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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Jack Harrison has been in scintillating form as of late.

Indeed, the winger has assisted four goals in his last five appearances for Leeds United as the Whites have continued to mount their assault on the top two.

The Manchester City loanee has shown a marked improvement since his first spell with the Elland Road outfit, and one former United player believes that his value will skyrocket if he keeps up these good performances.

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What’s been said then?

Speaking to Football Insider, former Leeds man Noel Whelan stated that he believes Harrison will worth a substantial amount next summer if his good form continues, hailing his impact and the areas of his game that have seemingly got better.

“Harrison’s turning into a gem. He’s fitter, stronger, more confident and has more belief in his ability. You need to have belief in your ability to shine at the highest level and we’re starting to see that from him.

“He works tirelessly and does superb things for the team. Now he is adding assists to his game, and is starting to win matches.

“Marcelo Bielsa has showed enormous faith in him and he’s been transformed. I expect him to be worth £15million by the end of the season if this continues. He’s unlikely to be in Man City’s squad next season so he could make a permanent move.”

We mastered the trick in the video below in 8 attempts… could you do better?

Must exercise option to buy

If Whelan’s prediction rings true, Leeds simply must exercise their option to buy Harrison.

At the moment, it’s unknown what the price tag attached to making the winger’s loan deal a permanent one is, but it’s hard to see it being any more than the £15m that Whelan reckons he’s worth.

After all, that’s the fee Helder Costa is set to move to Elland Road on a permanent basis for next summer – a value that’s quite considerable for a side in the Championship.

Aged just 22 there’s even more scope for the former NYCFC man to grow and improve, and if his value increases even further Leeds will be kicking themselves if they don’t tie him down permanently.

His form in recent times has shown just how crucial he is, becoming one of their most consistent players. On that evidence, securing his services for the future is of utmost importance.

According to Sport1, Bayern Munich are interested in signing Tottenham Hotspur attacker Christian Eriksen.

The Denmark international will see his current deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium expire at the end of the campaign.

And it appears likely that he will seek pastures new.

Real Madrid continue to be strongly linked with a move for the former Ajax playmaker, who has only scored once in 11 appearances for Mauricio Pochettino’s side in the early stages of the 2019-20 campaign.

However, according to Sport1, Bayern have now joined the race for a player who will be available to sign a pre-contract with foreign clubs in January.

The Bundesliga champions famously thumped Spurs 7-2 in the Champions League earlier this month, but the majority of the London club’s fans would seemingly not be too bothered if Eriksen left for the Allianz Arena.

A selection of the Twitter reaction in relation to a potential switch to the German giants can be seen below:

West Brom currently sit top of the Championship table going into this weekend’s fixtures and much of their success has been down to their manager Slaven Bilic.

Only a few players from last season remain amongst the regular starting line up with the Croatian electing to strengthen the squad during the summer.

But not all players were complete newcomers or part of a past Albion outfit as the likes of Nathan Ferguson and Kyle Edwards were promoted from within during pre-season.

The former has had quite the impact at the Hawthorns already this season, playing ten of their 11 matches in multiple positions.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Amongst the youth ranks, the 19-year-old was primarily a central defender playing 31 games there per Transfermarkt’s recorded U23 matches, but he began the season at right-back, where he even picked up the Sky Sports Man of the Match award for his role in their opening day victory over Nottingham Forest.

He has since been used at left-back in Kieran Gibbs’ absence, but he has played well enough to keep the former Arsenal man out of the team upon his return.

There are now new developments suggesting that Ferguson is close to signing a new long-term contract in the west Midlands, which has delighted several members of the Baggies support.

One fan claimed the starlet deserved his contract as his breakthrough campaign has been ‘sensational,’ as another labelled it ‘good news.’

A further supporter hoped a massive release clause was included in the deal so that the defender wouldn’t leave on the cheap with one more describing Ferguson as a ‘top-class player.’

Here’s the best of the reaction:

Rangers are looking to earn another important three points in the Scottish Premiership this weekend as they host Aberdeen on Saturday afternoon at Ibrox.

Behind the Old Firm, this is arguably the biggest game of Rangers’ domestic season with the rivalry with the Dons needing little introduction.

Bragging rights are on offer in this final game of September for both on Saturday, then, and Gers fans will be itching to see their players attack the men from Pittodrie from the first whistle.

Steven Gerrard will surely be looking for such an approach, too, and he has been putting the players through their paces on Friday ahead of the clash, with the club sharing some footage on their Instagram channel:

/B26VgSzF5-4/

It’s always good when a club offers this kind of insight as it brings fans closer to their heroes but ultimately it’s what happens during a match that counts.

Steven Gerrard will hope the last few days of work will provide the right result for his side.

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

Since arriving on a season-long loan from Real Betis back in the summer, Victor Camarasa has struggled for game time at Crystal Palace.

The Spaniard has played just five Premier League minutes for his new side as he struggles to dislodge James McArthur, Luka Milivojevic and Cheikhou Kouyate from the midfield, although he could get a rare chance after an incident last time out against Norwich.

What happened?

Despite playing just seven Premier League games so far this term, Palace captain Milivojevic has already picked up five yellow cards – his booking against the Canaries came in the 93rd minute.

What is the significance of this, you ask?

Well, the Serbia international’s fifth booking of the campaign means that he has received a one-game suspension, so the 28-year-old will miss the trip to West Ham on Saturday.

In his place, Camarasa could be handed a chance.

What would Camarasa bring?

The 25-year-old is clearly a decent player having won the Players’ Player of the Year award with Cardiff for his efforts last season.

Camarasa scored five goals and grabbed four assists for the Bluebirds while playing in a central midfield position, as well as a more attacking midfield role at times – as per Transfermarkt – and could be given a chance alongside or slightly ahead of McArthur and Kouyate in the middle of the park.

The former Spain Under-21 international would presumably bring a similar amount of creativity as Milivojevic does if Roy Hodgson gave him the nod, seeing as he registered 1.6 key passes per game last season – the same number as Palace’s No.4 managed.

What Camarasa could also bring that Milivojevic doesn’t, however, is the ability to carry the ball forward and dribble with it – he recorded 1.1 dribbles per game in 2018/19, whereas the Serb only managed 0.3.

It would be bold from Hodgson seeing as Camarasa didn’t make the bench last time out against Norwich, but Milivojevic’s suspension has handed the Spaniard a boost up the pecking order – there is certainly the chance that he could finally be given a chance.

Tottenham Hotspur will be desperate to return to winning ways in their next Premier League match against Chelsea, with the opportunity to cement a place in the top four. 

The Lilywhites looked less than convincing at Turf Moore as they conceded a late Ashley Barnes goal, but they’ll be pleased to have Harry Kane back in their ranks.

Interestingly, it appears as if the North London club are eyeing a possible summer raid, as according to Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), Tottenham Hotspur are in the race to sign Tanguy Ndombele.

Indeed, it’s understood that Tottenham, Arsenal and Barcelona are all in the race to sign the midfielder, while Paris Saint-Germain have been following him but most of the attention goes to Juventus.

Spurs still haven’t found a replacement for Mousa Dembele, so perhaps the Lyon midfielder could be the man to fill the current void in the middle of midfield.

There have been no suggestions of a potential price that Spurs may have to pay for him, but he will no doubt attract a big fee with a number of clubs in for him and the potential to become a star.

The 22-year-old has even been compared to Manchester United’s Paul Pogba by Lyon boss Bruno Genesio, according to Tuttosport (via Daily Star), as he stated this:

“I do not like comparisons, but indeed, Ndombele can be a new Pogba,

“He is strong physically and above all technically.

“Tanguy with the first touch manages to jump even three players and when he starts dribbling he is difficult to stop.

“He can play in any position in the midfield.”

THE VERDICT:

Tanguy Ndombele, who is valued at £40.5 million (by Transfermarkt), has established himself as one of the most promising midfielders in Europe this season, so it comes as no surprise that Spurs are taking an interest.

The Frenchman could easily fill the void left by Dembele and he has the potential to become a star in the Premier League, having produced two goals and five assists this season, as well as making great strides on the international stage.

It won’t be easy to land him, though, so Spurs will have to produce some summer magic if they’re to get their man.

Thoughts?

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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… 

As long as football has existed, tactics and strategies to out-think the opponent have always been prominent.

Modern managers like Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho have made the term ‘tactics’ such a buzz-word.

But often, it can just over-complicate things. You can get so bogged down with wanting to think outside the box, you lose sight of just how simple life can be. Just ask Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The Southampton manager’s bizarre team selection on Friday night against Bournemouth cost the Saints a real chance of getting a confidence-boosting result.

On the chalkboard

Coming up against a Bournemouth side that had impressively beaten Everton 3-1 at home, the first thing Hasenhuttl needed to ensure was that his team’s defence was up to par.

So what does he go and do? Play Cedric Soares, a right-back by trade, at left-back, and Kevin Danso, a centre-half, at right-back.

The decision was made even more bizarre by the fact the Saints boss had an England quality left-back in Ryan Bertrand, just sitting on the bench.

Watch Southampton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Predictably, the home side fell two goals behind at the break, with Danso in particular looking uncomfortable in his unfamiliar role.

As per Whoscored, his 57.6% pass accuracy gave him the second-worst percentage of Southampton players who started the game and he was promptly hooked at half-time.

The damage, however, had already been done, with Bournemouth winger Josh King – who was operating on the left-hand side – running riot, registering six dribbles in total.

Speaking after the game, Hasenhuttl fell short of admitting he made a mistake, instead attempting to focus on how he tried to fix things at the break.

“We knew against Bournemouth it is always a tactically interesting game and we had a shape we could change a lot. At half time we had to be clear in the mind and try to find the right decision and I think we took the right decision at half time because second half was a massive reaction for us.”

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

If Eddie Howe had sprung a huge tactical surprise and Hasenhuttl simply reacted to it at half-time, then the jury wouldn’t be out.

Instead, the Austrian brought Southampton’s problems on by himself, failing to use players in their natural positions, and quite simply, over-complicating matters. The Saints had no real injury crisis at the back to warrant such a mishmash line-up.

It’s about time the manager goes back to basics and does the simple things right first.

Having sacked manager Lee Johnson this week after a humiliating 6-0 defeat at Bolton, Sunderland fans were looking for a reaction as their side hosted bottom club Doncaster Rovers in today’s League One clash.

The Black Cats are still in the hunt for automatic promotion and would’ve fancied their chances against lowly Rovers, despite being under the interim charge of Mike Dodds and going into the match off the back of a thrashing in Lancashire.

However, the Wearside club’s predicament worsened as they lost 2-1 to the Yorkshire outfit, thus loosening their grip on the automatic promotion places.

It was a poor performance from all involved for Sunderland, but midfielder Elliot Embleton was particularly disappointing.

According to SofaScore, the 22-year-old failed to produce a single key pass or complete either a cross or a long ball, whilst losing 86% of his duels. Moreover, the attacking midfielder made 44 touches whilst losing possession on 19 occasions, an average of losing the ball once every 2.3 touches.

There was little attacking output from any of Sunderland’s forwards, with veteran striker Jermain Defoe making his second Black Cats debut as he came on in the 72nd minute in place of Embleton.

The £5.3k-per week 22-year-old managed just one shot (which hit the woodwork) whilst failing to contribute in helping to defend against Doncaster’s goals, offering no tackles, interceptions, blocks or clearances.

Embleton, a former youth player at the Stadium of Light, has been a regular for the Black Cats this season after returning from his loan spell at Blackpool last term.

The 22-year-old has made 30 appearances in all competitions in the current campaign, scoring four goals and contributing five assists, and he is an integral part of the Sunderland setup.

However, with a new manager set to be appointed in the coming days (at least fans will hope that’s the case), the Englishman’s efforts over the course of the season so far could count for little, and the midfielder will have to prove himself to his new boss, whoever that may be. Performances like his one today won’t support his case of being in the starting XI going forward, and he may well have put a significant dent in Sunderland’s promotion hopes with this insipid display.

In other news: Journalist drops “crucial” Sunderland manager claim which will leave fans elated 

Tottenham Hotspur are among the potential suitors for Paulo Dybala this summer as he looks to depart Juventus following the expiry of his contract.

According to Italian journalist Niccolo Ceccarini, Spurs are waiting ‘at the window’ for the Argentinian attacker to make a decision on where his future lies away from the Allianz Stadium.

The Lilywhites’ chances are bolstered by the fact that current sporting director Fabio Paratici was the man to bring Dybala to the Old Lady from Palermo back in 2015.

Atletico Madrid have also been mooted with interest but the 28-year-old will wait until the end of the season to decide.

If Paratici manages to seal the 5 foot 10 forward on a free transfer, then he could well replicate one of his greatest decisions from his time at Juventus.

The Italian supremo has a knack for sealing superstars for absolute bargains – a year into his tenure in Turin, he sealed a ‘deal of the century’ in Andrea Pirlo, signing the 32-year-old for nothing from AC Milan in 2011.

Kingsley Coman was another astute signing who didn’t cost a penny in terms of a transfer fee but perhaps the most renowned is that of Paul Pogba, who Paratici snatched from Manchester United aged just 19.

It was a move which upset Sir Alex Ferguson, though the then-young Frenchman went on to put up outstanding numbers as he provided 34 goals and 40 assists across 178 appearances before returning to Old Trafford.

Dybala could be held in similar regard, should he make the move to N17 this off-season.

Not only would it be a steal, considering that he’s valued in the region of £36m by Transfermarkt, but he would fill a lot of needs for current Spurs manager Antonio Conte.

The Italian lacks depth behind Harry Kane up top, a role that Dybala could easily fulfil, but his versatility also opens up the prospect of him being a no.10 in behind the England talisman.

Once described as “unbelievable” and “breathtaking” by former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey to The Athletic, the Argentina international has delivered 13 goals and six assists in 29 appearances this term, taking his Juventus career total to 161 direct contributions in 283 games.

His playing style has drawn some comparisons to late compatriot Diego Maradona, too.

An average of 1.6 key passes and registered 1.9 dribbles per game across the course of his recorded career on WhoScored suggests he has the ability to play in the hole, just as much as up top, given his goalscoring record.

Therefore, if Paratici can win the race for the wizard’s signature, then he may well stumble upon another Pogba-like transfer masterclass, and that has to be an exciting prospect to those around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

AND in other news, Talks underway: Spurs eye dream Conte signing in £18m prodigy dubbed “the next Mbappe”…

Flocking to Twitter, many Liverpool fans have erupted over a fresh transfer claim involving their club and Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria.

Jurgen Klopp has already been linked to a host of new midfield additions so far this month with the Reds and FSG seemingly setting their sights on a fair few central options.

The likes of Toni Kroos and Jude Bellingham have been mentioned recently given Liverpool’s arguable lack of depth in that area.

Now, sharing some news on who Liverpool are also eyeing, Sport 1 and their reporter Patrik Berger say that the the Anfield side are one of the clubs interested in signing Zakaria from Monchengladbach.

The Swiss ace’s deal is currently set to expire this year as things stand, meaning he can negotiate a pre-contract this month or opt to leave as a free agent in the summer.

Alternatively, Monchengladbach could even sell for a cheap fee, with Sport 1 claiming they could offload for as little as €6-7 million (£5.07m-£5.8m).

Liverpool fans erupt…

Flocking to Twitter, many Liverpool fans have erupted with their takes, with some believing he could be an ‘absolute bargain’ for Klopp.

The powerhouse 6 foot 3 midfielder can play both as a defensive midfield player and a centre-back whilst still being only 25-years-old, leaving little wonder why some supporters feel this way.

Zakaria averages 1.5 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.9 dribbles per game, showing his quality on both sides of the ball.

Find all of their best reactions down below:

“Seems like a no brainer for Liverpool and Klopp….”

Credit: @TheKop_

“€6m-€7m??? This sounds like an absolute bargain?”

Credit: @TomBrownrigg200

“We are crying out for a midfielder. €8m would be a rob. Buy him”

Credit: @JamzLFC786

“Plz”

Credit: @jj___lfc

“Sign him up a beg and let minamino go for 7m”

Credit: @lfanCai

“This is the classic no brainer. Best bang for buck.

sign him already”

Credit: @muootarek

“SIIIUUUUUUU”

Credit: @RitsonLFC