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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Howey, who made 193 Premier League appearances during his career, believes it may be the right time for Crystal Palace to sell Wilfried Zaha.

The 28-year old only has one Community Shield in his trophy cabinet and after numerous transfer windows of being linked with a move away from Selhurst Park it may be the time has come for Zaha to try himself at a bigger club again.

He’s made 383 appearances in all competitions for Crystal Palace and except for a miserable season at Manchester United which included a loan spell at Cardiff City, Zaha has been a mainstay at Palace after coming through their academy.

Zaha is the catalyst at Selhurst Park and without the Ivory Coast international, Palace have lost 18 out of 23 games. What is more worrying though, is when Zaha has been absent Palace have failed to score in 16 of those 18 defeats.

His contract isn’t set to expire until 2023 so, the Eagles hold all the cards but this summer could be the window they maximise Zaha’s market value which currently stands at £45 million.

Speaking on Zaha’s apparent desire to leave Crystal Palace most transfer windows and his attitude which can go either way, Howey spoke exclusively to FFC:

“It’s like every other week, he seems to put in a transfer request or wanting to be away.

“He’s got that attitude about him, sometimes it’s a good attitude and other times I think it’s not.

“Would he suit Arsenal? Yes. We’ll have to see what happens in the summer. You’d have thought that Palace might want to cash in on him so they can get a couple of players in and don’t miss him as much.”

This is currently Zaha’s second-best season in-front of goal with nine goals, just one short of his best total during the 2018/19 season. He’s adding goals to his games alongside his pace, strength and skills which could make him a perfect player for a top-six club.

To be considered a great player, Zaha may have to prove himself at a bigger club than Crystal Palace and win some silverware.

Jeff Shi’s mantra at Wolves has been to recruit players while they’re young in order to develop them for the future.

Very few new faces are welcomed to Molineux as the finished article. Rui Patricio, Joao Moutinho and Willian Jose spring to mind when you consider their elder signings, but the general rule of thumb has been to invest in players with a vibrant potential ahead of them.

Some of their summer signings typified that. Wolves spent £35.6m on Fabio Silva in the hope that he comes good in a few years time while the likes of Rayan Ait-Nouri and Ki-Jana Hoever were further evidence of Shi’s desire to bring in young players.

Though, one addition from 2019 is yet to get much attention. That happens to be Hugo Bueno.

The 18-year-old signed from a tiny Spanish team called Arcosa after being recommended to Wolves scouts by observers on the continent.

It was a life-changing moment for the teenager who is now remarkably on the cusp of first-team football. He appeared on the bench when the Old Gold tasted defeat to Crystal Palace at the back end of last month, and judging by Wolves’ injury list, he should be unshackled by Nuno Santo.

The Molineux outfit are currently missing Rayan-Ait Nouri and Jonny in a left-wing back position while Marcal has also been out injured.

However, Nuno can ease the burden of those injuries by preparing Bueno for first-team action. After all, he seems to fit the bill of what Wolves want. Speaking in an interview with Marca (via Sport Witness) last year, the defender stated: “It was in January 2019. They liked me (Wolves scouts) a lot in the match they saw me, and they offered me to go there for a week to play with the under-18s.”

Bueno continued: “I accepted, of course. I played with the two friends. They told me that I was a perfect fit, but that they wanted me to come back, to be seen by more coaches.”

Nearly two years on and it’s difficult to argue with the assessment of the club’s scouts. He has been a key part of Wolves’ U23 side this term, playing 13 times in Premier League 2.

He has featured at left-back and further forward on the left of midfield while two assists certainly demonstrate that Bueno is someone who loves to get forward.

Possessed with plenty of energy, the Wolves website describes the teenager a “flying wing-back” and that’s exactly the type of thing the senior side are looking for right now.

Critically, though, is that he is composed in defence. He has made 1.5 tackles per game in the EFL Trophy this season against senior opposition while uring a 2-2 draw with Liverpool U23s in January last year, he dealt capably with one of their brightest young players.

Birmingham Live reporter Alex Dicken noted at full-time: “He was tasked with marking Harvey Elliot, who has drawn enviable comparisons to some of the game’s greats this season, but acquitted himself well.”

With a plethora of defensive injuries, it’s certainly not unreasonable to suggest Bueno could earn his senior debut soon. With that in mind, he must be readied for the physical battles ahead.

AND in other news, Nuno must unleash rarely-seen Wolves flop next term, Jota called him a “good signing”…

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella recently and judging by his superb performance at the weekend against Genoa, he would be an excellent addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

The 24-year-old is unsurprisingly attracting interest from the Premier League as he continues to star in Antonio Conte’s side, who currently sit top of Serie A.

So far this season, the Italian international has made 24 appearances in the Italian top-flight, contributing three goals and five assists, resulting in an impressive 7.09 average rating.

Since joining Inter from Cagliari on a permanent deal in the summer transfer window, after impressing on loan last season, the young midfielder has seen his value soar, with Transfermarkt now valuing him at a hefty £49.5 million.

Barella was at his best once again at the weekend in a 3-0 win against Genoa, with SofaScore awarding him an 8.2 match rating for his performance, which was only bettered by Romelu Lukaku, whose goal and assist earned him an 8.4 rating.

The midfielder was regularly involved throughout his time on the pitch, completing 44/52 passes from midfield, whilst also hitting the crossbar with an excellent curling effort.

However, it was the quality of his passes which perhaps best emphasise just how good Barella can be, as he contributed as many as seven key passes during the game – four more than any other player on the pitch.

In that sense, the Italian maestro was allowed to run the show at the San Siro, with his quality clearly proving to be too much for Davide Ballardini’s side to handle.

Barella certainly looks as if he could handle the physical demands of the Premier League too, as he won 6/8 of his duels during the game, which shows that despite him only being five foot eight, he is not afraid to get stuck in.

Following the game, former England manager Fabio Capello suggested that Barella is in the top three midfielders in European football at the moment, and therefore it seems fair to suggest that he could be a quality addition at Liverpool.

If Barella continues to play as he did in this latest exceptional display, the German manager should do everything he can to bring him to Anfield this summer.

And, in other news… LFC signing gem with “extraordinary quality” would surely spell the end for £50k-p/w dud

Dare we say it? Glasgow Rangers are surely the favourites to win the Scottish Premiership this season after a weekend which saw them move 19 points clear of Celtic.

Steven Gerrard’s side looked to be in trouble early on after Celtic duo Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths came close to scoring on several occasions, only to be denied by the safe hands of veteran goalkeeper Allan McGregor, but they roared back after the break thanks to an own goal from Celtic skipper Callum McGregor to win 1-0 and maintain their impressive run of form.

It’s the first time Rangers have been unbeaten in their opening 22 top-flight appearances since the 1967-68 season and we reckon that the best is yet to come.

This wasn’t just the first game to mark the New Year, it clearly means much, much more, and may have set the tone for the rest of 2021.

Whilst the Premiership league leaders may have played three games more than their arch rivals, they have now set themselves up rather nicely for the rest of the domestic campaign.

It will no doubt feel like very familiar territory for Gerrard, after Rangers threw away a huge points advantage to see Celtic confirmed as Scottish champions for the ninth season in a row last year.

This time, however, it’s fair to say that the momentum seems to have already started to shift towards the Govan side of Glasgow.

Against Neil Lennon’s side, Rangers may have been left to feel a little anxious, although they gradually grew into the game as the afternoon wore on. The Gers side that started at Ibrox was mostly comprised of seasoned veterans and established first-team regular starters with a whole host of international caps between them.

Indeed, it feels like Gerrard has finally found his winning formula, as they’ve now gone five games unbeaten since the humiliating defeat at the ands of St. Mirren in the Betfred Cup.

As the old adage goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going, a popular witticism which can often be associated with Rangers, as Alfredo Morelos couldn’t resist a cheeky scrap (or two).

There’s no doubt the Scottish Premiership title win will be well deserved if and when it comes, and to do the Old Firm double over Celtic in the same season will surely be the icing on the cake.

AND in other news, Forget McGregor: Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo spared Gerrard’s blushes against Celtic…

Marcel Brands must be decisive on the future of Yannick Bolasie during the January transfer window after Middlesbrough ruled out a move for the Everton winger.

What’s the word?

According to The Northern Echo, Neil Warnock has admitted it is extremely unlikely that his Championship side will sign Bolasie during the mid-season market.

Warnock had been keen to revisit the forward’s situation after seeing a season-long loan fall through at the eleventh hour on Deadline Day in October, but is yet to have any contact with the DR Congo international this month.

Bolasie had agreed on the terms to his move to the north-east in the previous window after naming Middlesbrough as his preferred destination, amid alleged rival interest from Blackburn Rovers and Millwall.

But he was ultimately forced to remain at Goodison Park, where he is yet to play a single minute across all competitions this season after being omitted from Carlo Ancelotti’s 25-man squad.

Bolasie now faces a fraught January awaiting news of a potential move away from Everton, with a route to Middlesbrough seemingly now closed off.

“We’re still looking at wide players, but I’ve not spoken to Yannick for about a month really,” Warnock said. “There’s nothing in that at all at the moment. I’ve not spoken to him for about a month, so I can’t see it happening without me speaking to him.”

The Boro boss has spoken with a range of other potential targets as he strives to improve the ranks at the Riverside Stadium, where Football Insider add that club chiefs are actively pursuing alternatives to Bolasie.

Brands must be decisive

News of Middlesbrough moving on to alternative targets will come as a huge blow for Everton as they strived to offload the £3m-rated outcast ahead of him becoming a free agent in the summer.

The January sales present Everton’s last chance to recoup some of the £25m paid to Crystal Palace in 2016, having failed to sell Bolasie previously after mixed loan spells with Aston Villa, RSC Anderlecht and Sporting CP following his lacklustre return from a serious knee injury.

He will likely now leave Merseyside this year having only played 32 games for the Blues, scoring twice and providing four assists, and not featuring at all since Sam Allardyce’s final game at the helm in the 2017/18 season.

But Brands must be decisive on how Bolasie’s Everton career ends, as he will no doubt be loath to see owner Farhad Moshiri continuing to pay £75,000-per-week to a player who is offering absolutely nothing to Ancelotti.

The Dutch chief may be able to turn to Blackburn Rovers or Millwall’s prior interest now that Middlesbrough is no longer an option, as Rovers have already signed Jarrad Branthwaite on loan from Everton this month while the Lions are facing a potential relegation fight in the Championship.

Millwall are currently just six points clear of the drop-zone, having won just once in their last 15 league games, while manager Gary Rowett has seen Jed Wallace provide four of the five goals scored by wide midfield players at The Den to date this term.

Everton would likely have to cover some of Bolasie’s wages to see him join either second-tier side, but that would still be a better option than seeing him continue to completely bleed owner Farhad Moshiri dry.

AND in other news, Everton have requested further information on the availability of a 21-y/o target who “has potential”…

Carlton Palmer, while speaking exclusively with Football FanCast correspondent Tom Ward, has suggested Farhad Moshiri will block Carlo Ancelotti from making any further signings at Everton in January.

The Toffees majority owner sanctioned a high-spending summer under the Italian this year, as he welcomed James Rodriguez, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Allan and Ben Godfrey to Merseyside alongside a loan deal for AS Roma goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

Ancelotti has since reiterated his belief that the renewed “atmosphere and spirit” at Goodison Park could spark a challenge for European qualification this season, something the former Chelsea and Real Madrid head coach set as his goal last term.

Everton began the season in fine fashion following the arrivals of Rodriguez, Allan and Doucoure with four straight wins, including an opening day victory over Tottenham Hotspur, while a draw at Liverpool instilled confidence in Ancelotti that the Blues “can compete” with the best.

But the Goodison Park natives remain heavily linked with potential January signings, with Juventus’ Sami Khedira, Real Madrid’s Isco, SSC Napoli’s Arkadiusz Milik and Brentford’s Ivan Toney among those touted for a future on Merseyside.

Yet Palmer would be surprised if Moshiri provides any further funds in January, telling Football FanCast: “I don’t think Ancelotti will be allowed to sign any more players. He’s spent a huge amount of money.

“So, if I’m the chairman, Ancelotti has obviously had his wish list and I think the chairman’s backed him 110%. And if I was the chairman, I’d be saying: ‘right, now you have to deliver. You’re talking about Europe, you’re talking about winning a trophy. I’ve given you all the players that you’ve wanted, and I’ve spent an awful lot of money’.

“I’ll be very surprised if he’s allowed to bring in another player in January, very surprised, without getting somebody out.”

Everton spent £21m on Allan, £20m on Doucoure and £20m on Godfrey while awarding Rodriguez a £90,000-per-week contract – in a deal said to have been free – already this year.

Moshiri has greenlit a vast array of expensive captures since his arrival at Goodison Park, with former head coach Ronald Koeman signing Gylfi Sigurdsson for a then-club-record £45m, Sam Allardyce spending £27m on Cenk Tosun and Marco Silva landing Richarlison in a £50m deal.

Silva followed up Richarlison’s arrival with the £34m addition of Alex Iwobi a year later, while handing Fabian Delph an £80,000-per-week contract after joining from Manchester City for £10m.

Moshiri would be well within his rights to ask Ancelotti to work with the weapons already in his arsenal, unless Everton Director of Football Marcel Brands can get value for those no longer needed.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti can reinvent Everton by buying a “hungry” 15-goal marksman who’s “similar to Zlatan”.

According to an inside update by ExWHUemployee, Hammers boss David Moyes wanted to give Craig Dawson the experience of being in and around the match day squad over Issa Diop despite the latter man travelling to the game against Leeds United – with many Irons questioning the ‘stupid’ team selection.

Diop, who has found game time difficult to come by since his return from injury, with the back three of Fabian Balbuena, Aaron Cresswell and Angelo Ogbonna looking formidable, was excluded from a place on the bench in favour of Dawson last weekend.

Despite showing promise as a rising star for the Irons in the last two seasons, Moyes opted to give Dawson a place in the matchday squad for numerous reasons according to ExWHUemployee – with one of them being the fact he is more vocal than Diop.

Reacting to this development, many Irons had their say – find all of their verdicts from social media down below.

West Ham fans batter Moyes call over Diop

In other news: West Ham fans destroyed this GSB update, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur’s brash attitude in the transfer market isn’t slowing-up anytime soon – if emerging claims are to be believed.

According to Calciomercato, Inter Milan will put mooted Spurs target Marcelo Brozovic up for sale in the January window and Jose Mourinho is keen to strike.

The 27-year-old is out-of-favour under Antonio Conte, even more so after a shocking performance in the Derby di Milano two weeks ago.

Spurs were linked with a move for the World Cup runner-up throughout the summer, though a new attacking midfielder did not come to fruition.

Brozovic could well thrive in the Premier League having drawn comparisons to Mourinho’s former captain and north London nemesis Frank Lampard.

“Although often deployed as an attacking midfielder, Brozovic looks at his best starting deep to arrive late in and around the edge of box to hammer home.”

Last season, the maestro provided three goals and six assists in the Serie A, and averaged 2.1 tackles, 1.7 shots, 1.4 interceptions and 1.2 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

This not only shows his qualities at either end of the pitch but also his impressive work rate, which is emphasised by him ranking 15th in the entire league for total recoveries (320) last season. There were only six other midfielders in front of him.

Inter reportedly slapped a €40m (£36m) price tag on his back during the summer window.

Perhaps, it is this sort of profile that Mourinho is longing for, so if Brozovic were to sign, then it would surely be the final nail in the coffin for Dele Alli and his Spurs career.

It’s no secret that the Special One thinks the 24-year-old is “lazy,” after all it was broadcast to the world on the ‘All or Nothing‘ docuseries.

Clearly very little has changed as Alli has missed four of Spurs’ last five Premier League squads entirely and hasn’t started for the club in over a month, averaging a total of just 39.6 minutes per appearance this campaign, via Transfermarkt.

On the other hand, Mourinho has previously stated his admiration for Brozovic as a player after he dubbed him “fantastic” during the World Cup whilst former boss Luciano Spalletti’s endorsement is perhaps the most glowing of them all, he once claimed that the Croatian “has a compass in his foot.”

Talk of signing a new midfielder in January is a worrying sign for Alli, whether it be Brozovic or someone else, you’d struggle to see a future for the 37-time England international should anyone arrive in that capacity.

AND in other news, Levy must surely regret missing Spurs’ dream Eriksen heir in “devastating” £40m wizard…

Celtic’s chances of keeping hold of star striker Odsonne Edouard are looking more and more bleak. With just two years left on his current contract, the Hoops must start considering their options or risk losing him for a reduced fee or even on a free transfer.

Time is not on Neil Lennon’s side. Whilst the club will want to tie the Frenchman down on a new long-term contract, it doesn’t seem like this is what the player wants. Hearts defender Andy Halliday recently commented on Edouard’s status at the club and believes he looks “unhappy” at Celtic. If this is the case, it won’t be long before his head starts to be turned by interested clubs.

If and when it does, the Hoops must take to the transfer market and bring in a replacement, which will be much easier said than done. They were linked with a move for Sheffield Wednesday’s Steven Fletcher over the summer, but talks dismantled and the striker eventually moved to Stoke City.

Celtic’s mistake not to scoop up Fletcher

If Edouard is to leave Scotland, Lennon and co need to bring in a forward of similar calibre. The France youth international was on fire for the Bhoys last season, notching an astonishing 21 goals and 12 assists in 27 Premiership appearances (via Transfermarkt).

He has been quieter this season following his spell on the sidelines through self-isolation, but is still making an impact in front of goal. The only player to match his quality this campaign is Mohamed Elyounoussi, who is only with the Scottish outfit on loan. Should the Hoops lose both the Norwegian and Edouard, they will wish they’d made a move for Fletcher when they had the chance.

The 33-year-old veteran signed for the Potters on a free transfer this summer after enjoying four years in Sheffield. His final season for Wednesday saw him net 13 Championship goals and he has already gotten off the mark with four for Stoke so far this term (via Transfermarkt).

Fletcher also represented Sunderland for a large chunk of his career and attracted a lot of praise from his teammates. Eight years ago, Adam Johnson lauded the striker as an “unbelievable” signing for the Black Cats, who kept him for four years before his move to Sheffield Wednesday.

Both he and Edouard are natural goalscoring talents and it should have been a no-brainer to snap up the 33-year-old. Now it’s back to the drawing board for Lennon and Nick Hammond, who will be biting their nails over Edouard’s potentially looming departure.

In other news, Celtic must prioritise permanent transfer for “revelation” striker Mohamed Elyounoussi…

According to The Telegraph, Bournemouth striker Josh King is on Tottenham’s radar as they look to sign a new striker before the end of the transfer window.

What’s the word?

Amidst a hectic fixture schedule that is seeing Spurs practically having to play a competitive game every other day, Jose Mourinho will no doubt be keeping one keen eye on what Daniel Levy and co can get done in the transfer market.

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Napoli forward Arkadiusz Milik is one key target, but The Telegraph has suggested King is a potential option for the Lilywhites as they attempt to sign some cover for Harry Kane.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…



World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

King of course was the subject of major interest from Manchester United in the January transfer window, before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side instead turned to Odion Ighalo on loan.

Premier League proven

Whilst Milik may have the European pedigree of playing for top sides like Napoli and Ajax, King would represent the more safe bet for Spurs as they try and add to their forward ranks.

The Norway international has played 161 times in the Premier League, scoring 48 times, and whilst that record may not stand out as something particularly prolific, those goals did come for a Bournemouth side that eventually got relegated.

Earning a reported £45k-a-week, the 28-year-old is likely to come cheaper than someone like Milik, given Bournemouth’s slide to the Championship and his already relatively low wages.

Former Cherries boss Eddie Howe has made no secret of his admiration for King’s abilities, saying: “Josh is outstanding physically, technically and mentally – he has the complete package, a little bit of everything”. He even hailed him as a “unique” talent.

Instead of spending top dollar on Milik, Levy could clinch Spurs a bargain with a move for King.