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Former Leeds United goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell has not seen his career progress in the way he might have hoped since joining Burnley, suggesting that Leeds’ director of football Victor Orta did extremely well to sell him for the price he did.

After making 41 appearances for the Whites, in which he conceded 53 goals and kept 11 clean sheets, the shot-stopper completed a move to Sean Dyche’s side in the summer of 2019.

Since then, he has managed just three appearances for the Clarets’ first-team, one of which came in their recent 5-0 defeat against Manchester City, where the 24-year-old produced a disappointing display, earning a 4.72 rating for his performance.

Whilst he has managed to establish himself as a regular in the Northern Ireland team, with 14 caps to his name, the former Leeds man has struggled for game time at Burnley, which is perhaps partly due to the superb form of Nick Pope in recent seasons.

Considering Leeds received £2.5 million for Peacock-Farrell, whilst he is now valued at just £1.08 million by Transfermarkt, it looks as if Orta did superbly in his negotiations.

When you consider the form of 20-year-old Illan Meslier so far this season, who Leeds were able to sign for just under £6 million, the deal Leeds got for Peacock-Farrell looks even better.

It seems unlikely that the 24-year-old will be able to establish himself as first-choice at Burnley anytime soon but hopefully, for the former Leeds man, he can prove himself as a Premier League goalkeeper in the future.

The young ‘keeper did earn some praise from Marcelo Bielsa after saving a penalty in the 1-0 win against Reading in 2018, with the Argentinian saying after the game:

“I’m very happy for him and I’m very happy for the team.”

“We had an intervention which resolved the game. He has a very big influence.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“562145″]

However, his form this season suggests that Orta sold him to Burnley at the perfect time and that Leeds won’t be having any regrets about letting him leave.

And, in other news… Carlton Palmer claims Leeds shouldn’t “rush into” contract decision for Bielsa favourite

كشف رئيس لجنة الحكام، عصام عبد الفتاح، إمكانية تطبيق تقنية الفيديو “الفار” في المرحلة النهائية من تصفيات كأس العالم، بعد عدم تطبيقها في دور المجموعات.

ويستعد المنتخب المصري لخوض المرحلة النهائية من تصفيات كأس العالم، بعدما تصدر مجموعته في الدور الثاني، حيث يخوض المباراتين في شهر مارس.

طالع أيضًا.. “بطولات” يوضح موقف أحمد فتوح من اللحاق بمباراة الزمالك والإسماعيلي بالدوري

وقال عصام عبد الفتاح في تصريحات خاصة لـ “بطولات”: “هناك احتمالية كبيرة أن تتوفر تقنية الفار في مباريات التصفيات النهائية المؤهلة لكأس العالم في شهر مارس المقبل”.

وأضاف رئيس لجنة الحكام: “الاتجاه حاليًا أن يُطبق الفار في هذه المباريات ذهابًا وإيابًا”.

يُذكر أن قرعة المرحلة النهائية من تصفيات كأس العالم من المتوقع أن تُقام في شهر ديسمبر المقبل.

It looks as if Southampton got a great deal in selling academy graduate Sam Gallagher for around £5 million to Blackburn Rovers in 2019, with the striker having struggled to find the back of the net in his time at Ewood Park.

The forward progressed through the Saints academy, having joined from Plymouth’s U’18 side in 2012 and enjoyed loan spells with the likes of MK Dons, Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City during his Saints career (per Transfermarkt).

He would go on to make 26 appearances for the first-team at Southampton, in which he was only able to score two goals, suggesting that he is not the most prolific of forwards.

However, a promising spell on loan at Blackburn in the 2016/17 season saw him grab 12 goals in 47 appearances in all competitions and he clearly did enough to convince those at the Lancashire club that he was worth paying around £5 million for in the summer of 2019.

Unfortunately for the 25-year-old, scoring goals has continued to be a problem, as he has now made a further 53 appearances for Rovers, in which he has managed just nine goals, taking his tally to 21 for the club (per Transfermarkt).

This has seen his market value tumble to just £1.8 million, suggesting that Southampton got a great deal in selling him for as much as they did.

Much of the credit must go to chief executive Martin Semmens therefore, as he has joined the club in June 2019, with Gallagher departing less than a month later, so selling him will have surely been one of his first points of action as CEO of the South Coast club.

However, Gallagher has made a fairly promising start to the 2020/21 campaign, having contributed two goals and an assist in nine Championship appearances (per Transfermarkt).

Still, this is nowhere near the level of Danny Ings or Che Adams, and when you consider the young talent Southampton have available to them up front, with Michael Obafemi and Daniel N’Lundulu both pushing for minutes in the first-team, it could definitely be argued the Saints made the right decision in letting Gallagher go.

And, in other news… Southampton can sign long-term Salisu partner in wonderkid compared to Vincent Kompany

After promising Manchester City striker Liam Delap bagged a screamer for the Elite Development Squad on Saturday in a 4-1 win at home to Arsenal, many Sky Blues have implored manager Pep Guardiola to restore him to the first team squad. 

Delap, who got on the scoresheet with a stunning finish as the EDS ran riot against Arsenal, scoring in the 84th minute with a sumptuous curling shot from just outside the area, wasn’t included in the first team squad for City’s away trip to West Ham.

The youngster had been turning Guardiola’s head for his performances in the academy setup, prompting a few squad inclusions and even a start in the Carabao Cup against Bournemouth last month.

Delap scored the opener in that game with a brilliant effort past Cherries keeper Mark Travers and many Citizens now want him back in Guardiola’s squad to make up for another injury to star striker Sergio Aguero.

These Man City fans have backed the youngster, with one even saying that he is “better than Sterling”, who has nonetheless scored four goals in eight games so far this term.

Man City fans plead for Delap to get senior call-up

In other news: City fans are desperate for another Sky Blue figure to return, find out who here and don’t forget to comment below. 

Scottish Premiership side Celtic agreed to allow full-back Boli Bolingoli to move to Turkish side İstanbul Başakşehir on a loan deal earlier in the transfer window.

This has left them with only one left-back at the club in Scottish international Greg Taylor, however it seems that Neil Lennon has now found his replacement for Bolingoli on transfer deadline day.

According to Football Insider, the reigning Scottish champions have agreed a season-long loan deal for Serie A defender Diego Laxalt.

It looks like all that is needed to be finalised are the final small details, and this will finally have ended their search for cover in the left-back position.

The 27 year-old has been surplus to requirements at AC Milan for some time as he only managed six appearances for the club last season, per Transfermarkt, and was loaned out for the first half of the 2019/20 campaign to fellow Serie A side Torino.

Whilst on loan, he was given more of a chance to impress as he featured 16 times in the division, picking up one assist as well as managing an average of 1.2 tackles and 1.1 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

It seems like he is of similar quality to Taylor at the Hoops as the defender has played eight times in the Scottish Premiership for Lennon this season, per WhoScored, picking up three assists, and managing 1.4 tackles and one clearance on average in 2020/21.

What perhaps highlights that Laxalt will come in as cover to start with is the fact that Taylor offers a bit more in attack as along with his assists – he has averaged 1.3 key passes a game this campaign.

There is no doubting the quality of Laxalt, who has featured 24 times for his country Uruguay, per Transfermarkt, as he comes with great experience at a top level. He looks to be a great signing for the Bhoys as he will definitely strengthen the squad and possibly even the first XI as they fight to retain the title and also battle in Europe.

Celtic fans, what are your thoughts on this news? Let us know down below!

Up-and-coming Chelsea ace Conor Gallagher is set to join Crystal Palace on loan ahead of the new season.

The Blues have boasted a very successful transfer window so far after welcoming five major targets through the door. But they are also working hard on securing some outgoing deals as well, with one being a loan move for one of their promising young talents.

Gallagher, 20, spent last season away from Chelsea after impressing with his 2018/19 performances with the reserve team. During his double loan stint with Charlton and Swansea, he had a strong season despite the Addicks’ unfortunate relegation into League One.

“Gallagher was really impressive when I watched him last season,” Noel Whelan told Football Insider. “He has great energy, likes to get on the ball and make things happen. He was a player that stuck out for me when Leeds were playing against Swansea. Very, very competitive and he knows his role inside out.”

The England youth international played all but one Championship match last term, making 45 league appearances in total as well as two play-off games under Swansea.

Gallagher tallied an impressive six goals and 11 assists overall, finishing inside the top ten for Championship assists registered (via worldfootball.net).

The versatile midfielder will now look to showcase his abilities on the Premier League stage under Roy Hodgson. Should he impress, he could return to Stamford Bridge and become part of Frank Lampard’s senior squad.

The Chelsea icon has done well in integrating young talent including Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham into the first team, Gallagher could be one of the next in line.

“He gets into very good areas and pockets in between the lines so it does not surprise me that Crystal Palace want him because he looked a different class of player in the Championship last season,” Whelan said. “He was involved in everything.”

 Do you think Conor Gallagher has a big future at Chelsea? Join the conversation in the comments below!

Plenty of Everton fans have been reacting to some comments made by Carlo Ancelotti as he revealed the three players at the Merseyside club that he feels have what it takes to become managers and therefore could possibly succeed him at Goodison Park one day.

Speaking via the Liverpool Echo, the Italian boss named Leighton Baines, Seamus Coleman and Gylfi Sigurdsson to have the same traits as what he identified in current Chelsea coach Frank Lampard before he became manager of at Stamford Bridge and implied that they could possibly succeed him at the Toffees when he eventually leaves his post.

“Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman have all the qualities to be good managers, Sigurdsson could also be a good manager,” Ancelotti said. “They all have strong football knowledge and good tactical understanding.”

Coleman is the current captain of the football club and so a leader on the pitch, so it is perhaps not a surprise that Ancelotti has named the 31-year old to be a future boss one day.

Baines has a wealth of experience to his name being 35 years of age and has shown great loyalty to the Blues, having made a rather impressive 418 appearances in 13 consecutive seasons in his EFC career so far, according to Transfermarkt.

Sigurdsson is arguably the most left-field option of Ancelotti’s, but the attacking midfield player has at times led by example on the pitch with his 22 goals and 14 assists in 105 games in all competitions over the past three campaigns for Everton, as the Icelandic international has also played in 74 senior matches for his country, as per the website.

These supporters reacted to Ancelotti’s comments:

Evertonians, how long will Ancelotti stay at the club? Comment below!

Sunderland have begun their search to find a new academy manager after Paul Reid left the role last month.

Reid left his job towards the end of June with immediate effect after a whole host of young players opted to leave the Academy of Light over the last 12 months. He held the post for two years after previously working for Eastleigh under current Sunderland owner Stewart Donald.

Young talent Bali Mumba is expected to be another one of those set for a summer exit amid interest shown in him by Premier League side Norwich City.

Whilst some players have departed, results on the pitch have taken a nosedive, with neither the under-18 nor under-23 sides managing to pick up a win in their respective leagues this term.

The Wearside club have now released a job description and advert via their official website, welcoming applicants to apply for the role.

As per safc.com, the post reads: “An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Academy Manager to join Sunderland AFC’s EPPP Category 1 Academy, overseeing the Youth Development department,”

Whoever is chosen for the job will have a mammoth task on their hands to revive the youth teams’ fortunes after such a chastening 2019/20.

Finally, the advert asks for a manager to come in and ‘produce players for the first team’, potentially seeing some players follow the likes of Mumba and Benji Kimpioka, who have gained first team chances in recent months.

It is bound to be a challenging task for whoever steps in to replace Reid and finding the right candidate for the Sunderland academy job is imperative.

With the Wearsiders’ first team also languishing in League One, a positive turnaround of their academy fortunes could provide a welcome fillip to offer hope to the Stadium of Light faithful.

Who do you think should come in to replace Reid? Let us know in the comments section below…

Wolverhampton Wanderers take on Arsenal at Molineux on Saturday in an important battle between two sides battling for a place in European competition next season.

Following their 1-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday, Wolves are sat sixth in the table, just three points adrift of third-place Leicester City and only two points off the top four.

Arsenal are a further six points back, but will still retain faint hopes of Champions League qualification, provided they win most of their games between now and the end of the season.

The Gunners have struggled in recent matches against the Midlands side and lost 3-1 at Molineux last season, while the two sides drew 1-1 in the reverse fixture at the Emirates Stadium.

Form

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are one of the form outfits in the Premier League and have picked up five wins from their last six matches.

However, they have tended to be better on the road in recent matches and have only picked up two wins from their last six fixtures at Molineux.

Arsenal have also been in strong form, picking up four wins from their last six Premier League fixtures, as well as earning three consecutive wins in all competitions, including Wednesday’s 4-0 win against Norwich City.

However, they continue to struggle away from home and have earned just six points from a possible 18 available during their last six away league matches.

Team news

Wolves do not currently have any injury concerns, although Espirito Santo could look to shuffle his pack as part of a busy post-lockdown schedule.

Adama Traore started on the bench last weekend against Aston Villa and will surely be a candidate to come in against Arsenal.

The Gunners will be without long-term absentees Gabriel Martinelli, Calum Chambers, Bernd Leno and Pablo Mari, but Mesut Ozil and Lucas Torreira are closing in on a return.

Matteo Guendouzi is fit but appears to be out of favour with Mikel Arteta, although the Spaniard is likely to rotate following the comfortable win over Norwich.

How to watch

This match is one of five set to played in the Premier League on Saturday and kicks off at Molineux at 17:30 UTC.

The game will be broadcast on TV on BT Sport, while fans can key enjoy the game via live stream football.

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

Ruben Dias, Angelo Buta and Jose Sa all have some very particular things in common. They’re all Portuguese, they’re all clients of Jorge Mendes and coincidentally, they’re all targets for Wolves.

Dias was the subject of yet more interest last week (O Jogo, via Sport Witness) while Buta was subject of speculation from the Sunday Mirror at the weekend.

Sa, however, was linked in the Greek press last week with Leicester, West Ham and Arsenal also reportedly showing an interest in the goalkeeper ahead of January.

Considering Wolves already have Rui Patricio among their ranks, it would perhaps be bizarre to bring in a stopper currently at the top of his game in the Champions League.

On the chalkboard

Currently playing for Olympiacos, the 26-year-old has been in sublime form in Europe’s elite competition this season.

In a 2-0 defeat for his side against Bayern, he made an incredible nine saves, earning plaudits from Manuel Neuer in the process as he did his utmost to keep the Greek champions in the game.

He ultimately failed to do so but it was fine evidence of the qualities he possesses, demonstrating fantastic concentration and reflexes.

If Wolves did end up making a move for him then presumably he’d come in as Patricio’s number two. After all, the fellow Portuguese hasn’t done a lot wrong at Molineux.

With that in mind, it could finally spell the end of John Ruddy’s time in the old gold. The experienced professional was vital when Wolves came up, being named in the PFA Championship Team of the year.

However, he’s rarely been afforded any game time and has been restricted to Carabao Cup appearances this term. He also played just once throughout Wolves’ Europa League qualifying campaign.

Since Patricio arrived, he’s played as few as 12 times and has found matches even harder to come by in 2019/20. The 33-year-old has had to remain patient but it’s unlikely he’d take too kindly to being bumped further down the pecking order if another ‘keeper arrives.

With Sa very much in the pipeline, this only serves as bad news for Ruddy and he may have to look elsewhere for the best of his career.