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Some Manchester City fans have been fuming over reports that talks between the Citizens and Barcelona have been intense over the past few days, with a swap deal involving Aymeric Laporte and Sergi Roberto said to be in the offing.

The previous campaign was a mixed one for Pep Guardiola and co. There was plenty of success for them to enjoy as they won both the Premier League and the Carabao Cup, but the much-coveted Champions League remained elusive as they lost 1-0 to Chelsea in the final in Porto.

As such, it promises to be a busy summer at the Etihad Stadium. It is being reported by Toni Juanmarti that talks between City and Barca are intense, with the discussions also involving players others than the two mentioned above.

Barcelona have already signed Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia from the Premier League champions in recent weeks, while it now seems that they want Laporte, whose passing success rate of 91.2% and match average of 1.8 clearances both serve to illustrate the talents he brings to the side.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts, with some enraged by the frequency with which Guardiola is selling players to his former club.

Let’s see what these Man City fans had to say on the news

“Txiki should be charged with crimes against humanity if we swap Laporte and Roberto”

Credit: @FidelCrypt0

“Barca has a tendency to negotiate low amounts. Knowing City they would give in, stupid club”

Credit: @buckslevito

“Pep already planning his way out .”

Credit: @nsangong

“Pep is trying to ruin City while trying to build Barcelona before he moves there”

Credit: @2Whizbang

“please don’t”

Credit: @sankul_pandey

“Never forgive Txiki if we swap Laporte to Sergi. We don’t need finished players. He’s 29 years old and we have so many right backs. We would we swap him? Just give us the cash, no swap deals. We don’t need to sell Laporte”

Credit: @sentosabahari8

In other news, some Man City fans were livid about this Fernandinho news.

Leeds United star Patrick Bamford has suffered a major blow, with England manager Gareth Southgate omitting him from the provisional squad for Euro 2020.

What’s the story?

The striker has been an absolute sensation in the Premier League this season for the Whites, banging in 17 goals and providing another eight assists in the 38 games.

However, despite his form, Southgate has opted to leave him out from the expanded 33-man provisional squad that he named on Tuesday afternoon, instead choosing to go with the likes of Harry Kane, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Marcus Rashford, Ollie Watkins and Mason Greenwood as his strikers.

Leeds fans will be fuming

Given just how impressively Bamford has performed at the Premier League level this season, it’s no surprise that many Leeds fans are already up in arms over the striker’s omission from the England squad.

Only Kane has outscored the Whites forward in the Premier League in terms of the players Southgate has chosen, while only the England captain, Rashford and Jack Grealish have provided more assists than him.

When leaving Bamford out of the last squad, Southgate himself admitted: “(Bamford was) very close. There’s a number of positions in this squad that have been really close calls and we felt we wanted an extra striker.

“We like his (Watkins) pressing, the speed and the runs in behind. He’s got some improvement to make in linking the game, but in his first season in the Premier League at a big club, he’s done exceptionally well. That’s been a really close call because all the things I’ve said about Ollie I could have said for Patrick as well. So he’s very unfortunate.”

Meanwhile, there have been numerous of calls for Southgate to have taken Bamford as one of his forward options.

The Mirror’s Neil Moxley wrote: “I’d take Patrick Bamford instead of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The Leeds man provides more assists and his star is on an upwards curve.”

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Speaking recently to the Yorkshire Evening Post, former Leeds midfielder David Prutton said: “Get him in there. He’s got no tournament baggage and he’s a great team player who is a hard worker and selfless.

“He’s performed under pressure at a big club and always rises to the challenge of the questions against him. He’s an all round good egg.”

While Kalvin Phillips’ inclusion will surely please Leeds fans, the fact that Bamford isn’t in the squad despite outperforming almost every striker Southgate has chosen will understandably have the Elland Road faithful fuming.

Meanwhile, Leeds United are plotting a new move for this star…

Glasgow Rangers have received a Champions League boost from an unlikely source after Brondby won in Denmark on Thursday.

The Lowdown: Gers eye Champions League seed

Winning the Premiership means that the Gers will enter the Champions League third qualifying round as they aim to reach the group stages.

As it stands, Rangers are not yet sure what seeding they will have when they enter the competition.

The Latest: Brondby win huge for Gers

Should FC Copenhagen win the Danish Superliga, Rangers would not be a top seed and could face one of Slavia Prague, Olympiacos, Dinamo Zagreb, Young Boys or Red Star Belgrade (Daily Record), all sides who have competed in the group stages in recent seasons.

However, Brondby’s 2-1 win over Aarhus means they are three points clear of Copenhagen with one game left, with their goal difference nine better than that of their capital rivals (BBC).

The Verdict: Big boost

Brondby’s victory gives Rangers a far better chance of reaching the group stages. It would take a huge twist on the final day of the campaign for Copenhagen to prevail, meaning the Gers should secure top seed status. In turn, that should secure an easier tie in the third qualifying round of next season’s Champions League.

Having said that, the Gers cannot afford to get complacent. Any team they face will provide a tougher challenge than the teams they have met in the equivalent rounds of the Europa League in recent years, even if they got past Galatasaray a few months ago. The Gers must be at their best to achieve their goals and avoid another Niederkorn-esque upset.

In other news, many Rangers fans were livid at this article in The Times.

Everton’s hunt for European football took a huge boost last weekend.

The Toffees bounced back from a crushing defeat to Aston Villa by defeating an in-form West Ham side 1-0.

Carlo Ancelotti admitted that securing Champions League football was essentially impossible but they are still very much in the race to secure a spot in the Europa or Europa Conference League.

It would be a deserved return to continental action for a team who have looked rejuvenated under the Italian coach.

Unfortunately, their hopes of beating Villa on Thursday night when the two sides meet again has taken a big blow.

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That’s because they will be without the services of Yerry Mina when they travel to the Midlands.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Ancelotti said: “Yerry had a problem on his adductor. It is not a big problem. He tried to train yesterday but he was a little bit uncomfortable. I hope to recover him for the game against Sheffield United.”

The manager added: “Even if he does not play on Sunday, I think he can play in the last two games of the season. He has a really small problem.”

Mina was hauled off just after the hour mark of Everton’s win over the Hammers last time out but they were able to see through the game with a clean sheet.

Having him missing on this occasion will be a huge blow, though.

After all, it could leave Ancelotti with the gutting decision to play Mason Holgate again. The young centre-back endured a torrid afternoon when the Toffees last faced Villa just over a week ago.

Holgate was robbed of possession by Ollie Watkins after turning back towards his own goal which ultimately resulted in the opening strike of the match.

Thus, if the Englishman returns to the starting XI on Thursday evening, he will have to put in a much-improved performance.

Fortunately, Watkins will be suspended on Thursday but with this incredibly tall frame, Mina will be a more difficult proposition for Villa’s attack to deal with.

AND in other news, Everton could find their new Gareth Barry with swoop for “complete” £35m brute…

When the transfer window opens this summer there should be a number of priorities on the agenda for Wolves.

They will need to sign a new striker after struggling with Raul Jimenez’s injury while they will need to beef up their midfield too.

In a normal season, you’d be able to rely on the midfield pairing of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho to set the tone.

Neves has thrived this term by scoring five goals in the Premier League but one man who has defined inconsistency is his partner in crime; Moutinho.

The Portuguese veteran has looked off the pace and had to wait until February to finally register a goal involvement. His form has been sluggish and due to that, Wolves reporter Tim Spiers thinks this could be his final season as a regular in the starting XI.

With that in mind, another midfielder would go down nicely this summer.

Wolves have long had Ainsley Maitland-Niles on their radar and he seems a perfect fit, not only for the starting XI but the manager too.

The England international has been touted at a massive £30m but if they can lure him back to the Midlands after his loan spell with West Brom expires, it would be great business.

First and foremost, Maitland-Niles is versatile. He’d suit Wolves’ system down to the ground given his ability to play at wing-back while he has become a threat from midfield now as well.

What Ruben Neves has been lacking in recent years is a dynamic option next to him. Moutinho is rather one dimensional at the age of 34 while Leander Dendoncker’s approach to the game is more about defence.

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It’s evident they have a number of midfielders who are quite similar. Maitland-Niles, however, would give them a very different threat.

He has the ability to defend, winning 2.2 tackles per game this season, while he is also a presence in the final third, epitomising the box-to-box role in the middle of the park.

Neves has long been the quarterback of Nuno’s team but he has lacked a more mobile presence with energy and tenacity next to him in order to transition defence into attack more quickly.

The Portugal international can spray passes and take shots from distance but his ball-carrying leaves plenty to be desired.

For instance, Neves has managed just 0.3 dribbles per match this season. Maitland-Niles, on the other hand, has registered 1.4 per game.

That’s a tally that only four players at Wolves have bettered this campaign; Adama Traore, Pedro Neto, Nelson Semedo and Daniel Podence.

On that basis, it’s clear to see why he’s been labelled a “weapon” by BT Sport pundit Chris Sutton.

This acquisition would benefit Wolves plenty and it could just squeeze even more out of the radiant Neves.

AND in other news, Forget MGW: Wolves must unleash rarely-seen 18 y/o who creates “things out of nothing”…

Peterborough United Director of Football Barry Fry has told Football FanCast that Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood will become the best forward in the world in two to three years.

The 19-year-old has been in good form in recent weeks, scoring four goals in his last four Premier League outings.

That run of form included a brace against Burnley, and Fry has been blown away by the performances of the teenager.

Greenwood is still only 19 and he has scored a total of 26 goals in 98 outings for United since his first-team breakthrough.

Fry believes he is already United’s best player, and says his ability to score goals with either foot could set him apart as the finest striker in world football in the next few years.

Already an England international, Greenwood has played in a number of positions for United, and has primarily been used as a right winger this season, though he has also played through the middle under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “I think the best player Manchester United have got, and he will be the best centre-forward in the future, is Greenwood.

“I think he’s a special talent, he’s still young, but in two or three years I think he’ll be the best centre-forward around.

“I think his finishing with either foot is excellent.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Eduardo Barroca, técnico que recentemente conquistou o Brasileirão Sub-20 pelo Botafogo, está no Chile como auxiliar técnico de Rogério Micale na Seleção Brasileira Sub-20. Ele é o terceiro profissional a participar do projeto da CBF de convidar técnicos para ajudar no trabalho de suas categorias na Seleção.

Antes de Barroca, André Jardine, do São Paulo, e Fábio Matias, do Internacional, estiveram com a Sub-20 e a Sub-17, respctivamente.

Já há 11 dias concentrado com a Seleção Sub-20, Barroca avalia a experiência como positiva. Para ele, a possibilidade de acompanhar mais de perto o trabalho realizado pela CBF aumenta a referência para o desenvolvimento dos jogadores no clube.

– Na hora de transferir esse conhecimento para o clube, a gente consegue trazer a realidade do que acontece na Seleção. Isso vai facilitar muito neste processo – explicou Barroca.

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Quem também está bastante satisfeito com a iniciativa é o técnico Micale. Sempre reflexivo sobre o futuro do futebol brasileiro, ele considera que esta é uma boa maneira de otimizar o trabalho de intercâmbio entre clubes e Seleção.

– A gente tem aprendido muito um com o outro. Ele está vendo o que a gente faz, como trabalha, e eu também. Tem muitos trabalhos de campo dele que vou aproveitar. Essa aproximação é essencial para o crescimento do futebol brasileiro – comentou.

Glasgow Rangers fans are absolutely delighted with an official statement from the club in the aftermath of the Glen Kamara racism row.

The Gers were defeated 2-0 by Czechia champions Slavia Prague at Ibrox on Thursday, with the loss knocking them out of the competition in the process. However, much of the discussion since the final whistle has been about the allegations of racial abuse midfielder Kamara has directed at Ondrej Kudela.

Kamara has since released a statement backing up his claim, while Slavia have moved to vehemently deny the allegations (slavia.cz). Now, the Gers have released a statement of their own. They have reiterated their support for Finland international Kamara, and have demanded action be taken by UEFA.

The Gers shared the statement on their official Twitter account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the Gers supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the Rangers fans had to say about the statement

 “Brilliant statement from our Managing Director. As a supporter, this is the type of strong, resolute statement I wanted to see from my club. Now its over to @UEFAcom but they should be rest assured that we will not let this case of racism be brushed under the carpet.”

Credit: @GrahamDoolan1

“I stand with @GlenKamara4 and all players, staff & management of our club @RangersFC. Excellent statement.”

Credit: @RANGERSTILLIDI7

“Superb statement. Stance has been set. UEFA all eyes are on you for a response”

Credit: @Bairdric1

“Very very good statement. Let’s see how serious @UEFA are about stamping out this bile.”

Credit: @beaford_j

“Class statement by @RangersFC again. This is the Rangers I want to see defending our Club our Players and our Fans and also showing compassion to an opponent during injury. Well Done”

Credit: @StandwithKamara

“Brilliant. So proud of everyone at the club. We’re all behind Glen and the rest of our players 100%.”

Credit: @CemetryGates89

In other news, Alan Hutton has suggested this Rangers ace could leave the club this summer.

According to recent reports, Glasgow Rangers are plotting a deal for a top-class centre-forward this summer, should Alfredo Morelos leave Ibrox.

The report by Football Insider claims that Rangers sources have revealed that the club’s recruitment team are assessing a number of potential targets in the upcoming transfer window, and are “laying the groundwork” for a “blockbuster” signing in anticipation of Morelos’ potential departure this summer.

One target mentioned is Peterborough United centre-forward, Jonson Clarke-Harris, who has scored a quite remarkable 25 goals, as well as providing three assists, over his 37 League One appearances so far this season, with the 26-year-old averaging a highly impressive WhoScored match rating of 7.29 – with Darren Ferguson dubbing the Posh hitman an “outstanding” player.

Last weekend, Football Insider reported that Rangers had sent scouts to watch the £225k-rated striker in Peterborough’s recent clash with Accrington Stanley, a game in which Clarke-Harris undoubtedly impressed, bagging a hat-trick in a 7-0 win.

Transfer Tavern Take

Considering the fact that Rangers were heavily linked with a move for the then-Peterborough striker, Ivan Toney, last summer, only for the 25-year-old to eventually join Brentford, where he has scored 28 goals and provided nine assists over 36 Championship appearances so far this season, it would appear as if there is a very clear lesson for Rangers to learn from their failed attempts to lure Toney.

Unless the club want to miss out on another diamond in the rough, it would appear highly advisable that Rangers’ transfer team should be doing all they can to convince Clarke-Harris of a move to Ibrox, which could lead the 26-year-old becoming the “blockbuster” signing Gers are looking for this summer.

In other news: this ‘superb’ £6.2k-p/w star lifted the lid on talks with the Rangers hierarchy – find out more here!

While Raphinha has developed into a superstar on the right-hand side for Leeds United, Marcelo Bielsa has had more trouble on the opposite flank.

Jack Harrison had that position nailed down for the majority of this Premier League season, and delivered some fine performances, racking up six goals and providing four assists in the top-flight alone.

But recently, his form has dropped off considerably, so much so that he was taken off at half-time in two out of the last three games, before being dropped to the bench against Aston Villa. Helder Costa came in and took his place, but looked woefully out of place, and Bielsa must make a ruthless call on him.

So, with Leeds’ wide options on the left currently in a bit of a rough patch, Bielsa must turn towards another exciting talent to potentially step into the gap: Ian Poveda.

The 21-year-old has played ten times in the Premier League this season, but that has only amounted to a total of 243 minutes of football, instead spending more time playing for the club’s U23s.

But, there’s no questioning the kind of talent and ability he’s got, and with him being able to play on both flanks, could offer Bielsa another option down the left side.

Talking about Poveda earlier this campaign, Noel Whelan said: “You can see now when you talk about people changing games and bringing a different dimension, he’s very, very quick, got great feet, very tricky, likes to run at players. Very much like Raphinha as well.

“He just looks a lot stronger this season, body-wise, mentality wise. He looks like he’s there to push people rather than just take up a bench place.”

Paul Robinson added to the winger’s list of admirers, insisting last March: “I think we’re going to see Poveda come through next season. Leeds have signed him for a reason, Bielsa knows he’s a top, top player.”

With both Harrison and Costa short on form in recent weeks, bringing the £10k-a-week earning Poveda into the fold could help Leeds set up a new and exciting wide duo with Raphinha.

Given Whelan’s comments on how Poveda plays makes him sound very similar to the Brazilian too, that makes for a mouth-watering combo.

Meanwhile, Leeds could hire Bielsa’s dream successor in this 36 y/o…