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According to Corriere dello Sport, Manchester United are one of the clubs that have been offered the chance to sign Edin Dzeko from Roma.

What’s the word?

The 34-year-old finds himself surplus to requirements at the Stadio Olimpico after a public spat between the Bosnian international and boss Paulo Fonseca.

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is believed to be on the lookout for a striker following the recent departure of Odion Ighalo, despite the fact that his side have scored the second-highest amount of goals in the Premier League this season.

And now, Corriere dello Sport claim United have been offered the chance to bring Dzeko to Old Trafford.

Must avoid at all costs

Whilst the centre-forward position could be a particular area of need in the summer, this is a potential signing the Red Devils should stay away from before the transfer window closes this week.

United will look to strengthen their squad in the next transfer window, and have already signed Amad Diallo from Atalanta, but have Edinson Cavani out of contract this summer, although there is the option to extend his stay at Old Trafford for a further year.

Marcus Rashford, who can also play the role, appears to be in fine form this season, having made 20 top-flight appearances with seven goals and eight assists to show for his 18 starts, with United currently in Premier League title contention just past the halfway point of the season.

While Dzeko is a proven Premier League goalscorer – 50 goals in 130 games is a solid return – he just simply isn’t the right man for the Red Devils.

Would he be any better than another older head in Cavani? Probably not.

They are of a similar age but there isn’t much to choose between them if you take a closer look at the numbers. Both players produce high numbers of shots and key passes per game, with Dzeko slightly ahead at 2.7 and 1.1 in Serie A respectively, but he is also dispossessed more frequently, 1.2 to Cavani’s 0.2.

At 34, it’s fair to say that it just wouldn’t be worth the risk, especially when you consider the fact he earns a whopping £7.5m per year with Roma, per Fabrizio Romano via the Here We Go podcast, which works out at around £127,000-per-week.

AND in other news, Manchester United striker Anthony Martial was shocking in Sheffield United defeat…

Liverpool squandered their chances of going top of the Premier League table after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham this evening.

The reigning champions looked hugely off their game at Craven Cottage and as a result, they conceded after just 25 minutes of play.

Bobby Reid punished Jurgen Klopp’s sloppy defence with a curling effort that left Alisson stunned.

Even after some tactical changes, Liverpool only got themselves back into the game through a late penalty. Mohamed Salah slotted away the spot-kick in the 79th minute but didn’t look like they would penetrate Fulham’s defence any more than this.

One player who was particularly disappointing tonight was Sadio Mane. The fiery winger who usually causes huge problems for the opposition was kept quiet far too easily by the Cottagers’ defence.

Mane let Klopp down vs Fulham

In what looked to be an easy win for Liverpool on paper turned out to be a very difficult fixture. The Reds couldn’t capitalise on Fulham’s poor form and still trail to Spurs who are top of the table.

Klopp’s entire front three were almost anonymous, aside from Salah’s penalty deep into the second half.

Mane was especially quiet, despite playing the full 90 minutes at the Cottage.

According to Sofascore, the clinical winger failed to register a single shot on target and he lost possession 14 times. He also missed a huge chance to find the back of the net and he made even fewer passes (17) than goalkeeper Alisson (24).

The £100,000 per week attacker was hugely off his game and will be furious with himself for putting in such a disappointing shift, so much so that he badly let his manager down.

He can only reflect on his errors and look to rectify them on Wednesday when the clash of the title contenders goes down.

Liverpool will play host to Spurs in what promises to be a very entertaining match, but it will be a must-win for Klopp and his men, who are desperate to retain their first-ever Premier League title.

In other news, Liverpool handed transfer blow with RB Leipzig’s Dominik Szoboszlai…

Opening up over his contract situation at the City Ground, Nottingham Forest midfielder Samba Sow has declared he is keen to stay – prompting Forest fans to go wild and beg the club to secure a new deal for the injury-prone star. 

Sow, who has started just a third of the club’s Championship encounters this season, often succumbing to fitness issues, is still a favourite among these Forest supporters – and when presented with his candid quotes over a new deal, these supporters seemed keen for the club to extend his stay in Nottingham.

Some supporters claimed it would be ‘perfect’ for the club, and despite his mixed injury record, Sow has proven reliable during the times he has been available to feature.

Averaging more tackles per 90 than the likes of Cyrus Christie and Ryan Yates (WhoScored), Sow could prove to be a formidable option when called upon – with these Forest fans appearing desperate to see a new offer for the Malian.

Find some of their verdicts down below.

Forest fans beg for Sow new deal

“Love to see our win percentage when Sow starts compared to when he doesn’t. Massive player for us IMO when he’s up to speed we win our midfield battles. Needs managing though injuries etc….”

Credit: @champ81gb 

“Would be mad not to extend a player of his quality even with a mixed injury record. Just look at our record when he plays.”

Credit: @NickBrookz

“100%. When he’s fit, our midfield is totally different level. I can get past the standard yellow card with the impact he has on the team.”

Credit: @CallumChivers91

“Pay as you play would be perfect that was he keeps his fitness up when he can”

Credit: @ben_smithynffc

“All this nonsense in the comments about injuries and his fitness. Have you not seen our record with and without Samba Sow? Arguably one of our most important players, definitely deserves another 1-2 year contract #nffc”

Credit: @fox_alfie 

“Yes. Absolutely. 1 year with an option for a second. I don’t care how injury prone he is. Every single time he’s on the pitch we look a better team and I feel a million times more confident of getting something out the game. We have missed him when he hasn’t played.”

Credit: @NFFC_Harvey 

In other news: Many Forest supporters fumed at this ‘awful’ ace, find out more here.

Having led Leeds United to the Championship title last season, it was inevitable that a lot of people’s eyes were going on to be Marcelo Bielsa.

“Here comes El Loco” was the title that The Guardian ran with in the first week of September, as excitement grew over seeing the man Pep Guardiola hails as his mentor.

But whilst Leeds have had an encouraging start to the new Premier League campaign with seven points from their opening five games, that’s not a patch on what Dean Smith is managing over at Aston Villa.

Having survived relegation back to the Championship by the skin of their teeth last season, Villa have done a complete 360, and currently sit second in the table with four wins from four – even a point against Leeds on Friday night would send them top and above Everton thanks to goal difference.

Despite the fact they’ve confounded everybody’s expectations, Bielsa continues to be the topic of conversation.

Sky Sports ran a lengthy feature ahead of his team’s clash against Manchester City about how he inspired Guardiola, whilst before that, after a 4-3 loss to Liverpool, the headline was “Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds show no compromise in Liverpool thriller”. It’s been all about how the Argentine has shaped the Yorkshire club in his own image.

He’s a magnet for attention with his quirky style of management – since when did sitting on a stool on the touch-line become a thing? – and it’s no surprise that people gravitate towards that.

But on Friday, Smith can strike a blow to that love-in with a tactical masterstroke. In the games Leeds have dropped points in thus far – their defeats to Liverpool and Wolves and the draw to City – they have come undone against teams who have quick forwards who are prepared to run in behind.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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Mohamed Salah scored a hat-trick, Raheem Sterling netted for City, and Wolves had the likes of Daniel Podence, Pedro Neto and Adama Traore to call upon as they won last time out.

With Leeds’ high-pressing, by-passing that with a quick ball over the top for wingers and central strikers to chase onto can leave them unstuck, and it’s why Smith may be tempted to throw in someone like Keinan Davis into the attack on Friday.

The 22-year-old is a willing runner and makes constant movements into the channels, and instead of relying on just Ollie Watkins to do that, having another outlet in Davis could leave Bielsa in a muddle.

Smith has the perfect opportunity to get one over on his counterpart, and prove why he’s been the outstanding manager of these first few weeks of the Premier League season.

Liverpool’s transfer pursuit of Brighton and Hove Albion defender, Ben White, seemingly edged closer last night with reports that the Seagulls have identified three possible replacements for the 23-year-old.

Jurgen Klopp is in need of defensive reinforcements, following Virgil van Dijk season-ending injury, and has made White a transfer priority ahead of the January window although it will cost the Reds in the region of £50m to secure his services.

Despite being ever-present in Graham Potter side this season, sources close to Football FanCast have revealed that Brighton are already identifying contingencies should they sell Ben White and are keeping close tabs on Middlesbrough’s defensive duo, Dael Fry and Anfernee Dijksteel – as well as Blackburn Rovers’ Darragh Lenihan.

Dael Fry has come through the Middlesbrough Academy and has represented England at every level up to the U21s; however, is out of contract at the end of the season and therefore Boro may look to cash in. His defensive teammate, Anfernee Dijksteel, has been a mainstay in the side since his £2m move from Charlton back in 2019 and has impressed for Neil Warnock’s side this season in what has been a strong start to their Championship

campaign.

Darragh Lenihan, who has previously been linked with a move to Sheffield United is a Republic of Ireland international defender and vice-Captain at Blackburn Rovers. Currently sidelined with a knee injury, the 26-year-old is highly thought of at Ewood Park and Tony Mowbray wouldn’t want to lose a key cog in his pursuit to get Rovers back into the Premier League.

AND in other news, Liverpool handed major transfer boost in potential David Alaba deal…

Bongani Zungu is a doubt for Glasgow Rangers’ Scottish Premiership clash with Aberdeen FC after suffering a knee injury whilst away on international duty with South Africa, according to The Daily Record.

Steven Gerrard has since confirmed the South Africa international will await further assessment before being declared fit to face the Dons at Ibrox on Sunday afternoon, having played twice for the Bafana-Bafana during the international break.

The Ibrox boss is hopeful that Zungu will be able to feature this weekend but will wait for further confirmation whilst Steven Davis is also a doubt after withdrawing from the Northern Ireland squad last week, citing “personal reasons.”

Rangers signed Zungu from French Ligue 1 side Amiens on an initial loan deal on deadline day with the option to buy but the South African has had to bide his time at Ibrox so far this season, having been handed his first-team debut in the 8-0 win over Hamilton Academical this month.

The “special” former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder received a solid rating of 6.7 from SofaScore for his performance, after he took 40 touches of the ball, made 35 out of 38 passes (92%), and produced three out of four attempted long balls, but failed to win a single ground duel all game, lost possession four times and committed one foul.

His injury blow could give the ever-reliable Ryan Jack the time to shine to preserve and protect his Ibrox career amid competition for places in the starting line-up.

Jack started the Hamilton thrashing before the unsung hero was replaced by Zungu as Gerrard rang several changes at half-time, having played an important role as the Gers put the Accies to the sword, with the 28-year-old providing more key passes (2), winning more ground duels (1) and taking more touches of the ball (53) than his clubmate plus one tackle and four interceptions, per SofaScore.

The former Aberdeen midfielder, who was signed by Gerrard’s predecessor Pedro Caixinha on a free transfer in the summer of 2017, received praise from the Ibrox boss earlier this week, with Gerrard admitting he is confident that the Scotland international can take his game to the next level, saying: “His consistency has been fantastic to see and it’s no surprise with the way he goes about his daily routine and business.

“He does everything right at the gym, he eats well and he trains and prepares every single day for the game at the weekend or midweek.

“So it’s no surprise that Ryan finds that level of consistency because he does everything right.”

It’s fair to say that his career has been plagued by persistent injury problems, with the Scotsman sustaining a calf injury during the game against Dundee United, which forced him to miss five games this season so far. His issues have meant that Jack, who reportedly receives wages worth £12,000-per-week, has missed 46 games for the Gers in all competitions in total.

A consistent, injury-free spell in the starting line-up could remove any potential concerns over his fitness levels, and allow him to preserve his place in the starting line-up, whilst he has been subject to interest from clubs across Europe in the past, including Premier League clubs south of the border.

AND in other news, Filip Helander and Ianis Hagi start, Balogun benched: Glasgow Rangers predicted XI vs Aberdeen…

Celtic could be on the verge of a delivering a masterclass on deadline day if emerging reports ring true…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports, the defending Scottish champions have submitted a loan offer for West Ham outcast Robert Snodgrass with Neil Lennon keen to add a new winger to his ranks.

When asked about potential incomings after their 2-0 win over St Johnstone, the Bhoys boss remained coy, saying: “You can link names at me all you like but you’re not going to get a straight answer. I’ll be with Peter [Lawwell] and Nick Hammond tomorrow and we’ll be looking at a few things.”

The 33-year-old was born in Glasgow and is a lifelong Hoops supporter.

Wing upgrade?

Snodgrass is a vastly experienced wide man who could instantly improve Lennon’s side even despite his advancing years, we’ve seen with Scott Brown that players can still cut the mustard well into their thirties.

The Scotsman is able to play on both sides as well as through the middle. He also still delivered five goals and five assists from just 17 starts last season, via WhoScored.

Whilst throughout his career, Snodgrass has averaged 1.9 key passes, 1.6 shots and 1.2 dribbles per game, hinting that he’s very much a creative outlet which is perhaps what the Bhoys currently lack in Moi Elyounoussi.

When playing on the left-wing this season, the Saints loanee has failed to deliver a single goal or assist, per Transfermarkt.

Fellow Hammers teammate Mark Noble once lauded Snodgrass as “a top player, he’s got loads of quality” whilst Sky Sports pundit Chris Kamara believes he can “show lots of trickery” and is “absolutely superb.”

And unlike Elyounoussi, he’s not on as much money. Spotrac claim the veteran midfielder is raking in around £40k-per-week in comparison to the Saints man’s £60k-per-week.

This could be a bargain masterstroke from Nick Hammond and co.

WHILE in other news, Celtic move for £10m flop would be an unforgivable error

Speaking exclusively to FootballFanCast, former Aston Villa ace Marlon Harewood has insisted he hasn’t been surprised by the form of summer signing Ollie Watkins.

The 24-year-old arrived from Championship side Brentford to reunite with Dean Smith at Villa Park, and has hit the ground running at his new club, bagging eight goals in just 11 games – that of course includes his memorable hat-trick in the 7-2 thrashing of Liverpool.

Now, Harewood has given his thoughts on the club’s new centre-forward, saying: “I’m not surprised. He’s a top-class player in the striker situation, and it’s good to see him doing what he’s doing. Obviously, the players around him they’ll want to do well as well. It compliments him in positions where he’s going to score goals.”

Watkins’ arrival and good form has been a welcome shot in the arm for Villa this season, with Smith’s side managing just 41 goals in 38 games last season in the Premier League.

Their campaign wasn’t helped by the fact Wesley suffered a knee injury at the start of the year and is only just working his way back up to full fitness, so having the man from Brentford just click as a new player straight away has been music to the ears of Smith.

Whether he can keep up his consistency over the course of his first season in the Premier League remains to be seen, but all the early signs point to him doing exactly that.

He’s come up with some big goals against the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal, and with Villa flying high and even seemingly up for a potential challenge for a European spot, Watkins could hold the key.

Tottenham Hotspur are ‘close’ to completing a deal with Inter Milan to sell Tanguy Ndombele this summer, according to reports from France. 

Recent reports revealed that Tottenham have held talks with Inter as the club’s record signing wants to leave north London this summer after falling out with Jose Mourinho.

French football journalist Julien Maynard claims, as per @Daily_Hotspur, that Spurs are one step nearer to reaching an agreement with the Serie A giants. However, Ndombele is currently unconvinced by the move, which could prove to be a stumbling block. He currently has four years of his contract left to run but may be left with no other option.

Ndombele and Mourinho share a frosty relationship which has spilled out into something resembling a soap drama since the Premier League restart in June.

While Daniel Levy has insisted that the six-cap French international will not be sold in the summer, it seems that negotiations are still ongoing behind closed doors. The Lilywhites feel that the 23-year-old, who arrived in north London from Lyon last year, needs time to adapt to the English top flight.

Ndombele has hardly featured at all following the restart, making just WhoScored).

Ndombele’s transfer hasn’t worked out as well as planned and the Lilywhites should look to cut their losses in the summer. He is currently valued at £40m via Transfermarkt, although it remains to be seen if the board will be able to recoup anywhere near the £55m they originally paid for him.

Spurs aren’t short of defensive midfielders, as Eric Dier, Giovani Lo Celso, Harry Winks, Moussa Sissoko and Oliver Skipp can all play in that position if required. Mourinho could then reinvest the cash in other areas of his squad that urgently need addressing, like fixing a leaky defence.

Tottenham fans, do you think Levy should sell Ndombele in the summer? Let us know your views in the comments below!

Key information about Vale Park

Vale Park was built in 1950 and is now the home of Port Vale FC, a League Two club. The ground is located in the North-West city of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire and was once dubbed The Wembley of the North.

Its current capacity stands at 18,947 and it has a pitch that measures 104m by 70m. The surface is covered with grass and it has no running track surrounding it.

The record attendance at Vale Park was set on 20 February 1960 with 49,768 fans watching Port Vale’s match against Aston Villa.

A history of Vale Park

Before they moved to Vale Park, Port Vale have been playing their football at the Old Recreation Ground. However, as soon as they found out they would be evicted from their home, the ideas of building an entirely new stadium emerged. In 1944, they chose Hamil Road as the site for building their new safe haven.

Interestingly enough, the location was just opposite of Burslem Park, a ground where the club had played its football back in the day. With the size and ambition of the project – seeing how the proposed ground was supposed to have an 80,000 capacity with room for 1,000 parked cars – it was dubbed The Wembley of the North.

Even though some of the initial features were remarkable, such as the most expensive pitch ever laid in the country at that time, the real capacity stood at 40,000, only 360 of which were seated, and it had only two stands. The first game ever played at Vale Park was a 1–0 victory over Newport County on a rainy 24 August 1950, watched by 30,196 supporters.

In the early 1950s, Vale Park was redeveloped with the Railway Terrace getting new seats and the erection of the Railway Stand, both boosting the capacity of the ground. In 1958, the first floodlights were added and two years later, in 1960, the club finally installed new drainage which was a problem for many years, even to the point games had to be postponed multiple times over time.

Sometime later, in the 1980s, the capacity had to be reduced due to safety reasons following the Bradford City Fire but by the end of the decade, Vale Park would see big refurbishments and modernisation with upgraded floodlights, electronic scoreboard and an overall £250,000 improvements to the ground. In 1989, they even added a disabled stand – the country’s first purpose-built facility of its kind.

The ‘90s saw more work being done with the demolition of the all-standing Lorne Street, which was to be replaced by a new, modern facility, although this is yet to be fully finalised. In fact, it took them until 2020 to finally add seats to the new stand but the new owners still managed to further improve the stadium after taking the club out of administration in 2012.

Interestingly, that was also when Vale Park was separated from the club, the ownership returning to Port Vale only in May 2019. Five months later it was declared as an “asset of community value status” by Stoke-on-Trent city council.

Tickets to watch Port Vale at Vale Park

All tickets to watch Port Vale play at Vale Park can be found on the club’s official website. The cost of an adult ticket is either £21 or £20, depending whether you choose the Lorne Street – the more expensive one – or any other area.

Of course, Port Vale also offer season tickets to their fans and more information can be found on the aforementioned website.

Related links

https://www.port-vale.co.uk/ – Official website of Port Vale