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Leeds United player Ezgjan Alioski has reportedly agreed to join Galatasaray this summer, bringing an end to his time at Elland Road.

The 29-year-old joined the Whites back in the summer of 2017, making the move from Swiss side FC Lugano. In the years since, the left-back has proven to be a key performer for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, playing an important role in them returning to the Premier League.

In total, Alioski has made 162 appearances for Leeds, scoring 22 goals and also chipping in with 16 assists for good measure. He also has 39 caps to his name for North Macedonia.

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Alioski set to join Galatasaray this summer

Alioski’s £15,000-a-week contract at Elland Road expires in the summer, and it now looks as though he already has his next club sorted.

According to Football Insider, he has agreed a pre-contract with Galatasaray prior to joining them ahead of the start of next season.

Transfer Tavern take

In truth, it has seemed increasingly clear that this would be Alioski’s final season at Leeds, having failed to agree an extension on his current deal.

He will always be remembered as a cult hero for the Whites, though, and someone who largely contributed positively to a great period in the club’s history, featuring prominently as they ended their 16-year top-flight exile last year.

In other news, Leeds are believed to be keen on a move for a hugely experienced Serie A player this summer. Read more here.

David Moyes should urge West Ham United to sign Blackburn Rovers striker Adam Armstrong and acquire the perfect weapon to pair with Jesse Lingard this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Claret & Hugh, Armstrong has been identified as West Ham’s primary option to fill the void Sebastien Haller left after his £20m move to AFC Ajax in January.

The Irons are expected to focus their efforts on bringing Armstrong to the London Stadium at the end of the season, having opted against a move for the 24-year-old during the winter market.

Moyes weighed up an £8m approach but held off in favour of continuing to build a scouting report on the forward, who Rovers are said to value at £25m after scoring 20 goals in 32 Championship games this season.

Blackburn believe Armstrong is worth a figure in that region after Ollie Watkins sealed a £28m move to Aston Villa last September, having ended the 2019/20 campaign as the second-tier’s joint top-scorer with 26 goals in 49 games.

Rovers may have to accept a slightly lesser sum as Armstrong will enter the final year of his £17,000-per-week contract in the summer, but cannot go too low as Newcastle United will be due 40% of any profit on the £2m they paid the Magpies in 2018.

Moyes has previously been claimed to have carried out personal checks on Armstrong’s progress at Ewood Park, and does not appear to have been put off by his run of four games without a goal before missing Blackburn’s last three with a hamstring injury.

Should West Ham sign Armstrong?

Armstrong emerging as West Ham’s top striker target would suggest Moyes has been pleased with the forward’s efforts despite Blackburn’s downturn in form, which has seen only six of the Championship’s 24 sides claim fewer points since the turn of the year.

That record would be just five of the 24 sides without Armstrong’s winning effort at home to Luton Town on January 30th, the last win the West Denton-born forward was involved in before losing six of the following seven league games.

Rovers boss Tony Mowbray has continued to praise Armstrong’s efforts, despite his side’s result, noting last month that the 5 ft 8 forward is “really special” and has “Premier League quality”.

Mowbray has previously lauded the attacker for his “speed and dynamic movement” that allows Blackburn to play into space, knowing he can attack the ball and create problems for opposing sides to try and contain.

West Ham taking that on board next season could see the Irons acquire the perfect weapon for Lingard to operate in-behind, should the Manchester United talent remain at the London Stadium beyond his loan deal as Moyes currently hopes will be the case.

Only Aaron Cresswell has averaged a higher number of key passes (1.5) per Premier League game for the Hammers this term than Lingard (1.2) has since his winter arrival, but 0.8 of the defender’s chances created have come from corners or free-kicks, per WhoScored.

Of Lingard’s, just 0.2 have come from set-pieces, while Michail Antonio has offered the second-most shots per game (2.2) under Moyes with fewer attempts on goal than Armstrong (4.7) is producing in the Championship as the division’s third-top scorer.

If Moyes can pull off deals with Blackburn and Manchester United this summer, then, West Ham could have an exciting attack next season in Armstrong and Lingard.

AND in other news, West Ham face a £51.5m asking price to sign a dynamic star who grew up learning from Frank Lampard…

Steve Bruce must strive to better utilise Jacob Murphy after the Newcastle winger’s influential cameo performance against Aston Villa in Friday night’s 1-1 draw.

Murphy had started the match on the bench as he continues to serve a bit-part role for the Magpies, having not started a Premier League game since January’s 2-1 loss to Leeds United.

The Whites’ visit to St. James’ Park marks Murphy’s only start across all competitions this calendar year, and was followed by the 26-year-old being omitted from three squads and being left an unused substitute on two of five possible occasions.

Bruce only gave Murphy the final 11 minutes of normal time against Aston Villa to prove that he deserves a greater share of the action on Tyneside, but was made to look naïve for overlooking his services so often.

With the deadlock yet to be broken, Bruce introduced Murphy in place of Ryan Fraser and soon saw the £3.15m-rated dynamo rattle the crossbar when his shot curled onto the woodwork after twisting smartly to shrug off Douglas Luiz.

Villa took the lead shortly afterwards through Ollie Watkins, who steered his header past Martin Dubravka via a cruel deflection off Ciaran Clark, but Murphy refused to let the fortuitous goal break Newcastle’s spirit and went on to set up Jamaal Lascelles’ stoppage-time equaliser.

Aston Villa gave Murphy all the time in the world to pick out where to cross the ball from the left-hand corner and he found Lascelles on the edge of the six-yard box to powerfully head home and snatch what could be a vital point in Newcastle’s fight for Premier League survival.

Murphy had come close to having his assist moments earlier when the winger easily ran past Matt Target and into Emiliano Martinez’s area, but Dwight Gayle could only flick his cutback into the Argentine’s hand before the Villans scrambled clear the danger.

Bruce should not have been surprised to see Murphy offer a creative touch in the dying stages, as the summer free agent almost set Joelinton up to win it against Wolverhampton Wanderers last month, only for Romain Saiss to bundle the Brazilian’s effort over the bar.

Like against Targett on Friday, Murphy made a great run before cutting the ball back into the area to meet a wide-open Joelinton on the penalty spot, only for Saiss to save Wolves a point as the Newcastle striker was unable to convert a glaring opportunity to score.

Despite his creativity, Murphy – who Noel Whelan has lauded as “a fantastic player” – was left an unused substitute for last Sunday’s goalless draw with West Bromwich Albion and in the dugout for much of Friday’s meeting with Aston Villa.

However, Bruce’s decision to leave Murphy out of the starting line-up against Dean Smith’s Villans was made to appear foolish, as he earned SofaScore’s highest match rating at 8.2 out of 10 thanks to creating each of his side’s two big chances to score.

He further won each of his three ground duels and two attempted dribbles, more than Gayle (2 duels won, zero dribbles) achieved throughout the full 90 minutes having started the game on the left wing before a move into the centre for the second half, per SofaScore.

Bruce must now look to unleash Murphy from the off when United visit fellow strugglers Brighton and Hove Albion next weekend in what will be a crucial six-pointer for both teams’ hopes of staying in the Premier League.

In other news, Newcastle eye summer swoop for £16k-p/w maestro once lauded for being “the most gifted” player…

Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton could reportedly be listening to offers for the club’s Icelandic midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Football Insider recently reported about Sigurdsson’s situation at Goodison Park, saying that the former Tottenham man will likely be on the market in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Everton prepared to sell Sigurdsson despite loss

The report from Football Insider has stated that, while Ancelotti happens to be an admirer of the former Swansea man, he turns 32 later this year and he will also enter the final year of his contract next season. Also, despite fine form, the report added that Everton feel he hasn’t lived up to the fee for which they signed him in 2017.

It has been reported that Everton are looking to sell one key player in the summer to bolster and reinvest in their squad, and Sigurdsson could certainly be that player. The Toffees are prepared to sell the midfielder, even if they will incur a loss on their initial investment.

Having said that, the 31-year-old’s current salary could prove to be a stumbling block in any potential sale, as Sigurdsson earns more than £100,000 per week.

2021 could be a good time to sell Sigurdsson

While Sigurdsson is currently valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, his value has fallen over the last two years and that isn’t a good sign for Everton, especially considering that he signed for a fee of £44.46m.

While he has an impressive six goals and nine assists this season, Sigurdsson isn’t getting any younger; and since his current contract expires in the summer of 2022, they can’t afford to let him go for free next year.

Because of his age, reducing value and contract length, it would make sense for Everton to sell Sigurdsson in the summer if an ideal suitor can be found.

In other news, Everton have been dealt a blow in their chase for a French ace – read more here.

Hugo Lloris has been the first-choice goalkeeper at Tottenham Hotspur for nearly a decade now, with the North London club having signed him from Lyon in 2012, but his recent performances have emphasised why they need to hasten their search for a replacement.

The French international shipped five goals in midweek against Everton, including a dreadful error when he palmed Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s effort into his own goal.

His poor form continued in the 3-0 defeat against Manchester City on Saturday, as first he was unable to keep out Rodri’s tame penalty before he allowed a weak shot from Ilkay Gundogan to trickle underneath him, at which point, it was game over for Jose Mourinho’s side.

Lloris is 34-years-old now and the form that once established him as one of the best goalkeepers in the world looks to have abandoned him. This season, he has averaged a disappointing 6.72 rating for his performances in the Premier League, in a campaign that has unfortunately been littered with mistakes.

Earlier in the season, when he made an error in Spurs’ 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace which arguably cost the Lilywhites all three points, Mourinho was quick to stand by his captain, claiming that he is still one of the best shot-stoppers in the league.

However, after his recent errors, you wonder how long the Portuguese manager will continue to stick with Lloris in goal, as there is no doubt that he has cost Spurs points in recent fixtures.

With Paulo Gazzaniga out of favour and currently out on loan, and with Joe Hart perhaps only at Spurs because he helps with the home-grown quota, it seems clear that Daniel Levy needs to look at bringing in a long-term replacement for Lloris in the near future.

The Frenchman, who reportedly earns £100k per week at Spurs, has previously admitted that he won’t finish his career with the North London club and with his contract set to expire at the end of next season, the Lilywhites may need to act quickly if they want to bring in a quality replacement as they might not be the only team looking for a new ‘keeper this summer.

And, in other news… 27 y/o Spurs dud proved he’s no longer good enough vs City; Sterling had him on toast

In an exclusive interview with  Football FanCast, Carlton Palmer has expressed his concern about the relative inaction over a contract extension for Crystal Palace left-back Patrick van Aanholt.

Roy Hodgson has carefully crafted his side over the past four-and-a-half years with limited resources, in no small part thanks to a number of astute signings sanctioned by Steve Parish.

Van Aanholt can count himself among that number – since his arrival in 2017, the 30-year-old has gone on to make 122 appearances for Palace across all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

However, concerns are beginning to mount, with the Dutchman’s contract at Selhurst Park expiring in five months time, which has been heighted by the fact that talks have reportedly broken down between the club and his representatives over a contract extension.

Whilst the emergence of 21-year-old Tyrick Mitchell has also continued to cast doubts about his future at the club, his potential departure would leave Hodgson desperately short of options on the left-hand side of the defence.

Palmer, when speaking to Football FanCast’s Tom Ward, believes Palace may be reluctant to tie the veteran defender down to a long-term deal as he points towards a total shift in transfer policy.

He told FFC:

“Well, a lot of that will depend on wage demands. And you know, they’re looking, I think, more and more now with Parish and the way they’ve got the recruitment set up there.

“They’re trying to get the balance of youth and experience again, and they’re going for younger players, as you’ve seen with the signing of Jean-Philippe Mateta. They’re going for that quality and that youth and that exuberance, and that energy and that pace, and Roy Hodgson’s noted for that.

“If they were going to renew his contract, I think they’d have done it by now. So that tells you everything you need to know.”

Indeed, it’s easy to see why Palace may have opted for a different approach after the emergence of Mitchell, who has burst onto the scene this season, which has attracted interest from local rivals Arsenal.

The Eagles have also been targeting a number of potential replacements should Van Aanholt depart Selhurst Park, with Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso and Marseille’s Jordan Amavi believed to be in the frame.

Hodgson recently admitted he is concerned by the number of Palace players who are out of contract at the end of the season but expects a complete overhaul of his ageing squad in the summer.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson must unleash Jean-Philippe Mateta against Wolves…

Southampton were linked with a move for Werder Bremen forward Milot Rashica in the summer and given their current injury problems, the versatile Kosovan would’ve been an excellent man to have in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad.

It was suggested ahead of the summer transfer window that the Saints were interested in signing the 24-year-old, alongside Liverpool and RB Leizpig.

However, he ended up staying with the Bundesliga side after helping them stave off relegation to the Bundesliga 2.

Considering Southampton’s current injury concerns, that see the likes of Moussa Djenepo and Nathan Redmond ruled out, it seems as if the club made a big mistake by not bringing him to the South Coast club.

Saturday’s game against Leicester City saw Hasenhuttl deploy 21-year-old central-midfielder Will Smallbone as a left-midfielder, highlighting the lack of squad depth at the South Coast club at this moment in time.

Hasenhuttl’s side have struggled for goals in recent matches too, with just one goal scored in their past five Premier League games, which emphasises that they are low on attacking quality at times, especially when Danny Ings has been missing.

Therefore, signing someone such as Rashica, who contributed eight goals and five assists in 28 Bundesliga appearances last season, would’ve been smart business from Southampton.

Whilst he has been injured for much of this season, the fact he averaged 2.6 shots per game last season in the German top-flight emphasises that he could’ve added a goal threat in this Southampton team, as that is more than any Saints player has averaged so far this campaign.

A report from Bild suggested that Bremen were hoping to receive just €20 million (£18 million) for the 24-year-old during the summer, suggesting that it would have been a fairly affordable transfer for Southampton to complete.

Bremen manager Florian Kohfeldt was full of praise for the Kosovan last season, saying:

“Milot’s taken a massive leap in the last year or so. He’s got more confidence in himself and makes scoring look so easy.”

Therefore, it seems clear that Rashica would have been an excellent addition in Hasenhuttl’s squad, and would have been very useful to have in the current injury crisis, considering he can play on the wing and up front, so they should massively regret not signing him.

And, in other news… Lost possession 25x: Sloppy Southampton ace was nowhere near his best vs Leicester

After seeing their brief turnaround in form stopped by a 2-0 defeat to Southampton, Newcastle entered the international break with a lot less optimism.

The Magpies held high-flying Wolves to a draw at Molineux, before picking up their most impressive result of the season when they took down Everton 2-1 at St James’ Park.

But that loss to the Saints stopped Steve Bruce’s side in their tracks, and with Chelsea on the horizon on Saturday, Newcastle have got a tall order to get things going again.

Stuck in lockdown? Our mega footy quiz will cure any boredom…

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One man who has faded out of first-team contention in recent weeks, is Isaac Hayden. After starting and completing the full 90 minutes in each of the Tyneside club’s first four Premier League games of the season, Bruce has slowly eased him out, with the midfielder even failing to come off the bench in two out of the last three matches.

But with a free-scoring Chelsea team – they head into the game as the division’s top goal-scorers with 20 – Hayden’s extra defensive nous is surely needed.

The Magpies’ duo of Sean Longstaff and Jeff Hendrick got completely overrun in the engine room as Southampton came away with a 2-0 win a couple of weeks ago, and having a bit of protection to the back four could go a long way to making sure Chelsea don’t just carve open Newcastle’s defence with ease.

It was Hayden and Longstaff’s partnership in a 2-1 win over Manchester City back in January 2019 that led to Pep Guardiola admitting that his side “could not deal with Newcastle’s holding midfielders”.

The pair can cover the ground well, and Hayden’s ability to read the game and shield the defence – he averaged 1.9 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per match in the Premier League last season – will be absolutely vital to Bruce.

Dropping Hendrick – who had a nightmare whilst on international duty with Ireland – and bringing the £9m-rated Hayden in, could be the key to picking up a huge result at the weekend.

Liverpool have been handed a major boost ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Manchester City. The recent round of injury updates have confirmed that Joel Matip could be in contention to start against Pep Guardiola’s side on Sunday.

After being named on the bench against Atalanta, Jurgen Klopp will be hoping to see enough from the Cameroonian in training to deploy him alongside Joe Gomez at the weekend. Indeed, whilst youngster Rhys Williams has done a superb job of stepping up to the plate, familiarity and seniority will be key for Klopp against City.

The Cityzens are without star striker Sergio Aguero, which already weakens Guardiola’s attack. Despite their 3-0 win over Olympiakos last time out, their recent Premier League form proves they are struggling.

City have fallen victim to some shock results over the last few weeks, including a draw against both West Ham and Leeds. In their last four league games, they have scored just four goals – one per match. This stat in itself will have taken Klopp’s fancy and he will be looking for ways to further force his rivals into trouble.

With both Gomez and Matip in the heart of the defence, they will make it their mission to ensure that City barely get a sniff of a chance. Matip’s 6 ft 4 stature will prove difficult for 5 ft 7 Gabriel Jesus and 5 ft 5 Raheem Sterling to counter against, especially if long balls are played in towards the attackers.

The Cameroon international uses his height to his advantage and is very strong both in the air and on the ground when battling for possession. Last year, Ian Wright waxed lyrical over the 29-year-old and his “absolutely brilliant” performance against Sheffield United.

If he pulls off a solid shift on Sunday, Klopp and many others will feel a huge sense of relief knowing that he is up to the challenge of stepping up in the absence of Virgil van Dijk. A win over their main title competitors will be a massive boost for Liverpool, who are already making strides towards their second Premier League success story.

In other news, Exclusive: Chris Kirkland tips Joe Gomez to be Virgil van Dijk partner for “next 10 years”…

Writing on Twitter, journalist Alasdair Gold has claimed that ‘those within the club believe’ Tottenham can lift a first Premier League crown this season, with Gareth Bale making players and staff ‘excited’ in training. 

Bale, who is apparently ‘raring to go’ after his injury rehabilitation, has impressing players and staff members in training after he returned to north London last month in a headline-grabbing deal. 

The 31-year-old was consistently linked with a move back to Tottenham, but Real Madrid’s asking price along with the Welshman’s lucrative salary had been stumbling blocks.

Gareth Bale could be a serious coup for Spurs

However, when reports surfaced that the Galacticos were willing to subsidise half of his wages, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy couldn’t resist a swoop and managed to negotiate arguably one of the summer’s best deals.

After the Welshman’s progress behind the scenes at Hotspur Way, there is a ‘real belief’ Tottenham can lift their first league title since 1961.

Bale is joined by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Joe Hart, Matt Doherty, Sergio Reguilon and Carlos Vinicius in signing for the north Londoners during the summer transfer window.

Arguably Spurs’ best summer window in years, club figures are apparently in dreamland over what they could achieve this season, including a Premier League triumph, despite finishing 40 points behind champions Liverpool in 2019/2020. 

talkSPORT pundit Darren Gough described the feat as a would-be ‘absolute miracle’, but Tottenham are under the belief they can certainly challenge and do the unthinkable, according to Gold.

Transfer Tavern take

Of course, strengthening in key areas was a major factor over the summer, with Levy doing particularly well to shore up the weakened left-back and striker positions.

Spurs appear to have captured an ideal blend of youth, quality and experience, including free agent Hart who provides a winning mentality that he garnered at Manchester City.

Whether or not Mourinho’s men properly push for the title remains to be seen, but judging by their fine start to 2020/2021, it’s certainly possible.

Lilywhites, will Spurs win the Premier League this season? Have your say in the comments section below…