every other Rangers player on the pitch was graded at 6.2 or better by SofaScore and that should help to paint the full picture.

He failed to register a single tackle or interception or block a single shot in the entire game, via SofaScore, whilst he committed two fouls, which was the joint-highest out of the entire Rangers squad, to sum up his frustrations on the night.

If that weren’t bad enough, Helander lost at least 66% of his duels in total, as he only managed to win two out of a possible six, which was one fewer than Davis could manage during the entire game.

Considering the fact that the 27-year-old earns £9,300-per-week at Ibrox, that being more than the likes of Joe Aribo and Glen Kamara, he really should be doing a lot better than that, especially when he was trusted with a start in the first place.

Helander, therefore, badly let Gerrard and Rangers down on the night with a woeful display at the back.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos stole the show in Europa League goalfest…

According to Evening Standard journalist Dan Kilpatrick, Tottenham could be without Ben Davies for tonight’s Premier League encounter with Liverpool in another injury worry after he was taken off against Wycombe Wanderers in the FA Cup – coming as fellow left-back Sergio Reguilon looks set to miss the match.

Davies was hauled off after picking up a knock during Tottenham’s 4-1 victory away to the Championship side, and at the moment, it is unclear whether he will feature in north London on Thursday as Jose Mourinho gears up for a crunch clash (Evening Standard).

Spurs could miss Davies for Liverpool clash

Indeed, the 27-year-old is a doubt for the match this evening, but there is a glimmer of optimism in Kilpatrick’s update as Davies hopes to pass a late fitness test.

Whether he will be deemed able enough to take part remains to be seen, but for now, he is considered a doubt for Liverpool as Tottenham’s left-back options seem alarmingly thin.

Both Reguilon and Davies potentially being absent leaves little room for manoeuvre as far as Mourinho is concerned, with Japhet Tanganga emerging as an option if the Welshman indeed cannot feature.

Transfer Tavern take

The Lilywhites youngster has been deployed as a left-back before, but not this season as per Kilpatrick.

Spurs fans will be hoping Davies is passed fit, but right now he remains a doubt – coming as both Reguilon and attacker Dele Alli (football.london) look set to miss Liverpool.

Mourinho is certainly a fan of the player, who he described as ‘very intelligent’ back in October for his contributions as part of a back four (football.london), meanwhile pundit Darren Bent hailed him as one of the ‘standout’ performers of 2020/2021 after Spurs’ League Cup win against Stoke (Sky Sports via TBR).

In other news: Tottenham eyeing this ‘superb’ starlet, find out more here.

Is this the beginning of Celtic’s turnaround? Their 4-0 win over Kilmarnock brought back happy memories of some of the free-flowing football we’ve seen over the last decade.

On each of the last nine occasions, the Hoops have been the triumphant side when it comes to the SPFL.

Their success has been unmatched but now they’re on the verge of surrendering their grasp over Scottish football.

Heading into their clash with Motherwell on Saturday, they are still 23 points behind Rangers. It’s safe to say that any chance of securing a tenth successive crown is done and dusted.

It’s rather remarkable that Neil Lennon is still in the job and we’re not expecting him to lose it anytime soon. After all, the hierarchy have backed him to the hills.

Thus, in Lennon’s next clash, what will his starting XI be?

We’re tipping the manager to make as many as four changes from the team that defeated Kilmarnock on Tuesday.

One of those changes is enforced. Albian Ajeti scored against Killie but is now facing a two-match suspension after being retrospectively banned for simulation.

He went down to earn a penalty that Odsonne Edouard converted but is now facing punishment for his actions. That means that Leigh Griffiths returns to the side.

Another change is at left-back where Diego Laxalt comes into replace Greg Taylor. That’s the only replacement among a backline that kept a rare clean sheet a few days ago.

The other two switches come in the middle of the park. Scott Brown was imperious in the win over Killie but is dropped back to the bench in place of the effervescent Ismaila Soro.

We’ve downplayed Ryan Christie’s performances this week and as such, we think the out of form winger needs to be benched. He’s scored just once in his last 19 outings so Mo Elyounoussi takes his place in the side.

That means that David Turnbull is moved over to the right-hand side in the hope of finding good fortune against his former employers.

AND in other news, Celtic could fix a big problem by hiring manager who left Rodgers “really impressed”…

According to Mundo Deportivo, Manchester United are reportedly considering a move for Sevilla defender Jules Kounde and he could be the perfect replacement for Victor Lindelof.

What’s the word?

Kounde finds himself on the Red Devils’ radar after previously being linked with a move to their arch-rivals Manchester City.

The Spanish outlet revealed that Sevilla rejected a €55m bid from Pep Guardiola’s side in the summer.

It’s also claimed Sevilla will not be easily persuaded to sell one of their prized assets as erstwhile Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui is loath to part with the centre-half. However, the Andalusian club are apparently willing to listen to offers in the region of €80m for Kounde.

Despite his age, the 22-year-old has been colossal at the back for Lopetegui’s side, as well as providing two goals in 18 appearances across all competitions, via WhoScored.

Bye-bye Victor Lindelof

The Red Devils find themselves among a number of contenders jostling for position in the Premier League title race and it seems like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to strengthen his squad before the transfer window shuts in January.

United’s defensive struggles this season thus far have been well-documented, dating back to the defensive meltdown they endured during the humiliating 6-1 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur at the start of the season.

Ed Woodward splashed the cash to sign Harry Maguire from Leicester City and, after a tricky start to his time at Old Trafford, the England international has been a total revelation.

However, Solskjaer has struggled to find a defensive partner for the club captain, with Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof and, to some extent, Axel Tuanzebe struggling for consistency alongside Maguire.

Out of the three, it’s probably fair to say that Lindelof is the weakest of those players and since his arrival from Benfica in 2017, he has often divided the fan base.

Whilst the La Liga giants are under no pressure to sell Kounde, whose contract will run out in 2024, he could be the long-term solution to United’s lingering problems at the back. Solskjaer’s side have conceded three goals in their past three games.

In 12 appearances in the Spanish top flight this season, the Frenchman, who reportedly earns around £16,000-per-week, is averaging 1.2 interceptions and 3.4 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

His manager Lopetegui told Marca amid rampant transfer speculation in the latter half of last year: “Jules is our player, he is an important part of the team.”

It’s clear as day that Kounde could be one for the future and he could be United’s starting centre-back for years to come if Woodward brings him to Old Trafford and he is able to hit the ground running.

He may not be the flashiest target, but he is certainly capable of being a very good player at the back. Add in his eye for a goal, coupled with the fact he has Champions League experience, and the youngster is already a well-rounded prospect.

AND in other news, Ed Woodward must secure Man Utd transfer swoop for Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho…