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Newcastle United are among the clubs competing for the signature of Chelsea outcast Tammy Abraham, according to a report from TEAMtalk.

The Magpies are named alongside West Ham, Southampton and Aston Villa as potential suitors, with Chelsea said to be open to selling the 23-year-old, who is about to enter the final two years of his contract at Stamford Bridge.

However, the report added that one potential stumbling block in any exit could be his wage demands. In his talks with Chelsea, Abraham apparently demanded a similar deal to team-mate Callum Hudson-Odoi, who earns £180,000 per week.

Abraham unhappy at Stamford Bridge

After the Englishman was left out of the matchday squad for the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City earlier this month, The Guardian reported that he was ‘considering seeking a fresh opportunity’.

Since Thomas Tuchel took over at the end of January, Abraham has played just 126 minutes of Premier League football. He has suffered an ankle injury in that time, but he was in full training before he was snubbed for the Wembley clash.

Last week, Tuchel admitted that he could understand why Abraham was ‘worried and sad and maybe angry’ about his situation.

Newcastle target Abraham a proven goalscorer

Despite his struggles to get a look-in under Tuchel, the 23-year-old remains Chelsea’s top scorer this season with 12 goals in all competitions, one more than Timo Werner.

He has netted 30 times across 81 appearances in total for the Blues, having previously bagged 48 goals in his Championship loan spells (via Transfermarkt).

Transfer Tavern verdict

Football analytics writer Aaron Moniz tweeted that a £30-40m move for Abraham would be ‘one of the deals of the year’ if Newcastle could pull it off, and it’s hard to disagree.

The striker’s value could reasonably be much higher had he not been ousted by Tuchel in recent months. He could flourish at St James’ Park in a partnership with Callum Wilson, utilising his hold-up play, and the Magpies should certainly give strong consideration towards trying to bring him in.

In other news, Newcastle could also bring in this young centre-back from the continent.

Only one player from outside Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund makes the top 20, but who are the best options for your Ultimate Team this year?

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  20Leon Goretzka – Bayern Munich – CM – 84

  The now 24-year-old Goretzka rather burst onto the FUT scene back in 2018 with a slew of special cards, and he hasn't looked back since. Another slight upgrade this season sees one of the most balanced midfielders in the game get even better. With only six in-game stats below 75, standing at 6'2" with a 4* weak foot, expect Goretzka to be in every other team you face this year.

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  19Kingsley Coman – Bayern Munich – LM – 84

  Another of the young players expected to lead Bayern into a bright future, wing wizard Coman's slight upgrade this year suggests he's on the right track. Plenty will be annoyed to see his skill moves drop down to 4* but with pace to burn and excellent dribbling stats, he's still going to be dangerous.

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  18Jadon Sancho – Borussia Dortmund – RM – 84

  The saviour of English football started last season as a silver card, but he's now going to be one of the most dangerous widemen in the game. Plenty of pace, incredible dribbling stats, 5* skill moves and a 4* weak foot, plus he was born in the year 2000 so the existential crisis he'll trigger in older opponents will give you a psychological edge. 

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  17Julian Brandt – Borussia Dortmund – CAM – 84

  This is a very nicely well-rounded card. An upgrade after last year's Team of the Season and a switch infield from the wing means Brandt feels like a brand new player, and he looks like a perfect attacking fulcrum. Lanky, with 4* skill moves and weak foot and good creative and attacking stats across the board, he looks an excellent option behind your strikers.

The star trio lead the line after another productive weekend, with the Manchester City and Liverpool forwards closing in on the league scoring lead

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  Martin Dubravka | Newcastle

  Dubravka made three saves on his Premier League debut for the Magpies, leading them to a 1-0 win over Manchester United.

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  Kyle Walker | Manchester City

  Walker had more touches (126) and completed more passes (92) than any other Manchester City player in their 5-1 win over Leicester City.

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  Jamaal Lascelles | Newcastle

  Lascelles made three blocks and nine clearances in Newcastle's hard-fought win over the Red Devils at St James' Park.

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  James Collins | West Ham

  Collins made 19 clearances while helping preserve West Ham's clean sheet in a 2-0 win over Watford — more than twice as many as any other Hammers player.

According to a report by Spanish outlet Sport, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness, Tottenham Hotspur superstar Harry Kane allegedly ‘wants to leave’ north London – with this update coming as a potential blow for Spurs as he enters the Barcelona ‘agenda’. 

Tottenham dealt potential Harry Kane blow

Indeed, as explained by Sport, Kane believes his ‘cycle has ended’ at Tottenham as La Liga giants Barca eye a move for the Lilywhites mainstay.

Ronald Koeman’s side allegedly see the 27-year-old as a realistic alternative to Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland – who is currently being watched by several top European clubs and commands a large price tag for this summer.

As a result, Kane has entered the ‘agenda’ of Barca despite Haaland being their priority target – and if a move for him fails, the Catalans could well turn to Spurs’ most important player.

The Lilywhites striker’s name has emerged in Spain due to his apparent desire to leave Tottenham – but it remains to be seen whether this report does in fact bare danger for Spurs.

Transfer Tavern take

Manager Jose Mourinho losing his most crucial asset this summer does come as a potential worry, but it may depend on how Spurs finish the season.

If his side fail to clinch silverware, or indeed a place in Europe, more reports could emerge similar to this one that Kane will be seriously considering his future.

Having scored a wonderful 17 goals whilst providing 13 assists in the Premier League alone (WhoScored), the prospect of him leaving Tottenham is definitely a worrying one.

In other news: Tottenham want this 6 foot 4 ‘leader’, find out more here.

The Barcelona icon tops a list based on effectiveness through the season, but Neymar is completely absent, and the Liverpool star outside the top five

The CIES Football Observatory ranks players who have played 1,800 minutes of football (1,440 for Germany), or 20 matches, on their efficiency and performance level. The rating is out of 100, and there are a fair few surprises…

(NB: Neymar only played 1,797 minutes for PSG in Ligue 1 this season, so just missed out on being ranked.)

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  20Ivan Rakitic | Barcelona | Rating: 88.18

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• 19Raul Albiol | Napoli | 88.46

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  18Marek Hamsik | Napoli | 88.53

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  17Lorenzo Insigne | Napoli | 88.58

Leeds must keep Illan Meslier at all costs in this upcoming summer transfer window, amid reports of interest from PSG.

What’s the story?

The goalkeeper only signed for Marcelo Bielsa’s side on a permanent deal last summer but has enjoyed an impressive first season at Premier League level, keeping nine clean sheets in the top-flight alone.

That form has seen clubs across Europe sit up and take notice, with the latest rumours indicating that Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG are keen on luring the £26m-rated titan back to his native France.

According to The National, the French giants have identified Meslier as a more attainable option than the likes of Hugo Lloris and David de Gea, and are considering making a bid for the Leeds man this summer – it’s added that a switch to Paris could well tempt the 21-year-old.

Bielsa would be fuming

Since ousting former first-choice goalkeeper Kiko Casilla in between the sticks at Elland Road, Meslier has developed into a very impressive young player – in fact, after his shut-out against Southampton last month, he broke Joe Hart’s 14-year record of keeping the most clean sheets in a single season for a shot-stopper before the age of 21.

The Frenchman has already earned rave reviews from across the board, with former Whites striker Jermaine Beckford hailing: “The kid is incredible. I was watching the game (against Everton) and there were a couple of moments, (Dominic) Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and James (Rodriguez) had chances, but Meslier stood in their way. His distribution is one of the best in the Premier League.”

Meslier’s willingness to come for crosses has also been praised by former England shot-stopper David James, who said earlier this year: “Meslier – I love him. I went on social media, I was watching a game and he went for about 10 crosses (v Burnley), he carried on coming for crosses.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Latest Leeds transfer rumours and news”]

“The commentators were battering him. I was thinking ‘the guy is still coming’, and as soon as the whistle went, the camera was panning but you could see all the defenders going up to him. That is quality.”

Make no mistake about it, if Leeds were to cash in on their number one goalkeeper this summer, it would leave Bielsa absolutely fuming as he tries to plot success for the Whites’ in their second season in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano delivers a major Leeds United transfer update…

Speaking to the press, via football.london, West Ham United manager David Moyes has reacted to Jesse Lingard’s absence for the Manchester United clash, with the Scotsman describing it as a ‘big loss’ as the January signing is ineligible to play against his parent club.

Lingard has starred for the Hammers since signing on loan at the London Stadium, scoring four goals and providing one assist in just six Premier League starts (WhoScored), but he will not feature against the Red Devils this evening as the 28-year-old is ineligible for the clash.

Moyes reacts to Lingard absence

Moyes has described it as a ‘big loss’ for West Ham as they aim to mount a late assault for a top four finish, coming as the Irons boss also explained there are some ‘slight doubts’ behind the scenes for a couple of players (West Ham United official website).

“A big loss because he has had a big impact on the team and how we have played,” said Moyes to reporters (via football.london).

“He has been a positive signing for us since coming in in January so it is a loss to us but we have got other people.

“What we wanted was competition for places, sort of around the number 11 and number ten roles, we wanted good competition and Jesse has given us that but we have other people who can do that so hopefully we can go there and who them what we can do.”

Transfer Tavern take

Lingard’s fine start to his Hammers stint has been emphasised recently by former Premier League striker Ian Wright, who told Premier League Productions (via HITC) how ‘devastating’ he can be.

Time will tell who Moyes will have at this disposal for the Old Trafford clash, but who he chooses to replace Lingard in the team will be interesting to see.

In other news: West Ham are eyeing this 19-goal ‘phenomenon’, find out more here.

Carlo Ancelotti must stop Marcel Brands from wasting millions of pounds with a summer swoop for Everton to sign AS Roma defender Gianluca Mancini.

What’s the word?

According to Calciomercato, Mancini is earning widespread admirers with his performance at the Stadio Olimpico, to see that Everton are not the only side keen.

Ancelotti’s Toffees are said to be big admirers of the Giallorossi enforcer, but face having to contend with Chelsea for his signature as they eye a potential heir for Thiago Silva.

Ligue 1 and Bundesliga giants Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are on the scene, as well, with the Parc des Princes natives long-term admirers and approached Roma for further information on his availability during the recent winter market.

Scouts from Italian powerhouse duo Inter Milan and Juventus are also keeping an eye on developments, with the latter aware of the need to reinforce the guard currently occupied by 36-year-old Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, who turns 34 in May.

But the number of admirers Mancini has gained has also seen Roma up their valuation of the £33,000-per-week talent they paid a combined €24m (£20.5m) for, between a loan spell and his purchase, with the defender now worth at least €10-€15m (£8.5-£13m) more.

An asking price of between €34m (£29m) and €39m (£33.5m) is not expected to scare off the Premier League sides said to be interested, while Mancini intends to evaluate his options in the summer.

Mancini’s former side, Atalanta BC, would also be owed 10% of any fee Roma receive for the 24-year-old, who has started all 23 of his Serie A appearances this season after missing two games with a muscular injury and one through an accumulation of yellow cards.

Should Everton sign Mancini?

Qualification for next season’s edition of the Champions League is expected to be crucial for any side wishing to land Mancini’s services in the off-season, as the four-cap Italy international is anticipated to put the sporting project above a potential pay rise.

Everton are in the mix for a top-four finish to the Premier League season, with a four-point gap but a game in hand all that separates them from Chelsea in the last of the qualifying spots.

Yet Ancelotti must block Brands from using a UEFA campaign as a reason to spend a vast sum to sign Mancini, as it would be questionable of the 6 ft 3 enforcer establishing himself as an upgrade on those already at Goodison Park.

Ancelotti already considers Ben Godfrey to be the best of his current centre-halves, despite Mason Holgate offering a unit-high 2.5 successful tackles from 3.2 duels per game when fielded in the heart of the Everton backline for Premier League fixtures, per WhoScored.

Mancini offers Roma 1.7 successful tackles from 2.2 attempts per game in the Serie A this season, along with winning possession back for Paulo Fonseca’s side with 2.1 clearances.

Holgate currently offers the fewest clearances by one of the Toffees’ centre-halves with 3.5 a game, while Mancini would rank last on Merseyside for aerial duels won with 1.8 from three – Holgate offers the least with two from 2.7 at present.

If Brands is to spend a significant sum – more than Everton paid for Allan (£21m), Abdoulaye Doucoure (£20m) or Godfrey (£20m) last summer – on a new centre-back, he will surely have to be a distinct upgrade.

AND in other news, Everton will listen to offers for a £16m-rated ace who has failed to live up to his price tag…

Whether or not Sunderland are promoted this season, they already have plans in mind for how they’ll attack the transfer market.

What’s the word?

According to The Daily Mail, Sunderland will explore the possibility of signing Dion Sanderson on a permanent transfer in the summer.

The £7k-per-week earner is currently on loan from Wolves and has had to wait patiently until the New Year to really be given a chance of regular football at the Stadium of Light.

However, the club have clearly been impressed with what they’ve seen from the defender.

It’s understood that Sanderson is open to a move away in the summer so that he can continue his progression. Competition for places at Wolves are steep so joining Sunderland permanently would probably be a wise idea.

Clever planning

After the youngster’s first few months at the club, it didn’t look as though he’d have what it takes to sufficiently play for the Mackems.

Though, since Lee Johnson’s arrival he’s been thoroughly impressive, mainly earning chances through circumstance. He got a rare chance at left-back with injuries to Denver Hume and Callum McFadzean before a trio of issues to Bailey Wright, Jordan Willis and Tom Flanagan saw him operated at centre-back.

Sanderson is a full-back by trade but he’s stood out in the middle, stepping in for Wright admirably. In fact, he’s been outstanding in the last few months, demonstrating a supreme ability to win aerial duels. The 21-year-old has won 24 battles in the air in his last ten outings alone.

Consider his versatility and his ability to perform consistently, Kristjaan Speakman simply has to build the future of the club around him.

Sunderland’s other centre backs have struggled for fitness, as too have the club’s full-backs. Sanderson, on the other hand, has been fully fit since October.

He’s a player that’s also earned rave reviews from Stephen Elliot. He took to Twitter after the Black Cats’ win over Fleetwood to say: “Dion Sanderson has a huge future in the game. Best on loan player I’ve seen at the club since Johnny Evans. Wise beyond his years on the pitch.”

That’s quite the statement to make, but if anything sums up why Sunderland must build their future around him, that is it.

Sanderson has pace, power and elegance, possessing the ability to play out from the back too. With that in mind, he could fit a variety of styles and systems. He is a manager’s dream.

Speakman must bring him back next summer.

AND in other news, Dreyfus could begin his reign with a bang by tying down “outstanding” SAFC gem…

Whilst Liverpool’s performance against West Brom, particularly in the second half, was far from their usual quality, the excellent display of Jordan Henderson should not go unnoticed.

The captain started alongside Curtis Jones and Georginio Wijnaldum in the Liverpool midfield and was regularly involved throughout the game, as the hosts dominated possession and looked to break down a stubborn Baggies defence.

As per SofaScore, the former Sunderland man picked up a strong 7.7 rating for his performance, which was the second-best of any Liverpool player on the day, with only Joel Matip rated higher.

During the 90 minutes, the England international enjoyed a massive 172 touches of the ball, completing an impressive 141/155 passes, resulting in an accuracy rate of 91%.

The midfielder was constantly the man to push Liverpool forward, completing six long balls from 11 attempted.

Although his crossing arguably could have been a lot better, with only one of five finding their mark, it was clearly part of Liverpool’s tactics to lay the ball off for the 30-year-old to swing a cross in, which is testament to his ability on the ball.

Virgil van Dijk was full of praise for Henderson back in 2019, saying:

“Jordan is such an important player for this team. The contribution he makes goes unnoticed sometimes. I don’t know if he’s under-appreciated outside the club, but inside the club I know how highly we all think of him. He’s our captain and he always leads by example.”

Unfortunately for Henderson, his performance was not matched by a lot of his Liverpool teammates, and Jurgen Klopp will surely be fuming that his side dropped two points at Anfield against Sam Allardyce’s side.

However, the German manager will surely be happy with the performance from his captain, as it exemplified just how important Henderson is in this Liverpool side.

And, in other news… Lost possession 18x, no accurate crosses: Klopp will be fuming with “complete” Liverpool star