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Sunderland don’t know what division they’ll be in next season but that hasn’t stopped the Mackems from preparing for the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

The Black Cats are in the market for one of the most promising full-backs in the EFL according to Football League World.

They believe that Tranmere Rovers defender Otis Khan is a target for Sunderland, with the League One club weighing up a move ahead of the summer.

The 25-year-old only joined Tranmere last summer but could already be on the move with Preston North End and Portsmouth also in the race to sign him.

It’s not clear how much Khan will cost, but he currently earns a salary of just £800-per-week at Prenton Park. Clearly, wages will not be an issue for a club like Sunderland.

The perfect signing

Lee Johnson has breathed fresh life into this Mackems side and now they look in an extremely good place to get promoted.

Part of Johnson’s mantra has been to get Sunderland to score more goals. They have already dispatched fellow promotion hopefuls Lincoln 4-0 while they’ve also put four past Doncaster Rovers.

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The addition of Khan, therefore, would be perfect. A right-winger by trade, Tranmere boss Keith Hill has turned the player into an attack-minded full-back.

So far this term, the defender has managed 1.4 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per game in League Two.

It’s his ability to take players on and beat opponents that really catches the eye, something Sunderland witnessed firsthand in the Papa John’s Trophy final.

Khan was a constant threat at Wembley. Despite his team losing, the defender terrorised Callum McFadzean down Sunderland’s left-hand side.

The 25-year-old was a menace for Tranmere and completed as many as four dribbles, the joint-highest of any player on the day.

He also attempted seven crosses and won five of his seven duels defensively. For a Sunderland side who have had plenty of injuries at the back this term, the acquisition of Khan would be a valuable one.

His mentality would also fit the group of players at the Stadium of Light; “he’s a great character and works hard at what he does,” Hill said back in November.

The Tranmere star defines exciting; combining a ruthless attacking intent with a desire to win the ball back for his team. This would be a great signing.

AND in other news, SAFC graduate has seen his value rise by £9m since leaving, he’s a “rock-solid” gem…

Celtic’s hunt for a new manager is approaching a month now but we’re still no closer to discovering who’ll be sitting in the Bhoys dugout next season.

Roy Keane was thought to be the favourite but in recent days Lucien Favre and Thierry Henry have both emerged on their radar.

What’s the word?

Another manager who had been on Celtic’s radar in the last few weeks was Chris Wilder.

The Englishman left Sheffield United with his team rock bottom of the Premier League and he now has no shortage of suitors.

Celtic were dealt a blow in their chase of Wilder last week when it was revealed that a potential sticking point in their pursuit would be his pay-off. The former Blades boss is set to receive money from the club over the next six months, a sum that would get smaller if he finds a new job.

However, in a fresh twist to the tale, they have been dealt another almighty blow. That’s because according to The Daily Mail, Burnley have now entered the race for Wilder.

Fortunately, that will only happen if Sean Dyche decides to finally leave his post in the summer.

The outlet claims that Wilder is set to become one of the hottest properties over the next few months, meaning Celtic will have to move quickly if they want him.

Bad news for the Hoops

Dermot Desmond hasn’t particularly had the easiest few weeks in the Celtic hierarchy.

Questioned over his future in Glasgow last week, he will be left tearing his hair out at the repeated setbacks in their quest to find a new manager.

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Jesse Marsch has already been ruled out of the running in what was the biggest blow to their aspirations yet. The American revealed he was honoured to be linked with the job but he has now been linked with Borussia Monchengladbach.

It seems as though the coaches that Celtic target are all in demand. Fortunately, however, they do have some breathing room between now and next season.

Wilder should have been one of the names at the top of their wish list though. He is a canny thinker, is astute defensively and has plenty of success under his belt; he took Sheffield United from League One to the Premier League.

Desmond will have to hope that Wilder doesn’t become one who got away.

AND IN other news, Reliable journo shares six-word update on Celtic manager hunt, fans should be buzzing…

David Moyes must urge David Sullivan to increase his efforts to strike a deal for West Ham United to sign VfB Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic.

What’s the word?

While speaking with Give Me Sport, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claimed that the Irons are still undecided on which centre-forward to target in the next transfer window.

West Ham are expected to be active in the off-season looking to improve Moyes’ offensive options, having opted against pursuing deals in January following Sebastien Haller’s move to AFC Ajax.

Kalajdzic has emerged as a potential option to support Michail Antonio at the London Stadium next season, with reports suggesting the towering 6 ft 6 target man is seen as a cheaper option than Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham or Abdallah Sima of Slavia Prague.

Stuttgart are cited to value Kalajdzic at between €20m and €25m (£17m-£21.5m), with interest not only from West Ham but also RB Leipzig and AS Roma. Premier League duo Everton and Newcastle United, plus Serie A side Juventus, have also been linked.

Romano believes Kalajdzic is indeed on the Irons’ radar, but does not feel the 13-goal frontman is the leading candidate at this stage.

“Yes, he is one of the players that they are looking for,” Romano said. “Obviously, they have a list with names as a striker. They were looking for [Youssef] En-Nesyri from Sevilla in January but Sevilla say no, and let’s see what happens in the summer.

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“They’re looking for an important striker, so West Ham wants to do something with a good striker this summer, let’s see if he could be an option. For sure [he’s] in the list, but at the moment there is still nothing decided, they will decide at the end of the season.

“Also because of the opportunities, you know, probably one of the clubs will find a new striker and could derive a new opportunity for West Ham.”

Should West Ham sign Stuttgart’s Kalajdzic?

West Ham’s need for another centre-forward is very apparent and will see that the east London outfit will have to spend in the summer, but it clearly remains to be seen if those funds will be used to sign Kalajdzic.

The Stuttgart striker should sit highly on Moyes and Sullivan’s shopping list, though, as the 23-year-old can provide West Ham a plug-and-play option who should be capable of hitting the ground running from the get-go.

Kalajdzic is thriving in the Bundesliga this term with 13 goals in 25 games to sit sixth in the scoring charts during his first year of German top-flight football, and on the back of an injury-plagued 2019/20 campaign.

His success has come in a system not too dissimilar to how West Ham operate under Moyes, with Kalajdzic enjoying a lethal relationship with left-back Borna Sosa. The Croatian’s pinpoint deliveries have created four of the 23-year-old’s goals, marking the fourth-best partnership in the Bundesliga this term.

The Irons would expect to see Kalajdzic frequently dispatch headers to the net at the London Stadium next season if signed in the summer, with Aaron Cresswell the club’s leading playmaker with seven assists in 29 Premier League games this term.

Cresswell has further offered the highest number of accurate crosses (47) by a Hammers player, as well as the highest number of inaccurate deliveries (122), struck the highest number of accurate free-kicks (50) and corners (26) and misplaced a combined 56 set pieces, per WhoScored.

Kalajdzic would surely thrive with Cresswell creating chances for him week in week out, making it necessary for Moyes to urge Sullivan to begin taking action and move to edge out the increasing interest.

Click here to see the full interview with Fabrizio Romano.

AND in other news, West Ham eye 10-goal livewire who destroyed David Moyes’ side last year…

أعلن إيهاب جلال المدير الفني لفريق نادي بيراميدز تشكيله لمواجهة منتخب الكونغو في اللقاء الودي الذي يقام اليوم على استاد الدفاع الجوي.

وتأتي المباراة في إطار التجهيزات لخوض مباريات كأس الرابطة والبداية يوم 12 يناير الجاري أمام الاتحاد السكندري.

طالع | موعد ودية البنك الأهلي وبيراميدز استعدادًا لكأس الرابطة

كما يستعد منتخب الكونغو للمشاركة في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا المقبلة والتي تقام في الكاميرون. تشكيل بيراميدز أمام الكونغو في المباراة الودية

حراسة المرمى: مهدي سليمان

خط الدفاع: محمد حمدي – أحمد سامي – علي جبر – عمر جابر

خط الوسط: نبيل دونجا – هشام محمد – محمود صابر – إبراهيم عادل – إسلام عيسى

خط الهجوم: دودو الجباس

Manchester United play host to Everton in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Saturday night, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side set to play their first league game since they humiliated Southampton at home.

The Red Devils ran riot over Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, putting nine goals past the nine-man Saints, with Anthony Martial ending his eight-game goal drought after the Frenchman bagged a brace in the second half.

Unfortunately for Solskjaer, it wasn’t all rosy, as both Edinson Cavani and Luke Shaw were substituted at half-time having struggled with injuries, with Eric Bailly a doubt ahead of the game against the Toffees.

With that in mind, Football FanCast has predicted how United may line up for tonight’s action, which sees Solskjaer make three changes to the team that thrashed the Saints.

Solskjaer’s side are currently second in the table, just three points behind Manchester City, who have built up a tremendous head of steam.

In defence, Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka should start as usual, with Victor Lindelof and Alex Telles making up the rest of the numbers.

This game may come too soon for Shaw after he appeared to suffer a knock against his former club, so it’s likely Telles will slot into place alongside the club captain instead.

Paul Pogba is likely going to return to the midfield, which means Scott McTominay will be forced to settle for a spot on the bench.

After a goal drought stretching to 12-and-a-half hours, Anthony Martial ended it with a double against the Saints, and his return to form was warmly welcomed by manager Solskjaer.

As such, Solskjaer will have to decide whether to opt for experience and go with the £49.5m-rated Martial and Marcus Rashford out wide or the fresher, younger option in Mason Greenwood on the right wing.

With Cavani expected to be fit to face the Toffees given Solskjaer’s pre-match press conference, the United boss could start the Uruguayan, drop Martial and have Greenwood to his right and Rashford on the left.

It would certainly be a bold call to move Martial to the bench given his double against the Saints, but that was against a side who ended up going down to 9-men.

Solskjaer will recognise that an Everton side who beat Leeds away from home last time out will surely prove a sterner test of their title credentials, and will need his most reliable and consistent players on the pitch, and Cavani has delivered him for whenever he’s played – the Uruguayan has bagged five goals and provided two assists in just 663 minutes of Premier League football.

Predicted XI: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof, Telles; Pogba, Fred; Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford; Cavani.

AND in other news, Man Utd can find perfect Harry Maguire partner in Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane…

Mike Ashley could land Newcastle United their next Allan Saint-Maximin by signing Independiente sensation Alan Velasco in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to El Intransigente, the Magpies are one of a number of potential suitors monitoring Velasco’s situation in the mid-season market, with Parma and Club America providing worldwide competition for the 18-year-old.

Parma are intent on striking a winter deal for the left-winger, as they consider the Argentina U17 international as a weapon who can aid their efforts in securing European qualification after re-establishing themselves as a Serie A side.

Velasco is seen to be one of Argentina’s great jewels after proving his enormous potential at a tender age, having become a staple of Lucas Pusineri’s side in 2020, though Independiente accept it is only a matter of time before he leaves the Estadio Libertadores de America.

Independiente would prefer to retain the diminutive 5 ft 5 forward, who is protected by a $23.5m (£17.5m) release clause, but accept that his sale would help solve several issues with the club facing Fifa-imposed lawsuits for non-compliance with transfer payments.

Velasco provided each of his career three goals and three assists in senior football last year, while Independiente never lost when the Quilmes-born attacker influenced the scoreline.

Bruce’s next Saint-Maximin

Mike Ashley providing the funds needed for Independiente to consider selling Velasco in the January market could see the Newcastle owner hand Steve Bruce the Toon’s next Saint-Maximin, having seen the St. James’ Park natives struggle without the Frenchman.

Saint-Maximin has not featured for United since November after testing positive for coronavirus and remains some weeks away from a return, much to Bruce’s frustration.

“We’re missing him at the moment. He’s had an up and down time, he needs to find that consistency like we all do, if he really wants to hit the heights. When he is on song there is no better sight is there? He gets you on the edge of your seat,” Bruce told the Chronicle.

Velasco could be the one to bring the same level of excitement to St. James’ Park if signed, having proved a creative wonder in South America to warrant vivid transfer interest from Europe.

The youth international made seven of his appearances in the 2020 Copa Sudamericana, in which he also contributed one of his three goals and two of his assists thanks to creating an average 2.9 chances a game with 1.5 shots and 1.4 key passes, per SofaScore.

He additionally offered 15.8 of his 19.9 total passes a game in the opponent’s half, plus 1.1 successful tackles, 1.0 interceptions, 3.0 successful dribbles and wining 5.3 ground duels, with opponents forced into committing 1.1 fouls a game.

Velasco may be small and relatively unknown in England, but may prove the old cliché of the best things coming in small packages true with a successful move to St. James’ Park this winter.

AND in other news, Steve Bruce is keen to sign a “fantastic” £15.5m-rated brute for Newcastle United.

Aston Villa could land one of the signings of the January transfer window by bringing in Bournemouth striker Josh King.

Johan Lange’s priority

With Ollie Watkins starting life at Villa Park like a house on fire – he’s bagged eight goals in 15 games this season – Dean Smith’s side have seen the kind of success a proven finisher can bring.

And having been linked with a move for him in the summer, Villa could add yet more firepower to their attack with a swoop for King. The Athletic’s Gregg Evans claims that the Norway international “is likely to be considered again”, and if Johan Lange can seal a move for him in the January transfer window, that could set Smith and his team up nicely for the rest of the season.

Imagine him and Ollie Watkins

Whilst King can play through the middle by himself, his ability to play just off the striker (like he did with Callum Wilson), or even out wide on the flanks, means he’s the kind of versatile option that Smith could really come to love.

Described as a “complete package” by former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe, King could dovetail with Watkins and build up the kind of partnership and relationship that he did with Wilson at the Vitality Stadium in seasons gone by.

The £45k-a-week ace’s Premier League experience also makes him a perfect January signing as he can come in and hit the ground running at Villa Park, and it’s a move Lange should surely be putting all his eggs into.

Meanwhile, Villa must offload this outcast who’s robbing Sawiris and Edens blind.

Fulham secured their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup after defeating QPR 2-0 at Loftus Road on Saturday afternoon, although they needed extra time to get past the Championship side.

Scott Parker named a much-changed starting side for the FA Cup tie, with the likes of Kenny Tete, Tim Ream and Josh Onomah all making rare starts.

However, it was the performance of Joe Bryan which may have impressed the English manager the most, as the left-back was superb throughout the 120 minutes at Loftus Road.

As per SofaScore, the former Bristol City man picked up an 8.1 match rating for his display, which, in terms of Fulham players, was only bettered by Marek Rodak in the Fulham goal.

During the game, Bryan would have 91 touches of the ball, with 45/58 of his passes finding a Fulham shirt, resulting in a solid pass accuracy rate of 78%.

Perhaps most impressively, the 27-year-old would contribute three key passes during the game, creating two big chances for his teammates in the process, which they were unfortunately unable to put away.

Bryan also superbly won 100% of his duels during the game, demonstrating that the QPR players rarely had the better of him.

Whilst the left wing-back would lose possession 22 times during the game, which was the joint-most of any Fulham player, he was a threat with his attacking play throughout the game and was solid defensively.

After scoring a brace in the play-off final to earn Fulham promotion last year, you would have perhaps expected Bryan to feature more this season and he is perhaps unfortunate that summer signing Antonee Robinson has done so well since signing.

However, today’s performance against QPR proves that Bryan can be relied upon to do a job in Parker’s side, so perhaps he should be trusted to start more often in the Premier League.

And, in other news, Fulham handed a huge boost in chances of signing “outstanding” winger; Khan must act…

Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo is once again showing his quality out on loan but considering the winger is now 23-years-old, it seems clear that he’s never going to make it in the Reds’ first-team, so they should try and cash in on him in January.

The youngster joined the Merseyside club from MK Dons’ academy side in 2011 but has managed just 13 appearances for the first-team in the nine years since, with him spending a lot of time out on loan.

During the most recent summer, he joined Cardiff City on loan in the Championship and is impressing with Neil Harris’ side, having contributed three goals and four assists in 17 appearances for the Bluebirds, so it is clear that he is establishing himself as a key player with the Championship side.

His performances in the second division have seen him average a solid 6.79 rating, which ranks him as the Welsh side’s ninth-best player in the league so far this season.

Considering Ojo is valued at just £1.8 million by Transfermarkt, if he continues to impress, then perhaps we will see Cardiff or another side, attempt to buy him in the January transfer window.

Back in 2018, the winger signed a new five-year deal with the Reds, meaning his current deal isn’t set to expire until 2023, which suggests that the Reds would be able to demand a decent fee for the 23-year-old should other clubs come knocking.

Earlier this season, Ojo was hailed by his manager Neil Harris, who said:

“I think Sheyi is showing us his importance, with a couple of goals and a couple of assists.

“He had just been missing that final end product – in the first half he got into some great areas of the pitch, but the cross wasn’t what it should be.

“But in moments, he’s unplayable. His counter-attacking ability and his ability to dribble are excellent, and he’s unpredictable.”

However, Ojo reportedly earns £32,500 a week at Liverpool, which considering his lack of appearances for the first-team seems crazy, so it could certainly be suggested that he has been bleeding Michael Edwards and the Liverpool board dry.

Therefore, the Reds can save themselves a lot of money by cashing in on the winger in January, as his impressive performances in the Championship will hopefully be enough to attract some interest in the 23-year-old.

And, in other news… Klopp can sign his next Marco Reus in “complete” £72m-rated outcast offered to LFC 

Glasgow Rangers crushed Celtic in a comprehensive 2-0 win at Parkhead to take all three points in the first Old Firm derby of the 2020/21 Scottish Premiership season.

For the first time since taking charge of the Ibrox outfit, it’s safe to say that Steven Gerrard isn’t exactly short of options. Glen Kamara, Scott Arfield and Steven Davis bullied their biggest rivals on the pitch, whilst Ryan Jack was a surprise substitute as Bongani Zungu was ruled out of the top of the table clash after being forced to quarantine upon his arrival in Scotland.

Competition for places isn’t exactly a bad thing, but it can cause a few headaches here and there, and it looks like there is a growing problem that could cause Gerrard a few sleepless nights.

Brandon Barker stakes his claim!

Rangers are absolutely stacked on the right wing, that’s for sure, after the addition of Ianis Hagi in the summer and the re-emergence of Jordan Jones in recent weeks but Brandon Barker gave a good account of himself after earning a rare start on Saturday, so you can see the problem that Gerrard faces. Both full-backs Borna Barisic and James Tavernier ran riot on the flanks, combining with Barker and Ryan Kent whenever they wanted to.

Per SofaScore, the 24-year-old, who earns wages of around £10,000-per-week, received a pass accuracy rating of 85%, won four out of seven ground duels, completed one successful dribble attempt, and made two tackles, which shows that the right winger put in a defensive shift too.

The Daily Record gave him a solid 6/10, whilst The Sun went one higher and awarded him a 7/10 for his efforts.

Tough choice

He is clearly highly rated by Gerrard as he was given the chance to show what he can do against Celtic instead of Hagi and Jones, but it’ll be hard to justify spending £4m on the 13-cap Romania international if he stays on the bench.

Jones could also be in with a shout. He received praise from Gareth McAuley after fighting back from the brink of an Ibrox exit, but was benched for the trip to Celtic Park. One thing’s for sure, with all three players competing for a space in the starting XI, one unlucky contender is almost always guaranteed to miss out on the matchday squad, as it is highly unlikely that there will be two spots on the bench for one position.

The ever-reliable Kent has started every game he has played this season so far, so that rules out any of them starting on the opposite wing anytime soon. Either way, we wouldn’t want to choose between the trio, so we’re glad it’s Gerrard’s decision at the end of the day!

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers show they are early favourites for the title but must avoid a repeat of 2019…