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Leicester City continue to be linked with a number of arrivals ahead of what could be an extremely busy summer transfer window.

From forwards to goalkeepers, a long list of potential signings has been produced, with the latest added to that being Fenerbahce defender Attila Szalai according to Hungarian publication Blikk.

He could be the perfect arrival for Leicester and Brendan Rodgers.

Since arriving in Turkey from Apollon Limassol in January, the 23-year-old has very quickly forged himself an indisputable spot in the club’s starting XI having played every minute of the last 12 SuperLig matches.

Standing at 6 foot 3, Szalai has been dominant in the heart of the Fener defence, producing a huge 1.9 tackles and interceptions each, as well as a further 2.7 clearances and 0.7 blocks per game according to WhoScored.

For comparison, these are numbers that are even greater than the statistics currently being chalked up by Foxes’ defender Caglar Soyuncu.

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With the Turk also being somewhat lesser known upon his move to the King Power Stadium in 2018, Szalai could certainly emulate his success in the East-Midlands should the Foxes make a move.

They certainly should consider it too.

Of the four current central defensive options, two of those are on the wrong side of 30, Wes Morgan and Jonny Evans, with it also looking likely that the Jamaican could potentially hang up his boots sooner rather than later.

With Filip Benkovic also not having broken through yet under Rodgers, this lack of viable options could cost Leicester as they potentially embark on yet another European campaign next season should they suffer any injuries.

The addition of the promising Szalai could definitely be welcome in that case.

With the 20-year-old Wesley Fofana having established himself as a key part of the Foxes back-line, having a sheer brute in Szalai could offer the perfect compliment to the more technically gifted Frenchman – the former St Etienne man averages an impressive 86.1% pass accuracy.

So, of the potential transfer targets for Leicester heading into the summer transfer window, the young Hungarian should certainly be right at the top.

AND in more news, find out which on-loan star must be included in Rodgers’ plans next season…

Former Newcastle United and England midfielder Rob Lee has told Football FanCast that Leeds would be taking a gamble by appointing Massimiliano Allegri to replace Marcelo Bielsa as manager.

The Argentinian has been with the club since 2018 and has overseen their rise from the Championship to the Premier League.

He has been exceptional this season, too, with Leeds currently 11th and looking up the table rather than down.

However, his contract expires at the end of the season and there have been reports of Leeds putting a contingency plan in place in case Bielsa does decide to move on.

Allegri has been mentioned as a potential recruit, with journalist Duncan Castles, via The Sun, naming the former Juventus boss as a potential replacement.

Lee hopes that Bielsa stays at the club but he has urged Leeds to tread carefully, with foreign managers being rather hit and miss in the Premier League.

He told FFC: “I think you always take a chance when you bring a foreign manager in.

“Bielsa’s done it at Leeds so it does work but I think it was slightly different because he was in the Championship. He’s brought the club up.

“When you bring a foreign manager in and chuck them straight into Leeds, as good as Allegri would be, you’re always taking a chance on whether he gets to grips with the Premier League, with where Leeds is, with whether the players like him. I hope Bielsa stays because I think he’s been brilliant.”

Lee believes Bielsa operates differently to most managers and has hailed the success he has found at Elland Road.

Indeed, he believes it will not be Leeds’ decision if he stays, rather Bielsa’s.

He added: “Bielsa’s done brilliantly, I love him. I think he’s a breath of fresh air. He’s different. He does things differently.

“And I presume it’ll be his decision whether he wants to stay in England. I don’t think he’ll manage anybody else in England but whether he wants to be around and do that (is up to him).”

A number of Liverpool supporters have been calling for Sadio Mane to leave at the end of the season, following a dreadful run of form.

The 28-year-old has been an incredible player for the Reds, joining from Southampton in 2016 and being a hugely important figure ever since.

Mane helped take Liverpool up another gear, and along with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, he has made up one-third of arguably Europe’s best attack in the last three or four years.

For possibly the first time at Liverpool, however, the Senegalese superstar is going through an extremely hard time, playing with no confidence and form whatsoever.

Mane has only scored three Premier League goals since the middle of October and seems to have completely lost his spark for the time being.

His performance against Real Madrid in midweek was particularly poor and supporters appear to be losing faith in Liverpool’s No.10.

Liverpool fans call for Mane to leave

Incredibly, some Reds supporters have taken to a Twitter calling for Mane to leave this summer.

“Time to sell and get Mbappe”

Credit: @mikedyrated

“If someone said to me for Mbappe to come to Liverpool you get rid of Mane I would get rid of him”

Credit: @_Simraann

“Sadio Mane’s been that bad this season I honestly wouldn’t feel too bad if we were to sell him this summer. His performances have been unacceptable. Firmino just as bad”

Credit: @Strictly_Scouse

“He’s off in the summer”

Credit: @jaywhittakerbhp

“Sell Mane”

Credit: @Vic21Mc

“Mane needs to be sold”

Credit: @curtisjonesla

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting positively to a fresh transfer claim. Find out who the player in question is here.

Wolves’ defeat to Manchester City was hardly a shock. Nuno Santo’s men haven’t been their normal selves this term while City have been ahead of the pack in the Premier League by quite some distance.

Though, if it wasn’t for defensive errors then they’d have stood a chance of nicking a point on Tuesday.

Ki-Jana Hoever was given a horrendous night by Raheem Sterling and was then caught out by Kyle Walker for the hosts’ second goal. Leander Dendoncker, meanwhile, scored an unfortunate own goal to open the proceedings.

However, the ever-reliable Jonny also had a night to forget at the Etihad. The Spaniard’s return to fitness last month was a welcome boost to Wolves’ chances but he has played just one set of 90 minutes since coming back.

Clearly, he is not up to full speed and that was all too evident when they travelled to Manchester. Dealing with Riyad Mahrez is difficult on an ordinary day but when you’re not quite up to fitness yet, it was always going to be difficult.

The Algerian spun a web down the channel for City, catching Jonny out with his run for the opening goal. It was lapse defending from the left wing back who was anonymous going forward and ineffective in defence.

He made just one tackle as Mahrez delivered a mighty ten crosses and three key passes. The dazzling winger was also successful with five dribbles; all from Jonny’s side of the pitch.

With that in mind, it was unsurprising that he was hooked after just 52 minutes on the clock. In that time, he made only eight passes of the football, the lowest tally of anyone to start the match.

Furthermore, he also managed just 14 touches of the ball. That happened to be a lower number than not only goalkeeper Rui Patricio but also substitute Fabio Silva.

This was an incredibly poor night for Jonny. That being said, it’s important not to count this as a proper litmus of his abilities. The 26-year-old has been an extremely capable performer since signing from Celta Vigo; Nuno now just needs to get him fully fit again.

AND in other news, Worse than Dendoncker: Wolves liability who lost possession 16x badly let Nuno down…

Celtic supporters haven’t had much to cheer about this season but on Wednesday morning, they received a lovely present courtesy of their former manager at Parkhead.

Neil Lennon finally gave in and left the club, resigning after a torrid season in the Hoops hot seat. The Bhoys may have won the Scottish Cup back in December, but their league form has been woeful.

Rangers are now only seven points away from snatching the SPFL title away from Celtic so for any new manager coming in, it will be a struggle. This isn’t your usual scene in Glasgow.

For so long the green and white side have been the dominant force; something nine league triumphs in a row dictates. Yet, since Brendan Rodgers left them behind for Leicester, they have arguably never been the same.

Who takes over from Lennon remains to be seen. Plenty have been talked about but one of the most outstanding candidates could be Roberto Martinez. The Spaniard currently manages the number one ranked international team in the world – Belgium.

That alone means it’s farfetched for him to come to Celtic but according to Jim White, he’s in the frame for the vacancy.

If he does indeed swap Belgium for Glasgow, then he has the ability to revive Celtic. That’s primarily because he possesses similar traits and characteristics to Rodgers.

First and foremost, he’s dedicated on the training pitch. He is a proper coach, someone who leads sessions and strives for more from his players.

His former defender at Swansea, Angel Rangel once told Football League World the following:

“He’s a very smart person, a very good coach. He loves to work, he would be in the training ground at 6am and the last to leave at around 6/7pm. He wouldn’t show us a match, he would show us a few bits on the pitch and meetings, but we knew he spent hours studying the opposition to give us those three or four points to help us win the game.”

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Clearly, Martinez is a meticulous coach. Though, most importantly when comparing the 47-year-old’s methods to Rodgers, he plays with a possession-based model.

Martinez introduced that facet to Swansea and then Rodgers succeeded him in Wales because he played in a similar way. The Spaniard also brought the same style to Everton, taking them to a new level by introducing quick passing football.

Leon Osman revealed the following back in 2014: “This season we are a possession team whether we win or lose. We live and die by that.”

Both managers in question here have been described as flawed disciples of Pep Guardiola. However, no one can deny their quality. If Dermot Desmond wants to revive Celtic’s fortunes, there are few better candidates than Martinez.

He possesses all the qualities that made Rodgers such a success in Scotland.

AND in other news, Christie could be in trouble if Celtic hire 57 y/o coach “reminiscent to Craig Brown”…

Neymar reportedly aided former Barcelona team-mate Dani Alves in his sexual assault case by sending him €150,000 (£129,000/$164,000) for court fees.

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• Dani Alves involved in sexual assault case
• Found guilty and sentenced to four years
• Neymar helped to pay courts fine

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to Brazilian outlet , the ex-defender turned to his former international and club team-mate due to being stranded in Barcelona. Neymar reportedly transferred €150,000 to the Spanish courts back on August 9 in a payment for "mitigating compensation for damage caused". It is thought that this payment had a serious impact on the length of the sentence imposed; he was handed the minimum sentence allowed on Thursday, of four years. Spanish courts can punish those found guilty of sexual offences to 12 years as a maximum.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The former Brazil international is accused of sexually assaulting a 23-year-old woman in a Barcelona nightclub in December 2021, an act which he claims was consensual. notes that Neymar's intervention was needed as Alves' assets have been frozen following his divorce from ex-wife Dinorah Santana. She is now suing the former right-back for non-payment of alimony.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The connection with Neymar wasn't just limited to monetary payments. Around the same time as the transfer, on June 28, reports that Alves appointed Gustavo Xisto, one the oldest representatives of Neymar's father's companies, as his attorney-in-fact. The same day as Xisto's appointment, the report notes, Alves removed Santana from managing his assets.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Alves is facing up to four years in prison after being found guilty. Neymar, of course, is currently playing football in Saudi Arabia but is injured at the time of writing.

Mauricio Pochettino says it's like going "home" ahead of Chelsea's Carabao Cup final with Liverpool at Wembley – where he has a special "bond".

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• Chelsea take on Liverpool at Wembley
• Carabao Cup trophy up for grabs
• Pochettino relishing clash at old "home"

• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Blues are preparing for a trip to Wembley on Sunday, as Pochettino eyes his first trophy as Chelsea manager. The Argentine returns to a ground he knows very well after his old side Tottenham played home matches there between 2017 and 2019, while the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was being built. Despite not having a particularly strong record at Wembley, the former Southampton boss says he cannot wait to go back.

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• WHAT MAURICIO POCHETTINO SAID

  He said in his pre-match press conference on Friday: "It means a lot for us, me and my coaching staff, to have the possibility to arrive in a final and to challenge a team like Liverpool to win our first title here, 11 years after we arrived at Southampton. It’s a dream for us and we have the possibility. We have 90 minutes to achieve that and we are going to fight. I think the team is ready, we are going to be very competitive and it is an amazing chance for us.

  "Wembley is like home, because we played a lot there with Tottenham. It feels like going back to your home, because after one-and-a-half years competing there we created a very good bond between Wembley, the team and everyone there. For sure it is going to be special to play there and special if we win. We are going to give our best to compete, be better than Liverpool and deserve to lift the trophy."

• Getty/GOAL
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After spending more than £1 billion ($1.27m) on transfers since Todd Boehly's infamous takeover in 2022, the Blues have a chance to win some much-needed silverware this weekend. This could kickstart an upturn in fortunes after a torrid couple of years by their standards and, if successful, this would be Pochettino's first trophy in English football.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  After Chelsea's cup final clash against Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, the west London outfit take on old rivals Leeds United in round five of the FA Cup next Wednesday at Stamford Bridge. They return to Premier League action away at Brentford on March 2.

Kaveh Solhekol has dropped a big Tottenham Hotspur manager update on Mauricio Pochettino, claiming that one of his sources believes a deal is already done.

The Lowdown: Tottenham contact Pochettino

As per BBC Sport, Spurs have made contact with Pochettino over a sensational return to the North London club.

The former Southampton boss took over at PSG back in January, but they lost the Ligue 1 title at the hands of Lille in the 2020/21 term, and got knocked out in the UEFA Champions League by Manchester City.

Nonetheless, while there has been no formal contact between Paris Saint Germain and the Lilywhites over his potential availability, there has been between ‘Poch’ and THFC themselves.

The Latest: Pochettino to Tottenham update

Speaking on Sky Sports (via Football Daily), journalist Solhekol has dropped a massive claim with regards to Pochettino’s potential return to Tottenham, saying: “One source I have spoken to this morning actually said that he felt the deal is basically done, and that Mauricio Pochettino would be returning to Spurs.”

Of course, nothing has been confirmed on this front and this is only from one source, but it is still a huge call, with the story likely set to develop quickly over the next few days.

The Verdict: Pochettino not the answer

Although the Argentine was loved by many Spurs fans when he was in North London, getting them to a UEFA Champions League final and achieving no fewer than four top-four finishes in the Premier League, he never won a trophy during his time there.

Managers are often judged on what they win, and while the 49-year-old is undoubtedly a good coach – he would not have got the job at PSG if he was not – the Lilywhites should not be rushing into such a massive decision.

They should instead bide their time to see who else comes into the frame, with the likes of Antonio Conte and Zinedine Zidane recently leaving their posts at Inter Milan and Real Madrid respectively.

In other news, find out what Fabrizio Romano has shared about Daniel Levy’s plans for Gareth Bale here!

Leeds United have confirmed that fan favourite, Gaetano Berardi, will be leaving the club when his contract expires this summer and according to former Leeds midfielder David Norris, it is because he does not have the required quality to perform in the Premier League.

Marcelo Bielsa paid both Berardi and Pablo Hernandez a tribute as the two players have amassed a total of 330 appearances for the club between them but Sunday will be their last opportunity to pull on the Leeds shirt.

Berardi has been unfortunate as he suffered a cruciate ligament injury at the end of the club’s Championship-winning season which has seen him miss almost the entirety of their Premier League campaign.

The defender was a great servant for the club in the Championship but he just lacks that little bit of extra quality that Bielsa desires, according to Norris, who spoke exclusively to The Transfer Tavern:

“Bielsa has those expectations of what he wants from each player in their respective position and he knows exactly what he wants from every player and I can imagine they will be quite high standards but Berardi is still a very good player. 

“Berardi has done it in the Championship for Leeds so he’s obviously got some quality, but it might just be that he doesn’t have that little bit of extra quality Bielsa wants in the Premier League.”

The 32-year old fortunately did get a chance to play for Leeds in the Premier League against Southampton when he was brought on to replace Diego Llorente in the second half.

Before making his Premier League debut, Berardi had been named on the bench by Bielsa for 10 of the club’s last 11 league games and many fans would like to see him and Hernandez play one last time at Elland Road on Sunday.

In an exclusive interview with Transfer Tavern, Tottenham Hotspur legend, Paul Stewart, has claimed that Spurs should’ve sold Harry Winks in January when Valencia were interested in the midfielder.

Winks has been with Spurs his whole career having made 170 appearances since making his debut in 2014 but there were reports that Valencia wanted to sign the 25-year old in January.

Former manager, Jose Mourinho, made it clear that he did not want Tottenham to sell Winks in January as he needed him in the squad to provide competition and depth to the midfield.

Speaking on why it would’ve been smart for Spurs to sell Winks in January and how he is not a fan of what Winks brings to the team, Stewart exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“I’d have taken the money for him in January, because I think it would have been good business.

“I’m a Tottenham fan but I have probably been one of Winks’ biggest critics.”

The £50,000 per week midfielder burst on the scene back in 2016 when he made 21 Premier League appearances and the midfielder earned his first England call up in 2017 but he was omitted from Gareth Southgate’s latest squad.

Spurs are on the hunt for a new manager which could allow Winks to prove himself and become a regular for Tottenham next season, as he’s only managed seven league starts this season.