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According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, Crystal Palace have reportedly added Steve Cooper to a potential list of candidates to replace Roy Hodgson this summer.

What’s the word?

Hodgson has recently admitted he remains “undecided” over his future at Selhurst Park, and with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, it is understood that the Palace hierarchy are looking at potential replacements.

Sean Dyche is also seen as an option to replace Hodgson, but the Eagles are reportedly keeping tabs on the Swansea City boss and still identify him as a viable target alongside Dyche.

The Sun claim Steve Parish would be able to land Cooper more easily than Dyche as Burnley are most likely to offer him a new contract.

Palace have only managed two wins in their past seven games in the Premier League this season and are currently 14th in the table.

Perfect Roy Hodgson replacement

The clamour from Crystal Palace fans who want the 41-year-old to replace Hodgson is there, although he could very well already be in the Premier League by the end of the campaign, as his side are currently chasing automatic promotion from the Championship.

However, if Parish can tempt Cooper to Selhurst Park, he could completely revolutionise the club’s philosophy. Despite bringing in a couple of fresh faces in the likes of Eberechi Eze and Nathan Ferguson in the summer, Palace still have the oldest squad in the Premier League by quite some margin, although that can also be partly attributed to Ferguson’s long-term injury.

While Cooper has recently been credited for the work he has done with helping to develop young talents like Ben Cabango and Marc Guehi during his time at Swansea City, this has all stemmed from his early years in management, having previously managed England at under-16 level.

It’s no wonder Swansea have one of the youngest squads in the Championship with an average age of 25.3 but what is surprising to see is that they currently sit third in the league.

The Swans have also conceded just 15 goals in 27 games this season, which is five fewer than their promotion rivals Watford. Therefore, not only is he a game-changer in terms of their transfer business off the pitch, he has also transformed their fortunes on it, too by making them a much tougher nut to crack. By comparison, Palace have conceded 42 goals in 24 games thanks to that leaky defence.

Former Palace manager Tony Pulis has previously heaped praise on Cooper, insisting that the Englishman has done an “exceptional job” at Swansea.

If Palace are to take the next step in their development, getting rid of Hodgson and hiring Cooper would be a step in the right direction and be a dream in terms of bringing a new exciting and youthful identity at Selhurst Park.

AND in other Palace news, Michy Batshuayi was so wasteful in Crystal Palace defeat to Burnley…

According to a report by the Daily Star, West Ham are set to push for Celtic star Odsonne Edouard before the end of January – with GSB now potentially about to join the race for a striker also currently linked with a move to Leicester City (talkSPORT).

Edouard, who has debatably been one of Celtic’s only positive points this season, still managing to net seven goals in 12 SPFL starts despite the Hoops currently being some way off arch-rivals Rangers, is now attracting even more interest – this time from West Ham.

West Ham set to join Edouard race

As per the Daily Star, David Moyes is ‘desperate’ to sign a forward this month, with the club now turning to Edouard as a solution and they are expected to push for him in a late January move.

However, while this report claims that the 23-year-old is yearning for a Premier League switch and ‘fancies’ a move to London in particular, it doesn’t appear to be for a transfer ti the Irons.

Indeed, Edouard is apparently more keen on English capital rivals Arsenal and Tottenham, but that is only his ideal scenario – with a move to West Ham seemingly not ruled out.

Given the fact Celtic are ‘ready’ to ‘cash in now’ for the correct bid, and that both north London clubs won’t be able to move until summer, West Ham could hold a slender hope in potentially signing him.

As a result, GSB are reportedly set to attempt a swoop before the closure of this transfer window, with Moyes reportedly having him watched north of the border on several occasions.

Transfer Tavern take

Recently described by Hoops boss Neil Lennon as ‘magnificent’ after a 3-0 win over Hamilton in December (Glasgow Live), it’s little wonder why Moyes is keen – especially taking into account his excellent goal tally over 2020/2021 (WhoScored).

However, a late swoop may prove difficult – with it being hard to imagine GSB forking out his £35 million price tag.

In other news: West Ham have been ‘offered’ this striker, Di Canio is a huge fan…find out more here.

Manchester City return to Premier League action on Sunday as they take on Chelsea away from home.

The Citizens’ last game against Everton was postponed after an outbreak of the virus in the Manchester City squad but with Pep Guardiola’s side having returned to training earlier this week after posting no new cases, there seems no current reason why Sunday’s game at Stamford Bridge won’t go ahead.

City haven’t lost in any competition since the game against Tottenham Hotspur in November, whilst Chelsea have picked up just one point from their last two games against Arsenal and Aston Villa respectively.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects City to line up against Chelsea on Sunday, with two changes from the starting side that beat Newcastle…

Unsurprisingly, City’s defence stays the same, with Guardiola’s side having now picked up eight clean sheets in their last 10 fixtures in all competitions, with the partnership of Ruben Dias and John Stones working wonders at the back.

Full-backs Joao Cancelo and Nathan Ake will be hoping to pick up where they left off against Newcastle, with Kyle Walker still unavailable for this fixture.

There’s one change on the wing, as Phil Foden replaces Bernardo Silva, with the Portuguese winger still without a goal or an assist in the Premier League this season and the young Englishman, once labelled a “magician” by Guardiola, warranting a start after his superb performances in the Champions League and Carabao Cup recently.

He starts alongside Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling, both of whom will be key if City are to leave Stamford Bridge with three points on Sunday.

Finally, despite his goal last time out, Ferran Torres drops to the bench, with Sergio Aguero no doubt keen to continue his excellent goal record against Frank Lampard’s side, having scored 15 goals against the Blues in his career, which is the joint-most of any team.

If Guardiola’s side can pick up all three points on Sunday, it would put their title charge well and truly back on track.

And, in other news, Man City must seal transfer swoop for 20 y/o wonderkid who tore Real Madrid apart…

Southampton have had some quality players come through their academy in recent times, with the likes of James Ward-Prowse and Jack Stephens both establishing themselves as first-team regulars under Ralph Hasenhuttl.

Now, the Saints look to have another youngster on the brink of breaking into the Austrian’s first-team squad, in the shape of Swiss U19 international Alexandre Jankewitz.

The midfielder joined the Southampton academy from Swiss side Servette in 2018 and has been impressing with David Horseman’s B team in his time with the South Coast club.

After progressing through the U18 set-up, Jankewitz has now made 28 appearances for the B team, in which he has contributed one assist.

The 19-year-old was rewarded with a three-year contract in 2019 meaning he is set to stay with the Saints until 2022, at least.

The Swiss midfielder made his first appearance on the bench for the Saints in their 3-1 win at Watford last season, which led Hasenhuttl to suggest that:

“I think he’s the next young guy for us.”

The Southampton writer for The Athletic Dan Sheldon recently picked Jankewitz as his Saints youngster to keep an eye on in 2021.

He also suggested that during the summer transfer window, the midfielder was attracting interest from Serie A side Parma and La Liga giants Barcelona, which is testament to the youngster’s obvious potential.

Sheldon describes the 19-year-old as someone who is capable of playing as both a box-to-box midfielder and a holding-midfielder, who is technically very good, with his long-range passing amongst his best attributes.

Therefore, he could definitely be compared with current Saints captain Ward-Prowse, who has gone on to make 296 appearances for the first-team at Southampton, and perhaps we will see him break into Hasenhuttl’s first-team at some point this year.

And, in other news… Exclusive: Palmer claims Southampton target would “feel loved again” working under Hasenhuttl

Ross Wilson dodged a massive bullet by not signing Manuel Benson in the summer after it emerged that Glasgow Rangers were reportedly eyeing up a move for the Royal Antwerp winger.

According to a report at the time from The Daily Record, Rangers were ‘exploring’ a swoop for the Belgian as Steven Gerrard tried to stop Celtic winning ten titles in a row.

Wilson sought to bolster Gerrard’s firepower last year by plotting a double raid on the Belgian top-flight as it seems the Gers were also considering a bid for former Stoke City and West Brom striker Saido Berahino at the same time.

However, they soon cooled their interest after the arrivals of Ianis Hagi and Kemar Roofe.

It would have been a challenge for Rangers to acquire the services of Benson, anyway, as his boss Ivan Leko was reluctant to sell his prized asset.  Yet it appears they have dodged a bullet in doing so given his struggles this season thus far.

Benson, who is a former teammate of Hagi, has previously been praised by his national coach Johan Walem for being part of a “talented” group of Belgian youngsters before the U21 European Championships last year.

However, it’s fair to say that he has struggled to hit the ground running this season, as goals have been hard to come by during an injury-disrupted campaign. Benson spent a brief spell on the sidelines and has yet to score since the 3-1 win at home to Ludogorets in the Europa League.

The 23-year-old has provided two goals and two assists in 24 appearances across all competitions for Antwerp, via Transfermarkt.

Leko has recently taken to benching the former Belgium U21 international in an attempt to trigger a reaction, with Benson being left on the bench as an unused substitute on seven occasions in the Belgian top-flight so far.

He has even suffered the ignominy of being dropped from the matchday squads as he was left out of the sides to face Waasland-Beveren and RSC Charleroi before the turn of the year, so the Gers can count themselves lucky they decided against signing the misfiring £1.5m-rated ace.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers dealt huge injury blow after Old Firm clash with Celtic…

Glasgow Rangers should consider themselves fortunate after Scott Arfield spared their blushes against Standard Liege in the Europa League on Thursday night.

Steven Gerrard’s side conceded twice before the break before Arfield completed the comeback with a sensational strike in the second half to seal a thrilling 3-2 win at Ibrox.

It’s no secret Gerrard has wanted a box-to-box, all-action central midfielder for some time, with Rangers signing Bongani Zungu from French Ligue 2 side Amiens on an initial loan deal with the option to buy on transfer deadline day.

Such is the strength in depth, it’s fair to say that the Ibrox boss is spoilt for choice in midfield. Gerrard has plenty of options to choose from with Arfield, Joe Aribo, Steven Davis, Glen Kamara, Ryan Jack and Zungu all vying for three central midfield roles.

The Liverpool legend himself was famous for his box-to-box style of play who was an attacking threat as well, having scored 186 goals and supplied 136 assists in 710 appearances for the Reds, before hanging up his boots in 2017.

Whilst it would be a bit of a stretch too far to suggest that Arfield is on the same level, they do share certain similarities in terms of their playing style.

Just like Gerrard, WhoScored lists one of Arfield’s main strengths as his defensive contribution, whilst he is also an indirect threat at set-pieces as well.

You can’t pick many holes in Gerrard’s side, but if there is one area they need to improve, it’s the fact that they have mostly struggled to score goals from the midfield, although the 32-year-old is the joint second-highest scorer so far this season along with Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe as they have all scored seven goals apiece.

Former Scotland striker James McFadden has heaped praise on the 32-year-old for his “sensational” form and if these numbers are anything to go by, it’s easy to see why.

Valued at £1.8m via Transfermarkt, in 15 games in the Scottish Premiership this season, the former Canada international has bagged four goals and five assists so far, whilst he is averaging 1.6 shots and 1 key pass per game, via WhoScored.

With his contract set to run out in 2022, Ross Wilson must start to think about tying him down to a new deal. If the Gers are to secure their first major piece of silverware since the 2010-11 season, we suspect the Canadian may have a part to play.

AND in other news, Steven Gerrard must bench Glasgow Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos for the foreseeable future…

Takumi Minamino once again failed to impress when given a rare opportunity to start against FC Midtjylland on Wednesday night and those at the club should now admit their transfer mistake and let him go.

The Japanese international joined Liverpool from RB Salzburg in January but has struggled in his first year with the Reds, having made 27 appearances for the club, contributing just three goals and one assist (per Transfermarkt).

His performances this season have been less than impressive too, as in six Premier League appearances, he has averaged a shocking 6.10 rating, whilst his appearances in the Champions League have resulted in a poor 6.32 rating (per WhoScored).

However, Wednesday night’s performance should be the final nail in the coffin for the 25-year-old, as Jurgen Klopp would have been hoping to see him step up as one of the few senior players on the pitch but instead he was dominated by Midtjylland’s midfield.

As per SofaScore, Minamino picked up a 6.5 rating for his performance against the Danish side, which was better than just Leighton Clarkson and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s match ratings.

The former Salzburg man enjoyed just 42 touches of the ball during his time on the pitch, completing 20/25 of his passes, resulting in a pass accuracy rate of 80%.

He also won just 5/14 of his duels on Wednesday and was dribbled past on four occasions, suggesting that he was second best on a number of occasions.

Although he was unfortunate that his late goal was ruled out due to a baffling VAR call, the midfielder’s overall performance was far from good enough.

When you consider that Minamino earns £75k per week at Liverpool but struggles to impress on his rare starts, usually against inferior opposition, you wonder how much longer the Japanese international has at the Merseyside club, as it could definitely be argued that he is bleeding Michael Edwards dry at the moment.

Earlier in Liverpool’s Champions League campaign, Klopp praised the 25-year-old for his performance against Ajax, saying:

“Taki is a machine. He’s everywhere, he defends like a devil and then offensively he’s really involved. Nice one-twos together with Diogo on the side where they came into the box.”

However, Minamino was clearly not at his best again on Wednesday and at times it is difficult to see what he really offers to this Liverpool side, so it will be interesting to see how long the German manager continues to keep faith in him.

And, in other news… 11 duels won: “Incredible” LFC beast was Klopp’s surprise star man on Wednesday

Jose Mourinho delivered a rather interesting take on Japhet Tanganga’s current situation within the club. Speaking in his press conference ahead of Tottenham’s clash with Ludogorets, the boss admitted that he doesn’t view the 21-year-old as a typical centre-back option.

“For me he’s a full-back,” Mourinho said. “Can he play centre-back? Yes he can, of course he can, and he will if we need and we will need.”

The Spurs manager touches on the idea that he will call upon Tanganga if and when the team require him to play centrally. However, if there was ever a time they might need him, it would be now. But despite Toby Alderweireld’s injury, Mourinho appears happy with the options he has in Eric Dier, Joe Rodon and Davinson Sanchez.

Tanganga is an incredibly versatile defender and can play anywhere across the back four. Being able to play at both left and right-back is a valuable asset for Spurs, but could now put a lot of pressure on Serge Aurier.

The Ivorian continued to be linked with a move away to AC Milan following the closure of the summer transfer window following the arrival of summer signing Matt Doherty. However, between Aurier and a player in the same position who is six years his junior, it’s all but clear where Mourinho will place his focus.

Tanganga has a lot of potential to become a key player for Spurs and with the former first choice right-back already linked to an exit, the cards don’t look good for him. Indeed, Aurier is contracted with the club until 2022, but if he loses his value in the team, Daniel Levy will start weighing up his options.

The defender is currently valued at £14.4million and could bring in a handsome amount if he is to leave in either January or the summer. But if his current deal is left to tick down after this, panic will set in. Spurs will then be scrambling to land a sale before he is eligible to negotiate pre-contract terms. But however they choose to do their business, it looks highly unlikely that there will be much room for Aurier at Spurs once Doherty returns from injury and Tanganga continues to impress.

In other news, Ryan Sessegnon on-loan form could spell trouble for Ben Davies…

Rarely a day goes by without Crystal Palace facing the same old questions about Wilfried Zaha’s future at Selhurst Park, but Roy Hodgson may have a more urgent matter on his hands if recent reports are to be believed…

What’s the story?

Recent reports had revealed that newly-promoted Premier League side West Bromwich Albion were interested in signing Andros Townsend in the summer transfer window.

However, a move failed to materialise, and the 29-year-old stayed at Selhurst Park. But his future is far from certain, as he has entered the final year of his current contract, which is set to expire in June 2021.

According to The Mirror, as relayed by HITC, Hodgson wants to give the winger a new deal, which would prevent him from leaving for free next summer.

Now, Palace chairman Steve Parish must convince Townsend to sign a new contract, as he has played in every single minute of Palace’s six Premier League games this season so far.

Shrewd move?

As far as we are concerned, Townsend has turned out to be one of the most reliable players at the club in recent years. In fact, he last suffered an injury during his time at Tottenham Hotspur, which speaks volumes about his professionalism and fitness levels. The former England international, who previously played for Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers, and Watford, among others, made 93 appearances for Spurs, and scored 11 goals and supplied 15 assists in all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

He has since gone on to make over 150 appearances for Palace, and played 24 games in the Premier League last term, whilst he scored one goal, supplied one assist, and made 1.6 dribbles per game, as per WhoScored. Not exactly numbers that you would expect to see from a right winger, but he has already bettered his tally this term, as he has scored one goal and supplied two assists in the English top flight so far.

Townsend played some of the best football of his career so far for Palace in the 2017/18 season, where he scored twice and created seven assists in the Premier League, and made 1.7 shots, 1.8 key passes and 2.3 dribbles per game, via WhoScored, whilst Hodgson hailed him as a “fantastic” player for his remarkable efforts.

It’s safe to say that Palace enjoyed a summer spending spree, as they recruited the likes of Eberechi Eze and Michy Batshuayi to bolster their attack. After a bright start to the season, their performances soon tailed off, as they suffered back-to-back defeats to Everton and Chelsea, before bouncing back with a 2-1 win over Fulham.

SofaScore gave Townsend a high grade of 7.6 for his heroics at Craven Cottage – he created one big chance, made three key passes, as well as won eleven out of twenty ground duels, whilst football.london gave him a similar score, claiming he “put in a couple of dangerous crosses in the first half, including one from which Zaha should have done better. His work rate and a great pass for Batshuayi led to the second goal.”

One thing’s for sure, the Palace chairman must tie the £8.55m-rated ace down to a new deal. Whether or not he will be able to produce the same level of consistency for the rest of the season remains to be seen, but, at this stage, it’s surely a win-win situation. Get it done, Eagles.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace ace Jairo Riedewald dominated the midfield battle against Fulham…

According to TEAMtalk, West Ham United are considering a bid for Glasgow Rangers captain James Tavernier.

As the transfer deadline closes in, the Hammers remain in need of defensive reinforcements, and Tavernier has been pinpointed as one of the men who could help them in that department.

Steven Gerrard would fight to keep the right-back, of course, but the Irons are set to test the Ibrox outfit’s resolve with an offer.

The 28-year-old could hardly have hoped for a better start to the season north of the border. In his first 11 games in all competitions, he has scored six times, whilst he has created a further four. That now leaves his career total for the 54-time Scottish champions at 52 strikes and 78 assists – there are few defenders who could claim to have anything close to that kind of output.

Currently valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, Tavernier still has two years left on his contract with the Gers and, as the armband indicates, he is an influential figure at the club. West Ham would likely need to make a significant bid to convince Steven Gerrard and co to part ways – it remains to be seen whether they do just that.

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