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Crystal Palace were on the receiving end of a 2-0 drubbing by Wolves as Roy Hodgson’s side started off slowly at Molineux on Friday night. Palace loan signing Michy Batshuayi struggled to make much of an impression before he was replaced by Christian Benteke – although he was by no means the only player at fault for the poor performance.

What’s the story?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, Palace are facing an exodus of players with thirteen of them coming out of contract next term. Hodgson has some big decisions to make as several senior members of the squad have entered the final few months of their deals.

It’s claimed that former Aston Villa frontman Benteke could be departing Selhurst Park along with Connor Wickham when their contracts run out in the summer. So, Palace chairman Steve Parish must return for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard in the winter transfer window.

Bye Benteke

Reports in recent times revealed that the Eagles were interested in signing the £13.5m-rated centre-forward as a potential Benteke replacement. The report by The Times suggested that Palace were prepared to sell the Belgium international in the summer, but a move failed to materialise, so they went back to the drawing board.

Hodgson and Parish embarked on a summer spending spree, splashing out on the likes of Batshuayi and former Queens Park Rangers winger Eberechi Eze, whilst they also brought in Nathan Ferguson from West Bromwich Albion.

Goals have started to dry up in spite of the new signings, as Batshuayi has failed to find the back of the net so far, although in fairness that isn’t for want of trying, whilst Wilfried Zaha is the club’s leading goalscorer in all competitions, having scored five times in total, via Transfermarkt.

But the 17-cap Ivory Coast international needs someone who can share the burden of scoring goals and Edouard is a player who can do precisely just that.

Once hailed as an “exceptional” player by football journalist David Tanner, Edouard was recently described by Celtic boss Neil Lennon as a “special talent” after his hat-trick against Hamilton.

The 22-year-old has bagged 66 goals in over 100 appearances for the Bhoys, via Transfermarkt. By comparison, Benteke has only scored 23 goals in 118 games for the Eagles.

Just imagine the chaos he could cause alongside Zaha – it almost doesn’t bear to think about. Getting rid of the Belgian would make room for the 6-cap France U21 international in the first team instead.

AND in other news, Steve Parish must convince Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell to sign new contract…

Manchester United have suffered from an inconsistent start so far this season which has been punctuated by blow after blow. Beating Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig in the Champions League has been overshadowed by defeats to Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

Several players have seriously let Ole Gunnar Solskjaer down over the course of the campaign, which has coincided with a poor run of form. Harry Maguire hardly did himself any favours whatsoever as he faced a fresh volley of criticism after he suffered a defensive meltdown during the defeat to Jose Mourinho’s side.

Moving further afield, the midfielders have also made a right mess of things. Paul Pogba is yet to hit the ground running after returning from a period of self-isolation in September.

Manchester United must cash in on Paul Pogba

The France international failed to secure the move away from the Red Devils that he wanted during the summer when Ed Woodward priced him out of a move away from the club. However, there’s a high chance that United could lose him at the end of this season and their poor run of form in the Premier League suggests that they won’t be able to build on their third-placed finish last term either.

With European heavyweights PSG, Real Madrid and Juventus circling Pogba, it’s likely he will cost a pretty penny (or two), as his potential suitors will surely have to stump up a fee in excess of his £72m valuation, via Transfermarkt.

There’s no denying the fact that he is highly rated by Solskjaer, who admitted he is a “special talent” in a pre-match press conference before the FA Cup quarter-final with Norwich City last season. His former boss Mourinho was once a fan of his too, hailing his “monster” heroics in the 2-1 win over Leicester City in 2018, before their relationship went off the rails.

It looks like his relationship with the club legend could be heading for a similar rocky trajectory after Solskjaer criticised Pogba for the first time in his post-match press conference after the game against Arsenal before the international break.

“The boy is running away from goal, there is no need to go for the ball,” he said, as quoted by The Daily Express. “Not much of a touch, but it’s probably a penalty. He needs to stay on his feet. Paul knows it’s a soft penalty to give away similar to Nemanja [Matic] who almost got a penalty.”

There’s no doubt that Pogba is one of the best players at the club, as 33 goals and 35 assists in over 150 games isn’t something to be sniffed at, along with an impressive trophy cabinet consisting of one World Cup trophy, one Premier League title and one Europa League trophy, but if push comes to shove, Woodward must cash in on the Frenchman whilst he still can.

If a club can afford to meet their colossal asking price, it should allow Solskjaer to splash the cash on the signings he has wanted for so long, with Jadon Sancho still at the top of his wishlist. The club legend is still no closer to getting his right-wing solution so Pogba’s potential transfer fee could help to solve a problem that has plagued the club for so long. Losing the one-time academy product would be a bitter blow for the board but in the grand scheme of things, perhaps it’d be best for everyone involved if they got rid of him for good, especially when you consider the fact they have the perfect replacement in Donny van de Beek waiting in the wings.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Carlton Palmer makes stunning prediction about Paul Pogba’s future at Manchester United…

Amidst all the takeover talk that had dominated Newcastle headlines earlier this summer, it’s easy to forget that a year prior, the club was also looking it was on the verge of seeing Mike Ashley’s era come to an end.

Reports back in May 2019 had suggested that the current Magpies owner was in talks to sell the club to Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and that the potential deal was worth around £350m.

It was even claimed by the Bin Zayed Group that terms had been all agreed, and that they had hoped to complete the takeover at the “earliest opportunity”.

Of course, that all failed to materialise, but that hasn’t stopped them from trying to make their mark on English football. They now currently own Derby County after agreeing a takeover earlier this month, and have now made the decision to appoint Steve McClaren as technical director.

As well as the Bin Zayed group, McClaren is also a familiar name on Tyneside, having managed at St James’ Park a few years ago and ending up being sacked after just nine months in charge.

The former England boss opened up on his time at the club earlier this year, saying: “It was a difficult club at that time to manage and, again, I thought I had all the experience. Time is something you don’t get at a football club and that club needed time to turn around, and I knew after six weeks, 10 weeks in the dressing room that it needed changing around and that might have taken a year, two years.

“Unfortunately, I wasn’t given that time and that’s what happens in football. You’ve still got to win in the short-term and plan for the long-term. That has always been the motto and always will be. Unfortunately, I ran out of time.”

And after hearing about his appointment at Derby, Newcastle fans made it clear that they seem to have had a lucky escape with the Bin Zayed takeover falling through.

If their appointment of McClaren is an indication of how they may have run things at Newcastle, then it’s fair to say the Magpies may have dodged a bullet. Having billionaire owners come in and take over is all well and good, but if they don’t get the key personnel decisions right, then it all goes to pot.

In a game full of end-to-end chances, Everton squandered the opportunity to bolster their quest to qualify for Europe next season as they were beaten at Goodison Park on Saturday evening.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men had two goals ruled out of offside in the first half before Leeds United’s tricky winger, Raphinha, stepped up with the winner 11 minutes from time.

The Toffees allowed him the time and space to curl a speculative effort in from range, meaning the Whites head back to Yorkshire with all three points whilst the home side have now lost four of their last five in the Premier League.

Between the two teams, they managed to fire off a total of 38 shots but for the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison, it was an off-night.

Particularly for the Brazillian as he let his manager down abysmally with a shocking display on the left flank.

Richarlison accounted for four of those 38 attempts as he failed to get his name on the scoresheet, but he too lost possession 16 times, failed to deliver a single accurate cross and only successfully pulled off 50% of his dribbles, as per SofaScore.

In 90 minutes of action, the £54m-rated sensation also made just 13 passes (62%), which was fewer than what Jordan Pickford managed between the Everton sticks and that in itself is rather alarming.

He is usually one of the Toffees’ most important figures, so if he struggles, it is no surprise that the Merseyside outfit often do not pull off that positive result.

Perhaps some of it can be attributed to the fact that he did not have Lucas Digne bombing on behind him but given Alex Iwobi attempted more crosses than Richarlison, he certainly has to take the brunt of the blame.

When you’re raking in around £90k-per-week at Goodison Park, you cannot afford to deliver sub-par performances, so the spotlight is quite rightly on Richarlison following Saturday’s defeat.

He can look to make things right next weekend as the Toffees head to lowly Burnley.

AND in other news, £36m-rated Everton flop who was worse than Davies must face the AXE…

In reply, Tottenham simply exclaimed ‘let’s go’ as they confirmed the ‘great’ bit of news – with Lilywhites having potential reason to get excited as another academy product is let loose.

Time will tell whether he follows a similar journey to the likes of Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp, but judging by his award of a four-year extension, it’s safe to say Spurs have every faith in him.

In other news: Daniel Levy has gifted Tottenham another unlikely boost, find out more here.

Speaking in a press conference, West Ham United boss David Moyes has shared that Crystal Palace may come too early for striker Michail Antonio as he looks set to miss their clash this evening – with his absence from the team in general described as a ‘massive, massive blow’ for the Irons. 

Antonio, who has impressed this season when available up front, operating as the sole striker ahead of Sebastien Haller, looks set to miss Crystal Palace tonight as Moyes shares the latest on his recovery.

Antonio set to miss Palace

The Englishman, despite taking to the grass and being back in training, will not be ready in time to play a part as the Hammers aim to climb back up into the top six.

Moyes’ men have defied the odds so far this season, sitting pretty in and around the Europa League qualification spots ahead of a gruelling and congested 2020/2021 calendar over the next month.

However, as they prepare for Palace, it is now highly unlikely Antonio will feature – with West Ham now set to rely upon the polarising Haller once again in the forward positions.

Transfer Tavern take

Darren Bent, speaking to Football Insider, described the attacker’s absence as a ‘massive, massive blow’ for the Hammers ahead of a daunting Christmas fixture list – but Hammers will also be thankful that their star man is back in training.

Regardless of it being unlikely he will play a part tonight, Antonio could hopefully return to the first team sooner rather than later – with West Ham needing all the help they can get.

In other news: West Ham fans slaughtered this ‘really big news’ from GSB, find out more here.

According to 90min, Manchester United are still interested in signing Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund.

What’s the word?

It’s no secret Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made Sancho his top priority in the summer transfer window, only for the 20-year-old right-winger to stay at the Signal Iduna Park after Ed Woodward failed to agree terms with the Bundesliga giants.

The England international finds himself in the throes of a dreadful domestic campaign with the eight-time German champions, who have lost two and drawn one of their past five games.

Sancho himself has somewhat struggled to replicate the form he enjoyed last season, having provided four goals and eight assists in 18 appearances across all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

Third time’s the charm

It’s claimed United are confident their reluctance to sign Sancho in the summer could in actual fact work in their favour as they believe they could sign the England winger for considerably less than Dortmund’s original demands of €120m (£107m).

This isn’t the first time Sancho, who joined Dortmund from Manchester City in 2017, has found himself on the Red Devils’ radar, with the Englishman a reported target for Solskjaer this time last year.

He has long been linked with a move to Old Trafford and it’s easy to understand why as he would be an immediate upgrade on most if not all of the options currently available to the club legend, including Daniel James and Juan Mata.

In 117 appearances, Sancho has bagged 38 times and 51 assists in all competitions, via Transfermarkt – including bagging a brace against Hertha Berlin back in 2018. When you consider his record and compare it to Bruno Fernandes’ – 27 goals and 17 assists in 46 matches for United – and you have to wonder what sort of havoc they could wreak.

Dortmund first-team regular starter Raphael Guerreiro believes he could be “just as good as Cristiano Ronaldo”, saying: “Cristiano is one of the best in the world and to ever be as good as him, Jadon still has a lot of work to do, a lot. He has everything you need, though, to be just as good as Cristiano, maybe even better someday.”

Similarly, Erling Braut Haaland was equally effusive in his praise for his teammate, describing him as a “fantastic” beast. These aren’t just your Average Joes, these are two of the best players in the world who are genuinely in awe of Sancho.

This sort of attacking talent would be most welcome at Old Trafford, particularly on the right wing, and to be able to nab a player of his calibre that’s already bagged two goals in the Champions League this season to go straight into the starting line-up for a reduced price would be a shrewd bit of business by the board.

AND in other news, Manchester United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka was brilliant vs Aston Villa…

Leeds United have emerged as one of the clubs interested in the services of Marcus Tavernier. According to TEAMtalk this week, the Whites have been listed alongside Everton, Leicester and Wolves as parties circling a potential move for the Middlesbrough star.

Tavernier has attracted a lot of attention thanks to his convincing performances on the wing. But his immense versatility is another very intriguing factor which has got potential buyers on the end of Boro’s rod.

As highlighted by Transfermarkt, the 21-year-old makes easy work of adapting to new positions across the pitch. Despite being a left midfielder by trade, Tavernier is comfortable playing on the opposite flank as well as in central midfield and further forward in both the engine room and on the wing.

This will make him a vital asset to Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds side, who are seriously lacking creativity in other positions. Patrick Bamford is the team’s highest scorer so far this season with 10 goals – next behind him is Mateusz Klich with a huge drop down to three, according to BBC Sport.

Adding a young, quick and creative wide man to their roster will really give Leeds a boost in attack. It will also alleviate pressure from Bamford, who is the main source of the team’s goals.

As it stands, the Whites have just one recognised left-winger/midfielder on their senior roster. Jack Harrison is the only man who can comfortably fill that role and he is currently only at the club on loan.

Leeds have an option to buy but it remains to be seen whether the Manchester City ace will return to the Etihad in the summer or move to Elland Road permanently – the former would leave Bielsa with very few cards to play on the left.

Tavernier, who is currently on a £4,900 per week deal with Boro, would be a very tactical bit of business. Not only would he fill a gaping hole in the Leeds squad, but his eagerness to develop will be a welcome gift to the newly promoted Whites.

According to Transfermarkt, he is on six goal contributions for the season so far, just one less than Harrison. Playing with a clinical goal poacher like Bamford would massively up his numbers and indeed, Leeds’ threat as a Premier League side once more.

In other news, the emergence of Crysencio Summerville could mean trouble for Ian Poveda…

West Brom haven’t had a good track-record of signing exciting strikers, and that trend could continue if reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports reporter Kavel Solhekol on the Transfer Show (as relayed by Football Daily), the Baggies have been offered the chance to sign Angers SCO forward Stephane Bahoken with an option-to-buy.

“We know West Brom do not have much to spend [this window], so maybe that would fit the bill,” claimed Solhekol.

Sam Allardyce has already bolstered his struggling Albion squad with the additions of Robert Snodgrass and Andy Lonergan, but the need for extra firepower has been ramped up since the departure of Charlie Austin to QPR on loan and the lengthy injury sustained to Karlan Grant.

Another Stephane flop

As we’ve mentioned, West Brom’s history with the attacking department has been atrocious – the fact that both of last summer’s signings, Austin and Kenneth Zohore, are out on loan speaks volumes, but if that’s not enough, then you may remember Brown Ideye – or Stephane Sessegnon.

In 2016, the Midlands outfit broke their transfer record with the £5.5m signing of Sessegnon from Sunderland. That turned out to be a disaster as he only scored eight goals in 92 appearances – he is arguably one of the worst we’ve ever seen at the Hawthorns.

Before his spell at the Black Cats, the Benin international had never featured in England, and with Bahoken, we’re getting a similar situation as he’s only had one loan spell in Scotland – both played the bulk of their careers in France.

Valued at £6.3m by Transfermarkt, the 28-year-old has managed to bag five times in Ligue 1 this term and hasn’t found the net in six successive appearances.

The self-proclaimed “animal” had a pretty dismal spell in the SPFL for St Mirren, leading to manager Danny Lennon urging fans to back him amid claims he “didn’t handle” the situation well at the club.

He failed to score in five appearances, so why would he be suited to a desperate relegation scrap in the Premier League?

Regardless of the Baggies’ finances, Big Sam would stumble into yet another transfer mistake if he were to sanction a move for Bahoken and that, given their history, would be an absolutely unforgivable blunder to make.

AND in other news, 1 goal every 80 mins: THIS is what West Brom could have with one fell £12.5m swoop…

Carlo Ancelotti must tempt Bernard into quitting Goodison Park amid rumoured interest from AS Roma and United Arab Emirates side Al Nasr in the Everton midfielder.

What’s the word?

According to The Telegraph, Toffees chiefs have slapped a £9m asking price on the Brazilian as they look to trim the ranks and, more specifically, their wage bill during the January transfer window.

Bernard is the joint-highest earner in Ancelotti’s first-team fold on a £120,000-per-week deal, after penning a vastly lucrative contract upon his arrival as a free agent in 2018.

Everton are eager to offload players in order to reinvest in Ancelotti’s squad, and consider Bernard to be a saleable asset after starting just two of his six Premier League appearances this term.

The Goodison Park outfit are yet to receive any official approaches wishing to discuss a deal for Bernard this month, though the 28-year-old is considered to be Paulo Fonseca’s prime target at Roma.

That’s according to Il Tempo, via Sport Witness, who reported earlier this week that Fonseca has already contacted Bernard to discuss a potential move to the Serie A, where he would reunite with his former head coach from Shakhtar Donetsk.

The Italian publication, as also noted by The Telegraph, add that Everton are not willing to offer any discounts to offload Bernard this month, while Roma are not appearing ready to forge any official negotiations approaching the final week of the January market.

Should Everton sell Bernard?

Ancelotti will no doubt be loath to lose any player he considers to be a key aspect of his squad with Everton competing for Champions League qualification this season, but Bernard is clearly a player the Italian tactician can do without if a deal can be struck this month.

Ancelotti was claimed to have told Bernard that he was a valued part of his squad at the close of the last transfer window after snubbing a potential move to Roma, but that faith has not been reflected on the pitch with the midfielder left an unused substitute in 11 of Everton’s 17 Premier League fixtures to date this term.

That’s also despite Bernard snubbing a move to Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Hilal in the summer, who marked him as their priority target after a £6m bid, as the 14-cap international wished to continue his career in the English top-flight.

But since that decision, Bernard has only continued to bleed majority owner Farhad Moshiri dry on his mammoth contract that has seen the midfielder earn in excess of £9m over the past two-and-a-half-years, and Ancelotti needs to do all he can to prove he has reached the end of the line.

Bernard’s output would barely be missed in Everton’s push for European football, should he leave, as the 28-year-old has only taken four shots on goal over his mere six Premier League outings thus far. He’s also only offered six key passes – Michael Keane has created half that from centre-half, per WhoScored.

Not many players have featured as little under Ancelotti this term than Bernard, too, with the Brazilian earning a combined 273 minutes of top-flight action compared to Fabian Delph (212), Robin Olsen (180), Anthony Gordon (88), Jonjoe Kenny (79), Niels Nkounkou (69) and Cenk Tosun (44).

If Roma are not willing to come calling this month, Ancelotti and Everton should sing the praises of a payday in the Middle East and free themselves of an outcast earning more than Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the Toffees’ top-scorer’s deal worth £100k-p/w.

AND in other news, Everton have been dealt a huge blow in their pursuit of a £13.5m beast…