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Glasgow Rangers fans are shocked after it was revealed Bayern Munich are interested in signing Ibrox flop Umar Sadiq.

Sadiq spent around six months on loan at Rangers in 2018, and managed just four outings for the 55-time Scottish champions – he failed to hit the back of the net even once (Transfermarkt). However, since then, his career has gone from strength, scoring 23 goals in 52 games for Partizan Belgrade before netting 17 in 32 for Almeria.

Now, according to Spanish outlet AS, Bayern are said to be eyeing a move for the 24-year-old Nigeria international. He has a release clause of €60m (£52m) at his current outfit – that will become €80m (£69.4m) if they are promoted to La Liga – but Almeria would reportedly consider an offer of €30m (£26m).

Given his poor displays for them during his time in Scotland, Rangers fans are perplexed as to how he is now on the radar of the European champions. They took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Sadiq below

“Worlds gone”

Credit: @HazleHeader

“Umar Sadiq. Bayern Munich. €60-80m…… What is happening?”

Credit: @Pena_Cartel

“Umar Sadiq linked with Bayern, the reigning European champions. That’s enough Twitter for today”

Credit: @rfcryan1995

“Utter madness”

Credit: @RangersMan2907

“Umar Sadiq to Bayern!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????!!?!!?”

Credit: @staunchsadiq

“Umar Sadiq can’t believe what I’m reading”

Credit: @ally_watp

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at this broadcaster’s comments.

Despite Kelechi Iheanacho’s electric form for Leicester City this season, Brendan Rodgers is still apparently keen to sign a striker for The Foxes.

A number of options have been mooted – one of the most prominent names being Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard.

However, the Frenchman could face some competition for a move to the King Power Stadium with Leicester now reportedly eyeing Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

At same age, the two could certainly be intriguing rivals for a move but it is Edouard who Leicester should be pursuing most fiercely.

The Frenchman is certainly in the midst of a far more impressive season when comparing the two players.

He has plundered 20 goals in all competitions for the Hoops this season, the third consecutive campaign in which he has hit over 20 goals for Celtic.

Meanwhile, Abraham has endured a frustrating campaign for Chelsea, netting just six Premier League goals this season having fallen down the pecking order behind the likes of Timo Werner and Olivier Giroud at Stamford Bridge.

Hailed as “top-class” by former boss Rodgers, Edouard’s personal statistics also continue to rate him above Abraham.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leicester-city-news%2c-transfer-rumours-and-more-soumare-soyuncu-edouard-jakupovic-lookman” title=”Latest Leicester City news, transfer rumours and more… “]

According to WhoScored, he averages far more shots per game in the league with 3.5 to 1.6, whilst the former Paris Saint Germain man can also rack up far more key passes and dribbles; 1.3 and 1.6 compared to 0.5 and 0.6.

Whilst Celtic are clearly playing against poorer teams than Chelsea, these stats still go some way to indicate that Edouard is certainly a great attacking threat, so it is easy to why Rodgers is such a fan of his.

Whilst the Frenchman is plying his trade in a league of lower quality, Abraham was still not able to overcome Edouard’s current numbers even in his prolific 2018/19 Championship campaign with Aston Villa.

Meanwhile, it is likely that the Celtic man will also cost considerably less than the current Chelsea forward. He is rated at £13.5m, whilst Abraham holds a rating of £36m.

So considering that Edouard looks by far the better option in terms of his quality, he is also far more attractive in relation to transfer fee.

Leicester then, must prioritise the Celtic man if they do want to recruit a striker in the summer.

AND in more news, Foxes boss Rodgers has handed the club a huge boost with his comments…

Ex-Everton player Michael Ball has bemoaned The Toffees’ struggles at Goodison Park but admits he’s ‘used to’ such frustration.

The Blues were beaten 2-1 by relegation-threatened Burnley on Saturday evening in a blow to their top-four hopes.

Chris Wood and Dwight McNeil put the visitors two goals up inside 25 minutes, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s effort before the break was not enough to inspire a fightback.

Everton have now lost on home soil to the teams in 15th (Burnley), 17th (Newcastle) and 18th (Fulham) this season.

They sit eighth in the table, five points off fourth-placed Chelsea with a game in hand. Had they beaten those three struggling outfits, they would be within striking range of Manchester United.

Everton players need ‘kick up the backside’

Without supporters present, Ball fears that complacency may have set in. He lamented what he sees as a tendency for Everton to shoot themselves in the foot.

“The lads should be embarrassed by this home record,” he wrote in his Liverpool Echo column.

“We’re not the only team struggling on our own turf, and it probably is down to the fans not being there, but find a solution.

“Some players are getting away with it because there’s no-one there to give them a kick up the backside.

“The sad thing is that we’re used to this. We’ve got many home games coming up and we’ve got a find a way to stop this rot.”

Transfer Tavern verdict

After the initial frustration, Everton fans will find solace in perspective.

Yes, they have squandered opportunities, but they are still having an excellent season and remain in a strong position in the European race.

The key for Carlo Ancelotti going forward in this long-term process is to hone the different ways of playing.

Everton have been able to frustrate high-quality sides like Spurs, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, but it’s a different matter when the onus is on them to be constantly on the front-foot.

In other news, Everton fans are unhappy that this player was overlooked by his international boss.

Rangers took one step closer to the title with an important three points on Wednesday evening.

Steven Gerrard’s side were frustrated by David Martindale’s Livingston side for much of the match before Alfredo Morelos popped up with a late winner after Scott Arfield’s shot was blocked.

The result means that should the ‘Gers pick up three points against St Mirren on Saturday at Ibrox and if Celtic drop points the following day against Dundee United, then they will win the title for the first time since the 2010/11 season.

Whilst Morelos will steal the headlines for his late goal, it was perhaps the performance of Connor Goldson that stood out the most at the Almondvale Stadium.

As per SofaScore, the centre-back would earn an impressive 7.6 rating for his display – the best of any player on the pitch from either side.

His defensive partner Filip Helander was the closest in terms of match rating, with the Swedish international earning an excellent 7.5 rating, which emphasises just how solid Gerrard’s side were at the back against Livingston.

During the game, Goldson would superbly win 14/16 of his duels, resulting in a success rate of 88%. So far this season, the 28-year-old has averaged 4.5 aerials won per game in the Scottish Premiership but he managed nine against Livingston, which demonstrates that he was arguably even better than usual.

This total was also more than any other player on the pitch, whilst Livingston striker Scott Robinson, who came on for the injured Gavin Reilly early on, would win just 1/5 of his duels during the game and was limited to just two passes in his 67 minutes on the pitch.

This shows that Goldson and Helander were effectively able to mark Livingston’s attackers out of the game on Wednesday evening.

Earlier in the season, Gerrard was full of praise for his defender, saying:

“I think Connor Goldson has been outstanding this season, showing incredible leadership alongside James on and off the pitch.”

The former Brighton man was also unfortunate that his header in the first half was ruled out for offside, as it was typically brave of the defender to beat Livingston ‘keeper Max Stryjek to the ball and power home, only for a late flag to be raised.

Therefore, whilst Morelos might be the name on a lot of Rangers’ fans lips after his late goal, it was arguably Goldson who stole the show on Wednesday evening.

And, in other news… Get it done: Gerrard should hand £18k-p/w Rangers beast a new contract

David Sullivan must strive to beat Manchester United and Hertha Berlin to hire Eintracht Frankfurt’s Fredi Bobic as West Ham’s new Director of Football.

What’s the word?

According to Sport BILD, via Sport Witness, the Irons and Red Devils have shortlisted Bobic as an option to be their new Sporting Director after the Eintracht chief announced that he intends to leave Frankfurt at the end of the season.

The 49-year-old has decided to step down from his role at the Deutsche Bank Park two years early, having remained at the club for the 2020/21 campaign to help Die Adler manage through the situation caused by the pandemic after first expressing intentions to leave last summer.

Eintracht had sought to change the former Borussia Dortmund and VfB Stuttgart striker’s mind with the offer of a more lucrative contract, but they are now resigned to losing him.

Bobic believes his time at Frankfurt has reached its end and will now possibly take on a new challenge with Hertha BSC, a club he supports and enjoys a good working relationship with CEO Carsten Schmidt.

West Ham, Manchester United and RB Leipzig are also interested in hiring the 2001/02 Bundesliga champion, as they look to appoint a new Director of Football to fill the currently vacant roles at the London Stadium and Old Trafford.

Frankfurt are noted to have been irritated, both privately and publicly, by the manner at which Bobic announced his departure, and are expected to hold out for compensation in the region of €5m (£4.5m) should any side look to hire the former Germany international.

Bobic is to stand before the Eintracht leadership at a crunch board meeting on March 10th to discuss his exit and actions, at which poin,t Die Adler will decide how best to handle his situation with the club chief believed to be keen on finalising a deal to join Hertha.

Should West Ham hire Bobic?

While £4.5m may seem like a lot of money to pay for the release of Bobic from his Eintracht Frankfurt contract, Sullivan should not baulk at the fee as the German has established a phenomenal record for discovering top talents at bargain fees in the Bundesliga.

Bobic is a hot commodity in Europe for the success Eintracht have built on the pitch during his four-and-a-half-years at the Deutsche Bank Park, having gone from a side that narrowly avoided relegation to one eying regular Champions League football.

He has also rejected offers to take up a Director of Football role at VfL Wolfsburg, RB Leipzig and AC Milan in recent years, and was even once suggested to be in the running to replace Christian Seifert at the head of the German Football League (DFL).

Now, with Bobic feeling like he is at the end of the road in Frankfurt, Sullivan should be doing all he can to tempt the transfer wizard to try his hand in the Premier League and hope to see players of the same calibre work wonders for West Ham.

Bobic has been at the Eintracht helm while Ante Rebic, Luka Jovic, Filip Kostic and Andre Silva all agreed to join Die Adler.

Rebic joined Frankfurt from Fiorentina for just €2m (£1.5m) in 2018 and provided 25 goals plus 12 assists in 100 games before leaving Germany for AC Milan in a €32m (£27.5m) deal in 2020.

Jovic left Die Adler in 2019 by sealing a €60m (£52.5m) move to Real Madrid, netting the Bundesliga outfit £42m in profit after the forward – who Kostic describes as “unbelievable” – struck 27 goals and provided seven assists in 48 games across all competitions.

The Serbian was replaced by Silva, who moved to the Deutsche Bank Park from AC for just €9m (£8m), and has since attracted a €30m (£26m) valuation amid interest from West Ham and Atletico Madrid after hitting 16 goals in 38 games this season.

West Ham would surely love to have the man responsible for those deals in charge of their transfer activity, making Bobic a dream hire if Sullivan does whatever it takes to get him.

AND in other news, West Ham have been dealt a huge blow with a David Moyes favourite ruled out until mid-April…

A number of Liverpool fans have been hailing Reds youngster Harvey Elliott after he was named among the 50 best teenagers in world football.

The 17-year-old moved to Anfield from Fulham in 2019, arriving as one of the most exciting young players in the country. A boyhood Liverpool fan, he featured sporadically during his first season on Merseyside, making eight appearances in all competitions, as well as one at the beginning of 2020/21.

With Jurgen Klopp struggling to promise the teenager regular playing time this season, he joined Blackburn Rovers on loan for the campaign and has flourished at Ewood Park.

[freshpress-quiz id=“306736”]

Elliott has scored five goals in the Championship and also chipped in with an impressive 10 assists – only Norwich City’s Emiliano Buendia (12) has more in the division.

Great things are expected of the former Fulham youngster in the years ahead and it could be that he is more of a regular for Liverpool next season.

Elliott’s brilliance has been highlighted by his inclusion in Goal’s list of the world’s 50 best wonderkids in the world, with the Reds prospect coming in at number 26.

Liverpool fans laud Elliott

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to heap praise on the teenage starlet ,with one Kopite even tipping him to surpass the exploits of prolific Reds duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

“The goat”

Credit: @Spanner_morgan

“He’s gonna be better than Salah and Mane in due course”

Credit: @Chxrmzy

“Huge talent! Doing bits in the Champ as well!”

Credit: @alexw8297

“Goat”

Credit: @Jasonftbl

“Congratulations Harvey! Big future ahead”

Credit: @myYNWAMalaysia

“Kid’s going all the way. Can’t wait till he’s back in red”

Credit: @DaleLFC1983

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to the Reds being linked with an exciting young player. Read about it here.

Thanks to a narrow victory on the road, Leeds United are back to positive results. The Whites were welcomed to St James’ Park for their latest Premier League clash, which played out to a 2-1 win in the visitors’ favour.

Leeds took control early on by netting the first goal of the game in the 17th minute through Raphinha. They went into the break with the lead, but Newcastle hit back less than ten minutes after the restart with a Miguel Almiron equaliser. But the Magpies didn’t trouble Leeds for long.

Thanks to Jack Harrison, the Whites restored their lead and played out a much-needed win, banking an important three points. However, the second goal has seemingly flattered the Leeds winger’s overall performance against the Toon.

Jack Harrison vs Newcastle

Whilst his 61st minute goal was undoubtedly the difference on the day for Leeds, Harrison struggled to pull off a solid performance out wide. It was a quiet evening for the Manchester City loanee overall, who was largely absent aside from his second half goal.

According to Sofascore, Harrison made fewer touches (49) than goalkeeper Illan Meslier (55) and lost a huge 80% of his attempted duels. The £45,000-per-week winger also gave up possession 21 times – which was the most out of anyone on his team – and failed to register a single cross from the flank.

In comparison to Newcastle’s left winger Almiron, Harrison seriously underperformed. The Toon wide-man not only contributed a goal but he managed to win nine of his 16 attempted duels and made three key passes, compared to zero from Harrison. His previous outing was also much better despite it being a defeat to Brighton. The Englishman was able to complete 3/4 dribbles and win six of his 13 attempted duels, losing just 53% compared to 80% at St James’ Park.

In hindsight, the performance doesn’t matter. Leeds secured the all-important three points, which breaks their three-game losing streak. However, for a player from Man City, you would expect his attacking prowess to be a bit more lethal in the final third, particularly as a winger.

Harrison is currently Marcelo Bielsa’s only recognised senior left winger, which is a worrying thought for if or when he leaves the club. Leeds may have an option to make the move permanent for the 24-year-old following the end of his loan, but if he wants to boost his chances of staying at Elland Road he must be utilising his skills as a creative player and put in stronger performances for Leeds than this one.

In other news, Leeds made right decision not to sign Michael Cuisance…

Crystal Palace take on defending champions Liverpool at Selhurst Park in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon as they aim to improve their standings in the table after a 1-1 draw with West Ham United on Wednesday.

Christian Benteke gave the Eagles the lead, before he was sent off for a second yellow card after Sebastien Haller scored an overhead kick, which saw Roy Hodgson’s side slip to 12th in the table, a point adrift of Aston Villa, who have two games in-hand.

The Eagles have only won one of their past five games, though they are unbeaten in their last three in the league, but Hodgson will be well aware his side will have to be at their very best if they are to beat the league leaders, who are three points ahead of second-placed Spurs.

Palace will be without Benteke, while Martin Kelly, Mamadou Sakho, Connor Wickham, Wayne Hennessy and Nathan Ferguson remain sidelined due to injury.

Here is Football FanCast’s best guess for the predicted starting line-up, which sees Hodgson make four changes to the team that drew with West Ham.

The Palace boss rang several changes for the trip to West Ham, which means some key players should be fresh for today.

Vicente Guaita is expected to start, whilst Gary Cahill could come back in for Scott Dann, whilst the same goes for Nathaniel Clyne, who will most likely replace Joel Ward at right-back. Patrick van Aanholt and Cheikou Kouyate have started the past seven consecutive domestic games, and we’re backing the duo to start again on Saturday afternoon.

Jairo Riedewald came off the bench against Spurs, and is yet to feature since, but we reckon he will be back today, forming a partnership with club captain Luka Milivojevic in the engine room.

Upfront, things could get a little more interesting, as Hodgson may decide to hand Michy Batshuayi a rare start, despite the Chelsea loanee failing to find the back of the net in the past eight games in the Premier League in a row.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson must recall Jairo Riedewald to face Liverpool…

The Athletic’s Wolverhampton Wanderers reporter, Tim Spiers, recently dropped a hint concerning Patrick Cutrone’s Wolves return, via Twitter.

This comes after the journalist posted another tweet explaining that alleged transfer targets Christian Eriksen and Diego Costa are unlikely to join the West Midlands club due to their wages.

Recalling Cutrone

In response to that original tweet, one Wolves fan asked Spiers why the club doesn’t recall centre-forward Cutrone from his loan at Serie A side Fiorentina if they are unwilling to splash out on a new signing in January, with fellow Old Gold centre-forward Raul Jimenez out of action due to a fractured skull at present.

This comes after Cutrone moved to Fiorentina from Molineux on loan a year ago and is currently scheduled to return from that loan spell in the summer.

However, with Cutrone having failed to set the world alight at Fiorentina after not even scoring a single goal for the club so far this term, the journalist replied to that Wolves fan’s tweet to reveal that the West Midlands club “probably will” recall the 23-year-old from his loan prematurely.

What does that mean for Cutrone’s Wolves future?

So, while Spiers indicated that the Italian may not be at Fiorentina for much longer, this doesn’t mean that he will be part of Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad for the second half of the 2020/21 campaign, as the journalist explained that it may be more likely that we’ll see the £10.8m-rated forward get sent out on another loan elsewhere.

However, with 18-year-old Fabio Silva the Old Gold’s only fit, recognised centre-forward at present, per Transfermarkt, surely the West Midlands club will have to consider keeping Cutrone at Molineux if they do intend to cut his loan spell short, rather than sending him out on another loan when they’re already short for numbers in his position and it will be interesting to see how the club does proceed with Cutrone from this point.

In other news, some Wolves fans are buzzing to see their club linked with a move for Christian Eriksen.

Fans of Everton have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that the Toffees’ goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, will miss the clash against Leeds due to injury.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Everton’s Premier League fixture with Leeds United on Wednesday evening, Carlo Ancelotti revealed that Pickford will miss the fixture due to a “side injury”, which Paul Joyce of The Times confirmed to be an issue with the former Sunderland man’s ribs.

The Italian went on to state his hope that the ‘keeper would “be available for Saturday” when Everton face Manchester United, although clearly stated that the shot-stopper will not feature on Wednesday.

In reaction, fans of Everton flocked to have their say on the 26-year-old England international’s injury, with many appearing to be delighted at the prospect of Pickford being sidelined for the match after his recent error against Leicester.

So, what exactly did these Everton fans have to say in reaction to Carlo Ancelotti’s comments regarding Jordan Pickford?

“Because Carlo’s had enough of T. rex arms and decided to wipe him out of it in training”

@Brianc1878

“No Pickford. Advantage Everton”

@SamG_9

“Pickford ‘side injury’ he’s just not good enough mate”

@CarIoFantastico

“Good news on Pickford”

@nautilu34784963

“Yesssss no Pickford”

@Alexash1878

“Smirked when he said side injury ahahahahbaba”

@ZestyZouma

In other Everton news, the club’s bid to save £6.2m-per-year collapsed at the 11th hour, find out more here!