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Many Liverpool fans have flocked to Twitter to react to the news that academy product Isaac Mabaya has signed his first professional contract at Anfield, as confirmed by the club’s official website and Twitter channel.

The 17-year-old has been at the Reds since the age of six and broke into the Reds’ under-18s last season as a wide midfielder before a mid-season switch saw him move to full-back. So far this season, the Preston native has played at right-back for Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s team.

Mabaya has played 21 times for Liverpool’s under-18s, scoring four goals and setting up another five, and he has represented England at under-15 and under-16 level.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold and Neco Williams following the same path from the academy and featuring for Jurgen Klopp’s first team, the teenager will have eyes on emulating the two senior right-backs and has been rewarded for his performances and potential with a new contract from the club.

Fellow teenage right-back Conor Bradley made his Liverpool first team debut last week in the Carabao Cup victory over Norwich City and Mabaya could be next in line to be handed a chance by Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool fans flock to contract news

These Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to react to the news of Mabaya’s first professional contract at the club.

“Future first teamer”

Credit: @F9Txrres

“Congratulations Isaac! Richly deserved for all the hard work and dedication you’ve put in over the years. Upwards & onwards, sky’s the limit for you. Well done mate”

Credit: @SimonHindley

“Amazing news for Isaac and his family – he has quality in his football and also a great personality. Well deserved for all the hard work you put in Isaac. This is the start of a lot more hard work, but you will smash it.”

Credit: @slingerpete1

“Congratulations homeboy”

Credit: @fariemuk

“Serious player”

Credit: @KonateEra

“This fella looks very promising”

Credit: @paulDix11248352

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to James Pearce’s update on this certain player. Find out more here.

Many Wolves fans have been left slamming the display of Francisco Trincao in their game away at Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League.

The Portuguese international was given his chance from the start to try and impress Bruno Lage, but ultimately failed to take it.

He missed an opportunity to score early in the second half when put through by Adama Traore, seeing his shot saved by Robert Sanchez.

Aside from his tame effort, Trincao lost out on a fair few of his duels, and his dribbles did not pay off, while he was also guilty of giving the ball away on far too many occasions throughout the game (SofaScore).

Nonetheless, with the likes of Adama Traore and Fabio Silva on the bench, the winger may now find his place in the starting eleven under threat, especially with Pedro Neto due back in the new year as well.

Wolves fans slam Trincao

These members of the Molineux faithful slammed his performance on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that he is ‘awful’:

“Let’s replace Trincao with a traffic cone and we could’ve scored 6”

Credit: @Supermancooks

“Great, great pass by Adama. Trincao just can’t hit the broad side of a barn.”

Credit: @joshuabuckley

“Trincao has the finishing of a 5-year-old”

Credit: @J0rdWilliams

“Bring on the kit man for Trincao”

Credit: @sbarneywillis

“Get Trincao off now. Like Casper with a wheat allergy.”

Credit: @JamesIngram89

“Trincao is awful”

Credit: @Spicer_Liam

In other news, find out what Bruno Lage revelation has Wanderers fuming here!

As per West Ham United insider Claret & Hugh, coming after the club’s historic 3-0 victory at Lyon in their Europa League quarter-final second leg, things just get better and better as they share a ‘£30 million’ update.

The Lowdown: Hammers make history…

David Moyes’ side made history on Thursday night by impressively cruising past Lyon into the Europa League semi-finals – where they will take on Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt.

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Goals from Craig Dawson, Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen sealed a brilliant win for the Hammers who have made history with their run in Europe so far.

Off the field, this could pay dividends for West Ham and club owners GSB, with C&H sharing the latest financial developments after mid-week.

The Latest: C&H make ‘£30m’ claim…

According to their information, the club have been gifted a major windfall as West Ham’s finances ‘grow and grow’.

They claim, when adding up the competition’s prize money, London Stadium ticket sales and TV revenue, the Irons have earned ‘over £30m so far’ due to their run in the Europa League.

The Verdict: Major boost…

It is unclear whether this money, or even a portion of it, will be allocated to Moyes and head of recruitment Rob Newman’s transfer kitty, but this £30 million boost comes as a fantastic side-effect of West Ham’s dream semi-final push.

If they can get past Frankfurt, or even go on to win the Europa League, it would represent a seismic achievement for West Ham and surely cement Moyes as one of the club’s greatest ever figures.

Standing to make even more if West Ham go further, this is a very exciting time both on and off the field for supporters.

In other news: Sky Sports: Moyes eyeing new West Ham target in £21.6m-rated star who’s set to leave! Find out more here.

Leeds United could have a future star for many years to come in Lewis Bate.

The 19-year-old midfielder was snatched from Chelsea’s renowned academy in the summer for a seven-figure fee thought to be around £1.5m, though he is yet to make his senior bow under Marcelo Bielsa.

It could be time for the Argentinian head coach to unleash the shackles as the Yorkshire giants head into 2022, a year that could be defining for the club’s longevity in the big time.

A string of long-term injuries and inconsistencies on the pitch could see Bielsa and the club’s recruitment team, led by director of football Victor Orta, buck the trend of not spending in January.

Sat in 16th place, just five points above the relegation zone, something has got to change.

But perhaps they needn’t look much further than their Thorp Arch training base for one solution in midfield.

For a long time in the Bielsa era, the engine room has been a crucial cog to their success, none more so than long-serving Pole, Mateusz Klich. Very rarely has he been absent from the starting XI, until now.

Of Leeds’ 17 games in the Premier League this season, he has started just ten. A stark contrast to him making 93 starts from 94 games in the league and the play-offs between 2018 and 2020.

He just hasn’t been good enough, so maybe it’s time to hand the baton to an up-and-comer in Bate.

The 5 foot 8 sensation has been likened to Clarence Seedorf due to his ability to control games from midfield, whilst he idolises the likes of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.

“Primarily, Bate is a No. 6, able to play either role in a double 6, or in a 3 with two 8s. Despite being quick and robust for his size, the question during his transition into senior football is how much and how early he’ll be able to play as a solo No. 6., especially at a Premier League level,” once claimed U18 and U23 recruitment analyst Connor Rowden to LeedsLive.

“His ability to take control of the tempo of a game from deep, dropping into spaces and probing with his mastery of the short and long passing game is where he excels.”

Elsewhere, The Athletic’s Phil Hay has dubbed him “very gifted”, so all the hallmarks are there for him to become a suggests at Elland Road.

From his 16 appearances for the U23s, Bate has primarily played as a no.8, so he could well be the perfect man to feature over someone like Klich in 2022.

As such, his involvement could save chairman Andrea Radrizzani several millions of pounds in the upcoming window.

AND in other news, “What I have been told..”: Journo reveals Leeds transfer blow, Bielsa will be furious…

Everton are set to offer Frank Lampard an interview regarding the vacant managerial position at Goodison Park.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Sky Sports, who claim that the 43-year-old manager is one of the names on Farhad Moshiri’s shortlist of targets to replace Rafael Benitez in the Everton dugout following the Spaniard’s sacking last weekend.

The report goes on to state that the former Derby County and Chelsea manager is expected to be one of the first interviewed by the Everton board, who are also keen to speak with the likes of Belgium head coach Roberto Martinez and the former Tottenham Hotspur manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

However, Sky Sports News reporter Ben Ransom appeared to have reservations about the former England international’s suitability to the Toffees job, stating: “Lampard is an interesting one. I can understand why his name is mentioned because every time a Premier League job comes up, his name will be mentioned.

“He did well at Derby, he did pretty well at Chelsea. It’s a tricky one for Lampard. I don’t know if this is the right time for him but I can see why he would be interested because Everton is a really huge name in English football. They’re regarded as one of the sleeping giants.

“If you can go in and do well, there is a project there… and then you’re at a great football club, if you get the opportunity to be successful. But it’s such a tough job. It has to be the right fit.”

Moshiri may repeat Silva disaster

While it is true that Lampard did an impressive job at Derby – guiding the Rams to a sixth-place finish in the Championship, before beating Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United side in the play-off semi-finals and narrowly missing out on promotion to the Premier League after falling to a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa in the play-off final – the 43-year-old enjoyed a rather less impressive spell in his following position as the Chelsea head coach.

Indeed, despite securing a respectable fourth-place finish in the league during his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge, at the halfway stage of the 2020/21 campaign, the Blues found themselves languishing down in ninth place in the top-flight standings – having won eight, lost five and drawn six of their 19 league fixtures.

This form ultimately led to Roman Abramovich calling time on the Chelsea legend’s spell at the club, with Blues midfielder Jorginho stating his belief after Lampard’s sacking that the coach did not possess the experience required to take on such a big job.

The Italian said: “Look, I’ll be really sincere here on Lampard. I believe, given he was a legend at the club, he skipped some steps necessary for learning before moving to a big club.”

“He came to a club where he is a legend, without having experience at other clubs. I think he came too soon, skipped a few steps ahead and wasn’t ready for a job at this level, to be honest.”

For fans of Everton, this assessment will be extremely worrying, as there is a very clear line that can be drawn between the potential appointment of Lampard and Moshiri’s previous appointment of Marco Silva.

Indeed, the now-44-year-old manager fought bravely against relegation with Hull City back in 2016/17, and, as a result of his impressive spell at the MKM Stadium, subsequently secured a move to Watford for the 2017/18 campaign.

However, the Portuguese coach would go on to last just 24 games at Vicarage Road, being sacked in January 2018 after a poor run of results, before Moshiri made a shock move to appoint Silva the following summer.

The now-Fulham manager went on to secure a semi-respectable eighth-place finish in the league during his debut campaign, however, with the Toffees sitting in the relegation zone after 15 games played in 2019/20, Silva was given his marching orders.

As such, considering their similar levels of experience and failure at a so-called big club, it would appear a very wise move for the Everton owner to do all he can to avoid a repeat of his disaster on Silva and swerve a move to appoint Lampard as the next Blues boss.

In other news: Sky reveal new “heavyweight” manager “under consideration” at EFC, fans surely livid

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Nottingham Forest manager Martin O’Neill says that club-record signing Joao Carvalho needs to fight for his spot in the starting XI, according to quotes via The Nottingham Post, and Reds fans have been quick to react on Twitter.

The 66-year-old was speaking ahead of his side’s Championship clash against Wigan Athletic at The City Ground on Saturday, where he will be looking to pick up his first points in charge having been beaten 1-0 by Bristol City at home on his bow.

Carvalho joined Forest for £13.2m, as per BBC, during the summer transfer window, and had been a regular in the side under previous boss Aitor Karanka, but he was relegated to the substitutes’ bench against Reading and then in O’Neill’s first game at the helm.

The switch from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-4-2 formation certainly hasn’t helped the 21-year-old, who has primarily made an impact through the middle behind the striker so far this term, scoring three goals and providing a further six assists in 26 league outings, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking on Thursday, via The Nottingham Post, the former Republic of Ireland boss said: “I think he is a very talented footballer.

“I think that, despite some very early promise, he is still getting used to the real demands of this league.

“He has definite talent, no question of that and, like anything else, it is up to him to fight his way into the side, hopefully.

“It is up to him to hopefully believe he will get a chance to play. I am sure during the coming weeks that could easily happen.”

Nottingham Forest supporters took to Twitter to have their say on the quotes, and while one said “O’Neill hasn’t got a clue about his squad”, another labelled O’Neill as “absolutely deluded”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Martin O’Neill’s managerial return to Nottingham Forest didn’t go according to plan. Check out Matchday with Max’s gameday vlog in the video below…

An update has emerged on Ajax chief Marc Overmars, regarding Newcastle’s interest in bringing him back to England.

What’s the talk?

According to The Mirror, the Saudi Arabian consortium PIF are in talks with the Dutchman over a deal to become the director of football at St. James’ Park as they look to make a major decision behind the scenes.

The report claims that the former Arsenal player is interested in the role as he would be given funds to work with in the transfer window. He is also said to be keen on bringing Erik ten Hag along with him from Amsterdam to be Steve Bruce’s replacement.

Ecstatic

Newcastle fans will surely be left feeling ecstatic with this news for various reasons.

For starters, it shows that PIF are keen to immediately bring in a footballing figure to run the club behind the scenes. Overmars enjoyed a terrific career as a player, playing well over 400 competitive games for Arsenal, Ajax and Barcelona combined, showing that he has a strong footballing background.

He has taken his expertise and applied it to his job at Ajax. The Dutch giants have sold £600m worth of talent during his time at the club, with the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt all coming through before being sold on for profit under Overmars’ watch. He has shown that he can oversee a successful recruitment system whilst still achieving results on the pitch, with Ajax reaching the quarter-finals and the semi-finals of the Champions League in that time.

The Magpies fans would also be delighted to see ten Hag arrive alongside Overmars. He has won five trophies in four years at the club, winning 2.34 points per game on average across 184 matches in charge of Ajax. This is along with his aforementioned achievements in the Champions League and the long list of talents, including de Jong and de Ligt, taken out of his squad throughout his time there.

The Dutch manager has shown that he can achieve success without spending huge amounts of money or retaining his best talent, which proves that he is an excellent coach who can get the best out of what he has at his disposal. That is why Newcastle fans would love to see him on Tyneside along with Overmars, as he could help them to avoid relegation before pushing on next season.

AND in other news,  Imagine him & Lascelles: PIF could land dream NUFC defence with “colossal” powerhouse…

Everton journalist Adam Jones reckons Rafael Benitez could switch to a 4-3-3 formation with Richarlison up front for the visit of Arsenal on Monday night. 

The lowdown

Everton are looking to halt a dreadful run of form that has seen them win just one of their last 10 matches.

They’ve taken seven losses in that period, slipping to 16th in the Premier League table.

Benitez has almost always set out his team in a 4-4-1-1 formation since taking over at Goodison Park in the summer.

The Spaniard was criticised for maintaining a midfield two against Liverpool last time out, with one journalist arguing it was a move that ‘gave the game’ to the visitors and an analytics expert confessing himself ‘baffled’.

The latest

The Liverpool Echo’s Jones writes that Benitez ‘could opt’ for a change of system that would see Fabian Delph drafted into the midfield alongside Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure, while Richarlison would serve as a lone number nine.

He points out that there have already been glimpses of this shape in the games against Wolves and Tottenham Hotspur, and says it seems to be ‘the most effective right now’.

The verdict

Delph may not be the most popular player amongst the Goodison supporters, but he put in a strong performance in that game against Conte’s Spurs, earning a SofaScore rating of 7.3/10.

He won four of his six ground duels and completed eight of the 10 long balls he attempted.

The Press Association’s Carl Markham called his display ‘excellent’, while The Daily Mail’s Dominic King dubbed him the team’s man of the match ‘by some considerable distance’.

Perhaps recalling the £80,000-per-week midfielder, and reinstating the 4-3-3 shape, could be a smart move.

In other news, fans flocked to this news on a possible Benitez replacement.

Speaking in a football.london Q&A, reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has made a ‘£70 million’ transfer claim on club chief Fabio Paratici’s summer plans.

The Lowdown: Paratici eyeing summer moves?

Tasked with backing Antonio Conte in the summer market, Lilywhites transfer official Paratici is reportedly eyeing moves already ahead of what will be a pivotal 2022/23 campaign for Spurs.

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Regardless of where they finish this season, with Tottenham still well in contention for a top-four place, Conte will need proof that the club are serious about building a winning team and getting back among the Premier League’s elite.

Bearing that in mind, big decisions will have to be made, with Gold now sharing an update on one of the club’s first intentions of the summer market.

The Latest: Gold makes ‘£70 million’ Spurs claim…

Speaking in a football.london Q&A, the reliable journalist backs that Spurs will make both Cristian Romero and Dejan Kulusevski’s loan deals permanent.

When asked about Tottenham’s transfer budget, he explained: “Making both Cristian Romero and Dejan Kulusevski’s moves permanent will have to be taken into account of course. That’s almost £70million that Spurs will have to pay out this summer and they will do so because every penny is absolutely worth it.

“However, it’s clear chairman Daniel Levy will have to find more money because there is plenty more work to be done and both Antonio Conte and Harry Kane will need to be convinced that next season will be something special.”

The Verdict: First things first…

Tying both players down to permanent deals is arguably the first and foremost priority for Spurs, especially Kulusevski, who has become a key player for Conte since signing on an 18-month loan deal from Juventus in January.

However, as Gold explained, the worry for Spurs supporters may be the leftover finances to seal other transfer targets.

The free agent market may well be pivotal, with Paratici and co already having been linked with a few out-of-contract stars ahead of the summer.

In other news: Tottenham could strike ‘imminent agreement’ for ‘magical’ £25m striker this summer! Find out more here.

Newcastle correspondent Lee Ryder has stated that the club have agreed a deal with young forward Dylan Stephenson.

The Lowdown: ‘Big news’

Labelled as ‘hard-working’ by academy manager Neil Winskill, the teenager has impressed playing for the club’s youth teams over recent years.

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The 19-year-old has scored 32 times in total for Newcastle’s under-18s and under-23s, with 11 of those coming in 2021/22.

Reports emerged in the week that the centre-forward was set to pen a new deal at St James’ Park, something that Liam Kennedy described as ‘big news’.

The Latest: Ryder’s claim on Stephenson

Ryder shared a Newcastle notebook on The Chronicle on Saturday morning, addressing multiple Magpies updates.

One of those focused on discussions over new deals, with the journalist admitting that a deal for Stephenson has been agreed. The youngster looks set for a loan deal away from the club next season, with Hartlepool a destination already mentioned.

The Verdict: Exciting

Stephenson is clearly an exciting young talent, so knowing that he is going to commit his future to Newcastle is good news.

While the club now have the option to splash the cash in the summer transfer window following a change of ownership, it is positive that they still want to keep hold of their best young assets.

Hopefully Stephenson will continue to score goals for fun next season, which could result in a first-team breakthrough at St James’ Park.

In other news, find out which three positions NUFC will now ‘target’ this summer