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Speaking to Paddy Power via Goal, former Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp has hinted that the return of superstar signing Gareth Bale is ‘great news for the fans’ if the ‘amazing’ talent can replicate his shades of form at Real Madrid. 

Bale, who has been tipped to feature against West Ham this afternoon, could come on as a substitute or even start the match, but manager Jose Mourinho has so far refused to give a definite answer.

Indeed, speaking ahead of his team’s return to Premier League action against the Hammers, Mourinho claimed that Bale will ‘probably’ make his second debut for the club today, or if not then definitely on Thursday (Sky Sports).

Redknapp drops Bale hint

Ahead of today’s all-London clash, Redknapp has issued his verdict over whether Bale can star for Tottenham, believing that his potential return this afternoon could be ‘great news for the fans’.

“There’s a really simple reason why I believe Bale will work at Tottenham: he’s not an idiot,” explained Redknapp to Paddy Power.

“I don’t think he’s the type of guy that would put himself on offer unless he thought it would work. He could have gone anywhere, to America, to China, to Man United, wherever he wanted, but he chose Tottenham because he knows he has something left in the tank.

“It’s great news for the fans, too, and if he can even get a little bit of the form he had before he went to Real Madrid then, honestly, anything is possible. Because he is such an amazing talent, there’s nothing he can’t do.”

While Bale was shunned by Zinedine Zidane over the last year of his Real Madrid tenure, Redknapp believes that if the 31-year-old can replicate just a glimmer of his best Galacticos form, he will be a revelation upon his Tottenham return.

Transfer Tavern take

Bale signed on a season-long loan at Spurs in the summer, grabbing headlines as arguably one of the transfer window’s most lucrative deals. Real Madrid will pay a portion of his £600,000-a-week salary before tax, thus enabling Daniel Levy to bring him back to north London.

Lilywhites’ dreams have come true with the return of a club icon, and if Redknapp’s verdict is anything to go by, it could end up being one of the summer’s biggest transfer coups.

Spurs fans, should Bale start against West Ham? Have your say in the comments section below…

West Ham United’s season hasn’t gone to plan.

The Hammers have been in a relegation battle for the majority of the campaign, and while they’re safe now, they can’t be happy about how things have gone.

The London club looked set to have a good season before a ball was kicked having brought some high-profile talents from abroad last summer, but almost 12 months later they’re ready to sell one of their big-name acquisitions.

What’s the story then?

The Sun’s Alan Nixon wrote a piece about Callum Wilson moving to Tottenham, but what could have been missed by some was a smaller story at the foot of the article about West Ham selling Sebastien Haller.

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The Frenchman was a club-record signing last summer, but after just seven goals in his debut campaign, it seems as though the London club want to be rid of him.

Monaco have been touted as the main suitors for Haller, but it remains to be seen where he ends up.

Unfortunate

It’s a shame that things haven’t worked out for Haller at the London Stadium.

The striker arrived with all the tools needed to be a success in England, he’d just netted 13 league goals in the Bundesliga, and the physical style of the 6 ft 3 target man looked as though it would suit the Premier League.

He was still dominant in the air, winning 6.9 aerial duels per game, but he just failed to get into the right places at the right time having just 1.7 shots per game, scoring just seven, and when you’re the club’s most expensive signing in history, that just isn’t good enough.

Transfermarkt still value him at £32.4m, so the Hammers should be able to recoup some of the £45m they spent on him, but the club will have to feel disappointed about how his career in England has turned out.

Brighton have joined the transfer race for £30m-rated Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard, according to a transfer report in The Times.

The report stated that the Seagulls are the latest club to show an interest in the Frenchman, whom Hoops manager Neil Lennon hopes will remain in Glasgow for another season but has been deemed unlikely to sign a new contract at Celtic beyond his current deal which expires in 2022. Therefore, the Scottish champions may be open to selling him prior to then.

Edouard netted a hat-trick in Celtic’s first Premiership match of the season last week, following on from the 27 goals that he struck in the 2019/20 campaign. He has been more than just a penalty box poacher, too, with an impressive tally of 19 assists last season as well.

While there may be an inclination among some cynics to dismiss him as a flat-track bully in a league that his club have dominated since 2012, the 22-year-old has proven that he can rise to the big occasion – he scored three times in the Hoops’ Europa League campaign, including in both legs of the last 32 tie against eventual quarter-finalists FC Copenhagen, as well as in both league fixtures against arch-rivals Glasgow Rangers (as per TransferMarkt).

Brighton have not been reluctant to spend big on attackers who they feel would given them a greater threat up front – they lavished £15.3m on Jurgen Locadia, £17.1m on Alireza Jahanbakhsh and £18m on Leandro Trossard, with their joint-record transfer fee of £20m paid to Neal Maupay last summer (as per TransferMarkt). A return of 10 goals in last season’s Premier League from the ex-Brentford man has shown the latter fee to be money well spent.

It would be quite a show of faith in Edouard if Brighton were to not only smash their transfer record, but to raise it by 50%, in order to sign a striker who ex-Celtic manager Martin O’Neill described as the Hoops’ best attacker since the legendary Henrik Larsson, who scored 242 goals in 315 matches at the club prior to leaving in 2004.

That comparison illustrates the massive esteem that the 22-year-old has earned from his sharp-shooting feats at Parkhead and, if Brighton could see off rivals for his signature and bring him to the Amex Stadium, it would represent a massive statement of intent from the Sussex outfit.

Brighton fans, how likely is it that Edouard will join the Seagulls in this transfer window? Comment below with your views!

Leeds United’s short-term future is relatively unknown and the same goes for their manager, Marcelo Bielsa.

The west Yorkshire outfit extended his contract by a further 12 months a year ago, meaning he is soon out of contract at Elland Road.

Currently, the Championship season is on hold but players have returned to training ahead of a possible resumption, so there’s a chance that the remaining nine games are played and then the club can discuss what will happen with the Argentine.

But there’s also a chance the season is finished early where the EFL will decide the final standings via an unweighted points-per-game system. It would see Leeds win the division, though the onus would be on the Premier League going ahead with relegation for them to be a top-flight team next term.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has provided fans with some sort of update over Bielsa’s future in a recent Q&A article. He said:

Hay claims that neither side are discussing a contract extension just yet but the pragmatic 64-year-old is still planning for next season.

He goes on to say that there’s almost a guarantee Bielsa stays at the club if they are competing in the Premier League next season, but “all bets are off” if it’s yet another year in the Championship.

Call yourself a Leeds expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?

Therefore these next few weeks are going to prove rather crucial for the future of Leeds as it’s clear to see that the cult hero has already transformed the club substantially.

Likely back-to-back top-three finishes and on the verge of a Premier League spot for the first time in 16 years. The Bielsa impact.

AND in other news, Leeds fans debate rarely-seen ace’s PL credentials…

After failing to score in their last five away games, Liverpool ended that streak on Wednesday night, and enjoyed an impressive 3-1 victory over Brighton in the Premier League.

The Reds were largely in control of the tie, enjoying 56% possession and racking up 19 total shots on the Seagulls’ goal. But whilst a couple of players put in some impressive shifts – most notably Mohamed Salah who struck twice, and Naby Keita who showed signs of his huge potential – there was one player who badly let Jurgen Klopp down: Georginio Wijnaldum.

The Dutchman looked completely out of sorts against Graham Potter’s side, and it was no surprise that his official match rating of 6.3 as per Sofascore, was the worst of any player who started for the Reds.

Hilariously obscure Premier League players – Can you name them all?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

He could only manage one shot off target in the entire game, whilst he was only successful with just one his three attempted dribbles – the former Newcastle man has of course come up with some big goals for Liverpool, most notably in the Champions League, but that completely deserted him on Wednesday.

He offered no creativity whatsoever for Klopp’s men, failing to create a single big chance or provide a key pass, whilst he simply got bullied off the ball far too easily by the home side.

He lost possession on 11 occasions, and in the ten total duels that he contested, he lost seven of them. It was a weak and fragile display from a midfielder who is usually a real live-wire on the pitch – this season in the Premier League, he has won an impressive 50% of his ground duels, and conceded possession just 7.2 times per game.

Thankfully for Wijnaldum and Klopp, his midfield partner Keita, carried his burden for the Reds, and inspired them to another three points in the top-flight. The Liverpool manager will surely be hoping that having let him down on Wednesday, his Dutch midfielder can quickly get resume normal service.

Linked with a switch to Liverpool for what feels like eternity, it appears Timo Werner may not be joining up at Anfield this summer after all.

Reports in recent months have suggested that the Germany international could be lured away from RB Leipzig, but it now appears that the current uncertainty surrounding football has had an impact on this potential transfer.

According to The Daily Mail, Jurgen Klopp’s side have put all contract talks and recruitment plans on hold due to this ongoing situation, and that because of this, “Liverpool are not actively working on any deals to bolster and refresh their squad – and will only resume once there is clarity.”.

Hilariously obscure Premier League players – Can you name them all?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

For fans of the Merseyside club eager to see to their team strengthen their side, this will no doubt been as a disappointment. But it could be a major blessing in disguise for those already at Anfield.

Whilst not making new signings can be seen as standing still, or even taking a step backwards, in Liverpool’s case, the sheer dominance that they have enjoyed this season in the Premier League means it is hard pressed to see where they could genuinely improve.

If anything, a big-money, high-profile move for a forward like Werner would only serve to hinder the kind of momentum and chemistry that they have built up under Klopp. The Reds are the league’s second-top goal-scorers with 66, only behind Manchester City who have scored just a couple more.

They possess the likes of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah to form a much-vaunted front trio, and bringing the £72m-rated Werner on board just raises unnecessary issues about who to leave out and whether a change in system is needed.

It’s the kind of headache Klopp could do without, and so this almost enforced restriction on their transfer plans may actually turn out for the best for Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Liverpool fans react to this update on ace.

A number of West Brom fans have called for changes to be made to the West Stand, often known as Halfords Lane, at The Hawthorns.

Twitter channel @BaggiesHQ asked followers to identify one thing they would like to change about the stadium, with many focusing on the 3,773-capacity stand, the smallest at The Hawthorns.

As per wba.co.uk, Halfords Lane is the oldest surviving squad at Albion’s home ground and has been redeveloped on multiple occasions since it first opened in 1981. It is from underneath this stand that the players emerge from the dressing rooms prior to kick-off and it also houses the club’s board room and media facilities.

Although West Brom are currently second in the Championship table, their 26,850-capacity venue is only the 12th largest in the division for the number of spectators it can hold, with Sheffield Wednesday able to accommodate 13,000 more fans at Hillsborough. [via TransferMarkt]

These Baggies fans on Twitter all cited Halfords Lane as one part of The Hawthorns that they would like to see being changed:

West Brom fans, do you think Halfords Lane needs to be modernised or expanded? Is it your least favourite thing about The Hawthorns? Join in the discussion by commenting below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

In this modern world of inflated transfer fees and astronomical wages, finding real value for money is becoming increasingly difficult. Premier League clubs can now spend upwards of £50m on multiple players, and it shows no signs of slowing down as the stakes continue to get higher.

But every so often, you get teams who show a bit of nous and intelligence in their planning, and pull off such bargain deals it leaves you scratching your heads as to how they managed to pull that off. After all, with scouts essentially littered everywhere across the world scouring for the next big thing, it is difficult to sing players under the radar.

But in Leicester’s case, they have done exactly that. In Caglar Soyuncu and Jonny Evans, the Foxes have a thriving centre-back partnership who have been the cornerstone of their success this season. Brendan Rodgers’ side find themselves in second-place in the Premier League, and have conceded just eight goals in total – the best defensive record in the top-flight.

It’s therefore no surprise that reigning title holders Manchester City are said to be considering both Evans and Soyuncu as potential centre-back options. The Citizens’ interest in the duo shows the sterling work Leicester have done behind the scenes in finding out such great deals.

Evans was signed from West Brom for a measly £3.5m, whilst Soyuncu arrived from Freiburg for £19m – their combined totals cost just over a quarter of the £80m Manchester United spent in taking Harry Maguire away from the King Power. Claude Puel may have been sacked by Leicester in February this year after just 16 months in charge, but there’s no doubt he has left his former side the most incredible gift in their two central defenders.

As per Whoscored, Soyuncu and Evans have an average match rating of 7.25 and 7.00 respectively, and their partnership at the back has been crucial to their success this year. Puel’s name may be forgotten by most Foxes fans considering what Rodgers has transformed them into, but the Frenchman should be handed a lot of credit for bringing in two players who are now of firm interest to the best side in the country.

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…

FC Inter News reported last week that Crystal Palace are ready to launch a £20m January bid for striker Gabriel Barbosa, so it was certainly interesting to see him in action for loan club Flamengo in the Copa Libertadores final on Saturday.

It seems certain that the south London outfit will look to bring a new centre-forward to Selhurst Park in the New Year given the links with the Brazilian as well as Scottish Premiership duo Odsonne Edouard and Alfredo Morelos, and ‘Gabigol’ certainly didn’t let any potential watching scouts done with a prolific display.

The 23-year-old took his tally to 31 goals in 38 matches in all competitions with a match-winning brace against River Plate, with the goals coming in the 89th and 90th minute in the dramatic 2-1 victory.

The five-cap international showed his quality in the final third by beating the goalkeeper twice, while according to WhoScored all four of his attempted shots during the encounter were on target – even more impressive given he only had 26 touches of the ball.

He did left himself down in one regard though, and that was his behaviour at the end of the match. Firstly, he was shown a yellow card for taking his shirt off having netted the decisive goal.

Barbosa still had time to sarcastically applaud the referee though, and was given a red card.

It wasn’t an isolated incident either, with the dismissal the second straight red he has received in the Copa Libertadores competition this year, also now collecting 12 yellow cards in his 38 games.

He may well be a goalscorer, but he has also shown his indiscipline too – much like another striker the Eagles are reportedly looking at in Morelos.

The Colombian picked up five red cards in 48 games for Rangers in 2018/19, although he does appear to have calmed down a little for Steven Gerrard’s men this time around, with no reds and five yellows.

It will be interesting to see what Palace decide to do in January, but the indications are after the weekend that signing ‘Gabigol’ would be a risk in some ways.

In other news, some Crystal Palace fans noted one man’s absence from their U23 fixture on Monday…

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…

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, via The Daily Mail, has stated that Christian Eriksen isn’t good enough for Real Madrid.

What’s he said?

The Denmark international has struggled for form thus far this season.

In 12 appearances in all competitions, Eriksen has scored one goal, in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal, and laid on one assist, in the 2-1 win over Southampton.

Eriksen was linked with a move to Real throughout the summer but no move materialised; his contract is set to expire at the end of the season and he could leave on a free transfer if he does not agree a new deal with Spurs.

Carragher, though, does not believe that he would improve Real Madrid if he were to move and has insisted he does not have the talent to play for Los Blancos.

He said: “Eriksen for me is a really good player for Tottenham, but he keeps getting talked about as this player who could play for Real Madrid. He’s not good enough.

“If he’s that good, he’s got a year to go in his contract, you’d pay money for him. People keep saying maybe on a free transfer… you’d have anyone on a free transfer.

“This summer he wanted to go, he made it known, he said it publicly, and no one came in for him.

“I think Eriksen has been fantastic for Spurs but he’s not better than Spurs. He might go to PSG, he might go to another club, but he won’t make any of them better.”

A question of motivation

Eriksen has the potential to be a world-class attacking midfielder and he has been previously.

In 2016/17, he laid on 15 assists in the Premier League alone, along with eight goals, while scoring 10 and providing 10 in 2017/18.

Even last season, he scored eight and laid on 12; the question is more about his motivation.

It does not appear like he really wants to stay at Spurs after declaring his desire to find a new challenge in the summer and his performance against Liverpool – he failed to register a key pass and had a pass completion rate of just 62% – was yet more evidence of this.

Carragher, though, is guilty of recency bias; just because he is not performing this season does not mean that Eriksen isn’t a genuinely excellent attacking midfielder.

The sad fact is that he may have lost the motivation to be one for Spurs.