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Manchester United fans on Twitter have been busy discussing the Independent’s story on Declan Rice, which suggests that the Red Devils are willing to break the bank in order to sign the West Ham man.

Rice only recently signed a new five-and-a-half year deal back in December, that saw his £3,000-a-week salary increase to £30,000, although United are prepared to dwarf that figure completely with their offer.

Watch the video below to find out what Jesse Lingard is like off the pitch in the latest Match Of The Bae with Emma Conybeare…

The England international has shone for the Hammers this season in a midfield role, earning plaudits left, right and centre, and has been so impressive that the Irons are set to demand in excess of £50m for their academy product.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is also looking to sign Jadon Sancho, as the 20-time Premier League champions target a youthful overhaul and a new strategy in the transfer market.

Despite his blossoming reputation, loads of United fans on Twitter strangely don’t want to see the 20-year-old arrive at Old Trafford for such a huge amount of money…

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West Ham have placed a £70million valuation on midfielder Declan Rice, per Football Insider.

The England international has impressed this season, drawing admiring glances from across the Premier League.

What’s the word?

Rice, per the aforementioned report, has been linked with the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City this season after a series of impressive displays.

Indeed, Rice has become a key man under Manuel Pellegrini and has made 33 appearances in all competitions.

His performances were recognised by Gareth Southgate, who called Rice into his England squad for Euro 2020 qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Montenegro earlier this month after the 20-year-old had switched allegiance from the Republic of Ireland.

Football Insider report that the Hammers are keen to keep Rice and build a team around him, having been so struck by his displays since his breakthrough.

But there is also a claim that they would accept a bid worth £70m or in excess of it. Rice signed a new contract earlier this season and is currently tied to West Ham until 2024.

Selling themselves short

The Irons are selling themselves short if this report is true.

A figure of £70m two or three years ago would have been earth-shattering but, now, there will be very few eyebrows raised.

Rice has emerged as a genuine talent this season and, if he were to leave, West Ham would need to replace him immediately.

£70m might seem like a lot of money but in today’s market, that might only get you two proven Premier League players. In many ways, it’s quite a naive estimate of Rice’s worth and potential, especially with so many clubs courting his services and so many years left on his contract.

Rice is already an elite midfield talent and would improve any club he moved to, including City; West Ham should up his asking price to properly reflect that fact.

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Newcastle fans have taken to Twitter to react after Florian Lejeune suffered a serious injury in the 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace at St James’ Park.

The issue, which appears to be a damaged cruciate ligament, is not the first severe knee injury that the Frenchman has endured throughout his time on Tyneside.

Has injury cruely robbed Sean Longstaff of a potential England place? The Magpie Channel’s Matty belives he was nailed on in the video below…

Lejeune came into the current season with an injury to his right knee after damaging it in pre-season, and only returned to training back in October – now, however, he looks set for another spell on the sidelines with damage to his other knee.

The extent of his injury remains to be seen, although Magpies boss Rafa Benitez did little to sugarcoat matters when he said that: “It seems bad”.

The former Eibar defender left the pitch on a stretcher to round off a truly miserable day for the club, and many Newcastle fans on Twitter have been sharing their sympathies with the unfortunate 27-year-old…

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Sheffield United suffered their first major hiccup in the bid for automatic promotion last Saturday but they have a chance to bounce back this weekend and continue to put pressure on Leeds when they face Preston.

Wholesale changes aren’t needed after defeat to Bristol City, but the return of Scott Hogan could make a huge difference in attack.

Chris Wilder seems unsure over who is best to partner Billy Sharp at the moment and, after substituting Hogan and David McGoldrick for each other in matches against Brentford and Bristol, he now needs to settle on a preferred choice.

First goal for the Blades

Hogan’s goal last weekend was his first for the club and his cameo gave a brief display of why Aston Villa paid as much as £12m for the striker back in 2017.

The 26-year-old is a natural goal scorer but his career has been halted in the past two years due to a succession of injuries.

Before signing for Villa he’d scored 14 in 25 matches in the Championship for Brentford. However, since then, he’s only managed to score eight goals, struggling for any form or consistency.

But now the striker is fit he can become pivotal to the Blades’ promotion hopes.

Replacing McGoldrick

McGoldrick has had a tremendous season for the Yorkshire side, scoring 12 goals and providing three assists. However, he’s only scored twice in his last 13 games for club and country. Although he offers more than goals to Wilder’s team, his inconsistency of late could become an issue in the promotion run in.

This is why the Blades’ boss must find room for Hogan in his team this weekend and for the rest of the season.

His ability to be in the right place at the right time is a key attribute and, with every moment proving crucial at the business end of the season, Hogan is a necessity.

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When Max Meyer signed for Crystal Palace on a free in the summer, the German was expected to light up the Premier League having been billed as one of the top young talents while he was at Schalke, although it hasn’t quite gone to plan.

The midfielder has made 14 starts, battling for chances with 31-year-old workhorse James McArthur and Jeffrey Schlupp, who was previously a left-back.

Taking Yohan Cabaye’s number 7 shirt upon his arrival at Selhurst Park, the diminutive Meyer was expected to fill the creative void left by the departing Frenchman, although he has been deployed largely as a wide midfielder by Roy Hodgson.

It’s clear that the 23-year-old isn’t suited in this role and would thrive as a number 10, although that would require a lot of changes to the starting XI, including the addition of £15m summer target, Che Adams.

Meyer thrives at finding pockets of space and his ability to operate in tight situations means he can skip away from a challenge or feed a teammate in behind with ease – that’s where Adams comes in.

The Birmingham striker, who has chalked up 22 goals in the Championship this season, has the pace and power to cause real damage off the shoulder, while Meyer has the ability to pick him out consistently. It seems like a perfect partnership.

For Meyer to have the aforementioned pockets of space, though, Hodgson must be bold and swap his wingers. Wilfried Zaha has been thriving on the left, while Andros Townsend’s ability to cut in from the opposite flank and onto his stronger left foot makes him a threat; swapping the dynamic duo around means that they will be less willing to come inside, thus freeing up space for Meyer.

There’s some exciting changes happening at Crystal Palace next summer. Find out what in the video below…

This switch would also mean Zaha, who is right-footed, feels more inclined to take on his man – something he is one of the Premier League’s best at doing. The back four remains the same, of course, while a scary pairing of Luka Milivojevic and Cheikhou Kouyate just in front will give Hodgson the legs and defensive security he requires.

What do you think of our XI, Palace fans? Is there anything you’d change? Let us know in the comments below!

Most kids idolised Steven Gerrard back in the day, well unless you were a Manchester United fan. So it’s not particularly hard to argue that his reputation and link with Liverpool will mean he’ll attract the players to win Rangers their first Scottish Premiership since 2011.

The Scottish Sun are reporting Gerrard will travel to Liverpool to make a personal plea for his old club to loan him Ryan Kent again next season. It’s not the usual method for attracting players, but it’s one a manager like Steven Gerrard can use to their advantage at cash strapped clubs.

It’s said the winger’s got a £12m price tag, and that’s just unaffordable for Rangers this summer. Gerrard could get his way though, purely because of his connections at his old club and the fact he’s looked up to by the player himself. This is just one example but it’ll become a common theme.

Frankly, the Gers can only afford to use young, cheap talent at the moment, and Gerrard surely knows that, so the only way to bring trophies to Ibrox is by using his pulling power as an Anfield hero. Young players will look up to him and want to play for him and his contacts across the English game could always lend him a hand.

The ex-Liverpool captain has impressed in his first season at Ibrox, and now he’s proved he’s a capable manager, players will be itching to play under him and for such a big club. It was a gamble hiring him in the first place, but it’s one that will pay off eventually, if he gets his way in summer.

Phone calls and personal pleas might sound a tad desperate, but if it means Rangers get hold of the best young talent, it’ll also mean the club’s fans can finally enjoy some silverware again.

Rangers fans, who do you think Steven Gerrard should sign this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

أكد سيد عبد الحفيظ، مدير الكرة بالأهلي، أنه لم تصدر أي إساءة في حق محمد فضل عضو اللجنة الخماسية باتحاد الكرة من جانب محمود كهربا لاعب الفريق، مشيرًا إلى أن الواقعة أخذت أكبر من حجمها.

ونشبت مشادة بين كهربا ومحمد فضل وصلت للتشابك بالإيدي خلال احتفالية الأهلي بتتويج الدوري والتي أقيمت أمس على استاد الأهلي وي السلام عقب مباراة الأحمر وطلائع الجيش التي حسمها الفريق بثلاثية نظيفة.

وقال عبد الحفيظ في تصريحات للموقع الرسمي للنادي الأهلي إن الواقعة التي تناولها البعض بين محمود كهربا، لاعب الفريق، ومحمد فضل، عضو اللجنة الخماسية، في حفل التكريم أمس، أخذت أكبر من حجمها.

وأضاف: “والكل يعلم أن مثل هذه العلاقات تسير في إطار الاحترام المتبادل، ولا توجد أي نية للإساءة من جانب أي طرف للآخر، خاصة أن الأجواء احتفالية، وتكريم للأهلي ولاعبيه من جانب اتحاد الكرة بعد موسم شاق من كافة الوجوه”.

طالع أيضًا.. خاص – الخطيب يعد محمد فضل بتوقيع عقوبة على كهربا.. وشكوى منتظرة للانضباط

وتابع: “حرصت على مشاهدة فيديو الواقعة أكثر من مرة، واستمعت لكلام محمود كهربا، ولم أكتفي بذلك، بل استمعت أيضًا للعديد من زملائه الذين كانوا قريبين منه”.

وواصل: “ولم تصدر أي إساءة في حق الكابتن محمد فضل، وغير مسموح بذلك أيًا كانت المبررات، بل إن كهربا في كل حديثه معي أكد على تقديره واحترامه الكامل للكابتن محمد فضل، والعلاقة الطيبة التي تربطه معه”.

وأردف: “لكن يبدو أن هناك سوء فهم شكليًا حدث بخصوص الواقعة، وهذا لا ينال من الرفض القاطع من جانب الأهلي لأي إساءة أو تجاوز في حق أيّ من عناصر المنظومة الكروية”.

ووجه عبد الحفيظ التحية لاتحاد الكرة وجميع القائمين عليه، خاصة أنهم تحملوا الكثير في سبيل عودة النشاط الكروي، واستكمال مسابقة الدوري بكل درجاتها في ظروف صعبة للغاية.

وأختتم: “هذا الأمر يحسب لكل العناصر الذين تعاونوا وأعادوا الحياة للملاعب بعد جائحة كورونا التي سادت العالم وتسببت في إلغاء مسابقات وبطولات رياضية عديدة”.

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According to talkSPORT, Leeds United are interested in signing Braga defender Bruno Viana in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the word, then?

Viana, 24, is enjoying an impressive campaign for Braga.

Indeed, the Brazilian has made 27 league appearances for a team that currently sits fourth in the table behind Benfica, Porto and Sporting Lisbon.

He initially joined Braga on loan from Olympiacos in 2017, before completing a permanent move to the Portuguese outfit in 2018.

According to talkSPORT, Leeds want to sign the defender for between £8m and £10m, but Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Watford are also monitoring proceedings ahead of a potential swoop at the end of the season.

It would take some effort from Leeds to beat all three Premier League clubs to his signature, but they must earn promotion to the top flight to stand a chance.

Can Leeds secure Viana’s signature?

It all depends on whether Premier League promotion is secured.

Leeds have almost got used to the Championship in recent years, but you suspect that it would be a monumental blow to the club if they were unable to earn promotion when considering the type of season that has developed.

As it stands, the Whites are third in the Championship, having lost two of their last three to Sheffield United and Birmingham City.

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Marcelo Bielsa’s side head to Preston North End on Tuesday night for what is a huge contest and the club’s supporters will be looking for a response.

It seems that Viana will not be short of offers this summer and Leeds simply have to earn a spot in the Premier League for the 2019-2020 campaign if they are to stand a chance of securing the South American’s services.

It was a disastrous Easter weekend for Leeds, wasn’t it Whites fans?

Marcelo Bielsa’s side had held a three-point advantage over Sheffield United going into Friday’s fixtures yet following their automatic promotion rivals’ 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest, the pressure to respond in their clash with Wigan proved to be too much.

Despite their opponents having a man sent off in the first-half and Patrick Bamford giving his side the lead, the Whites inexplicably capitulated, conceding goals either side of half-time at Elland Road. Although Leeds would have 36 shots in their clash with the Latics, a worrying lack of composure resulted in them losing ground on the Blades.

Rather than simply being a one-off, Bielsa’s men replicated their poor showing against Wigan on Monday when they faced Brentford at Griffin Park. Despite dominating possession, the Whites were hit twice on the counter-attack by the Bees who put a huge dent in their hopes of securing a top-two finish in May.

With Leeds now three points behind Chris Wilder’s Blades, it is surely time to throw caution at the wind and start Kemar Roofe against Aston Villa next Saturday.

The 26-year-old has not started for the club since suffering ligament damage in his knee during a 2-1 victory over Swansea City in February yet has made five substitute appearances since returning to action earlier this month.

Arguably the club’s best attacking outlet having scored 14 goals in the second tier this season, Roofe has the ability to turn a game on its head and will be needed if his side are to overcome a Lions side, who are in red hot form.

With the former Oxford United ace being able to play on the wing as well as up-front, he could be brought in to replace a number of players who have underperformed in recent weeks.

What do you think Leeds fans? Should Roofe start against Villa? Or is it not worth risking the forward with the prospect of play-offs just over the horizon?

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Blackburn Rovers fans on Twitter are split on the crucial question of who should be named the club’s Player of the Year for the 2018/2019 season.

This came after they were asked by the club’s official Twitter account as voting for the annual award was declared open.

The accolade is voted for by the supporters each year with voting ending on Wednesday 1st of May and, after an impressive first season back in the Sky Bet Championship, in which Rovers sit 14th in the table with just two matches remaining, there’s no shortage of contenders.

The likes of goalkeeper David Raya, defenders Charlie Mulgrew and Darragh Lenihan, midfielders Elliott Bennett, Harrison Reed, Lewis Travis, reigning champion Bradley Dack and prolific forward Danny Graham are all in with a major shout.

However, the Ewood Park faithful seem to be more focused on just three of those names and you can find out who they are in our list of reactive Tweets, below…