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Leeds United are planning to build a new “world-class” training facility on the site of a former inner-city school, as reported by The Yorkshire Evening Post.

The Whites currently train at Thorp Arch, which was opened in 1994.

However, the Championship outfit are keen to put together a new facility on the grounds of Matthew Murray High School in Holbeck, which closed in 2006.

The Yorkshire Evening Post has reported that a decision on the land will be made on September 18.

As expected, the news has been greeted well by the Leeds fans on social media, with a number pleased to learn of their club’s plans.

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It remains to be seen whether the Whites can launch another challenge for promotion this season, and ultimately secure a return to the top flight.

However, building a new training facility would be a huge step in the right direction for the club’s future.

While the general reaction has been good, as seen below, one supporter has questioned what would happen to the existing facility:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

According to The Daily Mail, Everton are still keen on a deal for Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma, but also have alternatives in the back of their minds with just two days left before Thursday’s transfer deadline.

In the aforementioned report, it is stated that the Toffees may turn their attentions to Old Trafford if a move for Zouma is completely given the red light by Chelsea.

The Merseysiders may attempt to lure one of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones or Marcos Rojo to Goodison Park following the £85m arrival of Harry Maguire, as Marco Silva looks to beef up his backline which has just two centre-backs in it right now – Yerry Mina and Michael Keane.

But who should Everton target out of the three?

As you can see, we have excluded Rojo as he only made five appearances last term, so let’s take a more in-depth look at Smalling and Jones.

Judging by the stats, the pair are fairly well matched. Smalling beats Jones in the tackles per game department with 1.3 compared to the former Blackburn man’s 1.1, although the shoe is on the other foot when it comes to interceptions.

Check out some amazing tekkers in the video below…

However, the £18m-rated Smalling just edges it. The 29-year-old makes a whole clearance per game more than the United No.4, and also makes 0.4 more blocks per game on average.

Furthermore, Smalling has missed just eight games through injury since the end of the 2016/17 season, whereas Jones is not available as often as his fellow centre-back – the 27-year-old has missed 22 games in the same time period.

Of course, given how long the pursuit of Zouma has gone on for this summer, the France international appears to be the No.1 target for Silva and Everton.

If they simply can’t pull it off though, Smalling would be a decent alternative and should unquestionably be considered as favourite ahead of Jones and Rojo.

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Rangers manager Steven Gerrard believes the club can keep hold of valuable talents like James Tavernier and Alfredo Morelos this summer, as reported by The Evening Times.

What’s he said?

The Daily Mail reported at the start of the month that Aston Villa were keen on Tavernier, while striker Morelos has made it clear as recently as mid-May that he’s looking to move to a bigger, more competitive league.

Speculation will likely continue on the futures of both players considering their big performances last season, but Gerrard is determined not to let them go easily and has revealed there has been no firm interest in either quite yet.

Watch the video below to find out which derbies the Pl>ymaker squad have picked as the most entertaining, fierce and passionate in the world…

As quoted by The Evening Times, the Ibrox boss said:

“There’s been a lot of speculation about Tav and Alfredo and I’m not surprised by it.

“They both had very good seasons. But there hasn’t been a single bid for either of those players, that’s the truth. There hasn’t been an offer for any of my players up until now. Do I have to sell to bring in? I don’t think so.

“Am I confident of keeping Tav and Alfredo? It’s not a question I need to answer right now because there are no offers on the table. Am I expecting a bid? Possibly. So I’ll make a decision if and when a bid lands.

“Every player has a price. But if bids come in that are nowhere near acceptable then the answer is going to be a straight no.”

Why should Rangers fans be pleased?

One look at the goal and assist contributions last season at Rangers will tell you why this particular duo are so important heading into next season.

The Colombian striker scored 30 goals of his own throughout 2018/19, while also contributing 11 assists.

Tavernier’s attacking contribution meanwhile was outrageous considering he plays as a right-back. Netting 17 goals, he also created 20 assists across the season.

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Losing either would be a significant blow to the team’s attacking prowess and that’s why supporters at Ibrox should be hoping that the club do everything they can to keep them.

Gerrard has admitted they could leave, but with no early interest in the transfer window, there’s every chance both could be around for the club’s efforts to topple Celtic next term.

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continues his preparations for next season and appears to be on the lookout for players who can improve his squad. Today’s United transfer roundup includes an update in regards to a French international, an agreement with a Lyon star and a blow in the pursuit of a central defender.

Solskjaer wants Pogba sale

According to the Daily Star, Solskjaer is looking to sell Paul Pogba this summer as he looks to add to the £100m transfer kitty he has available to him. Pogba has already said during this transfer window that he is open to a new challenge, with Real Madrid and Juventus interested.

United agree personal terms with Ndombele

Soccer Link is reporting that Manchester United have agreed personal terms with Tanguy Ndombele. United and Juventus have bid €60m for the player, which is believed not to be enough to acquire his services, but other reports have claimed Ndombele is more interested in a move to Tottenham.

City lead chase for Maguire

Manchester City are expected to beat United to Leicester City’s Harry Maguire according to the Mirror. The Citizens are reportedly prepared to pay £65m for the England international and it is believed that the Etihad is Maguire’s preferred destination.

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Rekeem Harper could be a classic case of a young player never truly realising his potential. That’s unless he changes he attitude.

Harper has been embroiled in contract negotiations towards the back end of the season but a breakthrough hasn’t been reached, per Express & Star.

As a result, it looks as though the promising midfielder will leave the club when his current deal expires at the end of next month.

The 19-year-old is one of the most gifted players to come through Albion’s academy in recent years but it looks like the club are staring down the barrel of losing another top prospect.

For many reasons that would usually be a negative. Yet on this occasion there is a sense that it wouldn’t be too much of a disaster.

Harper’s attitude in the final few months of the campaign was poor and therefore it’s hardly a surprise to see him left out of England’s U20 squad for the Toulon tournament this summer.

Sam Field and Kyle Edwards have both been selected, which given they didn’t receive as many first team minutes as Harper in 2018/19 is a damning statement.

In truth, it sums up his lack of quality. It’s hard to actually work out what he brings to the team barring a slight change of pace when he picks up the ball. Field, on the other hand, has shown himself to offer a great deal.

He’s composed in possession and has a maturity beyond his years. As far as the latter aspect goes, Harper is lacking that in abundance.

And perhaps that’s why he hasn’t been selected for the England U20 squad.

Appearing seven times for England U19s, he will have been in with a solid chance of attaining a call-up this summer. However, the fact he’s been left out is a massive sign that he still has a lot of work to do.

Earlier in the month, Celtic joined the race to sign him but it would be a questionable move, particularly if he wants to improve further.

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…

If Harper was to join the Hoops it’s incredibly unlikely he’d receive regular minutes and would only further hinder his development.

For the sake of progression, West Brom seems an ideal fit, but whether the Albion fans will want him to stay after a string of poor performances is another matter.

Clearly, David De Gea has been a stalwart for Manchester United since joining the club in 2011, winning four Player of the Year Awards in his eight years. Not bad going, right? So, losing De Gea would be a near catastrophe as Manchester United already have a weak defence and, with the Spanish goalkeeper’s long-term future in doubt (Sky Sports), it would further weaken the Old Trafford club.

After setting the world alight at the mere age of 16, Gianluigi Donnarumma’s progress has stalled at AC Milan. However, with David De Gea’s contract talks stalling and a transfer looking likely this summer, Donnarumma is being linked with a move to Old Trafford, according to Corriere Della Sera via Football Italia.

Frankly, a move for the young Italian would a terrible move for the Red Devils, as Donnarumma actually proves to be weak and quite error-prone. Indeed, as big a name as he might be, he would prove an awful signing and would provide an already terrible defence with no confidence. Furthermore, after their harrowing failure’s in the transfer market in recent seasons, the club will be keen to avoid another disastrous signing.

With United struggling in multiple positions all over the pitch, the club would be stupid to spend a possible near world-record fee on Donnarumma. Undoubtedly, centre-back and centre-forward are all positions the Premier League giants require reinforcement, and whilst the club is awash with money, wasting most of their transfer budget on an error-prone goalkeeper would prove poor business.

Number two Sergio Romero has proved more often than not that he is capable to make the step-up and become number 1 goalkeeper. The Argentine international has put in solid performances in many games this season, with notable performances away to Arsenal and Chelsea in the FA Cup where Manchester United went through. At 32-years-old and already on the books at Old Trafford, Romero would represent better value than Donnarumma.

Save some money, Ed Woodward. Not everything needs millions thrown at it to fix problems, there are smarter solutions already lurking within the Theatre of Dreams.

It remains to be seen if De Gea remains at Manchester United next season. However, signing Donnarumma for the high fee he would demand would prove to be an abysmal piece of business for the club.

Can anyone seriously replace De Gea, should he go? If not, do you agree that Romero is one of the better options? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

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It looks as though Wolves are showing no signs of slowing down in their ambitions to take the club as far as possible with major development plans being unveiled for Molineux.

An artist’s impression of what the stadium will look like after it’s been redeveloped were first shown during the club’s awards night on Tuesday evening.

The image shows new Steve Bull and Billy Wright stands whilst a massive single-tier South Bank is also on display.

Reacting to the news on Twitter, fans were absolutely loving what their ground could look like in the future.

One supporter claimed that the stadium looked like heaven, whilst a further fan said it was unbelievable.

It was quite the reaction from the Molineux faithful as another individual was delighted that it would be keeping its identity despite the change.

Wolves’ ground was initially first built in 1889 and has undergone various revamps throughout the years. The latest renovation came in the 2011/12 season.

This is a clear statement from the Midlands club who are obviously eager to stamp their authority in the Premier League after a fabulous first season following promotion.

Here’s what Wolves fans have been saying about the latest update.

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Sunderland’s automatic promotion hopes died at Fleetwood Town’s Highbury Stadium on Tuesday, and Jack Ross made a fatal error that he keeps on repeating.

The Black Cats arrived to face Joey Barton’s Fleetwood knowing only a win would keep them in the race for automatic promotion.

And while Portsmouth helped out by losing to Peterborough, Ross’ side just couldn’t hold on to the lead earned by Lee Cattermole’s first-half goal.

The midfielder headed the visitors in front after half an hour, but Paddy Madden equalised in the second half before Ashley Eastham grabbed a stoppage time winner.

Sunderland’s performance in the second half was woeful compared to their display before the interval, and it was all down to a mistake that Ross just can’t seem to eradicate.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

On the chalkboard

During the Checkatrade Trophy final, with the score at 1-0, Ross introduced Lynden Gooch and Max Power for Lewis Morgan and Will Grigg.

In doing so, the Scot invited more and more pressure onto his side until eventually they caved, and Pompey went on to win the match on penalties.

At Fleetwood on Tuesday, he made an almost identical error, bringing on Kazaiah Sterling and George Honeyman for Grigg and Chris Maguire. Or in other words, he brought on two players with far inferior end product, inviting the hosts to have a go without fear of being punished on the break.

Once again, the boss put his team under the cosh with negative changes, and it was actually Honeyman who gave the ball away leading to the winning goal.

The Black Cats have drawn a frankly ridiculous 19 out of 45 league games this campaign, and just one of those was goalless. Ross has no problem getting his side in front, but the young boss has absolutely no idea what to do once that happens.

The ex-St Mirren gaffer is only 42 and has just four seasons of managerial experience under his belt, but if he doesn’t develop his game management skills, the “Ross out” calls will only get louder.

His poor tactical switches, like often moving to a 4-4-2 with one-goal leads, and uninspiring substitutions have cost the club a trophy and automatic promotion this season – will they cost him his job as well?

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Many Crystal Palace fans on Twitter have been drooling over summer 2018 arrival Vicente Guaita after his recent displays between the sticks for Roy Hodgson’s men.

This came after Palace’s official account on the social media platform posted a picture of the goalkeeper with a caption, following his latest excellent performance in Sunday’s shock Premier League win at Arsenal.

One supporter called him the club’s signing of the season in the comments, while another stated that he’s the heir to Julian Speroni’s throne at Selhurst Park and others proclaimed the 32-year-old as a “hero” and “God” – high praise indeed.

Having joined from La Liga club Getafe in his homeland, Guaita has played more Premier League matches than any other ‘keeper at the club this season and is currently the first-choice option ahead of Wayne Hennessey.

And the string of fine saves the Spaniard produced at the Emirates Stadium and in recent matches will be doing very little to change that.

Has this guy found the worst stadium in English football? Decide for yourself by watching the video below…

Below is a list of the best reactions from the Selhurst faithful to Crystal Palace’s Guaita Tweet…

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have been left gutted by the news that Vincent Janssen is ineligible for the club’s Champions League semi-final against Ajax.

Janssen, of course, enjoyed an excellent scoring record when in the Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar, prior to his move to White Hart Lane.

He scored 32 goals in 49 outings for the club prior to a £17million transfer to Spurs, which has not quite gone as he would have hoped.

Prior to two substitute appearances, against Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United, Janssen last played for the club in 2017, when he made a minute-long cameo in a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.

But fans have been disappointed by the news that he will not be able to play against the Eredivisie giants this week, such is his experience of playing against such sides.

Fernando Llorente is instead poised to lead the line, with Harry Kane injured and Son Heung-Min suspended for the first leg.

Take a look at the best of the reaction to the 24-year-old’s absence below!