Before his sacking as Manchester United manager, it was well-documented how much Jose Mourinho wanted a new central defender for his squad.

Heading into this season, the likes of Harry Maguire and Toby Alderweireld were said to be at the top of the Portuguese coach’s shortlist (Sky Sports). But with a deal for either deemed as unviable back in the summer and nothing to suggest that that would have changed in January, Mourinho reportedly turned his attention elsewhere.

The Breakdown

ESPN reports that prior to his dismissal from the Old Trafford dugout, Mourinho considered Newcastle United’s Jamaal Lascelles as a possible option to come in and fix his side’s defensive woes ahead of the January transfer window.

Lascelles, who joined the Magpies from Nottingham Forest back in 2014 before being loaned back to the Championship outfit, did not have the best of starts to the season, much like the rest of his team-mates.

But with Mourinho said to have been interested in his services, the 25-year-old’s stock still appears to be very high.

And when looking at his time at St. James’ Park, it is not hard to see why. Lascelles’ presence at the back has been massive for Newcastle with the club captain helping his side finish 10th in the Premier League last season with some solid defensive performances.

A real powerhouse in the air who is equally as effective on the ground with his ability to quickly read danger and deal with it, the former Forest man certainly comes across as the sort of central defender Mourinho would be interested in.

If he improves further, which he has time to do at 25, it would not be a surprise to see more managers from the Premier League top six target target him in the future.

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Southampton are back in the relegation zone after this weekend’s results, and comments from Dusan Tadic reveal just how far the club is falling.

Saints lost 2-0 at Arsenal without an ounce of fight on Sunday, and it seems as though Ralph Hasenhuttl’s new manager bounce has well and truly worn off.

His side have now picked up just two points from their last four games, after previously taking 13 points from seven games.

Tadic, who joined Ajax last summer in a deal worth around £10m, has now spoken out about his time at the club, and his comments do not bode well for Hasenhuttl.

What’s the word?

“In Southampton, for the first two years, we had a great team with Koeman and we had very good seasons,” he said, speaking on former footballer Andy van der Meijde’s YouTube channel.

“We finished number six and number seven, which is the best in the history of the club and we had very good players.

“Then after that, in the third and fourth year, we were getting worse and worse.

“We sold a lot of players and, after that, it was difficult. We finished number eight in the third year, but it wasn’t the same feeling.

“When you are there when it was the best, and after when it’s not so good, you feel a little bit like you need to go and I was also tired from the Premier League.”

Bad news for the boss?

Tadic was a very popular figure at St. Mary’s and for good reason – the 30 year-old scored 24 goals and provided 35 assists during his time with the club.

His comments should worry Hasenhuttl though, as they shine even more light on the major underlying problem at the club – selling their best players and replacing them with much poorer players.

This is a problem that has outlasted several managers on the south coast, and perhaps the most concerning aspect of it all is that it’s so clear and obvious to see, begging the question why so little has changed at the club to fix it.

Forget the man in the dugout – the quality in the Southampton squad has gotten worse each and every year since those brilliant campaigns that Tadic is referring to, and until there is change at the top it will not matter who leads the troops into battle.

تولى البرتغالي جايمي باتشيكو مهام المدير الفني لنادي الزمالك رسميًا لمدة موسم، بعد إعلان مرتضى منصور رئيس القلعة البيضاء عن التعاقد معه.

وكان باتشيكو قد تولى تدريب في فترة سابقة خلال عام 2014، وتعد هذه الولاية هي الثانية له في قيادة الفريق.

وقال مصدر من داخل الزمالك لـ “بطولات”: “باتشيكو طلب 5 تقارير، الأول ملف شامل عن آخر مباريات الفريق منذ عودة النشاط الكروي بعد أزمة فيروس كورونا”.

وأضاف: “والثاني عن حالة المصابين بالفريق ومعرفة مدة غيابهم، والبرامج العلاجية التي يخضعون لها”.

طالع أيضًا.. إسماعيل يوسف: راض عن اختيار باتشيكو.. وبذلنا مجهودًا كبيرًا لاختيار الأصلح

وواصل: “الجهاز الفني الحالي سيعد ملفًا ثالثًا لـ باتشيكو – فور وصوله القاهرة لتسلم مهامه التدريبية – عن عدد اللاعبين في كل مركز”.

وتابع: “كما سيتم إعداد تقرير مفصل عن الفرق المتبقية للزمالك في مباريات الدوري، وتقرير عن مباريات الرجاء المغربي الماضية وديربي المغرب المقبل بين الرجاء والوداد”.

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Leeds United came up against reported January target Daniel James when they beat Swansea City 2-1 at Elland Road on Wednesday night, and Whites fans were quick to have their say on the winger’s display.

The Yorkshire outfit looked to have a deal for the Welshman wrapped up on the final day of the January transfer window, but the move didn’t end up materialising after the Swans pulled the plug on his exit.

The 21-year-old, who has scored two goals and provided a further four assists in 20 Championship outings this term, started on the left-hand side against Marcelo Bielsa’s men but could do little to impact the game for his team before he was substituted off in the 65th minute.

Leeds supporters took to social media to have their say on James’ display, and while one said they “can’t wait to see him in a Leeds shirt next season” – obviously presuming the move will still happen – another said “he’d be class in our side”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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Liverpool youngster Harry Wilson has been producing eye-catching display after eye-catching display with loan club Derby County this season, and while he probably wasn’t at his best during the 2-1 FA Cup defeat against Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, he still showed exactly what he is capable of.

The 21-year-old was sent out on a season-long deal to the Championship club during the summer transfer window, and there is no doubt that he has shown his potential, hit the ground running and made a massive impact given he has scored 12 goals and provided a further four assists in 31 appearances in total.

The Wales international has played on either wing and through the middle this term, but he started on the left-hand side of a midfield trio against Chris Hughton’s men at the weekend.

Wilson had the licence to roam forward when possible, and he showed exactly what he is capable of in the final third with his latest display.

He had more shots (three) than any of his teammates even if none of them were on target, while he was fouled by the opposition on four occasions to show how effective he can be at winning free-kicks for his team.

Perhaps most impressive though was the fact that he made two key passes and nine crosses during the clash against the Premier League outfit, despite not lining up as an out-and-out wide man against the Seagulls.

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The Welshman is clearly not the finished article given only one of those nine attempts found a teammate, but with better players around him that success rate would surely only rise.

The signs surely are that Wilson will return to Anfield at the end of the season and get a chance to impress during pre-season and then during the 2019/20 campaign, and the likes of Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah will be loving it if the 21-year-old is supplying them from August onwards.

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Brendan Rodgers must be thinking of starting Timo Weah for Thursday’s Europa League clash with Valencia.

The teenager got his first taste of European action coming off the bench in the disappointing first leg defeat and was back in that position again on Sunday for the dramatic win over Kilmarnock. At 18 you’re not worried about being branded an impact sub – a generation ago that was a more dramatic ‘Super sub’.

Weah has started two matches since joining Celtic but at home against blanket defences isn’t the best setting to exploit his pace.

As far as most folk are concerned Valencia are as good as through to the last 16 of the Europa League with Thursday’s return leg virtually a dead rubber. UEFA’s decision to charge Geoffrey Kondogbia for deliberately getting booked to miss the return leg confirms the view that the Spaniards view the tie as over.

Whatever time it arrives, if Celtic get the first goal the tie becomes live again. The pace of Weah and Oliver Burke in the same team can open up that possibility against opponents who racked up their 14th La Liga draw at the weekend when they drew 0-0 at home to Espanyol.

As well as his pace Weah has enthusiasm in buckets, a quality that the Celtic support have quickly latched onto.

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European football requires more than enthusiasm and pace but with eight full caps for the United States and an extended PSG contract the loan signing has an impressive pedigree that is based on more than just his surname.

There’s not been too much to cheer about for Celtic fans in Europe this season – a starting place for Weah in Valencia might just breathe some life into a tie that the Spaniards already consider to be over.

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According to a report by The Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur are ready to hand in-form attacker Son Heung-Min an extension to the five-year contract he signed in July worth £150,000-a-week, and it is once again a glowing endorsement of their transfer strategy.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 26-year-old only committed his long-term future to Spurs little over six months ago, but following a sensational 2018/19 campaign to date the north London outfit are ready to offer him improved terms, as per The Daily Mail.

The Daily Mail report that talks between the two parties are likely to happen in the summer with the club keen to tie down a player that has become a hugely key for Mauricio Pochettino’s men – he has scored 16 goals and provided a further nine assists in 32 appearances in all competitions this season.

The report adds that Son could be in line for a pay rise of up to £40,000-a-week from Tottenham, who have failed to sign a single player in the previous two transfer windows, given he is currently thought to earn £110,000-a-week.

Spurs have got it right again

While many may criticise the north London outfit’s lack of action and therefore ambition in the market, and especially when they lose key men like Harry Kane and Dele Alli at the same time, you do have to admire the way they do their business.

Rather than just taking a punt on lots of new players for the sake of it, Pochettino trusts in the ones that he already has at his disposal and coaches to make them even better, rewarding them financially when they are.

It is a tactic that largely works given they are still in the Premier League title race and a step closer to the quarter-finals of the Champions League following their 3-0 win against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.

Not bringing in new players who could easily flop may have actually helped them, as the current personnel know each other’s games inside out which can only help their chemistry on the pitch.

يتطلع نادِ يوناني إلى الحصول على خدمات لاعب فريق ليفربول، ياسر لعروسي، في فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الحالية، حسب ما أفادت تقارير صحفية اليوم.

وارتبط الظهير الأيسر الجزائري بخطوة الرحيل عن الأنفيلد، هذا الصيف.

ويلعب لعروسي في صفوف فريق ليفربول تحت سن 23 عامًا، وشارك في مباراتين فقط مع الفريق الأول تحت قيادة المدرب يورجن كلوب.

وحسب شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” الإنجليزية، فإن ياسر لعروسي مطلوب في الدوري اليوناني في موسم الانتقالات الصيفي الجاري.

وأفادت أن نادي أولمبياكوس اليوناني يتطلع إلى التعاقد مع اللاعب صاحب الـ 19 عامًا.

وحسم ليفربول صفقة من أولمبياكوس، في الميركاتو الصيفي الحالي، حيث ضم كوستاس تسيميكاس.

وسينتهي العقد الحالي لـ لعروسي مع ليفربول في عام 2021.

وأوضحت الشبكة أن مسؤولي ليفربول لن يمانعون فكرة الاستغناء عن خدمات لعروسي حاليًا من أجل الحصول على أموال جراء بيعه، بدلًا من رحيله مجانًا العام القادم.

There are quite a few issues which have plagued Crystal Palace’s season, yet it’s their poor defensive work which has ruined some good work time and again. For the fans reading this, they’ll know all about the frustration their backline can cause them at times, probably fuming at the screen. 

The Eagles might not have conceded as many as last season, yet are still quite weak defensively, being unable to close out games because of it. If they’re ever going to improve and move up the league, pushing for a top-half finish and beyond, it needs sorting this summer. Largely, the attack is there. Now it’s about tightening up.

Indeed, their current crop of defenders are too slow and error-prone to help them maintain consistency, forcing Roy Hodgson to make decisions in the summer.

He and Steve Parish have to buy better defenders to solidify his core and push for a top-half finish next season. It can’t keep on like this, enduring a Premier League season rather than enjoying it.

With that in mind, here are two options he can look into.

James Tarkowski

The Burnley defender’s been a marvel in earning them points with his rock-solid defending and has impressed many clubs with that, despite a dip since the summer. Prior to the World Cup, he was an outside bet to make the 2018 squad and linked with Liverpool, so Palace should act on the relative quietness about him since.

Sill, while the hype has undoubtedly died down after an inspired season with the Clarets last time around, Tarkowski’s been pivotal to their fantastic turnaround of late. He’s helped them keep five clean-sheets while making 183 clearances, winning 217 duels and 140 aerial battles (stats via Premier League).

An ambitious potential target to consider, Tarkowski can be the defensive leader Palace are missing, while adding some missing steel and composure to their back-four.

Gary Cahill

Now an outcast at Chelsea, Gary Cahill needs to work fast to save his career from doom.

Having worked with Roy Hodgson at the national level, Cahill can prove himself at Crystal Palace. Seeing out his final days in the sun, he could have a transformative effect on the club. Indeed, the Chelsea man’s ability to contain prime attackers, composed nature and leadership qualities can highly benefit the Eagles – who are reportedly (via the Sun) set to go in for him this summer.

Hodgson needs someone who can hold the line and clear danger whenever needed and, despite his age, Cahill can still be an asset to improve his side’s defensive state.

Palace fans, can any of these two solidify the Eagles defence? Join the discussion by commenting below. 

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When it was realised West Bromwich Albion star Kieran Gibbs wasn’t going to be available for the Championship clash with Leeds United at Elland Road on Friday night because of injury, the obvious choice was to select left-back Conor Townsend in his place – but it didn’t happen.

On the chalkboard

Well, Gibbs has been a regular fixture in the position for the promotion-chasing Baggies this term, and Townsend would have been well within in his own right to expect to stand in for him against Marcelo Bielsa’s men.

However, manager Darren Moore was thinking differently and bafflingly decided to use centre-back loanee Tosin Adarabioyo there instead, and within 20 seconds they visitors found themselves a goal down when the Manchester City youngster failed to close Pablo Hernandez down effectively.

With his more experienced 26-year-old teammate watching on from the substitutes’ bench, the youngster was then at fault for at least one more goal on a terrible night for the west Midlands outfit, as they ended the weekend seven points adrift of the top two.

What now for Townsend?

Given he has only played 315 minutes of Championship football so far during the current campaign it is clear to see that he isn’t a key first-team individual, but he must be tearing his hair out that he wasn’t given an opportunity against the Whites.

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While the decision on the day completely backfired on Moore, he also surely sent out a simultaneous message that Townsend is not in his plans either in the short-term or the long-term.

The summer addition from Scunthorpe United may as well already start looking for his next club ahead of the upcoming transfer window.