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This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.

Connor Wickham came to Crystal Palace back in August 2015 from Sunderland for a fee of £9m, per Transfermarkt. The striker managed 15 goals in 91 appearances at the Black Cats and before that, he struck 11 goals in 30 games for Sheffield Wednesday.

It hasn’t gone exactly to plan at Selhurst Park but the forward showed promise before his move to the club as he had featured in the past for the England under-21 side, for whom he scored six goals in 17 appearances.

Wickham got injured early on in his time at Palace, missing eight out his first 11 games, and this would sum up his career at the south London side as he has missed 94 games in total due to injury, with a cruciate ligament rupture causing him to miss 470 days of football at one point, per Transfermarkt.

When he has been fit, the 27-year-old made 50 appearances  for Palace in all competitions, which is not a lot bearing in mind he has been at the club for five years. His scoring tally is not great either as he has only managed 11 goals for the Eagles, which equates to £818,182 per goal. It looks like Roy Hodgson sees Wickham’s Palace career coming to an end soon as he allowed the player to go out on loan to Championship side Sheffield Wednesday last season.

All in all, Wickham definitely looked to be a good signing at the time to bolster the attack at the club, but the Eagles’ £9m investment has since proven to be money poorly spent as he has struggled for form, fitness and game-time .The expensive transfer has sadly been a disaster for these reasons and hopefully Wickham can still somehow turn around his career at Selhurst Park.

Palace fans, what are your thoughts on Wickham? Comment below with your views!

What makes Marcelo Bielsa a great manager is his ability to improve his players.

The likes of Stuart Dallas, Luke Ayling and Kalvin Phillips were all mid-table Championship players before El Loco arrived, but now they’re already looking like bona fide Premier League stars.

Bielsa has been able to improve almost every player he has worked with at Leeds, transforming the squad from a team that finished 13th in the Championship to champions of the second division, all while keeping a very similar core of the squad.

However, there is one player that has gone backwards under his tutelage.

Unfortunately, we’re talking about Barry Douglas.

The Scot arrived at Elland Road with one hell of a reputation, having assisted 14 and scored five in Wolves’ incredible promotion season, but since then he’s not come close to those types of numbers.

He’s had just five assists in two seasons since joining Leeds, while he’s still waiting on his first goal for the club.

The most frustrating thing about Douglas’ regression is that we know how good he can be, and if he reproduced his Wolves form he would undoubtedly be a Premier League calibre left-back. For one reason or another however, that hasn’t happened.

It’s rare for Bielsa to fail when it comes to bringing out the best in a player, but with Douglas he’s simply not been able to find the key to unlock his potential. Now the defender is set to head out on loan with his contract expiring in 2021, we may never see his best at Leeds.

Perhaps his incredible season at Wolves was more a testament to Nuno Espirito Santo’s managerial ability than his time at Leeds being a knock on Bielsa’s, but one thing is for sure, he has regressed since joining the Whites.

Steve Parish missed the boat with Crystal Palace’s failed pursuit of CSKA Moscow striker Fedor Chalov after the Russians rejected a £14m bid for the centre-forward last year.

What was the story?

According to a report from Sky Sports at the time, Palace were among several Premier League clubs said to be interested in signing the Russia international in the summer of 2019, along with Monaco, Lazio and Valencia, having been impressed by the striker’s prolific top-flight form in the 2018/19 campaign.

Chalov burst onto the scene with 15 goals and 7 assists in 30 games in Premier Liga, whilst he also scored two goals in the Champions League that  same season.

Following their futile attempts to sign Chalov last summer, his agent Christian Emile said: “Fedor is one of the most striking players in Europe, and the increased interest in him is completely justified.

“Especially from the side of one Premier League club, which made a significant offer, but CSKA refused to sell the player.

“The position of CSKA is completely understandable – they have serious goals, and Fedor is the most important player for them.”

It’s believed that Palace boss Roy Hodgson wanted to sign two centre-forwards, having identified the Russian as one of his top transfer targets, as well as then-Brentford striker Ollie Watkins. However, as we all know, Hodgson didn’t end up with either of those options, signing Jordan Ayew in the end instead, before bringing in Michy Batshuayi from Chelsea on a season-long loan deal on transfer deadline day this season.

Missed the boat

Chalov has at times struggled for consistency so far this season, having scored two goals and supplied five assists in all competitions for his boyhood club, as a recurring knee injury has caused him several problems. However, he scored during the 2-0 win over Rostov before the international break, and has bagged two times and produced two assists in his past four games.

Per WhoScored, the 22-year-old has played 11 games in Premier Liga, scoring two goals and supplying four assists, whilst he is averaging 2.3 shots and 1.1 key passes per game.

By comparison, Batshuayi is barely managing one shot and just 0.2 key passes per game in the Premier League, via WhoScored, whilst he has failed to find the back of the net at Selhurst Park this season so far.

Pavel Koval, Chalov’s first coach at CSKA’s youth academy, once said his former charge “has everything a forward needs; speed, dribbling ability, a good scoring instinct – he has it all,” which is high praise indeed for someone who is still at the early stages of his career. 

In Chalov, Parish could have added a natural goal threat in the middle of the pitch to the Palace first-team squad, who can also play as an attacking midfielder, whilst he still has room for improvement at the age of 22.

The £11.7m-rated sensation could’ve become a first-team regular starter for years to come if he had brought him to Selhurst Park and he was able to hit the ground running, although his statistics seem to indicate that he would’ve done this, given his impressive return for CSKA Moscow (41 goals in 139 games), as he has shown he can score goals at the top levels of the game.

However, his contract is set to expire in 2022, and it’s unlikely he will be short of potential suitors if/when the chance once again arises to sign him.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace got rid of Aaron Wan-Bissaka at the perfect time…

Tottenham Hotspur are ‘not interested’ in selling Tanguy Ndombele this summer, reports say. 

Ndombele has been touted to leave north London and join Inter Milan instead, as the two clubs have reportedly held talks to try to sort out a deal for the midfielder.

According to The Mirror, as relayed by Ricky Sacks, Tottenham have so far insisted that, despite the fact the club’s record signing is keen to move to Milan, he is going nowhere.

The Nerazzurri have offered Slovakian defender Milan Skriniar as part of a player exchange but Spurs have no intention of entertaining the swap deal.

However, they are prepared to open separate discussions with the Serie A side if the 25-year-old is available.

Jose Mourinho rates Skriniar highly and Inter are confident they can persuade Spurs to accept their offer.

The Lilywhites do not want to let the £40.5m-valued French international go as Mourinho is determined to make him a success.

The 23-year-old struggled for consistency last term, having played just two games since the Premier League restart, before being dropped from the squad after picking up an injury.

Daniel Levy could live to regret selling the Frenchman in the summer, as he emerged as one of Europe’s hottest prospects during his time at Lyon.

Ndombele simply needs time to adjust and settle down to life in the Premier League, which is no easy task, as his teammate Son Heung-min found out for himself when he first arrived at White Hart Lane.

He clearly has bags of potential, as he given fans a glimpse of what he has to offer in the Champions League, supplying two assists, making 1.7 tackles per game, averaging one interception, and successfully completing 2.8 dribbles on average (via WhoScored).

For whatever reason, it hasn’t quite worked out for him in north London as of yet, but Mourinho must get the best out of him if Spurs are to challenge for silverware next season. The Portuguese knows he has to be patient after he cited Luka Modric’s early struggles at Real Madrid as an example.

Tottenham fans, do you think Levy should sell Ndombele in the summer? Let us know your views in the comments below!

Royal Antwerp midfielder Frank Boya has revealed that he turned down Glasgow Rangers before making the switch to the Belgian club.

Boya recently made the move to Antwerp, joining on a free transfer from Mouscron, and it appears that he had the choice of several clubs before making his final decision. He has said that he turned down not only the Ibrox outfit but also said no to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen:

“The proof that I did well at Mouscron was the amount of offers I received from big clubs.

“I had no shortage of offers and Rangers and Werder Bremen were the most keen for me to join them.

“So leaving Belgium could have been a solution, but I wanted my future to be settled quickly and none of the teams interested have as much ambitions as at Antwerp.

“As soon as I moved here, I knew it was the right decision. The staff here integrated me from my first day and my new team mates have been a huge help.”

Currently valued at £1.53m by Transfermarkt, it is interesting to see that Boya chose Antwerp because of their ambition, suggesting in the process that the 54-time Scottish champions were not on their level in that respect. The ‘Gers are going for the Scottish Premiership title next term and are currently in the Europa League round of 16 as well.

They have spent money, too, bringing in Ianis Hagi for £3m, for example – there seems to be plenty of ambition at Ibrox. Still, Boya has made his choice, so both he and the Scottish club will have to live with the consequences. If the ‘Gers go on to enjoy a successful 2020/21 season, don’t expect too many regrets over Boya’s snub.

‘Gers fans, were you dismayed by Boya’s decision to turn down the club in favour of a move to Antwerp? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Manchester City have reportedly made a move towards trying to sign Sergi Roberto from Barcelona, according to reports from Spain.

Mundo Deportivo claimed that director of football Txiki Begiristain has made enquiries to the La Liga club about the 28-year-old, with the approval of City manager Pep Guardiola, under whom the versatile Spain international has previously played at Camp Nou.

Roberto, who is valued at £36m by TransferMarkt and has won two Champions League titles with Barcelona, has the vast experience of playing 273 times for the La Liga champions, with 29 of those games coming this season as he has been a regular presence in their starting XI (as per TransferMarkt).

A midfielder by trade, the 28-year-old has been deployed mainly at right-back in recent months – coincidentally the position in which Nelson Semedo, who has also been linked with Manchester City (Sport,via Sport Witness), regularly features.

Roberto has an excellent passing success rate of 91.2%, which puts him ahead of Guardiola’s current right-backs Joao Cancelo (89.4%) and Kyle Walker (88.9%) in that regard. He also wins more tackles per game than the Englishman (1.2 to one), while they both average one interception per game.

However, Cancelo has a far better tackling average with 2.3 per game and also makes more interceptions per match with 1.4. Additionally, the Etihad Stadium duo have far greater attacking instincts than the Barcelona man. Roberto’s match averages of 0.2 shots and 0.5 successful dribbles pale in comparison with the respective figures put up by Cancelo (0.7 shots, 1.6 successful dribbles) and Walker (0.6 shots, 0.9 successful dribbles).

While Roberto would present Guardiola with a versatile option at right-back and central midfield, he does not seem an upgrade on the current right-sided defensive pair of Walker and Cancelo. Indeed, the latter has been reportedly considered as bait in a potential swap deal with Semedo (Mundo Deportivo, via Sport Witness), which seems difficult to comprehend given Cancelo’s more than respectable statistics from this season.

At £36m, 28 years of age and in a position where Manchester City are already well stocked, the Premier League champions ought to be looking elsewhere to bolster their squad over the summer.

Man City fans, are you surprised that the club are reportedly pursuing a move for Sergi Roberto? Comment below with your views!

Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has said that he wants to add another midfielder to his squad.

So far, the Gers have failed to do so, but that does not mean they have not been linked with a number of players. The Ibrox outfit were said to be heavily interested in Bongani Zungu, but that now appears to have died down, whilst they have also been said to be in pursuit of the likes of John Lundstram and Daler Kuzyaev (Russian report via The Herald).

Now, another name has been been mentioned – the Gers are said to be eyeing Genk midfielder Patrik Hrosovsky. The £3.6m-valued 28-year-old (as per Transfermarkt) – a former team-mate of Ianis Hagi – made 27 appearances in all competitions for the Belgian outfit last term, and the Gers are said to be interested in signing him on loan. Genk, though only want to sell him permanently, and are looking for a fee of £3.55m.

The speculation has attracted the attention of the Gers supporters, and it seems they would love to sign him – he fits the bill of what they need, and has performed at a Champions League level, even scoring against Real Madrid.

They have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think below!

Many Sheffield Wednesday fans have fondly looked back on John Harkes’ memorable goal against Derby whilst playing for the club.

After developing his football in his homeland of America, Harkes quickly became known for ability, making his first appearances for the US national side in 1987.

Interest would soon follow from European football, and it was Sheffield Wednesday who would agree a deal with Albany Capitals for the midfielder.

Arriving to help the Owls gain promotion from the second division to the first, Harkes would also go on to play for the Yorkshire club in the Premier League campaign of 1992/1993.

A consistent performer, Harkes would create history at the club when he scored what was later named ‘English football’s Goal of the Year’, netting from distance against Derby County, for whom Peter Shilton played in goal for.

Leaving Wednesday in 1994, Harkes would join Derby, having two years at Pride Park, before finishing his spell in England with a short spell at West Ham United.

Now head coach of Greenville Triumph, Harkes 90 international caps to his name and no less than 358 career club appearances.

Looking back on footage of his strike against Derby, Wednesday fans issued the following responses on Harkes’ memorable moment…

Owls fans, what are your memories of John Harkes? Let us know below…

Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce has spoken out about the prospective takeover in public for the first time and it has sparked mass reaction from the Magpies faithful on social media.

The 59-year-old, who has been in charge since the summer, was interviewed on Sky Sports on Thursday morning and claimed that he’s just as unknowing as the rest of the fanbase.

He said: “If it’s good for Newcastle, and the club are going to try to compete with these teams, to be part of it would be great. I would love to see it, and I’d love to be part of it.”

Before adding: “I’m in the dark like most other people, and for that, I’m glad, really, because I can’t comment on it. It’s not worth talking about it as I really don’t know.”

Stuck in isolation? Our mega footy quiz will cure any boredom…

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There have been several reports during this process linking the new ownership with a change in management with both Mauricio Pochettino and Zinedine Zidane linked to the gig even despite Bruce being under contract at St James’ Park for another two years.

He’d clearly like to be a part of it but the same can’t be said for some fans.

Here’s how they have reacted to his comments…

AND in other news, Newcastle fans react as Paul Dummett tweets…

Dele Alli put in a masterclass performance for Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, playing an integral role in their 3-2 victory over AFC Bournemouth.

The England international scored both of Spurs’ first goals, while he also played the ball through to Heung-min Son that allowed him to set up Moussa Sissoko.

Following the game, he sent out a tweet summarising his mood after the performance and three points.

Many Spurs fans were absolutely delighted by what they had seen and let him know about it in the replies.

The midfielder’s performance was so impressive that he was awarded a rating of 9.5 on WhoScored, having also completed all eight of his attempted dribbles and won both of his aerial duels.

After putting in such an impressive performance, the 23-year-old received plenty of congratulations from supporters.

There were also hints made about how much he has improved since Jose Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino as manager.

Prior to the Portuguese tactician taking over at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Alli had managed three goals and no assists, but in the three games since, he has managed a brilliant two goals and two assists.

In addition to that, he is also looking far more confident in his general play, as indicated by the piece of skill that helped Lucas Moura to score against West Ham United.

The club’s fans are over the moon to see that he is hitting form once again.

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