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Crystal Palace appear to have transformed their fortunes in recent months, with Patrick Vieira’s new-look side already providing their supporters with bags of entertainment in the opening weeks of the campaign.

And journalist Tom Barclay believes the best could still be to come for the capital club, claiming the prospect of seeing Michael Olise, Conor Gallagher, Eberechi Eze, Wilfried Zaha and Odsonne Edouard in the same team is a “mouth-watering” one.

What’s the word?

The quintet are yet to play together due to Eze currently being sidelined with an Achilles injury, although that could soon change as the youngster nears a return to full fitness.

Barclay addressed the possible forward line available to Vieira in a recent interview, stating how the fans would relish the excitement after four years of pragmatism under Roy Hodgson.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “That certainly is mouth-watering for Palace fans, who the majority had had enough of Roy Hodgson’s style after four years.

“As much as they appreciated the stability that came with his approach, they were crying out for something more entertaining, and they’ve already got it with Vieira.”

Crystal Palace fans will be excited

After failing to score in their opening three games of the season under Vieira’s tutelage, Palace have bagged nine in their last five outings, and the attacking players named by Barclay have been heavily involved.

Gallagher got the ball rolling with a brace against West Ham United to rescue a draw at the London Stadium before Zaha got his first of the season from the spot at home to Tottenham Hotspur, with Edouard coming off the bench to net two goals on his Eagles debut.

A 3-0 defeat to Liverpool followed, but Palace returned to form via another Zaha penalty against Brighton and Hove Albion and, Michael Olise also notched his first strike against Leicester City last time out.

The only other Palace player to find the back of the net so far this season is Jeffrey Schlupp, highlighting the importance of the aforementioned stars.

With Eze just weeks away from a return to the first-team setup, it’s certainly an exciting time to be a fan of the south London outfit, and the prospect of him joining an already effective forward line is enough to give the supporters hope of a successful season.

And, in other news…Signed for £0, sold for £49.5m: Parish struck gold for Palace over £90k-p/w gem 

Aston Villa will be able to call upon Emiliano Martinez, Marvelous Nakamba and Bertrand Traore for their trip to Wolves after the international break, Ashley Preece reports.

This is after the UK government agreed to a quarantine exemption for players travelling to red-list countries during the international break, so long as they are double-vaccinated.

And in Villa’s case, that applies to all three of the players concerned.

After the last international break, Dean Smith’s side had to cope without Martinez and Emiliano Buendia for their trip to Chelsea because there was no such exemption in place.

How important have the Villa trio been so far?

Martinez has started every other Premier League game this season, keeping three clean sheets (via Transfermarkt).

Nakamba, meanwhile, has only made one start, with Smith handing him three substitute appearances.

And Traore’s start to the campaign has been disrupted by an injury he suffered in the opening day defeat at Watford. He’s been limited to just 43 minutes across Villa’s first six matches.

Here’s how Villa fans reacted when Preece tweeted the news.

Villa fans celebrate triple boost

“Praise the lord for the government”

Credit: @8forclark

“Great news, thanks for that Ash, you da man.”

Credit: @Up_tha_Villa

“Great stuff!”

Credit: @Petermi39249140

“Boooom”

Credit: @muzzavilla

“Everyone liked that”

Credit: @titanuk1874

“SIUUUUU”

Credit: @avfcjoshuaa

In other news, hordes of fans also flocked to Preece’s post on Konsa. 

Leicester City’s pursuit of Champions League football got off to the best start possible after Jamie Vardy’s strike saw off Wolves 1-0 at the King Power Stadium this afternoon.

The Foxes’ talismanic striker found the back of the net just before half-time thanks to an extremely well-taken header following Ricardo Pereira’s cross from the right-hand side.

Beginning life under new manager Bruno Lage following Nuno Espirito Santo’s departure, Wolves had a golden opportunity to take the lead with the score at 0-0, with pacey winger Adama Traore running clear of the Leicester defence. 

However, the Spain international could only side-foot his effort tamely wide of Kasper Schmeichel’s post, and the FA Cup holders barely gave the opposition attack a sniff after that. 

Although Vardy will get the headlines for his match-winning goal, it was stand-in centre-back Daniel Amartey who provided the base for Leicester’s success.

Rodgers decided to keep faith with the 26-year-old following his impressive showing in the Community Shield despite Jannik Vestergaard completing his move from Southampton to take his place in the matchday squad.

As per SofaScore, Amartey received a match rating of 7.6 out of 10 this afternoon, the second-highest total amongst his teammates, while his 89 touches were the third-most of anyone in Rodgers’ side.

The Ghanaian won four of his five duels and made made two tackles and two clearances during his 90 minutes on the pitch. but he was also excellent with the ball at his feet. Amartey achieved a passing accuracy of 92% while completing four of his six attempted long passes.

New signing Vestergaard will have had a week’s worth of training with his new teammates under his belt by the time Leicester take on West Ham United in the Monday night fixture next up, but Amartey will be hoping that his impressive showing has done enough to see him start again in nine days’ time.

In other news… Sky Sports reveal intriguing transfer update which could leave Leicester fans gutted 

Newcastle United are reportedly setting their sights on signing Leon King in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Emerging talent

At just 17 years of age, King is one of the emerging talents in Scottish football, having already made his senior debut for Glasgow Rangers.

The club’s coaches regard him as a ‘huge talent’ and are ‘convinced’ that he can establish himself in the first team at Ibrox in the coming years (Football Insider).

However, he is out of contract in the summer, so that presents a good opportunity for the St James’ Park outfit to sign him.

The Latest: Newcastle set sights on King

As per Football Insider, both Newcastle and Manchester United have now ‘set their sights’ on the Gers sensation ahead of the January transfer window.

Sources from Ibrox have revealed that there is ‘fresh doubt’ over the teenager’s future, and he could even be sold for a compensation fee of around £250,000.

The Tyneside club are ‘interested’ in opening talks with King over a pre-contract agreement in January ahead of a potential summer move.

The Verdict: One for the future

King is a player for the future, so it would be a smart idea for the Magpies to sign him now before he develops further and attracts interest from other clubs.

The defender clearly has a lot of promise, as he has also played for the Scotland national team at youth level.

The Newcastle Academy could then use and develop him, or he could be sent out on loan to get further experience playing men’s football, but it is clear that there are multiple possibilities with this potential signing.

In other news, NUFC are willing to pay big money for this rising star

Leeds United have been handed a transfer boost in their chase to sign Wolfsburg star Josip Brekalo.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks and months have suggested that the Croatia international is a target for Marcelo Bielsa’s side this summer as they look to bolster their options out wide.

German publication Kicker has now delivered a boost to the Whites’ chances of signing the 23-year-old, revealing that many of the clubs who like Brekalo actually do not have the funds required to complete a transfer.

The report adds that, while there is a long queue of admirers for him, Wolfsburg’s demands have put off most of the prospective suitors.

Helder Costa can now leave

Leeds’ interest in Brekalo is perfectly timed, with reports suggesting that Helder Costa could be on his way out of the club this summer.

Football Insider have reported in recent months that Jorge Mendes is working hard to find the Portuguese winger a new club, with La Liga said to be his preferred option, and that would leave a gap in Bielsa’s squad out wide.

Costa endured a nightmare campaign in the Premier League last term for Bielsa’s side, scoring just three times and providing only three assists in 22 top-flight games.

And, after a particularly disappointing performance against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, former Leeds man Noel Whelan slammed the winger, saying: “The one player that disappointed me was Helder Costa. Once again he was poor. There is something there that is not right because Poveda came on and did more in that short time than Costa did in the 60 minutes he was on the field.

“He is fourth in the pecking order in terms of wingers for me. Poveda has to come before him now. He plays it safe and he’s negative. For a player that cost £16m, I need to see a hell of a lot more from him. At least Poveda runs at people. He is positive and that is what a winger should do. Costa has been a massive flop. A real disappointment again.”

In Brekalo, Leeds would be getting someone who not only is exciting with the ball at his feet, but also has an end product to his game. The Croatian bagged seven goals and set up another three in 29 Bundesliga outings last term, including a superb hat-trick in his penultimate game of the season against Union Berlin.

Goal’s Bundesliga journalist Ronan Murphy offered his thoughts on the Croatian on Twitter, saying: “The less said about his off-field antics the better, as he should leave his on-field performances do the talking. Able to unlock defences and strong cutting in to shoot, he will torment defenders everywhere.”

Able to play on either flank like Costa has done for Leeds, the £26m-rated Brekalo could come in and be a fine replacement for the Portuguese winger, thus allowing the Whites to get rid of someone who just hasn’t produced the goods often enough.

Meanwhile, Leeds United have had a bid accepted for this player…

Cardiff City are interested in a deal to bring Matty James to the Cardiff City Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that Mick McCarthy’s side are considering a move for the Leicester City midfielder at the end of his current contract at the King Power Stadium, which is due to expire this month.

It is also reported that a number of other Championship sides are keen on a move for the 29-year-old, including Bristol City, with the former Foxes manager Nigel Pearson believed to be eager to link up with one of his old players.

McCarthy must move

With McCarthy undoubtedly looking to improve on the Bluebirds’ impressive eighth-place finish in the Championship in their upcoming campaign, the 62-year-old will be looking to bring in a number of improvements to his current squad this summer.

And, considering James’ form while on loan at Coventry City in the second half of last season, as well as the £900k-rated man’s experience of playing in the Premier League with Leicester, he would very much appear to be an addition who could help Cardiff take their game to the next level in 2021/22.

Indeed, out of the £32k-per-week midfielder’s 117 appearances for the Foxes, over which he has scored five goals and provided 13 assists, 42 of those outings have come in the top flight of English football, with James notably playing a crucial role in the club’s great escape from relegation back in 2014/15.

And, while a number of injuries have prevented the 29-year-old from featuring on a more regular basis for Brendan Rodgers’ side, the former England U20 international highly impressed during a loan spell at Coventry last season, scoring three goals and providing three assists over his 23 Championship appearances for the Sky Blues.

That’s in addition to making an average of 1.6 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 1.3 key passes per game, culminating in a seasonal WhoScored match rating of 6.88.

As such, the man whom Leicestershire Live writer Jordan Blackwell dubbed a “grafter” would very much be a fantastic addition to the Cardiff City midfield next season. Mick McCarthy should do all he can to get a deal over the line for the 29-year-old this summer, particularly as he won’t cost Vincent Tan a penny in transfer fees.

In other news: Forget Bennett: McCarthy must sanction Cardiff swoop for “excellent” 9-assist dynamo

Tottenham Hotspur are not expected to sign a new striker this summer, after missing out on prime targets Dusan Vlahovic and Lautaro Martinez, as reported by journalist Alasdair Gold on Twitter.

The Lowdown: Spurs at centre of transfer storm regarding strikers this summer

Of course, the Lilywhites have been at the centre of a transfer storm this summer. Harry Kane was relentlessly linked to Manchester City before confirming that he will be staying at Spurs this season [Guardian].

Over the course of that saga, Tottenham were interested in Serie A hitmen Martinez and Vlahovic of Inter Milan and Fiorentina respectively, however both deals did not come to fruition [Football London].

The Latest: ‘Nuno and Paratici have decided’

Speaking to his large following on Twitter, Football London correspondent Gold shed light on the latest surrounding the forward position at the club, stating: “At this stage, understand Nuno and Paratici have decided that they will not look to sign another striker today after missing out on their top two targets.”

It now looks as if talisman Kane may be the only senior striker on the books in N17 moving into the coming months.

The Verdict: Lack of depth up-front is a major concern

Most certainly in need of someone to share the goal-scoring burden at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with star man Kane, this news will come as a blow to the Spurs support.

Son Heung-min has helped to deputise in the role in 2021/22, scoring twice from four appearances [Transfermarkt]. Nonetheless, his involvement centrally leaves the left-hand side of attack subject to depletion.

Youngster Dane Scarlett could also be an option at centre-forward, though he has only one senior outing to his name this term and needs time to develop at 17 years old.

Despite the alarming lack of depth within the Tottenham frontline, Nuno and Paratici seem to be willing to hang fire for the time being as other positions take priority.

In other news, Tottenham Hotspur face a blow in their pursuit of a lightning-quick ace. Find out more here.

A number of Liverpool supporters are frustrated that Taiwo Awoniyi was allowed to leave the Reds, following his excellent start to the season in Germany.

Jurgen Klopp’s men could only draw 1-1 at home to 10-man Chelsea on Saturday evening in what was a disappointing encounter at Anfield. The performance was good in patches, but as the minutes ticked by, Liverpool seemed to run out of ideas in the final third.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

There is a feeling that the Reds are one player short in attacking positions, with a new signing needed to freshen things up and provide more competition for playing time.

One player who could potentially have been an option is Awonoyi, but instead the 24-year-old was sold to Bundesliga side Union Berlin this summer, having never even played for Liverpool despite signing for them in 2015, being forced to undergo numerous loan spells due to difficulties obtaining a UK work permit.

The Nigerian has made a flying start to the season in the Bundesliga, scoring three goals in as many games, including a superb effort against Borussia Monchengladbach on Sunday.

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Liverpool fans unhappy with Awoniyi sale

These Liverpool fans have fumed at the club’s decision, taking to Twitter to say that Awoniyi could have been a perfect option in the squad.

Some supporters feel he would have been a better option than current Reds forwards Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino, who between them have scored five goals in 34 appearances for the club since the start of the 2020/21 campaign.

“Maybe he could have been the option”

Credit: @keswickbro

“Better than Origi and Minamino”

Credit: @LFC_Brett

“Didn’t even give the lad a chance”

Credit: @ThatRexGuyAgain

“So we didn’t give him a chance but kept Origi”

Credit: @97HassanM

“Why did we let him go and Origi survives”

Credit: @AChxmz

“Why didn’t we give this kid a chance?”

Credit: @Nvli_dvn

In other news, some Liverpool fans have hailed one player’s performance against Chelsea. Find out who it is here.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore must ruthlessly axe centre-back Tom Lees amid interest from Championship side Bristol City.

What’s the talk?

According to the Bristol Post, Lees is one of the players for whom Nigel Pearson is weighing up a swoop as he attempts to improve his defence heading into the 2021/22 campaign. The report claims that Pearson is looking to bring in two new centre-back options and Lees is a player he would like to sign, along with Oxford defender Rob Atkinson.

Lees is out of contract at the end of the month and is reportedly on £22,000 per week at Hillsborough. This means that he is on course to become a free agent at the start of July, which would allow Bristol City to bring him in without paying a transfer fee to Sheffield Wednesday for his services.

Relief for Chansiri

Moore deciding to axe Lees this summer would come as a massive relief for Dejphon Chansiri. The 30-year-old is one of the club’s top earners and his exit could take a sizeable chunk away from the wage bill Chansiri will need to pay in League One next season following the club’s relegation to the third tier.

Sheffield Wednesday have felt the impact of the global pandemic financially and are reportedly struggling to pay the wages of their players at the moment. The club are looking into the possibility of placing some of their playing staff on furlough over the summer to cut costs and cover payments.

This means that letting Lees go could be a necessity this month. If Chansiri is not able to pay the players their wages for the month just gone, there is no way of being able to justify keeping the defender at Hillsborough for another season or longer, unless he was willing to take a gigantic pay cut to play for the club in League One.

That appears to be an unlikely outcome because of the interest from Bristol City in his services. Pearson is offering him the chance to move back to the Championship, potentially without a pay cut, and that could be an attractive prospect for the former Leeds player.

It is worth pointing out that this is not an indictment on Lees’ performances for the club in the season just gone. He averaged the highest WhoScored rating in the Championship for Sheffield Wednesday, earning a score of 6.88 for his performances across 38 starts, just ahead of Barry Bannan. He averaged five aerial battles won and 5.4 clearances made per game, showing that he was a beast for Wednesday at the back despite their failure to stay up.

However, time is up for Lees at Hillsborough, and Moore must allow him to go because of their wage bill situation.

AND in other news, SWFC must complete deal for “powerful” ace after huge update

A Glasgow Rangers insider has now revealed some fresh transfer news on Alex Lowry.

The Lowdown: Reported talks

It has been reported that head of recruitment at Newcastle United, Steve Nickson, has met with Lowry’s agent in a hotel to discuss a potential move to St. James’ Park in the summer.

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He has reportedly rejected a new three-and-a-half-year deal at Ibrox, which is set to expire in 2023.

The Latest: No contact

Taking to Twitter, Gers insider The 4th Official, who regularly breaks club news and updates, has now revealed a fresh twist on the situation, claiming that there has been ‘no contact’ from the Magpies with the club over Lowry, despite the reported meeting with his agent:

”Currently, Rangers have had no contact from Newcastle United, let alone a bid for the player.”

Expanding in his latest podcast, the insider has also revealed details of private ‘conversations’ that they have had with people inside the club, claiming that Lowry is ‘happy’ and ‘definitely not’ trying to force through a move away:

“I have had conversations with people inside Rangers & they tell me that Alex Lowry is happy here and definitely not trying to force a move.”

The Verdict: Hope

The latest update from The 4th Official certainly gives hope that Lowry will end up staying, and potentially sign a new long-term contract.

He is highly thought of at the Light Blues, having made four senior appearances already this season despite being just 18 years of age, drawing praise as ‘remarkable’ from former boss Graeme Murty.

It will be difficult to hold off the pressure if a Premier League giant like the Toon come calling, but Lowry is one for the future, and so the supporters should be able to see the best of him under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

In other news, find out who GvB’s first summer signing could now be here!