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Manchester City fans can’t believe the offer Real Madrid are reportedly prepared to table for Raheem Sterling. As reported by  Sky Sports, Madrid are set to offer £70m for the Englishman, plus Gareth Bale.

City fans seem to think this is an insulting offer and many of them have simply laughed off the idea it could happen. One fan said, “they can have Gundogan for that price and they can keep Gareth Bale”. Another supporter simply stated, “that could get you an arm” of the in-form forward.

Sterling has been one of Pep Guardiola’s best assets over the past three seasons, and the Spaniard has turned him into one of the world’s best lately. The former Liverpool forward has continued to light up European football this season and he now has 55 goals in the past three seasons. In this time, Bale has bagged 32 goals and struggled with injuries throughout.

Despite the Welshman still registering a decent return of 32 goals, his injuries, plus the fact he is six years old older, will make this deal of little interest to City, if there is indeed any genuine interest at all.

It’s hard to see Guardiola selling his prodigy and fans certainly want nothing to do with this transfer.

Let’s see how they reacted to the report below…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Real Madrid and Paul Pogba’s relationship is, by this point, old news.

Throughout the vast majority of the summer transfer window, Zinedine Zidane was insisting on signing Pogba and Pogba only.

And sure, there were other names on the table, like Tottenham Hotspur’s Christian Eriksen and Ajax’s Donny van de Beek, but even though they were attainable, they never seemed to be pursued that strongly.

The reason for that? The man in the dugout.

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Back then, it was Zidane who essentially discarded all other options and practically forced the club to chase after Pogba even though United were not playing ball – reportedly demanding a staggering €200m (£172.5m).

And now, according to an article published by Marca, it seems that it has been decided – Pogba will remain a priority signing for as long as Zidane is in charge.

The midfielder’s contract is slowly and surely running out – it expires in 2021 – and the Galacticos are betting on that card to bring in the goods sooner rather than later.

But Zidane’s stubbornness might cost Real Madrid in the long run, especially considering that Marca emphasise that Pogba is the coach’s explicit wish and the club actually have other targets in mind.

Eriksen is a much cheaper option and basically an offer too good to turn down as he will be a free agent in the summer, while Van de Beek can reportedly be acquired immediately and Martin Odegaard, their young breakthrough talent, is turning into an incredible player in his own right while on loan at Real Sociedad.

And while Pogba is a World Cup winner and a pretty well-known name to the footballing world, it very much feels like the upper management are not entirely sold on the prospect of incorporating him into the team.

That could mean that Zidane will have a task of convincing them first before anything else can be done, given that the board continue to look at alternative options, which in turn could lead to some friction. Politics between boardroom and dugout is hardly unheard of at Real.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

Not only that but despite his contract running out, it’s reasonable to expect that the Red Devils would demand a hefty sum of money for him nonetheless, seeing how they previously wanted a reported figure of £175.2m.

Investing heavily into a star player is practically a must in the modern market but considering that Los Blancos have multiple equally satisfying options on the table as well, this particular investment doesn’t seem worth the trouble anymore.

The final reason as to why this is turning into a fool’s errand is the negative effect it could possibly have on Real Madrid’s young players.

Federico Valverde has already been dubbed as the cheaper and better alternative to Pogba, but his fellow young Castilla graduates would hardly get their chance with the Frenchman in the squad.

Taking all of that into consideration, it seems that Zidane’s stubbornness to land his top priority target could do more harm than good in the long run – it’s causing an internal debate, it could block the development of their youth players and is most likely going to cost a small fortune.

Is Pogba really worth all of that hassle?

Sunderland showed exactly what they have to offer with the 5-0 hammering of Tranmere in midweek, and another display of attacking intent will likely yield a positive result again.

Phil Parkinson will likely bear than in mind as his squad travels to Shrewsbury, and though there are some notable absentees, the Black Cats should feel confident.

Sam Ricketts’ side have just one win in five, and in Aiden McGeady, who returns after serving a one-match suspension, Sunderland have one of their most creative outlets back.

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The Irishman has four goals and three assists this term, and his presence should make up for the injured Gooch, who got on the scoresheet in midweek.

With his team impressing against Rovers, Parkinson will likely stick with much the same team, but since Duncan Watmore has only just returned from a long injury lay-off, he may be rested after featuring in the last two fixtures

As a result, here is how the new manager will likely line-up on Saturday.

Watmore’s omission may disappoint fans after his brilliant display last time out, but it is for the best.

Sunderland need him to be fit for the full season and therefore his recuperation must be managed carefully. After all, he did suffer two ACL injuries in as many years.

Furthermore, if the Black Cats are struggling to break down Shrewsbury, his pace could be a very effective weapon from the bench, and Parkinson could use him in that way to run in behind a tiring defence – just like he did for his goal on Tuesday.

Marc McNulty could be the man to replace him, likely under instruction to join Will Grigg in the box in order to get on the end of chances, and in doing so create more space for the Northern Ireland international to operate in.

Grigg scored his first league goal of the season against Tranmere, and he could be key to his team this year. Another strong performance would do him the world of good, and McNulty’s presence in the box could help him score again, as he would be able to run onto crosses from deep.

Parkinson therefore has a few options at his disposal. He has shown already that he knows how to use them, and that should put Sunderland in a strong position on Saturday.

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West Brom extended their unbeaten run to a ninth straight Championship game on Saturday afternoon as they defeated Queens Park Rangers 2-0.

The first half was one to forget with zero shots on target for either team, but the game sparked into life just eight minutes into the second period when full-back Nathan Ferguson was allowed time and space to venture forward from the left flank to beat the QPR goalkeeper with a 25-yard strike.

Yoann Barbet was then sent off for fouling Hal Robson-Kanu when he was adjudged to be the last man and Matheus Pereira netted the resulting free-kick with less than ten minutes left on the clock.

The Brazilian winger is only on loan at the west Midlands club, but his impact has been hailed by several of the Baggies faithful – particularly after picking up his first goal.

One supporter claimed he would be an absolute steal at £9m, so the Albion hierarchy need to sign him up as soon as possible, while another said the 23-year-old was different gravy.

‘Truly gifted’ was a further description of Pereira as one more fan called him ‘majestic.’

Here’s the best of the reaction:

West Brom host Cardiff City at the Hawthorns on Saturday as they look to put the first loss of their 2019/20 Championship campaign behind them.

Slaven Bilic’s men went to Elland Road in midweek on a hot streak of nine games without defeat, but Ezgjan Alioski’s deflected strike was enough to see Leeds United leapfrog the Baggies into first position. That was before Swansea claimed it a day later.

They now return to their west Midlands home having been faced with back-to-back away trips, and it will be no easy feat as the Bluebirds come to town having not lost themselves in seven straight league matches.

Albion dominated the second half against Leeds, recording 67.3% possession and seven shots, per WhoScored, but they just couldn’t find a way through.

So, will the Croatian be pushed towards making any substantial changes for this weekend?

The Baggies will feel hard done by to not come away with at least a point, they’ve even been handed glowing praise from Marcelo Bielsa, who called them the best side in the Championship this season.

It’s unlikely that Bilic will change much of his defence, certainly not the goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, who at times kept West Brom in the match despite all of their dominance.

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Jake Livermore and Romaine Sawyers weren’t at their best in that match recording WhoScored ratings of 5.92 and 6.62 respectively, but with the lack of options in that role, they should keep their places – it could well be just one bad game after all.

The only changes from the side on Tuesday night should be in attack as young Kyle Edwards and the elder Charlie Austin come back into the line-up.

The £4m summer signing didn’t even come on as a substitute, so he should be the freshest option as he replaces Hal Robson-Kanu in a key area upfront.

Grady Diangana has been served better as a ‘super-sub’ this season having scored two and assisted two after coming off the bench.

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Tottenham fans will absolutely love the latest transfer rumour out of Spain, as reports claim Gareth Bale could be open to a return to north London.

What’s the story?

According to Marca, via Sport Witness, Real Madrid are once again considering selling Bale.

The Welsh wing wizard was the source of plenty of speculation after last season’s Champions League final, but of course it was Cristiano Ronaldo who departed, with Bale supposedly set to take the helm in Madrid.

That hasn’t happened though, and the report from Marca claims Bale “doesn’t rule out” a return to Spurs, while also including the Lilywhites as one of the interested parties.

According to the report, Bale has been overshadowed by Karim Benzema and Brazilian youngster Vinicius, and he could be used as part of a swap deal to land Christian Eriksen.

Is he worth losing Eriksen?

Real Madrid paid around £90m for Bale back in 2013, and that was before the transfer market exploded due to players like Paul Pogba and Neymar, so they will be looking for a hefty fee even as the Welshman approaches his 30th birthday.

That said, it is likely that the Lilywhites would have to sacrifice Eriksen to land Bale just like Marca claims, with the Danish international yet to show any signs of penning a new deal at the club.

Eriksen will be out of contract in the summer of 2020, but Daniel Levy and Mauricio Pochettino should be doing everything in their power to stop him from leaving, as the fan favourite playmaker is far younger and less injury-prone than Bale.

Bale may be a world-renowned superstar, but he has suffered countless muscle injuries in his five-and-a-half years in Madrid, and Eriksen is a more proven fit in Pochettino’s system.

Eriksen must be the club’s priority, but all things considered Bale isn’t exactly a bad contingency plan.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Southampton travel to Fratton Park to take on Portsmouth on Tuesday in what promises to be a highly-charged derby meeting.

With the Saints a Premier League team and their opponents currently play in League One, it could be assumed that there would be a gulf in quality.

However, anything can happen in football, especially under the lights in what will be the first meeting between these bitter south coast rivals since 2012.

And there are two players in particular who could be the architects of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side’s downfall.

Let’s take a look at two players the Saints must keep an eye on in the Carabao Cup tie…

Marcus Harness

The 23-year-old forward has been in decent form so far this season, with two goals and an assist to his name in League One – Harness has also netted in the Carabao Cup.

Pompey’s No.19 takes 1.4 shots per game and makes 1.2 key passes per 90 in the third tier, while he also records an impressive two dribbles per game.

You can tell Harness causes opposition defenders some problems seeing as he gets fouled 1.6 times on average per game as well.

A tricky customer, the Saints will have to be wary of his threat.

Ronan Curtis

The Republic of Ireland international, like Harness, also has two League One goals to his name so far this term, and the similarities with his teammate continue as Curtis is also fouled 1.6 times on average per game.

What is most eye-catching about the 23-year-old’s season so far, however, is the sheer amount of shots he takes.

Curtis records a whopping 4.1 shots per game in League One, suggesting that he isn’t afraid to pull the trigger and test the goalkeeper.

As only two of his strikes have gone in, he arguably hasn’t made the most of his opportunities, but you can’t win the raffle without buying a ticket – and any pressure on the Southampton goal will give a huge boost to Pompey.

A daring attacking player, Curtis could prove a thorn in the Saints’ side on Tuesday.

Everton made five signings during the January transfer window, adding experienced players like Donny Van de Beek and Dele Alli, as well as securing the signature of young talents like Nathan Patterson; and now Frank Lampard has the opportunity to put together a team which can pick up vital wins and climb the Premier League into a safer position than their current placing of 16th.

The Toffees are currently just four points above the drop zone in the league, and the former Chelsea boss has been brought in for a fresh perspective in finding solutions to the mounting issues the club has faced this season, with an injury crisis, fans turning on the owners in multiple protests and the poor performances on the pitch from the players who have only secured five wins out of 20 league games.

When Lampard was at Chelsea, he had a strong ethos in developing young players and giving them opportunities in the first team. This contributed to the success of players like Mason Mount and Reece James, who were both instrumental in Chelsea’s Champions League-winning campaign last year.

Right-back James was given his Premier League debut by Lampard in 2019 at just 19 years of age and quickly became a first team regular. The Everton boss now has the opportunity to emulate his successful development of the Chelsea starlet by giving 20-year-old Patterson – who was dubbed “amazing” by Scotland team-mate Che Adams – his Premier League now as well.

The Scottish right-back was signed from Rangers in January by Rafael Benitez after having a fantastic start to his career for both club and country. His most notable performance came from his latest Scotland start, when he scored the opening goal and set up the second to help his nation secure a spot in the World Cup play-offs, which take place at the end of March.

With Seamus Coleman now 33 and into the final 18 months of his contract, the signing of Patterson could be the perfect opportunity to start phasing out the Irishman and integrating more youth into the defence.

That would allow Lampard to mould the youngster into the player he wants to see at right-back, which could be in the more offensive role that we have seen from James at Chelsea. Patterson has shown glimpses of his capability to achieve just that when you look at his aforementioned performance for Scotland.

It will be interesting to see how Lampard sets up his Everton team against Brentford on Saturday in the FA Cup, when the Toffees return to action at Goodison Park for the first time since the 43-year-old took on the head coach role. Hopefully Patterson will be granted a senior Blues debut, potentially the first step to becoming Everton’s answer to James.

In other news: Everton must finally offload this flop

Sunderland boss Alex Neil picked up another win in the third tier over the weekend as his side beat Gillingham 1-0 at the Stadium of Light.

Nathan Broadhead’s diving header in the last minute sealed the three points to keep the Black Cats in the race to land a play-off spot.

They are currently two points behind 5th-placed Sheffield Wednesday in the table as they attempt to land a top-six place between now and the end of the regular season.

If the Black Cats end up in the play-offs and Neil is able to guide them to the Championship this term, Kristjaan Speakman will be facing the daunting prospect of sorting out the club’s striking options heading into next season.

Ross Stewart has been linked with a move to Premier League side Norwich and Nathan Broadhead is set to return to Everton this summer. They have scored 28 goals between them in League One and losing both of them ahead of a campaign in the second tier would be a disaster, especially if they fail to bring in a player of the requisite quality to replace them.

One striker they have been credited with an interest in is 18-year-old Guiseley forward Josh Stones. The youngster has caught the eye this season with his goals at youth level and Sunderland are one of the clubs keen on a deal for him.

However, Football Insider recently reported that Wigan have agreed terms with the striker ahead of a summer switch to the DW Stadium. This means that, as it stands, Speakman is set to miss out on a deal for the teen as Wigan have swooped in ahead of them.

Stones has scored nine goals in his last five youth games for Guiseley, whilst he recently scored a hat-trick at youth level for England’s schoolboys team against Scotland. This means that he has found the back of the net 12 times in his last six matches in development football, which highlights his incredible potential as a player.

Therefore, missing out on a deal for him would be a big disaster for Speakman. Not only would it be to a League One rival, but it could also be at the same time they lose both Stewart and Broadhead – leaving Neil’s squad threadbare at the top end of the pitch.

The Stadium of Light supremo must do everything in his power to convince the 18-year-old phenomenon to turn Wigan down and sign a contract with Sunderland. His statistics at youth level suggest that he would be an excellent addition to the club’s ranks and they cannot allow their rivals to snap him up ahead of them.

AND in other news, SAFC made huge £600k blunder over “outstanding” machine who aged like “fine wine”…

Leeds United turned down interest from Barcelona in Rodrigo last summer, according to reliable journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Rodrigo’s Leeds struggles

The Spaniard joined the Whites in the summer of 2020, coming in as the most expensive signing in the club’s rich and illustrious history.

However, Rodrigo has struggled to match the expectations of him when he arrived, scoring just nine goals in 45 appearances and finding himself in and out of the team because of injuries.

It has now emerged that the 30-year-old could actually have left Elland Road in last summer’s transfer window.

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The Latest: Barca made summer move for Rodrigo

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic prior to Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at home to Newcastle United, Hay claimed that Barcelona tried to snap him Rodrigo on loan in 2021, only for Leeds to turn down their interest, and the journalist didn’t completely rule out the notion that the La Liga giants remain keen.

Hay outlined: “Barca looked at him very late in the last window (loan bid) but Leeds said no. It doesn’t seem to have resurfaced yet but they clearly have, or had, an interest in him”.

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The Verdict: Better to keep hold of him

While Rodrigo has been a disappointing signing overall, it is still better that Leeds have him in the squad than not, given the quality that he can offer. The Spain international has shown sporadic glimpses of his brilliance, including a last-gasp equaliser in a Man of the Match performance at home to Wolves earlier in the season.

Granted, Rodrigo needs to go up a gear if he is to become an unqualified success at Elland Road, especially given his age. However, with Patrick Bamford out injured and Leeds lacking any other potent centre-forward as they try to move clear of a relegation battle, it is crucial that the Spaniard is still around between now and the end of the season.

In other news, one rumoured Leeds transfer target could be available this summer. Find out who it is here.