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Leeds United were set to sign Swansea winger Daniel James until the final minutes of deadline day, but attentions are now turning to Burnley’s Aaron Lennon per The Sun.

What’s the word?

James had been identified as Marcelo Bielsa’s top January target from an early stage, but negotiations between Leeds and Swansea proved difficult for much of the month.

It was not until last Thursday’s deadline day that an agreement seemed to be reached. The winger held his medical early in the day, only for the Welsh outfit to pull the plug on a £1.5million loan with an obligation to buy should United secure promotion to the Premier League.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

Rather than returning to the Swans star in the summer, though, The Sun are suggesting that Bielsa is looking to tempt Lennon into a homecoming.

Lennon began his career at Elland Road after emerging from United’s youth ranks, and is out of contract at Turf Moor at the end of next season. It would not have made sense to target the 31-year-old in January, as the former England international is currently sidelined with a potentially season-ending knee injury.

Who should Bielsa target?

Depending on James’ performances for the remainder of the season, Bielsa opting to favour the 31-year-old winger instead may prove to be the correct decision – although there is no explicit suggestion that Leeds won’t try to sign both.

The current roster at Elland Road does not boast a great deal of top-flight experience, whereas Lennon has been a regular feature in the Premier League for more than a decade and has recorded 67 appearances in the Champions League and Europa League combined.

The £4.5million rated winger has also shown that he still has a lot to offer any side in England’s top division since moving to Burnley.

James, on the other hand, has only managed 18 appearances in the Championship with the current campaign his breakthrough season.

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Sunderland have confirmed the signing of Lewis Morgan from Celtic, with the winger joining on loan from the Scottish champions until the end of the season (via the BBC).

What’s the word, then?

The Black Cats have reunited Morgan with his old boss Jack Ross, as the pair worked together whilst at St Mirren. After signing on the dotted line for the League One promotion chasers, Morgan told the club’s official website: “I’m joining coaching staff I’ve worked with before, and once I got the opportunity to speak with them, my decision was made.

“My game is based around scoring and creating goals, but I obviously also try to work hard for the team, and that is the most important thing.”

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

It is clear that Ross’ influence was key in getting the 22-year-old to the Stadium of Light, and Sunderland will be getting a very good player who was instrumental in helping St Mirren win promotion to the Scottish Premiership last season.

He looks to be surplus to requirements under Brendan Rodgers at Celtic, having made just one start this season, and he will be hoping he can gain a second promotion in two seasons with the Wearsiders.

What sort of player is Morgan?

The Scottish international is a speedy left winger who enjoys taking his man on and looking to make things happen. At 22 years of age, Morgan still has a high ceiling for improvement and is in the perfect place to develop that potential further under a manager who trusts him.

Sunderland are in need of a new spark in attack following the departure of Josh Maja to Bordeaux, as the 20-year-old Englishman scored 15 league goals before his departure and was the main spearhead behind the club’s promotion push.

There seems plenty more to come from Morgan, and he appears hungry to prove himself in English football as Ross has given him no guarantees over his place in the team after telling the official site: “I’ve been very open and honest with him about how hard he will have to work to get into our team, as we have some very good players, but he’s welcomed that challenge.”

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Liverpool had another wobble in the Premier League on Monday night as they were held to a 1-1 draw at West Ham United.

The Reds have moved three points clear at the top of the table, but Manchester City will have the chance to reclaim first spot when they travel to Everton on Wednesday, given that they have a better goal difference than their title competitors.

There was another start for Joel Matip at the London Stadium, with fellow central defenders Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren both currently on the sidelines for the Merseyside club.

West Ham’s equaliser on Monday came from a quick free-kick and Matip was one of those at fault for Michail Antonio’s goal.

Matip – a 2016 arrival from Schalke 04 – has largely found it difficult to put together a consistent run of performances for Liverpool.

And the English outfit’s fans have blasted the 27-year-old’s display against the Hammers.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Liverpool supporters can be seen below:

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

Chelsea take on Malmo tonight in a competition that could now become the club’s Holy Grail this season. 

After their humiliating 6-0 hammering to Manchester City and, with the form Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United side are in, the Blues finishing in the top four now looks almost impossible even if there is just one point currently separating them and the Red Devils.

Considering that, the Europa League, indeed, could now be Maurizio Sarri’s best bet when it comes to securing Champions League qualification . And in that regard, the odds may actually be in the Italian’s favour.

There are, of course, still some very strong teams left in the competition including Arsenal and Sarri’s former club Napoli.

However, in cup competitions, Chelsea can become a different animal. Something even this spineless bunch of blue frauds have shown.

They were fantastic against Tottenham and Liverpool in the Carabao Cup while in previous years, Chelsea teams who have also struggled in the league, have gone on to have success in other competitions in the same year, something this current crop of players can take inspiration from.

As well as that, the west London club will quickly have the chance to right some wrongs, too, when they go up against their conquerors Manchester City again in the Carabao Cup final at the end of the month.

Liverpool will be hoping to gain an advantage during the second leg of the Champions League round of 16, whilst also continuing their fine league performances in the upcoming weeks.

It appears that within the next month or so, those adoring Liverpool fans will have a far clearer picture of whether silverware will be returning to Anfield this summer or not.

With a number of critical games coming up, this will be a massive test for Jurgen Klopp and his players.

As hard as it is to concentrate on anything else, Liverpool must also consider the bigger picture and the fact that they still need to recruit in the summer, whether they win anything or not.

Despite how brilliant they have been, all their title rivals will strengthen in the summer and Liverpool then have to ensure they do as well.

A weakness in the Reds side could arguably be up-front, where they have little in terms of quality back-up for Roberto Firmino.

In a bid to solve that, Liverpool must look at recruiting Bayer Leverkusen forward Kevin Volland.

Volland, (who is valued at £22.5 million on Transfermarkt) has been very consistent for Bayer Leverkusen this season and his side are reaping the rewards because of it.

With Europa League football again in sight, they have Kevin Volland’s goal contribution to thank for that especially, seeing as the German forward has so far accumulated nine goals and ten assists in all competitions.

At 26, Volland is set to reach his prime years in the game and as a versatile back-up in the forward department, playing anywhere from wide to the main man up-front, he would be a fine option for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Do you agree… Let us know!

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Isaac Hayden did not hide the fact that he wanted to leave Newcastle United last summer and indeed in the January transfer window.

Last month, Hayden was quoted as saying that he was hopeful that ‘a solution’ could be found for him to leave Newcastle due to family reasons.

As it turned out, the 23-year-old stayed with the Magpies beyond the end of the winter window and he has been an ever-present in recent weeks.

Hayden was again impressive against Huddersfield Town on Saturday, with the midfielder providing on assist, boasting a pass success rate of 93% and making four tackles, according to WhoScored.

It might well be that the 6ft 1in ace moves on this summer, but his commitment to the cause simply cannot be questioned.

And following the 2-0 win over Huddersfield at the weekend, a number of Newcastle fans were keen to pay tribute to the Englishman.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Chelsea have a lot on their plate at present, and that’s likely to leave fans dreaming of better times. Unfortunately for them, though, there’s still no end in sight for the Blues’ struggles, and it seems as though one of their arch rivals is enjoying exactly what most Chelsea fans would love. 

Since the departure of Jose Mourinho, Man Utd have exploded into life, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer impressing at the helm at Old Trafford. That, on its own, is enough to frustrate fans. The Red Devils and Chelsea have been rivals for years, yet the Blues have, as of late, not been very competitive.

For Chelsea fans, however, the latest comments from Solskjaer are going to only make the mood at Stamford Bridge worse.

Discussing the Red Devils’ youth contingent, the Man Utd boss said: “Angel has been in that successful England U17 team, with (Jadon) Sancho and (Callum) Hudson-Odoi and (Phil) Foden, so he’s been a big part of that. I’m definitely sure that if he gets a chance he’ll do well. Jimmy Garner, he’s a Michael Carrick but 20 years younger, so I’m sure he’ll do well, and Chong, he’ll definitely be taking people on if he comes on.”

He added: “They’re ready, they’re kids”.

Chelsea have become infamous for their lack of focus on young talent in recent years, and that’s only worsened under Maurizio Sarri. Callum Hudson-Odoi is arguably one of the best young players in Europe, yet he’s not made a single Premier League start so far this season.

Meanwhile, Solskjaer is talking up the chances of three youngsters; and that just shows how different the two managers are. Sure, Man Utd have a few injury problems at present, but Chelsea’s form has been so poor lately that the manager has had more than enough chances to include a few youngsters. But he hasn’t.

He just doesn’t trust them, and Solskjaer clearly does.

Chelsea fans want to see young players make it at Chelsea, make no mistake, and if Sarri isn’t going to give them chances, that will only increase their desire to see change.

Thoughts?

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Kurt Zouma was one of Everton’s most impressive performers as the Toffees held Liverpool to a goalless draw in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

It was a huge game for the Reds as they looked to return to the top of the table, but a strong display by the hosts meant that the points were shared at Goodison Park.

It would be fair to say that Jurgen Klopp’s side had some excellent chances to take all three points, but Marco Silva’s men certainly had to defend well to secure a point.

And Zouma put in a strong performance in central defence.

The 24-year-old, who is on loan from Chelsea, won two aerials and had a pass success rate of 65% on Sunday afternoon, according to WhoScored.

There were players easier on the eye, but Zouma performed a very important job for his team alongside the equally impressive Michael Keane.

The Everton fans were very pleased with what they saw from the Frenchman in the Merseyside derby and a selection of their Twitter reaction can be seen below:

No-one wants to see Jurgen Klopp leave Anfield, that’s for sure. However, if he were to take the bait from Real Madrid (as reported by the Independent), can he truly be replaced properly?

Finally, the 29-year wait could be over for Reds fans and, while the team have done the playing, most plaudits will go to the manager Klopp in how he has transformed Liverpool back into a European and English giant. It’s taken a while but the Merseyside giants are once again one of the best teams in the world, for the first time in a long time.

Considering his genius at the helm, it’s no surprise to see that a struggling Real Madrid have shown interest in the German’s services. So, with that in mind, we are going to look at a couple of names as to who could replace Klopp, if the German is to agree a shock departure from Anfield.

Here’s a look at a couple of options.

Rafa Benitez 

Having already been at the helm at Anfield, it can be argued that he is the perfect fit to be Liverpool’s next manager.

During his 6-year tenure with the Reds, the Spaniard managed to bring in four trophies to Anfield. The FA Cup, Champions League, Community Shield and a UEFA Super Cup all made up his successful spell before the club went through financial difficulty.

This is already more trophies than Klopp has managed despite the German getting to several finals with the Reds.

As well as success with Liverpool, the 58-year-old has had successful terms elsewhere in the world of football, having enjoyed spells at teams such as Napoli, Valencia and Chelsea, winning trophies at each club.

A legend.

Steven Gerrard 

Steven Gerrard, a club legend and a fans’ favourite.

It could be argued that a job the size of Liverpool would be a step far too big and far too early for the Englishman. However, with this, it is clear to see that Gerrard has what it takes to transform a club if given the time, with his Rangers side performing to a high level in the Scottish Premiership, and a solid run in Europe.

If given the right backing and enough time to put a stamp on the team, there’s no telling what the 38-year-old could bring to Liverpool.

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Sheffield United are set for a potentially season-defining test on Saturday when they travel to Elland Road to take on Leeds United. Victory would see the Blades usurp the Whites into second place in the Championship.

Defeat, though, would mean that Marcelo Bielsa’s side would gain a five point advantage with just eight league games left to go.

With promotion to the Premier League up for grabs, the pressure is on the Bramall Lane club, and manager Chris Wilder will know that they will have to be at their very best to beat Leeds.

Who would make a combined Sheffield XI? Ingood Nick makes his picks in the video below…

While fans will of course want to go for the throat and take three points from their rivals, Wilder’s side must also take measures to contain the Whites, who have the capacity to be utterly ruthless in the final third if given the chance.

On the chalkboard

Leeds possess plenty of talented forwards. The Blades, though, should focus most of their attentions on Pablo Hernandez. If they can restrict the 33-year-old attacker’s influence then the Whites may well struggle for cohesion and cutting edge in attack.

Hernandez has been in fine form recently. The veteran Spaniard is supremely technically gifted and a very smart player, which makes tracking and marking him especially difficult. Suffocating him for 90 minutes would require an enormous team effort from the Blades but that is what Wilder must demand. 

Keeping Hernandez down

Sheffield United boast one of the meanest defences in the division. The Blades’ back three proved last time out against Brentford that they can be extraordinarily resilient. The likes of Jack O’Connell, John Egan and Chris Basham will have to produce similar performance levels to keep the Whites out, even if they keep all 11 men on the pitch this time.

To suppress Hernandez, though, the Blades’ midfield contingent must help out more. John Fleck and Oliver Norwood must diligently track back to ensure that the four-cap former Spain international isn’t able to pull the strings by exploiting the spaces between Sheffield United’s midfield and defensive lines.

Wilder could go a step further by introducing Martin Cranie to the middle of the park. Though the 32-year-old is a defender by trade, Wilder has utilised him in midfield on occasions recently. Cranie brings an extra level of defensive awareness and physicality to this part of pitch – which could prove an effective means of stifling Leeds’ brilliant No. 19.