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Leicester City have been linked with a move for Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the story?

The 23-year-old England international has been heavily linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge after struggling for game time with his boyhood club since Thomas Tuchel arrived back in December.

According to the Leicester Mercury, the Foxes are among several Premier League clubs interested in Abraham’s services, with a £40m fee reportedly required to prize him away from west London.

Replacement for Vardy?

Although Jamie Vardy remains an extremely useful asset for Brendan Rodgers, bagging 15 goals and providing nine assists in all competitions this season, the 34-year-old is undoubtedly slowing down and it’s time that the club start thinking about getting a replacement in.

The former England international has only scored one goal in his last 13 top-flight appearances, and Leicester’s lack of strength in depth up-front significantly limits their options compared to many of their domestic rivals.

Rodgers has often had the luxury of a top-class striker to call upon throughout his managerial career, Luis Suarez at Liverpool, Moussa Dembele and Celtic and then Vardy at the King Power Stadium, but the latter’s powers are certainly on the wain.

Abraham could provide the perfect solution to Leicester’s striking problem, while the new FA Cup holders could offer the 6 ft 2 forward the ideal way out of his Chelsea nightmare.

It’s a transfer the Midlands outfit’s board must sanction if they want to provide Rodgers with his next natural goalscorer and carry on the incredible progress that the Northern Irishman has overseen during his short time at the club.

Before Abraham made enjoyed success in the Chelsea first team, he made a name for himself on loan at Aston Villa, where he played under John Terry after impressing the former Blues captain during their time together at Cobham.

“I know him very well, having played with him at Chelsea. He’s been incredible here.

“He was the Academy player that when coming over to train with the first team, me and Gary Cahill used to think, ‘oh no, here we go!’ You knew he was going to come over and put himself about – run the channels, score goals, be hungry, be passionate,” recalled the Villa assistant.

“As one of the older ones in the group, I just wanted a nice easy day against a middle-aged striker! Tammy always posed a big threat, and I knew he’d go on and do well.”

Abraham is too good to rot on the Chelsea bench for any longer, and with European football of some description guaranteed for Leicester next season, it’s a move that the Foxes simply have to make.

And, in other news…Leicester City must sanction audacious swoop for “world-class” £120k-p/w workhorse – opinion

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.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has admitted that he is worried about his old side losing Jack Grealish this summer.

The 25-year-old attacking midfielder has had a bright campaign, scoring six goals and creating a further 10 in the Premier League, and is now attracting interest from other clubs.

In fact, according to Football Insider, Grealish is Manchester City’s top target for the next transfer window, with the player said to be open to the idea of joining Pep Guardiola’s side.

It has now left Hendrie fearing the worst, with the ex-Villa player sharing his concerns in an exclusive interview with FFC.

When asked whether the Villans are at risk of losing some of their star names this summer like Ollie Watkins, he said:

“There’s always that element of do you lose your big players [once they reach England international level]. To be honest with you, out of that Villa squad, I’m more worried about losing Jack Grealish. That’s the main one because I feel that he sets the bar really for that whole Villa squad.”

Manchester United are another club who are said to be admirers of Grealish, meaning there could be a real transfer tussle for the England international if Villa do decide to sell in the summer.

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes that Robin Koch can continue to shine in a midfield role for the Whites moving forward.

Leeds lost 2-0 away to Brighton on Saturday afternoon in what was a rare off-day after an impressive recent run of form. Koch took up a defensive midfield role in the absence of Kalvin Phillips, performing solidly despite the disappointing nature of the result as he won 11 duels and five tackles.

Koch tipped to continue as midfield option

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan claimed that the ‘magnificent’ 24-year-old could carry on being an option in midfield for Marcelo Bielsa, as well as his preferred centre-back position. The pundit said:

“I’ve seen enough from Koch to suggest he could play that role long-term.  Even though he has only played in that position a couple of times you can see that he has the capabilities to do it. I have no doubt about that.

“He was competitive in midfield against Brighton. He was getting on the ball and trying to find space.

“I felt sorry for him though because it is difficult to gauge whether he can play in that role long-term when everyone else is playing below par. I cannot be 100 per cent confident that he can understudy for Phillips on that performance because everyone around him was a six out of 10 and some of them not even that.

“Could Koch step into an international’s role? The signs are encouraging. I think he has all of the attributes.”

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Transfer Tavern take

While Koch can fill in at the base of midfield when required, it is still important that Leeds sign a more natural backup to Phillips, as has been rumoured in recent days. The German has his limitations in that position, only keeping possession 79% of the time against Brighton and playing no key passes on what was his first appearance in defensive midfield for Bielsa’s side this season.

Phillips, in comparison, averages an 84.8% pass completion rate and 1.3 key passes per match this season – if he were to get injured for a long period in 2021/22, Koch wouldn’t really be a reliable enough deputy over a sustained period despite Whelan’s endorsement.

In other news, Leeds are believed to be interested in signing an alternative to one player this summer. Read more here.

Norwich City have joined the race to sign Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer this summer.

That’s according to a report from The Scottish Sun, who claim that Canaries boss Daniel Farke wants a new centre-back at Carrow Road ahead of the 2021/22 season.

They claim that Ajer is preparing to quit Parkhead in the summer with just over 12 months left on his Celtic contract.

Norwich sporting director Stuart Webber appears to have a close eye on Ajer ahead of the club’s return to the English top flight, with the 37-year-old watching the Norway international in action in recent weeks.

Ajer, who has missed two league games all season, is valued at £3.6m by Transfermarkt, however, reports earlier this month suggested that Newcastle were preparing an £8m offer, so his actual value is likely much more than £3.6m.

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Transfer Tavern take

It seems as if Celtic have a similar situation with Ajer to the one they have with Odsonne Edouard.

The French forward is ready to leave the Hoops over the coming months, regardless of who comes in as the new Celtic manager.

In our view, Celtic may have to cash in on both in the upcoming window, and, in a way, Norwich’s interest could actually help the Bhoys bring in a sizeable fee for the towering centre-back.

The Hoops could be shrewd by playing both Premier League clubs off against each other, which could result in them maximising their profits.

Ajer only cost Celtic £520,000 in 2016, so they look set to make a profit – the question is how much.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops major 11-word update; could be of interest to Celtic and Dominic McKay, find out more here.

Fans of Glasgow Rangers have been reacting to a post on Twitter, that relayed a claim made by Rangers’ assistant manager, Gary McAllister, regarding James Tavernier and Nathan Patterson.

According to McAllister, as cited by Clyde 1, Steven Gerrard could look to implement a shift in formation in order to accommodate the two “outstanding” right-backs, Tavernier and Patterson, into his starting XI.

The assistant manager said: “As a club, we are uber-delighted to have two outstanding players in that area. There are different formations that, you never know, we might be able to get the two of them on the pitch at the same time.”

So far this season, Patterson has made just five appearances in the Scottish Premiership, while the club captain, Tavernier, has featured in 29 league fixtures.

However, after news of the potential switch in formation was shared on Twitter by Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, fans of Rangers flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing to be delighted at the prospect of both Tavernier and Patterson being on the pitch at the same time, something that could be seen in Gers’ clash with St Johnstone on Wednesday evening.

So, what exactly did these Rangers fans have to say in reaction to Gary McAllister’s comments?

“The link up could be sensational.”

@BobbyCasa

“Tav as a winger when Patterson is playing could be class.”

@Groper29330391

“We’ve got to push Tav further forward, at least try it.”

@faby_ilari

“Would be class Paterson and Tav down the right.”

@allanbaird_

“Totally agree, Patterson is far more than a squad player nowadays and IMO should be playing regularly now, push Tavernier up one and really compliment both players by doing so.”

@rossthorpe

“Would be a pretty solid right flank…”

@actuallyyyyyy

In other news: ‘What did I just hear?’ – These Gers fans slam ‘dinosaur’ as ‘disgraceful’ Kamara claim emerges – find out more here!

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…

According to a report by 90min, Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has admirers at Tottenham Hotspur as pressure mounts on current boss Jose Mourinho, with many names being mentioned alongside the three-time Champions League-winning Italian.

Ancelotti, who was appointed at Goodison Park in December 2019, is reportedly attracting some interest from Spurs as those within the club hold an admiration for the 61-year-old.

Ancelotti admired by Tottenham

Alongside Nuno Espirito Santo, who is also admired by Spurs, both Max Allegri and Diego Simeone have apparently displayed an interest in replacing Mourinho at Tottenham, according to close agents (90min).

The report from 90min added that, as well as these names, Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers is the leading contender to potentially replace Mourinho should he be sacked by Spurs.

Alongside Diego Simeone, Ancelotti arguably stands out as a surprise big name to be attracting admirers from within Spurs, but his record both domestically and in Europe could explain why some Tottenham figures seem keen – the 61-year-old has won league titles in four different countries.

Transfer Tavern take

The former AC Milan and Real Madrid head coach is one of only a trio of managers to win the Champions League three times, clinching the trophy twice at the San Siro and once at the Bernabeu.

Former Premier League left-back Ashley Cole, who played under him at Chelsea, has praised him as a tactical ‘genius’ and the best manager with whom he’s worked (90min), but time will tell whether this apparent admiration from Spurs develops into anything more concrete.

In other news: Alasdair Gold relays injury blow for Tottenham starlet, find out more here.

Plenty of Crystal Palace fans have been reacting to the club’s official Twitter post regarding two fixture amendments for April.

Roy Hodgson’s side aren’t in action until after the international break, and their next fixture has now been pushed back a further two days.

Everton and Chelsea fixtures impacted

The Eagles will now make the trip to take on Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton on Monday 5th April, with the game set to be broadcast on Sky Sports.

Palace’s following fixture, a home clash against Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea, will also be on Sky Sports and will now kick off at 5:30pm on Saturday 10th April.

Following last weekend’s win over West Brom, Palace seem to be all but safe. Fulham, in 18th, are 11 points behind the Eagles, with six sides in between the two London sides. That said, fans didn’t seem overly optimistic as they reacted to the news of the new fixture arrangements.

This is what these Palace fans had to say to the update following the club’s official Twitter post on Monday, with many addressing the extra two days until the next game and one sarcastically labelling it as ‘great’.

Palace fans react

“Oh great another day added to Palace’s break”

Credit: @SELDjw

“Yesss I’ve got to wait 2 extra days to be disappointed by Palace”

Credit: @CPFCknighty

“Our break just got a couple of days longer….”

Credit: @TCPalacePod

“2 day extra break from having to watch us play again”

Credit: @s_cpfc

“Great! Two games on sky where they’ll spend the hour before covering other games rather than pre-match analysis on our game. Aren’t we lucky!”

Credit: @SomePalaceGuy

“These last 9 fixtures give me the 7 losses in a row vibe”

Credit: @foursixzeroszn

In other news: Palace fans have been reacting to Matt Woosnam’s recent post on Roy Hodgson, find out more here.

When attempting to think of Leicester City’s most creative wideman this season, most minds would go instantly to Harvey Barnes.

That is justified considering that the Foxes youngster has scored 13 times and notched four assists in all competitions this season.

However, there is a player who is actually creating more and he is not actually at the King Power Stadium in 2020/21.

Rachid Ghezzal, who is out on-loan at Turkish Super Lig side Besiktas, is having a wonderful campaign.

Whilst he has only scored one goal, the Algerian managed to rack up 12 assists from the right-flank. It is, in fact, the first time that he has got to double figures in his entire career and he just needs three more direct goal involvements in the closing stages of the campaign for it to be the most productive season of his career.

The turnaround is stark considering that in Ghezzal’s only full season in the East Midlands following his arrival from AS Monaco, he only managed three goals, whilst only registering a solitary strike on-loan at Fiorentina last term.

His form this season could well see Ghezzal catapulted back into contention under Brendan Rodgers next season.

With Demarai Gray having departed for Bayer Leverkusen in the January transfer window, and Cengiz Under’s loan deal from AS Roma expiring in the summer, Leicester’s wide options will be somewhat limited.

They will soon be left with just Barnes, Ayoze Perez and Marc Albrighton heading into 2021/22, which, with a potential European campaign on the horizon, will simply not be enough.

This may lead Leicester into the transfer market in the summer in order to recruit a wideman but the Foxes could certainly do worse than re-introducing the £8.1m-rated Ghezzal to their squad if he’s able to transfer his form in Turkey to the Premier League.

AND in more news, read how Kelechi Iheanacho has now finally announced himself as a viable replacement for Jamie Vardy…