Young Malaga ace Isco is now also a target for Chelsea who are set to join Premier League rivals Manchester City in a chase to trigger the Spaniards buy out clause, the Mirror reports.
The 20-year-old attacking midfielder is believed to be growing frustrated at the La Liga side who currently sit fourth in the table, and Premier League clubs have been alerted by a £17million buy out clause in his contract.
Malaga are reluctant to let go of a player who is expected by many to eventually become a regular in the Spanish national side, and it is reported that they are looking to tie Isco down to a new contract with a revised release clause in the region of £30million.
It was believed that City were the front runners for the players signature, however Chelsea owner Roman Abramovic has expressed his interest in bringing him to Stamford Bridge as he continues to push Chelsea in the direction of adopting a philosophy of playing attractive football with flair.
Isco came to the fore last season following his move from Valencia as he helped his Malaga side finish in a Champions Leage place, scoring five goals in 32 league appearances along the way.
He was nearly sold to Tottenham in the summer to ease the clubs financial situation, however they have now balanced the books and are keen to hold onto their player who has helped them into the knockout stages of this years Champions League.
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Manchester City will remain hopeful that they can beat new competition for the players services, and bring him to the Etihad.
It is looking increasingly unlikely that Everton manager Sam Allardyce will still be in charge of the club next season, with the attentions already turning to who could replace him in the media.
Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri brought the 63-year-old in on a contract until the end of the 2018/19 season following back-to-back 5-1 and 4-1 defeats against Atalanta and Southampton respectively in November under caretaker manager David Unsworth, with the club already eliminated from the Europa League and in serious danger of losing their Premier League status for the first time.
The former England boss certainly wasn’t a popular choice at the time for the Goodison Park faithful because of the style of football he likes to play – getting the ball forward as quickly as possible, even if it means playing long balls up to the striker or into the channels.
Moshiri obviously felt as though he had no choice at the time with Watford boss Marco Silva a no-go, and it made sense to appoint Allardyce given he wasn’t attached to any club and had never been relegated from the top flight as a manager.
Everton supporters had to get behind him and the team in order to turn their fortunes around, and the 63-year-old certainly made a good impression with the fans at first as the previously leaky defence only conceded twice in his first seven matches in charge in all competitions.
Things started to go wrong when the Merseyside outfit were beaten 2-1 by Bournemouth on December 30 though, with that loss starting a run of six consecutive defeats on the road – including last weekend’s 2-1 reverse against Burnley at Turf Moor.
These were not all narrow defeats either though, as they were beaten 4-0 by Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley and 5-1 by at the Emirates Stadium within three weeks of each other, with Allardyce failing to learn his lesson in that time after lining up with a 4-3-3 formation against Arsene Wenger’s side having lost against Spurs using a 4-2-3-1 system.
Everton fans’ confidence in their manager is at an all-time low and he is even less popular now than when he initially took the reins, because of poor performances on the pitch and his treatment of some players in recent weeks and months – including Cenk Tosun and Davy Klaassen.
The Daily Star reported on February 28 that Moshiri is already looking for a younger, more dynamic coach to replace Allardyce at the end of the season, with the 63-year-old surely unlikely to continue in his role beyond the climax of the campaign such is the poor relationship he has with the Goodison Park faithful.
The Daily Star reported that the Toffees owner is considering making ambitious moves for Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone or former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique – while on March 5 the same media outlet reported that they were also ready to make a move for under-fire Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
However, all three of those names are too ambitious for the Toffees – with all due respect – and they need to be more realistic; but it doesn’t mean they can’t attract a top coach.
Enter Paulo Fonseca. Everton were linked with appointing him as Ronald Koeman’s successor before they got Allardyce, and the Daily Star says that sources close to Moshiri are still pushing for the 45-year-old to get the job when his contract with the Ukrainian club runs out this summer.
That would mean that the Merseyside outfit wouldn’t have to pay any compensation fee, while they would be getting a manager that looks set to have a huge future in the game.
The Mozambique-born boss has won 63 of his 81 matches in charge of Shakhtar, with his team scoring 179 goals and conceding 75 in that time, while he oversaw a 2-1 victory for his side against Manchester City in the Champions League group stages this season.
They qualified from that group – finishing above Napoli – and beat Roma 2-1 in the first leg of their last 16 tie to leave them in a good position to reach the quarter-finals, and you don’t achieve that unless you have something about you.
That said, he isn’t the finished article – like Everton aren’t – and while they are ambitious, they need a manager that is at a similar stage to them and who will grow with them, and Fonseca looks to be the only candidate to do that with Silva’s departure from Watford earlier this year raising big questions marks over his suitability.
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Fonseca has often favoured the 4-2-3-1 and 4-1-4-1 systems during his time with the Ukrainian club, and that should mean that he can get the best out of the wide players that he would have at his disposal in the form of the likes of Theo Walcott, Yannick Bolasie and Ademola Lookman.
While targeting the likes of Simeone and Enrique may be exciting and prove the ambition of Moshiri, Fonseca should be the only candidate considered to replace Allardyce this summer.
The oldest international fixture in world football returns tonight, and while the latest tie between England and Scotland may be classed as a friendly, the fans of both nations certainly won’t be treating it as such.
Clashes between these sworn adversaries have always been fiery affairs, stemming ultimately from historical conflicts which occurred in centuries past. This may no longer be relevant to 21st Century life, as the two nations have been in a (relatively) happy union for over 300 years, however the sense of animosity still prevails in a sporting context.
The Scottish still view the English with a tinge of jealousy – they are the despised Auld Enemy, ruthless, domineering oppressors who always seem to enjoy the greater amount of success – while from an English perspective, the Scots are the pesky neighbours north of the border who just won’t keep quiet.
To whet your appetite before the latest edition of this iconic fixture on Tuesday, here are five classic England vs Scotland matches which have taken place over the years..
[ffc-gallery]Click on Roy Hodgson to reveal
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The First Match – England 1-1 Scotland, March 5th,1870
Football – England MerchandiseMandatory Credit – Action ImagesGeneral Merchandise
What better place to start than with the first ever meeting between the two sides, which kicked off more than 140 years ago. Although not officially recognised by FIFA as the first match due to the fact that the Scottish team comprised of players based in London, it was nevertheless the first time that both nations had competed against each other in a football match. The English side were considered favourites, boasting army officers and some experienced amateur footballers – including Charles William Alcock, creator of the FA Cup – while the Scots had William Henry Gladstone among their ranks, prominent MP and son of the then-Prime Minister William Gladstone. Played at The Oval in London, England snatched a draw with just a minute of normal time remaining as Alfred Joseph Baker cancelled out Robert Crawford’s 75th minute strike for the Scots. The match is believed to be one of the first times that the rule of changing ends at half-time came into practice.
Scotland’s Wembley Wizards – England 1-5 Scotland, March 31st, 1928
This match took place during the 1928 British Home Championship, and is regarded as one of the greatest results in Scottish football history. Although the Scots were unfancied going into the game, even by their own media (The Daily Record described the Scottish team as “not a great side”), they managed to stun an English side containing Dixie Dean, with Alex Jackson hitting a hat-trick on the way to a remarkable 5-1 victory. Scotland’s Alex James commented after the game that they “could have had ten”, which reflected their utter dominance over the English, and while Wales went on to win the tournament, the Scottish side who trounced England in London on that rain-sodden Spring day would nevertheless become immortalised as the Wembley Wizards.
England’s revenge – England 9-3 Scotland, April 15th, 1961
Football – Wembley Stadium – General View – 22/5/94Mandatory Credit: Action Images
Suitable revenge for the English would come 33 years later, as they savoured their heaviest-ever victory over the Scots at a packed Wembley Stadium – the venue of the Tartan Army’s most famous triumph in 1928. Jimmy Greaves emulated the caledonian wizardy of Alex Jackson by netting a hat-trick of his own, while Bobby Robson – who would later go on to enjoy a successful managerial career – was also on the scoresheet. Castigated for his performance in the Scotland goal, Frank Haffey decided to emigrate to Australia after the debacle. He would never represent his country again.
The Scots run riot – England 1-2 Scotland, June 4th, 1977
While it may have been another famous triumph on English soil for Scotland, this game will be remembered more for what happened after the final whistle was blown. Goals from Gordon McQueen and Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish in the second half had sent the Scots into delirium, and despite a late Mick Channon penalty giving the hosts some hope, Ally MacLeod’s side clung on to victory. Joyously flooding onto the pitch to celebrate, the Tartan Army proceeded to wreak havoc. The pitch was torn up, the goalposts were brought down, and the footage of Scotland fans climbing onto the crossbar of one of the goals, consequently causing it to break, aptly symbolised the demise of English football in the late 1970s. The damaging defeat played a large factor in Don Revie’s exit as England manager, as the Three Lions failed to qualify for the 1978 World Cup.
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Euro joy for England – Scotland 0-2 England, November 13th, 1999
The rival nations had met in Euro 96 as Paul Gascoigne inspired the tournament hosts to victory in a group stage fixture, and three years later they were paired together again in the qualifying play-off round for the 2000 edition of the competition. Two goals from Paul Scholes secured a crucial away victory for the superior English at Hampden Park – with crowd trouble inevitably flaring up in Glasgow city centre in the aftermath of the game – and although Scotland won the second leg at Wembley 1-0 four days later, the aggregate scoreline of 2-1 resulted in qualification for England at Scotland’s expense. The Scots have not come as close to qualifying for a major tournament since this traumatic defeat at the hands of the Auld Enemy at the end of the last century.
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It’s a footballing cliché that’s whipped out with all the gusto of a fourth round of Turkey sandwiches, but the saying goes ‘you can only beat who’s put in front of you’. And despite the woeful performance of Aston Villa yesterday, nobody should take anything away from Tottenham Hotspur’s superb 4-0 Boxing Day victory at Villa Park.
Andre Villas-Boas’ side will do well to encounter a more feeble attacking threat for the rest of the season, but while Paul Lambert’s men did little to combat the effervescent passing and devastating forward surges that Gareth Bale and co exhibited, the fixture most importantly represented another win and another clean sheet.
But it also denoted the continuation of what is quickly becoming a domineering theme of Spurs’ season so far.
Because while the home support have seen little of yesterday’s attacking swagger and positive forward momentum at White Hart Lane, those who have followed the Lilywhites away from home, were treated to a gallivanting display to match the likes already seen at Fulham, Manchester United and Reading this season.
While Spurs haven’t picked up more points on their travels than within N17, their peak performances when playing away from North London seem to have far exceeded anything resembling their top gear at White Hart Lane. With the side currently sitting fourth in the Premier League as we head into the final moments of 2012, it’s not something that should necessarily blunt optimism.
But with yesterday marking the 19th league game of the season, it is a feature that’s now lingered up to the half way mark in this term’s campaign.
Again, while it’s somewhat difficult to use yesterday as a real barometer of Spurs’ season so far, the attitude of the side away from home seems to be in distinct conflict to what fans have been witnessing at home. Be it the 4-2-3-1 set-up that Villas-Boas has used for the majority of the term or the 4-4-2 like formation that’s been whipped out in recent weeks, the outcome has remained the same.
At home, the side look neat and tidy, yet seemingly tied down into a remit of restrain and caution. Away from White Hart Lane, Spurs still look neat and tidy, but with a license to attack, push on, take risks and try and burst on through at defences, rather than playing pretty patterns in front of them.
Many of the deeper-rooted problems at Spurs are still present wherever they play and the need for a creative yet most importantly effective, No10 like player are in effect home or away. The side struggle to break down teams happy to set out two banks of four and for all their marvelous statistics yesterday, it took a smattering of positivity from Aston Villa before the ball started rolling. Indeed, marvelous statistics such as leading the corner count 15-1 at half time mean nothing without a goal.
Although despite this, parallels are still there to be made between Tottenham’s victory over Villa away from home and the corresponding victory at White Hart Lane back in October. Both ties saw Spurs come out with three points, but at home, we saw a far tamer, subdued and cautious side, compared to the expansive team who produced four goals away from home. Some will point to a change in formation, but the recent 0-0 snoozefest against Stoke suggest that the recent switch to 4-4-2 isn’t quite the overnight fix many might like to point out.
But in terms of the general attitude of the team, maybe this is something that Andre Villas-Boas could tweak when Spurs play host to Reading next month. Tottenham haven’t had an easy ride in the full-back departments so far this term, but one of the features of some of their impressive away-day performances, has been AVB’s willingness to let them really drive on and attack their opposite number.
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While at home the defence continues to sit relatively high up the pitch, neither Kyle Walker or his makeshift left-sided compatriot Jan Vertonghen, have really felt as if they’ve foraged with the same positivity that we saw at Villa Park yesterday, or even in away fixtures against the likes of Southampton and Fulham (in which Kyle Naughton came into the fray).
Furthermore, the general tempo of play away from home, seems to far exceed the usual pace that’s been served up to home fans. The Villas-Boas method of going hell for leather before shutting up shop when playing away has had its critics, but more often than not the side have always enjoyed a period of notably increased attacking output. At White Hart Lane, while supporters haven’t quite been starved of forward thinking play, the tempo of play never seems to shift out of a very neat and tidy, but somewhat tepid second gear.
Again, this isn’t to directly critique the manager nor is it serving to ignore some of the issues the side face that can’t necessarily be solved until the transfer window opens. Although with half the season now already behind us and a sense of momentum quietly building in the background, now wouldn’t be a terrible time for Andre Villas-Boas to take the shackles off this Tottenham side.
With a brace of forthcoming home games against Brian McDermott’s struggling Reading side and the visit of Coventry City in the FA Cup, Spurs have a real opportunity to come bursting out of the blocks in the New Year and look to ease their stuttering performances at White Hart Lane. It’s going to take more than a bit of added managerial positivity. But should AVB do his part, then maybe a supportive, yet sometimes frustrated home crowd, can help do the rest.
West Ham United will look to increase the gap between themselves and the Premier League’s relegation zone when they face strugglers Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.
The Irons pulled away from the danger zone following a 2-0 win against Watford at the London Stadium last month, but they were brought back down to earth last weekend when they suffered a 4-1 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield.
The result left them just three points above the bottom three and 18th-placed Swansea City ahead of their trip to south Wales on Saturday, in what is shaping up to be a potentially huge six-pointer for both clubs in their battle for survival.
While they were comfortably beaten by Jurgen Klopp’s men last time out, the Hammers may not find life any easier against the Swans despite their lowly position in the standings – Carlos Carvalhal’s men have won six straight games on their own patch in all competitions, including the 2-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday in a FA Cup fifth round replay on Tuesday.
With that in mind, here is how West Ham must line up against Swansea on Saturday, ahead of Adrian in goal…
Defence
Soccer Football – Premier League – Brighton & Hove Albion vs West Ham United – The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain – February 3, 2018 West Ham United’s James Collins looks dejected after the match Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/p
A three-man defence of James Collins, Angelo Ogbonna and Aaron Cresswell has become a regular occurrence on the pitch in recent weeks, but they – perhaps understandably – struggled against the fearsome Liverpool frontline last weekend and it is time for a change.
Moyes can revert to four at the back for the trip to Swansea by keeping Collins and Ogbonna in the centre, and playing Cresswell and Pablo Zabaleta as the full-backs.
That may be a good plan against a Swansea side that like to play with wingers and have plenty of pace on the flanks in the form of Wayne Routledge, Nathan Dyer and Jordan Ayew.
Midfield
Mark Noble has been playing alongside Cheikhou Kouyate in recent weeks with Pedro Obiang ruled out for the rest of the season, and there is no reason why the duo shouldn’t continue as the pairing in a 4-2-3-1 system with Declan Rice their only real competition in that spot right now.
Neither particularly impressed in the 4-1 defeat against Liverpool – similarly to many of their teammates – and they will both be looking to put that right for the huge clash against Swansea this weekend.
Attack
Moyes found no way of getting Manuel Lanzini, Marko Arnautovic, Joao Mario and Javier Hernandez on the pitch from the start against Anfield, with the Mexican missing out despite scoring three goals in the club’s previous four Premier League matches.
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Lanzini was hooked after 58 minutes after struggling to make an impact against the Reds, but seeing as though he is arguably their best player, he must start in the middle behind the striker at the Liberty Stadium.
That leaves three spots up for grabs, and the undroppable Arnautovic has to start on the left with the in-form Hernandez up top, and Michael Antonio should also get the nod following his instant impact as a substitute against the Reds with a fine finish.
Joao Mario would therefore be the man to miss out, but Moyes needs to make big decisions now in order to get the results West Ham need to secure their Premier League status for another season.
The FA cup triumph at the end of last season, Arsenal’s first trophy for nine years, was meant to signify a new era at the Emirates; one where the club had rediscovered it’s winning mentality, shaken off the cobwebs of the last decade and started to produce prosperity both on and off the pitch.
It coincided with the activation of a sponsorship deal with Puma, improving Arsenal’s financial firepower by £22million plus bonuses per-annum, in addition to a three-year contract extension for Arsene Wenger, taking his stewardship of the club into an unprecedented third decade after silencing those who claimed he’d never again bring silverware to north London.
Plausible excuses for the Gunners not to awaken from their fourth-place malaise were quickly wearing thin.
Yet, just eight games into the 2014/15 Premier League season, less than half a year since the Wembley showdown against Hull City, and Arsenal’s ‘new era’ is already feeling eerily like the last.
Recurring themes are aplenty; a seven-man injury list, despite hiring German World Cup fitness guru Shad Forsythe during the summer. Poor performances and results against top sides as a direct consequence of Arsenal’s naively progressive philosophy. Mesut Ozil, the £42.2million club record signing, still proving he’s completely wasted out wide. The Gunners already eleven points off the pace set by Premier League leaders Chelsea as Wenger remains without a win against Jose Mourinho.
And it’s all underpinned by a summer in which Wenger, not for the first time, failed to use the transfer market to address any of his squad’s long-term flaws, barring locating a replacement for Bacary Sagna in Newcastle’s Mathieu Debuchy.
Indeed, the Gunners spent an incredible £80million this summer, marking the most lucrative transfer window in the club’s history, yet they’ve somehow still entered the season without a superior option to Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta in holding midfield or enough defenders to see out even the most ordinary of injury crises. Against Hull City last weekend, Arsenal’s ad hoc backline included 5 foot 10 full-back Nacho Monreal at centre-half and 19 year-old Hector Bellerin starting at No.2, in his first ever Premier League outing.
Amid the rare euphoria of silverware in May, it was quickly forgotten that the only person Arsenal truly required to change had, over the years, become the most resistant to it – Arsene Wenger.
In fact, winning the FA Cup for the first time since 2005 appears to have only served as a justification for the Frenchman’s methods; his narcissistically arrogant view that the strength of Arsenal’s philosophy alone is enough to quash any high-quality opposition, his continual reluctance to add any genuine physicality to the squad, his perpetual disagreement that the Gunners’ midfield requires more balance, his unwavering faith in fate, his own intelligence and Arsenal’s academy overcoming any issues of squad depth.
At this point, as Arsenal find themselves at seventh place in the Premier League table after just two wins in seven, with Wenger already deflecting criticisms of his transfer policy, one has to question whether he’ll ever show a conviction to change, whether the Gunners will ever truly challenge for the English title under him and whether signing that new contract was actually a good idea.
Of course, you can’t blame Ivan Gazidis and the board for offering him one, as spineless as it may have been. This is one of the greatest managers in Arsenal’s and Premier League history, in theory reinvigorated by winning his first trophy in almost a decade.
Likewise, after witnessing the debasing effect Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement had on Manchester United last season – a club far more capable of handling such stresses financially than Arsenal – Gazidis was never going to take the gamble of throwing his club into the same downward spiral.
When Alan Curbishley stepped down as manager of my beloved Charlton Athletic in 2006, he taught me a lot about football, and indeed life. With tears in my eyes as well as his, he orated to the Valley crowd “it’s better to be clapped out of the front door than booed out the back.” He could sense the winds of change in south east London, he knew he could take the club no further.
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The FA Cup win would have been an enormous high for Wenger to leave on – one that fairly represented his servitude to the club over the last 18 years. Yet, as he appears as resistant to change as ever, as another Arsenal title pursuit seems over before it’s started, as transfer policy once again stands in the way of balance and consistency, it’s likely only a supporters’ revolt – a proverbially violent and bloody mess – will remove Wenger now.
And what a fantastic opportunity the Gunners could have presented a new manager with this summer; an Arsenal high on confidence after winning the FA Cup, a new sponsorship deal giving him enormous manoeuvre in the transfer market, a squad of young players ready to adapt and learn. If a Roberto Martinez, a Jurgen Klopp or a Mauricio Pochettino were brought in, Arsenal’s ‘new era’ might already be proving more successful than the last.
West Bromwich Albion are keen to bounce back against Stoke in the English Premier League on Saturday after their midweek loss.
The 3-1 defeat on Wednesday at the hands of Swansea ended a four-match winning streak for West Brom but they remain in fourth spot on the Premier League table ahead of the visit of Stoke.
West Brom captain Chris Brunt claimed the loss was the worst performance by the team this season as they have stunned the English Premier League under new manager Steve Clarke.
“It’s the worst we’ve played all season by a long stretch,” Brunt told West Brom’s website after the game, “In the second half we dug in and we were a bit better but we didn’t have enough tonight and it’s disappointing because we let ourselves and the supporters down. They’ve come a long way on a Wednesday night and they deserve better from us.”
“We’ll pick ourselves up and we’ve got a home game on Saturday which we need to turn into a positive result after tonight’s performance. We let ourselves down and we definitely let the travelling support down.”
Swansea blitzed West Brom in the first half with Michu’s ninth-minute opener followed two minutes later by a goal from Wayne Routledge.
It was 3-0 in the 39th minute as Routledge struck for the second time and while Romelu Lukaku dragged a goal back in first-half injury time, West Brom could not maintain their fine form.
But having won all but one game at home this season, Clarke’s men will have plenty of confidence they can get back on the winners’ list against Stoke. The Potters have claimed three victories during a four-game unbeaten streak to move up to ninth in the Premier League table.
Having gone behind to a goal from Newcastle United’s Papiss Cisse on Wednesday, Stoke recovered late in the match thanks to goals from Jonathan Walters and Cameron Jerome to win 2-1. That result backed up their 1-0 home win over Fulham last weekend.
Peter Crouch lost three teeth after a collision with Fabricio Coloccini in Wednesday’s win and faces dental surgery, meaning he will miss the trip to the Hawthorns.
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Stoke manager Tony Pulis could have Andrew Wilkinson and Michael Owen available for selection, however.
For West Brom, Ben Foster and Steven Reid remain unavailable due to injury.
Liverpool fans should be pretty happy with the club’s business so far. The fans from the Transfer Tavern will be eagerly awaiting who the club will sign next following the deal for Fabinho and Naby Keita.
Liverpool need some quality depth to help support their dazzling front three. Dominic Solanke, Danny Ings and Daniel Sturridge are not reliable enough if Liverpool want to win a league. The Merseyside club had been heavily linked with Brazilian winger, Malcolm last season and he would be the ideal player for the club to sign.
The Breakdown
According to news outlet, Calciomercato via Talksport, Liverpool have been given a boost in their pursuit of the Brazilian forward. Malcom’s agent revealed that Inter Milan have made a loan offer but that the deal is not good enough.
The winger is ready to leave the Ligue 1 club this summer. He had been heavily linked with a move away last year and had his move away blocked by Bordeaux in January.
Malcolm is one of the hottest prospects in Europe. The winger had a superb season last year in France, scoring 12 goals to go along with seven assists in the league according to Transfermarkt, where he has a £40.5m rating.
At 21-years-old, Malcolm is destined to become one of the biggest players in Europe and it is only a matter of time before he makes a move to a big club. His transfer fee might be reasonably large for a player who will likely be behind Salah and Mane but if one of those two were to leave in the near future, Malcolm would be an ideal replacement.
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Manchester United produced an excellent comeback performance to defeat Chelsea in the English Premier League on Sunday, moving back up into second place.
With the league title race all but over, the main aim for Jose Mourinho’s side in the tail-end of the season is finishing in the top four and wins over direct rivals like Chelsea are the kind of results that’ll ensure that.
The three points won at Old Trafford this weekend mean that they are now six points ahead of the fifth placed Blues.
It threatened to be a bad day for the Red Devils after Willian opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, but Romelu Lukaku equalised just minutes later before Jesse Lingard found the winner in the second half.
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Fans were delighted with the result and performance and had particular praise for Lukaku, who scored his first goal against a top six side this season, finally delivering on the big money paid for him last summer.
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Reported to be earning £250,000-a-week, United bought him for occasions like these and supporters loved seeing him reach his potential.
Despite being thumped 6-1 by Legia Warsaw in a Champions League qualifier, Celtic will feel more than optimistic about their chances of retaining the Scottish title next season.
But with rumours that January signing Leigh Griffiths could be loaned out this summer, the Parkhead side are a little light on firepower. And if Ronny Deila is to make one signing between now and deadline day, it will almost certainly be an old-fashioned centre-forward.
With that in mind, here’s a list of FIVE front-men that would complete Celtic’s squad, maintaining their dominance of the Scottish Premiership and allowing them to compete in Europe.
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON CAMERON JEROME TO REVEAL ALL
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CAMERON JEROME
According to the Daily Mail, Celtic have made a £2million bid for Stoke City striker Cameron Jerome:
The 28 year-old isn’t the most dependable goalscorer, having found just nine goals in his last 77 Premier League appearances. But Jerome does possess the knack to pull of the sublime – this goal against Southampton in December 2012 being a classic example:
//www.youtube.com/embed/UWFa-NMPY4U?rel=0
The former Birmingham and Cardiff forward impressed on loan at Crystal Palace last season too, netting just twice in 28 outings but producing a number of important displays.
Famed for his power and pace, the 6 foot 1 striker would be a good fit for the Scottish top flight.
But the Bhoys’ interest is rivalled by Championship side Norwich, and it’s believed Jerome would prefer to stay in England:
CHRIS WOOD
Chris Wood netted this vital strike to clinch Leicester City a valuable point against Everton on the opening day of the Premier League season:
But after splashing out £8million on Leonardo Ulloa, it’s believed the Foxes would be willing to part company with the 34-cap New Zealand international this summer.
He’s been linked with Wolves, Fulham, Norwich and Derby to name a few, but his proposed Molineux deal collapsed, giving Celtic a fantastic opportunity to weigh in.
The 22 year-old netted 36 times in his last 107 Championship appearances, and measuring in at 6 foot 3, uses his height and strength well to bring others into the game.
Here’s a look at the former West Brom youngster in action:
//www.youtube.com/embed/VjqT9eiYUTE?rel=0
Wood would be more than at home in the SPL and allegedly valued at around £2million, represents fantastic value for money.
GRANT HOLT
Former Norwich favourite Grant Holt finds himself caught in transfer limbo this summer.
Indeed, the 6 foot forward moved to Wigan Athletic last summer, but after netting just twice in 16 Championship appearances was hastily moved on to Aston Villa in a loan deal, which in turn saw him find a single goal in nine Premier League outings.
Thus, it seems the 33 year-old’s time at the DW stadium is already coming to a close. He was left out of the Latics’ pre-season tour squad and Mirror Football claim Uwe Rosler is willing to let him leave on the cheap.
Holt may not offer much in the way of longevity but his goalscoring credentials are undoubted. He bagged 78 goals in 168 appearances at Carrow Road, including 15 goals in 36 league outings during the 2011/12 Premier League campaign.
Here’s a look at the striker in action:
//www.youtube.com/embed/N_F0PCNFxSs?rel=0
Rough, rugged, potent and available for peanuts, the former Nottingham Forest forward could be a decent stop-gap solution for the Scottish champions.
DANNY GRAHAM
Another Premier League forward caught between a rock and a hard place is Sunderland misfit Danny Graham.
After failing to find the net in his first 13 Premier League appearances for the Black Cats, the 28 year-old found himself out on loan to Hull City and Middlesbrough last season.
He’s been linked with temporary switches again this summer, with Leeds and Boro both interested. But it appears Gus Poyet wants a permanent move for the 6 foot 1 striker, giving Celtic an opportunity to muscle in:
Graham may have struggled at the Stadium of Light, but he bagged a vital twelve goals to assure Swansea Premier League survival back in 2011/12, and also found 38 league goals in two seasons at former club Watford.
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The former England U20’s scoring form is patchy but he’s a smart striker who finds good positions and often lays the ball off well.
Here’s a look at Graham in action:
//www.youtube.com/embed/5mLQ2_4xqH4?rel=0
ARON JOHANSSON
Celtic have been linked with USA forward Aron Johansson before, most notably ahead of the 2014 January transfer window:
The 23 year-old bagged 20 goals in 37 Eredivisie appearances during the 2013/14 campaign after joining AZ Alkmaar from Danish side AGF last summer.
Johansson is famed for his mixture of power, smart movement and clinical finishing, Here’s a look at the USA international in action:
//www.youtube.com/embed/0tmxOy4deLQ?rel=0
He’s a decent contributor in open play too, as detailed below:
But the Parkhead outfit may have to wait until January if they plan to reignite their interest in the AZ star. He’s just undergone groin surgery and is expected to be out of action until October.