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Nuno Espirito Santo is in ‘advanced talks’ to become manager of Crystal Palace, rather than Everton.

That’s according to John Percy, Midlands football reporter for The Telegraph.

Nuno left Wolves at the end of the 2020/21 season after leading them to 13th place in the Premier League.

He had previously steered the club to consecutive seventh-place finishes in the two years following their promotion from the Championship and memorably took them to the quarter-finals of the Europa League in 2019/20, so their most recent season went down as something of a disappointment.

Did Nuno fail to impress Everton?

After Carlo Ancelotti took up the vacancy at Real Madrid, Everton interviewed Nuno for the position at Goodison Park, but he’s now said to be close to replacing Roy Hodgson at Selhurst Park instead – indeed, the Portuguese has emerged as the Eagles’ ‘no. 1 target’.

According to a report from The Athletic, there were both ‘admirers’ and ‘doubters’ within the Everton hierarchy following talks with the 47-year-old.

Fan feed The Toffee Blues relayed Percy’s report, and here’s how fans reacted, with many unconvinced by Nuno after a regressive campaign at Molineux.

Everton fans express relief as Nuno nears Palace

“Thank god”

Credit: @Michael89770191

“Good!”

Credit: @hehitthepost

“Good. Never wanted him.”

Credit: @RayMazen

“I’m made up”

Credit: @andy_francis2

“Great news!”

Credit: @efac1878

“Please, if there’s a god out there please please please”

Credit: @willwallis6

In other news, a former Everton star expressed scepticism over this managerial link.

As Aston Villa approach their first summer transfer window under the leadership of Steven Gerrard, there is certainly excitement around Villa Park regarding the top talents that could make their way to the West Midlands this summer.

The Villans have already been linked with big-money moves for midfielders Yves Bissouma and Kalvin Philips and could well have an emphatic window.

However, it’s worth remembering that some of Villa’s recent purchases for lower sums have actually turned out to be bargains, with the £12m deal to bring centre-back Ezri Konsa from Brentford in 2019 to Villa Park now seeming a very much worthwhile deal three years on.

When the Villans bought Konsa, the defender had just finished 11th in the Championship with the Bees whilst Villa were victorious in the playoffs.

Having already worked under then-manager Dean Smith, the deal certainly made sense, although £12m seemed to be a hefty fee for a player with no Premier League experience.

Moreover, as recently as 2018, the Englishman had been playing in League One with Charlton Athletic.

According to Transfermarkt, Konsa was valued at £3.15m when swapping Griffin Park for Villa Park, making the £12m transfer fee seem colossal and heavily inflated.

However, since bringing the defender to the Second City club, Villa has seen their asset’s value appreciate drastically.

By September 2019, the 24-year-old’s value had more than doubled to £7.2m but then fell slightly to £5.85m in April 2020 due to the outbreak of the viral pandemic.

However, once Premier League survival was confirmed for Smith’s side, Konsa’s valuation rose to its then-peak point of £8.1m and has only increased since.

Labelled as “unflappable” by Mat Kendrick, the £72k-per-week Englishman is now reportedly worth £22.5m after almost three years of experience in the English top-flight under his belt, nearly double what was paid for him in 2019.

In that time, the 24-year-old has helped his side keep 23 clean sheets over 86 Premier League appearances and, this season, has averaged 44.5 touches, completed 87% of his passes and made 0.5 interceptions, 0.8 tackles and 2.6 clearances per league fixture.

Granted, Konsa nor fellow centre-back Tyrone Mings’ places in the side will be safe going into the summer with Gerrard planning a revolution at Villa Park.

However, it must be remembered that the deal to bring the Englishman to Villa Park three years ago was nothing but a bargain and shrewd business.

AND in other news: Get rid: Aston Villa must part ways with £59k-p/w lightweight who’s “hard to watch”

Many Wolves fans have been fuming over the performance of Willy Boly in the first half of their Premier League game at home to Burnley at Sunday lunchtime.

The former Porto centre-back was guilty of some very poor defending which led to the opening goal for Sean Dyche’s men at Molineux, finished off by Chris Wood.

Boly almost conceded a penalty just moments earlier when he misjudged the flight of the ball, only to make a last-ditch tackle to amend for his error. The Clarets grew more and more threatening as the half went on, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s defence – including the 30-year-old – struggling to cope with their movement and crosses into the box.

Wolves will have to perform much better in the second half if they are to get anything out of the match going into their final few fixtures of the season.

Wolves fans on Boly display

These Wolves fans slammed Boly’s first half performance on Twitter, with one supporter even going as far as to call the Ivory Coast international a ‘clown’:

“Lord Boly is finished”

Credit: @Lem_WWFC

“Probably worst defending I’ve seen from Boly whole time he’s been here. That was absolutely woeful”

Credit: @calwwfc19

“Boly already on his holidays by the looks of it shocking defending”

Credit: @PaulaAdey

“Boly is having a mare”

Credit: @IaconoSte

“Willy Boly. What a clown. The whole of that was awful awful defending and Chris Wood always scores. #WOLBUR #wwfc”

Credit: @wdt17

“Boly and Coady what a joke that is”

Credit: @adenwwfc_

In other news, find out what transfer update has left Wolves fans buzzing!

Manchester City moving for Southampton striker Danny Ings this summer is not a bad thought, says the club’s former defender Steve Howey.

City are in the market for a new No.9 following Sergio Aguero’s departure and have identified Tottenham’s Harry Kane as a target.

However, the Premier League champions face a real battle in trying to bring the England captain to the Etihad, with Tottenham, according to reports, adamant that he is not for sale.

Meanwhile, talkSPORT claim Ings is holding out for a move to either Manchester City or Manchester United after deciding not to sign a new contract at St. Mary’s.

And now Howey has suggested that the 29-year-old would not be the worst option for City if they do end up missing out on Kane. He told TT:

“When he gets over his injuries, he scores goals. That’s what he does, he scores goals. For me, that [City] is not a bad thought. 

“He’s a very good player. He’s good outside the box, but he’s very, very good inside it.”

Back in March, Sky Sports reported that City were interested in Ings, viewing him as a potential successor to Aguero, so perhaps he could become a genuine option for the Citizens towards the end of the window.

Carlton Palmer has allayed fears that an injury to Marcus Rashford could affect Leeds’ transfer pursuit of Daniel James…

What’s the talk?

The former Whites midfielder Carlton Palmer has claimed that the 23-year-old’s shoulder surgery will not impact Leeds’ reported pursuit of his Old Trafford team-mate.

He believes that Manchester United would still be willing to part ways with the Welsh international, despite Rashford being set to spend some time on the sidelines.

Palmer told Football FanCast:

“I don’t think it’s a problem for him to let him go. He’s made a lot of signings this summer, so he’s been pushed down the pecking order.

“I did my shoulder on the last day of the season, dislocated. I had it pinned and I was back for the first game of the season, so I don’t think Rashford is going to be out for months and months on end.”

Leeds and Brighton are both reportedly interested in signing James on loan or on a permanent basis from Old Trafford this summer.

Bielsa will love him

If there is a chance for Leeds to sign the £15m winger, then they must pounce on the opportunity to do so before the end of the transfer window. Rashford’s injury may have caused concern inside the walls at Elland Road, but Palmer has allayed those worries by claiming that it will not affect James’ future as he is still too far down the pecking order in Manchester.

Marcelo Bielsa will be over the moon if James arrives at the club this window. Speaking on The Phil Hay Show, the titular journalist said this about the coach’s thoughts on him: “That’s a question for Bielsa because Bielsa’s forever interested in Dan James, and you probably remember last summer that before they did the deal for Raphinha, they were looking into the possibility of bringing Dan James in on loan from Manchester United.”

This shows that the Argentine is a big fan of James and would love to add him to his squad. He has been pursuing the Welshman for a considerable amount of time, which could make landing him this month all the sweater as it would bring satisfaction to an ongoing saga.

The forward was labelled “explosive and so fast” by his teammate Andreas Pereira in an interview with Manchester United’s official website last season.

James averaged four dribbles and key passes completed per game in four starts at the European Championship for Wales. This shows that he has the ability to beat players and create chances at the top level if given the chance to start matches, which is another reason why Bielsa could love him. He is direct and creative and that could be exciting to watch, from the dugout and from the stands.

AND in other news, Orta must secure Leeds swoop for 14 G/A “powerhouse” who’s a perfect Costa replacement…

Plenty of Crystal Palace fans have been giving their thoughts to a transfer update regarding the Eagles and Slavia Prague attacker Abdallah Sima.

According to France Football, relayed by GFFN, Sima is in ‘advanced talks’ to make the move to Selhurst Park.

No finances are outlined in the story, but it seems as if the Eagles have a real chance of landing the Senegal international.

The 19-year-old, capable of playing on either wing or through the middle, has scored 15 goals and registered six assists for Prague this season.

Sima, valued at £9.9m, netted against Leicester City in the Europa League knockout stages, scoring four goals in the competition with Prague eventually being knocked out by Arsenal in the quarter-finals.

Palace fans react

@cpfc_xtra shared the news on Twitter on Monday evening, and, as to be expected, plenty of Palace fans were quick to interact with the post.

This is what some had to say, with one describing Sima as a ‘really good’ footballer.

“Would be insane”

Credit: @CPFCH10

“mad”

Credit: @MATTT046

“This summer might be cool”

Credit: @danofthesouth_

“This guy was insane against Leicester”

Credit: @CPjxke

“He is really good”

Credit: @dougCPFC

“Very promising”

Credit: @ReeceJMT

In other news: Roy Hodgson linked with new club, Palace fans react, find out more here. 

A number of Liverpool supporters have been bemoaning a report claiming the Reds’ interest in midfielder Florian Neuhaus has cooled.

Jurgen Klopp could be about to embark on another busy summer transfer window, as he looks to brings a freshness to his squad.

After a long, tough and injury-hit 2020/21 season, signing a number of new faces could be exactly what is required, as Liverpool look to win back the Premier League title next year.

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Gini Wijnaldum is one player who is heading out of the Anfield exit door, however, and the influential Dutchman may need to be replaced.

Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Neuhaus is a player who has been continually linked with a summer move to Liverpool, having scored six goals and registered five assists in the Bundesliga last season.

According to the Liverpool Echo [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], however, the Reds’ interest in the 24-year-old has cooled, with a move now potentially looking less likely.

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Liverpool fans unhappy with Neuhaus update

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to show their frustration at the update.

“Broke FC”

Credit: @CousinCAH

“Doubt we’ll sign a midfielder now then”

Credit: @_Lfc_Josh

“With every news it feels like Liverpool are getting poorer…”

Credit: @TheryT

“Shock”

Credit: @JackManningOF

“We are waiting for the next player who will be ‘very interested’ after 2 days ‘interest will drop’ and so on all the time”

Credit: @PogodaDominik

“Sure why would we”

Credit: @sheepdogx2

In other news, James Pearce has provided a key update regarding the potential signing of one player at Liverpool. Find out who it is here.

Steven Gerrard’s Rangers face off against Hearts at Ibrox today in a huge clash at the top of the Premiership table.

A win for the home side would see them move four points clear at the top, whilst a defeat would see them drop down to second with the Jam Tarts overtaking them.

The Gers beat third-placed Hibernian 2-1 prior to the international break, as Kemar Roofe and Alfredo Morelos’ second half goals secured the three points.

How many changes will Gerrard make to the team from that victory? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three changes to the side from the win over Hibs, with Jon McLaughlin, James Tavernier and Kemar Roofe all returning.

Firstly, we believe that McLaughlin will line up between the sticks. We published an article explaining why veteran shot-stopper Allan McGregor must be axed by Gerrard for this clash, and the former Liverpool captain could heed that advice and go with the 34-year-old today.

At right-back, captain Tavernier could return in place of Nathan Patterson. The teenage defender provided an assist against Hibernian and recorded a SofaScore rating of 7.6, which is why this is a difficult call to make. However, the experience (more than 300 appearances for Rangers) and leadership of Tavernier in a crunch game like this could be crucial for the Gers.

In midfield, Joe Aribo, Glen Kamara and John Lundstram could retain their places in the middle of the park. We published a piece detailing Steven Davis’ woes for Northern Ireland on international duty, which is why he could be watching on from the bench for today’s clash.

Finally, Roofe could come in for Scott Wright to line up on the left of the front three, with Morelos through the middle and Ianis Hagi out on the right. The former Leeds striker came off the bench and scored against Hibernian and we previously discussed why he deserves to start.

Wright and Hagi both caught the eye against Hibs and it is not an easy call on who to drop out of the pair. However, the latter created five chances in comparison to Wright’s four and that gives him the edge for this match, with the Romanian keeping his place in the side.

AND in other news, Wilson must avoid Rangers nightmare over “unique” beast compared to Yaya Toure…

Frank McAvennie has been left slamming Daniel Levy after what he has heard coming out of Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Levy tried to halt Newcastle

As per The Daily Mail, the chairman tried to stop Newcastle United from signing lucrative new sponsors following the takeover by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium.

It was also claimed that Spurs lobbied the Premier League against the deal amid fears of increased competition for Champions League spots.

The Latest: McAvennie slams Levy

Speaking to Football Insider, former Celtic and West Ham United striker McAvennie has slammed Levy for his actions, claiming that the Spurs chairman is scared that Newcastle could become more successful than the Lilywhites. The 61-year-old raged:

“Levy isn’t even talking to the fans now, he’s blanking them.

“He hasn’t got a leg to stand on, the fans have fully turned on him.

“It’s as if he’s trying to wind them up as much as possible. He thinks he doesn’t have to answer to anybody.

“This has all come from fear. Levy is scared that Newcastle could knock Tottenham off the map.

“He cannot compete with that wealth. Not being able to compete scares Levy.

“He tried to stop the takeover, now he’s trying to stop sponsors, grow up.

“Honestly, it’s pathetic, I’m embarrassed for him.”

The Verdict: Embarrassing

It is truly embarrassing on Levy’s behalf that he would even try to stop the Magpies from signing new sponsors, and ultimately screams of jealousy on his part.

After an impressive start to the season, Tottenham are currently lingering in ninth place in the Premier League table, and they only managed to qualify for the Europa Conference League from finishing seventh last term.

Newcastle promise to disrupt the so-called ‘big six’ with their new wealth, which could leave the north London club even further adrift. Nonetheless, Levy may need to reach into his own pockets once more to try and keep up with the likes of the Magpies in the transfer market.

In other news, find out who Fabio Paratici is now ‘thinking’ of signing for Spurs

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have reacted to news on their club and Borussia Monchengladbach defender Ramy Bensebaini.

David Moyes has been tipped to target new defenders as one of his main summer transfer priorities alongside the acquisition of a star striker and signing Jesse Lingard permanently (Claret & Hugh).

West Ham have been linked to a few colossal defensive names like Nikola Milenkovic and James Tarkowski, with news now emerging on another target in Bensebaini.

The Bundesliga ace, who started 20 German top flight matches for Monchengladbach over 2020/2021, also managed more interceptions per 90 on average (1.9) than any West Ham man did in the Premier League (WhoScored).

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As a result, Moyes and GSB are now interested in signing Bensebaini this summer, according to Corriere dello Sport.

The Italian news outlet reports that while the Irons are eyeing him alongside Roma, his €20 million (£17.02m) asking price ‘risks dissuading’ both while new Monchengladbach head coach Adi Hütter is keen to keep him.

Regardless of these obstacles, West Ham fans have reacted to the news on social media with a fair few pleading for his signing.

Find all of their reactions in response to DZfoot English, West Ham Fan Zone and West Ham News & Views down below.

West Ham fans react as Bensebaini news emerges

“Bensebaini would be absolutely amazing for us please @WestHam

Just pay what they want”

Credit: @WHUInfo

“He’s so good. Would be class!”

Credit: @WHUFCallum_

“YES PLEASE”

Credit: @cjgwhu

“Yeah there’s no way”

Credit: @joe_little03

“Said Benrahma has recommended him to David Moyes & is now considering to make a bid or not so let’s see if he does follow up & I think he should personally as he is exactly what we need at left back & a great back up for Aaron Cresswell & Arthur Masuaku trust me on that! COYI!”

Credit: @MichaelAGomes19

“Baller”

Credit: @Ed48297466

“DO IT!”

Credit: @DNXN90

“Would be such a bargain for £18m”

Credit: @1bbyWHU

In other news: West Ham in pole position to sign ‘goal king’ with formal bid expected soon, find out more here.