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Crystal Palace were linked with a move for former Bournemouth winger Arnaut Danjuma over the summer, and the club’s hierarchy may be ruing not signing the 24-year-old just a few months on.

What’s the story?

According to Sky Sports, the Eagles were amongst Danjuma’s potential suitors in the previous transfer window after he put in a string of impressive performances in the Championship last season.

The Netherlands international was one of the second tier’s standout performers in 2020/21, bagging 15 goals and laying on a further seven assists in 33 appearances for the Cherries.

However, despite Danjuma adding a further two strikes to his tally during the two-legged play-off semi-final against Brentford, his efforts weren’t enough to see off the capital club, meaning Bournemouth were consigned to another year outside of the Premier League.

It led to a tussle for his signature between multiple clubs, but it was Spanish side Villarreal who stumped up the £21.3m asking price to secure the wing wizard’s services, and he’s been in scintillating form ever since.

One of Parish’s biggest Palace mistakes

Since arriving in La Liga, Danjuma has quickly established himself as one of the division’s most exciting attacking talents, bagging four goals in just seven league games, and adding another strike and two assists in three Champions League outings.

His eye-catching performances at club level have also earned to versatile forward a recall to Louis van Gaal’s national team setup where he scored in the 6-0 thrashing of Gibraltar.

It was Danjuma’s first cap for the Oranje since 2018, but it’s unlikely to be his last after his standout showing from the substitutes bench earned glowing praise from the Dutch coach in his post-match interview.

“This was a spectacular substitute by Danjuma,” Van Gaal said. “He deserves to be praised because what he showed was very clever.

“On the left, we have plenty of options; on the right, we don’t. He deserves to be praised. Danjuma had nice, good dribbles. His fellow players were not quite ready for his hard crosses yet.”

Although Palace have made a promising start to the current campaign, no winger within Patrick Vieira’s first-team squad has hit the back of the net from open play.

Wilfried Zaha has bagged two penalties, while Jordan Ayew continues to search for his first goal since November 2020, and although Michael Olise has notched his first goal for the Eagles, he prefers to play through the middle.

Therefore, not signing the £22.5m-rated Danjuma will surely have to go down as one of Steve Parish’s biggest transfer mistakes during his tenure as Palace chairman.

The versatile forward could have been a mainstay of the south London outfit’s attack for many years to come, but now Vieira is left still searching for the final piece of his forward line.

And, in other news…Vieira could unearth the next CPFC prodigy in 20 y/o beast, he’s “one for the future” 

A journalist at Sky Sports has revealed that Luis Campos is ‘interested’ in a role at Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: ‘The Wizard’

Campos has been nicknamed ‘The Wizard of Capital Gains’ as he has made a habit of lifting trophies while making hundreds of millions of profit on selling players (Sky Sports).

Among those names are the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Fabinho, Thomas Lemar, Bernardo Silva and Anthony Martial, all of whom he discovered while at Monaco, while Nicolas Pepe and Gabriel have both been sold to Arsenal when he was at Lille for a large profit.

The Latest: Campos interest

Sky Sports journalist Gary Cotterill has revealed (via Pete Graves) that Campos would be ‘interested’ in a role at St. James’ Park following the takeover by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium.

The renowned Sporting Director ‘expects’ to be considered by the new owners, following Ligue 1 title triumphs at both Monaco and Lille.

The Verdict: Get him in

Whether it is a Sporting Director role or any other on the board, the North East club must look to get Campos in as soon as possible.

His record speaks for itself, unearthing hidden talents and helping to beat heavy favourites PSG to the domestic title with two different clubs.

Nonetheless, his background matches perfectly with the direction that the Tyneside outfit want to head in, and getting him on board would be a big coup.

In other news, find out which ‘outstanding’ Premier League ace could now join NUFC here!

Donny van de Beek’s time at Manchester United could be drawing to a close after a frustrating 18 months on English soil.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet CalcioMercato (as relayed by the Daily Star), the 24-year-old’s agent is working hard to secure his client a move away from Old Trafford, with Serie A giants AC Milan interested in securing his services.

The report states that Van de Beek’s representatives are targeting a January departure, although it remains to be seen whether United’s hierarchy would be willing to let their £39m acquisition leave midway through the campaign.

Solskjaer would be gutted

After scoring 41 goals and laying on a further 34 assists for his teammates in 175 games for Ajax, as well as winning a domestic double in 2018/19 as they reached the Champions League semi-finals, van de Beek’s arrival in the Red half of Manchester was greeted with great excitement.

However, the physical demands and fast-paced nature of the Premier League often looked to overwhelm the technically gifted midfielder last term, limiting him to just four starts in the top-flight throughout 2020/21.

And it’s been a similar story this time around. Van de Beek has played just six minutes of league football in United’s opening seven fixtures despite Solskjaer’s side often struggling to break down their opponents.

The Dutch international was also sacrificed as a half time substitute in the Red Devils disappointing Champions League defeat against Young Boys, illustrating his lowly standing in the first-team squad.

Nevertheless, Solskjaer is still believed to be a big fan of the attack-minded midfielder and wants to see more of him this season, but whether he’s prepared to wait for his chance is doubtful.

Van de Beek’s exit in the winter window would leave the Old Trafford outfit short of strength in depth in the engine room, and as a result, United’s Norwegian boss would be left feeling gutted as he attempts to end the club’s trophy drought. If the manager does still like him, selling would be a puzzling decision from the Red Devils hierarchy.

It’s unlikely that Milan would be able to afford the £27m-rated maestro, yet if they are prepared to match his price tag, football director John Murtough must resist the temptation to sell, preventing a transfer nightmare as the 20-time English champions plot a route back to the Premier League summit.

Solskjaer will need all the resources available to him if he’s to beat the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea to the major silverware on offer, and van de Beek has the potential to come good in the remaining months of the campaign.

And, in other news…Man Utd suffer potential blow in pursuit of “excellent” £60m gem, fans will be gutted 

Everton have produced several impressive exciting homegrown talents during the Premier League era, and the next future star could be set come off their productive conveyor belt.

The likes of Wayne Rooney, Ross Barkley and Tom Davies have all established themselves as top-flight stars down the years, but the best could still be to come from the Toffees talent factory.

Every year, The Guardian newspaper publishes their Next Generation list where they profile the next crop of talent rising through the ranks at Premier League sides. And named amongst the division’s current crop of wonderkids was Everton’s very own Jenson Metcalfe.

At just 17 years old, the defensive midfielder has already caught the eye with several intelligent performances at the base of the engine room for the Merseyside outfits youth sides, earning the praise of many impressed onlookers.

Describing the teenage prodigy, The Guardian’s Andy Hunter wrote: “A real competitor with an outstanding passing range, the Wigan-born midfielder joined Everton at under-5 level and recently signed his first professional contract with the club days after his 17th birthday.

“Metcalfe can play off both feet, has impressive technical ability and is a dead-ball specialist. He can also score a variety of goals and intercepts or regains possession with fierce intensity.”

During the 2020/21 campaign, Metcalfe made 13 competitive appearances from Everton’s U18s and U23s, scoring two goals along the way.

And it’s clear where the youngster sees his game developing over the coming years. When describing his style of play, he said: “I see myself as a tempo-setter, so I look up to Sergio Busquets. He’s so relaxed on the ball.”

With current holding midfielder Allan set to turn 31 in January, Metcalfe could well be the Brazilian’s natural heir, and the club’s supporters have every reason to be excited about his future prospects.

Only time will tell if new manager Rafael Benitez can unearth Everton’s next homegrown hero, although if he continues progressing at his current rate, then it is surely a matter of when rather than if Metcalfe will be involved in his first-team plans.

And, in other news…100% duels won, 93% pass accuracy: Everton beast stars on the international stage 

Standing tall
Daren Powell did well to survive the second evening as nightwatchman, but he wasn’t expected to be around for long this morning. However, it ended up taking most of the session to remove him as he completed his longest Test innings both in terms of time and balls faced. He even started to think like a batsman, too, asking for an extra drink of water and a change of gloves. Many people have said he is better than an average of seven suggests, and he showed what can he achieved when he puts his head down.Walk away, Stuart
Stuart Broad really should know how to behave around umpires. His dad, Chris, is an ICC match referee after all. But he needs to be careful with his appealing as he has a habit of not turning around to see the decision. It’s partly youthful enthusiasm which shouldn’t be knocked, but officials note these things. When he struck Brendan Nash with a yorker he was sure it was lbw and raced into his follow through and towards the wicketkeeper. Only when level with the stumps did he look at Daryl Harper, who by now was stood at mid-on. That replays showed it was hitting leg stump won’t have made Broad feel any better.Feeling queasy
Steve Harmison wasn’t quite himself for most for most of the day as he struggled with heat sickness. Towards the end of his fourth over he nearly threw up at the end of his run and after chatting with team doctor, Mike Stone, he left the field. At least it wasn’t quite as dramatic as when Neil Smith was sick in the middle of the pitch during a World Cup match against UAE in 1996. They really needed the sawdust on that occasion.Get out the hockey pads
This is the sort of pitch to make a wicketkeeper cry. They are waiting to see whether the ball will climb at shoulder-height or stay down by the ankles. Matt Prior was caught out by the grubbers plenty of times, and by the time the third or fourth one shot past him (just missing the helmets, which would have been five runs) all he could do was smile – and maybe curse a bit. However, he did seem to have a bit of a problem bring his legs together quickly enough. He wouldn’t have made a hockey goalkeeper, but then they do wear huge oversized pads.Chanderpaul in a trot
Two innings without a half-century – is Shivnarine Chanderpaul in a slump? He ground his way to 20 in Kingston and although there’s nothing unusual in that, the fact he didn’t kick on was. Now here in Antigua he couldn’t even get going, drawn into a loose drive against Stuart Broad. Bowlers the world over will be hunting down Broad’s mobile phone number to ask him how he did it. Some have bowled at Chanderpaul for days on end without making an impression.Why bother with the pitch
Ridge, what ridge? The channel on a good length made a few balls misbehave, but it didn’t account for any of the wickets. That Graeme Swann grabbed five of England’s scalps showed that there was more than one way to skin a cat on this surface. And for the wicket of Denesh Ramdin he took the pitch out of the equation all together. Having had Ramnaresh Sarwan caught at midwicket he threw the next one up so much it was a low full toss, which Ramdin – to his own disbelief and also Swann’s – chipped straight back to the bowler. Can’t blame the ridge for that.

Leeds United will sell star player Kalvin Phillips if an offer in the region of £90m arrives, according to former West Ham striker Frank McAvennie.

The Lowdown: Phillips’ future up the air

The 25-year-old has matured into a fantastic footballer in recent years, becoming a key figure for both the Whites and England – Three Lions legend Alan Shearer called him ‘magnificent’ during the summer.

Phillips’ form has unsurprisingly seen him linked with a move away from Leeds, with Manchester United among those thought to be keen on acquiring his signature.

There are reports he could yet sign a new deal at Elland Road, however, and it remains to be seen where his future lies.

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The Latest: If the offer comes…

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie, 61, claimed that Leeds would accept an offer of £90million for Phillips, should such a big offer arrive:

“If that offer comes in, he’s gone.

“I don’t think there will be any problem with that. Is he worth it?  I don’t know. In today’s game, my mind is blown. I look at some of the players who played when I did.

“What would Gazza be worth? Or Lineker? Oh my god, they must be worth millions and millions.

“If people say he’s worth £90million, he’s worth £90million. Who am I to argue?”

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The Verdict: Accept a monumental fee

While Phillips is undoubtedly an almost irreplaceable figure at Leeds, there comes a point where it is better to allow him to move on, should a ridiculous amount of money be offered.

It may be that the England international feels a fresh challenge is required at some point – playing for a Champions League team could appeal – and the Whites could use the money to make the team even stronger.

Ideally, Phillips will see out his career at Leeds, but it would arguably be a surprise if that happened given the immense quality he has shown at the highest level, and if the Whites bank a massive profit it could be a win win for both player and club.

In other news, Beren Cross has made a claim regarding Leeds United’s January transfer business. Read more here.

A number of Liverpool supporters after fuming after a fresh update claimed any new Reds signings will likely be put off until next year.

Jurgen Klopp’s side scraped to a third-place finish in the Premier League last season, despite constant injury problems holding them back.

The hope from some fans was therefore that Liverpool would have a busy summer in the transfer market to alleviate that issue, but things haven’t panned out that way to date.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

Ibrahima Konate is still the only signing to come in, while the likes of Gini Wijnaldum and Xherdan Shaqiri have moved on to new clubs.

There is still time for new faces to arrive before next Tuesday’s transfer cutoff, but The Daily Mail [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter] claim that signings won’t happen until next summer now, even though David Marshall and Mikkel Damsgaard are mentioned in the report.

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Liverpool fans angry at transfer latest

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to show their frustration at the update.

“Ian Ayre is back”

Credit: @DembeReloaded

“Nextyearpool at it again”

Credit: @DarthMoaner

“That magic ‘next year/summer’ phrase again”

Credit: @LangatGodwin_LG

“Mbappe to David Marshall doesn’t feel like the flex I was hoping for”

Credit: @PaulSenior1

“If I had a pound for every time I heard that Liverpool would spend bigger NEXT summer, I would have enough money to make the signings myself”

Credit: @CosmoKhan

“I hate this club”

Credit: @nasir_l

In other news, some Liverpool fans are fuming at an update ahead of the Premier League clash with Chelsea. Read more here.

Celtic were linked with a late swoop for Linfield teenager Trai Hume on deadline day, Belfast Live report.  

The Lowdown: Three in

Dominic McKay was a busy man on his first deadline day as Celtic CEO.

Leigh Griffiths, Ryan Christie and Odsonne Edouard all completed moves away from Parkhead, while Georgios Giakoumakis, Filipe Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers all finalised Glasgow moves with hours to spare.

It seems as if McKay may have had his eye on a fourth late addition for the Hoops, though, going off reports late on Tuesday evening.

The Latest: Hume links

According to Belfast Live, Linfield turned down a number of big-money offers for Hume in excess of £100,000, who can play as a right-back, centre-back or centre-midfielder.

Celtic and English League One side Lincoln City were name-checked with the late interest in the 5 foot 9 teenager, who is reportedly under contract until 2023.

The Verdict: Another Scales?

Celtic recently sealed a move for versatile defender Liam Scales from Shamrock Rovers, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Hoops go back in for Hume further down the line, with there clearly being a focus from McKay on up and coming defenders.

He’s been described as one of the Irish League’s hottest properties, similar to Scales earlier in the summer.

Hume’s versatility could attract Celtic in the next transfer window, as it did with Scales, so it could be a name to keep an eye on over the next 12 months.

In other news: Greek journalist drops late Celtic transfer news; ace didn’t want to move.

أكد علي ماهر المدير الفني لفريق الكرة بنادي فيوتشر، أي شخص يتمنى تولي مسئولية الأهلي، مشيرًا إلى أنه سعيد بتواجده في فيوتشر.

ويستعد فيوتشر إف سي لمواجهة نظيره الأهلي يوم الثلاثاء المقبل ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة والعشرين من المسابقة الأكبر محليًا.

وقال علي ماهر في تصريحات فضائية عبر “أم بي سي مصر”: “لا يوجد شيء بعيد عن الله، النادي الأهلي بيتي، واي شخص يتمنى تولى مسؤولية الأهلي، وسعيد جدًا بتواجدي في فيوتشر”.

وأكد: “لو تعاقدت مع 7 لاعبين بجانب المتواجدين في فيوتشر، حينها الفوز ببطولة الكونفدرالية لن يكون صعب”.

وبسؤاله عن اعطاء راحة للاعبين الأساسيين أمام الأهلي في المباراة المقبلة؟ قال: “لدي أول يوم العيد مران، وهذا ردي، والأهلي نادي كبير واحبه جدًا، ولكن هذا عملي، (اكل عيش محدش هيحيب حد أكثر من نفسه)”.

طالع أيضًا.. أحمد رفعت: غزل المحلة كان سيعود للمباراة في حالة واحدة.. ومروان محسن يعلق على اللقب الأول

وأردف: “نادي فيوتشر ولد كبير ولديه الطموح، مجلس الإدارة قوي جدًا كل شخص رقم واحد في عمله وطموحهم كبر”.

وأختتم تصريحاته قائلا: “عمر كمال عبد الواحد وأحمد عاطف مستمرين معنا، نحن مقبلين على بطولة الكونفدرالية، وصعب الافرط في أي لاعب من فيوتشر.

جدير بالذكر أن فيوتشر إف سي نجح في حصد بطولة كأس رابطة الأندية المصرية في نسختها الأولى، على حساب غزل المحلة بخمسة أهداف مقابل هدف.

We report on the first day of the Championship clash between Kent and Durham at Canterbury

Jeremy James at Canterbury24-Sep-2008Kent 190 for 9 (Key 58, Harmison 4-72) v Durham
Scorecard
Steve Harmison roars his delight at dismissing Joe Denly for a duck © Getty Images
In three spells from the Nackington Road End at Canterbury, Steve Harmison, who took 4 for 72, bowled with sufficient pace, rhythm and hostility to give Durham some hope that they might yet become county champions for the first time. Kent, themselves in need of points to make certain of avoiding relegation to the second division for the first time, collapsed to 190 for 9 before bad light brought about an early close.Mark Davies and the younger Harmison, Ben, took two wickets apiece in conditions which were more conducive to batting than had appeared in the first over after Durham had won the toss and decided to field. The ball swung and there was movement off the seam, but a classy batsman such as Rob Key was still able to drive off front and back foot alike.It was Harmison senior who made the difference for Durham, however. He removed Joe Denly for his third duck in succession with his third ball, which lifted and was taken by Phil Mustard. The quick out-swinger at the beginning of his third spell with which he removed Key in much the same way was the perfect delivery, taking the edge of the bat as Kent’s captain pushed forward outside off stump.This was the crucial wicket in that Key had made 58 including ten fours, each one struck off the middle of the bat, off exactly 100 balls. Harmison also had Justin Kemp lbw, shaping to play through midwicket, and Yasir Arafat was held at gully, ambitiously square cutting, which gave him his third wicket for four runs in ten balls – and 57 in Championship cricket for the season.Durham’s attack was switched around intelligently by Dale Benkenstein: Mark Davies also took a wicket in his first over when he had Geraint Jones leg before padding up to a ball too close to off stump. In addition, he dismissed Martin van Jaarsveld immediately after lunch, an attempted pull lobbying up to mid-off from a leading edge.Kent’s batting in mid-afternoon was dismal. They lost four wickets for nine runs, two of these to Ben Harmison, who had Darren Stevens lbw, padding up like Jones, and Ryan McLaren well taken by a diving Mustard. Arafat was next to go, followed by Robbie Joseph, who batted better than some of those ahead of him in the order but was also caught behind, this time off Callum Thorp. After that there would be no recovery.This was despite the fact that the pitch was sited almost on the edge of the square, the upshot of which was a short boundary in front of the Kent Academy – not that there was one over of spin bowled all day. Had James Tredwell not been dropped before he had scored, Kent would have been all out before bad light brought about an early tea interval at 3.30, and the eventual close.Briefly, Durham moved into second place in the first division table, their hopes of finishing there or still higher enhanced by events at Taunton. By the close, however, that had changed.