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Since bursting on the scene during the 2017/18 season, Declan Rice seems to have improved in every game he plays in.

Last season was a standout one for the 22-year old who captained West Ham for the majority of the campaign, and Barry Fry believes that Hammers fans would not be able to forgive him if he left this summer.

With great performances comes a lot of transfer speculation and that has not been any different for Rice who appears keen on a move to Manchester United this summer, and the pull of Champions League football will be huge for him.

Rice is currently on international duty with England and impressed against Croatia, however during the previous international camps it has been reported that he was speaking to Man United players such as Harry Maguire and Dean Henderson about life at the club ahead of a potential exit this summer.

Having come through their academy, West Ham fans would hate to see someone their club has nurtured and given a chance to leave and they may struggle to forgive him if he pulled on a different club’s shirt. That’s according to Fry, who spoke exclusively to Football FanCast:

“I can’t see David Moyes and the two David’s who own West Ham letting Rice go because he is a man mountain for them and he even played the opposition on his own sometimes last season.

“The West Ham fans would never forgive him, even if they got £100-150 million for him, they’d never forgive him because he’s one of their own.”

With West Ham failing to qualify for the Champions League last season it will put them in a far worse position to convince Rice that the London Stadium is the right place for him to play his football and continue his development.

If Rice continues to flourish at the Euros for England, then the Hammers may be able to bump up any potential price tag they would put on his head as he will be doing it in front of millions of people.

Some Manchester City fans are unhappy after it was revealed that there is a real possibility Harry Kane could join the Citizens for a fee over £100m.

Last week, Kane dropped a bombshell when he revealed he wanted to leave Tottenham this summer (Sky Sports). Other than a few loan spells, the England international has spent his whole career with Spurs, but he has failed to win a single trophy despite scoring over 200 goals for the club (Transfermarkt).

The news of Kane’s desire to leave has attracted plenty of interest from across the Premier League, including City. According to journalist Ian Cheeseman, Kane leaving Spurs and making the move to the Etihad Stadium for a fee of over £100m is a real possibility.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts but, although this indicates City could get their hands on a world-class striker, many fans felt the potential fee is too high.

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

“Noo”

Credit: @STERLINGRAZZ7

“Suddenly I don’t like this transfer”

Credit: @cancelo27

“Yeah we’ll pass”

Credit: @its_comando

“No”

Credit: @mohamedamiin2

“NO WAY! Better spend money on Haaland any day!”

Credit: @imshaant

“We are idiots if we pay more than £80m for him. But we are idiots in transfer fees. Our negotiation power is really low”

Credit: @Owaiskhan072

In other news, Man City fans are livid at this Raheem Sterling news.

Amid all the talk of Gjanni Alioski being offered a new contract and the potential arrival of a new left-back, Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa might want to consider looking closer to home for someone who could really nail down that role for years to come.

Niall Huggins made his first team debut for the Whites when he came on as a second-half substitute in the 4-2 defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League last season, while he has been a consistent performer for the under-23s.

The 20-year-old played 17 times in Premier League 2 Division 2, scoring twice and assisting once, helping the Whites’ youngsters clinch the title and promotion.

After a particularly impressive display earlier in the season for the under-23s, Leeds Live’s Joe Donnuhue waxed lyrical about the starlet, even suggesting that he could be set for some first team football sooner rather than later.

He wrote: “In the second half, Huggins tucked back in to left-back as Leif Davis was withdrawn at the break. His effort levels were a class above, as he is almost every week. If he continues in this vein, he will not be far off more regular first-team squad involvement.”

Kalvin Phillips is also a fan of the 20-year-old, revealing that he could be set for a first team role in the  not too distant future. The England midfielder commented last summer: “We’ve got a few younger lads called Niall Huggins and Alfie McCalmont. They’re really good young players as well. They’ll be in the team in the next year or so, definitely.”

Meanwhile, Huggins himself has said: “To push that step forward at Leeds, you have to be able to run, do everything intense, everything is done as fast as you can. They want you to be at the top of your game, and for them, that means they want you to be on target weight type, body fat is low, to be able to keep that intensity up for the full 90 minutes.

“And if you’re not, then unfortunately, you could end up not playing. It’s that strict.”

Dubbed as someone with “pace to burn”, the Welsh youngster clearly knows what it will take to make his mark in the Premier League with Leeds under Bielsa, and he just needs an opportunity to impress.

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While Alioski might be the talk of the town right now as the club consider giving him a new deal, the left-back slot may be Huggins’ to lose in the years to come.

Meanwhile, Radrizzani must avoid Bielsa’s wrath with this big Leeds decision…

Leeds United are interested in signing Hertha BSC starlet Matheus Cunha in the summer.

What’s the story?

With the future of Helder Costa at Elland Road uncertain, it seems as though Marcelo Bielsa has his sights set on signing a new star winger for his side ahead of next season in the Premier League.

According to German publication SportBILD (via Leeds Live), the Whites made an enquiry to sign the Brazilian back in the January transfer window, and are now ready to reignite that interest in the summer.

The report adds that interest in the 21-year-old is becoming more concrete, and Cunha is keen to explore new opportunities too.

Julian Nagelsmann rates him

The £35m-rated Cunha has enjoyed an impressive campaign with Hertha in the Bundesliga this season, netting seven goals and providing another six assists in just 27 games in the competition.

Prior to starring for Hertha however, Cunha was on the books at RB Leipzig, and worked under Julian Nagelsmann, and the German was quick to hail the kind of ability the Brazilian youngster has, and the progress he has made since leaving them.

He said: “Matheus Cunha is playing really well at the moment – he’s a huge talent and possesses so much skill.”

And, his former manager at Hertha, Bruno Labbadia, said that Cunha has got the kind of ability and talent to be a real game-changer, and can decide games on his own with a piece of magic.

He said: “Matheus has something special. He can always produce something with a moment of individual brilliance.”

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Described as having speed, skill and intelligence by Bundesliga.com, the 21-year-old seems exactly like the kind of exciting winger that could really set Elland Road on fire, and it’s no wonder Leeds are after him this summer.

Meanwhile, Leeds United handed a huge boost as major Elland Road news emerges…

Frank McAvennie has dropped an encouraging transfer claim on Tyler Roberts and whether he would fit in at Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Newcastle eyeing Roberts

As per Football Insider, the Magpies are closely monitoring the 22-year-old ahead of a potential move from Leeds United once the summer transfer window opens.

He is out of contract at Elland Road in 2022 and is yet to agree an extension, so the Whites may view a deal this summer as a good opportunity to cash in on him in order to gain some value from a transfer fee rather than risk losing him for nothing next year.

The Latest: McAvennie claims Roberts would start at Newcastle

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie – who is now a pundit after playing for the likes of West Ham United and Celtic – has claimed that Roberts would be a starter under Steve Bruce at St James’ Park, believing that the Toon Army would instantly warm up to him. The 61-year-old said:

“If he’s not getting a game, I think so.

“If you’re not playing you have to ask to leave. If he goes to Newcastle he’ll be a starter straight away. 

“They have great fans and they will love him up there if he hits the ground running. 

“Roberts can ask for guarantees but the manager can’t give them. He can only give them if he’s playing well. 

“You can’t tell a player he will always start because what if he starts playing badly? It’s a stupid statement.

“At his age, he’s got to be playing.”

The Verdict: Roberts would add to Newcastle squad

Roberts is certainly a player who could add something to the Magpies squad, and with the added experience of playing at Premier League level under Marcelo Bielsa, he would not have to adapt to the demands of the division were he to join Newcastle.

McAvennie’s point about his game-time is also pertinent – while the forward has played in 26 league games this season, only 14 of those have been as a starter.

Also, at just 22 years of age, Roberts should get even better over the next few years, while his added versatility is also a quality which could be very useful to have on Tyneside next season, especially with the amount of injuries the Magpies have incurred to key players such as Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson.

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The Welshman would certainly seem to be a smart buy should Newcastle look to sign him in the summer.

In other news, Lee Ryder has shared some insight from sources close to the potential takeover of NUFC on a possible timescale for arbitration.

Most supporters would have been forgiven if they had forgotten that Crystal Palace had signed goalkeeper Jack Butland.

Indeed, the former England goalkeeper has made just one appearance for the Eagles this season since his summer move from Stoke City, a drab FA Cup defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Having previously been talked up as one of the most promising stoppers in the Premier League with the Potters, Butland’s career is now at a new low.

As recently as May 2018, the goalkeeper was valued at £19.8m and being rumoured as a potential replacement for Thibaut Courtois at Chelsea.

He was fresh off of the back of a season where he was Stoke City’s undoubted number one, despite the club’s demotion to the Championship. The stopper had also racked up 20 clean sheets in the English top-flight.

Since then though, Butland’s rating has taken a huge drop of £17.1m, all the way down to £2.7m, with 27 goalkeepers in the Premier League now holding a higher transfer rating than Butland.

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Whilst Palace will certainly have not lost any money on the 28-year-old if they sold him for that amount, with him being brought to Selhurst Park for just under £1m last summer, they are now lumbered with a player who appears to be in habitual freefall.

Having signed a contract to 2023, the question has to be asked whether the Eagles will ever be able to recoup even that amount should he be sold.

It is certainly a huge drop off then for a man who had managed to accumulate nine caps for his country, even being named in his nation’s squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Considering he has not made an appearance for Palace this season in the Premier League, it now seems a baffling move for Steve Parish to have brought Butland to Selhurst Park last summer.

AND in more news, take a look at which current Palace wideman could have his Selhurst Park career ended by the arrival of Florian Thauvin…

Marcel Brands should laugh off Sevilla’s naïve approach for James Rodriguez amid claims Everton may be offered Alejandro “Papu” Gomez in exchange for Carlo Ancelotti’s star midfielder.

What’s the word?

According to reports in Spain, Los Nervionenses coach Julen Lopetegui and Sporting Director Monchi have fixed their attentions on signing Rodriguez after ruling out a move for Isco.

Sevilla feel it would be impossible to raise the €20m (£17.5m) capital needed to sign Isco from Real Madrid at the end of the season, despite Lopetegui’s love of the Spaniard and prioritising his signature.

Rodriguez is thought to be a likely alternative as the Colombian has been underwhelmed by Everton’s results, which have fallen below the expectations set in discussions with Ancelotti prior to his arrival and are likely to see the Toffees miss out on European football.

Barring a dramatic turn of events that sees the Goodison Park natives secure a berth into one of UEFA’s premier club competitions, it is expected that they will struggle to convince Rodriguez to stay for another season.

Everton would be reluctant to let Rodriguez leave in the summer despite signing him from Real Madrid without a transfer fee last year, and have reportedly set a €30m (£26m) valuation on the 29-year-old in an attempt to ward off interest.

But Sevilla are still keen and are willing to offer the Blues the chance to sign Gomez just six months on from the 33-year-old’s €6m (£5m) arrival, in a player-plus-cash deal that would only see around €10m (£8.5m) change hands.

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Monchi is exploring a deal for Rodriguez as he is considered to be a tremendous bonus for Lopetegui’s plans, while a move to the Andalusian outfit would allegedly offer the ex-Los Blancos maestro his best chance of playing for a competitive team in Europe next season.

Should Everton accept Sevilla’s approach?

Everton have not always seen the best of what Rodriguez can offer due to occasional injuries keeping the Colombia international on the sidelines, but few players have contributed to Ancelotti’s offence as much as the 80-cap playmaker.

Only Dominic Calvert-Lewin (14) has scored more often for Everton in the Premier League than Rodriguez (6) has this season, while only Lucas Digne (6) has offered more assists (4). He has also offered the most key passes per game (1.8) and taken the third-most shots (1.7), per WhoScored.

And yet Rodriguez feels “there’s more to come” from him after finding it easy to settle at Goodison Park, where Ancelotti’s presence in the dugout was a key reason behind his decision to move to Merseyside last summer.

He may have somewhat cold feet over a long-term future at Everton having enjoyed trophy-laden spells with Real Madrid and while on loan with Bayern Munich to now see the Toffees struggle for a top-six finish, but it would be foolish for Brands to accept Sevilla’s approach.

Everton clearly hold Rodriguez – who Alex McLeish has lauded as a “tremendous footballer” and Darren Bent considers to be a “maverick” – in high regard, so would be taking a drastic step-back by replacing him with 33-year-old Gomez and less than £10m in cash.

Gomez has only offered Los Nervionenses two goals in 17 games since joining from Serie A side Atalanta BC in January, for whom he had offered 59 goals and 71 assists in 252 outings across all competitions between 2014 and his mid-season exit.

Only two of those assists had come in the Serie A this term where he had topped the charts with 16 last season and 11 the term before that, as the Argentine made the Italian top-flight his playground only to hit reverse in the new surroundings of La Liga.

Everton would likely rue the day they accepted Sevilla’s approach if Brands does not laugh it away, by taking a step back in their progress towards competing for European qualification and removing one of Ancelotti’s key weapons.

AND in other news, Everton have been told to pay £34.5m for a 23-year-old that Carlo Ancelotti would welcome at Goodison Park…

A number of Liverpool supporters have been lauding Nathaniel Phillips after he won the club’s Player of the Month award for March.

This season has seen the Reds suffer a disastrous number of injuries at centre-back, playing a huge part in their overall struggles.

Virgil van Dijk’s campaign was ended way back in October, but if that wasn’t bad enough, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip have also joined him on the treatment table.

All three have been long-term absentees and it has forced Jurgen Klopp into playing Fabinho and Jordan Henderson at centre-back at times, as well as signing Ozan Kabak on loan.

Someone else who has filled in is Phillips, with the 23-year-old a relative unknown until recently, now producing a string of impressive performances.

The defender has done admirably in an extremely tough situation and his efforts have been rewarded, following the confirmation of his Player of the Month triumph.

It is something that most Liverpool fans would never have been able to see happening last summer, so Phillips deserves a huge pat on the back.

Liverpool supporters laud Phillips.

These Reds fans have taken to Twitter to hail the likeable Englishman.

“Hero”

Credit: @jonahs__

“Brilliant! Come through for us when we needed him. Well deserved”

Credit: @JamieHolme

“Maldini watches Nat Phillips compilations”

Credit: @hitmanharj

“Imagine seeing this at the start of the season”

Credit: @_lfcnick

“Is right lad”

Credit: @lfcSafsaf

“Absolutely love this. Underdog stories are the best”

Credit: @HenryJackson87

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to an interesting transfer story – read about it here.

According to a recent report, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in the signing of VfB Stuttgart centre-forward, Sasa Kalajdzic, as a replacement for Spurs’ loanee striker, Carlos Vinicius, this summer.

The report by the Daily Mail claims that, upon the expiry of his season-long loan at Tottenham, Vinicius is set to make a return to Benfica, as Daniel Levy is unwilling to pay the £36 million option to buy clause in the 26-year-old’s contract.

As a result of Vinicius’ impending departure from north London, it is then claimed that Jose Mourinho is searching for replacements for the Brazilian, with Kalajdzic believed to be one of the 58-year-old’s targets.

Last month, a report by Kicker (via Sport Witness) claimed that West Ham United are also interested in the 6 foot 5 Stuttgart forward, for whom the Bundesliga side are thought to be demanding a fee of between €20-25 million (£17.4-21.75 million) to part with this summer.

Transfer Tavern Take

With Vinicius starting just three Premier League fixtures during his loan spell at Spurs so far, with the striker only managing one goal over his total of nine top-flight appearances, it is hardly surprising that the club are unwilling to pay a substantial amount of money for the Brazilian this summer.

And, with Kalajdzic having scored 14 goals and provided four assists over his 27 Bundesliga appearances for Stuttgart this season, as well as the fact the 23-year-old is reportedly available for much less than it would cost to sign Vinicius, it is easy to see why Tottenham may feel that the Austria international would be much better value for money.

In other news: ‘It may be’ – Spurs target drops huge hint on transfer; Mourinho fascinated by ‘remarkable’ star – find out more here!

Managers will come and go at Arsenal but the same old problems will remain.

Arsene Wenger isn’t in London anymore but defensive errors are still rife. Unai Emery tried his utmost to eradicate them while Mikel Arteta has come close on occasions.

However, some painstaking individual mistakes have cost them in recent weeks. Whether it be Dani Ceballos against Benfica and Olympiacos, Bernd Leno versus Wolves or Granit Xhaka in the draw with Burnley, it has been nothing short of calamitous.

It appears that when it comes to defending, the club are cursed. Though, there is another area in N5 that appears to be a poisoned chalice; Arsenal’s captaincy.

Ever since Patrick Vieira left back in 2005, the Gunners have been through plenty of captains. Thierry Henry led from the front with his on-field displays but after that, it has been a tale of woe for pretty much each and every one of the club’s skippers.

William Gallas was the first antagonist back in 2007, tarnishing the captaincy and thus, beginning a remarkable trend at London Colney.

On the day that Eduardo broke his leg after a horrific challenge, Arsenal lost to Birmingham and with it, started their title collapse. Gallas was slumped on the floor at full time and sat motionless on the St Andrew’s Turf, waiting for the ground to swallow him up.

If anything encapsulated a host of Arsenal captains in the last 14 years it would be that moment. Cesc Fabregas took on the mantle next and like Henry, led well on the pitch.

However, he eventually moved to Barcelona and even missed an Arsenal game to go to watch the Spanish Grand Prix.

Robin van Persie took on the baton from the midfielder but similarly to Fabregas, departed shortly after following demands he made about the direction of the club. Thomas Vermaelen became his successor but a different kind of curse took over; one where their captain very rarely played.

The Belgian featured just 43 times in the league during his two years as captain. His replacement, Arteta, then played in just 16 matches during his final few campaigns in north London.

Per Mertesacker (seven games) and Laurent Koscielny (17 matches) took on the honour of wearing the captain’s armband afterwards. Koscielny, however, left in bizarre circumstances.

One moment, the French defender was happy and then the next, he was refusing to go on Arsenal’s pre-season tour of America in 2019. He subsequently moved to Bordeaux and then proceeded to rip off a Gunners shirt during his unveiling video.

Though, the worst of all was Granit Xhaka. The Swiss was horrendously torn apart by the club’s supporters in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace during the 2019/20 campaign.

As he was being substituted, Xhaka proceeded to rip the armband off, give the crowd some stick and then throw his shirt to the ground in disgust.

Emery consequently relieved him of his duties and made Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the skipper.

Like Henry, he has led from the front. Without Aubameyang, Arsenal wouldn’t have won the FA Cup last term. However, in recent days, we’ve seen the curse begin to blow up in Arteta’s face.

There has been a certain negativity attached to the honour of Arsenal captain over the last decade and now their star man is the latest to be caught up in some drama.

Aubameyang reported late when the team met up ahead of the north London derby with Tottenham on Sunday and as a result, he was dropped to the bench. It was a major call from the manager in what was their biggest game of the season.

The Gabonese forward failed to get any minutes and then while Arsenal’s subs warmed down on the Emirates pitch at full-time, he got in his car and sped off into the distance.

Time will tell whether that was a landmark moment in his career at the club. Aubameyang has often been the joker of the pack, the go-to man when Arsenal are in a crisis. On this occasion, however, he was nowhere to be seen.

After what’s happened in years gone by, Arteta will be wary of escalating this situation. After all, Arsenal’s number 14 had just started to rediscover his best form; the last thing they need is a starting XI without his name on.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Partey: Edu could sign Xhaka upgrade for AFC with “complete” £22m star…