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Michael Edwards has famously kept Liverpool’s bank account balanced over the years with his clever clauses and impressive sales. But one bit of business that stands out from the rest was his ability to offload major club flop Christian Benteke for almost exactly what the club paid for him a year earlier.

The Belgium international joined the Reds whilst Brendan Rodgers was at the hilt. He arrived alongside now superstar Roberto Firmino in 2015, but very few people will have predicted such a contrasting future for the two strikers.

Michael Edwards masterclass

Liverpool signed the 29-year-old in 2015 for a fee of £32.5million, making him the club’s second most expensive signing on record at the time. Benteke arrived hoping to be the man the Merseysiders would rely on to fill the gap left by Luis Suarez. With 49 goals in 101 appearances for previous club Aston Villa, he looked like he might just be up for the take.

However, it wasn’t long before both the club and fans realised he wasn’t going to be the clinical No.9 they needed. With just ten goals in 42 games and a tough season in terms of injuries, new manager Jurgen Klopp decided Anfield was not the place for the Belgian.

Just over a year later, Edwards recouped 83% of what Liverpool initially forked out for Benteke, selling him to Crystal Palace for a surprise £27million. The Eagles clearly saw potential in the striker, but in hindsight, they maybe should have looked elsewhere for someone to partner Wilfried Zaha.

Christian Benteke’s decline

Since his move away from Liverpool, Benteke hasn’t just fallen short of the mark for his club, but he’s also been underwhelming on the international stage too. In Belgium’s most recent UEFA Nations League match, the 29-year-old was an untouched substitute, mirroring his last few international fixtures (via Sofascore).

With a portfolio of just 23 goals in 116 Crystal Palace appearances, Roy Hodgson has now started to leave him out of his match day squad completely. In fact, Benteke has been subject to playing with the U23s this year, a rather embarrassing sentence for a senior striker.

The ex-Red was dropped from the Eagles team on 12 different occasions last season, which could spell bad news for him once this campaign is over. As it stands, he will be out of contract next summer unless the club offer him new terms, which seems a very unlikely outcome.

Benteke could be headed to another club in January if Palace are eager to make back at least a small amount of cash. If not, the Belgian will simply gather dust in the reserve league until he is free to walk away as a free agent.

In other news, Diogo Jota could pave the way for a whole new chapter at Liverpool…

With Leeds United on the verge of promotion, there’s bound to be a lot of intrigue around who they’re going to sign this summer.

The Whites may have plenty of money to spend upon their ascension to the Premier League, and with promotion looking likely, some fans have started to look towards the summer.

What’s the story then?

Unsurprisingly, Alan Nixon has been repeatedly asked about Leeds news on Twitter, and on Sunday morning he provided an update on Leeds.

Aside from the fact that Leeds will start getting serious in the window once their promotion is confirmed, we also learnt that they are one of the clubs in the race to sign Wigan’s Joe Gelhardt.

Potentially brilliant

Gelhardt isn’t going to be the answer to Leeds United’s striker woes, at least not right away.

The 18-year-old has only scored once this season, but if you look at his stats per 90 minutes, you’ll see that he could be a very exciting addition to Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

He averages 6.6 dribble attempts per 90, with 3.5 of those being successful, and while his finishing seems to leave a lot to be desired, he’s often in the right spot to get a chance, averaging 3.1 shots per 90.

Creativity doesn’t seem to be a problem for the forward either, with 1.5 key passes per 90 to his name, and at just 18 years old, one would imagine he’s only going to get better.

United will need more than Gelhardt through the door if they want to be competitive in the Premier League next season, but the Whites could be pulling off something of a coup if they land an attacker who has previously caught the eye of Liverpool.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly the front-runners to sign Metz striker Habib Diallo in the summer.

According to BeIN Sports (via GFFN), as relayed by Ricky Sacks, Tottenham are at the front of the queue if they decide to make a concrete offer for the forward.

Recent reports revealed that the Lilywhites made a surprise approach for the 4-cap Senegal international back in January.

Jose Mourinho has been monitoring Diallo for a while and Metz will allow him to leave the Stade Saint-Symphorien if they receive a strong offer.

Several Premier League sides have the Senegalese striker on their radar, but the 25-year-old is hoping that the Lilywhites will return to table a bid.

His agent Thierno Seydi, who famously represented former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, admitted his client may leave Metz this summer and hinted Daniel Levy could go back for more.

Spurs have once again renewed their interest in landing the £10.8m-valued Ligue 1 ace, who scored 12 goals and supplied three assists in 26 league games before the French top flight ended abruptly in March.

Diallo’s contract is set to expire in June 2022, but a move to the Premier League appears to be on the cards, as it seems he has his heart set on a move to north London.

It is hardly surprising Spurs are scouting the French market for new talent, as they were closely monitoring Victor Osimhen, who recently moved from Lille to Napoli. Given the gravity of the situation, several clubs are struggling to cope with the financial costs due to the cancellation of the campaign, which has paved the way for Levy to look for bargains.

Mourinho wanted to find a replacement for injury-stricken striker Harry Kane at the beginning of the year but a move failed to materialise.

However, Diallo has areas of his game he seriously needs to address, as he must improve his passing and his ability to hold onto the ball, and the Lilywhites may decide to look elsewhere instead.

Tottenham fans, do you think Levy should sign Diallo this summer? Let us know down below!

A recent tweet from ChronicleLive reporter Mark Douglas has left plenty of Newcastle United fans reeling this week.

But it’s not the journalist they are taking fire at, but rather the club and current owner Mike Ashley, in particular.

Douglas claims that the Magpies have taken money off season ticket holders for the 2020/21 campaign and are yet to announce any plans to issue refunds on this season’s season tickets, leaving many supporters absolutely fuming…

This situation is very much why many in the northeast are desperate to rid the club of Ashley as it is exactly how he’s run United during his 13-year tenure.

Fans have had to suffer two relegations to the Championship as well as many seasons of mediocrity while the Sports Direct mogul sits back and flaunts his businesses and makes a tidy profit from doing so.

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Some of the emotive language used only sums up the feeling amongst the Magpies fanbase, this includes “sick to my stomach”, “disgrace” and “no shame”.

Clearly, there are many at St James’ Park that simply cannot wait for the new era at their club with a Saudi Arabian consortium awaiting the Premier League’s confirmation that a deal can go ahead.

They have been conducting the owners and directors test for nearly two months now, which probably hasn’t helped matters here with fans so anxious to see the outcome.

Some have pondered what the prospective owners would do following a successful takeover…

AND in other news, Luke Edwards makes damning Bruce claim amid Newcastle takeover…

Chelsea will look to continue their mission for Champions League football next season as they take on Crystal Palace this evening.

The Blues bounced back from their shock 3-2 defeat to West Ham last week with a 3-0 win over Watford at the weekend. Olivier Giroud, Willian and Ross Barkley were all on the scoresheet against the Hornets to take their side one step closer to securing a top four finish.

Manchester United are also in fine form and have narrowed the gap between them and Chelsea to just two points. Frank Lampard’s side must keep up with their top four rivals if they want to avoid slipping into Europa League territory.

Transfer Tavern has predicted how the Blues might line up against the Eagles this evening…

Giroud should undoubtedly keep his starting position up front after scoring two goals since the Premier League restarted. He also netted Chelsea’s winning goal in their first match back against Aston Villa (via Sofascore). His accompanying wingers should also remain the same, with both Willian and Christian Pulisic impressing since the restart.

Barkley will likely keep his midfield position after scoring against Watford but Jorginho will operate in the deeper role to help fend off any unexpected attacks from Palace. Regular starter N’Golo Kante was forced off the pitch on Saturday with a hamstring injury.

Mason Mount earned a disappointing 6.5 Sofascore rating against the Hornets, which was the lowest score from the starting XI by far. Lampard may opt to switch up the attacking midfield combination and bring in Ruben Loftus-Cheek instead.

From last Saturday’s clash at Stamford Bridge, two changes could take place in defence, seeing Antonio Rudiger come in to replace Andreas Christensen in order to alternate between resting up key players. Furthermore, Marcos Alonso may replace youngster Reece James to add more seniority to the backline.

How do you think Lampard will set up against Crystal Palace tonight, Blues? Have your say in the comments below…

Leeds United centre-back Gaetano Berardi may have just been pushed closer to the exit door at Elland Road – that’s if recent reports are to be believed.

According to the Daily Star, the west Yorkshire outfit are eager to land 6 foot 3 Middlesbrough centre-back Daniel Ayala this summer, irrespective of the division they’ll be competing in.

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It’s claimed that the 29-year-0ld is out of contract at the end of the season and will be leaving the Riverside Stadium, even if they escape relegation into League One, which has put Victor Orta and co on full alert ahead of a potential switch.

This latest report practically closes the door on the zero-to-hero Swiss defender and his long-serving career at the club.

Berardi has been limited to just 17 appearances in the Championship this campaign but has impressively clocked 11 clean sheets, and his recent form has led to fans begging for him to be handed a new contract.

His current deal is set to expire in just a few months, and any fresh information on an extension have been far and few between.

With the club seemingly set to capture Ayala regardless of the circumstances, you’d imagine it being the final nail in the coffin for the 31-year-old at Leeds.

It would be a sorry way to go after six years in west Yorkshire, where he has racked up 150 appearances – he’s also one of the few remaining survivors from the Massimo Cellino era at the club.

Bielsa is certainly going to need a centre-back or two in the summer, so it may not be wise to completely disregard the talents of Berardi just yet.

Ben White is almost certain to head back to parent club Brighton and Hove Albion, which means skipper Liam Cooper is set to be the only senior option in the role at the moment.

AND in other news, Leeds can banish Ben White woes with a swoop for the next Javi Martinez…  

Brought in from Dutch side FC Twente for a reported £7m, Nacer Chadli showed flashes of promise in his time at Tottenham.

The Belgium international only ended up playing 119 times for the north Londoners, after signing back in the summer of 2013 when Andre Villas-Boas was in charge of the club.

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The 30-year-old scored 25 times and provided a further 16 assists during his time with the Lilywhites, and Spurs fans have taken to Twitter to share their memories of their former ace.

A few Spurs fans revealed that they felt it was a mistake letting him go, with one supporter in particular calling it one of Mauricio Pochettino’s biggest errors.

A couple of fans simply insisted that he is as good as, if not better, than the likes of Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela.

With Steven Bergwijn arriving on the books in the January transfer window, Spurs have got another winger to pin their hopes on to deliver success.

The Dutchman has similarly shown early signs of being a real coup for the Lilywhites, not least his superb volley against Manchester City in the Premier League.

He will however have to be a whole lot more consistent than Chadli was to ensure that he goes down in the history books as a real Spurs success.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans are reminiscing over this former powerhouse.

Fans from around the country have reacted to Martin Keown’s claim that Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez should start for England.

As quoted by The Express, Keown told talkSPORT: “I’d play Joe Gomes and Harry Maguire. Trent Alexander-Arnold has to be in an England team. If he’s in the top 30 Ballon d’Or players, why’s he not played for England sooner? I don’t get it.

“The guy’s a joy to watch.”

Alexander-Arnold has no doubt established himself as one of the best around in his position – the right-back’s influence down the wing for Liverpool over the past year has been nothing short of sensational. The Englishman bagged himself 12 Premier League assists last season and already has three in the league this campaign.

As for Gomez, he has only played 99 minutes for the Reds this season and has understandably so split opinions. One Chelsea fan alluded to the omission of Fikayo Tomori, who has enjoyed a breakthrough season, starting nine league games for third-placed Chelsea.

A Bournemouth fan touched on how Gomez doesn’t even play for Liverpool, so he can’t start for England, whilst a Leeds United supporter stated that “Trent is the best right-back in the country”.

Here’s what the fans around the country have had to say about this idea…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Ever since his arrival at Juventus in the summer of 2018, Emre Can’s career has been going downhill.

Ironically, his former club, Liverpool, have gone the exact opposite way with their Champions League glory and are now even the leaders of the Premier League under Jurgen Klopp’s just but stern hand.

For a player who justified his departure from Anfield with claims he wanted to challenge for more silverware, things surely did not end up going according to plan.

Of course, he did win the Scudetto last season with 29 appearances to his name along with four goals and one assist but this season has been a far cry from that, to say the least.

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Matchday 13 is already behind us and Can can only boast 170 minutes in a total of five games played for the Bianconeri in Serie A.

Needless to say, he is not really happy, which is something he acknowledged himself recently when talking to Kicker (via Daily Mirror):

“I’m just an ambitious guy who always wants to compete at the highest level, but I’m also learning from this tough time when things are not going the way I was hoping. I’m not playing games from the start, so I’m not happy, but I will stay strong and keep working on myself. I’m often in the gym before or after training, doing extra shifts. I want to be ready.”

Clearly, Maurizio Sarri doesn’t feel like the German is an integral member of the squad and for that reason his departure could be for the best for all parties involved.

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Recently he was linked to Manchester United and those links were reinforced by Former Red Devils’ midfielder, Kleberson, who urged his former club to sign the midfielder.

During an interview with BonusCodeBets (via Express), he stated:

“Emre Can would be a great player to help in the midfield at United. I know he used to play for their rivals Liverpool, but it is important to see what good things he would bring to the club. Not only would he help United for the future and he would add strength within the midfield for this season.”

For those reasons, this could very well be a transfer that would benefit all parties.

Juventus would get an unwanted player off the books, Can could potentially reignite his career and Manchester United would land a player with proven pedigree to give their season a much-needed boost.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men are currently languishing in ninth place in the table and quality reinforcements could do them a world of good.

Can has a plethora of experience in Bundesliga, Serie A and the Premier League and with only 25 years on his back, he’d be a progressive signing with the potential to cement his place in the midfield for years to come.

This deal is a no-brainer for both clubs.

In other news, Barcelona are reportedly eyeing a young Chelsea defender who was once predicted to become the club captain.

Some Newcastle United supporters were left fuming at Steve Bruce’s wasteful decision making as the Toon were held to a score draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.The Magpies took the lead eight minutes before the break when captain Jamaal Lascelles nodded home his first goal of the season, but could not see out the result as Jonny equalised midway through the second-half before Sean Longstaff found himself sent off.It was the first red card of Longstaff’s senior career, and sparked Bruce to make his first change of the game by bringing Jonjo Shelvey on for Joelinton as he looked to regain some control in the centre of the pitch.Fans were confused as to why it took Bruce so long to make a change, though, as they could see the game was heading in the way of the visitors who were searching for a late winning goal, and appeared to be unhappy overall with his use of substitutions throughout the match.Find out what happened when a world-record-holding freestyler attempting skills with the worst pair of boots available on eBay in the video below…Nuno Espirito Santo in the opposing dugout had already made a series of changes after seeing his side head into the interval a goal down, with Diogo Jota replacing Pedro Neto in the 70th-minute, Adama Traore moving forward to support Raul Jimenez and Matt Doherty going out wide as Leander Dendoncker replaced the Irishman in defence.The half-time changes immediately seemed to take effect and act as a catalyst for Wolves’ comeback, as the travelling side enjoyed 65.7 per cent of possession after the break and fashioned ten shots to Newcastle’s four, per WhoScored data.United were also forced into clearing the danger in the 64th-minute when Martin Dubravka could only parry Jota’s effort following a mazy run from the 22-year-old.Bruce, meanwhile, left it until stoppage-time to make his final two changes of the afternoon, with striker Dwight Gayle brought on for Matty Longstaff and Allan Saint-Maximin replaced by Christian Atsu.Here are some of the messages shared from Newcastle fans left perplexed and somewhat livid with Bruce’s reluctance to use his substitutes on Sunday…