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Leeds were ultimately unable to hold onto the star man and top scorer of last term’s in the shape of Ross McCormack, as relegated top tier side Fulham flexed their financial muscles to pay £11m for his signature.

With 67% of the Yorkshire side’s goals having come from the Scot last season, his influence will be missed, and a replacement will likely be coming through the Elland Road doors in the not too distant future.

Here are six players who may be snapped up…

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Britt Assombalonga

23 goals in League One has seen Assombalonga attract Premier League interest in recent times, but the big step to the top tier is unlikely to be on the cards just yet. Play-off defeat may be enough to convince the 21-year-old to look for pastures new, and Leeds might well be able to offer him the level of ambition he would like.

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Quick, strong and good in front of goal, the Zaire-born hit-man has the tools to be a top Championship forward.

Leonardo Pavoletti

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With Leeds’ new-found Italian connections, it would be no surprise to see the club head to the country to snap up a fresh striker. One man to have earned rave reviews in Serie B has been Pavoletti, who is firmly in his peak at the age of 25.

With 24 goals in just 36 appearances last season, Pavoletti looks to have the touch of class in front of goal, and would surely be available for a fraction of £11m McCormack fee.

John Guidetti

Maybe an outsider, but Manchester city’s Guidetti is one to consider. Since rising to prominence a few seasons ago with a loan move at Feyenoord, the big Swede has struggled to get game time and to make a major impact.

A loan move to Stoke for the end of last term ended in disappointment, which would suggest that he’s not quite ready for the big time yet. A switch down to the Championship may give him the platform needed to gain some confidence and get himself in the shop window.

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Sam Winnall

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League Two to the Championship may be a bit of a leap, but with 23 goals to his name in the fourth tier, Winnall could have what it takes. The 23-year-old Scunthorpe man was in great form last season, and would surely be tempted by a big move to prove himself to Wolves – who sent him out on a series of loan moves before sanctioning his exit last year.

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Andrew Johnson

Ol’ AJ may have only managed 10 outings for play-off winners QPR last term, but if he could be kept fit he still has some life left at the age of 33. The former Crystal Palace and Everton hit-man is now a free agent after the jump to the top tier was deemed to large for him nowadays, so another year in the Championship and one last push to get back to the big time may be an option for him.

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Shola Ameobi

Another released forward knocking round is Ameobi, The Nigerian was a part of the furniture at St James Park, notching over 300 first-team outings since his debut in 2000. The 32-year-old is likely to be ready to stay in English football, with the Championship a genuine option for him. Leeds could use his experience, and his technical abilities may well be more visible outside of the Premier League.

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Ryan Giggs future at Manchester United looks uncertain after the club put back contract talks with the long serving midfielder until the end of the season, reports Goal.com.

The United legend was set to start talks about renewing his existing one-year rolling contract within the next month but it is now understood that officials at the club will not open dialogue until May at the earliest.

The Welsh midfielder turns 39 at the end of the month and he recently admitted that the current campaign could be his last.  He has made over 900 appearances for the Red Devils since making his debut in 1991 and scored twice in the Capital One Cup defeat to Chelsea on Wednesday.

Commenting on the midfielder’s fine display after the cup loss Sir Alex was keen to highlight his durability. “I think in Ryan Giggs, we saw a player of unbelievable proportions, in terms of playing the 120 minutes at 39 years of age next month and it’s a credit to himself.”

However Giggs missed out on selection in yesterday’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal and he looks set to play a bit-part role this season.

The veteran, who has featured in every Premier League season for the Old Trafford outfit, recently admitted that he realises that he is no longer a key player in Sir Alex Ferguson’s side and may now view it as the opportune time to retire while still on top.

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Liverpool are planning to battle Manchester City for the signature of Flamengo midfielder Lucas Paqueta, according to Premium Sport.

What’s the word?

Judging by the transfer speculation surrounding Liverpool, manager Jurgen Klopp is keen to strengthen his attacking midfield options.

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A deal for Lyon’s Nabil Fekir reportedly fell through, which has left the Merseyside outfit looking at alternatives.

According to Premium Sport, the Reds have an eye on Paqueta, who is also believed to be on the radar of Premier League champions Manchester City.

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The media outlet claims that the 20-year-old has a £40m release clause, but it is unclear whether Liverpool are willing to meet it.

Should the Reds pursue a deal?

There is no doubting Paqueta’s talent and it is very easy to understand why clubs would be interested in recruiting the young midfielder.

Last season, the young Brazilian, who has adopted the number 10 role, made 15 appearances in all competitions for Flamengo.

During that time, the talented starlet scored three goals and created four assists, which is a good return given the amount of game time given.

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However, Liverpool need to push up a level and in order to do that they require a finished product that can immediately add to the effort of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.

They require a player that can provide service to the front three and also contribute with goals themselves.

While Paqueta certainly has it in him to be a huge star, at this moment in time, Liverpool should focus on the now rather than the future.

West Ham United forward Javier Hernandez has lavished praise on teammate Marko Arnautovic after both players scored in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Watford.

Hernandez opened the scoring in the 38th minute, before Arnautovic netted 12 minutes from time as the Hammers picked up a much-needed three points in the Premier League.

Arnautovic was back in the team following a muscular problem, and the Austria international netted his seventh league goal of the season against the Hornets.

There were eyebrows raised when West Ham paid more than £20m to sign the 28-year-old from Stoke City during the summer transfer window.

Arnautovic, however, has quickly become a favourite with the West Ham fans, and now Hernandez has hailed the attacker’s ability on the football field.

Hernandez told West Ham’s official website:

“Marko is an unbelievable, all-around player and it gives you a lot of confidence when you play up front with a player like him. We have a good understanding with each other.”

Arnautovic started his professional career with Twente in the Netherlands before a short loan spell at Inter Milan.

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The attacker then spent four years with Werder Bremen before joining Stoke in the summer of 2013.

Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood believes that if his side had kept hold of Gareth Bale they would be fighting for the Premier League title this season instead of scrapping for a Europa League spot.

The Welsh wizard became the world’s most expensive player after Real Madrid snapped him up from Spurs in an eye-watering £86m deal last year on the back of an impressive campaign.

Bale was English football’s top performer last term, with his 26 goals in all competitions almost enough to cap a positive season at White Hart Lane with Champions League qualification.

After a summer of transfer uncertainty Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy eventually accepted Real’s offer for the 24-year-old, replacing him with a series of stars from across Europe in a £110m spend.

Few of these big buys have settled well, and Sherwood – who replaced Andre Villas-Boas over the winter – has been unable to keep the Londoners in the battle for Champions League qualification.

Bale netted a dramatic late winner in the Copa de Rey final against Barcelona in midweek, and the now Spurs coach feels that if the club still had him they would be battling for English football’s top prize:

“We saw what he did last year: 21 goals and nine assists. He scored the winner in eight games.” He is quoted by Sky Sports.

“We could do with that now, by the way. If you put those points that he accumulated for us on top of what we have got we would probably be challenging for the title.”

Sherwood then went on to lament the loss of Luka Modric a few seasons ago – the Croatian now also plays for Real:

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“The two best players on the pitch (in the Copa del Rey final) were Gareth Bale and Luka Modric and that says everything.”

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Reading striker Jason Roberts has spoken out following the appalling scenes during last night’s England Under 21’s match in Serbia. The veteran forward believes that UEFA has failed to properly deal with past cases of racism at international matches which has allowed for racist behaviour to continue.

England’s black players, most notably Danny Rose, were subject to monkey-chanting and missile throwing from the Serbian crowd throughout the game, followed by a violent confrontation with the Serbian squad and management at the full time whistle.

In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live immediately after the game, Roberts said: “I was absolutely fuming at what I saw. To think this was an England Under-21 game and another generation of players is seeing this sort of behaviour makes me very sad and makes me aware of the fact we haven’t moved far enough.

“Everyone says UEFA needs to be stronger, do this and do that. They’ve shown they have no stomach for this battle. They haven’t taken it on in the past. I doubt they will now with paltry fines and slapping on the wrists.”

In recent years, UEFA have handed out small penalty fines to countries that have failed to control their racist fans. In 2004, Spain were fined £44,750 for racist chanting and another £40,000 during Euro 2012. Bulgaria were fined £34,000 in 2010 for racist chanting and Croatia were fined £10,000 in 2008 for fans displaying racist banners. In 2007, Serbia were fined £16,500 for racist chants toward Nedum Onuoha however the punishment has clearly not acted as a sufficient deterrent to Serbian fans or the Serbian football authority.

“So that’s why it’s time for players to take action. I’ll go one further and say players should walk off the pitch because – guaranteed – if that happened, things would change.

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“The (official UEFA) match report doesn’t even mention what happened. I think that just shows they would like to sweep it under the carpet and make out we don’t have these problems in football when clearly we do,” Roberts added.

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According to the Leicester Mercury, Everton are interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Aleksandar Dragovic in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the story?

Dragovic spent the 2017-18 season on loan at Leicester, having made the move to the Foxes from Bundesliga giants Leverkusen on August 31.

The centre-back arrived with a big reputation, but struggled to gain a regular spot in the team – making just 11 Premier League appearances for the former English champions.

Leicester have the option to sign Dragovic on a permanent deal this summer, but the club are believed to be stalling on a move.

And as a result, Everton are considering an approach ahead of the 2018-19 Premier League campaign, according to the Leicester Mercury.

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The report claims that Dragovic would be available for £15m, and West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion are also believed to be closely monitoring developments.

Should Everton make a move?

Dragovic attracted a lot of attention during his time at Dynamo Kiev, but it was Leverkusen that won the race to sign him in August 2016.

The Austria international struggled to make his mark during his first year in German football, however, and switched to Leicester last summer.

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The 27-year-old, who is valued at £9m by transfermarkt.co.uk, found it difficult to secure a regular spot in the Foxes’ first XI last term – making just 16 appearances in all competitions.

There is no question that Everton need to improve their defence this summer following the arrival of new head coach Marco Silva, but it would be a surprise if they moved for a player who struggled to settle in the Premier League last term.

Indeed, it seems to make more sense to move for Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson, although the 25-year-old has only ever had one season at Premier League level.

John Terry was one of the standout signings of the summer for Aston Villa when the Chelsea legend decided to drop into the Championship to play for the Midlands club in what is likely to be his last hurrah in football.

The centre-back arrived at Villa Park with plenty of pedigree having won 15 major trophies, including four Premier League titles and the Champions League, during almost two decades with the Blues.

Since joining Villa, Terry has started 18 league matches, with only injury hampering the 37-year-old’s progress at the Midlands outfit.

Last week, manager Steve Bruce brought in a new defender in the form of Manchester United youngster Axel Tuanzebe, who has joined the Villans on loan for the rest of the season.

The 20-year-old has already made his presence known by launching a playful dig at Terry on Instagram.

Tuanzebe, who will be challenging the Chelsea veteran for game time, reportedly suggested in a post on Instagram that the experienced defender needs to watch his back.

According to the Metro, the United centre-back added a photo of himself in training, with Terry’s face blurred in the background.

The caption read:

“Front of the pack #keepupJT”

The former England captain responded to the light-hearted jibe with a lengthy list of trophy emojis, referring to his success in the game.

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Tuanzebe has since edited his post and reportedly removed the hashtag aimed at Terry.

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PUMA is proud to introduce its most powerful boot yet with the launch of evoPOWER. Officially launched in Barcelona today, evoPOWER is a new performance boot designed to enhance a player’s natural kicking ability, and optimise a player’s power and accuracy when striking the ball. Inspired by the freedom of movement of barefoot kicking, evoPOWER features the most advanced PUMA technologies to date and will be worn on pitch by Cesc Fàbregas, Marco Reus, Mario Balotelli, Yaya Touré, Nemanja Vidić, Dante and many others.

Studies show that a bare foot generates a more powerful kick than a booted foot through non-restricted flexibility. However, players experience a loss of control and accuracy over the ball due to the natural contours of the foot. evoPOWER features the Gradual Stability Frame (GSF) which is an innovative spine in the sole plate that allows the boot to bend both ways, enabling the boot’s movement to be as close as possible to the biomechanics of the bare foot and replicate its natural power. This is further enhanced through the Adap-Lite special upper that only stretches vertically. Control and accuracy are improved through AccuFoam insert located on the upper which, upon impact, creates a smooth and flat kicking surface.

Throughout the boot’s development, PUMA worked with independent experts to test and prove the power and accuracy of the evoPOWER boot. PUMA players Cesc Fàbregas and Marco Reus also tested the boot, providing important feedback.

Cesc Fàbregas said, “Taking inspiration for a football boot from an actual foot sounds like the most obvious thing in the world, but in all the time I’ve spent in football, it’s the first time I’ve heard of this being done. When you try on these new boots, they are actually quite different to what we have worn before. They are so much more flexible; the way they bend with the natural shape of your foot really helps you to shoot harder.”

Marco Reus commented, “Shooting from distance is a key part of my game, in open play and free kicks. Having a boot that maximises power in these instances is necessary to help you capitalize on these moments, and this evoPOWER boot gives me a lot of confidence. I like the thought behind it and have tested it a lot. You can feel a genuine difference – so much so, it actually surprised me. This is a very exciting new boot PUMA have created.”

Mario Balotelli added, “I’m new to the PUMA family, and the football boots they produce were one of the reasons for me signing the deal.  The evoPOWER boot impressed me from the first day I tried it in training, I hadn’t really seen a boot like it before.  What PUMA say about it is true, the flexibility helps create a better contact with the ball and generate really good shooting power.”

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The PUMA evoPOWER football boots are available from ProDirectSoccer.com from February 1st. Head to PUMAFootballClub.com to conquer unique challenges and get closer than ever to PUMA players.

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Sam Allardyce is hoping to take advantage of Southampton’s poor start to the season at Upton Park this this weekend.

The West Ham boss has witnessed his side enjoy a good start to the campaign, which sees them occupy eighth spot after seven games.

And he wants to improve on the Hammers’ impressive start to their first season back in the Premier League by taking advantage of Southampton’s struggling start and leaky defence this weekend.

He told West Ham’s official website: “We need to bounce back from a disappointing result [against Arsenal] but a very gutsy performance and then get back on the victory trail at home.

“Southampton have not had the best of starts and have had some difficult games and have been conceding a number of goals and we’ve got to try and take advantage of that.”

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Nigel Adkins’ Saints have shipped 20 goals in their opening seven Premier League games this season and find themselves just a point above the bottom three, which is something Allardyce hopes to capitalise on when the sides meet on Saturday lunchtime.

“From our point of view we’d like to beat them on the basis that we have both been promoted and we both know how much of a struggle it is in year one. If you can pick up points from teams of similar standing to you then you take three points and they don’t get any points,” he added.

“It’s almost a six-pointer this early in the season. If we win, they’d only have four points and we’d have 14 and that’s a massive gap that they’d have to try and close over the coming games.”

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Allardyce also praised the efforts of the West Ham fans who he believes help intimidate the opposition at Upton Park.

He said: “We’ve played some good football and played one of the big boys and even though we lost the fans were right behind us until the end.

“It gives us a good platform to beat the opposition. It intimidates the opposition and it is hugely supportive for us. That can help to give us that extra drive to get the positive result.”