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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

A solid choice, but can they make it work?

What’s the story?

According to a report from Football Insider, Leeds United are looking into the option of bringing in Chelsea’s young right-back Reece James on a temporary deal.

The 19-year-old has already got plenty of Championship experience, having spent last season on loan at Wigan Athletic and certainly impressed people in Lancashire as he walked away with a number of awards at the DW Stadium, as well as making it into the EFL Championship Team of the Year

James has made just two appearances at Stamford Bridge this term, but has found his path blocked by Cesar Azpilicueta, so may be forced to leave in order to continue his development.

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Take a bit of the pressure off

Leeds United aren’t exactly blessed with central defenders right now but despite James predominantly being a right-back, he could prove highly beneficial.

If the west Yorkshire side were able to acquire his services it might be a move that allows Luke Ayling to push inside and act as a backup for the likes of Ben White and Liam Cooper.

This would mean Marcelo Bielsa wouldn’t have to rely on the liability that is Gaetano Berardi and his shambolic disciplinary record of eight red cards.

Leeds lost their first outing with Cooper out injured so perhaps an alternative solution to Berardi is needed. Ayling played in the middle when he was dismissed so it’s feasible to suggest he could move position if James arrives.

Why are Leeds fans the best in the country? Find out in the video below…

However, it’s not just in terms of extra bodies that he can be vital for them, but having provided three goals and three assists for the Latics last term, he clearly loves to go forward and would suit Bielsa’s system of attacking full-backs quite well.

Stuart Dallas and Gjanni Alioski have three strikes between them this season from full-back alone.

James showed during his time at Wigan Athletic that he is more than comfortable at this level, so it’s not as if they would be taking a risk by bringing in someone who can give them an instant boost not just at right-back but give them a little bit of breathing space when it comes to cover for their centre-backs.

There is something though that could throw a spanner in the works.

According to a report in The Sun from the summer, there are some concerns at Leeds that Chelsea boss Frank Lampard might be reluctant to help them out because of the whole Spygate saga when he was at Derby. Resultantly, they might have to be rather convincing in their conversations to get Lampard to play ball.

[ad_pod ]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…In Crystal Palace’s last two homes games, a worrying trend has been seen: an inability to see games out.It was first evidenced against Aston Villa.The Villans had 10-men for the final 36Âminutes of the game after Trezeguet picked up a second yellow card in the 54th-minute, and Palace later managed to grab a goal thanks to Jordan Ayew’s effort.However, after they took the lead against the 10-men of Aston Villa, Palace and Hodgson, in particular, did little to attempt to see the game out, remaining open enough in midfield for Jack Grealish and Henri Lansbury to give them a late scare, one that they were lucky to get away with.

The Villa captain drove into the box and played Lansbury in, where the former Arsenal man looked to have scored a late, late equaliser – only for referee Kevin Friend to have already blown for what he deemed to be a dive from Grealish.

More recently, Wolves also had 10-men, this time for the last 17 minutes of the game with Palace 1-0 up after Romain Saiss was sent off in the 74th-minute – all three of the Eagles’ home opponents have now had a man sent off this season, as Everton also saw Morgan Schneiderlin dismissed in their Premier League opener in SE25.

Worryingly, the south Londoners couldn’t find a second goal to kill the game off against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, with Christian Benteke missing a one on one.

It was also the Belgian who was part of a two-on-two attack with Wilfried Zaha in the 95th-minute, only for his pass to run behind the Ivorian.

Unlike the fortunate ending to the Villa game, this time the Eagles were made to pay for their poor game management.

Wolves were granted one more attack by Palace’s sloppiness and took full advantage, with Adama Traore crossing to the back post where Diogo Jota smashed home.

Ultimately, it is down to Hodgson to ensure his side do not allow the opposition – especially 10-men opposition – to have these chances when three points are at stake.

Game management is vital at the highest level and Palace, right now, do not know how to implement it effectively.

Hodgson simply has to address the worrying trend off the back of these two moments.

Talk about a fall from grace. After making club history with nine successive away wins at the start of his Manchester United reign, who could ever have imagined Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side would be lying in tenth in the Premier League after seven games this season?

The Red Devils have stuttered completely since the 4-0 drubbing of Chelsea in their opening league match, and face Newcastle on Sunday on the back of an underwhelming 0-0 draw against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League.

Despite their poor start, Solskjaer has remained optimistic and delivered a very questionable rallying cry to the fans.

Speaking ahead of the game, the Norwegian said: “As managers, we don’t want to give anyone any favours when we play each other. Brucey’s going to set up a team to win. I’m going to set up a team to try to win.”

On the face of it, it seems like a pretty harmless message. But United fans on Twitter however, took issue with Solskjaer’s use of the phrase “try to win”.

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Many supporters of the Manchester side slammed the Red Devils boss for his choice of words, and insisted they should simply be winning, not trying.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Liverpool are yet to open talks with James Milner over a new contract, report The Athletic.

What’s the word?

Milner arrived at Anfield on a free transfer in 2015 and he has since become a very important player for the Reds, averaging 44 appearances per season for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

His current deal is set to expire at the end of the season and despite approaching the club over the prospect of negotiating new terms, Liverpool said they were not ready to open discussions, and talks are still yet to get underway despite that happening early in the summer.

There are reportedly three concerns over Milner’s situation – availability, fitness and performances – and with Milner now 33 there may be concern over his ability to sustain the same levels beyond summer 2020.

Another stumbling block could be his wages. He is said to be on £125,000 a week and although he is unlikely to get that kind of money elsewhere – at least in England – it is possible that his demands may not be met by the club.

Mistake to let him go

Whilst it is understandable that the club are unwilling to open contract talks with an ageing player who now primarily acts as a back-up, Milner has proved his fitness throughout his spell at Anfield and his performances and commitment to the club deserve to be rewarded with a new deal.

He is still one of fittest members of the Reds’ squad, once again winning Liverpool’s ‘acid test’ on the first day of pre-season – a test of endurance which consists of players running laps around the training ground at increased speeds.

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Since Klopp’s arrival he has always been available and performed to a high standard on a consistent basis, and his reliability is invaluable for a team looking to compete in the league and in Europe.

His experience and presence around the dressing could be sorely missed if he departed, and it would likely be very difficult to replace him with a player of similar attributes in terms of ability and knowledge of the game.

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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…

Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicolas believes Liverpool will drop their first points of the season when they visit Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

What did he say?

If history is anything to go by, the former Arsenal striker could be correct. The Reds have only won at Chelsea in three of their last 10 visits, and the Blues have begun to find form, particularly in front of goal, with 11 goals scored in the Premier League so far.

Both sides will look to bounce back from midweek defeats in Europe but Chelsea’s match against Valencia could still plague them, with Mason Mount suffering an injury which will rule him out of Sunday’s clash.

Despite that, Nicholas thinks the Chelsea front three possesses a real threat, and they could have enough to break down Liverpool.

In his Sky Sports predictions, he said: “I think Frank Lampard wants to attack, which opens up the counter-attack scenario for Liverpool. They both got bad results in Europe through the week, they are making mistakes that they didn’t make last season and you can get at their defence.

“Pedro and Willian behind Tammy Abraham is a trio of danger. They need to find the killer pass in this game, which I think they will.”

As a result, the Scot predicts a 2-2 draw and thus the end of the Reds’ 100% league record, and with Jurgen Klopp’s side losing one of their last 43 Premier League games it seems a safer bet than predicting a home win.

Defensive problems?

Other than their front three, much of Liverpool’s success last season was based on their strong defence.

Alisson kept 21 clean sheets last term, more than any other keeper, but this time around opposition teams have enjoyed more success in front of goal against the Reds.

Of their five league games they have kept only one clean sheet, and also conceded twice in midweek, but most telling is the Super Cup result against Chelsea last month.

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In a closely-fought contest the Blues were able to get at Liverpool’s backline, and as well as scoring two they also had 20 shots, so if they can find Tammy Abraham in promising positions they should find a breakthrough, with the striker scoring seven goals in his previous three Premier League games.

Chelsea, however, are even more open in defence, and the Anfield outfit’s front three should have joy against a team which has conceded 11 goals in five league games – so a 2-2 result isn’t out of the question.

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Marko Grujic has been absolutely phenomenal on loan at Hertha Berlin this season, so much so that he could be the perfect replacement for utility man James Milner.

On the chalkboard

Liverpool spent big in midfield last summer, splashing out over £100m to bring Fabinho, Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri to the club, per Transfermarkt.

They will likely need to add to that department again in 2019 though, as Milner has finally begun to show signs of ageing and Adam Lallana could well leave in search of regular playing time – the latter has played just 205 Premier League minutes this season, per Whoscored.

Despite the constant fan obsession with new signings however, Klopp may just find his new midfield maestro right under his nose, as the German’s very first Liverpool signing is setting the Bundesliga alight.

FFC’s James Jones has identified the one thing that could cost Liverpool the title. Find out what it is in the video below…

The perfect all-rounder?

Grujic joined the Reds in January 2016 for a fee of around £5m, per BBC, but has spent most of his Liverpool career out on loan.

After a brief spell with former club Red Star Belgrade he went on to play a huge part in Cardiff City’s promotion last season, using his size and steel to good effect in the Championship.

He has now shown a different side to his game in Germany, excelling as a box-to-box midfielder in Berlin, even prompting Hertha manager and legend Pal Dardai to anoint him “the best midfielder we have had in the last 20 years”.

The 22 year-old finished off a beautiful team goal in a 2-2 draw with Schalke on Friday to grab his second Bundesliga strike of the season, per Whoscored, but his all-round performance will have impressed Klopp even more than the goal.

The 6 ft 3 in colossus won three aerial duels and registered one key pass, one dribble and two shots, per Whoscored, bossing the match with smart passing, good reading of the game and sheer physical dominance.

After excelling as a defensive midfielder in Cardiff and marauding from box to box in Berlin, Grujic is more than ready to step in and play a pivotal role in Klopp’s squad next season, and his versatility could even see him become the gaffer’s new utility man.

So, Liverpool fans, do you want to see Grujic in the first team next year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

If the latest reports coming from De Telegraaf are true, and they usually are with all things Ajax, Donny van de Beek won’t be moving this summer as he is bound to stay put despite the interest from Real Madrid. But even though they seemingly failed with their attempt, the Whites shouldn’t quit the pursuit just yet.

What’s the word, then?

Just a couple of days ago, the Madrid media were still very much convinced that the young 22-year-old midfielder is set to join Real Madrid but that the only thing actually stopping him is Zinedine Zidane himself. The Frenchman was presumably only willing to accept Paul Pogba and no one else despite actually having both Van de Beek and Christian Eriksen on the table.

But it seems that the Dutch train has now passed and Zidane and co. will have to wait a bit longer if they want to try again. And try again they definitely should. Maybe they were too preoccupied with other transfers, maybe Zidane wasn’t quite convinced by the Dutchman or maybe there was simply something else going on behind the scenes that ended up blocking this from happening.

There’s really no certain way of knowing but one thing is for sure: Real Madrid should come back for Van de Beek as early as January.

A much-needed refreshment

Real Madrid are currently plagued by three key problems: goal scoring, squad age and injuries. That much was evident in their latest clash against Real Valladolid at the Santiago Bernabeu. Not only have they missed their main players including their shiny new Belgian addition, Eden Hazard, but the players that were present on the pitch just couldn’t get the job done.

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Of course, with Cristiano Ronaldo now being long gone, a dip in the tally of goals scored was bound to happen but there’s still that feeling that there are simply not enough sources out there who can provide for the team; someone capable of unlocking those sturdy defences with creative solutions, goals and assists.

It just happens to be that Van de Beek can do all of those things and refresh the squad at the same time. Last season, he scored 17 goals and provided 13 assists across all competitions and so far in the 2019/20, he tallied two goals and three assists in three games in the Eredivisie.  All of that at the tender age of just 22.

Real need reinforcements since they seem to be extremely fragile and, with the lack of a better term, extremely predictable. The clash against Valladolid was a true fest for long balls and transitions but with no results. Whether Zidane wants to admit it or not, this team is slowly riding towards the sunset and new additions are becoming a necessity rather than a luxury.

Going back for a young star in making who’s already banging goals and assists for fun should be top of their priority list before the train leaves once again.

With his talent and youth, someone else is bound to knock on that door if Madrid won’t.

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Journalist Pete O’Rourke believes Leeds could make a January swoop for Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez, Give Me Sport report.

The Lowdown: Nandez a long-term target

Leeds are yet to sign a central midfielder on a permanent basis under Marcelo Bielsa but are thought to be after a defensive and attacking midfielder this month due to the club’s injury woes.

One player who was linked with a move to Elland Road back in the summer was Nandez, with rumours resurfacing in recent weeks.

The 26-year-old is valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt and has made 16 appearances in four different positions in 2021/22, perhaps suggesting he could solve Victor Orta’s quest for a number six and number eight in one swoop.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

O’Rourke was talking to Give Me Sport regarding Nandez and a possible move to Yorkshire this month.

He labelled a winter window transfer as ‘a real possibility’, with reports suggesting he could be available for half the price compared to last summer.

“I think they tried to sign him from Cagliari in the summer but weren’t able to. So, if they think they can get him on a cheaper deal this January, there’s a real possibility that they maybe could come back in for him.”

The Verdict: Time to swoop?

It seems as if Nandez is a player who has been on Orta’s shortlist for a while, so now could be the ideal time to bring him to Yorkshire.

Described as a ‘powerful’ midfielder by Serie A expert Conor Clancy, Nandez fits the Bielsa profile when it comes to being versatile.

He’d bolster the club’s wide ranks, while also being able to play in a defensive or central midfield role. That could be needed straight away, should he arrive at Elland Road, especially as Kalvin Phillips has been ruled out until March.

More updates on Nandez will more than likely emerge before the end of the month, but as like in the summer, it could be one to keep a close eye on.

In other news: ‘This is huge’ – BBC pundit reacts to ‘massive’ Leeds news he’s heard from Elland Road. 

Many Glasgow Rangers fans criticised the performance of Scott Wright in their 1-0 win against Livingston in the Premiership on Wednesday night.

It was a game in which the hosts were certainly not at their best at Ibrox but managed to scrape all three points courtesy of a late goal from Scott Arfield.

There were a few disappointing performances for Rangers, but Wright stood out among a bad pack.

The former Aberdeen winger lost out on five of his duels in total and failed to record a single successful dribble, also being unsuccessful with three of his four crosses (SofaScore).

Wright also lost possession of the ball 13 times, the joint-sixth most out of his teammates, and he was hauled off for Ryan Jack shortly after the goal was scored.

Rangers fans slam Wright

These Rangers fans slammed the 24-year-old’s display on Twitter, with one Light Blues supporter going as far as to claim that he was ‘shocking’ last night:

“Woke up still raging at Scott Wright”

Credit: @Converyg1

“Scott Wright another Glenn Middleton nowhere near good enough”

Credit: @RossThomson12

“Scott Wright horrendous”

Credit: @GregThomson72

“Add Scott Wright in, hopeless out on the right.”

Credit: @AndyFirthRSC

“Scott Wright is so far off of what we need. Shocking player”

Credit: @jamie__rangers

“Scott Wright. Hide and seek champion.”

Credit: @VaticanRSC

In other news, find out what team news was lauded by these Gers fans

Celtic have reached a basic agreement with Yokohama F. Marinos for attacker Daizen Maeda, according to Yahoo Japan.

The Lowdown: Hatate and Ideguchi moves

The Hoops are looking to make three Japanese signings in the New Year following the success of Kyogo Furuhashi’s £4.86m switch in the summer.

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Celtic have reportedly already reached agreements for midfielders Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi earlier this month, and it seems as if they are edging closer regarding a move for Maeda.

The 24-year-old, described as a ‘tireless worker’ by Kieran Devlin, netted 23 times in 2021 and now looks set for a reunion with Ange Postecoglou.

The Latest: Maeda update

According to Yahoo Japan, Celtic have struck a basic agreement with Yokohama F. Marinos for Maeda to sign on loan for the second half of the season.

The Hoops will then be able to make the move permanent for €2m, with Maeda expected to travel to the UK soon.

The Verdict: Final piece of the jigsaw?

Celtic have been working on moves for Hatate, Ideguchi and Maeda for some time now, and it appears as if deals are in place for the trio before the January window has even opened.

New Hoops CEO Michael Nicholson certainly isn’t hanging around, and who knows, should all three moves go through at the beginning of 2022, he could then look at permanent transfers for loanees Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers.

The pair have impressed in Glasgow, however, the duo could cost over £12m combined (Jota £6.5m, CV £6m), so it’ll be interesting to see how busy Celtic are after proposed moves for the Japanese trio.

In other news Celtic will look to move on ‘horrendous’ ace in January; ‘jittery’ man may also leave – Kieran Devlin.